bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cytokine profile in gingival crevicular fluid of aggressive periodontitis: influence of smoking and stress
Authors: Kamma Joanna J. , Giannopoulou Catherine , Vasdekis Vassilis G. S. , Mombelli Andrea 
Published: December 2004

AbstractBackground: Cigarette smoking and stress are considered risk factors that have been associated with periodontal disease progression. Conflicting results have been reported concerning the direct influence of smoking on the subgingival microbiota of periodontitis patients. Cytokine production may also be influenced by smoking and stress leading to an imbalance that disturbs the host–parasite relationship.Aim: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of cigarette smoking on the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐4, IL‐6 and IL‐8 in aggressive or early onset periodontitis (EOP) patients and in healthy controls (H), psychosocial stress being considered as modifying factor.Material and Methods: Sixty‐five EOP and 35 periodontally healthy individuals participated in this cross‐sectional study. All the participants were interviewed about their smoking habits and their stressful social events. Clinical examination included the assessment of plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment level (CAL) and probing pocket depth (PPD). GCF was collected using durapore strips, from four sites per patient, randomly selected in each quadrant. The total amounts of IL‐1β, IL‐4, IL‐6 and IL‐8 were measured in a total of 400 samples using commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays.Results: All clinical parameters were significantly higher in the EOP group compared to the H group. There were no significant differences between EOP smokers and EOP non‐smokers with regard to plaque accumulation, CAL and PPD of the sampling sites, whereas mean CAL and PPD of the diseased sites were greater in EOP smokers than in EOP non‐smokers. In addition, EOP smokers seemed to have significantly less BOP and greater bone loss compared to EOP non‐smokers. Significant interactions between “EOP” and “smoking” were present for total amounts of IL‐1β and IL‐4. IL‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐8 showed significant main effects with healthy smokers and healthy non‐smokers, respectively. For IL‐8, stress presented a statistically significant interaction with smoking status and EOP (F=4.742, p=0.030). More specifically EOP smokers were statistically affected by stress.Conclusions: Smoking influences host‐related factors including cytokine network. The relative importance of smoking and stress‐related alterations and their precise mode of action in increasing the risk of aggressive periodontitis remains to be elucidated.
The impact of childhood sexual abuse on dental fear
Authors: Willumsen Tiril 
Published: December 2004

Abstract  – Objective:  Dental fear is a risk factor for poor oral health. Thus, treatment of dental fear is a challenge to dentists. The consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may include dental fear. A history of CSA complicates dental fear treatment, and it is often a secret. The aim of this study was to explore differences in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, experiences of dental treatment situations, dental appearance and dental problems in women who report both CSA and dental fear, and women who report dental fear only.Methods:  In an anonymous survey, 58 women with dental fear and a history of CSA were compared with 25 women with dental fear without CSA. Twenty‐five women without dental fear acted as a control group.Results:  No differences between dental fear patients with and without a history of CSA were found in subjective evaluations of use of dental services, dental appearance and dental problems, or in the scores on the Dental Fear Scale (DFS). Women who reported a history of CSA and dental fear had statistically significant higher scores on the Dental Belief Scale (DBS).Conclusion:  The results suggest that women who report dental fear and a history of CSA assess interpersonal factors concerning communication, trust, fear of negative information and lack of control as more fear evoking than women who report dental fear without a history of CSA.
Utilities of dentin regeneration among insured and uninsured adults
Authors: Ismail Amid I. , Birch Stephen , Sohn Woosung , Lepkowski James M. , Belli Robert F. 
Published: December 2004

