bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts: A prospective study
Authors: D'Egidio Angelo , Schein Moshe 
Published: August 2005

AbstractWe classify pancreatic pseudocysts in 3 types: post‐necrotic type I, related to acute pancreatitis; post‐necrotic type II, related to an acute attack superimposed on chronic pancreatitis; and retention type III, due to chronic pancreatitis with ductal stricture. A prospective study on percutaneous catheter drainage of post‐necrotic pseudocysts (type I and II) was undertaken from 1987 to 1990. Twenty‐three pseudocysts in 21 patients were drained. Overall recurrence rate was 4%; 2 patients had fistulization of the catheter into bowel; no deaths occurred. The procedure was successful in all type I cysts; in type II cysts it was associated with prolonged drainage and increased risk of complications when cyst‐duct communication was present. Percutaneous drainage has no role to play in type III retention cysts. Guidelines regarding indications for treatment and the techniques employed are described.
Almost ASAP semantics: from timed models to timed implementations
Authors: Wulf Martin De , Doyen Laurent , Raskin Jean-François 
Published: August 2005

AbstractIn this paper, we introduce a parametric semantics for timed controllers called theAlmostASAP (as soon as possible) semantics. This semantics is a relaxation of the usual ASAP semantics (also called themaximal progress semantics) which is a mathematical idealization that cannot be implemented by any physical device no matter how fast it is. On the contrary, any correct Almost ASAP controller can be implemented by a program on a hardware if this hardware is fast enough. We study the properties of this semantics and show how it can be analyzed using the tool HyTech.
Decreased sensitivity to experimental pain in adjustment disorder
Authors: Bär Karl‐Jürgen , Brehm Stanislaw , Boettger Michael Karl , Wagner Gerd , Boettger Silke , Sauer Heinrich 
Published: August 2005

AbstractAn altered perception of pain has been described for several psychiatric disorders. To date the influence of adjustment disorders (AD) on pain perception has not been described.Here, we investigated perception of experimentally induced pain in 15 patients suffering from AD (subtype with depressive symptoms) and controls matched for age and sex. Thresholds and tolerances were assessed for thermal and electrical pain on both sides of the body.We found an overall increase of pain thresholds and tolerances in AD patients as compared to controls, predominately on the right side of the body. Analogue findings have been reported for pain perception in major depressive disorder (MDD). Of the data obtained, only thermal pain threshold on the right arm correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms.Although the underlying pathology is elusive it is likely that the mechanisms for reduced pain sensitivity are comparable in MDD and AD.
Influence of the C161T but not Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐gamma on colorectal cancer in an Indian population
Authors: Jiang Jing , Gajalakshmi Vendhan , Wang Jingweng , Kuriki Kiyonori , Suzuki Sadao , Nakamura Seiichi , Akasaka Susumu , Ishikawa Hideki , Tokudome Shinkan 
Published: August 2005

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between Pro12Ala and C161T polymorphisms in the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐gamma (PPAR‐γ) gene and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. We recruited 301 newly diagnosed CRC patients and 291 healthy control subjects at the Madras Cancer Institute in Chennai, India, from 1999 to 2001. Genotypes of the Pro12Ala and C161T polymorphisms were determined using the PCR‐RFLP method. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking habit, family history and family income, an increased risk of CRC was observed for the C/T + T/T genotype compared to the C/C genotype of the C161T polymorphism (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–2.36), whereas no significant association was found for Pro12Ala (odds ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 0.70–1.61). Analysis with estimated haplotypes showed a significant difference in haplotype frequencies between cases and controls (χ2 = 11.62, P = 0.009, d.f. = 3). The relationship between the two polymorphisms and CRC risk was not significantly modified by dietary intake of fish. Although the biological mechanisms of the observed association remain to be elucidated, our findings suggest that the C161T polymorphism of the PPAR‐γ gene is related to risk of CRC. Further research is needed to investigate functional implications of polymorphisms of the PPAR‐γ gene in CRC development. (Cancer Sci 2005; 96: 507 –512)
Breast cancer resistance protein: Molecular target for anticancer drug resistance and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
Authors: Sugimoto Yoshikazu , Tsukahara Satomi , Ishikawa Etsuko , Mitsuhashi Junko 
Published: August 2005

