bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological trends for human plague in Madagascar during the second half of the 20th century: a survey of 20 900 notified cases
Authors: Migliani René , Chanteau Suzanne , Rahalison Lila , Ratsitorahina Maherisoa , Boutin Jean Paul , Ratsifasoamanana Lala , Roux Jean 
Published: July 2006

SummaryObjectives  To describe the principal characteristics and epidemiological trends for human plague in modern times based on the largest reported series of cases from the highly active Malagasy focus.Methods  We used a file of 20 900 notified cases of suspected plague, 4473 of which were confirmed or probable, to carry out a statistical analysis of incidence and mortality rates and associated factors for 5‐year periods from 1957 to 2001.Results  Our analysis of trends showed (1) an increase in the incidence rate and the number of districts affected, (2) an increase in the proportion of bubonic forms (64.8–96.8%) at the expense of the pneumonic forms (35.2–3.2%) more frequent in elderly subjects and (3) a decrease in case fatality rate (CFR, 55.7–20.9%) associated with five factors: clinical form, season, province, urban/rural and period considered. The median age of patients was 14 years and more men than women were affected.Conclusions  Since the end of the 1980s, the incidence of plague in Madagascar has increased in both rural and urban areas, because of multiple socioeconomic and environmental factors. However, the plague mortality rate has tended to decrease, together with the frequency of pneumonic forms, because of the strengthening of control measures. Making dipstick tests for the rapid diagnosis of human cases and epizootics in rats available for health structures should make it possible to raise the alarm and to react rapidly, thereby further decreasing morbidity and CFR.
The contribution of platelets in the production of cryoprecipitates for use in a fibrin glue
Authors: Rock G. , Neurath D. , Lu M. , Alharbi A. , Freedman M. 
Published: July 2006

Background and Objectives  Cryoprecipitate has a wide application for use as a fibrin glue. In some situations, platelets are added to the preparation in order to enhance the fibrin glue.Materials and Methods  Fresh plasma was collected by apheresis from the same donor to produce 250 ml of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) or platelet‐poor plasma (PPP) (n = 12 each). Cryoprecipitate was then produced following the standards of the American Association of Blood Banks and resuspended to a total volume of 8 ml, from which aliquots were removed and assayed. Clot formation was measured using the thromboelastogram.Results  The protein content of the two preparations was identical for PRP and PPP. Results for fibrinogen (PPP 475 ± 220 mg; PRP 399 ± 215 mg), Factor VIII (PPP 186 ± 67 IU; PRP 175 ± 70 IU) and von Willebrand Factor (PPP 260 ± 104 IU; PRP 221 ± 88 IU) were not significantly different. The concentration of platelet‐derived growth factor was markedly higher (a 100‐fold increase at 3778 ± 1036 ng) when platelets were added to the plasma. There was a small, but not statistically significant, difference in the rate of clot formation (R = 2·3 for PPP and 3·8 for PRP) and clot strength (MA = 63·4 for PPP and 56·6 for PRP) between PPP and PRP cryoprecipitates when measured using the thromboelastogram.Conclusions  Platelets do not significantly increase the concentration of the usual constituents of cryoprecipitate; however, the levels of platelet‐derived growth factor are markedly enhanced. Therefore, there are advantages for using PRP to enhance the growth of new tissue.
Travoprost compared with other prostaglandin analogues or timolol in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension: meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Ni , Chen Xiao‐ming , Zhou Yong , Wei Mao‐ling , Yao Xun 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  It is still uncertain whether travoprost has comparable or better efficacy compared with other prostaglandin analogues or timolol in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The authors performed a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the incidence of reported side‐effects and intraocular pressure (IOP)‐lowering effect of travoprost versus other prostaglandin analogues (latanaprost, bimatoprost, unoprostone) or timolol.Methods:  Systematic literature retrieval was conducted in Pubmed, EMBASE, Chinese Bio‐medicine Database and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register to identify the potentially relevant randomized controlled trials. The statistical analysis was performed by RevMan 4.1 software that was provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. The outcome measures were the incidence of reported side‐effects (hyperaemia, iris pigmentation, eyelash changes) and mean IOP pooled over treatment visits.Results:  In total, 12 articles involving 3048 patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were included in this meta‐analysis. The combined results showed that travoprost 0.004% was more effective than timolol or travoprost 0.0015% in lowering IOP, but not more effective than bimatoprost or latanoprost. Travoprost 0.004% caused a higher percentage of hyperaemia than timolol, latanoprost, or travoprost 0.0015%. There was an increased incidence of pigmentation with travoprost than timolol. Travoprost 0.004% caused a higher percentage of eyelash changes than timolol, latanoprost, or travoprost 0.0015%.Conclusion:  According to data available, travoprost is more effective than timolol in lowering IOP in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Compared with other prostaglandin analogues, travoprost appears to be equivalent to bimatoprost and latanoprost. Although a limited number of local side‐effects were reported, no serious treatment‐related side‐effects were reported.
