bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Case Notes
Authors: Chou Shih‐Yu , Kao Shu‐Ching , Hsu Wen‐Ming 
Published: February 2004

AbstractA 43‐year‐old man presented suffering from decreasing vision in both eyes for 3 months. The patient's visual acuity was 6/20 (non‐corrected) in the right eye and 6/10 (−1.75/−1.00 × 91) in the left. Ocular examination of both eyes revealed anterior subcapsular opacities of both lenses with the right eye being more severe than the left. He had been taking finasteride (Propecia; Merck, Sharp and Dohme) at 1 mg/day for 3 years to treat early stage of androgenic alopecia. It was highly suspected that finasteride was associated with the anterior subcapsular opacity on the lens, and the patient therefore discontinued use of finasteride. He underwent uneventful cataract extraction surgery and intraocular lens implantation of the right eye. One month after cataract surgery in the right eye, the best‐corrected visual acuity was right 6/6 (−1.25) and left 6/10 (−2.00/−0.50 × 100). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of Propecia‐associated cataract.
Clinical Case Notes
Authors: Sanfilippo Paul , Troutbeck Robyn , Vandeleur Kevin , Lenton Lee 
Published: February 2004

AbstractAdult‐onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy is characterized by a focal, round or oval shaped, subretinal foveal yellow lesion that presents bilaterally and usually symmetrically in the fourth or fifth decade of life. In addition to clinical observation, diagnosis of the disease process has until now been assisted by electrophysiological and fundus fluorescein studies. Two cases are presented that correlate the clinical fundus appearance with optical coherence tomo­graphy findings and describe the location of the yellow vitelliform material.
Evaluating Australia’s National Medicines Policy using geographical mapping
Authors: Roughead E. E. , Monteith G. R. , Harvey K. J. , Tett S. E. 
Published: February 2004

Abstract Background: There has been a proliferation of quality use of medicines activities in Australia since the 1990s. However, knowledge of the nature and extent of these activities was lacking. A mechanism was required to map the activities to enable their coordination. Aims: To develop a geographical mapping facility as an evaluative tool to assist the planning and implementation of Australia’s policy on the quality use of medicines. Methods: A web‐based database incorporating geographical mapping software was developed. Quality use of medicines projects implemented across the country was identified from project listings funded by the Quality Use of Medicines Evaluation Program, the National Health and Medical Research Council, Mental Health Strategy, Rural Health Support, Education and Training Program, the Healthy Seniors Initiative, the General Practice Evaluation Program and the Drug Utilisation Evaluation Network. In addition, projects were identified through direct mail to persons working in the field. Results: The Quality Use of Medicines Mapping Project (QUMMP) was developed, providing a Web‐based database that can be continuously updated. This database showed the distribution of quality use of medicines activities by: (i) geographical region, (ii) project type, (iii) target group, (iv) stakeholder involvement, (v) funding body and (vi) evaluation method. At September 2001, the database included 901 projects. Sixty‐two per cent of projects had been conducted in Australian capital cities, where approximately 63% of the population reside. Distribution of projects varied between States. In Western Australia and Queensland, 36 and 73 projects had been conducted, respectively, representing approximately two projects per 100 000 people. By comparison, in South Australia and Tasmania approximately seven projects per 100 000 people were recorded, with six per 100 000 people in Victoria and three per 100 000 people in New South Wales. Rural and remote areas of the country had more limited project activity. Conclusions: The mapping of projects by geographical location enabled easy identification of high and low activity areas. Analysis of the types of projects undertaken in each region enabled identification of target groups that had not been involved or services that had not yet been developed. This served as a powerful tool for policy planning and implementation and will be used to support the continued implementation of Australia’s policy on the quality use of medicines. (Intern Med J 2002; 32: 66–71)
Minidose (1 mg) warfarin as prophylaxis for central vein catheter thrombosis
Authors: Heaton D. C. , Han D. Y. , Inder A. 
Published: February 2004

