bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical trials of potential antidepressants: to what extent are the elderly represented: a review
Authors: Giron Maria Stella T. , Fastbom Johan , Winblad Bengt 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundThere is widespread use of antidepressants in the elderly population. The principle of treatment of depression, however, is derived mostly from studies employing young adults and healthy elderly. This article reviews the literature on the extent to which the elderly are represented in clinical trials of potential antidepressants.MethodMedline search of relevant articles of clinical trials of potential antidepressants.ResultsThe maximum age of inclusion for most clinical trials was 65 years. The highest age reported for depressed subjects was 90 years. There was no clear consensus on who were considered to be elderly; clinical trials conducted on the elderly included subjects who were 50, 55, or 60 years and over. Pharmacological studies on healthy subjects were most often done on young adults, age range 18 to 65 years. The period of study was relatively shorter for clinical trials done on elderly subjects. There was however, no difference in the exclusion or inclusion criteria between studies done in young and elderly subjects.ConclusionsElderly subjects aged 75 years and over were clearly underrepresented in the clinical trials of potential antidepressants. For drugs that are used by the elderly, in its pivotal studies for registration, the inclusion of at least 25% of subjects aged 75 years and over is recommended. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Beyond the global score of the Zarit Burden Interview: useful dimensions for clinicians
Authors: Ankri Joël , Andrieu Sandrine , Beaufils Béatrice , Grand Alain , Henrard Jean Claude 
Published: February 2005

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore the structure of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) for informal caregivers of patients suffering from AD or related disorders, and to examine the relations of the dimensions found with functional disabilities and other patient health indicators.Design152 dyads of community‐dwelling older adults with dementia and their primary caregivers were analysed.MethodsCaregiver burden was measured by the 22‐item ZBI. Caregivers' and care recipients' characteristics were collected with the MDS (Minimum Data Set) of the RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) Home Care instrument. Data on dementia (diagnosis, severity, MMSE) were also obtained. Burden data were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation. Relationships between scores on PCA factors and care recipients' health indicators were studied with inferential statisti cal tests.ResultsThree dimensions of burden were found: effect on the social and personal life of caregivers, psychological burden and feelings of guilt. Some health variables were linked to these dimensions. Spouses and children perceived burden differently. Spouse caregivers emphasized the deterioration of their personal and social life. Children, less involved in daily care, were more prone to feel guilt that they were not doing enough for their parent. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal mood variation in the elderly: the Leiden 85‐plus Study
Authors: de Craen Anton J. M. , Gussekloo Jacobijn , van der Mast Roos C. , Cessie Saskia le , Lemkes Johanna W. , Westendorp Rudi G. J. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundThe influence of seasonal changes on mood and behaviour is called seasonality. The prevalence of seasonality in elderly subjects is unknown.AimTo investigate the seasonality pattern in mood and behaviour at old age.MethodsAll subjects from the Leiden 85‐plus Study with an MMSE score of 19 or more were assessed for depressive feelings at age 85 and yearly thereafter. The influence of time of the year, duration of sunlight, daylight, and rain on the prevalence of depressive symptoms was assessed using linear mixed models for repeated measurements.ResultsThere was no significant seasonal pattern in the data (p = 0.44). Within each of the four years of observation (85, 86, 87 and 88 years) and all years combined, there was also no significant association between the one‐month cumulation of duration of sunlight, daylight, or rain and the score on the GDS (all p‐values >0.05). The results of either the one week or three‐month accumulation of sunlight, daylight, or rain were comparable to the one‐month results.ConclusionsEstimates of prevalence of seasonality reported in the literature might be overestimated or a remarkable difference between young and old subjects exists. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship of exercise and other risk factors to depression of Alzheimer's disease: the LASER‐AD study
