bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Levonorgestrel‐releasing intrauterine system vs. transcervical endometrial resection for dysfunctional uterine bleeding
Authors: Gupta B. , Mittal S. , Misra R. , Deka D. , Dadhwal V. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractObjective: To compare the acceptability, efficacy, adverse effects, and user satisfaction of a levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS) and transcervical resection of the endometrium (TCRE) for the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding.Method: Of 50 women with a pictoral blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) score of 100 or greater, 25 had a LNG‐IUS inserted (Mirena; Schering, Berlin, Germany) and 25 underwent TCRE. Procedure‐related complications, PBAC score, hemoglobin levels, adverse effects, and rates of acceptability and satisfaction were recorded at 3‐month intervals for a period of 12 months.Results: At the end of 1 year there were a 97% and a 94% reduction in menstrual blood loss in the LNG‐IUS and TCRE groups, respectively, and hemoglobin concentration had increased by 5.5% in the LNG‐IUS group and 5.2% in the TCRE group. Adverse effects were similar in both groups except for systemic effects, which were seen only in the LNG‐IUS group. Satisfaction rates were about 80% in the 2 groups.Conclusion: Both treatments were found to be equally effective but LNG‐IUS placement requires less operator skill and entails no operative hazards, and the device provides effective contraception.
Ethical issues in transnational “mail order” oocyte donation
Authors: Heng B.C. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe rising demand for donor oocytes in developed countries has led to what is referred to as transnational or international oocyte donation, or the outsourcing of oocyte donation to poorer countries. In a further twist, frozen sperm from a recipient's partner can also be mailed to a foreign clinic to fertilize donor oocytes, and the resulting embryos are mailed back, cryopreserved, for transfer to the recipient. Among the numerous ethical concerns raised by this practice of mail order oocyte donation, the most obvious are that underprivileged women from poorer countries are often exploited; fertility physicians from richer counties abdicate responsibility for the welfare of donors; and responsibility could become an issue of contention if transmission of disease to the oocyte recipient or congenital defects in offspring born from such oocyte donation were to occur. Moreover, savings from utilizing donors from poorer countries ought to be shared with oocyte recipients.
The potential for expropriation through joint ventures
Authors: Case Spencer A. , Lee D. Scott , Martin John D. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe examine the potential expropriation of a firm's intellectual capital that results from joint venture agreements when a firm's joint venture partner becomes the target of an acquisition attempt. We find that: (1) non‐targeted joint venture partners often suffer losses in value upon the announcement of the acquisition; (2) the magnitude of the loss increases with the R&D intensity of the non‐targeted joint venture partner; and (3) average bidder returns are less negative for acquirers if the affected joint venture partners report R&D spending and are in the same line of business as the acquirer. Our estimate of the average loss is $843 million per firm, roughly 3% of the non‐targeted firm's pre‐announcement equity value. Our evidence suggests a previously unrecognized merger motive in that joint ventures expose a firm's intellectual capital to the risk of expropriation.
p53 expression, Ki-67 status, and cell density have no prognostic significance in glioblastomas treated with radio-chemotherapy
Authors: Gross M.W. , Nashwan K. , Mennel H.-D. , Engenhart-Cabillic R. 
Published: September 2006