Abstract Background: Central vein catheters, which are used in the treatment of cancer patients, are prone to thrombotic complications of the catheter or adjacent vein. Previous studies suggest that 1 mg warfarin daily (minidose) can significantly reduce that risk. Aims: This study aims to establish whether minidose warfarin could reduce catheter‐related thrombosis in adult patients with haematological malignancies. Methods: Patients were randomly selected to receive warfarin or not. The end‐points studied were: (i) occlusion by thrombus, (ii) removal of catheter for other reasons or (iii) 90 days free of thrombus. Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of catheter thrombosis or venous thrombosis and no significant variation in catheter survival between the study and control groups. Conclusions: This study found no benefit of the routine use of minidose warfarin for prophylaxis of central vein catheter thrombosis in patients with haematolog‐ ical malignancies and therefore does not support the routine use of minidose warfarin for prophylaxis in such patients. (Intern Med J 2002; 32: 84–88)
Advanced glycation endproducts and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in transgenic Tg2576 mice with amyloid plaque pathology
Authors: Münch Gerald , Apelt Jenny , Rosemarie‐Kientsch‐Engel  , Stahl Peter , Lüth Hans Joachim , Schliebs Reinhard 
Published: February 2004

AbstractIncreased expression and altered processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and generation of β‐amyloid peptides is important in the pathogenesis of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Transgenic Tg2576 mice overexpressing the Swedish mutation of human APP exhibit β‐amyloid deposition in the neocortex and limbic areas, accompanied by gliosis and dystrophic neurites. However, murine plaques appear to be less cross‐linked and the mice show a lower degree of inflammation and neurodegeneration than AD patients. ‘Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs)’, formed by reaction of proteins with reactive sugars or dicarbonyl compounds, are able to cross‐link proteins and to activate glial cells, and are thus contributing to plaque stability and plaque‐induced inflammation in AD. In this study, we analyze the tissue distribution of AGEs and the pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and TNF‐α in 24‐month‐old Tg2576 mice, and compare the AGE distribution in these mice with a younger age group (13 months old) and a typical Alzheimer's disease patient. Around 70% of the amyloid plaque cores in the 24‐month‐old mice are devoid of AGEs, which might explain their solubility in physiological buffers. Plaque associated glia, which express IL‐1β and TNF‐α, contain a significant amount of AGEs, suggesting that plaques, i.e. Aβ as its major component, can induce intracellular AGE formation and the expression of the cytokines on its own. In the 13‐month‐old transgenic mice, AGEs staining can neither be detected in plaques nor in glial cells. In contrast, AGEs are present in high amounts in both plaques and glia in the human AD patient. The data obtained in this show interesting differences between the transgenic mouse model and AD patients, which should be considered using the transgenic approach to test therapeutical strategies to eliminate plaques or to attenuate the inflammatory response in AD.
Alzheimer's associated variant ubiquitin causes inhibition of the 26S proteasome and chaperone expression
Authors: Hope Andrew D. , De Silva Rohan , Fischer David F. , Hol Elly M. , Van Leeuwen Fred W. , Lees Andrew J. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractIntracellular protein inclusions in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy contain UBB+1, a variant ubiquitin. UBB+1 is able block the 26S proteasome in cell lines. Proteasome inhibition by drug action has previously been shown to induce a heat‐shock response and render protection against stress. We investigated UBB+1 by developing a stable, conditional expression model in SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Induction of UBB+1 expression caused proteasome inhibition as was confirmed by reduced ability to process misfolded canavanyl proteins, accumulation of GFPu, a proteasome substrate, and reduced cleavage of a fluorogenic substrate. We show that expression of UBB+1 induces expression of heat‐shock proteins. This priming of the chaperone system in these cells promotes a subsequent resistance to tert‐butyl hydroperoxide‐mediated oxidative stress. We conclude that although UBB+1‐expressing cells have a compromised ubiquitin‐proteasome system, they are protected against oxidative stress conditions.
Differential neurochemical properties of central serotonergic transmission in Roman high‐ and low‐avoidance rats
