bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metacarpophalangeal pattern profile analysis as a tool for early diagnosis of turner syndrome
Authors: Laurencikas E. , Söderman E. , Davenport M. , Jorulf H. , Sävendahl L. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To analyze the metacarpophalangeal pattern profile (MCPP) in a cohort of individuals with Turner syndrome (TS), and to assess its value as a tool for early diagnosis of TS.Material and Methods: Medical records and radiological material were collected of 71 patients with TS aged between 3 and 21 years. Forty‐six patients received growth hormone therapy (33–66 µg kg−1 day−1) and 14 of these were also treated with the anabolic steroid oxandrolone (1.25–3.75 mg day−1). A total of 233 frontal hand radiographs were studied and pattern profiles were calculated. Profiles of the TS patients were compared with those of 70 normal females. Mean pattern profiles were calculated for different age groups and extrapolated profiles for newborns and infants were developed.Results: Our results confirm that patients with TS have a distinct MCPP which differs significantly from that of normal individuals. A bone‐shortening gradient with increasing shortening from distal phalanges to metacarpals was demonstrated. We also showed that the MCPP in TS is a remarkably constant feature from 3 to 18 years. Pattern profiles did not differ significantly between the patients with 45,X and non‐45,X karyotype. MCPP was not affected by treatment with growth hormone of growth hormone plus oxandrolone. Discriminant analysis yielded correct classification in 88% of analyzed cases.Conclusion: TS individuals have a distinct hand pattern profile that is not age‐related. MCPP analysis can be applied at any age and may facilitate early diagnosis of TS. Our study showed that MCPP analysis is a specific and sensitive method that should be considered as a routinely used tool for early diagnosis of TS in girls with unexplained short stature.
Patient‐circumference‐adapted dose regulation in body computed tomography. a practical and flexible formula
Authors: Nyman U. , Ahl T. L. , Kristiansson M. , Nilsson L. , Wettemark S. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To illustrate that the attenuation formula based on monochromatic radiation in homogeneous objects may be used for dose regulation in body computed tomography (CT) based on patient circumference and using a simple cloth measuring tape.Material and Methods: Based on the attenuation formula for monochromatic radiation, the following Microsoft Excel equation was derived: mAsx = mAsn*EXP((0.693/HVT)*(Øx−Øn)/PI()), where mAsx(milliampere second) in a patient with circumference Øxis calculated based on the nominal mAsnset for a reference patient with the circumference Ønwith regard to indication, scan protocol, and available CT scanner. The HVT = half‐value thickness (object thickness change in cm affecting mAs setting by a factor of 2) resulting in the least mAs difference compared with published studies investigating the mAs needed for constant image noise in abdominal CT phantoms at 80–140 kVp was evaluated. Clinically recommended HVT values were applied to 20 patients undergoing abdominal CT using 130 effective mAs and 94 cm circumference as nominal settings, and an HVT of 9 cm.Results: The object‐sized dependent mAs for constant image noise at 80–140 kVp in 10–47 cm diameter abdominal phantoms (31–148 cm in circumference) differed, with few exceptions, by no more than 10% from those obtained with our formula using an HVT of 3.2–3.8 cm. An HVT of 9 cm in the patient study resulted in the same image noise–patient circumference relation as a phantom study using a “clinically adapted mAs” resulting in an acceptable noise according to diagnostic requirements. Clinical experiences recommend an HVT of about 8 cm for abdominal CT and 12 cm in thoracic CT. Changing the kVp from 120 to 80, 100, or 140 requires a mAs change roughly by factors of 4, 2, and 0.6, respectively, for constant image noise.Conclusion: Until fully automatic automatic exposure control systems have been introduced, applying the formula in a computer program provides the radiologist with an easy, quick, flexible, and practical instrument for reasonably good patient‐sized adjusted exposure levels in clinical practice.
Correlative study of angiogenesis and dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang B. , Gao Z. Q. , Yan X. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To explore the correlation between contrast‐enhancement patterns on dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) and angiogenesis by analyzing microvessel density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and P53 protein expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Material and Methods: MRI was performed with a GE Signa 1.5T MR scanner using SE and FMPSPGR sequences in 30 patients (38 lesions) during the period October 1998 to March 2000. All had histopathologically proven HCC. MR images were reviewed/analyzed retrospectively. The 30 patients were between 35 and 65 years of age (average age 58; 18 M and 12 F). SE T1WI, PDWI, and T2WI were acquired initially. The FMPSPGR sequence was acquired in the same position. The DCE‐MRI was performed in the arterial, portal vein, and delay phase after a bolus injection of Gd‐DTPA. The specimens were stained immunohistochemically for CD34, VEGF, and P53. MVD was highlighted by anti‐CD34 antibody staining. The enhancement features of HCC lesions were studied correlatively with the tumor MVD, VEGF, and P53 expression at protein level. Results: In the arterial phase, the results showed that MVD of HCC in the high‐enhancement group (229.76±80.96) was higher than that in the equal‐enhancement (173.09±61.38) and low‐enhancement groups (153.00±108.58) ( P<0.01, respectively). VEGF expression of HCC in the high‐enhancement group (68.42%) was higher than that in the equal‐enhancement (36.36%) and low‐enhancement groups (38.89%) ( P<0.05, respectively). In the portal vein phase, MVD of HCC