Purpose: To identify subgroups in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with different susceptibilities to radio-chemotherapy by p53 protein and Ki-67 expression.Patients and Methods: Thirty-one patients with primary GBM underwent a combined radio-chemotherapy with topotecan. Percentage of cells expressing p53 protein and Ki-67 antigen was determined immunohistochemically. Additionally, the cell density within the tumour tissue was measured.Results: Median percentages of p53 and Ki-67 expressing cells were 4.3% (range = 0–28%) and 12.0% (range = 0–28%), respectively. Dividing the cases into two groups by high or low p53 protein 1-year disease-free survival rates were 13.3% and 23.6%. High or low Ki-67 expression showed one-year disease-free survival rates of 18.8% and 17.1%. Neither p53 nor Ki-67 expression showed a significant correlation with disease-free survival or overall survival. Median cell density was 252 cells/field (range = 42–595). 1-year disease-free survival rates were 14.5% and 21.7% in high and low cell density group, respectively. A significant correlation with progression-free survival was observed, whereas the stratification into two groups revealed no significance. Cell density showed a significant inverse correlation with p53 and Ki-67 immunopositivity.Conclusion:p53 protein and Ki-67 expression seem to be inappropriate for the estimation of prognosis in patients receiving a combined radio-chemotherapy with topotecan.
Attitudes toward euthanasia and physician assisted suicide: A survey among medical students, oncology clinicians, and palliative care specialists
Authors: MARINI M.C. , NEUENSCHWANDER H. , STIEFEL F. 
Published: September 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the results of surveys about attitudes toward euthanasia and related issues that was conducted among palliative care specialists, health care professionals of a cancer center, and first- and second-year medical students.Methods: By means of an anonymous questionnaire with different hypothetical scenarios concerning physician assisted suicide (PAS) and related issues, 726 members of the Swiss Association for Palliative Care (SAPC), 148 health care professionals of the Institute of Oncology of Italian speaking Switzerland (IOSI), and 140 medical students of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, were surveyed.Results: Among palliative care specialists a decreasing number supported PAS, direct active euthanasia (DAE), DAE for psychiatric patients, DAE in incompetent patients, and life terminating acts without explicit request (LAWER). Professionals of the cancer center were more in favor of DAE and PAS than palliative care specialists, but less in favor than medical students.Significance of results: Significant variations among different professionals exist in attitudes toward euthanasia. The hypothesis that familiarity with the care of severely ill and dying patients is an important underlying factor explaining variance has been confirmed by these surveys.
The impact of a breathlessness intervention service (BIS) on the lives of patients with intractable dyspnea: A qualitative phase 1 study
Authors: BOOTH SARA , FARQUHAR MORAG , GYSELS MARJOLEIN , BAUSEWEIN CLAUDIA , HIGGINSON IRENE J. 
Published: September 2006

Objective:Disabling breathlessness is the most common symptom of advanced cardiopulmonary disease. It is usually intractable, even when patients receive maximal medical therapy for their underlying condition. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate a newly formed palliative Breathlessness Intervention Service (BIS).Methods:The methodology followed the Medical Research Council's Framework for the Evaluation of Complex Interventions (Phase I). Qualitative interviews were completed with patients and relatives who had used the service and clinicians who had referred to it. The focus of the interviews was the participants' experience of using BIS.Results:Patients valued the positive educational approach taken to breathlessness, emphasizing what was possible rather than what had been lost. Non-pharmacological strategies, especially the hand-held fan and exercises, were rated very helpful and new to patients. Participants reiterated that breathlessness was frightening and isolating, exacerbating the disability it caused: the easy access to advice and flexibility of BIS helped to alleviate this. Participants wanted a written record of the advice given. Carers welcomed the focus on their needs. Clinicians valued sharing the management of patients with an intractable problem.Significance of results:This Phase I study has helped to remodel the service rapidly by uncovering the aspects of BIS that users find most valuable and areas that need change or improvement. The BIS needs to provide written information, to reinforce and extend contacts with other agencies to build on support it already provides for patients and carers, and extend its flexibility and accessibility. Providing a “drop-in” service and continuing education after the initial program of contacts is completed could be a useful service development, warranting further evaluation. A qualitative methodology involving service users and referrers can help to shape service development rapidly.
Evolution of advertisement signals in North American hylid frogs: vocalizations as end‐products of calling behavior
Authors: Robillard Tony , Höbel Gerlinde , Carl Gerhardt H. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe studied the advertisement signals in two clades of North American hylid frogs in order to characterize the relationships between signal acoustic structure and underlying behavior. A mismatch was found between the acoustic structure and the mechanism of sound production. Two separate sets of phylogenetic characters were coded following acoustic versus mechanistic criteria, and exploratory treatments were made to compare their respective phylogenetic content in comparison with the molecular phylogeny (Faivovich et al., 2005). We discuss the consequences of the acoustic/mechanistic mismatch in terms of significance of acoustic characters for phylogenetic and comparative studies; and the evolution of vocalizations in North American treefrogs. Considering only the acoustic structure of frog vocalizations can lead to misleading results in terms of both phylogenetic signal and evolution of vocalizations. In contrast, interpreting the acoustic signals with regard to the mechanism of sound production results in consistent phylogenetic information. The mechanistic coding also provides strong homologies for use in comparative studies of frog vocalizations, and to derive and test evolutionary hypotheses.© The Willi Hennig Society 2005.
Alterations of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase quantity and lipid composition in etiolated barley seedlings infected by Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)
Authors: HARSÁNYI ANETT , RYBERG MARGARETA , ANDERSSON MATS X. , BÓKA KÁROLY , LÁSZLÓ LAJOS , BOTOND GERGELY , BÖDDI BÉLA , GÁBORJÁNYI RICHARD 
Published: September 2006

