bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of extraamniotic Foley catheter and intracervical prostaglandin E2 gel for preinduction cervical ripening
Authors: Dalui Rabindranath , Suri Vanita , Ray Pallab , Gupta Indu 
Published: March 2005

Background.  The success of induced labor depends on the degree of ripening of cervix. Pharmacological preparations are in widespread use for cervical ripening but are not free from side‐effects and complications. Mechanical methods, i.e. the use of Foley catheter balloon, though effective have not gained much popularity because of the fear of infection. Therefore, this study has been conducted to prove the efficacy and safety of extraamniotic Foley catheter balloon and to compare it with intracervical prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel.Methods.  The randomized prospective study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Microbiology of Nehru Hospital. Hundred women attending the labor ward for induction of labor were divided into two groups: Group A – Foley catheter, Group B – PGE2 gel. Cervical swabs before and after the insertion of ripening agents were taken for culture studies. Placental membranes were also sent for culture. Labor outcome, side‐effects, and complications were compared in both the groups. The statistical methods used were Student's compared t‐test, Chi‐square test, and Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test.Results.  Foley catheter proved to be a very effective preinduction ripening agent for unfavorable cervix compared with PGE2 gel, as is evident by the mean Bishop score at 12 h (P < 0.001). Preparation delivery interval was significantly shorter (P < 0.05) in women who underwent cervical ripening with Foley catheter balloon than with the PGE2 gel. No clinical evidence of chorioamnionitis was present in both the groups.Conclusion.  This study concludes that extraamniotic Foley catheter balloon is an effective, safe, simple, low‐cost, reversible, non‐pharmacological mechanical method of preinduction cervical ripening.
Acutely iII children within ward areas – care provision and possible development strategies
Authors: Haines Caroline 
Published: March 2005

AbstractThis report presents the key findings of a travel scholarship to selected paediatric centres in the United Kingdom (UK), Australasia and the United States of America, where services provision for the care of acutely ill children within ward areas was investigated. In total, 15 centres were visited over a 5‐month period, and comprehensive programs of information exchange were arranged in all locations. Key areas of interest discussed were the concepts of paediatric critical care outreach services and the use of paediatric early warning assessment tools. Information was collated and applied to the existing service provision within a tertiary children's hospital in the UK. It is hoped that the information gained during this professional study tour will add to the current available literature. It has helped to clarify the position of other key centres with regard to the care provision for acutely ill children in ward areas and confirmed the potential value of a support system and/or use of clinical assessment tool for staff caring for these children.
Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor related angioedema and the anaesthetist
Authors: Rai M. R. , Amen F. , Idrees F. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryAngioedema of the face and neck is an uncommon but potentially life‐threatening complication of angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy. This condition is of particular concern to the anaesthetist as it can rapidly progress to upper airway obstruction. We describe the presentation and management of five cases of ACE inhibitor related angioedema, all of which were associated with significant upper airway obstruction.
4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a component of tobacco smoke, modulates mediator release from human bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells
Authors: Proulx L I , Gaudreault M , Turmel V , Augusto L A , Castonguay A , Bissonnette É Y 
Published: March 2005

