bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do alterations of endogenous angiotensin II levels regulate erythropoietin production in humans?
Authors: Freudenthaler S. , Benöhr P. , Grenz A. , Selzer T. , Schmidt T. , Mörike K. , Osswald H. , Gleiter C. H. 
Published: September 2003

Aims  Recent evidence suggests a potential role of angiotensin II in the physiological regulation of erythropoietin (Epo) production. While the administration of exogenous angiotensin II (AII) has been used so far to study its effects, the role of endogenous AII has remained unclear.Methods  To alter endogenous AII in humans experimentally we used furosemide bolus injection as a short‐term (study 1) and dietary salt as a long‐term modulator (study 2). In an open crossover design, 12 healthy male volunteers received furosemide (F) 0.5 mg kg−1 intravenously or placebo (P) in random order (study 1). With the same design, 12 volunteers received high‐salt (HS), normal‐salt (NS) and low‐salt (LS) diet (study 2). Plasma renin activity (PRA) was analysed along with AII. Inulin and paraaminohippurate (PAH) clearances were used to indicate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF), respectively.Results  While F stimulated AII and PRA and decreased GFR and RPF significantly, no concomitant alteration of Epo was observed [AUCEpo: placebo 5709 ± 243 (% of baseline × h), furosemide: 5833 ± 255 (% of baseline × h); 95% confidence interval (CI) − 608.4, 856.0; P = 0.73]. F decreased GFR (from 103.6 ± 4.0 to 90.6 ± 4.8 ml min−1 1−1 73 m−2; 95% CI 1.1, 24.9; P < 0.05), but not RPF (study 1). Correspondingly, LS stimulated and HS decreased AII and PRA significantly. HS increased GFR and RPF. Again, Epo concentrations were not affected (AUCEpo: normal sodium 44 ± 6.7 mIU × day  ml−1, low sodium 39 ± 2.4 mIU × day ml−1, high sodium 48.5 ± 6.1 mIU × day ml−1; normal salt/low salt 95% CI − 11.9, 21.9, P = 0.54; normal salt/high salt 95% CI − 14.4, 23.3, P = 0.63; study 2).Conclusions   We conclude that, at least in the physiological setting in healthy volunteers, increased concentrations of endogenous AII may not be a major factor of Epo regulation.
The ARG1-LIKE2 Gene of Arabidopsis Functions in a Gravity Signal Transduction Pathway That Is Genetically Distinct from the PGM Pathway
Authors: Guan Changhui , Rosen Elizabeth S. , Boonsirichai Kanokporn , Poff Kenneth L. , Masson Patrick H. 
Published: September 2003

Abstract
The arl2 mutants of Arabidopsis display altered root and hypocotyl gravitropism, whereas their inflorescence stems are fully gravitropic. Interestingly, mutant roots respond like the wild type to phytohormones and an inhibitor of polar auxin transport. Also, their cap columella cells accumulate starch similarly to wild-type cells, and mutant hypocotyls display strong phototropic responses to lateral light stimulation. The ARL2 gene encodes a DnaJ-like protein similar to ARG1, another protein previously implicated in gravity signal transduction in Arabidopsis seedlings. ARL2 is expressed at low levels in all organs of seedlings and plants. arl2-1 arg1-2 double mutant roots display kinetics of gravitropism similar to those of single mutants. However, double mutants carrying both arl2-1 and pgm-1 (a mutation in the starch-biosynthetic gene PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE) at the homozygous state display a more pronounced root gravitropic defect than the single mutants. On the other hand, seedlings with a null mutation in ARL1, a paralog of ARG1 and ARL2, behave similarly to the wild type in gravitropism and other related assays. Taken together, the results suggest that ARG1 and ARL2 function in the same gravity signal transduction pathway in the hypocotyl and root of Arabidopsis seedlings, distinct from the pathway involving PGM.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Phage Typing and Plasmid Profile of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> Serotype <i>paratyphi A</i> Strains Isolated in Kuwait
Authors: Panigrahi D. , Chugh T.D. , West P.W.J. , Dimitrov T.Z. , Groover S. , Mehta G. 
Published: September 2003