Prevalence and causes of visual impairment in craniosynostotic syndromes
Authors: Tay Tien , Martin Frank , Rowe Neil , Johnson Kim , Poole Michael , Tan Kimberley , Kennedy Ian , Gianoutsos Mark 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  To assess the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in patients with craniosynostotic syndromes of Apert, Crouzon, Pfeiffer, Saethre–Chotzen and craniofrontonasal dysplasia.Methods:  The medical records of patients who attended the Craniofacial Clinic at two large paediatric hospitals in Sydney, Australia between 1983 and 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Presenting visual acuity (VA) was assessed using tests appropriate to age and cognition: ‘fix and follow’ in infants (<18 months old), Teller card acuity in preverbal children (18 months to less than 3 years old), Kay picture test or Sheridan–Gardiner test in children aged between 3 and less than 6 years and Snellen chart in those aged 6 years or older. Visual impairment was defined as the inability to fix and follow or presenting VA < 6/12 in the better eye. Amblyopia was defined as a two‐line difference in VA between both eyes in the absence of an organic eye disease.Results:  Sixty‐three patients with craniosynostotic syndromes were identified, of whom 55 had VA assessed at the first visit. Of these 55, 19 (35.5%) had bilateral visual impairment and 5 (9.1%) had unilateral visual impairment. Causes of visual impairment include amblyopia (16.7%), ametropia (25%), optic atrophy (16.7%) and exposure keratopathy (4.2%). Risk factors for amblyopia include strabismus (43.3%), astigmatism (≥1.5 dioptres) (39.5%), hypermetropia (18.4%) and anisometropia (≥1.5 dioptre difference between both eyes) (15.8%). Six of the 63 patients (9.5%) had papilloedema; those who were followed up showed gradual resolution of papilloedema following timely decompressive surgery.Conclusions:  A high prevalence of visual impairment in patients with craniosynostotic syndromes was found, almost half of them due to potentially correctable causes, including amblyopia and ametropia. Optic atrophy remains an important cause of visual impairment. Further studies are needed to assess the timing and efficacy of intervention for modifiable causes of visual loss in craniosynostotic syndromes.
Recovery of postoperative visual loss following treatment of severe anaemia
Authors: Kawasaki Aki , Purvin Valerie 
Published: July 2006

AbstractA 29‐year‐old pregnant woman noted acute visual loss following emergent Caesarean section complicated by excessive uterine bleeding. Postoperative visual acuity was count fingers in both eyes. Funduscopic changes were consistent with a diagnosis of anaemia‐associated ischaemic optic neuropathy and retinopathy. One month later, because of persistent anaemia and poor visual recovery, blood transfusion was given. Following transfusion, the patient's vision improved over the next 6 months. In an otherwise healthy patient, visual loss associated with postoperative blood loss may still be partially reversible with correction of the anaemia, even after a delayed period of time.
Chemo‐paralysis for the removal of a live intraocular worm in ocular angiostrongyliasis
Authors: Mehta Dinesh Kumar , Arora Ritu , Chauhan Deepender , Shroff Daraius , Narula Ritesh 
Published: July 2006

Abstract Angiostrongylus cantonensis is also called the rodent lung worm. It was first discovered in 1935 by Chen in Rattus rattus, in Canton, China. The rodent is the definitive host while infected mollusks, snails and crabs act as the intermediate hosts. Humans are infected by the 3rd stage larvae, either by eating undercooked intermediate hosts or by consuming vegetables.1 It is a delicate nematode reported in Asia Pacific region most commonly in South‐east Asia and has been reported from Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.2 Anterior chamber angiostrogyliasis is extremely rare, and no previous case of ocular angiostrogyliasis from India could be found on Medline search. We report a new technique in the removal of the actively motile thread‐like worm by paralysing it with intracameral preservative free lidocaine, which aids in the easy removal of the intact worm.