Abstract  – Objectives:  This population‐based study measured utilities (preferences measured under conditions of uncertainty) of dentin regeneration (DR), a potential new therapy, root canal therapy (RCT), and extraction (EXT).Methods:  A representative sample of dentate adults (aged 18–69 years) was randomly selected from the Detroit area. A computer program was used to administer the standard gamble (SG) method and record utility score (US) for treatment options of a tooth with reversible pulpitis using the SG method. For the SG method, two anchor states were used: filled tooth with full oral health and filled tooth with severe and continuous pain leading to EXT. Additional data were obtained using a self‐administered questionnaire.Results:  Out of the 807 adults who resided in 446 screened and selected households, a final sample of 630 adults who resided in 368 households were interviewed. The mean US for DR with 75 and 95% success rates were 72.5 and 86.2 (on a 0–100 scale), respectively. The US for RCT and immediate EXT were 75.6 and 31.3, respectively. Eleven per cent of the adults valued DR with 95% success probability higher than a simple filling with full oral health for life. There were no statistically significant differences in the average US of DR between insured and uninsured adults. Factors such as gender, race, education, income and insurance status, experiences with EXTs or root canal treatment, regularity of dental visits, quality of life, and quality of oral health were not significantly associated with the scores of DR. There was, however, a small but significant interaction between race and dental insurance, and race and gender.Conclusion:  This population‐based study found that DR was highly preferred to other standard treatment options.
Effects of bone morphogenetic protein‐6 on periodontal wound healing in a fenestration defect of rats
Authors: Huang Kuo‐Kuang , Shen Chin , Chiang Cheng‐Yang , Hsieh Yao‐Dung , Fu Earl 
Published: December 2004

Background:  Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) may play significant roles in bone formation. The ability of BMP‐6 to promote wound healing has been chosen as the subject of this investigation. In this study, a synthetic rat BMP‐6 polypeptide was applied to a periodontal fenestration defect in rats to elucidate the effects of BMP‐6 on periodontal wound healing.Material and methods:  Following surgery to create a bony window on the buccal aspects of mandibular molar roots, 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups according to BMP application (0, 1, 3 and 10 µg, respectively). Animals were killed after 28 days and the mandible taken for histological examination. Histometric measurements were performed on sections selected from three levels (coronal, middle and apical levels; with 240 µm apart from the central) of the defect. New bone and cementum formation (including area and thickness) were analyzed and compared.Results:  In general, minimal new bone was observed on the surgically created defects in the non‐BMP group, whereas a complete osseous healing occurred in all BMP‐6 treated animals. New bone formation (both in area and thickness) was significantly influenced by both the dosage and the examining level, whereas new cementum formation was affected by dosage only. An increase in bone and cementum formation was noted in all three BMP groups when compared with the control group at all examined levels. Among the BMP groups, greatest new bone and cementum formation were noted in the 3 µg group. New cementum thickness increased on the cementum surfaces of the defects compared with the dentinal surfaces in all study groups.Conclusion:  An increase in new bone and cementum formation was noted after applying a synthetic BMP‐6 polypeptide to a periodontal fenestration defect in rats. Therefore, we suggest that BMP‐6 may play a certain role in periodontal regeneration.
Central nicotinic stimulation reduces vascular conductance in the gingiva in anesthetized rats
Authors: Nakamura Taiji , Ono Kentaro , Honda Eiko , Yokota Makoto , Inenaga Kiyotoshi 
Published: December 2004

