bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sensory Function after Median Nerve Decompression in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: ROSÉN B. , LUNDBORG G. , ABRAHAMSSON S. O. , HAGBERG L. , ROSÉN I. 
Published: September 2005

The sensory recovery was monitored for up to 1 year after decompression of the median nerve in 69 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Special attention was paid to the rate of recovery, the importance of constant or intermittent numbness or paraesthesiae preoperatively and the influence of gender. Most patients with numbness/paraesthesiae and those with abnormal two-point discrimination recovered within 10 days. Perception of touch and vibration recovered within 3 weeks in most patients but those with abnormal nerve conduction/sensory amplitude recovered slowly during follow-up. After 1 year patients with intermittent preoperative symptoms were significantly more likely to achieve normal nerve conduction and perception of touch. Women were more likely to achieve normal nerve conduction and perception of touch. A comparison of recovery between matched men and women with identical preoperative status showed no significant difference. The results indicate the importance of early treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Distraction-Lengthening of Digital Rays Using a Small External Fixator
Authors: SALOM M. , AROCA J. E. , CHOVER V. , ALONSO R. , VILAR R. 
Published: September 2005

We present 19 ray lengthenings in 14 patients done with a small external fixator. In six cases the thumb was lengthened and in the other 13 cases, other digital rays. The most frequent reason for lengthening was an amputation sustained in a work accident. All the lengthenings were done by an osteotomy and subsequent gradual distraction with a small external fixator. The mean lengthening achieved was 20 mm (range, 0–32). An iliac-crest graft was needed in nine cases, corrective osteotomy in five cases and a deepening of the web in the six cases of thumb lengthening. In five cases an additional technique was needed to achieve bony consolidation. We have analysed the functional results and the ability to perform activities of daily living and resume employment. Although most of the patients had multiples injuries, the results have been very favourable, achieving a very high level of patient satisfaction.
Morphology and Distribution of Nerve Endings in the Human Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex
Authors: OHMORI M. , AZUMA H. 
Published: September 2005

We studied the morphology and distribution of nerve endings in the human triangular fibrocartilage complex using both silver staining and immunohistochemical staining using a protein specific to nerve fibres. Free nerve endings were found in the ulnar side of the triangular fibrocartilage complex, especially in the ulnar collateral ligament, meniscus homologue and the adjacent collagen fibre area of the peripheral part of the ulnar side of the articular disc. Meissner’s and Krause’s corpuscles were observed in the ulnar collateral ligament and meniscus homologue. The fact that free nerve endings were observed in the meniscus homologue and adjacent collagen fibre area of the peripheral part of the ulnar side of the articular disc suggests that this disc may be a source of wrist pain. The presence of nerve end bulbs in the triangular fibrocartilage complex also suggests a possible role for corpuscles as mechanoreceptors.
Psychomotor Development in Children with Triphalangeal Thumbs
Authors: ZGURICAS J. , DE RAEYMAECKER D. M. J. , SNIJDERS P. J. L. M. , HOEKSTRA A. , LINDHOUT D. , HOVIUS S. E. R. 
Published: September 2005

In order to explore the influence of an isolated congenital hand malformation on psychomotor development, we performed an exploratory, observational study on 18 children with triphalangeal thumbs. The investigative procedure consisted of a hand function examination, a semi-structured interview with the mother about the development of the child, the so-called “Hand test”, and the “Child Behaviour Check List”. Our observations suggest specific developmental difficulties in fine motor skills and language development, but the children showed no signs of behavioural psychopathology.
Normal Digital Contribution to Grip Strength Assessed by a Computerized Digital Dynamometer
Authors: TALSANIA J. S. , KOZIN S. H. 
Published: September 2005

A computerized digital dynamometer was used to assess the contribution of individual fingers to total grip strength in 100 hands from 50 randomly selected healthy subjects. The dynamometer simultaneously recorded force data from each digit (index, long, ring, and small) and cumulative grip directly to a laptop computer. The percentage contribution of each finger force to total grip force was calculated at three successive handle sizes for dominant and non-dominant hands. Individual digital contributions to total grip strength were approximately 25%, 35%, 26% and 15% for the index, long, ring, and small fingers respectively. This pattern was consistent irrespective of handle size, hand dominance, and grip strength.