Australian Angiogram Review Panel – monitoring the use of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin
Authors: Bylsma Guy W , Harper C Alex , Dutton Francine , Johnson Nick C , Beaumont Paul , Guymer Robyn H 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBackground:  Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to macular disease received an Australian government grant in 2002 to fund treatment for 3 years. Funding was restricted to subfoveal predominantly classic CNV where visual acuity was at least 6/60. Access to this funding was via review of angiograms by an expert panel, the Angiogram Review Panel (ARP), managed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.Methods:  De‐identified data from the ARP were obtained for the period June 2002 to April 2005 inclusive and the panel’s outcomes were analysed. Health Insurance Commission and Department of Veteran Affairs data for photodynamic therapy for the same interval were also retrieved.Results:  A total of 7198 submissions to the ARP were received for 5867 individuals in this period. Overall 86.6% eyes submitted were accepted for initial funding (treatments 2–4). There was no change over time in the percentage rejected during this period. The first reviewer accepted 77.2%. And the second reviewer accepted a further 7.7%. An additional 1.6% were accepted on appeal. It was estimated that 29.2% of this initial cohort received five or more treatments.Conclusions:  The ARP data indicate an incidence of subfoveal predominantly classic CNV secondary to macular disease in Australia of about 2000 eyes per annum. Only one quarter of patients received five or more treatments. The panel provided a unique opportunity to estimate the ‘whole of nation’ incidence of predominantly classic subfoveal CNV secondary to macular disease and thus provides a firm foundation upon which to plan public health spending as new treatments become available.
Intrahippocampal injection of endothelin‐1 in immature rats results in neuronal death, development of epilepsy and behavioral abnormalities later in life
Authors: Mátéffyová Adéla , Otáhal Jakub , Tsenov Grygoriy , Mareš Pavel , Kubová Hana 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe direct injection of endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) into brain parenchyma was recently suggested as a suitable model of stroke. The present study was designed to assess whether intrahippocampal injection of ET‐1 in immature rats causes neurodegeneration and immediate seizures, and results in impairment of motor development, cognitive decline, epilepsy and chronic hippocampal lesion. ET‐1 was injected unilaterally into the dorsal hippocampus in doses of 20 or 40 pmol at the age of 12 (P12) or 25 (P25) days. Video‐electroencephalographic monitoring performed during 100 min after the injection of ET‐1 demonstrated the development of convulsive epileptic seizures in 75–100% of animals of individual age‐and‐dose groups. Long‐term behavioral follow‐up did not reveal impairment of motor development in any dose‐and‐age group. At 2 months after ET‐1 injection, impairment of spatial memory occurred only in rats with 40 pmol of ET‐1 at P12. At 3 months after ET‐1 injection spontaneous electrographic seizures occurred in 62.5–100% animals of both ages with no relation to the dose used. Seizures were always non‐convulsive. The total seizure duration per 24 h was higher in the P12 than the P25 group, suggesting more severe epilepsy. The extent of the hippocampal lesion increased with the dose of ET‐1 and was significantly higher in the P12 than the P25 group. The severity of the ET‐1‐induced lesion correlated positively with total seizure duration per 24 h at both ages. Our results document that early intrahippocampal injection of ET‐1 results in lesion development and both immediate seizures and chronic epilepsy in either age group. Cognitive impairment occurred only in rats with ET‐1 injection at P12.
