bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do nerve conduction studies predict the outcome of carpal tunnel decompression?
Authors: Bland Jeremy D.P. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractPatients (n = 3336) who had been tested for suspected carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) were contacted by postal questionnaire and their opinions sought of the overall subjective outcome of any treatments using a five‐point rating scale. Operative results were compared with preoperative nerve conduction, clinical and demographic variables, and a multiple logistic regression analysis used to identify significant prognostic factors. Among 1268 surgical procedures that were identified, the overall surgical success rate was 69%. Preoperative nerve conduction study findings, greater age, lower symptom scores, longer disease duration, and male gender were significant predictors of poor outcome. Nerve conduction studies had the strongest effect, with patients with middle‐grade abnormalities having better results than those with either very severe or no abnormality. Surgical carpal tunnel decompression has a significant failure rate. The preoperative nerve conduction studies account for a proportion of the total variation in outcome. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Mucle Nerve 24: 935–940, 2001
Spontaneous motor unit behavior in human thenar muscles after spinal cord injury
Authors: Zijdewind Inge , Thomas Christine K. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractOur first aim was to characterize spontaneous motor unit activity in thenar muscles influenced by chronic cervical spinal cord injury. Thenar surface electromyography (EMG), intramuscular EMG, and abduction and flexion forces were recorded. Subjects were instructed to relax for 2 min. Units still firing after 10 s were considered spontaneously active. Two distinct patterns of spontaneous unit activity were recorded. Units either fired tonically at a mean frequency of 6.1 HZ or were active sporadically (2.2 HZ). Stimuli (e.g., light touch of nearby skin) were then used to influence tonic spontaneous unit activity. Most stimuli produced a change in firing frequency, usually a temporary increase, but sometimes unit frequency decreased or new activity was initiated. Inputs to these motoneurons clearly make important contributions to changes in unit activity. However, the difficulty that subjects had in stopping unit activity, and the initiation of activity when subjects relaxed, suggest that the source of spontaneity may be the motoneuron itself. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 952–962, 2001
Adynamic ileus in severe Guillain–Barré syndrome
Authors: Burns Ted M. , Lawn Nicholas D. , Low Philip A. , Camilleri Michael , Wijdicks Eelco F.M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAdynamic ileus occurred in 17 of 114 patients (15%) with severe Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS). Cardiovascular dysautonomia coincided with ileus in only five patients. In four patients, mechanical ventilation and immobilization could be implicated; and in eight patients, preexisting conditions such as prior abdominal surgery or incremental doses of opioids could be linked to ileus. Medical management was successful in all patients. Patients with GBS infrequently develop ileus as a manifestation of dysautonomia. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 963–965, 2001
Balanced network flows. V. Cycle‐canceling algorithms
Authors: Fremuth‐Paeger Christian , Jungnickel Dieter 
Published: October 2004

AbstractWe discuss Anstee's approach for solving generalized matching problems by solving an ordinary flow problem on a balanced network first. We give a description of the algorithm which applies not only to matching problems, but also to the general setting. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Heterogeneity of cycling glial progenitors in the adult mammalian cortex and white matter
Authors: Gensert JoAnn M. , Goldman James E. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe heterogeneity and differentiation potential of mitotically active cells in the adult brain were studied by labeling adult rats with BrdU, and isolating an enriched population of cycling cells from neocortex and from subcortical white matter. The majority of this population isolated from either brain region labeled with O4, an early oligodendrocyte marker. In tissue culture, these O4+ progenitors acquired galactocerebroside, a glycolipid of mature oligodendrocytes, but not GFAP, an intermediate filament of astrocytes. A minority population expressed the intermediate filament protein, vimentin, but not O4. This population expressed GFAP after several days in culture. A third population of cycling cells, expressing the gangliosides labeled with the A2B5 antibody, represented a minority population in subcortical white matter, but one of the major cycling populations in cortex, with substantial overlap with O4. Small populations of cycling NG2+ cells also were observed. Thus, the cycling cells in the adult brain are heterogeneous, and the majority appear to belong to glial lineages. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 48: 75–86, 2001