SummaryRespiratory epithelial cells are known to contribute to immune responses through the release of mediators. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunomodulatory effects of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco carcinogen, on respiratory epithelial cells and to compare two metabolic pathways, α-methylhydroxylation and α-methylenehydroxylation, involved in these effects using selective precursors, 4-(acetoxy-methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridil)-1-butanone (NNKOAc) and N-nitroso (acetoxymethyl) methylamine (NDMAOAc), respectively. Human bronchial and alveolar epithelial cell lines, BEAS-2B and A549, respectively, were treated with NNK, NNKOAc and NDMAOAc for 24 h with and without tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and mediators released in cell-free supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). NNK significantly inhibited interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production in both cell types. Similar results were observed with primary bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells. Although NNK increased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by A549 cells, its immunomodulatory effects were not mediated by PGE2 according to the results with cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors. NNKOAc mimicked NNK effects, whereas NDMAOAc significantly inhibited IL-8 production in BEAS-2B cells and MCP-1 in both cell types. These results demonstrate that NNK and its reactive metabolites have immunosuppressive effects on respiratory epithelial cells, which could contribute to the increased respiratory infections observed in smokers and the development and/or the progression of lung cancer.
Phenotypic effects on survival of neonatal northern watersnakes Nerodia sipedon
Authors: KISSNER KELLEY J. , WEATHERHEAD PATRICK J. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Understanding the trade‐off females make between offspring size and number requires knowing how neonatal size, and traits associated with size, affect survival.
We studied neonatal survival in the northern watersnake Nerodia sipedon in outdoor enclosures with artificial hibernation sites.
From a total of 950 neonates from 77 litters collected over 3 years, we found a survival rate of 65% between birth and hibernation and 47% during hibernation. Estimated survival from birth to the end of hibernation was 31%, comparable with indirect estimates for free‐living watersnakes.
Consistent with the ‘bigger is better’ hypothesis, larger neonates and neonates heavier relative to their body length were more likely to survive both the pre‐hibernation and hibernation periods.
Survival in the pre‐hibernation period also decreased with the duration of that period and varied among years.
Survival during hibernation was higher in warmer winters. Mass change prior to hibernation did not affect survival during hibernation.
These results suggest that an optimal reproductive strategy should exist for female watersnakes, producing a ‘consensus’ among females on the optimal size for offspring. This expectation stands in stark contrast to the pronounced variation in offspring size observed both within and among litters.
Population dynamics of wetland fishes: spatio‐temporal patterns synchronized by hydrological disturbance?
Authors: RUETZ CARL R. , TREXLER JOEL C. , JORDAN FRANK , LOFTUS WILLIAM F. , PERRY SUE A. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Drought is a natural disturbance that can cause widespread mortality of aquatic organisms in wetlands. We hypothesized that seasonal drying of marsh surfaces (i.e. hydrological disturbance) shapes spatio‐temporal patterns of fish populations.
We tested whether population dynamics of fishes were synchronized by hydrological disturbance (Moran effect) or distance separating study sites (dispersal). Spatio‐temporal patterns were examined in local populations of five abundant species at 17 sites (sampled five times per year from 1996 to 2001) in a large oligotrophic wetland.
Fish densities differed significantly across spatio‐temporal scales for all species. For all species except eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), a significant portion of spatio‐temporal variation in density was attributed to drying events (used as a covariate).
We observed three patterns of response to hydrological disturbance. Densities of bluefin killifish (Lucania goodei), least killifish (Heterandria formosa), and golden topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus) were usually lowest after a dry down and recovered slowly. Eastern mosquitofish showed no distinct response to marsh drying (i.e. they recovered quickly). Flagfish (Jordanella floridae) density was often highest after a dry down and then declined. Population growth after a dry down was often asymptotic for bluefin killifish and golden topminnow, with greatest asymptotic density and longest time to recovery at sites that dried infrequently.
Fish population dynamics were synchronized by hydrological disturbance (independent of distance) and distance separating study sites (independent of hydrological disturbance). Our ability to separate the relative importance of the Moran effect from dispersal was strengthened by a weak association between hydrological synchrony and distance among study sites. Dispersal was the primary mechanism for synchronous population dynamics of flagfish, whereas hydrological disturbance was the primary mechanism for synchronous population dynamics of the other species examined.
Species varied in the relative role of the Moran effect and dispersal in homogenizing their population dynamics, probably as a function of life history and ability to exploit dry‐season refugia.
Multiple edge effects and their implications in fragmented landscapes
Authors: FLETCHER ROBERT J. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Habitat edges are thought to explain much of the negative effects arising from habitat fragmentation; however, progress has been limited in extrapolating edge effects to different situations because ecologists still do not understand if and how multiple edges interact within fragments. It also remains controversial whether edge effects govern patch‐size effects, such as area sensitivity, observed in many migratory songbirds.
I examined how multiple edges within fragments may intensify edge responses by investigating spatial distributions of an area‐sensitive songbird that breeds in temperate grasslands of North America, the bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus Linnaeus). I tested whether bobolinks avoid edges and whether avoidance is stronger near two edges (double‐edge plots) than near only one edge (single‐edge plots). I subsequently linked bobolink distributions to landscape maps that vary in the amount of habitat and degree of fragmentation to explore some potential implications of multiple edges on patch‐ and landscape‐level distributions.
Multiple edges appeared to influence the magnitude of observed edge effects, in which the probability of bobolink occurrence was four times lower in double‐edge plots and two times lower in single‐edge plots than in the interior of grasslands. Within single‐edge plots, the probability of occurrence increased with increasing distance from edge. Within double‐edge plots, the probability of occurrence increased as a function of the nearest and next‐nearest distances from edges. Multiple edges also appeared to increase the extent of edge effects, or distance of edge influence, which was estimated to be approximately 11–33% greater in double‐edge plots than in single‐edge plots, depending on the next‐nearest distance from edge.
Extrapolating local bird distributions to landscape models suggests that edge effects can have strong influences on large‐scale distributions and that models incorporating multiple edge effects are different to simple nearest‐edge models only in highly fragmented landscapes, regardless of landscape composition. Furthermore, edge effects can lead to patch‐size effects similar to empirical patterns of area sensitivity observed in this species. I conclude that edge effects can be intensified when multiple edges collide, a feature that permeates many fragmented landscapes.
Interactions between Steller's jays and yellow pine chipmunks over scatter‐hoarded sugar pine seeds
Authors: THAYER THEODORE C. , VANDER WALL STEPHEN B. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Douglas) seeds are dispersed by wind, but yellow pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus Allen) and Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri Gmelin) gather the seeds and scatter‐hoard them. Chipmunks and jays store seeds in a similar manner, and during cache recovery they appear to compete for stored seeds.
A series of aviary studies and radioactive seed studies in the field were used to examine how chipmunks and jays interact over stored seeds.
Aviary studies revealed that chipmunks use spatial memory and olfaction to find seeds, including those stored by conspecifics and jays, whereas jays use spatial memory and observational learning, so they usually find only the seeds that they have stored. Use of olfaction makes chipmunks much better pilferers than jays.
In the field, both chipmunks and jays have a recovery advantage (they retrieve their own caches 3·6 faster than do pilferers), and chipmunk caches disappear 3·4 faster than jay caches.
Steller's jays appear to avoid chipmunk pilferage by caching seeds in closed‐canopy pine forests with little shrub understorey where chipmunks seldom forage, whereas chipmunks cache under shrubs in forest openings. The risk of pilferage by chipmunks appears to force jays to cache in forests.
Competition between chipmunks and jays for stored seeds might have indirect effects on sugar pine seedling establishment because seedlings survive better when under shrubs.
Bond strengths of nine current dentine adhesive systems to primary and permanent teeth
Authors: COURSON F. , BOUTER D. , RUSE N. D. , DEGRANGE M. 
Published: March 2005

