bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pattern of drug utilization among hypertensives in a Nigerian teaching hospital
Authors: Yusuff K. B. , Balogun O. B. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractPurposeTo describe the drug utilization pattern among hypertensive patients in a tertiary care setting, assess the short‐term outcome of anti‐hypertensive drugs usage and identify points for future intervention to improve outcomes.MethodsA cross sectional retrospective drug use review was conducted between 1st June and 31st August 2002 on randomly selected 200 case notes of hypertensive patients at a tertiary care facility in South‐Western Nigeria.ResultsDiuretics were the most frequently prescribed anti‐hypertensive class (39.4%), followed by centrally acting agents (23.3%), calcium channel blockers (21%), angiotensine converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (8.6%) and beta blockers (1.9%). Aspirin was the most frequently prescribed adjoining non‐anti‐hypertensive drugs (39.7%), followed by anxiolytics (23.6%), other non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (14.8%), metformin (6.7%), glibenclamide (5.9%), paracetamol (5.9%) and Mist. Magnesium Trisilicate (3.3%). All patients made out‐of‐pocket payments for their prescribed anti‐hypertensive drugs at the study site. Blood pressure control was adequate in only 33.9% of patients. There was no significant difference in blood pressure control between male and female hypertensives ( p > 0.05). Anti‐hypertensive drugs were changed at least once in 44% of patients and blood pressure control was significantly better in patients with at least one change ( p < 0.05). Adherence with drug therapy was documented as adequate in 82.5% of patient. Diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (39.6%) and osteoarthritis (22.9%) were the most frequent co‐morbidities. Potential harmful drug interactions were identified in 3.8% (49) of patients.ConclusionsDiuretics and centrally acting agents were the most frequently prescribed anti‐hypertensive drugs in a tertiary care setting in Nigeria. Physicians' prescribing decisions appear significantly influenced by cost consideration. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drug related falls: a study in the French Pharmacovigilance database
Authors: Souchet Emmanuelle , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse , Montastruc Jean‐Louis 
Published: November 2004

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the risk of falls associated with drugs among the French population using data reported to the French spontaneous reporting system and recorded in the French Pharmacovigilance database.MethodsAll cases including a fall were searched in the French Pharmacovigilance database between 1995 and 1999. Drugs involved and characteristics of patients were investigated. In a second step, we estimated the risk associated with psychotropic and cardiovascular drugs in a case/non case comparison, where cases were reports including a fall and non cases all other reports. This risk was estimated by calculation of crude and age and gender adjusted reporting odds ratios (ROR).ResultsDuring this period, 328 reports including a fall were reported (0.4% of the database). Patients were female in 70%. Mean age was 76 ± 18 years. Comparisons between cases and non cases showed that cases were more likely to be women (OR: 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.5–2.4]) and older. After adjustment on age and gender, falls remained significantly associated with exposure to benzodiazepines (4.7 [3.7–5.9]), imipraminic antidepressants (3.6 [2.5–5.1]), serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants (2.2 [1.5–3.1]) or nitrates (1.9 [1.2–2.8]).ConclusionThis study confirms that taking psychotropic drugs strongly increases the risk of falls. The role of cardiovascular drugs (except nitrates) remains not significant when confounding factors are taken into account. According to the very high prevalence of psychotropic drug use in the French elderly, further study are needed to investigate the relative effect of some drugs on falls, like for example SRIs or short acting benzodiazepines. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preoperative pulmonary hemodynamics determines changes in airway and tissue mechanics following surgical repair of congenital heart diseases
Authors: Habre W. , Schütz N. , Pellegrini M. , Beghetti M. , Sly P.D. , Hantos Z. , Peták F. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractTo characterize the effect of changes in pulmonary hemodynamics on airway and tissue mechanics, forced oscillatory input impedance of the respiratory system (Zrs) was measured between 0.4–12 Hz in two groups of children undergoing surgical repair of congenital heart disease (CHD) immediately before sternotomy and after chest closure during short apneic intervals. Children with lesions associated with high pulmonary blood flow and/or pressure (septal defects; HP group, n = 12) and children with hypoperfused lungs (tetralogy of Fallot; LP group, n = 12) were included in the study. Airway resistance (Raw), and coefficients of respiratory tissue damping (G) and elastance (H), were estimated from Zrs by model‐fitting. A postoperative reduction in pulmonary blood flow and/or pressure in the HP group resulted in an immediate decrease in Raw of 29 ± 9 (SE)% (P < 0.05), whereas children in the LP group had increases in Raw (24 ± 17%, no significance) after surgery. No significant change was observed in G in either the HP (6.4 ± 13%) or LP (27 ± 23%) group, while H increased in children of both the HP (23 ± 8%, P < 0.05) and LP (36 ± 7%, P < 0.01) groups. These results suggest that the preoperative pulmonary hemodynamic condition determines changes in airway mechanics: surgical repair of CHD leads to an improvement in airway function only in children with congested lungs. The adverse effects of surgery, mechanical ventilation, and/or cardiopulmonary bypass may be responsible for the increased stiffness of the respiratory system observed in both groups of children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 38:470–476. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Critical behavior of vortices in epitaxial Tl‐2201 films at zero external field
Authors: Chen H. Q. , Johansson L.‐G. , Ivanov Z. G. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe resistive transition and current–voltage characteristics of a Tl‐2201 superconducting microbridge are measured close to the critical temperature in zero external magnetic field. The dissipation mechanism is studied by analyzing dV/dI and power dissipation P(= IV) as functions of transport current. The Jc–T curves exhibit three distinct types of behavior depending on temperature. In the low temperature regime, the critical current density is proportional to (1 – T/Tc). At intermediate temperatures, thermally activated flux creep dominates and Jc is proportional to 1 – n(T/Tc) – m(T/Tc)2. In the high temperature regime, Jc is equal to the G–L depairing current. The depinning current, Jc1, is determined, taking into account thermally activated flux motion and flux motion induced by the transport current. Jc1 depends linearly on temperature and vanishes at 82 K, Jc1 = Jc1(0) (1 – T/Tc1). (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Magnetoresistance of sol–gel derived manganite nanoparticles
Authors: Karmakar Shilpi , Taran S. , Chaudhuri B. K. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractWe report the thermal variation of magnetoresistance of sol–gel derived nanocrystalline manganite samples (viz. La0.5Pb0.5MnO3–δ, La0.7Sr0.3MnO3–δ and La0.7Pb0.3MnO3–δ) showing little lower metal‐insulator transition temperature (Tp) compared to those prepared by ceramic heating route. This is considered to be due to the grain boundaries and smaller grain size (15–20 nm) of the sol–gel derived samples. A maximum magnetoresistance (MR) of 13–17% at 0.5 T–1.15 T magnetic field was observed. The transport behavior in the low temperature metallic regime is primarily contributed by the electron‐magnon scattering mechanism. The semiconducting property above TP followed Mott's variable‐range hopping mechanism at lower T and small polaron hopping mechanism at higher T. Unlike MR of many large grain samples, the MR vs. temperature curve of the present nano‐grain samples did not show any peak and the corresponding MR data fitted well with an expression of the form MR = A + B/(1+ (T/T*)n), where A and B are constants, T* is a characteristic temperature of the system and n is a measure of the strength of competition between the intrinsic (arising from spin dependent part within the grain) and the extrinsic (due to spin polarized tunneling between the grain boundaries) MR components. For n = 1, the system follows spin polarized tunneling. Many other nanograin samples were found also to follow this relation. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of a liquid pressure‐transmitting medium on the high pressure behavior of open‐ and closed‐end single‐walled carbon nanotubes and of C60‐peapods
Authors: Kawasaki S. , Matsuoka Y. , Yokomae T. , Nojima Y. , Okino F. , Touhara H. , Kataura H. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractIn situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction measurements of three types of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) (open‐ and closed‐end, and C60‐peapod samples) under high pressure using a cubic anvil press with a liquid‐pressure‐transmitting‐medium (LPTM) were carried out. Comparing with a previous experiment using a solid‐pressure‐transmitting‐medium, it was found that the high pressure behavior of SWNT bundles is much affected by the LPTM. In order to investigate the dependence of the LPTM effect on the tube‐end structure, in situ Raman scattering measurements were also performed. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Analysis of size distributions of type II ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dots