in the enhancement group (259.80±93.30) was higher than that in the non‐enhancement group (178.64±92.65) ( P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between VEGF expression and the enhancement feature in the portal vein phase. In the delay phase, MVD of HCC in the ring‐enhancement group (269.06±57.89) was significantly higher than that in the non‐ring‐enhancement group (144.10±88.90) ( P<0.01). There was a significant difference in VEGF expression between the ring‐enhancement group (76.47%) and the non‐ring‐enhancement group (42.86%) ( P<0.05). No significant correlation was detected between P53 protein expression and the enhancement feature. Relative enhancement (RE) correlated with MVD, but not with VEGF and P53 protein expression. Conclusion: The contrast‐enhancement patterns on DCE‐MRI are influenced by tumor angiogenesis, as reflected by elevated VEGF expression, and are therefore valuable indicators for accessing tumor angiogenic activity and tumor neovascularization in vivo in HCC patients.
Ultrasound and power doppler evaluation of the hand and wrist in patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Milosavljevic J. , Lindqvist U. , Elvin A. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of high‐resolution and power Doppler sonography in detecting joint and tendon abnormalities in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) of the hands and wrists compared with clinical and radiological findings.Material and Methods: Thirty‐six patients with psoriatic arthritis of the hands and wrists and 10 healthy controls were examined with ultrasound (US). The degree of synovial proliferation, tenosynovitis, presence of joint effusion as well as the vascularity of synovial tissue was estimated. US findings were scored using a newly devised scoring system.Results: Thirty‐two patients had articular synovial proliferation and/or tenosynovitis/tendinitis or joint effusion in one or more joints according to US. Twenty‐two patients had tendon changes; only five had joint effusion. The synovial, Doppler, and total articular‐teno scores were all significantly correlated to the number of swollen joints. The scores, however, did not correlate to other clinical or laboratory measurements of disease activity.Conclusion: US proved effective in demonstrating PsA involvement of the hands and wrists and was more sensitive than clinical examination in detecting pathology. Long‐term follow‐up studies are needed to evaluate whether this can change the traditional approach for assessing involvement of joints and tendons in PsA.
Feasibility of rapid‐sequence 31p magnetic resonance spectroscopy in cardiac patients
Authors: Chida K. , Otani H. , Saito H. , Nagasaka T. , Kagaya Y. , Kohzuki M. , Zuguchi M. , Shirato K. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To determine the clinical feasibility of rapid‐sequence phosphorus‐31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P ‐MRS) of the heart with cardiac patients using a 1.5T clinical MR system. Material and Methods: Twenty cardiac patients, i.e. dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) 13 cases, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) 3 cases, hypertensive heart diseases (HHD) 3 cases, and aortic regurgitation (AR) 1 case were examined using rapid cardiac 31P‐MRS. Complete three‐dimensional localization was performed using a two‐dimensional phosphorus chemical‐shift imaging sequence in combination with 30‐mm axial slice‐selective excitation. The rapid‐sequence 31P‐MRS procedure was phase encoded in arrays of 8×8 steps with an average of 4 acquisitions. The total examination time, including proton imaging and shimming, for the rapid cardiac 31P‐MRS procedure, ranged from 10 to 15 min, depending on the heart rate. Student's t test was used to compare creatine phosphate (PCr)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratios from the cardiac patients with those of the control subjects ( n = 13). Results: The myocardial PCr/ATP ratio obtained by rapid 31P‐MRS was significantly lower ( P<0.001) in DCM patients (1.82±0.33, mean±SD), and in patients with global myocardial dysfunction (combined data for 20 patients: 1.89±0.32) than in normal volunteers (2.96±0.59). These results are similar to previous studies. Conclusion: Rapid‐sequence 31P‐MRS may be a valid diagnostic tool for patients with cardiac disease.
Percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization: effectiveness of absolute ethanol infusion with balloon catheter in a pig model
Authors: Satake M. , Tateishi U. , Kobayashi T. , Murata S. , Kumazaki T. 
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of portal vein embolization (PVE) with absolute ethanol using multidetector‐row computed tomography (CT) angiography in a pig model. Material and Methods: Percutaneous transhepatic PVE with 10 ml absolute ethanol was performed in liver segments ( n = 5) or subsegments ( n = 5) in 10 pigs. CT images and volumetric data were qualitatively and quantitatively assessed to determine future liver remnant (FLR) hypertrophy and to correlate with histopathologic changes 2–6 weeks after PVE. Effectiveness evaluation was based on changes in absolute FLR size and ratio of FLR to total estimated liver volume (TELV). Results: Occlusion of the embolized vessel was achieved immediately after injecting absolute ethanol within a range of 0.25–0.33 ml/kg. The TELV prior to PVE was 660.49±103.66 cm3 (range 527.22 to 833.70 cm3) and after PVE 769.51±29.36 cm3 (range 685.95 to 887.34 cm3). The mean FLR/TELV ratio increase after PVE was 14.2%. No statistically significant difference was found in the increase of TELV between segmental or subsegmental PVE. On microscopic observation, atrophy of the embolized liver was noted in all animals and was seen distinctly at 3 weeks after PVE in 2 animals. Conclusion: Both regenerative response and histopathologic changes of the liver were seen after PVE with absolute ethanol with a mean FLR/TELV ratio of 14.2%.
The Italian Economy, 2001–03
Authors: Capriati Michele 
Published: September 2005