<i>Objective:</i> To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility, phage type and plasmid profile pattern of <i>Salmonella enterica</i> serotype <i>paratyphi A</i> strains isolated in Kuwait. <i>Material and Methods:</i> From January 1995 to December 1999, 106 strains of <i>S. enterica</i> serotype <i>paratyphi A</i> isolated from an equal number of cases of enteric fever, attending the Infectious Disease and Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospitals in Kuwait were investigated. The isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to 8 commonly used antimicrobial agents. Their phage type and plasmid profile patterns were determined using an international set of phages and Qiagen plasmid mini kit, respectively. <i>Results:</i> All of the isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, piperacillin and co-trimoxazole. One hundred isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, 99 to chloramphenicol and 98 to tetracycline. None of the isolates was multidrug resistant. Sixty-six percent of the isolates were phage type I, 27.4% phage type II and 6.6% were untypable. All phage type I and untypable strains had 3 plasmids of 2.2, 5 and 20 kb, whereas phage type II strains had only 1 plasmid of 20 kb. <i>Conclusion:</i> The findings indicate that while all of the isolates of the <i>S. enterica</i> serotype <i>paratyphi A</i> were susceptible to 4 of the drugs tested, some were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol or tetracycline, thereby indicating the need for continued surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility of these isolates.
Trends in Surgery and Chemotherapy for Women Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer in the United States
Authors: Harlan Linda C. , Clegg Limin X. , Trimble Edward L. 
Published: September 2003

Purpose: We examined patterns of care in a population-based sample of 601 ovarian cancer patients diagnosed in 1991, and a sample of 566 women was selected in 1996 to examine trends in care. Patients and Methods: Patient cases were sampled from within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Medical records were reabstracted, and treatment data were verified with the treating physician. Results: Across these two time periods, the percentage of women with presumptive stage I, II, and IV disease who received lymph node dissection increased. However, a significant number still were not precisely staged. More than 65% of women with ovarian cancer were given cyclophosphamide in 1991 compared with about 14% in 1996. Paclitaxel increased from 1% to 62% during that time. After adjusting for age, race or ethnicity, registry, income, insurance status, Charlson score, residency training program, and marital status, women with early-stage disease were significantly more often given National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference guideline therapy in 1996 than in 1991. However, for women with stage III and IV disease, the use of guideline therapy did not significantly increase. Older women and minorities consistently received less guideline therapy, and the lack of private insurance was an impediment for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women. Conclusion: Despite guidelines presented by several organizations, significant numbers of women with ovarian cancer are not being provided with appropriate care. This is particularly true for older and minority women, especially those without private insurance. Educational strategies must be devised to increase the number of women receiving guideline therapy and decrease disparities across population groups.
Addition of Either Lonidamine or Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Does Not Improve Survival in Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated With High-Dose Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide
Authors: Papaldo Paola , Lopez Massimo , Cortesi Enrico , Cammilluzzi Eugenio , Antimi Mauro , Terzoli Edmondo , Lepidini Giuseppe , Vici Patrizia , Barone Carlo , Ferretti Gianluigi , Di Cosimo Serena , Nisticò Cecilia , Carlini Paolo , Conti Francesca , Di Lauro Luigi , Botti Claudio , Vitucci Carlo , Fabi Alessandra , Giannarelli Diana , Marolla Paolo 
Published: September 2003