Screening for synaptic defects revealed a locus involved in presynaptic and postsynaptic functions in Drosophila embryos
Authors: Takasu‐Ishikawa Etsuko , Yoshihara Motojiro , Ueda Atsushi , Rheuben Mary B. , Hotta Yoshiki , Kidokoro Yoshiaki 
Published: October 2004

AbstractTo identify genes involved in synaptic functions, we screened lethal enhancer trap lines by monitoring synaptic activities at the neuromuscular junction in Drosophila embryos. It was found that MY7919, thus isolated, has moderate defects in both pre‐ and postsynaptic functions. The mean amplitudes of spontaneous as well as evoked synaptic currents were smaller than those in wild‐type. The failure rate was higher than normal at any given concentration of external Ca2+, indicating that presynaptic functions were impaired. In addition, the mean amplitude of miniature synaptic currents was smaller, and the unitary current amplitudes of junctional glutamate receptor channels were slightly but significantly smaller. Thus, postsynaptic functions were also altered. The gene was cloned and found to be identical to the previously reported apontic (=tracheae defective) locus, which is believed to be a transcription factor expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in the head, tracheae, and heart. Immunohistochemical analysis using an antiapontic antibody revealed that the protein is localized to nuclei. Null alleles of the apontic locus were obtained by imprecise excision of the enhancer trap vector. Synaptic activities in null mutants were not different from those of the original allele, even though null homozygotes had uncontracted ventral nerve cords and more severe behavioral phenotypes. The morphology of the neuromuscular junction of the null mutant was qualitatively similar to that of wild‐type, with the presence of typical pre‐ and postsynaptic specializations, but with some suggestions of quantitative differences. This strategy for screening mutants with synaptic defects will reveal more genes directly or indirectly affecting synaptic transmission. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 48: 101–119, 2001
Neurotrophins, but not depolarization, regulate substance P expression in the developing optic tectum
Authors: Tu Shichun , Debski Elizabeth A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractNeurotransmitter expression can be regulated by both activity and neurotrophins in a number of in vitro systems. We examined whether either of these factors was likely to play a role in the in vivo optic nerve‐dependent regulation of a substance P‐like immunoreactive (SP‐ir) population of cells in the developing optic tectum of the frog. In contrast to our previous results with the adult system, blocking tectal cell responses to glutamate release by retinal ganglion cells with 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3 dione (CNQX) did not affect the percent of SP‐ir cells in the developing tectum. Treatment with d‐(‐)‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovaleric acid (d‐AP‐5) was also ineffective in this regard, although both it and CNQX treatment disrupted visual map topography. Chronic treatment with brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin‐4/5 (NT‐4/5) produced increases in SP‐ir cells in the treated lobes of normal animals, which were significant in the case of NT‐4/5. Both substances also prevented the decrease of SP cells that would otherwise occur in the deafferented lobe of unilaterally optic nerve‐transected tadpoles. These changes in the percent of SP‐ir cells occurred without any detectable changes in the overall number of tectal cells. NGF had no effect on SP expression. Nor did it affect topographic map formation, which was disrupted by treatment with either BDNF or NT‐4/5. Our results demonstrate that different mechanisms regulate SP expression in the developing and adult tectum. They indicate that neurotrophin levels in the developing optic tectum may selectively regulate a specific neuropeptide‐expressing population of cells. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 48: 131–149, 2001
Prenatal diagnosis of tetrasomy 9p in a 19‐week‐old fetus with Dandy–Walker malformation: a case report