Prediction of the coupling specificity of GPCRs to four families of G-proteins using hidden Markov models and artificial neural networks
Authors: Sgourakis Nikolaos G. , Bagos Pantelis G. , Hamodrakas Stavros J. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractMotivation: G-protein coupled receptors are a major class of eukaryotic cell-surface receptors. A very important aspect of their function is the specific interaction (coupling) with members of four G-protein families. A single GPCR may interact with members of more than one G-protein families (promiscuous coupling). To date all published methods that predict the coupling specificity of GPCRs are restricted to three main coupling groups Gi/o, Gq/11 and Gs, not including G12/13-coupled or other promiscuous receptors.Results: We present a method that combines hidden Markov models and a feed-forward artificial neural network to overcome these limitations, while producing the most accurate predictions currently available. Using an up-to-date curated dataset, our method yields a 94% correct classification rate in a 5-fold cross-validation test. The method predicts also promiscuous coupling preferences, including coupling to G12/13, whereas unlike other methods avoids overpredictions (false positives) when non-GPCR sequences are encountered.Availability: A webserver for academic users is available atContact: shamodr@cc.uoa.grSupplementary information: Results for promiscuous receptors can be found at:
Classification of microarrays to nearest centroids
Authors: Dabney Alan R. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract
Motivation: Classification of biological samples by microarrays is a topic of much interest. A number of methods have been proposed and successfully applied to this problem. It has recently been shown that classification by nearest centroids provides an accurate predictor that may outperform much more complicated methods. The ‘Prediction Analysis of Microarrays’ (PAM) approach is one such example, which the authors strongly motivate by its simplicity and interpretability. In this spirit, I seek to assess the performance of classifiers simpler than even PAM.
Results: I surprisingly show that the modified t-statistics and shrunken centroids employed by PAM tend to increase misclassification error when compared with their simpler counterparts. Based on these observations, I propose a classification method called ‘Classification to Nearest Centroids’ (ClaNC). ClaNC ranks genes by standard t-statistics, does not shrink centroids and uses a class-specific gene-selection procedure. Because of these modifications, ClaNC is arguably simpler and easier to interpret than PAM, and it can be viewed as a traditional nearest centroid classifier that uses specially selected genes. I demonstrate that ClaNC error rates tend to be significantly less than those for PAM, for a given number of active genes.
Availability: Point-and-click software is freely available at
Contact: adabney@u.washington.edu
Supplementary Information:
Semi‐Authoritarian Incorporation and Autocratic Militarism in Turkey
Authors: Jacoby Tim 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThis article argues that, since the early 1980s, there have been two regimes in Turkey. The first, which is broadly akin to Michael Mann's characterization of Semi‐Authoritarian Incorporation, has predominated in areas of the country not administered through emergency legislation. In keeping with his model, it has been most fully asserted in areas of key economic value — particularly the Marmara region and the environs of the capital, Ankara. In the thirteen predominantly Kurdish provinces of the south‐east of the country, on the other hand, a second of Mann's regime types, Autocratic Militarism, is discernible. This was institutionalized under a new constitutional structure introduced following the 1980 coup as a means of dealing with a rise in pro‐Kurdish insurgency.
Intrinsic competition between larval parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity
Authors: De Moraes Consuelo M. , Mescher Mark C. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract.  1. Interspecific competition among parasitoids may play a key role in the community dynamics of tritrophic plant–herbivore–parasitoid systems and has important implications for management of herbivorous insect pests.2. A model system was used to explore the outcome of interspecific competition between parasitoids that differ in host specificity. The system included the lepidopteran pest Heliothis virescens, the generalist parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris, and two specialist parasitoids, Microplitis croceipes and Cardiochiles nigriceps.3. The generalist, C. marginiventris, dominated intrinsic competition when given an 8‐h developmental head start over C. nigriceps or when its oviposition was simultaneous with that of M. croceipes. Microplitis croceipes and especially C. nigriceps larvae prevailed when they were allowed to oviposit prior to C. marginiventris.4. Rates of host mortality prior to parasitoid emergence varied with parasitoid species composition and with the order of oviposition.5. Implications for integrated pest management and the adaptive significance of competition as related to host specialisation are discussed.