Pravastatin reduces microvascular basal lamina damage following focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion
Authors: Trinkl Andreas , Vosko Milan R. , Wunderlich Nathalie , Dichgans Martin , Hamann Gerhard F. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractTransient ischemia has been shown to damage the basal lamina of the cerebral microvasculature. Other studies proved statins to be beneficial to non‐cerebral microvessels. The aim of this study was to determine whether pravastatin pretreatment ameliorates microvascular basal lamina damage following transient ischemia. Using the suture model, we subjected 15 rats to focal ischemia (3 h) and reperfusion (24 h). Rats received pravastatin (20 mg/kg/day) or saline for 4 weeks prior to the experiment. The outcome was determined by a behavior test and the infarct size. Collagen type IV, a marker for an intact basal lamina, and hemoglobin extravasation were measured by Western blot analysis. A ratio (in percentage) between ischemic and contralateral hemispheres was calculated. Pravastatin pretreatment resulted in a significantly better neurological outcome and reduced infarct size (15 ± 0.5 and 59 ± 10 mm3, respectively) compared with controls (12.25 ± 0.4 and 167 ± 13 mm3, respectively, P < 0.01 for both). In controls, loss of collagen type IV was seen in the basal ganglia and in the cortex (43 ± 4 and 64 ± 5%, respectively). Pravastatin prevented significant collagen loss (basal ganglia: 106 ± 17%; cortex: 112 ± 14%, P < 0.01 for both) and significantly reduced the hemoglobin extravasation compared with controls in the basal ganglia (198 ± 49 vs. 553 ± 47%, P < 0.01). Pravastatin pretreatment resulted in a reduction of microvascular basal lamina damage and hemoglobin extravasation following transient ischemia. Pravastatin seems to protect the cerebral microvascular system.
Object representation in the human auditory system
Authors: Winkler István , Van Zuijen Titia L. , Sussman Elyse , Horváth János , Näätänen Risto 
Published: July 2006

AbstractOne important principle of object processing is exclusive allocation. Any part of the sensory input, including the border between two objects, can only belong to one object at a time. We tested whether tones forming a spectro‐temporal border between two sound patterns can belong to both patterns at the same time. Sequences were composed of low‐, intermediate‐ and high‐pitched tones. Tones were delivered with short onset‐to‐onset intervals causing the high and low tones to automatically form separate low and high sound streams. The intermediate‐pitch tones could be perceived as part of either one or the other stream, but not both streams at the same time. Thus these tones formed a pitch ’border’ between the two streams. The tones were presented in a fixed, cyclically repeating order. Linking the intermediate‐pitch tones with the high or the low tones resulted in the perception of two different repeating tonal patterns. Participants were instructed to maintain perception of one of the two tone patterns throughout the stimulus sequences. Occasional changes violated either the selected or the alternative tone pattern, but not both at the same time. We found that only violations of the selected pattern elicited the mismatch negativity event‐related potential, indicating that only this pattern was represented in the auditory system. This result suggests that individual sounds are processed as part of only one auditory pattern at a time. Thus tones forming a spectro‐temporal border are exclusively assigned to one sound object at any given time, as are spatio‐temporal borders in vision.
Exposure of lentiviral vectors to subneutral pH shifts the tropism from Purkinje cell to Bergmann glia
Authors: Torashima Takashi , Yamada Nobuaki , Itoh Masae , Yamamoto Akitsugu , Hirai Hirokazu 
Published: July 2006

AbstractCerebellar Purkinje cells play an important role in cerebellar function; lesions of Purkinje cells result in the disruption of motor coordination and motor learning. Although selective gene delivery to Purkinje cells would be a powerful technique for the study of pathophysiology in the cerebellum, a method for such a delivery has not yet been established. Here we employed human immunodeficiency virus‐derived lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein to transduce Purkinje cells and examined factors that critically affect the viral tropism for Purkinje cells. Viral vectors encoding GFP were generated using different protocols, and were then injected into the mouse cerebellum. At 7 days and 2 months post‐transduction, the relative proportions of transduced Purkinje cells were determined. Lentiviral vectors harvested from a medium of pH 7.2 preferentially transduced Purkinje cells (about half of the transduced cells). In contrast, when the viral vector was harvested from medium of ≤ pH 7.0, only 12–26% of transduced cells were identified as Purkinje cells and 68–77% as Bergmann glia. A similar decrease in the efficiency of transduction for Purkinje cells, depending on the pH of the medium at the viral harvest, was observed in dissociated cell cultures. These results indicate that lentivector tropism for Purkinje cells is extremely sensitive to pH: a subtle decrease in the pH of the medium at the harvest shifts viral tropism strikingly towards Bergmann glia.