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a half‐molecule ATP‐binding cassette transporter that forms a functional homodimer and pumps out various anticancer agents, such as 7‐ethyl‐10‐hydroxycamptothecin, topotecan, mitoxantrone and flavopiridol, from cells. Estrogens, such as estrone and 17β‐estradiol, have been found to restore drug sensitivity levels in BCRP‐transduced cells by increasing the cellular accumulation of such agents. Furthermore, synthetic estrogens, tamoxifen derivatives and phytoestrogens/flavonoids have now been identified that can effectively circumvent BCRP‐mediated drug resistance. Transcellular transport experiments have shown that BCRP transports sulfated estrogens and various sulfated steroidal compounds, but not free estrogens. The kinase inhibitor gefitinib inhibited the transporter function of BCRP and reversed BCRP‐mediated drug resistance both in vitro and in vivo. BCRP‐transduced human epidermoid carcinoma A431 (A431/BCRP) and BCRP‐transduced human non‐small cell lung cancer PC‐9 (PC‐9/BCRP) cells showed gefitinib resistance. Physiological concentrations of estrogens (10–100 pM) reduced BCRP protein expression without affecting its mRNA levels. Two functional polymorphisms of the BCRP gene have been identified. The C376T (Q126Stop) polymorphism has a dramatic phenotype as active BCRP protein cannot be expressed from a C376T allele. The C421A (Q141K) polymorphism is also significant as Q141K‐BCRP‐transfected cells show markedly low protein expression levels and low‐level drug resistance. Hence, individuals with C376T or C421A polymorphisms may express low levels of BCRP or none at all, resulting in hypersensitivity of normal cells to BCRP‐substrate anticancer agents. In summary, both modulators of BCRP and functional single nucleotide polymorphisms within the BCRP gene affect the transporter function of the protein and thus can modulate drug sensitivity and substrate pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in affected cells and individuals. (Cancer Sci 2005; 96: 457–465)
Interferon‐α suppresses liver cell proliferation in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Donato M. F. , Degott C. , Arosio E. , Martinot M. , Monti V. , Morabito A. , Marcellin P. , Colombo M. 
Published: August 2005

Summary.  Interferon (IFN) therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C, including virological nonresponders (NR). Whether IFN suppresses liver cell proliferation, i.e. the relevant risk factor for HCC, is unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of IFN therapy on liver cell proliferation in chronic hepatitis C.The proliferating cell nuclear antigen‐labelling index (PCNA‐LI) was assessed prior to and at the end of therapy in the liver of 29 patients with chronic hepatitis C who received 3 MU IFN‐α2b thrice weekly for 24–48 weeks.Overall, the median value of PCNA‐LI was significantly reduced from 2.6% to 1.1% at the end of therapy (P < 0.0001). At baseline, PCNA‐LI median values were similar in the 15 virological responders compared with the 14 NRs (2.3%vs 3.4%, P = 0.121) and at the end of therapy, median changes of PCNA‐LI (−1.4%vs−1.1%, P = 0.089) were also similar although there was a higher decline of the proliferation index in responders with respect to NRs at the end of therapy (0.7%vs 1.6%, P = 0.004). In the two groups, the rate of fibrosis score reduction was also similar (7%vs 20%, P = 0.326). In contrast, the histological activity index was more often reduced in responders than in NRs both at the ≥2 and ≥4 points reduction level (80%vs 36%, P = 0.02 and 53%vs 14%, P = 0.03, respectively).The study showed a significant suppression of liver cell proliferation in IFN‐treated patients with chronic hepatitis C. Although the strongest IFN effect was observed in virological responders, a reduction of proliferative activity was also seen in virological NRs.
Occupational therapy in acute hospitals: The effectiveness of a pilot program to maintain occupational performance in older clients
Authors: Eyres Lisa , Unsworth Carolyn A. 
Published: August 2005

Background:  Research evidence suggests that during acute hospitalisation, older people may experience reduced occupational performance, reduced quality of life, and an increased length of hospital stay. The aim of this study was to pilot a randomised controlled trial to determine whether an additional occupational therapy program could assist older adults to maintain their occupational performance. Methods and Results:  A pilot study evaluated 15 clients on admission to and discharge from an acute hospital, using measures of level of independence in performing daily activities, quality of life, and confidence. Participants were randomly allocated to either the control group (those receiving current allied health management) or the experimental group (those receiving an additional program, which included daily self‐care, domestic and community activities). Although the differences between the groups on admission and discharge measures only approached statistical significance, several benefits of the program were noted by clinicians and clients, and are highlighted through the presentation of client case studies. Conclusion:  This pilot has highlighted the need for future research on deconditioning, the timing and nature of occupational therapy interventions, and environmental and cultural influences in acute care for older people.
Different regional dynamics of end‐stage renal disease in Japan by different causes
Authors: KATO NOBUO , USAMI TAKESHI , FUKUDA MICHIO , MOTOKAWA MASAHIRO , KAMIYA YOSHINOBU , YOSHIDA ATSUHIRO , KIMURA GENJIRO 
Published: August 2005