Spatio‐temporal variation in Lepidopteran larval assemblages associated with oak, Quercus crispula: the importance of leaf quality
Authors: Murakami Masashi , Yoshida Kunikichi , Hara Hirofumi , Toda Masanori J. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract.  1. Lepidoptera larval abundance and diversity in the canopies of oak (Quercus crispula) trees and saplings were surveyed in a cool‐temperate, deciduous broadleaf forest in northern Japan.2. In general, newly developed leaves were soft, rich in water and nitrogen, and low in tannin, whereas they became tough, poor in water and nitrogen, and high in tannin as the season proceeded. Leaf quality also varied among forest strata, such variations resulting in seasonal and among‐strata differences in the structure of the Lepidoptera larval assemblage.3. The greater Lepidoptera larval abundance and species richness may related to the higher leaf quality on spring foliage compared with summer foliage. On the other hand, diversity (Shannon's H′) and evenness (Pielou's J′) were greater on summer foliage than on spring foliage. Strengthened defences of the host plants against herbivory may cause these differences by filtering the larvae of Lepidoptera species and by constraining the super‐dominance of a few species on summer foliage.4. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) ordination also revealed a stratified structure of the Lepidoptera larval assemblage in the forest. In both spring and summer, the assemblage composition was more similar between sunlit and shaded canopies than between canopies and saplings. Such assemblage stratification was highly correlated with toughness and tannin content (in spring and summer) or water content (in summer).5. This study emphasised the importance of spatio‐temporal variations in leaf quality, even within the same host plant species, for promoting herbivore diversity in forests.
Brochosome influence on parasitisation efficiency ofHomalodisca coagulata(Say) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) egg masses byGonatocerus ashmeadiGirault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)
Authors: Velema Hans‐Paul , Hemerik Lia , Hoddle Mark S. , Luck Robert F. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract. 1. Many cicadellid females in the tribe Proconiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) cover their egg masses with specialised, usually rod‐shaped, brochosomes as the eggs are being laid. The brochosomes are produced in Golgi complexes in the Malpighian tubules of Cicadellidae. In contrast to the gravid females, adult males, pre‐reproductive adult females, and nymphal males and females produce specialised, usually spherically shaped brochosomes. Brochosomes are also used to cover the external surfaces of nymphs and newly moulted adult males and females.2. The function of the brochosome covering the egg masses is unknown but various hypotheses have been suggested, including protecting the eggs against pathogens, predators, and parasitoids. Based on preliminary observations ofGonatocerus ashmeadiGirault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) parasitising the eggs of the cicadellid,Homalodisca coagulata(Say), it is speculated here that brochosomes covering an egg mass hinder parasitisation of eggs byG. ashmeadi. This hypothesis was tested by observingG. ashmeadifemales foraging on leaves withH. coagulataegg masses heavily covered with rod‐shaped brochosomes vs. those lacking brochosomes.3. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the probability, per unit time, that a femaleG. ashmeadidisplayed the sequence of behaviours that ended in successful oviposition as influenced by five variables: (a) presence or absence of brochosomes on an egg mass, (b) the leaf surface, upper or lower, being searched by the parasitoid (the egg masses are laid in the parenchyma on the lower leaf surface), (c) the parasitoid's previous ovipositional experience, (d) egg mass size, and (e) the parasitoid's age.4. Brochosomes significantly decreased oviposition efficacy ofG. ashmeadifemales. Scanning electron microscopy showed that females exposed to brochosome‐covered egg masses had brochosomes adhering to their tarsi, legs, antennae, and eyes, all of which prompted extensive bouts of grooming.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influence visitation rates of pollinating insects
Authors: Gange Alan C. , Smith Annabel K. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract.  1. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can increase a number of plant traits to which pollinating insects are known to respond. These include total plant size, flower number, flower size, and amount of pollen produced.2. It was hypothesised that these effects would lead to a different visitation rate of pollinating insects on mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal plants. To test this idea, three species of annual plants (Centaurea cyanus, Tagetes erecta, and Tagetes patula) were grown with and without AM fungi and the visits by pollinating insects were recorded over a 2‐month period.3. In all three species, mycorrhizal plants experienced a greater number of pollinator visits per flower per unit time. Diptera and Hymenoptera were the predominant insects and the latter order showed the strongest response.4. Here, it is suggested that mycorrhizal fungi increase floral visitation rates by insects, but that the mechanism varies from one plant species to another. In C. cyanus, it appears to be due to flower number per plant, in T. patula it is individual inflorescence size, and in T. patula it is nectar standing crop per inflorescence.
