bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intracranial complications of otitis media: 15 years of experience in 33 patients
Authors: Penido Norma De Oliveira , Borin Andrei , Iha Luiz C.N. , Suguri Vinicius M. , Onishi Ektor , Fukuda Yotaka , Cruz Oswaldo Laércio M. 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVESComplications in the central nervous system (CNS) from acute otitis media (AOM) and chronic otitis media (COM) are becoming fewer, although they still represent a challenge for early recognition, adequate treatment, and satisfactory results. This retrospective study analyzed clinical data and therapeutic options in 33 patients with intracranial involvement resulting from otitis media. Important clinical features of intracranial complications and the sequence of the most efficient therapeutic maneuvers are discussed.METHODSCharts of six patients with AOM and 27 patients with COM associated with CNS complications were analyzed for clinical presentation, imaging, and therapeutic approach.RESULTSAges ranged from 6 months to 79 years, with no gender predilection. Persistent fever, headache, and purulent otorrhea were the main symptoms. Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common microorganisms in COM, and Pneumococus and Haemophilus were the most common microorganisms in AOM. Nineteen patients (58%) presented with more than 1 CNS complication, resulting in a total of 56 complications, including 26 cases of otogenic brain abscess, 21 cases of meningitis, 5 cases of lateral sinus thromboses, two cases of subdural empyemas, 1 case of epidural empyema, and 1 case of meningocele. Surgical interventions included craniotomy and drainage of the abscess (n = 17), open mastoidectomy with abscess drained through the mastoid (n = 10), open mastoidectomy alone (n = 8), and closed mastoidectomy (n = 2). Twelve patients who underwent craniotomy had subsequent mastoidectomy for recurrent abscess. At the 6‐month, 66% of patients presented without sequelae, 24% presented with sequelae, and 9% died.CONCLUSIONEarly identification and prompt clinical and surgical intervention with mandatory drainage of the middle ear (primary disease), was essential for better outcome.
Survival outcomes for second primary head and neck cancer: A matched analysis
Authors: Bhattacharyya Neil , Nayak Vijay K. 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVEDetermine whether survival for second primary head and neck cancer is truly poorer than survival for first primaries.METHODSFrom the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, 2 cohorts were constructed. One cohort consisted of patients with exactly 1 head and neck primary malignancy; the second cohort consisted of patients with exactly 2 head and neck primaries, restricted to second primaries of the tongue, tonsil, glottic larynx, and hypopharynx with squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) histology. Demographic and extent of disease data were extracted. For each primary site, matched Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis was conducted comparing overall survival between the two cohorts matching for primary site, year of diagnosis, age, gender, and cancer stage.RESULTSA total of 242 cases of second head neck primary were successfully matched to patients with single primary disease. Among 96 patients with oral tongue SCCA, mean (median) survival was 40.1 (28) months after the second primary diagnosis versus 52.2 (32) months for matched single primary patients (P = 0.552, log‐rank test). Among 45 tonsillar carcinomas, mean survival was 42.8 (30) versus 90.9 (NA) months for the second primary and single primary cohorts, respectively (P = 0.028). Among 52 matched glottic carcinomas, mean survival was 46.4 (27) versus 103.5 (120) months for the 2 cohorts, respectively (P < 0.001). Among 49 hypopharyngeal carcinomas, mean survival was 35.6 (19) versus 53.9 (21) months, respectively (P = 0.373).CONCLUSIONSSurvivals for second primary head and neck malignancies may be poorer than survivals for comparable first primaries, but in this analysis we did not find this difference to be statistically significant for all subsites. Second primary survival will vary from site to site. EBM rating: B‐3.