Authors: Giorgi O. , Piras G. , Lecca D. , Hansson S. , Driscoll P. , Corda M. G. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe selective breeding of Roman high‐ (RHA/Verh) and low‐avoidance (RLA/Verh) rats for rapid versus poor acquisition of active avoidant behaviour has produced two behavioural phenotypes with different performances in a variety of animal models of anxiety, in which RLA/Verh rats are consistently more fearful than RHA/Verh rats. In addition, these two lines display different functional properties of brain neurotransmitters like serotonin (5‐HT), known to be involved in the expression of anxiety‐ and depression‐related behaviours. Therefore, we used brain microdialysis and [3H]‐citalopram binding autoradiography to characterize further the neurochemical properties of 5‐HTergic transmission in the two lines. No significant line‐related differences were detected in the basal 5‐HT output in the frontoparietal cortex (FPCx). In contrast, the increase in the cortical 5‐HT output elicited by the systemic administration or the local application, via reverse dialysis, of chlorimipramine and fluoxetine was more robust in RHA/Verh than in RLA/Verh rats. Moreover, the binding signal of [3H]‐citalopram to 5‐HT re‐uptake sites was more intense in the FPCx of RHA/Verh rats than in their RLA/Verh counterparts. These findings suggest that the functional tone of the 5‐HTergic projection to the FPCx is stronger in the RHA/Verh line relative to the RLA/Verh line. It is proposed that RLA/Verh rats may be used as a model with heuristic value for studying the role of 5‐HTergic transmission in anxiety and in the anxiolytic effects of monoamine re‐uptake inhibitors.
Modulation of the histaminergic system and behaviour by α‐fluoromethylhistidine in zebrafish
Authors: Peitsaro Nina , Kaslin Jan , Anichtchik Oleg V. , Panula Pertti 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe functional role of histamine (HA) in zebrafish brains was studied. Zebrafish did not display a clear circadian variation in brain HA levels. Loading of zebrafish with l‐histidine increased HA concentration in the brain. A single injection of the histidine decarboxylase (HDC) inhibitor, α‐fluoromethylhistidine (α‐FMH), gave rise to a rapid reduction in zebrafish brain HA. Low HDC activity in the brain after injections verified the effect of α‐FMH. A reduction in the number of histaminergic fibres but not neurones and an increased expression of HDC mRNA was evident after α‐FMH. Automated behavioural analysis after α‐FMH injection showed no change in swimming activity, but abnormalities were detected in exploratory behaviour examined in a circular tank. No significant behavioural changes were detected after histidine loading. The time spent for performance in the T‐maze was significantly increased in the first trial 4 days after α‐FMH injections, suggesting that lack of HA may impair long‐term memory. The rostrodorsal telencephalon, considered to correspond to the mammalian amygdala and hippocampus in zebrafish, is densely innervated by histaminergic fibres. These results suggest that low HA decreases anxiety and/or affects learning and memory in zebrafish, possibly through mechanisms that involve the dorsal forebrain.
Alpha‐1B adrenergic receptor knockout mice are protected against methamphetamine toxicity
Authors: Battaglia Giuseppe , Fornai Francesco , Busceti Carla Letizia , Lembo Giuseppe , Nicoletti Ferdinando , De Blasi Antonio 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe psychostimulant methamphetamine (MA) is toxic to nigro‐striatal dopaminergic terminals in both experimental animals and humans. In mice, three consecutive injections of MA (5 mg/kg, i.p. with 2 h of interval) induced a massive degeneration of the nigro‐striatal pathway, as reflected by a 50% reduction in the striatal levels of dopamine (DA) and 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), by a substantial reduction in striatal tyrosine hydroxylase and high‐affinity DA transporter immunostaining, and by the development of reactive gliosis. MA‐induced nigro‐striatal degeneration was largely attenuated in mice lacking α1b‐adrenergic receptors (ARs). MA‐stimulated striatal DA release (measured by microdialysis in freely moving animals) and locomotor activity were also reduced in α1b‐AR knockout mice. Pharmacological blockade of α‐adrenergic receptors with prazosin also protected wild‐type mice against MA toxicity. These results suggests that α1b‐ARs may play a role in the toxicity of MA on nigro‐striatal DA neurons.
Increased survival and neuroprotective effects of BN82451 in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease
Authors: Klivenyi Peter , Ferrante Robert J. , Gardian Gabrielle , Browne Susan , Chabrier Pierre‐Etienne , Beal M. Flint 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThere is substantial evidence that excitotoxicity and oxidative damage may contribute to Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. We examined whether the novel anti‐oxidant compound BN82451 exerts neuroprotective effects in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD. Oral administration of BN82451 significantly improved motor performance and improved survival by 15%. Oral administration of BN82451 significantly reduced gross brain atrophy, neuronal atrophy and the number of neuronal intranuclear inclusions at 90 days of age. These findings provide evidence that novel anti‐oxidants such as BN82451 may be useful for treating HD.
Raman Spectral Studies of HDO in H2O
Authors: Walrafen G. E. 
Published: February 2004