Authors: Lee Johnson , Yang Chu Shou , Chang Chun Tai , Liu Jerron , Chou Wu Ching , Lai Chih Ming , Jan Gwo Jen , Huang Yin Sheng 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dot (QD) structure which has a type II band alignment was investigated. A broader structure peaking at 2.180 eV together with the features of the ZnSe buffer layer located at 2.820 eV in the PL spectrum at 10 K were observed. The broadness of the PL attributes to the spatial inhomogeneity of the QD sizes. The PL spectrum was a normal distribution with a variance of 0.002 eV2. However, the dot size distribution was a deformed Gaussian. Using only one set of data of dot size distribution measured by the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), the statistical estimates with standard errors were evaluated using the bootstrap methodology. The probability distribution was inferred by calculating the means, percentiles and correlation coefficients of the base diameter and the height of the QDs. We concluded that the dot distributions were indeed a deformed Gaussian and the correlation coefficient of the diameter and the height of the QDs was 0.49 ± 0.01. The uniformity of the dot size distribution was poor. To infer the dot size distribution from the PL spectrum, we numerically solved the Schrödinger equation by elaborating on the orthogonal periodic functions (OPF) approximation for the type II lens shaped QDs. The convergence of the probability density was discussed in a great detail. We found that the band edge discontinuities inside the dot acts as a barrier with ΔEc = 315 meV for the conduction band and as a well with ΔEv = 735 meV for the valence band. In the AFM measurement, the offset in dot height is 14 Å and the aspect ratio is 0.04. We employed the Schrödinger equation to correlated the PL spectrum (intensity versus optical energy) to the AFM data (number of QDs versus dot size) and the agreement was excellent. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Model of the physical properties of halides with complete graph‐based indices
Authors: Pogliani Lionello 
Published: November 2004

AbstractComplete graph‐based molecular connectivity indices are used to model different theoretical and experimental properties of a class of 20 alkali halides, as well as a theoretical quantum property of a class of fluorides and chlorides. The experimental properties are the lattice enthalpy, the binding enthalpy, and the polarizability in three different media of the alkali halides. The experimental lattice and binding enthalpy are used as training set to evaluate the other sets of theoretical energies, with which the two enthalpies have, finally, been “reconstructed.” The theoretical energies are Coulomb energy, polarization energy, van der Waals energy, repulsion energy, and zero‐point energy. The lattice enthalpy descriptors are rather good descriptors of its constituent energies: Coulomb, van der Waals, repulsion, and zero‐point. The descriptors of the binding enthalpies, instead, fail to model some of its constituent energies: Coulomb, polarization, van der Waals, and repulsion energies. All types of energies are described by basis molecular connectivity indices based on odd complete graph algorithms, which allow an optimal description of the “reconstructed” calculated enthalpies. A common description of the experimental lattice and binding enthalpies with a descriptor trained on the binding enthalpies alone has also been possible. The model of three sets of polarization values of the metal halides with a descriptor trained with one set of polarization values compares positively with a previous study on the polarization of organic compounds. The model of this property requires molecular connectivity basis indices based on a sequential complete graph algorithm. The model of the quantum theoretical property, the electron density at the bond critical point of a class of fluorides and chlorides, allows an interesting comparison with density functional theory calculations. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005
A liquid‐phase microextraction method, combining a dual gauge microsyringe with a hollow fiber membrane, for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in aqueous solution by gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry
Authors: Yan Chih‐Hao , Wu Hui‐Fen 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA liquid‐phase microextraction (LPME) method has been demonstrated for the extraction and determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in aqueous solution. The method combines a dual gauge microsyringe with a hollow fiber membrane (LPME/DGM‐HF) followed by detection by gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS). The advantages include speed, low solvent and sample consumption, simplicity and ease of use. The extraction time, solvent selection, salt concentration and sample stirring rate have been investigated in order to optimize extraction efficiency. The viability is evaluated by measuring the linearity and detection limit of the five OCPs in aqueous solution. Detection linearity for the OCPs has been achieved over a range of concentrations between 1 and 500 μg/L (r2 > 0.930), with a detection limit of 0.1 μg/L for each OCP. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of Chiral Mesoporous Materials by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Ohsuna Tetsu , Liu Zheng , Che Shunai , Terasaki Osamu 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBy using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the chirality of novel mesoporous materials has been studied. In addition, a computer simulation that uses a simple structural model was employed. The existence of chiral channels inside a tubelike material was confirmed by the observation of fringes along the length of the tubes. The chiral pitch of the channels was measured from the intermittent period, the chirality (right‐ or left‐handed) was determined from the tilt direction of a tube compared with the direction of incident electrons and the curvature direction of the curved intermitted fringes as viewed in the TEM images.