Authors: Regan Ciaran , Katona Cornelius , Walker Zuzana , Livingston Gill 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundDepression is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD; 5–35%). It is associated with increased disability, cost of care and carer burden. Exercise is known to be associated with a lower prevalence of depression across the age range but little is known about its relationship to depression in AD.AimsTo investigate exercise and putative risk factors for depression in a community based sample of people with AD representative of the range of cognitive impairment found in the population with dementia.MethodsInformation was collected from 224 people with AD and their caregiver using standardised cognitive, psychological and behavioural instruments. Exercise levelswere classified into three categories: absent, moderate, and vigorous, using the previous two weeks exercise levels to confirm regularity and recency.Results9/51 (17.6%) depressed participants took exercise compared with 76/173 (43.9%) non‐depressed [odds ratio (OR) = 2.9, confidence interval (CI) = 1.5–5.6, p = 0.001]. Not taking part in other activities (hobbies and interests) was associated with depression but less so than lack of exercise. Independent predictors of depression were: lack of exercise (p < 0.001, OR = 3.4, CI = 1.7–7.2), taking cholinesterase inhibitors (p < 0.05, OR = 2.4, CI = 1.2–4.9) and having less involvement in hobbies or interests (p < 0.05, OR = 1.2, CI = 1.0–1.5).ConclusionNone of the traditional risk factors for depression in older people were associated with depression in AD. Taking regular exercise may protect against depression in AD. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cognitive intervention for community‐dwelling older persons with memory problems: telemedicine versus face‐to‐face treatment
Authors: Poon Patricia , Hui Elsie , Dai David , Kwok Timothy , Woo Jean 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundMemory complaints and decline in cognitive function are common in the elederly. Cognitive intervention has been shown to be beneficial in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, few community‐based cognitive intervention programs are available in Hong Kong. The aim of this project is to examine and compare the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical outcome of a cognitive intervention program for older patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia using telemedicine versus a conventional face‐to‐face method.MethodsCommunity‐dwelling older subjects with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairments were recruited from a community center. A total of 12 sessions of assessment and cognitive intervention were conducted via videoconferencing or by face‐to‐face method. Assessment included: Cantonese version of Mini Mental State Examination (C‐MMSE), Cantonese version of Rivermead Behavioural Memory test (C‐RBMT) and Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS).ResultsTwenty‐two clients were recruited. There was significant and comparable cognitive improvement in clients in both treatment arms. The videoconference arm was highly accepted by the clients and the community center. Overall compliance rate of participants was above 95%.ConclusionsTelemedicine was a feasible, effective and acceptable means in providing cognitive assessment and intervention to older persons with mild cognitive deficits. Promoting such a program to other community settings would further enhance the accessibility of dementia service to the community. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A computational approach to predicting cell growth on polymeric biomaterials
Authors: Abramson Sascha D. , Alexe Gabriela , Hammer Peter L. , Kohn Joachim 
Published: February 2005

AbstractA predictive model that can correlate the chemical composition of a biomaterial with the biological response of cells that are in contact with that biomaterial would represent a major advance and would facilitate the rational design of new biomaterials. As a first step toward this goal, we report here on the use of Logical Analysis of Data (LAD) to model the effect of selected polymer properties on the growth of two different cell types, rat lung fibroblasts (RLF, a transformed cell line), and normal foreskin fibroblasts (NFF, nontransformed human cells), on 112 surfaces obtained from a combinatorially designed library of polymers. LAD is a knowledge extraction methodology, based on using combinatorics, optimization, and Boolean logic. LAD was trained on a subset of 62 polymers and was then used to predict cell growth on 50 previously untested polymers. Experimental validation indicated that LAD correctly predicted the high and low cell growth polymers and found optimal ranges for polymer chemical composition, surface chemistry, and bulk properties. Particularly noteworthy is that LAD correctly identified high‐performing polymer surfaces, which surpassed commercial tissue culture polystyrene as growth substratum for normal foreskin fibroblasts. Our results establish the feasibility of using computational modeling of cell growth on flat polymeric surfaces to identify promising “lead” polymers for applications that require either high or low cell growth. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 73A: 116–124, 2005