Purpose: Lonidamine (LND) can enhance the activity of anthracyclines in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A multicenter, prospective, randomized trial was designed to determine whether the association of LND with high-dose epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide (EC) could improve disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with early breast cancer (BC) compared with EC alone. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was added to maintain the EC dose-intensity. Patients and Methods: From October 1991 to April 1994, 506 patients with stage I/II BC were randomly assigned to four groups: (A) epirubicin 120 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 administered intravenously on day 1 every 21 days for four cycles (124 patients); (B) EC plus LND 450 mg/d administered orally (125 patients); (C) EC plus G-CSF administered subcutaneously (129 patients); (D) EC plus LND plus G-CSF (128 patients). Results: Median follow-up was 55 months. Five-year DFS rate was similar for LND (B+D groups; 69.6%) versus non-LND arms (A+C groups; 70.3%) and G-CSF (C+D groups; 67.2%) versus non–G-CSF arms (A+B groups; 72.9%). Five-year overall survival (OS) was comparable in LND (79.1%) versus non-LND arms (81.3%) and in G-CSF (80.6%) versus non–G-CSF arms (79.6%). DFS and OS distributions in LND and G-CSF arms did not change according to tumor size, node, receptor, and menopausal status. G-CSF dramatically reduced hematologic toxicity without having a significant impact on dose-intensity (98.1% v 95.5% for C+D and A+B groups, respectively). Conclusion: EC is active and well tolerated in patients with early breast cancer. The addition of LND or G-CSF does not improve DFS or OS.
Long-Term Event-Free Survival After Intensive Chemotherapy for Ewing’s Family of Tumors in Children and Young Adults
Authors: Kolb E. Anders , Kushner Brian H. , Gorlick Richard , Laverdiere Caroline , Healey John H. , LaQuaglia Michael P. , Huvos Andrew G. , Qin Jing , Vu Ha Thanh , Wexler Leonard , Wolden Suzanne , Meyers Paul A. 
Published: September 2003

Purpose: To improve the long-term event-free survival of patients with Ewing’s family of tumors (EFTs) using high-dose, short-term chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: P6 was a prospective study of previously untreated patients with newly diagnosed EFTs. Patients received seven cycles of chemotherapy. Cycles 1, 2, 3, and 6 consisted of cyclophosphamide 2,100 mg/m2/d on days 1 and 2, and a 72-hour continuous infusion of doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 and vincristine 2 mg/m2 starting day 1. Cycles 4, 5, and 7 consisted of 5 consecutive days of ifosfamide 1,800 mg/m2/d and etoposide 100 mg/m2/d. Results: Sixty-eight patients were enrolled from 1991 to 2001 (median age, 18.7 years; range, 3.7 to 39.9 years). At diagnosis, 44 patients had local-regional disease, and 24 had distant metastases. The 4-year event-free survival (EFS) rate for patients with local-regional disease is 82%; overall survival (OS) is 89%. The 4-year EFS rate for patients with distant metastases is 12%; the OS rate is 17.8%. All events occurred within 51 months of diagnosis. Four patients with distant metastases had progressive disease during therapy, and no patient with local-regional disease experienced disease progression during therapy. Conclusion: Sustained EFS and OS can be achieved with intensive chemotherapy in children and young adults with local-regional EFTs. This therapy is relatively ineffective in the treatment of metastatic EFTs.
Cisplatin in Combination With Either Gemcitabine or Irinotecan in Carcinomas of Unknown Primary Site: Results of a Randomized Phase II Study—Trial for the French Study Group on Carcinomas of Unknown Primary (GEFCAPI 01)
Authors: Culine Stéphane , Lortholary Alain , Voigt Jean-Jacques , Bugat Roland , Théodore Christine , Priou Frank , Kaminsky Marie-Christine , Lesimple Thierry , Pivot Xavier , Coudert Bruno , Douillard Jean-Yves , Merrouche Yacine , Allouache Jelila , Goupil Alain , Négrier Sylvie , Viala Juliette , Petrow Peter , Bouzy Jeannine , Laplanche Agnès , Fizazi Karim 
Published: September 2003