Evidence for a direct, short latency projection from the dorsal cochlear nucleus to the auditory thalamus in the guinea pig
Authors: Anderson L. A. , Malmierca M. S. , Wallace M. N. , Palmer A. R. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe auditory thalamus (medial geniculate body, MGB) receives its main ascending input from the inferior colliculus (IC), which was considered to be an obligatory relay for all auditory inputs to the MGB. However, recent anatomical evidence in the rat [ (Malmierca et al. 2002) J. Neurosci., 22, 10891–10897] has confirmed the presence of a direct pathway from the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) to the medial MGB, bypassing the IC, as previously suggested in the chimpanzee [ (Strominger et al. 1977) J. Comp. Neurol., 172, 349–366]. We show that this direct pathway is also present in the guinea pig and apparently results in short latency responses in the thalamus. Injection of anterograde tracer into the DCN of five adult guinea pigs revealed terminal boutons and axonal swellings distributed throughout the medial MGB, but absent from all other MGB subdivisions. Electrophysiological recordings made from 39 adult guinea pigs (24 male & 15 female) showed neurons in the medial MGB responded with significantly shorter latencies to acoustic clicks (7.8 ms) than those from the ventral (11.0 ms), dorsal (14.4 ms), or shell (16.5 ms) MGB, consistent with the direct pathway from the DCN. The function of the direct pathway is not known but may be related to the fast responses and the role of the medial MGB in integrating combined somatosensory and auditory inputs. Short latency responses may be important in priming the auditory cortex to prepare it for rapid analysis and in recruiting the amygdala for rapid emotional responses such as fear.
The Manufacturing Wage Inequality in Latin America and East Asia: Openness, Technology Transfer, and Labor Supply
Authors: Avalos Antonio , Savvides Andreas 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis paper examines wage inequality in the manufacturing sector for a panel of Latin American and East Asian economies during the last three decades. A labor supply and demand model is presented where three main determinants of wage inequality are investigated: trade openness, technology transfer, and labor supply. Findings indicate that wage inequality in the two regions has responded differently to the various determinants enumerated above. Some lessons from the comparative experience of the two regions are drawn.
Policy Design and Rent Seeking: Targeted versus Broad Based Intervention
Authors: Bjorvatn Kjetil , Coniglio Nicola D. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe present paper analyzes how policy intervention should be designed so as to create industrialization. We focus on whether intervention should be targeted, promoting investment in specific firms or industries, or broad based, increasing the profitability of investment in general. Our main argument is that in areas with weak institutions, broad based policies should be chosen, while in areas with strong institutions, targeted policies may be less costly in moving the economy out of a poverty trap. The targeted policy is attractive because it internalized a demand externality, but is also more exposed to rent seeking, since “picking a winner” involves a greater measure of discretion in policy formulation and implementation. The broad based policy does not discriminate between industries and is, hence, less likely to be captured by rent seekers, but also does not take advantage of the demand externality.
Eastern and Southern Africa Monetary Integration: A Structural Vector Autoregression Analysis
Authors: Buigut Steven K. , Valev Neven T. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis paper uses VAR techniques to investigate the potential for forming monetary unions in Eastern and Southern Africa. All countries in the sample are members of various regional economic organizations. Some of the organizations have a monetary union as an immediate objective whereas others consider it as a possibility in the more distant future. Our objective is to sort out which countries are suitable candidates for a monetary union based on the synchronicity of demand and supply disturbances. Although economic shocks are not highly correlated across the entire region, we tentatively identify three sub‐regional clusters of countries that may benefit from a currency union. We find some tentative evidence that some, though not all, sub‐regions may benefit from a link to the Euro.
Mixed Ownership, Unemployment, and Welfare for a Developing Economy
Authors: Beladi Hamid , Chao Chi‐Chur 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis paper considers the employment and welfare effects of mixed ownership via partial privatization of state‐owned enterprises for a developing economy. An increase in the private ownership lowers the production and, hence, worsens urban unemployment in the short run. However, in the long run, capital moves to the rural region, alleviating the problem of urban unemployment. The employment effect can have a positive contribution to social welfare in the long run.