Comparative study of microcystin‐LR‐induced behavioral changes of two fish species, Danio rerio and Leucaspius delineatus
Authors: Baganz Daniela , Staaks Georg , Pflugmacher Stephan , Steinberg Christian E. W. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe spontaneous locomotor behavior separated into day/night activity phases of two fish species Danio rerio and Leucaspius delineatus was recorded and quantified continuously under sublethal long‐term exposure to microcystin‐LR in tanks. Microcystin‐LR was applied in concentrations of 0.5, 5, 15, and 50 μg L−1. By using an automated video‐monitoring and object‐tracing system, the average motility (swimming velocity) and the average number of turns were assessed. Clear dose‐dependent effects of microcystin‐LR on the behavior of both test fish were measured. During the daytime, the motility of Danio rerio as well as Leucaspius delineatus increased significantly by exposure to the lowest concentrations, whereas higher concentrations led to significantly decreased motility. Influenced by microcystin‐LR, the swimming time of Leucaspius delineatus reversed, going from a prominently diurnal activity to a nocturnal one; Danio rerio remained active during the daytime. Most of the relative changes in the behavioral patterns of Danio rerio and Leucaspius delineatus suggest these fish have comparable susceptibility to microcystin‐LR and may indicate some adverse consequences for fish populations, for example, in connection with reproduction and predator–prey interactions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 564–570, 2004.
Cytometric analysis of adverse action of diphenyl ditelluride on rat thymocytes: Cell shrinkage as a cytotoxic parameter
Authors: Iwase Kyoko , Tatsuishi Tomoko , Nishimura Yumiko , Yamaguchi Jun‐ya , Oyama Yasuo , Miyoshi Norikazu , Wada Makoto 
Published: November 2004

AbstractDespite the growing use of organotellurium compounds in the chemical and biomedical fields, there has been no great concern about their toxicity until now. To test the possibility that diphenyl ditelluride (DPDT) and tellurium chloride (TeCl2), organic and inorganic tellurium compounds, may exert adverse action on mammals, their effects on rat thymocytes were examined under in vitro conditions using a flow cytometer with fluorescent probes. Incubation of thymocytes with DPDT at 300 nM or more for 24 h significantly increased the populations of shrunken cells and of cells with hypodiploidal DNA. Z‐VAD‐FMK, a paninhibitor of caspases, greatly suppressed the DPDT‐induced increase in the hypodiploidal cell population, suggesting the involvement of caspase activation in DPDT toxicity. Hence, it is possible that DPDT would increase the population of thymocytes undergoing apoptosis if the blood concentration in mammals reached at least 300 nM or more. TeCl2 was much less potent than DPDT in increasing the population of hypodiploidal cells. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 614–619, 2004.
LOW TEMPERATURE MODELS OF METAL OXIDE SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD-EFFECT TRANSISTORS
Authors: GILDENBLAT G. , FOTY D. 
