bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acute remote ischemic preconditioning on a rat cremasteric muscle flap model
Authors: Küntscher Markus V. , Kastell Thomas , Sauerbier Michael , Nobiling Rainer , Gebhard Martha Maria , Germann Günter 
Published: October 2002

AbstractA previous study showed, in a rat adipocutaneous flap model, that acute ischemic preconditioning (IP) can be achieved not only by preclamping of the flap pedicle, but also by a brief extremity ischemia prior to flap ischemia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether remote IP is also effective in other tissues such as muscle flaps. Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups. The rat cremaster flap in vivo microscopy model was used for assessment of ischemia/reperfusion injury. In the control group (CG, n = 8), a 2‐hr flap ischemia was induced after preparation of the cremaster muscle. In the “classic” IP group (cIP, n = 6), a brief flap ischemia of 10 min was induced by preclamping the pedicle, followed by 30 min of reperfusion. A 10‐min ischemia of the contralateral hindlimb was induced in the remote IP group (rIP, n = 6). The limb was then reperfused for 30 min. Flap ischemia and the further experiment were performed as in the CG. In vivo microscopy was performed after 1 hr of flap reperfusion in each animal. A significantly higher red blood cell velocity in the first‐order arterioles and capillaries, a higher capillary flow, and a decreased number of leukocytes adhering to the endothelium of the postcapillary venules were observed in both preconditioned groups by comparison to the control group (P < 0.05). The differences within the preconditioned groups were not significant for these parameters. Our data show that ischemic preconditioning and improvement of flap microcirculation can be achieved not only by preclamping of the flap pedicle, but also by induction of an ischemia/reperfusion event in a body area distant from the flap prior to elevation. These findings indicate that remote IP is a systemic phenomenon, leading to an enhancement of flap survival. Our data suggest that remote IP could be performed simultaneously with flap elevation in the clinical setting without prolongation of the operation and without invasive means. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 22:221–226 2002
Buckling analysis of composite laminates under end shortening by higher‐order shear deformable finite strips
Authors: Zou G. P. , Lam S. S. E. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractA higher‐order shear deformable finite strip is developed and employed in the buckling analysis of laminated composite plates when subjected to uniform end shortening. This enables the transverse shear deformation to be accurately incorporated. The permitted laminate material properties are quite general, encompassing anisotropy and full coupling between in‐plane and out‐of‐plane behaviour. Results with respect to the number of plies, thickness of laminate and ratios of E11/E22 are presented for unsymmetric cross‐ply and angle‐ply lay‐ups and for laminates with arbitrary lay‐up arrangements. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Whatever happened to deconcentration? Recent initiatives in Cambodia
Authors: Turner Mark 
Published: October 2002

AbstractContemporary decentralization discourse and recommended practice focus on political decentralization. However, experience with such devolution has often failed to produce the anticipated developmental returns. This has prompted reconsideration of managerial or administrative decentralization (deconcentration) as a vehicle for improving services and encouraging popular participation. A range of potential benefits is available from deconcentration. Cambodia has embarked on a cautious policy of decentralization involving weak devolution and deconcentration. But it is from deconcentration that the government expects the greatest developmental gains. Initial results are encouraging but difficulties confront the deconcentration experiment. These include the piecemeal nature of the initiative, unfamiliar financial management practices, deeply embedded patterns of hierarchy in society and state, and limited managerial capacity. Nevertheless, it appears that incremental deconcentration may offer a useful policy alternative for countries such as Cambodia which are engaged in slowly building the infrastructure of a modern state following debilitating internal conflict. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genomic gain of PIK3CA and increased expression of p110alpha are associated with progression of dysplasia into invasive squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Woenckhaus Joachim , Steger Klaus , Werner Eva , Fenic Irina , Gamerdinger Ulrike , Dreyer Thomas , Stahl Ulrich 
Published: October 2002

AbstractPIK3CA, encoding the catalytic subunit p110α of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K), is activated in malignant diseases. However, the role of the PIK3CA gene aberrations for tumourigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is to date unclear. The present study was designed to determine the genomic aberration of PIK3CA in invasive HNSCC and dysplastic precursor lesions by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a YAC probe, containing the PIK3CA gene, on isolated interphase nuclei from histomorphologically well‐defined regions of formalin‐fixed tissue sections and to compare these data with protein and mRNA expression of p110α. The mRNA and protein levels of p110α were assessed, respectively, by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on consecutive tissue sections. Copy number gains at 3q26 were observed in one of six low‐to‐moderate dysplasias (17%) and in seven of nine high‐grade dysplasias (78%), as well as in 11 carcinomas (100%). In addition, one of seven high‐grade dysplasias (14%) and 6 of 11 carcinomas (55%) had amplifications of 3q26. The majority of cases with copy number gain in more than 50% of the cells and/or amplification in more than 10% of cells showed increased p110α mRNA and protein expression, whereas only two cases (18%) (one high‐grade dysplasia and one carcinoma) with no gain or low‐level gain displayed increased p110α protein expression. These data suggest that 3q26 copy number gain and amplification represent early genomic aberrations in HNSCC carcinogenesis. In addition, p110α mRNA and protein expression in HNSCC may be regulated by these genomic aberrations as well as by epigenetic events. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transforming growth factor‐β receptors in self‐limited vs. chronic progressive nephritis in rats
Authors: Watanabe Takuya , Yamamoto Tatsuo , Ikegaya Naoki , Fujigaki Yoshihide , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Togawa Akashi , Fukasawa Hirotaka , Nagase Mitsumasa , Hishida Akira 
Published: October 2002