Authors: Deurloo K. L. , Cobben J. M. , Heins Y. M. , de Ru M. , Wijnaendts L. C. D. , van Vugt J. M. G. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjectiveThe presentation of sonographic and perinatal findings of tetrasomy 9p.Methods and ResultsChorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis were performed at 19 weeks of gestation because of the sonographic findings of Dandy–Walker malformation with bilateral ventriculomegaly. Cytogenetic analysis showed 47,XX,+i psu dic(9)(pter‐>q12::q12>‐pter). The pregnancy was terminated at 20 weeks of gestation at the request of the parents. At post‐mortem examination, the presumed hypoplasia of the vermis could not be confirmed for technical reasons. No other pathological findings were seen.ConclusionFrom our experience and from the literature, we conclude that Dandy–Walker malformation is an important finding in tetrasomy 9p. Chromosomal studies should be carried out in fetuses with sonographically detected Dandy–Walker malformation, even in the absence of other abnormalities. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social outcomes of children with AD/HD: Contributing factors and implications for practice
Authors: Stormont Melissa 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe purposes of this article are to provide a review of the literature in the area of social characteristics of children with AD/HD, and to outline interventions for working with specific social problems. Research has consistently documented that children with AD/HD are more rejected and less accepted by their peers. Possible reasons for this peer rejection will be presented in this article and include inappropriate social behavior, social knowledge deficits and biases, and negative interactions with peers and teachers. Because children with AD/HD are at risk for negative social outcomes, multiple intervention options are necessary. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Factors affecting treatment acceptability for psychostimulant medication versus psychoeducational intervention
Authors: Stinnett Terry A. , Crawford Stephanie A. , Gillespie Marci D. , Cruce Michael K. , Langford Courtney A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractFuture teachers' judgments of acceptability for two common treatments for children with the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) label were examined. One hundred forty‐four pre‐service teachers were grouped according to their high school location at graduation (urban vs. rural) and were randomly assigned to read one of four vignettes. The content of the vignettes was held constant but label (ADHD vs no label) and treatments (special education placement vs. Ritalin) were varied. Results indicated a significant main effect on treatment acceptability for High School Location, a Label × Treatment interaction on the attention problems variable, a main effect for Label on the social problems variable, and a High School Location × Treatment interaction on the social problems variable. A number of implications can be made. Observer characteristics such as urban or rural high school experiences may influence judgments about a labeled child more than the characteristics of the child being observed. In this study, the ADHD label evoked greater expectations of attentional difficulties even when the pattern of functioning was similar to nonlabeled children. On the other hand, children with the ADHD label were judged as having better social functioning, which suggests that the ADHD label allows observers to attribute behavioral difficulties or the social problems displayed by these children to some factor that is outside the control of the child, or for which the child does not have personal responsibility. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Polysilsesquioxane containing tributylstannyl groups as intermediary derivative for organofunctionalization
Authors: Moriya Osamu , Fukushima Masanori , Sugizaki Toshio , Nakamura Yoshiyuki , Endo Takeshi 
Published: October 2004

AbstractPoly(phenylsilsesquioxane) containing tributylstannyl groups (TBPSQ) was a useful intermediate for the synthesis of organofunctionalized polysilsesquioxane (2). The reaction of TBPSQ and monochlorosilane (1), which possessed an organofunctional group, proceeded under mild and neutral conditions to give 2 with the elimination of tributylstannylchloride. The combined use of the different chlorosilanes 1 enabled the ready preparation of multifunctionalized polysilsesquioxanes 2. The number‐average molecular weights and dispersions of 2 were almost the same as those of starting TBPSQ. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 286–292, 2002
Ethylene copolymerization with cyclic dienes using rac‐Et[Ind]2ZrCl2–Methylaluminoxane