Intracellular domain of the IFNaR2 interferon receptor subunit mediates transcription via Stat2
Authors: El Fiky Ashraf , Arch Allison E. , Krolewski John J. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractWe recently demonstrated that IFNaR2, a subunit of the interferon receptor, can be proteolytically cleaved in response to interferon‐alpha and other activators of protein kinase C. Cleavage occurs at multiple sites, via a mechanism similar to that employed by Notch and the Alzheimer's precursor protein, and releases the intracellular domain (ICD). In this study, we demonstrate that the IFNaR2 ICD, when fused to the yeast Gal4 DNA binding domain (Gal4DBD) selectively modulates transcription of four different promoters under the control of Gal4 upstream activating sequences. We previously showed that Stat2 binds constitutively to the ICD of IFNaR2, in a manner that is independent of tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, we show that ICD transcriptional modulation is dependent upon the carboxyl‐terminal transactivation domain of Stat2. Specifically, complementing Stat2 deficient cells with wild‐type Stat2 restored the ICD‐mediated transcriptional effects while complementation with a mutant form of Stat2 lacking the transcriptional activation domain (TAD) did not. In addition, mutation of the Stat2 binding site on the ICD reduced the transcriptional activity of the Gal4DBD–ICD. Finally, we demonstrate that the activity of Jak1, a tyrosine kinase also known to bind to IFNaR2, is required for ICD‐mediated transcriptional effects. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of mass transfer efficiency in horizontal rotating packed beds and rotating biological contactors
Authors: Mathure Pankaj , Patwardhan Ashwin 
Published: February 2005

AbstractIn this study, the mass transfer efficiencies of a novel horizontal rotating packed (h‐RPB) bed and the conventional disc‐type rotating biological contactor (RBC) were studied at four speeds and seven submergences. Pall rings of two different sizes (25, 38 mm), superintalox saddles and a wiremesh spiral bundle were used as packings in the h‐RPB. Volumetric gas–liquid mass transfer coefficients were determined by unsteady state absorption of atmospheric oxygen in de‐aerated water. Power consumption per unit liquid volume has been found for all geometries tested. The oxygen transfer efficiency values for the h‐RPB were found to be 2–5 kg kWh−1 and for the disc RBC were found to be 1–2 kg kWh−1. The performance of the h‐RPB was also compared with other gas–liquid contactors such as surface aerators. The study proves that the h‐RPB is a energy efficient alternative to conventional contactors. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Application of residence time distribution technique to the study of the hydrodynamic behaviour of a full‐scale wastewater treatment plant plug‐flow bioreactor
Authors: Olivet David , Valls Joan , Gordillo M Àngels , Freixó Àngel , Sánchez Antoni 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe hydrodynamic behaviour of a full‐scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) bioreactor treating municipal wastewater, situated in Granollers (Barcelona, Spain), has been studied by means of a residence time distribution (RTD) technique using lithium (chloride) as tracer. The bioreactor studied is designed to work as a plug‐flow reactor and it is divided into two independent lanes (1 and 2), each one composed of four compartments in series resulting in a total volume of 3970 m3 per lane. During the RTD experiments, working flow was 1000 m3 h−1 per lane, which implied an ideal mean residence time of 3.97 h. When a lithium chloride tracer was injected in the bioreactor, both lanes showed a similar highly non‐ideal hydrodynamic behaviour, which had an important effect on the reactor's performance. This global RTD was complemented by means of local RTDs in different locations of the bioreactor in order to determine qualitatively the reactor's mixing regime. Different non‐ideal models (namely axial dispersion, tanks‐in‐series and some simple compartment models) have been tested for the modelling of the experimental RTD. The best model fitting RTD data for Lanes 1 and 2 was a configuration consisting of four mixed tanks in series. The RTD study proposed in this work will permit improvement of the reactor's mixing performance, which is of special interest in future projects including simultaneous removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
