bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of radical en‐bloc‐esophagectomy compared to transhiatal esophagectomy in squamous cell cancer of the esophagus is influenced by nodal micrometastases
Authors: Yekebas Emre F. , Schurr Paulus G. , Kaifi Jussuf T. , Link Bjoern C. , Kutup Asad , Mann Oliver , Wolfram Lars , Izbicki Jakob R. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractPurposeThe appropriate surgery for curable squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the esophagus is discussed controversially.Patients and MethodsTransthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) with radical en‐bloc‐lymphadenectomy was performed in 79/120 patients (66%). Due to severe comorbidity, 41/120 patients (34%) underwent less traumatizing transhiatal esophagectomy. Lymph nodes were stained using mAb BER‐Ep4.ResultspN0 status was found in 54 patients (45%) and pN1 status in 66 patients (55%). In the pN0 subgroup, 30 out of 54 patients (55.6%) had occult tumor cells in lymph nodes detected with BER‐Ep4. pN1 patients had additional BER‐Ep4 positive cells in histopathologically negative lymph nodes in 41 out of 66 patients (59.2%). Median disease‐specific survival was 31.4 and 16.8 months for the transthoracic and transhiatal groups, respectively (P = 0.129). pN0 patients lived longer after transthoracic resection (P = 0.0349), and in the subgroup without lymph node micrometastases this effect was even stronger (P = 0.025). In contrast, in pN0 patients with nodal microinvolvement, TTE did not entail a survival benefit when compared with the transhiatal group (P = 0.333).ConclusionTTE results in improved outcome in the absence of lymph node micrometastases. Poor survival in patients with lymphatic micro‐dissemination indicates systemic disease and the need for adjuvant treatment. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;93:541–549. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A practical scoring system based upon ROC analysis for evaluating potential lymph nodes metastasis during gastric surgery
Authors: Wu Yulian , Chen Jian , Yu Junxiu , Gao Shunliang , Shen Hongwei 
Published: May 2006

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesCurrent preoperative N staging does not offer an accurate estimation of lymph node involvement. We establish a new scoring system for predicting N stages to guide a rational lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer.MethodsVariables correlated with N stages were selected by multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. Variables granted the different scores according to the odds ratio (OR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to generate scoring ranges from N0 to N3. The agreement between predicted N staging and actual pN classification was analyzed using kappa statistics.ResultsTumor size, depth of invasion, and histological types were selected to establish the scoring system. Scores 0–4, 5–7, 8–9, and 10–13 were postulated to predict N0‐3, respectively. The predicted N stage has good agreement with the actual pN classifications. The negative predictive values for N0‐3 were 87.0, 86.4, 90.4, and 90.2%; the positive predictive values were 74.7, 62.8, 57.3, and 69.6%, respectively. The accuracy is 82% for N0‐1, and 83.7% for N2‐3.ConclusionsThe new scoring system can predict the N stage of gastric cancer. With its good negative predictive value, it is possible to minimize the potential hazards of applying a more extensive lymph node dissection than necessary. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;93:534–540. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for early breast cancer: A review of the most recent data
Authors: Grana G. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractTamoxifen is the established adjuvant treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone‐sensitive early breast cancer. However, the side‐effects associated with tamoxifen therapy have prompted a search for safer and potentially more effective endocrine agents. Results from randomized trials of the third‐generation aromatase inhibitors, anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane, demonstrating improved efficacy compared with tamoxifen and favorable tolerability profiles, are discussed in this review. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;93:585–592. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Affinity liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis of seminal plasma proteins
Authors: Vařilová Tereza , Seménková Hana , Horák Pavel , Maděra Milan , Pacáková Vera , Tichá Marie , Štulík Karel 
Published: May 2006

AbstractInteractions of boar, bull, and human seminal plasma proteins with heparin and phosphorylcholine were studied by affinity LC using heparin immobilized to a Toyopearl support. A step gradient elution from 0.15 to 1.50 M NaCl was employed to elute the seminal plasma proteins. Relative amounts of the heparin‐binding fraction of seminal plasma proteins (H+) in seminal plasma of three species were determined. Further on, the fraction of seminal plasma proteins interacting with phosphorylcholine‐binding proteins (P+) was evaluated. P+ proteins were not found in human seminal plasma and their highest amount was present in bull seminal plasma. A CE method was developed for separation of seminal plasma proteins. Various capillaries and separation conditions were tested; the best resolution was obtained in a bare‐silica capillary, with a micellar system consisting of a 0.02 M borate buffer and 0.05 M SDS pH 10.0. The optimized conditions were applied to the identification of the components in boar plasma.