AbstractIncreases in transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) expression and extracellular matrix accumulation are transient in acute self‐limited mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis induced by a single injection of anti‐thymocyte serum (ATS), while these increases persist following repeated injections that produce chronic progressive sclerosing glomerulonephritis with tubulointerstitial lesions. However, little is known about the expression of TGF‐β receptors (TβRs) in cells involved in the proliferative and sclerosing renal lesions. A study of protein and mRNA expression for type I (TβRI), type II (TβRII), and type III (TβRIII) TβR in both forms of nephritis was therefore carried out by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of matrix production by TGF‐β1 were assessed in isolated glomeruli using [3H]thymidine incorporation and [3H]proline metabolic labelling, respectively. In acute self‐limited nephritis, expression of TβRI, TβRII, and TβRIII increased in the glomerular and Bowman's capsular epithelial cells comprising the glomerular tuft adhesions to Bowman's capsules. However, TβRII expression was not prominent in proliferating mesangial cells. Glomeruli isolated from rats with acute self‐limited nephritis at day 7, when mesangial cell proliferation was maximal, were partially resistant to the mitoinhibitory effects of TGF‐β1. In contrast, expression of all three TβRs was elevated in glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions in chronic progressive nephritis, and glomeruli isolated from rats with chronic progressive nephritis 7 days after the second ATS injection were sensitive to TGF‐β1. These data suggest that distinct cellular responses to TGF‐β1 resulting from differential expression of TβR underlie the difference between acute self‐limited mesangial proliferative and chronic progressive sclerosing ATS nephritis in the development of proliferative and sclerotic renal lesions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of IGFBP‐5 expression during tumourigenesis and differentiation of oral keratinocytes
Authors: Lin Shu‐Chun , Wang Chiung‐Pei , Chen Yi‐Man , Lu Suu‐Yi , Fann Ming‐Ji , Liu Chung‐Ji , Kao Shou‐Yen , Chang Kuo‐Wei 
Published: October 2002

AbstractTo identify molecular events involved in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), genes differentially expressed in OSCC and non‐cancerous matched tissue (NCMT) samples were analysed using a subtractive hybridization strategy. NCMT‐enriching clones that have been linked to suppressor pathway in previous studies were subjected to advanced analyses. Complete absence of insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐5 (IGFBP‐5) expression at both the mRNA and the protein level was identified in nearly all (5/6) OSCC cell lines with the exception of the SCC25 cell line, which exhibited high IGFBP‐5 expression. However, this protein is consistently present in cultured normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOKs). Immunohistochemistry revealed moderate to strong cytoplasmic immunoreactivity of IGFBP‐5 in the stratum spinosum and stratum granulosum in the vast majority of NCMT samples. A remarkable reduction in IGFBP‐5 immunoreactivity was detected in 56% (26/46) of OSCC samples, compared with the corresponding NCMT (p < 0.0001). Induction of differentiation in both NHOKs and SCC25 up‐regulated IGFBP‐5 expression. Administration of a green tea compound with anti‐cancer properties, (–)‐epigallocatechin 3‐gallate, at a concentration of 5–20 µg/ml also up‐regulated IGFBP‐5 expression in NHOKs in a dose‐dependent manner. The findings suggest that IGFBP‐5 may be an important factor in the differentiation of oral keratinocytes and that down‐regulation of IGFBP‐5 may be involved in the neoplastic transformation of oral keratinocytes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Model misspecification sensitivity analysis in estimating causal effects of interventions with non‐compliance
Authors: Jo Booil 
Published: October 2002

