bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture versus placebo versus sumatriptan for early treatment of migraine attacks: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Melchart D. , Thormaehlen J. , Hager S. , Liao J. , Linde K. , Weidenhammer W. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.  Melchart D, Thormaehlen J, Hager S, Liao J, Linde K, Weidenhammer W (Technical University, Munich, Germany; University Zurich, Switzerland; and Hospital for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Koetzting, Germany). Acupuncture versus placebo versus sumatriptan for early treatment of migraine attacks: a randomized controlled trial. J Intern Med 2003; 253: 181–188.Objectives.  To investigate whether acupuncture is superior to placebo and equivalent to sumatriptan for the early treatment of an acute migraine attack.Design.  Randomized, partly double‐blind (sumatriptan versus placebo) trial.Setting.  Two hospitals in Germany (one specialized in traditional Chinese medicine and one in the treatment of headache).Subjects.  A total of 179 migraineurs experiencing the first symptoms of a developing migraine attack.Interventions.  Traditional Chinese acupuncture, sumatriptan (6 mg subcutaneously) or placebo injection.Main outcome measure.  Number of patients in whom a full migraine attack (defined as severe migraine headache) within 48 h was prevented. In patients who developed a migraine attack in spite of early treatment, acupuncture and sumatriptan were applied a second time, whilst patients initially randomized to placebo received sumatriptan.Results.  A full migraine attack was prevented in 21 of 60 (35%) patients receiving acupuncture, 21 of 58 (36%) patients receiving sumatriptan and 11 of 61 (18%) patients receiving placebo (relative risk of having a full attack 0.79 (95% CI, 0.64–0.99) for acupuncture versus placebo, and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.62–0.98) for sumatriptan versus placebo). Response to the second intervention in patients who developed a full attack was better with sumatriptan (17/31 patients who received sumatriptan twice and 37/46 patients who had had placebo first) than with acupuncture (4/31). The number of patients reporting side‐effects was 14 in the acupuncture group, 23 in the sumatriptan group and 10 in the placebo group.Conclusions.  In this trial acupuncture and sumatriptan were more effective than a placebo injection in the early treatment of an acute migraine attack. When an attack could not be prevented, sumatriptan was more effective than acupuncture at relieving headache.
Plasma total homocysteine levels and prognosis in patients with previous premature myocardial infarction: a 10‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Retterstol L. , Paus B. , Bohn M. , Bakken A. , Erikssen J. , Malinow M. R. , Berg K. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Retterstol L, Paus B, Bohn M, Bakken A, Erikssen J, Malinow MR, Berg K (University of Oslo; Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo; Akershus University Hospital, Norway; and Oregon Regional Primate Research Center Beaverton, OR, USA). Plasma total homocysteine levels and prognosis in patients with previous premature myocardial infarction: a 10‐year follow‐up study. J Intern Med 2003; 253: 284–292.Objectives.  To explore plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) as a predictor of long‐term prognosis after premature myocardial infarction (MI).Design.  Prospective cohort study.Settings.  Akershus University Hospital.Subjects.  A total of 247 patients (193 men and 54 women) in stable clinical phase after premature MI (males: first MI at age ≤55; females ≤60).Main outcome measures.  The primary end‐point was total mortality and the secondary end‐point was cardiac death. The third end‐point was major cardiac events: a combination of cardiac death, MI and cardiac arrest.Results.  After 10 years, 44 patients had died, 36 from cardiac causes. Major cardiac event occurred in 70 patients.The relative risk for death of all causes increased 1.43 (95% CI, 1.08–1.88) per tHcy quartile (P for trend = 0.01), and was only modestly reduced after adjustment for age, ejection fraction, total cholesterol, C‐reactive protein, fibrinogen, smoking and hypertension to 1.37 (95% CI, 1.04–1.80) (P for trend = 0.03). Similar results were observed when cardiac death was used as the end‐point, but we observed no association between tHcy and the end‐point major cardiac event.Conclusions.  Total homocysteine was an independent predictor of total and cardiac mortality in stable patients following premature MI. tHcy had no effect on major cardiac event in contrast to most other risk factors in this study. Thus, the mechanism(s) underlying the effects of homocysteine on coronary heart disease may differ from other risk factors.
