bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Superior anti‐emetic efficacy of granisetron–dexamethasone combination in children undergoing middle ear surgery
Authors: Gombar S. , Kaur J. , Kumar Gombar K. , Dass A. , Singh A. 
Published: April 2007

Aim:  To compare the effectiveness of granisetron and a granisetron–dexamethasone combination for the prevention of post‐operative vomiting in children undergoing middle ear surgery.Methods:  Ninety ASA physical status I or II children, aged 3–12 years, were randomly assigned to three groups of 30 each to receive a single dose of placebo (normal saline), granisetron 40 μg/kg or a combination of granisetron 40 μg/kg and dexamethasone 150 μg/kg intravenously after the induction of anaesthesia. Peri‐operative anaesthetic care was standardized in all children. Post‐operatively, during the first 24 h after anaesthesia, the frequencies of retching and vomiting and the incidence of adverse events were recorded. Rescue anti‐emetic was administered if two or more episodes of emesis occurred. Post‐operative pain was treated with morphine intravenously, followed by acetaminophen orally.Results:  There were no differences between the treatment groups with regard to demographic data. A complete response (no retching/vomiting and no need for rescue anti‐emetic) was achieved in 50%, 80% and 96.67% of children who received saline, granisetron and granisetron–dexamethasone, respectively (P < 0.05). Six children who received placebo and one who received granisetron alone required another rescue anti‐emetic. The incidence of adverse events was comparable in the three groups.Conclusion:  The prophylactic granisetron–dexamethasone combination was more effective than granisetron alone in the prevention of post‐operative emesis during the first 24 h after anaesthesia in children undergoing middle ear surgery.
The Effect of Progesterone and Oestradiol Benzoate on Fertility of Artificially Inseminated Repeat‐breeder Dairy Cows during Summer
Authors: Alnimer MA , Husein MQ 
Published: April 2007

ContentsAn experiment was conducted to examine the effect of progesterone (P4) and oestradiol benzoate (ODB) on fertility of repeat‐breeder lactating dairy cows during summer. One hundred repeat‐breeder lactating dairy cows were randomly allocated to four groups (Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C) in a study conducted at a private dairy farm. All cows were injected with 2 mg ODB (day 0), which were at random stages of their oestrous cycles. Cows in Tr1, Tr2 and Tr3 were administered with intravaginal progesterone‐releasing devices (controlled internal drug‐releasing, CIDR) at the time of ODB injection for 7 days and those in group C were untreated and served as controls. Following CIDR removal, all cows were given an intramuscular injection of 25 mg Prostaglandin (PGF2α). Twenty‐four hours after the PGF2α injection, cows in Tr1, Tr2 and C groups were injected with 1 mg ODB. Cows in Tr3 group were injected with 10 μg gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist 48 h after CIDR removal. Artificial insemination was performed between 24 and 30 h following the second ODB injection for cows in Tr1 group and at the time of GnRH injection for cows in Tr3 group. Cows in Tr2 and C groups were inseminated at detected oestrus. Plasma P4 and oestradiol 17β (E2) concentrations were determined for all cows daily from day 0 to day 9. Plasma concentrations of P4 and E2 among cows of groups Tr1, Tr2 and Tr3 were increased and reached maximum values within 48 h following administration and were greater (p < 0.001) than those of group C cows. The proportion of cows detected in oestrus based on P4 concentration on day 9 was 88%, 72%, 88% and 60% in groups Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C, respectively. Oestrous detection rate differed (p < 0.01) significantly between time‐inseminated groups (Tr1 and Tr3) and those inseminated at observed oestrous (Tr2 and C) groups. Pregnancy rates based on ultrasonography performed on day 28 were 52%, 56%, 60% and 40%, and those based on rectal palpation on day 45 were 32%, 44%, 36% and 28% for Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C cows (p > 0.1), respectively. Whereas pregnancy rates for cows with four or more previous services in all groups (54.55%) were higher (p < 0.03) than those for cows with three previous services (29.49%). In pregnant cows, mean days from calving to the day of insemination were higher (p < 0.01) among cows with four or more previous services (204 ± 8.0 days) than those with three previous services (157 ± 6.0 days). Results indicate that treatment with a combination of ODB and CIDR in repeat‐breeder dairy cows causes elevation in plasma concentrations of E2 and P4. Oestrous detection rate was better in cows that were primed with P4 than those without P4 priming. Cows with four or more previous services had significantly higher pregnancy rates than those with three previous services.
Acquired spontaneous intercostal abdominal hernia: Case report and a comprehensive review of the world literature
Authors: Unlu E , Temizoz O , Cagli B 
Published: April 2007