The use of hybrid anaerobic solid–liquid (HASL) system for the treatment of lipid‐containing food waste
Authors: Stabnikova Olena , Ang Suay‐Siong , Liu Xue‐Yan , Ivanov Volodymyr , Tay Joo‐Hwa , Wang Jing‐Yuan 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe hybrid anaerobic solid–liquid (HASL) system was a modified two‐phase anaerobic digester developed for bioconversion of food waste. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility of the HASL system for the treatment of food waste with a high content of lipids. The presence of lipids in food waste increased the energy value of nutrients but could inhibit growth of methanogens. The positive effect of lipids on the performance of anaerobic digestion dominated when the contents of lipids were in the range from 20 to 30% of total solids of food waste. Lipid contents of 40% diminished the production of volatile fatty acids in the acidogenic reactor as well as biogas production and the concentration of total bacteria and methanogens in the methanogenic reactor. Therefore, the HASL system can be used for the treatment of lipid‐containing food wastes if the lipid content is below 40% of total solids. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Hepatocyte steatosis is an important predictor of response to interferon (IFN) monotherapy in Japanese patients infected with HCV genotype 2a: Virological features of IFN‐resistant cases with hepatocyte steatosis
Authors: Akuta Norio , Suzuki Fumitaka , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Sezaki Hitomi , Hosaka Tetsuya , Someya Takashi , Kobayashi Masahiro , Saitoh Satoshi , Arase Yasuji , Ikeda Kenji , Kobayashi Mariko , Kumada Hiromitsu 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe role of hepatocyte steatosis in interferon (IFN) resistance is still unclear, especially in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2a. The present study was conducted in 364 consecutive non‐cirrhotic naive patients infected with genotype 2a, who were evaluated for the severity of steatosis and response to IFN monotherapy after a 24‐week median duration of therapy. The patients were examined for factors associated with steatosis and treatment efficacy according to the grade of steatosis. Early viral kinetics was also evaluated in 64 patients for predictors of response to therapy. Nine IFN‐resistant patients were assessed for the relationship between amino acid sequence of HCV core region/NS5A and severity of steatosis. Multivariate analysis identified two independent factors associated with steatosis; serum ferritin ≥200 μg/l and body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2. The sustained virological response rate in patients with high‐grade steatosis was significantly lower than in the low‐grade group. Study of early viral kinetics showed a significantly lower cumulative HCV‐RNA negative rate for the high‐grade than low‐grade steatosis group. Sequence analysis of HCV core region/NS5A in IFN‐resistant patients with or without steatosis failed to identify steatosis‐specific amino acid substitutions associated with resistance. This study of HCV genotype 2a suggested that steatosis is associated with excess iron storage, and that it is an important predictor of efficacy of IFN monotherapy. Further large‐scale studies are warranted to examine the role of amino acid substitutions on IFN resistance specific for steatosis. J. Med. Virol. 75:550–558, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phenotypic and genetic changes in coxsackievirus B5 following repeated passage in mouse pancreas in vivo
Authors: Al‐Hello Haider , Davydova Berta , Smura Teemu , Kaialainen Svetlana , Ylipaasto Petri , Saario Elise , Hovi Tapani , Rieder Elizabeth , Roivainen Merja 
Published: February 2005

AbstractCommon enterovirus infections appear to initiate or facilitate the pathogenetic processes leading to type 1 diabetes, and also sometimes precipitate the clinical disease. In experimental infection of mice, coxsackieviruses have shown to have a strong affinity for the exocrine tissue, while even in lethal cases, the islets remain unaffected. The virus strain most intensively studied in this respect is the diabetogenic variant E2 of coxsackievirus B4. In addition, it is known that all six serotypes of coxsackie B viruses can be made diabetogenic by repeated passages in either mouse pancreas in vivo or in cultured mouse beta‐cells in vitro. However, the genetic determinants of the phenomenon have not been determined. In the present study, a laboratory strain of coxsackievirus B5 was passaged repeatedly in mouse pancreas in vivo. After 15 passages, the virus phenotype was clearly changed and infection of the variant resulted in a diabetes‐like syndrome in mice characterized by chronic pancreatic inflammation together with dysregulation in glucose metabolism, loss of pancreatic acinar tissue, and mild insulitis. In order to characterize the genetic determinants involved in mouse pancreas adaptation, the passaged virus variant together with the parental virus strain was cloned for molecular characterization. The whole genome sequencing of both virus strains revealed only limited differences. Altogether, eight nucleotides were changed resulting in five amino acid substitutions, of which three were located in the capsid proteins. J. Med. Virol. 75:566–574, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in French Guiana and West Indies caused by coxsackievirus A24 variant: Phylogenetic analysis reveals Asian import