Unbiased and efficient estimation of the total number of terminal bronchiolar duct endings in lung: a modified physical disector
Authors: Beech  , Howard  , Reed  , Sibbons  , Van Velzen  
Published: March 2003

A novel modification of the physical disector is described which was used to estimate the total number of terminal bronchiolar duct endings (TBDEs) in human infant lung. TBDEs are closed three‐dimensional space curves of complex shape that are inherently difficult to count from histological sections. However, careful consideration of the microanatomy of the terminal duct endings provides us with the opportunity to define a very simple and unbiased counting rule. To apply the rule in practice we also need to determine a suitable disector height. Owing to the complex shape of the TBDE we had no prior knowledge of what disector height would be suitable for counting the TBDE structures. Exhaustive serial sectioning of complete TBDE structures was carried out and showed that any disector height under 90 μm would give unbiased counts. A further empirical study was then undertaken to determine the most efficient disector height. This was found to be 50 μm.The total number of TBDEs in the upper lobe of the right lung of six human infants aged between 13 and 25 weeks was also estimated. The estimates of numerical density obtained with our modification of the physical disector were multiplied by estimates of lung lobe volume obtained using Cavalieri's Principle. The total number of TBDEs in the lobes ranged from 15 323 to 57 768, with a mean of 40 306. The average coefficient of error of the number estimates was 19%, which was deemed precise enough given the biological coefficient of variation between TBDE number of 36%.
Single‐section plane assessment in grain boundary engineered brass
Authors: Davies H. , Randle V. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe present paper reports a comparative analysis of Σ3 (in the coincidence site lattice notation) grain boundary types, in two grain boundary engineered brass specimens, by use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data coupled to the measurement of boundary traces in a single section. Although most of the data were analysed using the new single‐section technique, an analysis of boundary plane orientations in three dimensions was made in a subset of the data in order to validate the single section methodology. The single‐section trace analysis procedure, coupled with EBSD, is a viable and robust tool for analysis of Σ3 grain boundary planes. The procedure provides data which suggest that part of the enhanced strain‐to‐failure in specimen B compared to specimen A is the result of an increased proportion of mobile Σ3 boundaries, i.e. those which are displaced from the {111} symmetrical tilt configuration.
The ELF®‐97 phosphatase substrate provides a sensitive, photostable method for labelling cytological targets
Authors: Paragas V. B. , Kramer J. A. , Fox C. , Haugland R. P. , Singer V. L. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryWe compared fluorescent signals obtained with fluorescein conjugates and the ELF‐97 (enzyme‐labelled fluorescence) phosphatase substrate [2‐(5′‐chloro‐2‐phosphoryloxyphenyl)‐6‐chloro‐4(3H)‐quinazolinone] in labelling cytological structures requiring high spatial resolution. Enzymatic cleavage of the ELF‐97 phosphatase substrate yields an extremely fine precipitate that remains well localized to the site of enzymatic activity. This precipitate fluoresces bright yellow‐green, with maximal excitation at ~360 nm and maximal emission at ~530 nm. The ELF substrate was used with streptavidin–alkaline phosphatase, to fluorescently label site‐specific probes bound to their targets, including cell‐surface sites, cytoplasmic organelles, nuclear antigens and cytoskeletal networks. All targets were labelled successfully with both the ELF substrate and fluoresceinated probes or protein conjugates. However, the ELF method was frequently more sensitive, with lower background fluorescence, allowing detection of more lysosomes, actin filaments, microtubules and nuclear targets than were visible with corresponding fluoresceinated probes. The ELF substrate was also used with antifluorescein–alkaline phosphatase to amplify fluorescein signals. We found that the ELF signal was in all cases brighter and more photostable than fluorescein signals, permitting shorter film exposures and allowing more time for examining samples. Surprisingly, relative brightness and photostability depended on the target, rather than being a general phenomenon related to the choice of dye alone.
Quantitative X‐ray projection microscopy: phase‐contrast and multi‐spectral imaging
Authors: Mayo S. C. , Miller P. R. , Wilkins S. W. , Davis T. J. , Gao D. , Gureyev T. E. , Paganin D. , Parry D. J. , Pogany A. , Stevenson A. W. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryWe outline a new approach to X‐ray projection microscopy in a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which exploits phase contrast to boost the quality and information content of images. These developments have been made possible by the combination of a high‐brightness field‐emission gun (FEG)‐based SEM, direct detection CCD technology and new phase retrieval algorithms. Using this approach we have been able to obtain spatial resolution of < 0.2 µm and have demonstrated novel features such as: (i) phase‐contrast enhanced visibility of high spatial frequency image features (e.g. edges and boundaries) over a wide energy range; (ii) energy‐resolved imaging to simultaneously produce multiple quasi‐monochromatic images using broad‐band polychromatic illumination; (iii) easy implementation of microtomography; (iv) rapid and robust phase/amplitude‐retrieval algorithms to enable new real‐time and quantitative modes of microscopic imaging. These algorithms can also be applied successfully to recover object–plane information from intermediate‐field images, unlocking the potentially greater contrast and resolution of the intermediate‐field regime. Widespread applications are envisaged for fields such as materials science, biological and biomedical research and microelectronics device inspection. Some illustrative examples are presented. The quantitative methods described here are also very relevant to projection microscopy using other sources of radiation, such as visible light and electrons.