SummaryIntercostal hernias develop most often as a result of a blunt or penetrating thoracoabdominal trauma. We know of no prior report of a spontaneously occuring intercostal hernia. This study presents a review of the published literature that deals with this uncommon phenomenon, along with a discussion of our patient’s clinical presentation and imaging findings.
Determining the proportion of coronary segments assessable on 16‐slice CT coronary angiography: A brief report
Authors: Soon KH , Cox N , Chaitowitz I , Bell KW , Eccleston D , Kelly A‐M , Lim Y 
Published: April 2007

SummaryComputed tomography coronary angiography (CT‐CA) is becoming a popular non‐invasive coronary imaging method. We aimed to determine the proportion of coronary segments assessable on a 16‐slice CT in comparison with conventional selective coronary angiography (SCA). We identified all patients who had both 16‐slice CT‐CA and recent SCA (less than 12 months) from March 2004 to July 2005. Two CT reporters blinded to SCA independently classified coronary segment assessability on CT‐CA. A cardiologist blinded to CT findings classified assessability of coronary segments on SCA. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and proportion of agreement. Ninety‐five study pairs were included in the analysis. Of those, 1161 coronary segments were deemed assessable on SCA and 1103 segments (95%) were also assessable on CT‐CA. Nonassessable segments on CT‐CA were predominantly in the distal segments and branches of coronary arteries. Reasons for nonassessability were small calibre (48.3%), motion artefacts (20.7%) and poorly reconstructed segments (22.4%). The 16‐slice CT was able to assess a high proportion of but not all coronary segments. Nonassessable segments were predominantly distal segments or branches of coronary arteries. Motion artefacts due to heart‐rate changes, small calibre and poorly reconstructed images were main causes of nonassessability on 16‐slice CT‐CA.
Acute plain anterioposterior radiograph of the pelvis is not useful in detecting fractures of iliac wing and os sacrum: A prospective study of 73 patients using CT as gold standard
Authors: Lunsjo K , Tadros AMA , Hauggaard A , Blomgren R , Kopke J , Abu‐Zidan FM 
Published: April 2007

SummaryConflicting opinions exist to what extent interpreters of an acute anterioposterior (AP) radiograph of the pelvis underdiagnose pelvic injury. We have prospectively evaluated the usefulness of a plain AP radiograph of the pelvis in detecting injuries, using CT as the gold standard. Seventy‐three haemodynamically stable blunt trauma patients, who had an AP radiograph of the pelvis and an abdominopelvic CT as part of their initial imaging evaluation, were included. There were 14 women and 59 men, with a mean age of 30 (3–61) years. Two senior radiologists, with special interest in CT examinations evaluating trauma, reviewed the radiographs and a month later the CT scans, blinded and independently. Usefulness index of the plain AP radiograph of the pelvis in detecting specific injuries was calculated using CT as the gold standard. A radiograph is regarded as useful if the usefulness index is 0.35 or more. The usefulness index for a plain AP radiograph of the pelvis for detecting a fracture of iliac wing and os sacrum was 0.25 and 0.01, respectively. An acute AP radiograph of the pelvis is not useful in detecting a fracture of iliac wing or os sacrum.
Bilateral spontaneous adrenal haemorrhage complicating acute pancreatitis
Authors: Pianta M , Varma DK 
Published: April 2007

SummaryBilateral adrenal haemorrhage is an event that mandates prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent primary adrenocortical insufficiency and potential death. Presentation can be non‐specific and incidentally diagnosed with imaging alone, primarily CT. We present a case of acute pancreatitis with spontaneous bilateral adrenal haemorrhage and briefly discuss imaging and treatment implications.
Percutaneous fluoroscopic removal of a knotted Swan–Ganz catheter in a patient with a persistent left‐sided superior vena cava
Authors: Ranatunga DG , Richardson MG , Brooks DM 
Published: April 2007