Argon-ion-laser and mercury-excited photoelectric Raman spectra have been obtained from a 6.2M solution of D2O in H2O in the temperature range of 16°-97°C and at frequencies from 2000-3000 cm−1. Examination of the OD stretching contours observed near 2500-2600 cm−1 revealed marked asymmetry, and a high-frequency shoulder was apparent in all cases. In addition, an isosbestic point was found at 2570 ± 5 cm−1.
The OD stretching contours were analyzed by means of a special-purpose analog computer, and two Gaussian components near 2510-2540 and 2630-2660 cm−1 were found to provide adequate fits of the contours in the temperature range involved, although some indication of a third weak Gaussian Raman component was found, and three Gaussian components were employed to fit the infrared-absorbance contours also obtained in this work. The integrated Raman intensities of the two principal Gaussian components were observed to have opposite temperature dependences, and the component intensities yielded a value of 2.5 ± 0.6 kacl/mole for the van't Hoff ΔH° associated with the disruption of one O–D···O unit in good agreement with the O–H···O values of 2.8 kcal/mole obtained from previous Raman studies of water and 2.4 kcal/mole obtained by Worley and Klotz from near-infrared studies of HDO in D2O. The presence of asymmetry in the form of a pronounced high-frequency shoulder, and of an isosbestic point, constitute the principal experimental observations indicating that the OD stretching contours observed in the Raman spectra are composed of two or more components. The opposite temperature dependences of the integrated Raman intensities of the principal Gaussian components considered to comprise the OD stretching band, the resulting ΔH° value, and agreements between ΔH° values from various methods provide additional support for the two-state model of water structure. No evidence was obtained in support of the continuum model proposed by some workers.
Molecular Structure of XeF6. II. Internal Motion and Mean Geometry Deduced by Electron Diffraction
Authors: Bartell L. S. , Gavin R. M. 
Published: February 2004

The distribution of internuclear distances in gaseous XeF6 exhibits unusually diffuse XeF6 bonded and F–F geminal nonbonded peaks, the latter of which is severely skewed. The distribution proves the molecule cannot be a regular octahedron vibrating in independent normal modes. The instantaneous molecular configurations encountered by the incident electrons are predominantly in the broad vicinity of C3υ structures conveniently described as distorted octahedra in which the xenon lone pair avoids the bonding pairs. In these distorted structures the XeF bond lengths are distributed over a range of approximately 0.08 Å with the longer bonds tending to be those adjacent to the avoided region of the coordination sphere. Fluorines suffer angular displacements from octahedral sites which range up to 5° or 10° in the vicinity of the avoided region.
Alternative interpretations of the diffraction data are developed in detail, ranging from models of statically deformed molecules to those of dynamically inverting molecules. In all cases it is necessary to assume that t1u bending amplitudes are enormous and correlated in a certain way with substantial t2g deformations. Notwith-standing the small fraction of time that XeF. spends near Oh symmetry, it is possible to construct a molecular potential-energy function more or less compatiable with the diffraction data in which the minimum energy occurs at Oh symmerty. The most notable feature of this model is the almost vanishing restoring force for small t1u bending distortions. Indeed, the mean curvature of the potential surface for this model corresponds to a υ4 force constant F44 of 10−2 mdyn/Å or less. Various rapidly inverting non-Oh structures embodying particular combinations of t2g and t1u deformations from Oh symmetry give slightly better radial distribution functions, however. In the region of molecular configuration where the gas molecules spend most of their time, the form of the potential-energy function required to represent the data does not distinguish between a Jahn–Teller first-order term or a cubic V445 term as the agent responsible for introducing the t2g deformation. The Jahn–Teller term is consistent with Goodman's interpretation of the molecule. On the other hand, the cubic term is found to be exactly analogous to that for other molecules with stereochemically active lone pairs (e.g., SF4, ClF3). Therefore, the question as to why the XeF6 molecule is distorted remains open. The reported absence of any observable gas-phase paramagnetism weighs against the Jahn–Teller interpretation.
The qualitative success but quantitative failure of the valence-shell–electron-pair-repulsion theory is discussed and the relevance of the “pseudo-Jahn–Teller” formalism of Longuet-Higgins et al. is pointed out. Brief comparisons are made with isoelectronic ions.
Long Radiative Lifetimes of Small Molecules
Authors: Bixon Mordechai , Jortner Joshua 
Published: February 2004