Comparative evaluation of retrospective shading correction methods
Authors: Tomaževič D. , Likar B. , Pernuš F. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryBecause of the inherent imperfections of the image formation process, microscopical images are often corrupted by spurious intensity variations. This phenomenon, known as shading or intensity inhomogeneity, may have an adverse affect on automatic image processing, such as segmentation and registration. Shading correction methods may be prospective or retrospective. The former require an acquisition protocol tuned to shading correction, whereas the latter can be applied to any image, because they only use the information already present in an image. Nine retrospective shading correction methods were implemented, evaluated and compared on three sets of differently structured synthetic shaded and shading‐free images and on three sets of real microscopical images acquired by different acquisition set‐ups. The performance of a method was expressed quantitatively by the coefficient of joint variations between two different object classes. The results show that all methods, except the entropy minimization method, work well for certain images, but perform poorly for others. The entropy minimization method outperforms the other methods in terms of reduction of true intensity variations and preservation of intensity characteristics of shading‐free images. The strength of the entropy minimization method is especially apparent when applied to images containing large‐scale objects.
Area Postrema Ablation Attenuates Activation of Neurones in the Paraventricular Nucleus in Response to Systemic Adrenomedullin
Authors: Shan J. , Krukoff T. L. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractAdrenomedullin (ADM) is a potent vasodilator in the periphery which also acts centrally to increase blood pressure and inhibit drinking, feeding and salt appetite. This study was designed to study the effects of circulating ADM on neuronal activation in autonomic centres in the rat brain and to examine whether neuronal nitric oxide (NO) may participate in these processes. We identified activated neurones 1 h after intravenous (i.v.) injections of ADM (2 nmol/kg) using immunohistochemistry for Fos. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐diaphorase (NADPH‐d) histochemical reaction was used to localize putative NO‐producing neurones and double labelling for Fos and NADPH‐d was used to identify activated NO producing neurones. To separate baroreceptor‐induced neuronal activation in autonomic centres by ADM from other effects which it may have, i.v. infusions of sodium nitroprusside (NP) were used to mimic the hypotensive effects of ADM in control rats. Significantly greater numbers of activated neurones were found in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and especially in the dorsolateral medial parvocellular division, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the area postrema (AP) of ADM‐treated rats compared to control rats. In addition, the number of activated NO‐producing neurones in the PVN was significantly higher in ADM‐treated rats compared to rats treated with NP. To determine whether AP is one of the possible routes through which systemic ADM enters the brain to exert its central effects, the APs of rats were ablated by aspiration. One hour after i.v. injections of ADM, significantly fewer PVN neurones were activated in AP ablation rats compared to AP sham ablation rats. Similarly, the number of activated NO‐producing neurones in the PVN was significantly lower in AP ablation rats compared to AP sham ablation rats. In conclusion, our results suggest that systemic ADM gains access to the brain through the AP to regulate neuronal activity in autonomic centres and that neuronal NO might be involved in central autonomic and/or neuroendocrine regulation by ADM.
Oestrogen Prevention of Neural Cell Death Correlates with Decreased Expression of mRNA for the Pro‐Apoptotic Protein Nip‐2
Authors: Meda C. , Vegeto E. , Pollio G. , Ciana P. , Patrone C. , Pellicciari C. , Maggi A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWe have recently identified nip‐2 as a gene target for 17β‐oestradiol activity in the neuroblastoma SK‐ER3 cells expressing the oestrogen receptor (ER) α. Here we show 17β‐oestradiol treatment of neuroblastoma and rat embryo neurones in culture blocks the increase in nip‐2 mRNA induced by apoptotic stimuli and prevents cell death as indicated by cell counting, 3,(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)2,5‐diphenil‐tetrazoliumbromide and DNA fragmentation assays. Neither of these effects are observed in the presence of the specific ER antagonist ICI 182,780, and are absent in neuroblastoma cells not expressing ER. We propose that nip‐2 plays a relevant role in neural cell apoptosis and that a decrease in its expression is instrumental for the oestrogen anti‐apoptotic effect described here. The experimental evidence presented supports the recent hypothesis of a protective role of oestrogens in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and highlights the importance of the development of new ER ligands for the prevention of neural cell damage.
