bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First‐trimester reversed end‐diastolic flow in the umbilical artery is not always an ominous sign
Authors: Bellver J. , Lara C. , Rossal L. P. , Remohí J. , Pellicer A. , Serra V. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractWe report five cases of first‐trimester reversed end‐diastolic flow in the umbilical artery. Diagnoses were performed between 8 and 12 gestational weeks. All but one case appeared as a transient early finding. Second‐trimester fetal demise occurred in two cases. One case delivered at 32 weeks with severe growth restriction but recovered well. The other two cases had a good pregnancy outcome. Our experience suggests that this early Doppler finding is not always an ominous sign. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The reliability of virtual organ computer‐aided analysis (VOCAL) for the semiquantification of ovarian, endometrial and subendometrial perfusion
Authors: Raine‐Fenning N. J. , Campbell B. K. , Clewes J. S. , Kendall N. R. , Johnson I. R. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectivesThree‐dimensional power Doppler angiography (3D‐PDA) has been largely used for the subjective assessment of vascular patterns but semiquantification of the power Doppler signal is now possible. We examined the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the semiquantification of ovarian, endometrial and subendometrial blood flow using 3D‐PDA, virtual organ computer‐aided analysis (VOCAL™) and shell‐imaging.Methods3D‐PDA was used to acquire 20 ovarian and 20 endometrial volumes from 40 different patients at various stages of in vitro fertilization treatment. VOCAL was then used to delineate the 3D areas of interest and the ‘histogram facility’ employed to generate three indices of vascularity: the vascular index, the flow index and the vascularization flow index. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was assessed by two‐way, mixed, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and general linear modeling was used to examine for differences in the mean values between each observer.ResultsThe intraobserver reliability for both observers was extremely high and there were no differences in reliability between the observers for measurements of both volume and vascularity within the ovary or endometrium and its shells. With the exception of the outside subendometrial shell volumes, there were no significant differences between the two observers in the mean values obtained for either endometrial or ovarian volume and vascularity measurements. The interobserver reliability of measurements was equally high throughout with all measurements obtaining a mean ICC of above 0.985.Conclusions3D‐PDA and shell‐imaging offer a reliable, practical and non‐invasive method for the assessment of ovarian, endometrial and subendometrial blood flow. Future work should concentrate upon confirming the reliability of data acquisition and the validity of the technique before its predictive value can be truly tested in prospective clinical studies. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Umbilical cord edema associated with patent urachus
Authors: Schiesser M. , Lapaire O. , Holzgreve W. , Tercanli S. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractUmbilical cord anomalies can often be detected prenatally by ultrasound, but a definitive prenatal diagnosis is not always possible. We present a case with increasing edema of the Wharton's jelly followed by the development of pseudocysts in the proximal umbilical cord due to a patent urachus. The first abnormal findings were detected by ultrasound in the 14th week of gestation. Differential diagnoses and their influence on surveillance and birth management are discussed. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal subcutaneous tissue thickness (SCTT) in healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies
Authors: Larciprete G. , Valensise H. , Vasapollo B. , Novelli G. P. , Parretti E. , Altomare F. , Di Pierro G. , Menghini S. , Barbati G. , Mello G. , Arduini D. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo determine reference values of fetal subcutaneous tissue thickness (SCTT) throughout gestation in a healthy population and to compare them with those from a population of pregnant women with gestational diabetes under standard therapy.MethodsThree hundred and three women recruited from a high‐risk pregnancy clinic were classified as being healthy (n = 218) or as having gestational diabetes (n = 85) on the basis of a negative or positive oral glucose tolerance test, respectively. They were enrolled into the cross‐sectional study at 20 weeks' gestation. Ultrasound examinations were performed approximately every 3 weeks until delivery at term. The mid‐arm fat mass and lean mass (MAFM, MALM), the mid‐thigh fat mass and lean mass (MTFM, MTLM), the abdominal fat mass (AFM) and the subscapular fat mass (SSFM) were evaluated. Time‐specific reference ranges were constructed from the 218 healthy women and a conventional Student's t‐test was performed to compare SCTT values between the two study groups throughout gestation.ResultsNormal ranges, including 5th, 50th and 95th centiles of the distribution, were generated for each SCTT parameter obtained in each of the two groups of women. Significant differences were found between the two study groups at 37–40 weeks' gestation for MTFM, at 20–22 and 26–28 weeks for MTLM, at 31–34 and 35–37 weeks for MAFM, at 26–28 and 38–40 weeks for SSFM, and at 39–40 weeks for AFM, the mean residual values always being greater in gestational diabetic women than they were in the group of healthy pregnant women.ConclusionsWe provide gestational age‐specific reference values for fetal SCTT. Fetal fat mass values, particularly in late gestation, are greater in women with gestational diabetes compared with healthy women. The reference values may have a role in assessing the influence of maternal metabolic control on fetal state. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sonographic assessment of the cervix before, during and after a uterine contraction is effective in predicting the course of labor