Published: November 2004

We review the modeling of silicon MOS devices in the 10–300 K temperature range with an emphasis on the specifics of low-temperature operation. Recently developed one-dimensional models of long-channel transistors are discussed in connection with experimental determination and verification of the effective channel mobility in a wide temperature range. We also present analytical pseudo-two-dimensional models of short-channel devices which have been proposed for potential use in circuit simulators. Several one-, two-, and three-dimensional numerical models are discussed in order to gain insight into the more subtle details of the low-temperature device physics of MOS transistors and capacitors. Particular attention is paid to freezeout effects which, depending on the device design and the ambient temperature range, may or may not be important for actual device operation. The numerical models are applied to study the characteristic time scale of freezeout transients in the space-charge regions of silicon devices, to the analysis and suppression of delayed turn-off in MOS transistors with compensated channel, and to the temperature dependence of three-dimensional effects in short-channel, narrow-channel MOSFETs.
Prestimulus Oscillations Enhance Psychophysical Performance in Humans
Authors: Linkenkaer-Hansen Klaus , Nikulin Vadim V. , Palva Satu , Ilmoniemi Risto J. , Palva J. Matias 
Published: November 2004

The presence of various ongoing oscillations in the brain is correlated with behavioral states such as restful wakefulness or drowsiness. However, even when subjects aim to maintain a high level of vigilance, ongoing oscillations exhibit large amplitude variability on time scales of hundreds of milliseconds to seconds, suggesting that the functional state of local cortical networks is continuously changing. How this volatility of ongoing oscillations influences the perception of sensory stimuli has remained essentially unknown.We investigated the relationship between prestimulus neuronal oscillations and the subjects' ability to consciously perceive and react to somatosensory stimuli near the threshold of detection. We show that, for prestimulus oscillations at ∼10, 20, and 40 Hz detected over the sensorimotor cortex, intermediate amplitudes were associated with the highest probability of conscious detection and the shortest reaction times. In contrast, for 10 and 20 Hz prestimulus oscillations detected over the parietal region, the largest amplitudes were associated with the best performance.Our data indicate that the prestimulus oscillatory activity detected over sensorimotor and parietal cortices has a profound effect on the processing of weak stimuli. Furthermore, the results suggest that ongoing oscillations in sensory cortices may optimize the processing of sensory stimuli with the same mechanism as noise sources in intrinsic stochastic resonance.
Leprosy and tuberculosis in Iron Age Southeast Asia?
Authors: Tayles N. , Buckley H.R. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe recent excavation of a sample of 120 human skeletons from an Iron Age site in the valley of the Mun River, a tributary of the Mekong River on the Khorat Plateau in northeast Thailand, has provided the largest sample from this period in the region to date. This paper reviews three individuals from the sample with pathological changes for which the differential diagnosis includes systemic infectious disease. In two of these, both males with lesions of the hands and feet, leprosy and psoriatic arthritis are discussed as differential diagnoses, with leprosy the most probable. In the third, a female with lesions of the spine, the differential diagnosis includes tuberculosis and nonspecific osteomyelitis. Tuberculosis is the most probable diagnosis. Although the focus of this paper is a presentation of the evidence for infectious disease at Noen U‐Loke, the significance of probable diagnoses of mycobacterial diseases for the history of the diseases and for prehistory in mainland Southeast Asia is also briefly discussed. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Understanding muscle markers: Lower limbs
Authors: Weiss Elizabeth 
Published: November 2004

AbstractMusculoskeletal markers are frequently used to reconstruct past lifestyles and activity patterns. Yet the reliability of muscle marker measurements has been called into question because they may be confounded by body size. In this study, an aggregate muscle marker variable was calculated using 20 insertion sites (14 femoral, 6 tibial), and I examined their effects on lower limb size (as a proxy for body size), age, and sex. Analyses were made of a sample of 77 (57 males, 20 females) Native British Columbians (3,500–1,500 years BP) and 18th century Quebec prisoners. Muscle markers were measured using two‐point observer rating scales; size was measured by standard methods; and age and sex were determined through pelvic, cranial, and dental morphology. Lower limb muscle markers correlated with: age, r = 0.61; lower limb size, r = 0.52; and sex, r = 0.49; P < 0.001. Older individuals had higher muscle marker scores, as did larger individuals and males. Based on partial correlations and regression analyses, age was the best overall predictor of lower limb muscle markers. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.