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of novel chemotherapy combinations including cisplatin with gemcitabine (GC) or irinotecan (IC) for patients with carcinomas of an unknown primary site. Patients and Methods: Eighty patients were randomly assigned to receive GC or IC. In the GC arm, chemotherapy consisted of cycles combining gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin 100 mg/m2 IV on day 1 at 3-week intervals. Patients in the IC arm originally received 3-week cycles of irinotecan 200 mg/m2 IV on day 1 and cisplatin 80 mg/m2 IV on day 1. After the inclusion of 15 patients in that arm, the toxicity profile required the irinotecan doses to be reduced to 150 mg/m2 per cycle. Independent histologic and radiologic reviews were done. Results: A total of 78 patients were assessable for efficacy and toxicity. The median number of cycles was four in each arm. Objective responses were observed in 21 patients (55%) in the GC arm (95% CI, 34% to 66%) and in 15 patients (38%) in the IC arm (95% CI, 23% to 54%). Treatment had to be stopped because of toxicity in seven patients in the GC arm and in eight patients in the IC arm. With a median follow-up of 22 months, the median survivals were 8 and 6 months in the GC and IC arms, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the activity of both the GC and IC regimens. There was toxicity associated with both regimens. Additional studies of combination chemotherapy regimens are required.
Beyond the Development of Health-Related Quality-of-Life (HRQOL) Measures: A Checklist for Evaluating HRQOL Outcomes in Cancer Clinical Trials—Does HRQOL Evaluation in Prostate Cancer Research Inform Clinical Decision Making?
Authors: Efficace Fabio , Bottomley Andrew , Osoba David , Gotay Carolyn , Flechtner Henning , D’haese Sven , Zurlo Alfredo 
Published: September 2003

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the inclusion of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), as a part of the trial design in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) setting, has supported clinical decision making for the planning of future medical treatments in prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A minimum standard checklist for evaluating HRQOL outcomes in cancer clinical trials was devised to assess the quality of the HRQOL reporting and to classify the studies on the grounds of their robustness. It comprises 11 key HRQOL issues grouped into four broader sections: conceptual, measurement, methodology, and interpretation. Relevant studies were identified in a number of databases, including MEDLINE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Both their HRQOL and traditional clinical reported outcomes were systematically analyzed to evaluate their consistency and their relevance for supporting clinical decision making. Results: Although 54% of the identified studies did not show any differences in traditional clinical end points between treatment arms and 17% showed a difference in overall survival, 74% of the studies showed some difference in terms of HRQOL outcomes. One third of the RCTs provided a comprehensive picture of the whole treatment including HRQOL outcomes to support their conclusions. Conclusion: A minimum set of criteria for assessing the reported outcomes in cancer clinical trials is necessary to make informed decisions in clinical practice. Using a checklist developed for this study, it was found that HRQOL is a valuable source of information in RCTs of treatment in metastatic prostate cancer.
Transient elastohydrodynamic point contact analysis using a new coupled differential deflection method Part 1: Theory and validation
Authors: Holmes M. J. A. , Evans H. P. , Hughes T. G. , Snidle R. W. 
Published: September 2003