Authors: Dussart Philippe , Cartet Gaëlle , Huguet Pierre , Lévêque Nicolas , Hajjar Christian , Morvan Jacques , Vanderkerckhove Julie , Ferret Karine , Lina Bruno , Chomel Jean‐Jacques , Norder Helene 
Published: February 2005

AbstractAn outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis occurred in French Guiana between April and July 2003, with approximately 6,000 cases in the two major cities Kourou and Cayenne. Since acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is not a notifiable disease in France, there was no registration of the number of cases. Therefore, these were estimated by comparing the consumption of antibiotic eye drops and ophthalmic ointments during 2002 and 2003. The outbreak rapidly spread into the Caribbean Islands, causing an outbreak in Guadeloupe in October. Viral isolates from conjunctival swabs of 16 patients were confirmed to be enterovirus by PCR directed to the 5′ UTR of the genome. The isolates could not be neutralized by the Melnick intersecting pools, but were shown to be CV‐A24 variant by limited sequencing within the VP1 and 3C regions of 12 strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that they were similar to the genotype III strains causing outbreaks in Korea 2002 and Malaysia 2003. The previous outbreak of conjunctivitis caused by CV‐A24 in the Caribbean in the 1980s was also introduced from Asia, and disappeared after 3 years. This new introduction from Asia and its rapid spread into the Caribbean, where the infection disappeared after a few months, indicates that the CV‐A24 variant has a different epidemiological pattern in this region compared to South East Asia, since it has not established an endemic infection. It had to be reintroduced from Asia, where it has been circulating since the 1970s. J. Med. Virol. 75:559–565, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus in cervical samples from Italian patients
Authors: De Francesco M.A. , Gargiulo F. , Schreiber C. , Ciravolo G. , Salinaro F. , Manca N. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractHuman papillomaviruses (HPVs) are etiological agents of cervical cancer. In order to assess the epidemiological incidence and frequency of different HPV types, we applied a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐direct sequencing approach based on the use of MY09/MY11 primers as compared to Hybrid Capture assay. Cervical samples were taken from 1,500 women, both with normal and abnormal cytological smears, and we found an incidence of 6.6% of HPV infection in Brescia. Overall, 97 samples tested HPV‐positive, yielding 18 HPV types. The four most frequent HPV types were: HPV 16, ‐31, ‐6, and ‐58. This approach could be used in ordinary laboratory settings for quick and reliable typing of known and novel HPVs from clinical specimens and it could also be applied to anti‐cancer vaccine development. J. Med. Virol. 75:588–592, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inter‐ and intra‐person cytomegalovirus infection in Malawian families
Authors: Beyari Mohammed M. , Hodgson T.A. , Kondowe W. , Molyneux E.M. , Scully C. , Porter S.R. , Teo C.G. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractSequence polymorphisms in the gN and gO genes of cytomegalovirus (CMV) amplified from mouth rinse and urine samples of 19 Malawian patients with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and 58 of their first‐degree relatives were investigated. CMV‐DNA was amplified from 41 people (53%) from either the gN or gO region in at least one sample, from 14 people (18%) in both domains in at least one sample, and from 13 (17%) in either domain in both samples. Twenty‐one (51%) were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV). Identical gN sequences were recovered from eight families and non‐identical sequences in six, while identical gO sequences were found in three families and non‐identical sequences in five. Five people, four of whom were children, each carried multitypic gN sequences or gO sequences. The findings are consistent with CMV spread along intra‐ and extra‐household routes, and with multiple intra‐host CMV infection. J. Med. Virol. 75:575–582, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.