SUMMARY:Background:  We recently showed that there were clear regional differences in the dynamics of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) within Japan, which has an ethnically homogenous population. We speculate on the reason for these regional differences by correlating the regional distributions in the incidence of ESRD due to each of the following individual causes of ESRD: chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN), diabetic nephropathy (DMN) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD).Methods:  The number of ESRD patients entering maintenance dialysis therapy due to individual causes of renal disease in each prefecture was reported annually for a 6‐year period by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy. After combining data from several prefectures into 11 geopolitical regions in Japan, the mean annual incidence of ESRD across the 11 regions was correlated among the three causes of ESRD.Results  There were significant regional differences in the incidence of ESRD due to CGN (P < 0.0001) and DMN (P = 0.0015), the distributions of which were similar to each other across the 11 regions. In contrast, no regional differences were found in the incidence of ESRD due to PKD (P = 0.6) as the major genetic disorder of the kidneys, suggesting that genetic backgrounds are relatively uniform throughout Japan. The regional distributions due to PKD were not correlated with those due to other causes: CGN and DMN.Conclusion:  Risk factors common to nephropathy progression, rather than an underlying disease incidence and genetic predisposition, might contribute to regional differences in the overall ESRD incidence in Japan. Other possibilities such as the prevalence of underlying diseases, and acceptance or rejection rates into treatment programmes must be considered further for better explanations.
Renal ultrasound findings in an Australian Aboriginal population with high rates of renal disease
Authors: SINGH GURMEET R , WHITE ANDREW V , HOY WENDY E 
Published: August 2005

SUMMARY:Background:  Rates of albuminuria and haematuria are extremely high with haematuria prevalence as high as 30–50% in adults of some Aboriginal groups. Dipstick testing of urine is routinely carried out in Aboriginal communities and as part of school screening programmes. Evaluation of the many affected individuals has traditionally included renal ultrasound examination, which involves considerable expense and logistic problems in remote communities. The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound in this setting.Methods:  A population survey was conducted in a remote community. Urine dipstick analysis and the albumin : creatinine ratio (ACR; g/mol) were measured in 1440 people over 5 years of age (89% of the eligible population), and a detailed renal ultrasound examination was performed in a random subset of 647 people (41.1% of the whole group), 276 aged 5–19 years and 371 over 20 years of age.Results:  Urine dipstick proteinuria (>1+) was present in 8.5% (23/271) of those aged 5–19 years and 37.9% (132/348) in those aged over 20 years; pathological albuminuria (ACR > 3.4) was present in 7.6% (21/276) and 54.7% (203/371), respectively, and isolated haematuria was present in 7.7% (21/273) and 11.5% (40/347), respectively. Eight ultrasound abnormalities were found. Ultrasound findings did not change the management of any individual.Conclusion:  Renal ultrasound added little to the evaluation of people with asymptomatic proteinuria or haematuria in this setting. In this scenario, ultrasound examination could be reserved for the cases with an unusual presentation where findings are likely to influence the prognosis or treatment, or in preparation for a renal biopsy.
Broadband videoconferencing as a tool for learner‐centred distance learning in higher education
Authors: Smyth Robyn 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis paper outlines the possibilities for using broadband videoconferencing within the larger context of changing the focus for teaching from the teacher to the learners. It also explores opportunities that might be created by this technology to facilitate learner‐centred engagement in learning and to provide new opportunities for collaboration and support for students studying by the distance mode. As part of the wider discussion, it presents a decision‐making framework for teachers to consider when integrating videoconferencing into their curriculum. The bandwidths possible from broadband Internet connection rather than the integrated services digital network transmission increase the richness of videoconferencing to a much closer approximation of natural  communication,  thus  creating  opportunities  for  more  creative  uses for the medium. The outcomes of trials undertaken at the University of New England during the last two years provide the basis for predicting the usefulness of the technology for learner‐centered interactions when the majority of students are learning from locations quite remote from the main campus.
Effects of ICT group work on interactions and social acceptance of a primary pupil with Asperger's Syndrome
Authors: Lewis Lynda , Trushell John , Woods Pat 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe aim of this study was to ascertain whether collaborative group work on a computer, facilitated by an adult, could provide a means for a primary schoolboy with Asperger's Syndrome (AS)—moderately‐highly affected in all areas of the “triad of impairments”—to develop appropriate task‐related interactions with his peers. Data were gathered before, during, and after group work sessions. A combination of interviews and questionnaires established background data and concerns of parent and teachers. Sociometric testing of classmates was used to determine social acceptance and friendship grouping among the child's immediate peer group. During the adult‐facilitated ICT sessions an interaction process schedule (IPS) was used to record interactions of the three children involved. The results indicate moderate improvements in the child's ability to interact with his peers, both in social and task‐related contexts, as well as a raised social profile among his classmates in general. Although this was a discrete setting, the findings are encouraging and this strategy may be replicated in schools to support mainstream inclusion for children with AS.
‘The visual helps me understand the complicated things’: pupil views of teaching and learning with interactive whiteboards
Authors: Wall Kate , Higgins Steve , Smith Heather 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThis study is one element of a government‐sponsored evaluation into the introduction of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) to Years 5 and 6 in English primary schools. This element of the research aimed to gather information regarding pupil views of IWBs and the impact these tools can have on teaching and learning. To extend current literature, the method targeted pupils’ views of how IWBs can impact on metacognition: thinking about learning. Using a template that has been developed by the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Newcastle University, pupils were encouraged to talk about learning in different contexts: this methodology and its rationale are described. The results show that overall comments from the pupils are positive, with the resulting themes encompassing how the IWB can facilitate and initiate learning and impact on preferred approaches to learning. The pupils describe how different elements of software and hardware can motivate, aid concentration, and keep their attention. On the negative side, pupils candidly describe their frustration when there are technical difficulties, their desire to use the board themselves and their perceptions of teacher and pupil effects. As IWBs are becoming more and more prevalent in schools, we discuss implications and make re‐commendations for teachers and manufacturers.
Income Taxation, Endogenous Factor Prices and Production Efficiency
Authors: Gaube Thomas 
Published: August 2005