Expression of a candidate marker for progenitor cells, Musashi‐1, in the proliferative regions of human antrum and its decreased expression in intestinal metaplasia
Authors: Akasaka Y , Saikawa Y , Fujita K , Kubota T , Ishikawa Y , Fujimoto A , Ishii T , Okano H , Kitajima M 
Published: September 2005

Aim:  Reliable makers for progenitor cells in the human stomach have not been elucidated. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether Musashi‐1 (Msi‐1), which has recently been proposed as a stem cell marker in mouse intestine, serves as a marker for progenitor cells in human stomach.Methods and results:  Immunohistochemistry revealed that Msi‐1+ cells were detected especially in the isthmus/neck region (the putative position of stem cells) of the adult antrum, but were limited to the basal regions of fetal pyloric glands during the early stages of development. These results suggest that Msi‐1 expression occurs specifically in the stem cell‐containing regions. Msi‐1+ cells were intermingled with proliferating cell muclear antigen (PCNA)+ cells in the isthmus/neck region of the adult antrum, but did not coexpress PCNA or Ki67. Msi‐1 expression overlapped partly with expression of MUC5AC and MUC6, indicating that Msi‐1+ cells retain some features of both foveolar and pyloric gland cell differentiation phenotypes. In contrast, Msi‐1 expression in gastric glands showing intestinal metaplasia (IM) became weaker than that in the glands without IM.Conclusion:  The specific expression of Msi‐1 within the proliferative regions suggests that Msi‐1 is a marker of cells with progenitor characteristics before active proliferation in human antrum.
Mast cells and c‐Kit expression in liver allograft rejection
Authors: El‐Refaie A M Ahmed , Burt A D 
Published: September 2005

Aims : The pathogenesis of rejection following liver transplantation is not fully understood. It has been postulated that mast cells may play a role in acute and chronic rejection of a number of other solid organ grafts. The aim of this study was to assess the possible role of mast cells and c‐Kit+ cells in acute and chronic liver allograft rejection.Methods and results : Biopsy specimens from (i) ‘time zero’ grafts with a minimal degree of perfusion injury (controls), (ii) transplanted livers with different grades of acute rejection, and (iii) transplanted livers with end‐stage chronic rejection, were stained immunohistochemically using monoclonal anti‐mast cell tryptase and polyclonal anti‐c‐Kit antibodies. Tryptase‐ and c‐Kit‐positive cell densities were assessed by image analysis. Tryptase‐postive mast cell densities (P < 0.001) were strongly correlated with acute liver allograft rejection grades and chronic liver allograft rejection. Furthermore, a similarly strong relationship was found between c‐Kit+ cell densities and increasing rejection grade (P < 0.001).Conclusions : Tryptase‐ and c‐Kit‐positive mast cells form part of the inflammatory infiltrate in both acute and chronic liver allograft rejection, and may be important effector cells in these processes.