Inhibition of growth and telomerase activity by novel cationic ceramide analogs with high solubility in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Rossi Michael J. , Sundararaj Kamala , Koybasi Serap , Phillips Monique S. , Szulc Zdzislaw M. , Bielawska Alicja , Day Terry A. , Obeid Lina M. , Hannun Yusuf A. , Ogretmen Besim 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVESHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy. The sphingolipid ceramide and its analogs have been demonstrated to exert antitumor activity in many cell types; however, the effectiveness of these analogs has been limited by potency and solubility. This study focuses on the effects of novel highly soluble cationic pyridinium‐ceramides, alone and in combination with various chemotherapeutic agents, on cell survival, telomerase activity, and cell cycle arrest in HNSCC cell lines in vitro.METHODSThe concentration of pyridinium‐ceramides and chemotherapeutic agents that inhibited cell growth by 50% (IC50) was determined by MTT cell survival assays. The cell cycle profiles were determined by flow cytometry. Telomerase activity was determined by telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay.RESULTSTreatment of the human UM‐SCC‐22A (SCC of the hypopharynx) cells, as well as various other HNSCC cell lines, with C6‐Pyr‐Cer resulted in the inhibition of cell survival with an IC50 concentration of approximately 250 to 300 nM at 96 hours, whereas its IC50 was greater than 1000 nM in noncancerous Wi‐38 human lung fibroblasts, and adult human epidermal keratinocytes. Moreover, treatment with C6‐Pyr‐Cer also resulted in cell cycle arrest in G0/G1, which correlated with a significant inhibition of telomerase activity in UM‐SCC‐22A cells. Additional results demonstrated that the combination of C6‐Pyr‐Cer with gemcitabine (GMZ) or doxorubicin (DOX), which have the lowest IC50 concentrations among various chemotherapeutic drugs in these cells, enhances the effects of these drugs in the inhibition of telomerase and cell growth.CONCLUSIONSThese data suggest that the novel C6‐Pyr‐Cer with high solubility and bioavailability may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies that target telomerase for the treatment of HNSCC.
Oral steroid regimens for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Slattery William H. , Fisher Laurel M. , Iqbal Zarina , Liu Nancy 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVETo determine hearing recovery in patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss treated with varying amounts of oral steroids.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTINGA retrospective chart review (n = 75) in a tertiary care clinic examined sudden hearing loss patients treated with 1 60‐mg prednisone taper, 1 course of steroid less than a 60‐mg taper, or any 2 courses of oral steroid.RESULTSOverall, 35% of the patients recovered a clinically significant amount of hearing. Recovery was associated with immediate treatment (within 2 weeks from onset), better hearing at the onset of treatment, and treatment with the higher dose of prednisone in patients with just 1 additional symptom (dizziness or tinnitus). Patients tended to continue to experience some recovery in hearing up to 4 months after treatment.CONCLUSIONImmediate treatment of patients with unilateral idiopathic sudden hearing loss and additional symptoms (dizziness or tinnitus) with a 14‐day course of 60 mg prednisone (with taper) is recommended. EBM rating: B‐3.
Pressed scar tissue for tympanic membrane grafting in revision tympanoplasty
Authors: Chang C. Y. Joseph , Gray Lincoln C. 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVECompare the efficacy of pressed scar tissue grafts to standard fascia and areolar tissue grafts for use in tympanoplasty.STUDY DESIGNA retrospective review of a prospective computerized database of tympanoplasty and mastoid surgeries at an academic, tertiary care practice was performed. Search parameters were set to find all patients who underwent tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy with use of various grafting materials for repair of tympanic membrane perforation from 1996 to 2002. All ages were included. Patients with cholesteatoma at the time of surgery were excluded. The short‐term graft take rate was evaluated at 30 to 90 days to identify any differences in results using the standard fascia and areolar grafts vs. pressed scar tissue grafts. Other parameters that may have an influence on outcome were analyzed including mastoidectomy, infection, perforation size, perforation location, age of patient, primary vs. revision surgery, number of previous surgeries, postauricular vs. transcanal approaches, and medial vs. lateral grafting techniques. Hearing results were analyzed to see whether the use of scar tissue grafts resulted in equivalent outcomes compared to standard graft materials.RESULTSThere were no statistically significant differences in short‐term tympanic membrane closure rates in subjects undergoing surgery using standard fascia/areolar tissue grafts and pressed scar tissue grafts. Hearing results were also statistically equivalent regardless of graft material used. The only parameter that was somewhat associated with successful closure of tympanic perforation was use of the postauricular approach compared to the transcanal approach.CONCLUSIONSPressed scar tissue grafts are as efficacious as standard fascia and areolar tissue grafts when used to repair tympanic membrane perforations. Pressed scar tissue graft can be used successfully in cases such as revision tympanoplasty when standard tissue grafts are not available or difficult to obtain. EBM rating: B‐3.