A model of flow‐through pore formation in methacrylate ester‐based monolithic columns
Authors: Urban Jiří , Moravcová Dana , Jandera Pavel 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe main factors affecting the porosity of methacrylate‐ester based monolithic columns were investigated. We prepared 23 monolithic capillary columns with porosity controlled by varying the proportions of butyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate monomers and of 1,4‐butanediol and 1‐propanol as the porogen solvent in the polymerization mixtures by thermally initiatedin‐situpolymerization in fused‐silica capillaries. Using mixture design software, we systematically varied the composition of the polymerisation mixtures to find significant factors affecting flow‐through pore formation. Multivariate analysis of the experimental data obtained for the fabricated columns yielded a model for prediction of the flow‐through porosity in monolithic beds as a function of the composition of the polymerization mixture used to prepare polymethacrylate monolithic capillary columns. The mean error of prediction was lower than 8% for eight columns prepared independently of the original set of 15 columns used to derive the flow‐through model. The flow‐through porosity increases with increasing concentration of the binary porogen solvent mixture, the concentration of 1,4‐butanediol being the main factor enhancing flow‐through pore formation. On the other hand, increasing concentrations of the hydrophobic monomer butyl methacrylate and increasing concentrations of 1‐propanol have a negative effect on flow‐through pore formation. The capillary columns prepared with a high proportion of flow‐through pores and a minimum amount of mesopores can be used for fast gradient separations of both low‐molecular weight compounds and biopolymers.
Spatial evaluation of soil erosion risk in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania
Authors: Vrieling A. , Sterk G. , Vigiak O. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractEffective soil and water conservation programmes require the concentration of resources on limited areas. For that purpose regional‐scale assessments of erosion risk are required. However, availability of good‐quality spatial data for such assessments is often poor, especially in regions like sub‐Saharan Africa. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of analysing regional erosion risk using a limited amount of readily available data. The analysis was executed for the 70‐km2 Baga watershed in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Principal data sources were a Landsat image and an SRTM DEM. Two qualitative mapping methods resulting in five erosion risk classes were evaluated against field‐based erosion risk estimates. The first method derived slope classes from the DEM and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) classes from the Landsat image and FVC field estimates. Data integration was achieved with a decision tree. The second method did not apply field data for the map construction, but combined five equally sized NDVI classes and five slope classes using the minimum‐operator. Resulting maps showed a high and comparable accuracy, 80 per cent for Method 1, and 81 per cent for Method 2, when allowing a maximum difference of one class with field erosion risk estimates. Spatial patterns of erosion risk were well represented by both methods and high erosion risk areas can be properly identified within the Baga watershed. Due to the limited data requirement of Method 2, it has a high potential for quick identification of erosion risk in other areas of the East African Highlands. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance of some under‐explored crops under saline irrigation in a semiarid climate in Northwest India
Authors: Dagar J. C. , Tomar O. S. , Kumar Y. , Bhagwan H. , Yadav R. K. , Tyagi N. K. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractGrowing salt‐tolerant under‐explored crops utilizing saline ground water can provide for an economic use of abandoned semiarid lands. Field trials were conducted between 1999 and 2003 on a calcareous soil in a semiarid region of northwest India. Woody perennials were planted at the sill of furrows and irrigated with water of high salinity (EC 10–28 dS m−1), low salinity (EC 5–9 dS m−1) and alternately with these two waters. Woody species includedAzadirachta indica, Cordia rothii, Salvadora persica, Jatropha curcas, J. gossipifolia, Ricinus communis, Catharanthus roseus, Adhatoda vasicaandAloe barbadensis. Most of these could be grown successfully butS. persica—a highly salt‐tolerant halophyte—though it produced huge biomass, could not yield mature fruit due to frost injury. The salinity build up in the soil was greater during low‐rainfall years, but a good rainfall year, e.g. 714 mm in 2001, helped to leach out the accumulated salts. The uptake of Na+in plants was greater when irrigated with water of high salinity, while K+accumulation was greater with water of low salinity. Na+accumulation was higher in roots as compared to other parts except inJatrophaandSalvadora, while K+accumulation was greater in leaves. There was a negative correlation between Na+and K+accumulation and a positive correlation between Ca2+and Mg2+. Thus, saline water (ECiw 12 dS m−1) can successfully be used for growing several under‐explored crops of high economic value. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Soil erosion assessment of Lake Alemaya catchment, Ethiopia
Authors: Muleta S. , Yohannes F. , Rashid S.M. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractLand degradation due to soil erosion is the major problem facing Ethiopia today. In the Lake Alemaya catchment soil erosion is caused by the intense rainfall, steep topography, and poor vegetation cover coupled with cultivation of steep lands, and inadequate conservation practices. Sediment from the catchment has affected the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya. This study has integrated the Agricultural Non‐point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) and the technique of the Gographic Information System (GIS) to quantify soil erosion in the Lake Alemaya catchment. After application of the AGNPS, it appears that 66 per cent of the catchment has a soil erosion rate of 10 to more than 80 t ha−1 y−1. The annual soil loss is estimated at 31 t ha−1, which is more than the permissible value of 1–16 t ha−1 for different agro‐ecological zones of Ethiopia. The sediment yield of the catchment is about 10 148 ton with a delivery ratio of 6·82 per cent. Therefore, an effective management plan is needed for the conservation and rehabilitation of the catchment and to maintain the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of changing olive cultivation practices on the ground flora of olive groves in the Messara and Psiloritis regions, Crete, Greece
Authors: Allen H. D. , Randall R. E. , Amable G. S. , Devereux B. J. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis paper examines the impact that different olive cultivation practices have on the nature of the ground flora of olive groves in the region of the Psiloritis massif and Messara Plain in central and southern Crete, Greece. In lower, flatter areas there are areas of both traditional and intensive forms of olive cultivation. In more marginal, upland areas there are traditional terraced olive groves, some of which are being abandoned. The relationship between the vegetation composition of the ground flora and environmental variables was established, by means of TWINSPAN® and ordination analysis, using survey data from nineteen sites across the region. Four vegetation communities are identified: olive with herbaceous taxa; olive with sclerophyllous shrub taxa; and two forms of sclerophyllous shrub communities. Ordination results indicate that environmental variables, such as soil characteristics, slope aspect and slope angle, explain about 60 per cent of the species–environment relationships. The remaining variation in species composition is interpreted to be the result of different cultivation practices. The implications for land degradation are examined, in particular the changes in vegetation diversity of both intensive and semi‐abandoned olive groves, the potential for increased soil erosion, and the risk of fire as a result of increased fuel loading as flammable shrubs invade abandoned terraces. Intensification of olive cultivation in Crete, and across the Mediterranean, has been encouraged by subsidies from the European Union leading to rapid landscape change. Thus there is a need to monitor changes in olive cultivation practices both at the local scale, by means of ground‐based fieldwork, and at landscape and regional scales, by means of remote sensing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in gene expressions elicited by physiological concentrations of genistein on human endometrial cancer cells