Authors: Simanke Adriane G. , Mauler Raquel S. , Galland Griselda B. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe effect of the copolymerization temperature and amount of comonomer in the copolymerization of ethylene with 1,3‐cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, and 4‐vinyl‐1‐cyclohexene and the rac‐Et[Ind]2ZrCl2–methylaluminoxane metallocene system was studied. The amount of comonomer present in the reaction media influenced the catalytic activity. Dicyclopentadiene was the most reactive comonomer among the cyclic dienes studied. In general, copolymers synthesized at 60 °C showed higher catalytic activities. Ethylene–dicyclopentadiene copolymers with high comonomer contents (>9%) did not show melting temperatures. 1,3‐Cyclopentadiene dimerized into dicyclopentadiene during the copolymerization, giving a terpolymer of ethylene, cyclopentadiene, and dicyclopentadiene. A complete characterization of the products was carried out with 1H NMR, 13C NMR, heteronuclear chemical shift correlation, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 471–485, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10133
Anionic ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide in the presence of phosphonium catalysts
Authors: Rexin Ornulf , Mülhaupt Rolf 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAnionic ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide in the presence of potassium alcoholate initiator was accelerated by addition of the bulky phosphonium salt tetrakis[cyclohexyl(methyl)amino]phosphonium‐tetrafluoroborate. Dipropylene glycol (DPG) was partially deprotonated (5%) and used as an initiator for the polymerization performed at 100 °C at normal pressure. The delocalization of the positive charge over five atoms promoted the formation of a separated ion pair, thus enhancing nucleophilicity and reactivity. Compared with those of polyaminophosphazenes and tetrabutylphosphonium cation, the average propagation rates increased in the order of Bu4P+, K+, P, P, and tBuP4H+. DPn for the polymers was in the range of 20–64. Characterization of poly(propylene oxide)s by means of 1H NMR, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) showed low polydispersities (Mw/Mn) without any byproducts or impurities. The Mw/Mn obtained was 1.03–1.09 (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) and 1.11–1.15 (SEC), respectively. Values calculated from titration of the hydroxyl groups showed good agreement. Determination of the total degree of unsaturation in the range of 13–60 mmol/kg indicated larger amounts with increasing polymerization rates. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 864–873, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10163
Structure–property relationships in modified natural rubber latexes grafted with methyl methacrylate and vinyl neo‐decanoate
Authors: Lee Doug‐Youn , Subramaniam Nadaraja , Fellows Christopher M. , Gilbert Robert G. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractA series of modified natural rubber latexes (NRLs) grafted with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization with NRL as the seed polymer. Two different redox systems, cumene hydroperoxide (CHP)/tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA) and tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (t‐BHP)/TEPA, were used to initiate polymerization, and phase mixing was promoted by the addition of vinyl neo‐decanoate (VneoD). The CHP/TEPA system was more efficient than t‐BHP/TEPA for the grafting of secondary polymers in modified natural rubber (NR). The enhanced phase mixing in the presence of VneoD was attributed to the solubility parameter of the VneoD‐rich methyl methacrylate–VneoD copolymer formed late in the reaction, lying between that of PMMA and NR, and the extent to which this polymer was grafted to the NR backbone. The viscoelastic properties of the polymers were investigated as a function of composition, temperature, and frequency; changes in viscoelastic behavior consistent with the presence of a high‐Tg PMMA phase (where Tg is the glass‐transition temperature) were observed. This suggested a degree of phase mixing that increased with increasing VneoD content and increasing flux of oxygen‐centered radicals within the NR particles. More phase mixing resulted in poorer film formation, which was consistent with the localization of a high‐Tg secondary polymer phase near the particle surface. The apparent concentration of PMMA near the surface of the particles was also observed with transmission electron microscopy. The localization of PMMA near the particle surfaces was consistent with the presumed locus of radical generation in these systems: the redox couple used to initiate the polymerization consisted of an oil‐soluble hydroperoxide and a water‐soluble amine that reacted predominantly at the water/particle interface. The viscoelastic properties of the modified NRLs that were prepared suggest that these synthetic procedures provide a means of controlling phase mixing and branching, such as for improving the suitability of these modified rubbers in pressure‐sensitive‐adhesive formulations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 809–822, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10165
Phosphines: Nucleophilic organic catalysts for the controlled ring‐opening polymerization of lactides