In this paper, we apply a theory of electronic relaxation in polyatomic molecules for the study of the anomalously long radiative lifetimes of NO2, CS2, and SO2. We have classified medium-size molecules which exhibit intramolecular vibronic coupling into two intermediate cases, which we call the sparse intermediate case and the dense intermediate case, characterized by low and high spacing of the vibronic levels relative to the radiative width. The radiative decay in the sparse intermediate case was considered in detail, taking advantage of the coarse level spacing and the extremely short intramolecular recurrence time encountered in this case. From our model calculations, we conclude that:
(a) in the sparse case, the radiative decay rate is characterized by a superposition of slowly varying exponentials;
(b) the mean radiative lifetime is expressed as a radiative lifetime calculated from the integrated oscillator strength and “diluted” by the number of states within the half-width of the manifold of coupled levels;
(c) no intramolecular electronic relaxation processes are encountered in this case;
(d) a qualitative interpretation of the complex molecular spectra is provided.
Delayed fluorescence of organic mixed crystals: Temperature independent triplet-triplet annihilation in biphenyl host
Authors: Misra T. N. 
Published: February 2004

The investigation on the delayed fluorescence of phenanthrene guest and of naphthalene guest in biphenyl host mixed crystals has been extended to liquid helium temperature. In the very low-temperature range, the intensity as well as the decay and the buildup characteristics of delayed luminescence are temperature independent. It has generally been observed that even at this very low temperature, phosphorescence buildup is faster than its decay whereas delayed fluorescence buildup is slower than the decay.
It has been concluded that, although at higher temperature guest triplet exciton migration is an activated process and occurs through the host triplet exciton band, at low temperature, direct exchange interaction is probably the main mechanism of triplet energy transfer in biphenyl host.
Myth against myth: the nation as ethnic overlay
Authors: Hutchinson John 
Published: February 2004

Abstract Nationalism is a secular modern ideology that has been accompanied by revolutions and it has legitimised the rise to power of new social classes. For this reason many theorists have regarded nationalists as inventors of tradition and their claims to continuities with the past as either self‐delusion or a form of deceit. Yet in many cases premodern ethnic identities have powerfully shaped the programmes and policies of many nation‐states.How can nationalism be the expressions of ethnic continuity and also of revolutionary change? I will argue that nationalism is a novel form of ethnicity, shaped by the polycentric vision of romanticism and by the unprecedented and unpredictable challenges of the modern world that require innovation Nationalists are able to justify innovation because of the ‘layered’ nature of the ethnic past, and they are able to overcome established ethnic identities by generating at times of crises novel myths based on romantic acts of sacrifice by heroic elites that legitimise new national projects. But these new elite‐driven national mythologies overlie rather than obliterate older ethnic traditions. These latter can come to life in the process of nation‐building, redirecting it from its original secular goals.