AbstractRandomized trials often face complications in assessing the effect of treatment because of study participants' non‐compliance. If compliance type is observed in both the treatment and control conditions, the causal effect of treatment can be estimated for a targeted subpopulation of interest based on compliance type. However, in practice, compliance type is not observed completely. Given this missing compliance information, the complier average causal effect (CACE) estimation approach provides a way to estimate differential effects of treatments by imposing the exclusion restriction for non‐compliers. Under the exclusion restriction, the CACE approach estimates the effect of treatment assignment for compliers, but disallows the effect of treatment assignment for non‐compliers. The exclusion restriction plays a key role in separating outcome distributions based on compliance type. However, the CACE estimate can be substantially biased if the assumption is violated. This study examines the bias mechanism in the estimation of CACE when the assumption of the exclusion restriction is violated. How covariate information affects the sensitivity of the CACE estimate to violation of the exclusion restriction assumption is also examined. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The menopause revisited
Authors: Samsioe G. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe continuing growth of female life expectancy has resulted in a marked increase of women in years beyond the menopause. Women can nowadays expect to live one‐third of their lives in a potential hormonal deficiency state. Women over 50 comprise 17% of the total population of any country in the modern western world. Any decision regarding their health issues will have a great impact on our limited health care resources. There is no doubt that estrogen replacement therapy effectively mitigates hot flushes and other vasomotor symptoms and more effectively so than other treatment modalities. Vasomotor symptoms affect more than half of the female population around the menopause with a mean duration of 2–3 years. When used to treat vasomotor symptoms hormone replacement therapy has repeatedly been shown to be cost effective. It is also well documented that hormone replacement therapy effectively prevents bone loss and osteoporotic fractures as well as heart disease. The majority of cases of both fractures and heart disease occur at ages over 75 and concern has been expressed if treatment from the menopausal age to the onset of fractures or heart disease is cost effective with regard to the perceived increase in risk of side effects, especially breast cancer. One important aspect in this scenario is the control system that we impose on women on HRT. Given our present preparations women are recommended an annual check‐up. If the number of office procedures and visits to the clinic cannot be substantially reduced long‐term therapy with HRT is not cost effective. An exception from this rule is the reatment of urogenital estrogen deficiency using low dose vaginal estrogens. Systemic concentrations of estrogens following such administration are negligible. Hence, low dose estrogen topical applications can be made an OTC preparation. As no control system is needed this therapy seems to be highly cost effective. The pharmaceutical industry is urged to produce better products so that side effects such as bleeding problems leading to a number of visits to the clinic and fear of cancer among women can be avoided. Recent data also imply that estrogen treatment may confer protection against Alzheimer's disease. Breast cancer is the remaining controversy even if recent data imply that estrogens could be given to women operated on for breast cancer without increasing the risk of a relapse.
A comparison of three tests for determining fetal pulmonary maturity
Authors: Rodriguez‐Macias K.A. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractObjective: The aim of the study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of two simple and cheap diagnostic tests of fetal pulmonary maturity (FPM) and compare them with the more complex and expensive phospholipid profile (PP), which includes the determination of phosphatidyl glycerol (PG) and the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio. Methods: Samples of amniotic fluid were obtained from 70 patients between the 26th and 38th weeks of pregnancy. The PP, shake test and tap test at 2, 5 and 10 min were determined. All patients gave birth within 12 h following these tests and none received corticoids during this period. The neonates were observed for 72 h. The results of the tests were compared with the incidence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Results: The sensitivity of the shake test was 92% for FPM, as was the sensitivity of PP, while for the tap test at 2, 5 and 10 min it was between 96 and 100%. In terms of specificity, the 5‐ and 10‐min tap test diagnoses were 100% correct for immaturity while all other tests were 60–78% correct. The predictive value for maturity was 100% for the tap test (5 and 10 min), 67% for the 2‐min tap test, 64% for PG, 60% for L/S and 56% for the shake test. Conclusion: The tap test is a good alternative to other diagnostic methods of FPM. Its use at the bedside, its rapidity and low cost enhance its value.
Reasoning under uncertainty in deluded schizophrenic patients: a longitudinal study
Authors: Brankovic S.B. , Paunovic V.R. 
Published: October 2002