Authors: Saito M. , Kozuma S. , Kikuchi A. , Sakai M. , Fujii T. , Unno N. , Okai T. , Taketani Y. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether the degree of change in cervical length during a uterine contraction is predictive of subsequent progression of labor.MethodsThe subjects were 73 uncomplicated parturient women at term. We observed the cervix before, during and after a uterine contraction by transvaginal ultrasound in the first stage of labor and determined the degree of cervical shortening during the contraction relative to the cervical length before contraction. We related the degree of cervical shortening to labor patterns at the time of the ultrasound examination, which were retrospectively determined by reviewing the partogram.ResultsThe cervix was shortened in length by about 50% on average during a uterine contraction in the normal course of labor. The degree of cervical shortening was significantly greater in the normal latent and active phases than it was in the prolonged latent phase, protracted active phase and false labor, whereas there were no differences between the former two phases nor between the latter three phases. Nulliparous and parous women exhibited almost the same degree of shortening in the normal latent and active phases.ConclusionsReal‐time ultrasound observation of the cervix during uterine contraction could help differentiate inefficient uterine contractions from normal ones and thus predict the subsequent course of labor. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of para‐aortic lymph nodes by intraoperative sonography in gynecological malignancies: a preliminary report
Authors: Ryo E. , Nagasaka T. , Yasugi T. , Kozuma S. , Taketani Y. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the usefulness of intraoperative sonography for the assessment of para‐aortic lymph nodes in gynecological malignancies.MethodsThe assessment of para‐aortic lymph node swelling by computed tomography (CT), palpation during surgery and intraoperative sonography was performed in 43 women with a gynecological malignancy. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of each technique for assessment of node metastasis were examined in the 33 women who underwent para‐aortic lymphadenectomy. For each of the three assessment techniques, the number of para‐aortic lymphadenectomies that would have been performed and the number of women who would have had missed metastasis were evaluated assuming a para‐aortic lymphadenectomy would be performed only when swollen nodes were detected.ResultsPara‐aortic nodes were assessed to be swollen by CT, palpation, and intraoperative sonography, respectively, in one, six and 10 of 43 women in total, and in one, six and nine of the 33 women who underwent para‐aortic lymphadenectomy. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of intraoperative sonography were 100%, while the specificity and positive predictive value of CT were 100%. If para‐aortic lymphadenectomy had been performed only when swollen nodes were detected by intraoperative sonography, the number performed would have decreased from 33 to nine without missing lymph‐node metastasis.ConclusionIntraoperative sonography has potential for the assessment of para‐aortic lymph nodes in gynecological malignancies. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and methodology of the COACH study: a multicenter randomised Coordinating study evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counselling in Heart failure
Authors: Jaarsma Tiny , van der Wal Martje H.L. , Hogenhuis Jochem , Lesman Ivonne , Luttik Marie‐Louise A. , Veeger Nic J.G.M. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractBackground:While there are data to support the use of comprehensive non‐pharmacological intervention programs in patients with heart failure (HF), other studies have not confirmed these positive findings. Substantial differences in the type and intensity of disease management programs make it impossible to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness, optimal timing and frequency of interventions.Aims:1. To determine the effectiveness of two interventions (basic support vs. intensive support) compared to ‘care as usual’ in HF patients, on time to first major event (HF readmission or death), quality of life and costs. 2. To investigate the role of underlying mechanisms (knowledge, beliefs, self‐care behaviour, compliance) on the effectiveness of the two interventions.Methods:This is a randomised controlled trial in which 1050 patients with heart failure will be randomised into three treatment arms: care as usual, basic education and support or intensive education and support. Outcomes of this study are; time to first major event (HF hospitalisation or death), quality of life (Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire, RAND36 and Ladder of Life) and costs. Data will be collected during initial admission and then 1, 6, 12, and 18 months after discharge. In addition, data on knowledge, beliefs, self‐care behaviour and compliance will be collected.Results:The study started in January 2002 and results are expected at the end of 2005.Conclusions:This study will help health care providers in future to make rational and informed choices about which components of a HF management program should be expanded and which components can possibly be deleted.