Authors: Myers Matthew , Connor Eric F. , Glauser Thierry , Möck Andreas , Nyce Gregory , Hedrick James L. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractA new metal‐free synthetic approach to the controlled ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide with nucleophilic phosphines as transesterification catalysts is described. P(Bu)3, PhPMe2, Ph2PMe, PPh3, and related phosphines are commercially available, inexpensive catalysts that generate narrowly dispersed polylactides with predictable molecular weights. These organic catalysts must be used in combination with an initiator, such as an alcohol, to generate an alcoholate ester α‐end group upon ROP. A likely polymerization pathway is through a monomer‐activated mechanism, with minimal active species, facilitating narrow molecular weight distributions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 844–851, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10168
Phenomenological approach to compare the crystallization kinetics of isotactic polypropylene and polyamide‐6 under pressure
Authors: La Carrubba V. , Brucato V. , Piccarolo S. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractReliable experimental data for semicrystalline polymers crystallized under pressure are supplied on the basis of a model experiment in which drastic solidification conditions are applied. The influence of the pressure and cooling rate on some properties, such as the density and microhardness, and on the product morphology, as investigated with wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), is stressed. Results for isotactic polypropylene (iPP) samples display a lower density and a lower microhardness with increasing pressure over a wide range of cooling rates (from 0.01 to 20 °C/s). Polyamide‐6 (PA6) samples exhibit the opposite behavior, with the density and microhardness increasing at higher pressures over the entire range of cooling rates investigated (from 1 to 200 °C/s). A deconvolution technique applied to iPP and PA6 WAXS patterns has allowed us to evaluate the final phase content and to assess the crystallization kinetics. A negative influence of pressure on the α‐crystalline phase crystallization kinetics can be observed for iPP, whereas a slightly positive influence of pressure on the crystallization kinetics of PA6 can be noted. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 153–175, 2002
Degradation of a poly(ester urethane) elastomer. I. Absorption and diffusion of water in Estane® 5703 and related polymers
Authors: Salazar Michael R. , Thompson Shelley L. , Laintz Kenneth E. , Pack Russell T 
Published: October 2004

AbstractIn preparation for studying the hydrolytic degradation of Estane® 5703 and related poly(ester urethane) elastomers, the absorption (solubility) and diffusion of water in these polymers have been examined experimentally and modeled theoretically. Weight gain and loss experiments have been carried out. The amount of water absorbed per gram of sample was linear at low relative humidities (RHs) but curved upward at higher RHs. This curvature was not fit by Henry's law or the Flory–Huggins equation but was easily fit by a water‐cluster model. Diffusion coefficients were determined by fitting the time dependence of the sample weights, and the diffusion appeared Fickian to within experimental uncertainty. The similarity of related polymers was used to determine the approximate temperature dependence of the absorption. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 181–191, 2002
Mechanical properties of clay‐reinforced polyamide
Authors: Masenelli‐Varlot K. , Reynaud E. , Vigier G. , Varlet J. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractIntercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites were prepared by extrusion and injection of polyamide‐6 and highly swollen or slightly swollen montmorillonite, respectively. The microstructure of the nanocomposites has been studied previously. In this article, we investigated the influence of the preferential orientation of the montmorillonite sheets on the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile tests showed that the elastic modulus depends mainly on the filler loading. A parallel coupling could well account for the behavior of the nanocomposites. The calculated elastic and storage moduli of montmorillonite were set to 140 and 40 GPa, respectively. Compression tests were performed to study the anisotropy of the mechanical properties. The elastic modulus and flow strain were sensitive to the filler orientation. A Tandon–Weng approach was applied to consider the geometry of the filler. In all low‐deformation tests, no significant difference between intercalated and exfoliated systems was observed. Finally, the influence of the dispersion and exfoliation state of the filler on the ultimate properties of the nanocomposites (tensile tests) is discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 272–283, 2002