Objective:  The central effects of nicotine on gingival blood flow and vascular conductance were investigated.Background:  Nicotine is absorbed in cigarette smoking, which is a risk factor for periodontal disease. Although studies have shown peripheral effects of nicotine on gingival blood flow and gingival vascular conductance, little is known about its central effects.Methods:  We used laser Doppler flow measurements to investigate the changes of gingival blood flow produced by 5 min intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of (–)‐nicotine ditartrate in rats anesthetized by urethane and α‐chloralose, along with occasional measurements of the blood pressure from the femoral artery.Results:  The i.c.v. injection of nicotine at 15, 50, and 150 µg reduced the gingival blood flow significantly, compared with saline. The maximal reduction was dose‐dependent. Next, we measured the blood pressure and gingival blood flow in the i.c.v. injection of nicotine at 50 µg, to calculate the gingival vascular conductance. The blood pressure was reduced, along with the change of gingival blood flow immediately after the injection, whereas the gingival vascular conductance fell with a time‐lag.Conclusion:  These results suggest that the reduction of gingival blood flow by central nicotinic stimulation is accompanied in part by a change of vascular tonus in the gingiva.
Fallacies of a Hydrogen Economy: A Critical Analysis of Hydrogen Production and Utilization
Authors: Kreith Frank , West Ron 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThis article presents a critical analysis of all the major pathways to produce hydrogen and to utilize it as an energy carrier to generate heat or electricity. The approach taken is to make a cradle to grave analysis including the production of hydrogen, the conversion of hydrogen to heat or electricity, and finally the utilization of that heat or electricity for a useful purpose. This methodology shows that no currently available hydrogen pathway, irrespective of whether it uses fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, or renewable technology as the primary energy source to generate electricity or heat is as efficient as using the electric power or heat from any of these sources directly. Furthermore, electric vehicles using batteries to store electricity are shown to be more efficient and less polluting than fuel cell powered vehicles using energy stored in hydrogen.
Decreased Plasma Levels of Orexin-A in Sleep Apnea
Authors: Busquets Xavier , Barbé Ferran , Barceló Antonia , de la Peña Mónica , Sigritz Nathalie , Mayoralas Lola R. , Ladaria Antoni , Agustí Alvar 
Published: December 2004

<i>Background:</i> Orexin-A, also known as hypocretin, is a neuropeptide implicated in appetite and sleep regulation. Because the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by obesity and excessive daytime sleepiness, we hypothesized that orexin-A levels may be abnormal in patients with OSAS. Further, since treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with OSAS is very effective in normalizing daytime sleepiness, we also hypothesized that the chronic use of CPAP may influence plasma levels of orexin-A in these patients. <i>Objective:</i> To evaluate plasma levels of orexin-A in patients with OSAS and the effect of CPAP treatment. <i>Patients and Methods:</i> We compared the plasma levels of orexin-A in 13 healthy controls, 27 untreated patients with OSAS and 14 patients treated with CPAP during at least 1 year (4.5 ± 0.5 h/night; mean ± SEM). All patients had severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index, 57 ± 4 h<sup>–1</sup>). <i>Results:</i> Orexin-A plasma levels were significantly lower in untreated (9.4 ± 1.9 pg·ml<sup>–1</sup>, p < 0.01) and treated patients with OSAS (4.2 ± 1.5 pg·ml<sup>–1</sup>, p < 0.001) than in healthy subjects (20.6 ± 4.5 pg·ml<sup>–1</sup>). In untreated patients, orexin-A levels were not significantly related to daytime somnolence assessed by Epworth scale (r = –0.18, p = 0.37) or the body mass index (r = –0.13, p = 0.52). <i>Conclusions:</i> Orexin-A plasma levels are abnormally low in patients with OSAS, independently of the level of somnolence and/or presence of obesity. These results suggest that these low orexin-A levels may be related to the pathogenesis of OSAS.
Quality or quantity? the role of donor condition in the production of chemical alarm cues in juvenile convict cichlids
Authors: Mirza Reehan , Brown Grant , Roh Ellie 
Published: December 2004

AbstractMuch study has been devoted to the function of chemical alarm cues in predator-prey relationships in aquatic environments, but little is known about the production of these valuable sources of chemosensory information. Recent studies have demonstrated that donor (cue sender) condition may play an important role in the production of chemical alarm cues in juvenile convict cichlids (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus). In laboratory experiments, we conducted trials to test for the effect of donor body condition on the minimum behavioural response threshold and/or intensity of antipredator response to conspecific chemical alarm cues. Chemical alarm cue donors were sampled from high or low condition populations. Pairs of juvenile cichlids were exposed to the skin extracts of high condition versus low condition donors, across a range of relative concentrations (200, 100, 50, 25, and 12.5%), and a distilled water control. We found that cichlids exhibited overt antipredator behaviour beginning at a concentration of 25% for the high condition cue, while a minimum response threshold concentration of 50% was seen for low condition cue. The intensity of antipredator response was greater following exposure to the alarm cues of high condition stimulus versus low condition donors. Taken together, these findings suggest that the damage-released chemical alarm cues from high condition donors are qualitatively and quantitatively greater than those of low condition donors.
Changes in male mate choice in a sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider (Araneae: Araneidae)
Authors: Elgar Mark , Gaskett Anne , Downes Barbara , Herberstein Marie 
Published: December 2004