SUMMARYTo understand the phenomenon by which infection of seed‐transmitted Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) alters membrane structures and inhibits protochlorophyllide biosynthesis of dark‐grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants, we analysed the presence of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR, EC 1.3.1.33) and the galactolipid content and fatty acid composition. The amount of POR in etioplasts of infected leaves, compared with non‐infected leaves, was reduced, as measured by immunoelectron microscopy and Western blot. These results are in agreement with the previously described reduction of the ratio of the photoactive 650 nm to non‐photoactive 630 nm absorbing protochlorophyllide forms (Harsányi et al., 2002. Physiol. Plant 114, 149–155). The galactolipid content was lower in infected leaves. Monogalactosyl‐diacylglycerol (MGDG) content was reduced to 40% and digalactosyl‐diacylglycerol to 55% of control plants on a fresh weight basis. In infected plants, the proportion of linolenic acid decreased in both galactolipids. The lower amount of highly unsaturated fatty acids and the reduced abundance of MGDG correlated well with the previously detected reduction in the membrane ratio of prolamellar body (PLB) to prothylakoid (Harsányi et al., 2002. Physiol. Plant 114, 149–155). The reduced amount of POR and the above described alterations in the lipid composition resulted in a disturbed structure of PLBs. As a consequence, pigment synthesis and the greening process were inhibited in infected cells, in turn explaining the appearance of chlorotic stripes of BSMV‐infected barley leaves. Our results show that BSMV infection can be detected at a very early stage of leaf development.
The highly attenuated vaccinia virus strain modified virus Ankara induces apoptosis in melanoma cells and allows bystander dendritic cells to generate a potent anti-tumoral immunity
Authors: Greiner S , Humrich J Y , Thuman P , Sauter B , Schuler G , Jenne L 
Published: September 2006

SummaryVaccinia virus (VV) has been tested as oncolytic virus against malignant melanoma in clinical trials for more than 40 years. Until now, mainly strains comparable to viral strains used for smallpox vaccination have been probed for anti-tumoral therapy. We have shown recently that the wild-type strain Western Reserve (WR) can interfere with crucial functions of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Our aim was to examine whether viral immune evasion mechanisms might be responsible for the ineffectiveness of WR-based vaccination strategies and whether the highly attenuated strain modified virus Ankara (MVA) differs from WR with respect to its possible immunostimulatory capacity after intratumoral injection. Using in vitro experiments, we compared the effect of both strains on melanoma cells and on local bystander DCs. We found that both VV-strains infected melanoma cells efficiently and caused disintegration of the actin cytoskeleton, as shown by fluorescence microscopy. In addition, both VV-strains caused apoptotic cell death in melanoma cells after infection. In contrast to MVA, WR underwent a complete viral replication cycle in melanoma cells. Bystander DCs were consecutively infected by newly generated WR virions and lost their capacity to induce allogeneic T cell proliferation. DCs in contact with MVA-infected melanoma cells retained their capacity to induce T cell proliferation. Immature DCs were capable of phagocytosing MVA-infected melanoma cells. Priming of autologous CD8+ T cells by DCs that had phagocytosed MVA-infected, MelanA positive melanoma cells resulted in the induction of T cell clones specifically reactive against the model antigen MelanA as shown by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) analysis. We conclude that the clinical trials with oncolytic wild-type VV failed probably because of suppression of bystander DCs and consecutive suppression of T cell-mediated anti-melanoma immunity. The attenuated VV-strain MVA facilitates the generation of tumour associated antigen (TAA)-specific T cell response as it is oncolytic for melanoma cells, but non-toxic for DC, and should be a promising candidate for intralesional metastatic melanoma therapy.
Proviral load and immune markers associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) in Peru
Authors: Best I , Adaui V , Verdonck K , González E , Tipismana M , Clark D , Gotuzzo E , Vanham G 
Published: September 2006

Summary
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the aetiological agent of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). The objective of this study is to identify which ex vivo and in vivo markers are associated independently with HAM/TSP in a Peruvian population. Eighty-one subjects (33 men/48 women) were enrolled: 35 presented with HAM/TSP, 33 were asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (ACs) and 13 were HTLV-1-seronegative controls (SCs). Ex vivo markers included T cell proliferation and Th1 [interferon (IFN)-γ], Th2 [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5], proinflammatory [tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α] and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine production in non-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures. In vivo CD4+ T cell count, markers of Th1 [interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10] and Th2 (sCD30) activity in plasma and HTLV-1 proviral load in PBMCs were also evaluated. In univariate analysis, several markers, including T cell proliferation, IFN-γ, IP-10, sCD30 and proviral load were associated with HAM/TSP, but in a multiple logistic regression analysis only the proviral load remained associated significantly with disease manifestation [adjusted OR 9·10 (1·24–66·91)]. Our findings suggest that HAM/TSP is associated primarily with proviral load, whereas the observed association with some immune markers seems secondary.
The T cell response to persistent herpes virus infections in common variable immunodeficiency
Authors: Raeiszadeh M , Kopycinski J , Paston S J , Diss T , Lowdell M , Hardy G A D , Hislop A D , Workman S , Dodi A , Emery V , Webster A D 
Published: September 2006