Authors: Konstantakopoulos N. , Montgomery K.G. , Chamberlain N. , Quinn M.A. , Baker M.S. , Rice G.E. , Georgiou H.M. , Campbell I.G. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe incidence of hormone‐related diseases such as prostatic, breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer is lower in Asian populations compared to Western countries. High consumption of soybean products that are rich in phytoestrogens, predominantly genistein, is postulated to be responsible for the lower incidence of hormone‐related disease, although the mechanism through which this effect might be mediated is unclear. In this study, microarray analysis was used to identify the changes in gene expression elicited by treatment of the human endometrial cancer cell line, Ishikawa, with genistein at both physiologically achievable and supraphysiological concentrations. Genistein treatment at 5 µM concentration induced multiple changes in gene expression including some implicated in oncogenesis. In contrast, treatment with a supraphysiological concentration of genistein predominantly activated stress response genes and showed very limited overlap with the genes regulated at lower concentrations. Of the genes regulated by genistein, 9.3% were also regulated by 17β‐estradiol suggesting that genistein exerts its response via the estrogen pathway. These results indicate that at physiological concentrations, genistein is able to elicit pleiotropic effects on a variety of pathways believed to be involved in tumorigenesis. Supraphysiological concentrations of genistein, such as those used in many previous studies, elicit changes in gene expression that are unlikely to occur in vivo. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neuropsychological deficits in Parkinson's disease patients with visual hallucinations
Authors: Ramírez‐Ruiz Blanca , Junqué Carme , Martí María‐José , Valldeoriola Francesc , Tolosa Eduardo 
Published: May 2006

AbstractRecent neuropathological and neuroimaging studies suggest the involvement of several temporal regions in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with visual hallucinations (VH). We examined 24 nondemented PD patients with VH, 21 PD patients without VH, and 21 healthy controls using a battery of tests assessing different aspects of temporal lobe function. PD patients with VH showed poorer performance in language, verbal learning, semantic fluency, and visuoperceptive functions compared to controls and PD patients without VH. Differences in verbal learning and visuoperceptive functions were independent of general cognitive status, disease severity, and depression. We suggest that a wide range of neuropsychological deficits can contribute to the emergence of VH in PD. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Surface electromyography shows increased mirroring in Parkinson's disease patients without overt mirror movements
Authors: Cincotta Massimo , Giovannelli Fabio , Borgheresi Alessandra , Balestrieri Fabrizio , Vanni Paola , Ragazzoni Aldo , Zaccara Gaetano , Ziemann Ulf 
Published: May 2006

AbstractPatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) may present mirror movements (MM). Transcranial magnetic stimulation data indicate that these movements reflect an abnormal enhancement of the “physiological mirroring” that can be observed in healthy adults during complex and effortful tasks. It was hypothesized that, in PD, enhanced mirroring is caused by a failure of basal ganglia output to support the cortical network that is responsible for the execution of strictly unimanual movements. If so, it is likely that subtle alterations of voluntary unimanual motor control are also present in PD patients without overt MM. We tested this hypothesis by using surface electromyographic (EMG) techniques in 12 mildly to moderately affected PD patients without overt MM, and in 2 control groups (12 age‐matched and 10 young healthy volunteers). Subjects performed unilateral phasic thumb abduction during a sustained tonic contraction of the opposite abductor pollicis brevis. All patients were tested on dopaminergic therapy. On a separate day, 7 of 12 patients were re‐tested after withdrawal of medication. During this task, involuntary mirror‐like increase in surface EMG of the tonically abducting thumb was significantly larger in PD patients than in age‐matched or young healthy volunteers. Off therapy, mirroring was slightly greater than on medication, although this difference was not significant. Our findings suggest that dysfunction of unimanual motor control is a general feature of PD. It is likely that this deficient movement lateralization contributes to an impairment of nonsymmetrical bimanual movements in PD. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Toward a better description of gallo‐phosphate materials in solid‐state NMR: 1D and 2D correlation studies
Authors: Montouillout Valérie , Morais Cláudia M. , Douy André , Fayon Franck , Massiot Dominique 
Published: May 2006

AbstractWe show that weak 2J(71GaO31P), typically ∼12 Hz in GaPO4, can be used to efficiently establish heteronuclear 31P71Ga correlation using a MAS HMQC experiment in gallo‐phosphate materials. The experiment demonstrated for cristobalite GaPO4 is then applied to Ga(PO3)3, where it allows the differentiation of the signature of three different Ga sites overlapping in the 1D spectrum. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of ovarian hyperstimulation and ovulation induction on the cytoskeletal dynamics and developmental competence of oocytes