AbstractIn theory, male mate choice should occur when the costs of copulation, in terms of future mating opportunities, are high. The criteria males use to choose mates may change depending upon male mating history and the potential for future matings. We examine male mate choice in the St. Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope keyserlingi Araneae: Araneidae). Laboratory experiments revealed that death and injury caused by female sexual cannibalism limits males to a maximum of two copulations. We assessed the mate choices of virgin and mated males for females of different reproductive status. We used field and laboratory choice bioassays involving airborne and web-based pheromones. In field experiments, wild males were strongly attracted to webs built by laboratory-raised virgin females. Webs from mated females did not attract males. Male mate choice was affected by male reproductive status: while virgin males strongly preferred penultimate and virgin females to mated females, mated males were apparently indifferent to females of different mating status. Such post-copulatory changes in male mate choice have not been previously documented, and may reflect a decreased potential for future mating.
Innate predator recognition in newly-hatched Atlantic salmon
Authors: Hawkins  , Magurran  , Armstrong  
Published: December 2004

AbstractIt is well established that fish can learn to associate odours from potential predators with risk and alter their behaviour accordingly. However, newly-hatched individuals have few opportunities for acquired predator recognition and may depend on unlearnt (innate) responses. We therefore considered whether newly hatched Atlantic salmon fry (alevins) exhibit innate predator recognition and whether this recognition could be improved by prior exposure to combined conspecific and predator (pike) odours. Our investigation showed that the response to pike odour was not affected by previous exposure to pike odour and conspecific tissue extract but was consistent with innate recognition of pike as predators. Trials conducted using odour from a non-piscivorous species confirmed that the fish were not simply reacting to a novel stimulus.
Agonism and interference competition in freshwater decapods
Authors: Cioni Astra , Gherardi Francesca 
Published: December 2004