SummaryWe show that at least half of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) have circulating CD8+ T cells specific for epitopes derived from cytomegalovirus (CMV) and/or the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Compared to healthy age-matched subjects, more CD8+ T cells in CVID patients were committed to CMV. Despite previous reports of defects in antigen presentation and cellular immunity in CVID, specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells produced interferon (IFN)-γ after stimulation with CMV peptides, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells secreted perforin in response to these antigens. In CVID patients we found an association between a high percentage of circulating CD8+ CD57+ T cells containing perforin, CMV infection and a low CD4/CD8 ratio, suggesting that CMV may have a major role in the T cell abnormalities described previously in this disease. We also show preliminary evidence that CMV contributes to the previously unexplained severe enteropathy that occurs in about 5% of patients.
Immune markers measured before treatment predict outcome of intensive phase tuberculosis therapy
Authors: Brahmbhatt S , Black G F , Carroll N M , Beyers N , Salker F , Kidd M , Lukey P T , Duncan K , Van Helden P , Walzl G 
Published: September 2006

SummaryThe development of a statistical model based on simple immunological markers which could predict the response to tuberculosis treatment would facilitate clinical trials of new anti-tuberculosis drugs. We have examined the ability of immunological biomarkers, measured at diagnosis and after 4 weeks of treatment, to predict sputum smear status at week 8. Eighteen tuberculosis patients with positive Ziehl–Nielsen (ZN)-stained sputum smears 8 weeks after initiation of treatment (slow response) were matched for age, gender, sputum smear grade and extent of disease on chest radiograph to 18 patients with negative sputum smears at week 8 (fast response). In addition to total white blood cell (WBC) counts and absolute lymphocyte, monocyte and neutrophil numbers, concentrations of six serum markers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in all patients (soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Rα), granzyme B, soluble tumour necrosis factor alpha receptors 1 and 2 (sTNF-R1 and -2), nitrotyrosine and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). At diagnosis, 4 biomarkers (sTNF-R1, total WBC, absolute monocyte and absolute neutrophil numbers) were significantly higher in slow response patients. At week 4, total WBC count and absolute monocyte and neutrophil numbers remained significantly higher in slow responders. Discriminant analysis of the diagnosis and week 4 data provided models for classification of slow response patients with 67% and 83% predictive accuracy. We suggest that treatment response phenotypes can be determined before the start of treatment. Reliable predictive models would allow targeted interventions for patients at risk for slow treatment response to standard tuberculosis therapy.
Fire, fuels and restoration of ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests in the Rocky Mountains, USA
Authors: Baker William L. , Veblen Thomas T. , Sherriff Rosemary L. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAim Forest restoration in ponderosa pine and mixed ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests in the US Rocky Mountains has been highly influenced by a historical model of frequent, low‐severity surface fires developed for the ponderosa pine forests of the Southwestern USA. A restoration model, based on this low‐severity fire model, focuses on thinning and prescribed burning to restore historical forest structure. However, in the US Rocky Mountains, research on fire history and forest structure, and early historical reports, suggest the low‐severity model may only apply in limited geographical areas. The aim of this article is to elaborate a new variable‐severity fire model and evaluate the applicability of this model, along with the low‐severity model, for the ponderosa pine–Douglas fir forests of the Rocky Mountains.Location Rocky Mountains, USA.Methods The geographical applicability of the two fire models is evaluated using historical records, fire histories and forest age‐structure analyses.Results Historical sources and tree‐ring reconstructions document that, near or beforead1900, the low‐severity model may apply in dry, low‐elevation settings, but that fires naturally varied in severity in most of these forests. Low‐severity fires were common, but high‐severity fires also burned thousands of hectares. Tree regeneration increased after these high‐severity fires, and often attained densities much greater than those reconstructed for Southwestern ponderosa pine forests.Main conclusions Exclusion of fire has not clearly and uniformly increased fuels or shifted the fire type from low‐ to high‐severity fires. However, logging and livestock grazing have increased tree densities and risk of high‐severity fires in some areas. Restoration is likely to be most effective which seeks to (1) restore variability of fire, (2) reverse changes brought about by livestock grazing and logging, and (3) modify these land uses so that degradation is not repeated.