SummarySeveral current hypotheses consider the process of attribution of importance to stimuli and the integration of actually perceived reality with experience as a cognitive base for the genesis of delusions. We tested these models by a comparison of deluded schizophrenics, healthy controls, and anxious patients on reasoning under uncertainty. Reasoning under uncertainty was examined in currently deluded schizophrenics (n = 29), in 16 of them also in remission, in normal control groups (n = 35), and in anxious patients (n = 31) using a probabilistic inference task. Acutely psychotic schizophrenics were less ready than normal subjects, anxious patients, and schizophrenics, in remission to modify their judgement in probabilistic situation confronted with potentially disconfirmatory data. They were also less prone than anxious patients and schizophrenics in remission to correct their estimate confronted with confirmatory data. The data support the hypothesis of a weaker influence of incoming stimuli on reasoning under uncertainty as a cognitive base of the maintenance of delusions.
Dissociation between hemodynamic changes and symptom improvement in patients with advanced congestive heart failure
Authors: Shah Monica R. , Hasselblad Vic , Stinnett Sandra S. , Kramer Judith M. , Grossman Steven , Gheorghiade Mihai , Adams Kirkwood F. , Swedberg Karl , Califf Robert M. , O'Connor Christopher M. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractBackground:Changes in hemodynamic measures often serve as surrogate end points in efficacy trials for advanced heart failure, although there are few objective data to support this practice.Aims:We compared changes in hemodynamic variables vs. changes in symptoms of decompensated heart failure in patients enrolled in a randomized trial.Methods:We studied 201 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IIIb or IV heart failure and ejection fraction ≤25% for ≥3 months. Patients underwent continuous monitoring by pulmonary‐artery catheter during inpatient drug administration. We assessed the relations of changes in hemodynamic variables (baseline minus final measure) to changes at 2 weeks in congestive heart failure symptoms, NYHA class, Yale Dyspnea‐Fatigue Index (YDFI) score, and distance achieved in a 6‐min walk.Results:No hemodynamic measure significantly predicted either symptom score or NYHA classification. Mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure did show some relation to change in YDFI score in univariable, but not multivariable, analysis. No hemodynamic measure correlated significantly with changes in distance achieved in the 6‐min walk test.Conclusion:We noted no significant association between improved hemodynamics and improved symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure. Other measures may need to be evaluated as surrogate end points in future trials.
Optimal algorithms for local vertex quartet cleaning
Authors: Della Vedova Gianluca , Wareham H. Todd 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
Motivation: Reconstructing evolutionary trees is an important problem in biology. A response to the computational intractability of most of the traditional criteria for inferring evolutionary trees has been a focus on new criteria, particularly quartet-based methods that seek to merge trees derived on subsets of four species from a given species-set into a tree for that entire set. Unfortunately, most of these methods are very sensitive to errors in the reconstruction of the trees for individual quartets of species. A recently developed technique called quartet cleaning can alleviate this difficulty in certain cases by using redundant information in the complete set of quartet topologies for a given species-set to correct such errors.
Results: In this paper, we describe two new local vertex quartet cleaning algorithms which have optimal time complexity and error-correction bound, respectively. These are the first known local vertex quartet cleaning algorithms that are optimal with respect to either of these attributes.
Contact: gianluca.dellavedova@unimib.itharold@cs.mun.ca
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Threading Using Neural nEtwork (TUNE): the measure of
protein sequence—structure compatibility
Authors: Lin Kuang , May Alex C.W. , Taylor William R. 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
Motivation: Fold recognition programs align a probe protein sequence onto protein three-dimensional (3D) structure templates. The alignment between the probe sequence and the most suitable template can be used to predict the 3D structure and often biological function of the probe. Here we present a new threading scoring function of protein sequence–structure compatibility. An artificial neural network model is trained to predict compatibility of amino acid side-chains with structural environments. Log-odds scores of predicted probabilities from this model can then be used to construct protein sequence–structure alignments.
Results: Our model is tested on discrimination of native and decoy protein 3D structures. With a residue level structural description, its performance is comparable to those of pseudo-energy functions with atom level structural descriptions, better than the two functions with residue level structural descriptions.
Availability: The C++ source code of our neural network model is available at http://mathbio.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/~kxlin.
Contact: wtaylor@nimr.mrc.ac.uk
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Data mining of sequences and 3D structures of allergenic proteins
Authors: Ivanciuc Ovidiu , Schein Catherine H. , Braun Werner 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
Motivation: Many sequences, and in some cases structures, of proteins that induce an allergic response in atopic individuals have been determined in recent years. This data indicates that allergens, regardless of source, fall into discreet protein families. Similarities in the sequence may explain clinically observed cross-reactivities between different biological triggers. However, previously available allergy databases group allergens according to their biological sources, or observed clinical cross-reactivities, without providing data about the proteins. A computer-aided data mining system is needed to compare the sequential and structural details of known allergens. This information will aid in predicting allergenic cross-responses and eventually in determining possible common characteristics of IgE recognition.
Results: The new web-based Structural Database of Allergenic Proteins (SDAP) permits the user to quickly compare the sequence and structure of allergenic proteins. Data from literature sources and previously existing lists of allergens are combined in a MySQL interactive database with a wide selection of bioinformatics applications. SDAP can be used to rapidly determine the relationship between allergens and to screen novel proteins for the presence of IgE or T-cell epitopes they may share with known allergens. Further, our novel similarity search method, based on five dimensional descriptors of amino acid properties, can be used to scan the SDAP entries with a peptide sequence. For example, when a known IgE binding epitope from shrimp tropomyosin was used as a query, the method rapidly identified a similar sequence in known shellfish and insect allergens. This prediction of cross-reactivity between allergens is consistent with clinical observations.
Availability: SDAP is available on the web at http://fermi.utmb.edu/SDAP/index.html
Contact: werner@newton.utmb.edu
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.