Hearing loss and extent of labyrinthine injury in Pseudomonas otitis media
Authors: Malaty John , Lee James C. , Zhang MEI , Stevens Gary , Antonelli Patrick J. 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVESTo determine if the severity of hearing loss due to semicircular canal transection (SCT) in Pseudomonas otitis media (POM) is a function of the extent of the labyrinthine injury.METHODSPOM was induced bilaterally in 45 guinea pigs. After 2 to 4 days, SCT was performed in one 1 on the horizontal canal, the superior canal, or both the horizontal and the superior canals. Auditory‐evoked brainstem responses were measured before and after SCT.RESULTSPOM was induced bilaterally in all animals. Elevation of click thresholds was found in almost all SCT ears of all 3 groups; however, there were no significant differences between groups. Comparing the SCT ear to the contralateral, control ear, mean hearing losses in the horizontal, superior, and horizontal + superior SCT groups were 23 dB, 27 dB, and 24 dB, respectively.CONCLUSIONSHearing loss does not correlate with extent of labyrinthine injury in POM in the guinea pig. EBM rating: B‐2.
Staged resection of large acoustic neuromas
Authors: Patni Aftab H. , Kartush Jack M. 
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVESurgical removal of large (>3 cm) acoustic neuromas is associated with poor long‐term facial nerve function results and higher complication rates. This study analyzes whether long term facial nerve function and the incidence of neurological and vascular complications is improved by resection of large acoustic neuromas in 2 or 3 stages.PATIENTS AND METHODSAmong 660 patients who underwent surgical resection of acoustic neuromas between 1989 and 2002 by the senior author (J.M.K.), 34 (5%) patients underwent a staged resection of their large‐sized tumors: stage I via a retrosigmoid craniotomy and stage II via a translabyrinthine approach. A retrospective chart review was performed. Tumor size, completeness of tumor removal, tumor recurrence, facial nerve function, and any complications were noted.RESULTSThe average tumor size was 4.4 cm with a mean postoperative length of follow‐up of 6 years after the last surgery. Thirty‐one patients underwent a 2‐staged resection and 3 patients underwent a 3‐staged resection. After their last surgery, 32 (94%) patients had excellent long‐term facial function grades of House‐Brackmann (H‐B) I, one was H‐B III, and one was H‐B VI. All patients had a total or near‐total (>98%) resection. There were no tumor recurrences on follow‐up MRI scans. From these 71 operations, no patients required reoperation for a CSF leak. There were no deaths, strokes, hydrocephalus, or meningitis.CONCLUSIONIn conjunction with the reported technical refinements, staged resection of large tumors significantly reduces morbidity and improves long‐term facial nerve function. EBM rating: C.
The Balkans: Identities, Wars, Memories
Authors: DASKALOV ROUMEN 
Published: January 2005

Neven Andjelić, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The End of a Tragedy (London: Frank Cass, 2003), 228 pp., $34.95 (pb), ISBN 0-7146-8431-7.Tom Gallagher, The Balkans after the Cold War. From Tyranny to Tragedy (London and New York: Routledge, 2003), 256 pp., $114.95 (hb), ISBN 0-415-27763-9.John Lampe and Mark Mazower, eds., Ideologies and National Identities. The Case of Twentieth-Century Southeastern Europe (Budapest and New York: Central European University Press, 2004), 309 pp., $23.95 (pb), ISBN 9639241822.James Pettifer, ed., The New Macedonian Question (Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave and St. Martin's Press, 1999), 311 pp., $24.95 (pb), ISBN 0-333-92066-X.Michael Parenti, To Kill a Nation. The Attack on Yugoslavia (London and New York: Verso, 2000), 246 pp., $10.00 (pb), ISBN 1-85984-366-2.Maria Todorova, ed., Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory (London: Hurst & Co., 2004), 374 pp., £17.50 (pb), ISBN 1-850-65715-7.Emerging from the obscurity of old-fashioned, specialised ‘area studies’, since 1989 the Balkans have attracted much attention from historians. The primary reason for that has been, tragically, the war in Yugoslavia and the emergence of a postwar order. Even the post-communist transitions (in Romania, Bulgaria and Albania) attracted less attention. Nevertheless, the field benefited substantially from the increased interest in the area, and lively debates took place on contested issues, sparked not least by hasty initial schemata (and stigmata) used by outside observers, such as ‘ancient hatreds’ and the like. Parallel to the attention paid to what was going on in Yugoslavia, and perhaps more productively in the long run, was the postmodern, postcolonial approach to Balkan history, inspired by Maria Todorova's Imagining the Balkans, which followed Edward Said's monumental Orientalism and appeared parallel to Larry Wolff's Inventing Eastern Europe. Such refreshing studies of Western representations of the region were later complemented by the internal perspective of how such representations were received, and coped with, in the region. A profusion of ‘cultural studies’ in the broadest sense followed, reflecting both the ongoing reshaping of Balkan identities and outside demand for such studies.