SummaryThe three years 2001–03 opened in an atmosphere of optimism with the expectation of a new Italian miracle but ended amid widespread disillusion owing to persistent signs of economic decline. This article offers a reconstruction of events in this period, focusing on government economic policy and changes in the labour market. Analysis of these reveals the period to have been characterized by three significant features. In the first place, a growing loss of credibility and authority of government economic policy itself, resulting from the gap between expectations and outcomes. Second, the persistence of a model of development based on low product competitiveness and low-skilled labour. And last, the excessive attention paid to resolving the issues of the moment contrasted with a lack of interest in the future, and consequently in research, innovation, training and infrastructure.
Troppi capi e troppo pochi indiani: la leadership del centro-sinistra
Authors: Pasquino Gianfranco 
Published: September 2005

SummarySince its defeat in the 2001 general election, the Italian centre-left has been unable to come to any agreement on the question of its political leadership, either inside or outside parliament. For various reasons, neither of the defeated candidates—Francesco Rutelli of the Margherita and Piero Fassino, the new secretary of the Democrats of the Left—was able to take on this role. Nor could the centre-left agree on appointing Massimo D'Alema as the alliance's spokesperson in parliament. As a result, the choice regarding the alliance leadership was continually postponed with the excuse: ‘The centre-left has lots of prominent figures. When the time comes we will choose one of them’. For a time, there was popular support in favour of a leadership role for Sergio Cofferati, the former Secretary of the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL). However, the likelihood of this scenario receded with his decision to run as candidate-mayor for Bologna. Subsequently, the return from Brussels of the only centre-left leader to have won a general election, Romano Prodi, seemed to resolve the leadership question. However, Prodi quickly became aware that, while the party oligarchs of the centre-left were prepared to make him leader, they were not willing to yield much power. Prodi therefore suggested the use of electoral primaries to decide the leadership issue. In this way, he hoped to build up sufficient consensus from the Olive Tree/centre-left electorate to allow him to become not only head of the government, but also the real leader of the alliance. To date, however, the problems surrounding the centre-left leadership and the undefined nature of the Olive Tree remain unresolved.
Changing family life in Europe: Significance for state and society
Authors: Daly Mary 
Published: September 2005

ABSTRACT
Family change and the risks associated with it form the departure point of this article. The intent is both to elaborate the nature of family change in European societies and to interrogate contemporary policy on the family in the light of emerging changes and risks. The first part of the article undertakes an overview analysis of the main changes affecting families, looking at structure, organisation and relations. It then moves on to consider the key risks and challenges posed by recent changes for individuals, states and society. The risks discussed include the seeming lack of readiness to commit to parenthood, a polarisation between parenthood and partnership, overburdening of women and risks around care. The final section of the article turns to the state's response, in terms of what it has been and what it might (need to) be. It shows how policy on the family, while a growing area of intervention, has actually narrowed in scope, becoming more an arm of employment policy and operating to a rather unidimensional model of family, viz. the two-income family. The underlying story is of a continuing divergence between states’ responses and what people wish for their family life. When it comes to the family, states it seems are always out of date.
Combining methods: a key to understanding complexity in European societies?
Authors: Hantrais Linda 
Published: September 2005

ABSTRACT
Large-scale European research programmes have provided an impetus for social science researchers to co-operate more closely not only across national and cultural boundaries but also across disciplines and research paradigms. Attempts to make sense of diversity have led to a blurring of the traditional methodological divide between quantitative and qualitative paradigms, opening up new perspectives and creating opportunities for synergy and complementarity. The paper draws on examples of the methods used in a cluster of European projects and networks in the field of family and welfare to illustrate the epistemological and practical problems raised when applying multi-methods approaches to research into European societies. It argues that, once these problems have been overcome, by combining methods within and across projects, researchers can expect to gain a deeper understanding of social phenomena in different national settings and develop new insights into complex issues.
Gender differentiation and early labour market integration across Europe
Authors: Smyth Emer 
Published: September 2005