SummaryKnotting of intravascular catheters is an uncommon but a well‐recognized occurrence. The Swan–Ganz catheter (SGC) is the one that knots most commonly. A case of a knotted SGC is described in a patient with a persistent left‐sided superior vena cava, and we propose that the presence of a left‐sided superior vena cava is a risk factor for knot formation not previously reported. We review the published work on the risk factors for knot formation and on the techniques used to remove knotted SGC. We describe a technique using a gooseneck snare and Omni Flush catheter (Angiodynamics, Queensbury, NY, USA) to loosen and untie a knotted SGC.
A role for G protein‐coupled receptor kinase 2 in mechanical allodynia
Authors: Kleibeuker Wendy , Ledeboer Annemarie , Eijkelkamp Niels , Watkins Linda R. , Maier Steven F. , Zijlstra Jitske , Heijnen Cobi J. , Kavelaars Annemieke 
Published: April 2007

AbstractInflammation and nerve injury can both induce mechanical allodynia via mechanisms involving the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and increased neuronal activity. Many neurotransmitters involved in pain signal via G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCR kinase (GRK)2 is a member of the GRK family that regulates agonist‐induced desensitization and signalling of GPCRs. Low intracellular GRK2 levels are associated with increased receptor signalling. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mechanical allodynia is associated with decreased spinal cord GRK2 expression and whether reduced GRK2 increases inflammation‐induced mechanical allodynia. Mechanical allodynia was induced in rats by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. After 2 weeks, neuronal GRK2 expression was decreased bilaterally in the superficial layers of the lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn. Moreover, interleukin‐1β significantly reduced GRK2 expression ex vivo in spinal cord slices. To investigate whether reduced GRK2 potentiates inflammation‐induced mechanical allodynia, we used GRK2+/– animals expressing decreased GRK2. At baseline, the threshold for mechanical stimulation did not differ between GRK2+/– and wild‐type mice. However, GRK2+/– animals were more sensitive to mechanical stimulation than wild‐type animals after intraplantar λ‐carrageenan injection. We propose cytokine‐induced down‐regulation of spinal cord neuronal GRK2 expression as a novel mechanism that contributes to increased neuronal signalling in mechanical allodynia.
Dissociated theta phase synchronization in amygdalo‐ hippocampal circuits during various stages of fear memory
Authors: Narayanan Rajeevan T. , Seidenbecher Thomas , Kluge Christian , Bergado Jorge , Stork Oliver , Pape Hans‐Christian 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe amygdala and the hippocampus are critically involved in the formation and retention of fear memories. However, their precise contribution to, and their interplay during, fear memory formation are not fully understood. In the present study we investigated network activities in the amygdalo‐hippocampal system of freely behaving mice at different stages of fear memory consolidation and retention. Our data show enhanced theta phase synchronization in this pathway during the retrieval of fear memory at long‐term (24 h post‐training), but not short‐term (2 min, 30 min and 2 h post‐training) stages, following both contextual and auditory cued conditioning. However, retrieval of remotely conditioned fear (30 days post‐training) failed to induce an increase in synchronization despite there still being memory retention. Thus, our data indicate that the amygdalo‐hippocampal interaction reflects a dynamic interaction of ensemble activities related to various stages of fear memory consolidation and/or retention, and support the notion that recent and remote memories are organized through different network principles.
Proteolytic cleavage of the voltage‐gated Ca2+ channel α2δ subunit: structural and functional features
Authors: Andrade Arturo , Sandoval Alejandro , Oviedo Norma , Waard Michel De , Elias David , Felix Ricardo 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBy mediating depolarization‐induced Ca2+ influx, high‐voltage‐activated Ca2+ channels control a variety of cellular events. These heteromultimeric proteins are composed of an ion‐conducting (α1) and three auxiliary (α2δ, β and γ) subunits. The α2δ subunit enhances the trafficking of the channel complex to the cell surface and increases channel open probability. To exert these effects, α2δ must undergo important post‐translational modifications, including a proteolytic cleavage that separates the extracellular α2 from its transmembrane δ domain. After this proteolysis both domains remain linked by disulfide bonds. In spite of its central role in determining the final conformation of the fully mature α2δ, almost nothing is known about the physiological implications of this structural modification. In the current report, by using site‐directed mutagenesis, the proteolytic site of α2δ was mapped to amino acid residues Arg‐941 and Val‐946. Substitution of these residues renders the protein insensitive to proteolytic cleavage as evidenced by the lack of molecular weight shift upon treatment with a disulfide‐reducing agent. Interestingly, these mutations significantly decreased whole‐cell patch‐clamp currents without affecting the voltage dependence or kinetics of the channels, suggesting a reduction in the number of channels targeted to the plasma membrane.
The EEG effects of THIP (Gaboxadol) on sleep and waking are mediated by the GABAAδ‐subunit‐containing receptors
Authors: Winsky‐Sommerer Raphaëlle , Vyazovskiy Vladyslav V. , Homanics Gregg E. , Tobler Irene 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTHIP (4,5,6,7‐tetrahydroisoxazolo‐[5,4‐c]pyridine‐3‐ol, Gaboxadol) is a selective γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)A agonist, acting in vitro with high potency and efficacy at the extrasynaptic GABAAδ‐containing receptors. THIP was suggested to be a potential hypnotic to treat insomnia, and it is currently in clinical trial. Here we assessed whether the GABAAδ‐containing receptors mediate in vivo the effect of THIP on sleep and the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). We performed EEG recordings in a mouse model deficient in the GABAAδ‐subunit gene (δ–/– mice) and in wild‐type littermate controls. THIP (4 and 6 mg/kg intraperitoneally) induced an abnormal EEG pattern, resulting in dramatic changes in the waking and non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep EEG spectra in wild‐type mice. Indeed, a massive increase in EEG power lasting 2–3 h occurred in both the frontal and parietal derivation, especially in frequencies below 6 Hz. All effects were more prominent in the frontal EEG. Furthermore, the highest dose of THIP lengthened REM sleep latency and suppressed REM sleep. In contrast, vigilance states and sleep latencies were not affected in δ–/– mice. Moreover, only minor changes were observed in the NREM sleep EEG spectrum after THIP injection in the δ‐subunit‐deficient mice. The present findings do not indicate a sleep‐promoting effect of THIP in mice, which is in accordance with a previous report in this species. Moreover, our results in vivo demonstrate that THIP acts preferentially at GABAA receptors containing the δ‐subunit.
THE CARTE SCOLAIRE IN FRENCH EDUCATION: A STUDY OF DECISION‐ MAKING IN A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
Authors: HOWELL D. A. 
Published: April 2007