Authors: Lee Seung Tae , Han Ho Jae , Oh Seo Jin , Lee Eun Ju , Han Jae Yong , Lim Jeong M. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis study was undertaken to determine the effects of gonadotrophin on cytoskeletal dynamics and embryo development and its role in improving the retrieval of developmentally competent oocytes. Female golden hamsters were injected with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG; 5‐, 7.5‐ or 15‐IU) on the day 4 of estrus, pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG; 5‐, 7.5‐ or 15‐IU) on the day 1 of estrus, or 15‐IU hCG at 56 hr post‐15‐IU PMSG injection in any cycle except estrus. Increasing the hCG dose decreased not only retrieval rate of 2‐cell embryo but development to blastocyst after subsequent in vitro culture. Whereas, although increasing the PMSG dose induced increasing the number of 2‐cell embryo and blastocyst, 15‐IU PMSG injection caused retardation of development to blastocyst. No 2‐cell embryos were retrieved by injecting both PMSG and hCG. The injections of 15‐IU hCG and 7.5‐ or 15‐IU PMSG inhibited the proliferation of trophectodermal and inner cell mass cells, respectively. Gonadotrophin injection didn't influence microtubular spindle formation, but 5‐ or 15‐IU hCG, 15‐IU PMSG, or PMSG and hCG injections induced aberrant cortical granule (CG) and microfilament distribution. After 15‐IU hCG or PMSG and hCG injections, fewer oocytes had enriched cortical actin domains, and the expression of α‐, β‐ and γ‐actin genes was greatly increased. In conclusion, a high dose of gonadotrophins alters the microfilament and CG distribution, which in turn reduces the developmental competence of oocytes. Injecting a reduced dose of PMSG to initiate ovarian hyperstimulation without triggering ovulation contributes to the efficient retrieval of developmentally competent oocytes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 1022–1033, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Value of repeated measures of nerve conduction and quantitative sensory testing in a diabetic neuropathy trial
Authors: Bird Shawn J. , Brown Mark J. , Spino Cathie , Watling Sharon , Foyt Howard L. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractConduct of a large, multicenter trial of the aldose reductase inhibitor zenarestat provided data on the reproducibility of multiple electrophysiologic (nerve conduction studies, NCS) and quantitative sensory (QST) tests. Baseline and 12‐month electrophysiologic data from approximately 1100 patients at multiple centers were available for analysis. Intersite variability contributed minimally to overall test variance. All NCS tests were highly reproducible. Cool thermal and vibration QST thresholds, as measured by CASE IV instrumentation, were also highly reproducible. Intersubject variance accounted for the majority of variance for all parameters measured. Repeating NCS and QST measures decreased sample sizes needed to show statistical significance. Consideration of these observations, particularly with regard to QST, should aid in the design of future clinical trials investigating neuropathy. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Minimum cost flow‐dependent communication networks
Authors: Thomas D.A. , Weng J.F. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractIn the construction of a communication network, the (Euclidean) length of the network is an important but not unique factor determining the cost of the network. Among many possible network models, Gilbert proposed a flow‐dependent model in which flow demands are assigned between each pair of points in a given point set A, and the cost per unit length of a link in the network is a function of the flow through the link. In this article we first investigate the properties of this Gilbert model: the concavity of the cost function, decomposition, local minimality, the number of Steiner points, and the maximum degree of Steiner points. Then we propose three heuristics for constructing minimum cost Gilbert networks. Two of them come from the fact that generally a minimum cost Gilbert network stands between two extremes: the complete network G(A) on A and the edge‐weighted Steiner minimal tree W(A) on A. The first heuristic starts with G(A) and reduces the cost by splitting angles; the second one starts with both G(A) and W(A), and reduces the cost by selecting low cost paths. As a generalization of the second heuristic, the third heuristic constructs a new Gilbert network of less cost by hybridizing known Gilbert networks. Finally, we discuss some considerations in practical applications. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 48(1), 39–46 2006