ABSTRACT
This paper examines gender differentiation in early labour market outcomes across twelve European countries. In spite of the fact that the educational attainment of women has now surpassed that of men in many countries, differences persist in the type of educational courses taken by young women and men. Countries differ in the extent of educational segregation by gender but certain regularities are evident, with health/welfare, education and arts courses dominated by women and engineering courses dominated by men. Gender differences in field of study are found to play an important role in channelling young people towards gender-typical careers. Thus, countries with higher levels of educational segregation by gender are found to have higher levels of occupational segregation by gender. However, gender continues to have a strong direct effect on labour market outcomes in both track-differentiated and general educational systems.
Spatial variation of benthic macroinvertebrates and the environmental factors influencing their distribution in Lake Victoria, Kenya
Authors: Muli Jones R. 
Published: September 2005

Benthic macroinvertebrates in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria were sampled on a monthly basis from March 1994 to March 1995. Ekman grab samples were obtained from 10 stations representing all the major ecological zones of the lake. The aim of the study was to estimate the abundance and diversity of benthos.
The highest mean (± standard error) benthic density was 15113.4 ± 3885.3 m−2 at stations 53, which was significantly different from that of all the other stations (73.5 ± 16.8 to 1625.8 ± 275.4 m−2). Oligochaeta species, which are indicators of organic pollution, dominated the benthic abundance at station 53. Benthos in this station were exposed to both organic and inorganic pollutants as evidenced by highest level of nitrates and trace metals contaminants copper, iron, manganese and aluminum in water at the bottom of water column compared to that at all the other stations. The pollutants find their way to these sites from towns of Webuye, Eldoret, and Kakagema in the catchment through runoff and rivers. The elevated benthic abundance at station 53 could be due to organic and inorganic pollutants.
Shannon index values for the stations in the Winam Gulf were more than triple the values estimated for the open waters implying the gulf had better water quality than the main lake. The gulf mean (± standard error) species heterogeneity values ranged from 0.7 ± 0.2 to 1.1 ± 0.1 whereas in open waters (except station 54) the values were 0.07 to 0.2 ± 0.05. This could be attributed to mixing of water throughout the water column in the gulf ensuring high oxygen levels throughout the water column, which favoured diverse benthos to flourish. In contrast, in deep waters (ca. 40 m) of the main lake stratification occurred most time of year resulting in anoxia in the hypolimnion. Thus, only the dipterans chironomids and chaoborids and oligochates that are adapted to withstand low oxygen levels were recorded, albeit in low densities.
Scientific Publishing in Non Industrialized Countries: A Pilot Wireless Internet Project for Africa
Authors: Azzi Angelo 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThere is general agreement that the internet is the major means of future scientific communication and education. However not everybody appreciates that the development of electronic communication in industrialized societies is not matched, even to a small extent, in developing countries. Several new technologies offer the potential for developing countries to provide connectivity. Terrestrial wireless and satellite technologies offer many advantages in that they do not require installation of wire‐line networks. Satellite facilities can also be installed where communication is needed, even in remote and isolated areas, rather than waiting for terrestrial networks to be extended from the cities.
IUBMB Life, 57: 259‐261, 2005
My Reasons for Delivering Two Plenary Lectures at IUB Congresses (1964 and 1979)
Authors: Katchalski‐Katzir Ephraim 
Published: September 2005

AbstractSome time ago Dr Whelan informed me that there would be a 50th anniversary celebration of IUB's admission into ICSU, and IUBMB Life would publish a special issue to coincide with the IUMB‐FEBS Conference in Budapest next July. While checking the past history of IUB's Congresses, Dr Whelan noticed that I was the only person who had ever been asked to deliver two plenary lectures at these Congresses (1964 and 1979). He invited me to contribute my reminiscences concerning these two lectures, and I promised to explain how this had happened.
IUBMB Life, 57: 239‐242, 2005
Reactive Oxygen Species as Mediators of Cellular Senescence
Authors: Colavitti Renata , Finkel Toren 
Published: September 2005

AbstractAging has often been viewed as a random process arising from the accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic changes. Increasingly, the notion that aging is a stochastic process is being supplanted by the concept that maximum lifespan of an organism is tightly regulated. This knowledge has led to a growing overlap between classical signal transduction paradigms and the biology of aging. We review certain specific examples where these seemingly disparate disciplines intersect. In particular, we review the concept that intracellular reactive oxygen species function as signalling molecules and that oxidants play a central role as mediators of cellular senescence.
IUBMB Life, 57: 277‐281, 2005