Malignant melanoma with neuroendocrine differentiation: clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of three cases
Authors: Eyden B , Pandit D , Banerjee S S 
Published: September 2005

Aim : To document the clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of three malignant melanomas showing neuroendocrine differentiation.Methods and results : Three patients, two with primary cutaneous melanoma and one with nasal mucosal melanoma, subsequently developing or simultaneously presenting with metastatic malignant melanoma, were studied by conventional histological technique, immunohistochemistry of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐wax embedded tissues, and electron microscopy of epoxy‐resin‐embedded tumour tissue. Tumours showed either small cell or conventional malignant melanoma cell morphology. One of the three primary melanocytic lesions (the nasal melanoma) exhibited neuroendocrine differentiation immunohistochemically. All three metastatic malignant melanomas showed, in varying combinations, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural evidence for neuroendocrine differentiation: they were positive for the melanocytic markers, S100 protein, HMB‐45, Melan‐A and tyrosinase, and the neuroendocrine markers chromogranin, synaptophysin and neurofilament protein. Ultrastructural study in two of the metastases revealed neuroendocrine granules but no lattice‐bearing melanosomes.Conclusions : The cases described are the most comprehensively investigated malignant melanomas showing neuroendocrine differentiation to date, and the first to document neuroendocrine differentiation ultrastructurally in these tumours. Malignant melanoma with neuroendocrine differentiation therefore needs to be recognized among the other, better known variants of malignant melanoma.
Efficacy and Limitations of Cyclophosphamide‐induced Tolerance against αGal Antigen
Authors: Shimizu I. , Tomita Y. , Iwai T. , Kajiwara T. , Okano S. , Sueishi K. , Nomoto K. , Yasui H. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractIn the present study, we have elucidated the efficacy of two cyclophosphamide (CP)‐induced tolerance protocols for the induction of B‐cell tolerance against Galα1‐3Galβ1‐4GlcNAc (αGal) antigens. α1,3‐galactosyltransferase‐deficient (GalT–/–; H‐2b/d) mice received with 1 × 108 AKR (αGal+/+ H‐2k) spleen cells (SC) followed by 200 mg/kg CP, or alternatively followed by 200 mg/kg CP, 30 mg/kg Busulfan (BU) and 1 × 108 T‐cell‐depleted AKR bone marrow cells (BMC). The generation of both anti‐αGal and anti‐donor antibodies were completely suppressed, but normal antibody production against third party antigens was observed after BALB/c skin grafting in both groups of GalT–/– mice. In GalT–/– mice, treated with SC and CP, mixed chimerism was not observed. Cellular rejection was observed in grafted donor AKR hearts with an absence of humoral rejection, whereas humoral rejection was observed in untreated GalT–/– mice. On the other hand, long‐term mixed chimerism and permanent acceptance of donor AKR skin graft and heart graft were achieved in GalT–/– mice treated with SC, CP, BU and BMC. These results demonstrate the efficacy of classical drug‐induced tolerance in the induction of B‐cell tolerance against αGal antigens. However, induction of stable mixed chimerism was required for the suppression of cellular rejection.
The Presence of Cytokine‐Suppressive CD4+CD25+ T Cells in the Peripheral Blood and Synovial Fluid of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Liu M.‐F. , Wang C.‐R. , Fung L.‐L. , Lin L.‐H. , Tsai C.‐N. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractCD4+CD25+ T cells have been shown to play a regulatory or suppressive role in the immune response and are possibly relevant to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we attempted to investigate the levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the effects of CD4+CD25+ T cells on the in vitro cytokine production by stimulated SF mononuclear cells (SFMC). The results showed that RA patients had similar frequencies of CD4+CD25+ T cells in PB, expressed as a percentages of the lymphocyte population, as did healthy subjects (mean ± SD: 10.52 ± 5.87% versus 11.11 ± 4.58%., respectively). But in contrast to PB, the SF of RA patients contained significantly higher levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells (17.77 ± 7.92% versus 10.52 ± 5.87%, respectively. P < 0.001). When cocultured in vitro with SFMC, CD4+CD25+ T cells purified from either PB or SF were found to exert a considerable suppressive effect on the production of cytokines including TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10). The percentages of inhibition of each cytokines ranged from 41.8 to 98.4% (mean, 80.0%) for TNF‐α, 42.8 to 98.9% (mean, 83.2%) for IFN‐γ and 59.3 to 96.6% (mean, 80.0%) for IL‐10. Because both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines were suppressed by CD4+CD25+ T cells, whether CD4+CD25+ T cells might play a beneficial role in the suppression of sustained inflammation in rheumatoid synovium remains to be elucidated.