Hautschutzseminare zur sekundären Individualprävention bei Beschäftigten in Gesundheitsberufen: erste Ergebnisse nach über 2jähriger Durchführung
Authors: Weisshaar Elke , Radulescu Magdalena , Bock Michael , Albrecht Ursel , Zimmermann Elisabeth , Diepgen Thomas L. 
Published: January 2005

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Die Beschäftigten der Gesundheitsberufe haben ein erhöhtes Risiko, eine Berufshautkrankheit zu entwickeln. Seit Januar 2002 werden in der Abteilung Klinische Sozialmedizin, Berufs‐ und Umweltdermatologie des Universitätsklinikums Heidelberg in Zusammenarbeit mit der Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege (BGW) Seminare zur sekundären Prävention von berufsbedingten Hauterkrankungen bei Angehörigen von Gesundheitsberufen durchgeführt. Zielkriterien sind Veränderungen des individuellen Schutz‐ und Pflegeverhaltens, Empfehlungen bezüglich der weiteren Diagnostik und Therapie, langfristige Besserung und Stabilisierung des Hautzustandes und Vermeidung einer Berufskrankheit nach BK 5101. Patienten und Methodik: Bei den zweitägigen Seminaren nehmen bis zu 14 Hauterkrankte teil. Darin werden sie über Aufbau und Funktion der Haut sowie notwendige Schutzmaßnahmen informiert. In praktischen Seminarphasen üben die Teilnehmer, Hautschutzmaßnahmen in ihre täglichen Arbeitsläufe zu integrieren. Ferner erfolgt eine ausführliche ärztliche Anamnese und Untersuchung. Diese ermöglicht dem Arzt, ein auf die individuellen Bedürfnisse angepasstes Hautschutz‐ und Hautpflegeprogramm auszuarbeiten und den Teilnehmern, alle anfallenden Fragen zu stellen. Ergebnisse: Von bisher 355 Teilnehmern (Stand: Mai 2004) waren 87,3 % Frauen mit dem durchschnittlichen Alter von 36,9 Jahren. 95 % der Betroffenen hatten ein Handekzem, das morphologisch häufig als dyshidrotischer Typ dominierte. Ätiologisch bestand in vielen Fällen ein Mischbild aus irritativem, atopischem und kontaktallergischem Handekzem, wobei insgesamt die irritativen Kontaktekzeme (43 %) dominierten. 68 % der Teilnehmer hatten eine atopische Hautdiathese. Das Seminar wird von den Teilnehmern durchgehend als gut eingestuft. Positiv sind sogenannte Seiteneffekte wie z. B. die Weitergabe des Erlernten an Arbeitskollegen, Familienmitglieder und Freunde. Schlußfolgerungen: Berufsdermatologische Untersuchungen und Beratungen werden bisher nur lückenhaft durchgeführt sowie Hautschutz‐ und Hautpflegemaßnahmen noch nicht ausreichend umgesetzt und angewandt. Es ist anzustreben, Hautschutzseminare zukünftig auch für andere hautgefährdende Berufszweige anzubieten.