Suppression of cytokines and nitric oxide production, and protection against lethal endotoxemia and viral myocarditis by a new NF‐κB inhibitor
Authors: Matsumori Akira , Nunokawa Youichi , Yamaki Akira , Yamamoto Kanjo , Hwang Myung‐Woo , Miyamoto Tadashi , Hara Masatake , Nishio Ryosuke , Kitaura‐Inenaga Katsura , Ono Koh 
Published: December 2003

AbstractBackground:Nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) is activated by several factors, which increase the inflammatory response, and this activation, in turn, leads to the expression of several genes such as cytokines, and may play an important role in cardiovascular diseases.Aims:The aim of the study is to examine the effect of SUN C8079, a newly synthesized NF‐κB inhibitor in vitro and in vivo.Methods:We examined the effects of SUN C8079 on the transcriptional responses of NF‐κB, on activation of NF‐κB in electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and on the gene expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and iNOS. We also studied effects of SUN C8079 on lethal endotoxemia and viral myocarditis in mice.Results:SUN C8079 inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced expression of the genes of TNF‐α and iNOS by inhibiting the activation of NF‐κB in vitro. SUN C8079 inhibited the systemic release of TNF‐α and improved mortality in LPS‐treated mice. In addition to protecting mice against lethal endotoxemia, SUN C8079 prevented the development of myocarditis due to the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), and inhibited the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines and the iNOS gene in cardiac tissues.Conclusion:These findings suggest that the activation of NF‐κB plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia and viral myocarditis, and that the NF‐κB inhibitor, SUN C8079, may be therapeutic in these disorders.
Screening for cervical cancer in developing countries
Authors: Cronjé H.S. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractCervical cancer is the most common malignancy amongst females in developing countries, mainly due to a lack of precursor screening. This absence of screening is the result of inherent disadvantages of the Pap smear: high cost, low sensitivity, the need for a laboratory with high human expertise and a complex screening program logistic system. The prerequisites for screening in a developing country include a screening method that is affordable, which can be effectively applied once in a lifetime at the age of 30–35 years, provide an immediate result and thereby allowing for on‐site treatment of positive cases. None of the current screening methods comply with these prerequisites. More research is necessary into different combinations of tests, which improve sensitivity. On‐site human papillomavirus (HPV) identification, alone or in combination with other tests, is promising. Another promising development is immunization against HPV infection, either as a preventative measure or for stimulating immunity in infected women.
Surgical management of acute ear canal separation in a cat
Authors: Clarke S.P. 
Published: December 2003

A 5-year-old cat presented with haemorrhagic left aural discharge, 2 days following a road traffic accident. Otoscopic examination identified disruption of the external ear canal at the auricular/annular cartilage junction. This was managed by total ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy. Left sided facial nerve deficits were present following surgery. Eighteen months postoperatively there were no auricular problems, however facial nerve deficits persisted. There are no previous reports describing management of acute separation at the auricular/annular cartilage junction of the external ear in the cat or dog. This case report describes the presentation, diagnosis and surgical management of an acute ear canal separation at the auricular/annular junction of the external ear canal in a cat.
From supply chain to demand chain: the role of lead time reduction in improving demand chain performance
Authors: de Treville Suzanne , Shapiro Roy D , Hameri Ari‐Pekka 
Published: December 2003

AbstractTo improve demand chain performance, is it better for parties in a supply chain to focus first on lead time reduction, or instead concentrate on improving the transfer of demand information upstream in the chain? Even though the theory of supply and demand chain management suggests that lead time reduction is an antecedent to the use of market mediation (i.e., adjusting production to fit actual customer demand as it materializes) [Harvard Business Rev. 75 (2) (1997) 105] to reduce transaction uncertainty in the chain, which can be conceptualized as the primary goal of supply chain management [J. Operat. Manage. 11 (3) (1993) 289], demand chain parties often are observed in practice to begin with information transfer improvement, ignoring the problem of long lead times. In this paper, we propose a framework for prioritizing lead time reduction in a demand chain improvement project, using a typology of demand chains to identify and recommend trajectories to achieve desirable levels of market mediation performance.
The deployment of temporary production workers in assembly operations: a case study of the hidden costs of learning and forgetting
Authors: Stratman Jeff K. , Roth Aleda V. , Gilland Wendell G. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractThe dynamics of workforce skill levels has a considerable impact on plant‐level performance that is commonly overlooked by managers of manufacturing operations. In this study, we present a discrete event simulation model inspired by and validated in an actual manufacturing setting that includes short product life cycles, mid‐volume production quantities, and a production environment consisting of assembly, inspection and testing.The effect of worker skill dynamics is analyzed using a factorial experimental design that contrasts the use of temporary versus permanent workers on manufacturing cost performance. The manufacturing costs assessed include labor, inspection and testing. The cost of reworking a defect is captured as an increase in the labor consumption. Materials costs are not assessed. At the core of the analysis, it is assumed that temporary workers have relatively less skill and therefore have higher average production times, higher average defect rates associated with their assembly activity, and lower rates of learning. In addition, the variance of the production time is higher for the temporary workers. Despite these indicators of performance problems, temporary workers may be used because of the considerably lower wage rate compared to permanent employees.Our in‐depth case analyses shows that assigning skilled permanent workers to upstream build operations was superior to other policies deploying temporary workers, regardless of lot size or product complexity. Attesting to the importance of the labor mix component of manufacturing strategy, workforce deployment policies tended to dominate product switching frequency (a proxy variable for lot size and product mix) in impacting costs.