The carte scolaire (school map) has been developed since 1963 as a device for planning long term development of educational provision at the secondary school level, down to prescribing what specialist provision should be made in individual establishments. The carte scolaire is approved by the Ministry of Education on the proposition of the Rector of the Académie (the regional authority for secondary education) and after consultation with representatives of local communities and specialist interests.Information gained from official documents and interviews with practitioners is used to develop a detailed picture of this neglected area, and to assess the criticisms made by administrators and commentators. Particular stress is placed on examining the dominance of the technocrats, the boundaries within which the devisers of the carte scolaire operate, and the effectiveness (or otherwise) of long‐term educational planning.
A MAYOR FOR PARIS – AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF DECENTRALIZATION
Authors: TOWNSHEND J. V. 
Published: April 2007

This paper analyses the 1975 municipal reform which gave Paris its first elected Mayor since the days of the revolutionary Commune. Local government reform has proved notoriously difficult in France and the policy‐making process in this case was complicated by the political situation, following the death of President Pompidou, in April 1974. His successor, Giscard d'Estaing, attempted to marginalize the Gaullist Party and to govern from the centre. Paris was the testing ground for this political strategy. The capture of the mayorship by the Gaullist Jacques Chirac was a personal humiliation for the President.The reform demonstrates the reluctance of French governments, compared with their British counterparts, to radically mould their local government institutions. In particular, the constant reference during the debate to the words ‘Mayor’ and ‘Commune’, which have great symbolic power in France, arguably prevented the elaboration of an institutional structure adapted to the peculiar needs of the Paris urban area.
POLICE AND PUBLIC ORDER
Authors: ALDERSON JOHN C. 
Published: April 2007