Social Comparison, Perceived Control, and Occupational Burnout
Authors: Michinov Nicolas 
Published: January 2005

Deux études transversales ont porté sur 72 officiers des douanes (recherche no. 1) et sur cent officiers de police (recherche no. 2) dans le but d’approfondir la relation entre la direction de la comparaison sociale et des variables comme le burnout, des plaintes relatives à la santé ou la satisfaction liée au travail. La comparaison sociale a été mesurée par la fréquence avec laquelle les sujets disaient se comparer avec des salariés mieux et moins bien lotis sur plusieurs dimensions professionnelles. On a mené des analyses de corrélation plusieurs et de médiation pour mettre à l’épreuve deux hypothèses complémentaires. Premièrement, la comparaison ascendante était supposée être positivement liée au contrôle perçu et à la satisfaction professionnelle, et négativement aux ennuis de santé et au burnout. Deuxièmement, le contrôle perçu devait avoir un impact sur la relation entre la direction de la comparaison et des variables comme le burnout, les plaintes relatives à la santé ou la satisfaction liée au travail. Les résultats des deux études ont partiellement validé ces attentes et montré que seule la composante émotionnelle du burnout, l’épuisement émotionnel, était affectée par la direction de la comparaison sociale et médiatisée par le contrôle perçu.Two cross‐sectional studies were conducted among 72 customs officers (Study 1) and 100 police officers (Study 2) to examine the relationship between the direction of social comparison and outcomes such as occupational burnout, health complaints, and job satisfaction. Social comparison was measured by the frequency at which participants reported that they compared themselves with better‐off and worse‐off employees on several work‐related dimensions. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted to test two complementary hypotheses. Firstly, upward comparison was expected to be positively related to perceived control and job satisfaction, and negatively related to health complaints and occupational burnout. Secondly, perceived control was expected to mediate the relationship between comparison direction and psychological outcomes such as burnout, health complaints, and job satisfaction. The results of both studies partially supported these predictions and showed that only the emotional component of burnout—emotional exhaustion—was affected by social comparison direction and mediated by perceived control.
Taxation, Reranking and Equivalence Scales
Authors: Van De Ven Justin , Creedy John 
Published: January 2005

AbstractIt is conjectured that if the government has a distributional objective and formulates tax policy with a view to equitable treatment of households, then adopting the scale that is implicit in transfer policy should identify only reranking that has no equity foundation. This motivates the question: can the reranking‐minimizing scales be identified as those implicit in the transfer system? The analysis presented in this study suggests that the equivalence scale which minimizes reranking, while not necessarily equal to the tax implicit equivalence scale, is nevertheless in its vicinity.
Integrierte Fahrdynamikregelung mit ESP, aktiver Lenkung und aktivem Fahrwerk (Integrated Vehicle Dynamics Control Using Active Brake, Steering, and Suspension Systems)
Authors: Trächtler Ansgar 
Published: December 2004

Abstract
In diesem Beitrag wird ein Konzept zur Fahrdynamikregelung durch koordinierte Ansteuerung aktiver Brems-, Lenk- und Fahrwerksysteme vorgestellt, das auf einer konsequenten Aufteilung der Fahrdynamikfunktionen in dezentrale Aktuatorfunktionen und in übergreifende zentrale Fahrzeugfunktionen beruht. Wesentlicher Bestandteil ist eine Querdynamikregelung mit einer situationsgerechten Verteilung (Koordination) der Stellbefehle auf die vorhandenen aktiven Fahrwerksysteme, wodurch einerseits die Funktionalität der Systeme voll ausgeschöpft wird und andererseits etwaige negative gegenseitige Beeinflussungen strukturell ausgeschlossen werden.
Laseroptische Charakterisierung von gasgetragenen Nanoteilchen mit der zeitaufgelösten laserinduzierten Glühtechnik (TIRE-LII) (Laser-Optical Characterization of Air-Borne Nanoparticles by Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Incandescence (TIRE-LII))
Authors: Schraml Stephan , Sommer Roland , Kremer Heiko , Leipertz Alfred 
Published: December 2004

Abstract
Die Charakterisierung gasgetragener Nanoteilchen ist für eine Vielzahl industrieller und natürlicher Prozesse von entscheidender Bedeutung. Insbesondere die Überwachung von in Verbrennungssystemen erzeugten Rußteilchen und die für die Nanoteilchentechnologie notwendige Produktcharakterisierung und Prozesssteuerung benötigen in zunehmendem Maße geeignete Analysenmesstechniken, die schnelle, empfindliche und zuverlässige Aussagen über eine Vielzahl von Messgrößen zulässt. Mit der laserinduzierten Glühtechnik (laser-induced incandescence, LII) steht ein nicht-invasives laseroptisches Online-Verfahren zur Verfügung, das neben einer hochempfindlichen Konzentrationsbestimmung auch dazu in der Lage ist, die spezifische Oberfläche bzw. die Primärteilchengröße der Partikel zu bestimmen.