Analytic expressions for output reliability: Verifying automated calibration and confidence calculations of a groundwater flow simulator
Authors: Zaadnoordijk Willem Jan 
Published: December 2003

Auxiliary material for this article contains a data set of the analytic formulae for the partial derivatives of the piezometric head with respect to the logarithm (base 10) of the resistance c and the hydraulic conductivity k. Additional file information is provided in the README.txt.ftp://ftp.agu.org/apend/wr/2002WR001932‐README.txtftp://ftp.agu.org/apend/wr/2002WR001932‐derivatives.psftp://ftp.agu.org/apend/wr/2002WR001932‐derivatives.texAnalytic relations between input parameters, output variables, and statistics for confidence are derived for semiconfined groundwater flow in a circular domain around a well. The statistics of the two calibrated parameters are derived analytically using a least squares target function. The statistics of the piezometric head are approximated using linear variance analysis (LVA, also known as first‐order second moment method (FOSM)) and quadratic variance analysis (QVA). LVA values for the capture zone radius have been calculated based on numerical derivatives. The results are used to verify TrCalCon, the calibration and confidence module of the groundwater flow simulation package TRIWACO. The LVA and Monte Carlo (MC) results of TrCalCon compare well with the analytic LVA and QVA values, respectively. The problem is only weakly nonlinear in the heads, so that the LVA is accurate enough for practical purposes, and QVA or MC analysis would not be needed. The test can be applied as well to other groundwater simulation packages with a module for automatic parameter optimization and reliability analysis. As presented, the problem is quite simple, and the parameter optimization is relatively easy. The analysis can be expanded easily to make the problem more intricate by adding parameters, changing parameter values, and including other measurements.
Phenotypic similarity and differentiation among sympatric cryptic species in a freshwater amphipod species complex
Authors: Wellborn Gary A. , Cothran Rickey D. 
Published: December 2003

Summary1. Cryptic species diversity poses evolutionary questions about its origin and maintenance, and ecological questions about the coexistence of seemingly identical species.2. We examine patterns of morphological and life history differentiation in three sympatric cryptic species of freshwater amphipods within the Hyalella azteca species complex. These species are separated by extensive molecular evolution, but appear similar in phenotype. Species were collected from the littoral zone of a small kettle lake in Michigan, U.S.A., and identified to species by molecular genetic methods.3. Two of the species were similar, differing only in female size, whereas the third was larger in body size and had larger clutches of smaller eggs than the other two. There were differences between the species also in pleon spine length and antennal segment number.4. An analysis of allozyme variation among the cryptic species in three lakes suggests that the species are reproductively isolated within lakes.5. We suggest that phenotypic similarity of these species is maintained by size‐selective predation by fish. The small, but statistically significant, differences in body size may form the axis for a tradeoff between resource exploitation and predator avoidance, a condition that can foster coexistence of phenotypically similar species.
Controls on periphyton biomass in heterotrophic streams
Authors: Bernhardt Emily S. , Likens Gene E. 
Published: December 2003

Summary1. Headwater streams of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) are typically characterised by a periphyton assemblage of low biomass and diversity. However, periphyton blooms have been observed following catchment deforestation experiments and occasionally during the annual spring thaw before canopy leaf‐out.2. There is pronounced seasonal variation in both nutrient and light availability in HBEF streams. Stream water nitrogen (N) concentrations and light levels are higher before canopy leaf‐out and after leaf senescence and are lower during the growing season. Periphyton accrual rates also change seasonally; they are highest in spring prior to leaf‐out and significantly lower during summer and in autumn.3. Periphyton biomass rarely responded positively to in‐situ experimental enrichment with nitrogen or phosphorus. In the summer, nutrient enrichment overall had no effect on periphyton biomass, while outside the growing season N enrichment had inhibitory effects on periphyton.4. Despite these experimental results, surveys of ambient chlorophyll a concentrations in streams across the HBEF demonstrated no relationship between streamwater dissolved inorganic N or P concentrations and benthic chlorophyll a.5. Our results suggest that HBEF periphyton communities are not closely regulated by nutrient availability, even during periods of high light availability. The inhibitory effects of nutrient enrichment outside the growing season are interesting, but further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms driving these responses.