summary  The aim of this study was to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of nine dentine bonding systems (DBS) of different classes to human primary and permanent dentine. Flat dentine occlusal surfaces were produced on human molars (100 primary, 100 permanent) by wet grinding on a 800‐grit SiC paper. Nine DBS were applied following the manufacturers’ instructions:• One total etch multi‐step system: Scotchbond Multipurpose Plus (3M/ESPE);• Four total etch one‐bottle system: Prime &Bond 2·1 (Dentsply), One Step (Bisco), Scotchbond 1 (3M/ESPE), and OptibondSolo Plus (Kerr);• Three two‐step self‐etching primer systems: Clearfil Liner Bond 2 (Kuraray), Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray), and Prime &Bond NT with NRC (Dentsply);• An ‘all‐in‐one’ self‐etching system: Prompt L‐Pop (3M/ESPE).Composite (Z100; 3M/ESPE) cylinders (2 mm diameter, 3 mm high) were polymerized on the treated dentine surfaces and the specimens were stored at 37 °C for 24 h prior to testing. Twenty experimental groups were produced and tested. Statistical analysis revealed both a substrate and a bonding system effect. Two adhesive systems (One Step, Prime &Bond NT) had significantly higher bond strengths on permanent than on primary dentine. There was an effect of dentine bonding system on the mode of fracture. Although eight of the 10 DBS tested exhibited higher median SBS values on permanent dentine than on primary dentine, the dependent pairwise comparison identified a significant difference only for two groups. The use of simplified bonding systems does not necessarily result in improved bond strength to primary or to permanent dentine.
Infective endocarditis following orthotopic heart transplantation: 10 cases and a review of the literature
Authors: Sherman‐Weber S. , Axelrod P. , Suh B. , Rubin S. , Beltramo D. , Manacchio J. , Furukawa S. , Weber T. , Eisen H. , Samuel R. 
Published: March 2005

Abstract: Background: Infective endocarditis is a known complication of cardiac transplantation. However, published information has been limited to case reports and small case series.Methods. Cardiac transplantation has been performed at Temple University Hospital since 1983. We identified transplant patients with ICD‐9 codes for endocarditis or bacteremia. A diagnosis of endocarditis required fulfillment of the Duke criteria and presence of a vegetation. Clinical and microbiologic data were collected. Demographic and survival information were compared with heart transplant recipients without endocarditis. We reviewed all previously published cases using a MEDLINE search.Results. Ten of 659 heart transplant recipients had endocarditis (1.5%, 187 cases per 100,000 person years). Mitral and tricuspid valves were involved predominantly. No patient had aortic valve infection. Patients with tricuspid valve infection had a greater median number of endomyocardial biopsies (n=23) than those with mitral valve infection (n=9, P=0.10). The major pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (4 cases) and Aspergillus fumigatus (3 cases). Factors associated with S. aureus infection were new hemodialysis catheters, cellulitis, and a contaminated donor organ. All patients with A. fumigatus had antecedent cytomegalovirus viremia and disseminated fungal infection, including endophthalmitis. Endocarditis‐related mortality was 80%. Median survival after transplant was 1.4 years in patients with endocarditis, compared with 9.3 years in other heart transplant recipients (P<0.001).Conclusions. Endocarditis is substantially more common in heart transplant recipients than in general populations. Frequent central venous catheter access and multiple endomyocardial biopsies appear to predispose to infection. Aspergillus is a common pathogen and endocarditis follows infection elsewhere. The prognosis of post‐cardiac transplant endocarditis is poor.
Developmental abnormalities in striatum in young bipolar patients: a preliminary study
Authors: Sanches Marsal , Roberts Roxsann L , Sassi Roberto B , Axelson David , Nicoletti Mark , Brambilla Paolo , Hatch John P , Keshavan Matcheri S , Ryan Neal D , Birmaher Boris , Soares Jair C 
Published: March 2005