AbstractWe tested the hypothesis that agonistic behavior and interference competition induce species replacements in freshwater decapods. Our model organisms were two crayfish (the indigenous Austropotamobius italicus and the non-indigenous and invasive Procambarus clarkii) and the indigenous river crab Potamon fluviatile. A first experiment was aimed at analyzing the agonistic behavior of similarly-sized males in pairs of the three species combinations. Records were taken for an hour per day during five consecutive days of combats. Results showed that P. fluviatile was dominant over the two crayfish species and P. clarkii over A. italicus, as confirmed by their field distribution. In nature, the non-indigenous species might even reach higher levels of dominance over A. italicus. In fact, both the larger body size and the 'stronger' chelae of P. clarkii can induce asymmetries in fighting ability. Pairs composed of the non-indigenous crayfish and either A. italicus or P. fluviatile did not form stable hierarchies, possibly due to the failure of status recognition. In a second set of experiments, the agonistic behavior of the three species combinations was studied in the presence of either food (earthworms) or an artificial shelter (a 10 cm-long piece of a PVC pipe). As expected, resources influenced fighting and dominance translated into a differential capability to compete. In a third experiment, in which we measured shelter use by each species in a non-competitive context, shelters were more extensively occupied by A. italicus (which is dependent on natural crevices as hiding places) than by the other two species (which usually dig burrows). We expected that Potamon and Procambarus would gain less from occupying the offered shelter than Austropotamobius, and therefore their defense should be less vigorous. To the contrary, the presence of a rival strengthened the attraction to the shelter of these two species, in particular when river crabs were opposed to A. italicus.
Muscles versus bones: catfishes as a case study for a discussion on the relative contribution of myological and osteological features in phylogenetic reconstructions
Authors: Diogo Rui 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThe levels of homoplasy and phylogenetic reliability of different types of data sets have since long intrigued evolutionary scientists. This paper provides, to the author's knowledge, the first assessment of the relative contribution of a large set of myological and osteological characters in simultaneous phylogenetic analyses. The biological taxon used as a case study for this comparison was the highly diverse and cosmopolitan teleost Siluriformes (catfishes) which, with 34 families, about 437 genera and more than 2700 species, represents about one third of all freshwater fishes and one of the most diverse vertebrate groups. Such a direct comparison of the relative contribution of these two types of data sets has the advantage that the homoplasy levels and the phylogenetic trees being compared refer to the same group and, more importantly, to the very same terminal taxa. The overall analysis of the results presented in this work seems to indicate that: (1) osteological structures display a greater morphological variation than myological ones; (2) this difference (which is very likely overenhanced by the fact that the phylogenetic variation of osteological structures has historically been the subject of many more studies and descriptions than myological ones) is particularly notable in small taxa, such as genera or species; (3) myological characters provide, however, a high proportion of informative characters for disclosing the relationships between larger taxa, and, thus, for disclosing the phylogeny of the higher clades in which these taxa are included. These results raise some puzzling, general questions. For instance, what are the reasons for the seemingly greater morphological variation of osteological structures? And why is this greater morphological variation of osteological structures in relation to myological structures particularly pronounced in low ranking taxa? Does natural selection eventually act, in certain cases, more on bones than on muscles? Is the development of myological structures eventually more constrained than that of osteological features? What explains the apparently high reliability of muscular characters to disclose the higher-level phylogeny of higher taxa? More direct comparisons, either of other major groups of teleosts or of vertebrates in general, are clearly needed to infer if the patterns found in the direct comparison of this work correspond to a more general phylogenetic pattern, or instead refer to a particular situation found in the order Siluriformes.
Relationship Between Time Interval From Primary Surgery to the Start of Taxane- Plus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy and Clinical Outcome of Patients With Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Results of a Multicenter Retrospective Italian Study
Authors: Gadducci Angiolo , Sartori Enrico , Landoni Fabio , Zola Paolo , Maggino Tiziano , Maggioni Angelo , Cosio Stefania , Frassi Eleonora , LaPresa Maria Teresa , Fuso Luca , Cristofani Renza 
Published: December 2004

Purpose To assess whether the interval from primary surgery to the start of taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy has any impact on the clinical outcome of advanced ovarian cancer patients. Patients and Methods The study was conducted on 313 patients who underwent surgery followed by taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy. The median follow-up of survivors was 30.7 months (range, 6 to 109 months). Results The 25%, 50%, and 75% quantiles of intervals from surgery to the start of chemotherapy were 11, 21, and 31 days, respectively. After the sixth cycle, 102 patients achieved a pathologic complete response at second-look surgery and 98 obtained a clinical complete response but were not submitted to second-look surgery. Taking into consideration the best assessed response, a complete (either clinical or pathologic) response was found in 200 patients. Residual disease (≤ 1 v > 1 cm; P < .0001) and ascites (absent v present; P = .003) were independent predictive factors for achieving a complete response, whereas residual disease (P = .001) and stage (IIc to III v IV; P = .04) were independent prognostic variables for survival. Conversely, statistical analyses failed to detect significant differences in complete response rates and survival among patients with an interval from surgery to chemotherapy shorter than 11 days, 12 to 21 days, 22 to 31 days, and longer than 31 days. Conclusion The interval from surgery to the start of taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy seems to have neither a predictive value for response to treatment nor a prognostic relevance for survival of advanced ovarian cancer patients.