Effect of Suckling on NADPH‐Diaphorase (Nitric Oxide Synthase, NOS) Reactivity and NOS Gene Expression in the Paraventricular and Supraoptic Nuclei of Lactating Rats
Authors: Otukonyong E. E. , Okere C. O. , Johnstone L. E. , Murata T. , Kaba H. , Higuchi T. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis study examined the effect of suckling on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‐d, a histochemical marker for nitric oxide synthase, NOS) reactivity and neuronal NOS mRNA expression in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of lactating rats. Freely nursing (non‐separated) dams and those separated from pups for 12 h and then reunited for 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min were used for the study. Dams separated from pups and sacrificed at time zero (without reunion) showed a significant decrease in NADPH‐d staining and NADPH‐d positive cells as well as in the NOS mRNA expression in the PVN and SON compared to that observed in non‐separated dams. Reunion with pups and restoration of suckling significantly increased NADPH‐d reactivity after 15, 30, 60 min, but not after 90, 120 and 180 min compared to non‐reunited pups‐deprived dams. A pattern of NADPH‐d reactivity and neuronal NOS mRNA expression indistinguishable from that observed during free lactation was reinstated shortly (15 min) after the restoration of suckling stimulus, suggesting that the NADPH‐d reactivity in lactation depends on the presence of the suckling stimulus. These results show that suckling stimulus may play a modulatory role in the regulation of NOS reactivity in the magnocellular neurones of the hypothalamic PVN and SON during lactation.
Effects of Female Pheromones on Gonadotropin‐Releasing Hormone Gene Expression and Luteinizing Hormone Release in Male Wild‐Type and Oestrogen Receptor‐α Knockout Mice
Authors: Gore A. C. , Wersinger S. R. , Rissman E. F. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractPheromones are an important class of environmental cues that affect the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis in a variety of vertebrate species, including humans. When male mice contact female‐soiled bedding, or urine, they display a reflexive luteinizing hormone (LH) surge within 30 min. Aside from the requirement that males have gonads to show this response, the physiological mechanisms that underlie this pituitary response are unknown. In this experiment, we asked if female pheromones acted at the level of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) gene expression to affect this hormone response. In addition, we also examined the contribution of one of the oestrogen receptors (ERα) by studying this neuroendocrine reflex in wild‐type and oestrogen receptor‐α knockout (ERαKO) males. Both ERαKO and wild‐type males showed the expected LH surge, 45 and 90 min after contact with female pheromones. Males housed in clean bedding or bedding soiled by another adult male did not display the LH elevation. Interestingly, this dramatic change in LH concentrations was not accompanied by any alterations in GnRH mRNA expression or levels of primary transcript in the preoptic area‐anterior hypothalamus. The one exception to this was a significant increase in GnRH mRNA expression in tissue collected from wild‐type males exposed to bedding from another male. This is particularly intriguing since LH was not elevated in these males. These data replicate and extend our previous finding that ERαKO males do exhibit an LH surge in response to female pheromones. Thus, this neuroendocrine response is regulated by a steroid receptor other than ERα and does not require alterations in GnRH mRNA expression.
Seasonal Regulation of Membrane and Intracellular Corticosteroid Receptors in the House Sparrow Brain
Authors: Breuner C. W. , Orchinik M. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractA number of studies have demonstrated seasonal regulation of the adrenocortical response to stress, or of corticosteroid binding globulins, but very few studies have examined seasonal regulation of corticosteroid receptor levels. As a result, there have been few attempts to produce an integrated picture of seasonal plasticity of the stress response. We measured baseline and stress‐induced corticosterone (CORT), corticosteroid binding globulin and neuronal cytosolic and membrane corticosteroid receptor levels in male and female, wild‐caught house sparrows (Passer domesticus) during three different seasons over the annual cycle (nesting, molting and winter). We identified three neuronal corticosteroid receptors in the house sparrow brain: two intracellular receptors and one membrane‐associated receptor. Little is known about corticosteroid receptors in neuronal membranes of avian and mammalian species, but we found that the levels of membrane corticosteroid receptors varied seasonally, being lowest during the nesting season. Cytosolic corticosteroid receptor numbers (both low and high affinity receptors) also varied seasonally. In contrast to the membrane bound receptors, however, the numbers of low and high affinity cytosolic receptors were lowest during winter. In addition, mean levels of total basal and stress‐induced CORT in the plasma varied seasonally. Both basal and stress‐induced levels of total CORT were significantly higher during nesting than during winter or molt. Finally, corticosteroid binding globulin levels in plasma were also seasonally regulated, in a pattern similar to total CORT, so that estimated free CORT levels did not vary between seasons. These data indicate that multiple components of the stress response are seasonally regulated in birds obtained from wild populations. Interactions between these regulated components provide a basis for seasonal differences in behavioural and physiological responses to stress.