Objectives:  Anatomical abnormalities in the basal ganglia of adult mood disorder patients have been reported. To investigate whether these abnormalities are present early in illness course, we compared the volume of striatal structures in young bipolar patients and healthy controls.Methods:  Brain magnetic resonance images of 15 children and adolescents who met DSM‐IV criteria for bipolar disorders and 21 healthy controls were obtained. Measurements were performed manually, by trained evaluators, who were blind to subjects’ diagnosis. The volumes of caudate and putamen were compared in patients and controls.Results:  The volumes of striatal structures were not significantly different in patients and controls (ANCOVA, p > 0.05). However, we found a significant inverse relationship between age and the volumes of left caudate (r = −0.72, p < 0.01), right caudate (r = −0.66, p = 0.02) and left putamen (r = −0.71, p = 0.01) in bipolar patients, not present in healthy controls.Conclusions:  Abnormalities in striatal development may be involved in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Acute treatment outcomes in patients with bipolar I disorder and co‐morbid borderline personality disorder receiving medication and psychotherapy
Authors: Swartz Holly A , Pilkonis Paul A , Frank Ellen , Proietti Joseph M , Scott John 
Published: March 2005

Objective:  Patients suffering from both bipolar I disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) pose unique treatment challenges. The purpose of this matched case–control study was to compare acute treatment outcomes of a sample of patients who met standardized diagnostic criteria for both bipolar I disorder and BPD (n = 12) to those who met criteria for bipolar I disorder only (n = 58).Method:  Subjects meeting criteria for an acute affective episode were treated with a combination of algorithm‐driven pharmacotherapy and weekly psychotherapy until stabilization (defined as four consecutive weeks with a calculated average of the 17‐item version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Bech‐Rafaelsen Mania scale totaling ≤7).Results:  Only three of 12 (25%) bipolar‐BPD patients achieved stabilization, compared with 43 of 58 (74%) bipolar‐only patients. Two of the three bipolar‐BPD patients who did stabilize took over 95 weeks to do so, compared with a median time‐to‐stabilization of 35 weeks in the bipolar‐only group. The bipolar‐BPD group received significantly more atypical mood‐stabilizing medications per year than the bipolar‐only group (Z = 4.3, p < 0.0001). Dropout rates in the comorbid group were high.Conclusions:  This quasi‐experimental study suggests that treatment course may be longer in patients suffering from both bipolar I disorder and BPD. Some patients improved substantially with pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, suggesting that this approach is worthy of further investigation.
Expression of mitochondria‐related genes in lymphoblastoid cells from patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Washizuka Shinsuke , Kakiuchi Chihiro , Mori Kanako , Tajima Osamu , Akiyama Tsuyoshi , Kato Tadafumi 
Published: March 2005

Objectives:  Several studies have suggested mitochondrial abnormality in bipolar disorder. We reported the association of mitochondrial complex I subunit gene, NDUFV2 at 18p11, with bipolar disorder. A decrease in the mRNA expression of this gene was found in patients with bipolar disorder compared with controls. However, it was unclear whether only the NDUFV2 gene exhibited the decreased expression level in bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of other nuclear‐encoded complex I subunit genes and mitochondria‐related genes with bipolar disorder.Methods:  We quantified the mRNA expression level of five nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial complex I subunit genes located at the chromosomal regions linked with bipolar disorder other than NDUFV2, three complex IV subunit genes, and four mitochondrial transcription‐related genes using a real‐time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method in the lymphoblastoid cell lines from 21 patients with bipolar disorder and 11 controls.Results:  Decreased mRNA expression in patients with bipolar I disorder compared with control subjects was found in most of the complex I subunit genes. In addition, decreased expression levels of these genes correlated with that of NDUFV2. No statistically significant alterations of mRNA expression levels were found between bipolar patients and controls among two of three complex IV subunit genes and all transcription‐related genes.Conclusions:  Our study suggests that the decreased expression of NDUFV2 has a considerable effect on other subunit genes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and presents further evidence of the biological significance of NDUFV2 in bipolar disorder.