AbstractIn an analysis of a two‐type income tax model with endogenous wages, this paper shows that production efficiency is violated in the optimum with (i) non‐linear and (ii) linear income taxation if and only if a distortionary tax schedule is implemented. These findings complement earlier results of the literature. In passing, it is also shown that optima with non‐linear redistributive income taxation cannot be identified with the redistributive regime if the assumption of endogenous wages is taken seriously.
Maternal height and external pelvimetry to predict cephalopelvic disproportion in nulliparous African women: a cohort study
Authors: Liselele Hubert B. , Boulvain Michel , Tshibangu Kalala C. , Meuris Sylvain 
Published: August 2005

Objective
To assess external pelvimetry and maternal height, as predictors of cephalopelvic disproportion.Design
Prospective cohort study.Setting
Four hospitals in Zaire.Population
Six hundred and five nulliparous women.Methods
Maternal height and external pelvimetry were assessed during the third trimester antenatal visit. Cut off values for considering women at risk for cephalopelvic disproportion were height < 150 cm and external pelvic distances < 10th centile for the population. Logistic regression analysis, combining height and pelvic measurements, was performed to predict women at risk for cephalopelvic disproportion.Main outcome measure
Cephalopelvic disproportion was considered when there was caesarean section for failure to progress, vacuum or forceps delivery or intrapartum stillbirth.Results
Cephalopelvic disproportion was present in 42 women. In univariate analysis, height, intertrochanteric diameter and the transverse diagonal of Michaelis sacral rhomboid area were found to be associated with cephalopelvic disproportion. Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal height < 150 cm and/or transverse diagonal < 9.5 cm were the variables most associated with cephalopelvic disproportion. The adjusted odds ratios were 2.2 (95% CI 0.9 to 5.4) and 6.5 (95% CI 3.2 to 13.2), respectively. The positive predictive value and likelihood ratio were 24% and 4.0 (95% CI 2.8 to 5.8), respectively. The addition of transverse diagonal to maternal height increased the sensitivity in predicting cephalopelvic disproportion from 21% to 52%.Conclusion
In addition to height, transverse diagonal measurement is able to predict one out of two cases of cephalopelvic disproportion in nulliparous women. After validation in a separate cohort, this simple predictive method may be used in peripheral centres for timely referral of pregnant women at risk for cephalopelvic disproportion.
A prospective study on the effects of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate on trabecular and cortical bone after attainment of peak bone mass
Authors: Merki‐Feld Gabriele S. , Neff Maurus , Keller Paul J. 
Published: August 2005

Objective
To study the annual change of bone mass in women aged 30–45 years being treated with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) in order to evaluate whether the bone mass depends on the duration of DMPA use or the oestradiol level.Design
Prospective longitudinal study over an interval of 12 months.Setting
A family planning centre of a university hospital.Patients
Thirty‐six current users of DMPA.Interventions
Injection of 150 mg DMPA every 12 weeks.Measurements
Bone mass was measured at the distal radius by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (reproducibility 0.3%).Results
Mean annual changes (SD) in trabecular and cortical bone mass were 0.06 (1.6%) [P= 0.8] and −0.26% (0.6) [P < 0.04]. The decrease in cortical bone mass was not significant because the changes were within the precision error of the method used for the measurements. Duration of DMPA use and oestradiol levels were not associated to the bone parameters.Conclusion
We did not find a negative impact of DMPA on the bone mass of premenopausal women aged 30–45 years.