The paper presents a transient analysis technique for point contact elastohydrodynamic (EHL) lubrication problems using coupled elastic and hydrodynamic equations. Full coupling is made possible by use of a novel differential deflection formulation. The way in which the differential deflection is incorporated into the overall solution method for a point contact is discussed. A range of spatial and temporal discretization methods are incorporated and compared. The method is validated under transient conditions by a detailed comparison with published work produced using a different, independent method incorporating a moving roughness feature. A comparison of the results with different discretization methods leads to the conclusion that spatial central differencing with a Crank-Nicolson temporal discretization is the most effective finite difference scheme, and this is generally equivalent to the finite element discretization given in detail in the paper. A comparison of the results produced for moving rough surfaces suggests that the finite element formulation is preferred.
The sensitivity of numerical simulations to initial modifications of potential vorticity—a case‐study
Authors: RøSting B. , Kristjánsson J. E. , Sunde J. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractModifications of numerical potential vorticity (PV) fields according to features in water vapour (WV) images are combined with singular‐vector dynamics in an attempt to improve the numerical analysis in the study of a severe winter storm. The apparent mismatch between features in the WV images and upper‐level PV anomalies in the numerical analysis is corrected at levels indicated as sensitive by the fastest growing singular vectors. Model re‐runs, based on the inverted PV fields, are then carried out. Though numerical weather prediction (NWP) re‐runs are highly successful in improving the simulation of the storm, they produce a degraded simulation of a second wave which followed rapidly in the wake of the first one. Some success is achieved by enhancing its associated upper‐level PV anomaly at sensitive levels. The impact on the large‐scale flow arising from localized PV modifications is discussed and may point to a reason why the NWP runs based on PV modification occasionally fail to improve the simulation, e.g. the second wave in this case. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Four‐dimensional variational data assimilation: A new formulation of the background‐error covariance matrix based on a potential‐vorticity representation
Authors: Cullen M. J. P. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractAll variational data assimilation schemes use some form of mass–wind coupling in their definitions of the control variables used in the minimization of the cost function. At the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts, the statistical coupling developed by Parrish and Derber (1992) is used. This is simple and robust. The robustness is obtained by calculating the mass–wind correlations from a dataset representing short‐range forecast errors. A potential disadvantage of this method is that, if the calibration dataset is not well balanced, there will be little mass–wind coupling in the analysis procedure. An alternative procedure is to assume that the balanced part of the errors, represented in this case by potential‐vorticity errors, is uncorrelated with the unbalanced part of the error. This would be natural for a linear model. A simple potential‐vorticity based method is developed and tested. It is shown that the strong scale dependence of the gravity‐wave speed introduces significant numerical difficulties. However, with care, good results can be obtained. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Total ozone observations prior to the IGY. II: Data and quality
Authors: Brönnimann S. , Cain J. C. , Staehelin J. , Farmer S. F. G. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThis paper is the second part of a systematic compilation of total ozone observations prior to the International Geophysical Year (IGY), July 1957 to June 1958. The first part provides an overview of the locations, instruments, observers and type of observations. For this second part, 17 data series were selected for further evaluation and quality assessment. We present daily observations from 13 Dobson‐stations in Europe (1952–57), from College, Alaska (1952–54, 1957), New York (1941–44) and Zi‐Ka‐Wei in China (1932–36) as well as monthly mean values for Århus, Denmark (1940–44) and Zi‐Ka‐Wei (1937–42). The data were mostly re‐evaluated using statistical techniques because original instrument readings and calibration information were not available in most cases. The quality was assessed by comparisons with meteorological variables (local 100 hPa temperature and 300 hPa geopotential height) and neighbouring total ozone series. Unreliable values were flagged, and corrections are proposed in some cases. The quality assessment shows that about half of the series can be used for scientific applications. They cannot be used, however, for trend analysis. © Royal Meteorological Society, 2003. S. F. G. Farmer's contribution is Crown copyright
Model study of the North Atlantic region atmospheric response to autumn tropical Atlantic sea‐surface‐temperature anomalies
Authors: Dréevillon Marie , Cassou Christophe , Terray Laurent 
Published: September 2003

AbstractLead–lag Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) between National Centers for Environmental Prediction re‐analysis sea surface temperature (SST) and 500 hPa geopotential‐height fields shows that autumn tropical Atlantic SST anomalies are significantly linked with the following‐winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The ability of the Météo‐France atmospheric general circulation model ARPEGE to reproduce this relationship is tested, by forcing it with autumn tropical SST anomalies derived from lead–lag MCA analysis results. The autumn SST forcing induces a strong wave‐like simultaneous response in October and November. The occurrence of the autumn weather regimes is also affected, in agreement with the significant spatial correlation of the midlatitude part of the wave response with the NAO pattern. By coupling the model with a slab ocean in midlatitudes, we show that the thermal coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere allows a better representation of the midlatitude part of the response. A negative autumn tropical SST anomaly triggers an interaction between the midlatitude SST, the low‐frequency circulation and the storm‐track activity, which reinforces and maintains a positive phase of the NAO until winter. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society