Does economic deterioration in a developed country such as Great Britain inevitably mean increasing disorder and lawlessness? How would the forces of law and order react to authoritarian governments of the political left and right? These two questions and the likely answers form the first part of this essay.The Royal Commission on the Police (1962) faced the question of either retaining a police system based on local government or recommending its replacement by a national police force under the Home Secretary. With one powerful dissension they chose the former. They claimed to have solved the problem of democratic accountability of the police, but in recent years cracks have begun to appear in the system. The vexed question of the prospects of schism between a chief constable and his police authority committee is examined.Finally, it is suggested the British governmental institutions, including Parliament itself, are insufficiently democratic, and that a Bill of Rights protecting civil liberties is long overdue.
TEN YEARS AFTER: THE US CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET AND IMPOUNDMENT CONTROL ACT OF 1974
Authors: HOGAN JOSEPH J. 
Published: April 2007

The reformed congressional budget process is no longer new. This fact alone invites an assessment of the experience of budgeting under the procedures enacted in 1974. But there is a more pressing reason for undertaking such an assessment. Today, there is widespread unhappiness with the congressional budget process. In recent years the deadlines of the budget process have repeatedly not been met, resulting in incomplete budgeting and the proliferation of proposals to abolish or reform the budget procedures enacted in 1974.Consequently, this paper will first outline the reformed budget procedures and establish the goals of the 1974 Budget Act. The second section assesses whether the goals of budget reform have been achieved. In short, the answer is a negative one. The third section explains why the goals of budget reform have not been met, and the final section evaluates the main proposals advanced for changing the budget process.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BRITISH CENTRAL STATE, PART I: FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS
Authors: DUNLEAVY PATRICK 
Published: April 2007

In the bureau‐shaping model of bureaucracy rationally self‐interested officials are primarily concerned to maximize their agencies' core budgets, equivalent to their running costs. They are much less interested in those parts of their overall budget which are allocated as transfer payments to the private sector or passed on to other public sector bodies. The varying importance of core budgets and other spending yields a typology of public sector organizations into delivery, transfer, contracts, regulatory and control agencies. In addition, the bureau‐shaping model is developed in this article to provide an exhaustive classification of government agencies, and to refine the analysis of spending over and above core budgets.The methodological issues involved in applying this typology empirically to the central state apparatus in Britain are explored. Previous attempts at ‘bureaumetrics’ have failed to mesh with ‘ordinary knowledge’ views of Whitehall. By contrast, the bureau‐shaping model provides a framework which is theoretically sophisticated, easily operationalizable, and intuitively understandable. The scale of prospective hiving off from the UK civil service organization over the next decade indicates the value of adopting a framework which can respond methodologically to such changes, and offers a powerful theoretical account of their dynamic. Part II of the paper [next issue] presents the empirical data demonstrating that the bureau‐shaping model is highly effective in systematizing and extending our knowledge of how Whitehall and its attached agencies are structured.
INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY CHANGE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES: THE CASE OF MERGER CONTROL1
Authors: BULMER SIMON 
Published: April 2007

The supranational regulation of merger and acquisition activity presents valuable evidence for examining the dynamics of policy change within the European Communities. Over the years four merger regimes can be seen to have existed. The first, restricted to the coal and steel industries, originated in the specific postwar wish to control (German) heavy industry and retains its separate character. Other industries were a matter for the later Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (ECC). It was not until 1989 that a clear ECC regime was established after two ‘false starts’ arising from rulings by the European Court of Justice on specific mergers. Agreement eventually came once ministers and industrialists realized that clear rules were needed, if the necessary orderly corporate restructuring were to be facilitated in the run‐up to completion of the single market.A ‘new institutionalist’ approach is adopted in analysing the evolution of supranational merger regulation. Accordingly, the article examines how far the capacity of the two treaties, and the capacities of the individual institutions, can explain the resultant pattern of supranational merger regulation.