bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low back pain in military recruits in relation to social background and previous low back pain. A cross-sectional and prospective observational survey
Authors: Hestbaek Lise , Larsen Kristian , Weidick Flemming , Leboeuf-Yde Charlotte 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
Background
Traditionally, studies on the etiology of low back pain have been carried out in adult populations. However, since low back pain often appears early in life, more research on young populations is needed. This study focuses on the importance of social background factors and previous low back pain in the development of low back pain in military recruits.

Methods
During a three-month period, Danish military recruits with different social backgrounds live and work under the same conditions. Thus, there is an opportunity to investigate the influence of social background on the development of low back pain, when persons are removed from their usual environment and submitted to a number of new stressors. In addition, the importance of the recruits' previous low back pain history in relation to low back pain during military service was studied. This was done by means of questionnaires to 1,711 recruits before and after this three-month period.

Results
Sedentary occupation was negatively associated with long-lasting low back pain (>30 days during the past year) at baseline with an odds ratios of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.33–0.90). This effect vanished during service. Having parents with higher education increased the risk of low back pain during service (OR: 1.9;1.2–3.0, for the highest educated group), but not of the consequences (leg pain and exemption from duty), whereas high IQ decreased the risk of these consequences (odds ratios as low as 0.2;0.1–0.8 for exemption from duty in the group with highest IQ). Long-lasting low back pain prior to service increased the risk of long-lasting low back pain (OR: 4.8;2.1–10.8), leg pain (OR: 3.3;1.3–8.3) and exemption from duty during service (OR: 5.9;2.4–14.8).

Conclusion
Sedentary occupation is negatively associated with low back pain at baseline. This protective effect disappears, when the person becomes physically active. For predicting trouble related to the low back during service, the duration of low back pain prior to service and IQ-level are the most important factors.
Aberrations of TACC1 and TACC3 are associated with ovarian cancer
Authors: Lauffart Brenda , Vaughan Mary M , Eddy Roger , Chervinsky David , DiCioccio Richard A , Black Jennifer D , Still Ivan H 
Published: May 2005

AbstractBackgroundDysregulation of the human Transforming Acidic Coiled Coil (TACC) genes is thought to be important in the development and progression of multiple myeloma, breast and gastric cancer. Recent, large-scale genomic analysis and Serial Analysis of Gene Expression data suggest that TACC1 and TACC3 may also be involved in the etiology of ovarian tumors from both familial and sporadic cases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of alterations of these TACCs in ovarian cancer.MethodsDetection and scoring of TACC1 and TACC3 expression was performed by immunohistochemical analysis of the T-BO-1 tissue/tumor microarray slide from the Cooperative Human Tissue Network, Tissue Array Research Program (TARP) of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Tumors were categorized as either positive (greater than 10% of cells staining) or negative. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test and p < 0.05 (single comparisons), and p < 0.02 (multiple comparisons) were considered to be significant. Transgenomics WAVE high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC) was used to pre-screen the TACC3 gene in constitutional DNA from ovarian cancer patients and their unaffected relatives from 76 families from the Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry. All variant patterns were then sequenced.ResultsThis study demonstrated absence of at least one or both TACC proteins in 78.5% (51/65) of ovarian tumors tested, with TACC3 loss observed in 67.7% of tumors. The distribution pattern of expression of the two TACC proteins was different, with TACC3 loss being more common in serous papillary carcinoma compared with clear cell carcinomas, while TACC1 staining was less frequent in endometroid than in serous papillary tumor cores. In addition, we identified two constitutional mutations in the TACC3 gene in patients with ovarian cancer from the Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry. These patients had previously tested negative for mutations in known ovarian cancer predisposing genes.ConclusionWhen combined, our data suggest that aberrations of TACC genes, and TACC3 in particular, underlie a significant proportion of ovarian cancers. Thus, TACC3 could be a hitherto unknown endogenous factor that contributes to ovarian tumorigenesis.
Predictors of serum dioxin levels among adolescent boys in Chapaevsk, Russia: A cross-sectional pilot study
Authors: Hauser Russ , Williams Paige , Altshul Larisa , Korrick Susan , Peeples Lynne , Patterson Donald G , Turner Wayman E , Lee Mary M , Revich Boris , Sergeyev Oleg 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
Background
Toxicological studies and limited human studies have demonstrated associations between exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and adverse developmental and reproductive health effects. Given that children may be particularly susceptible to reproductive and developmental effects of organochlorines, and the paucity of information available regarding childhood exposures to dioxins in particular, we undertook a pilot study to describe the distribution of, and identify potential predictors of exposure to, dioxin-like compounds and dioxins among adolescent boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. The pilot study was also designed to guide the development of a large prospective cohort study on the relationship of exposure to PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs with growth and pubertal development in peri-pubertal Chapaevsk boys.

Methods
221 boys age 14 to 17 participated in the pilot study. Each of the boys, with his mother, was asked to complete a nurse-administered detailed questionnaire on medical history, diet, and lifestyle. The diet questions were used to measure the current and lifetime consumption of locally grown or raised foods. Blood samples from 30 of these boys were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for analysis of dioxins, furans and PCBs.

Results
The median (25th, 75th percentile) concentrations for total PCDDs, PCDFs and coplanar PCBs were 95.8 pg/g lipids (40.9, 144), 33.9 pg/g lipids (20.4, 61.8), and 120 pg/g lipids (77.6, 157), respectively. For WHO-TEQs, the median (25th, 75th percentile) for total PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs were 0.29 (0.1, 9.14), 7.98 (5.27, 12.3), and 7.39 (4.51, 11.9), respectively. Although TCDD was largely non-detectable, two boys had high TCDD levels (17.9 and 21.7 pg/g lipid). Higher serum levels of sum of dioxin-like compounds and sum of dioxin TEQs were positively associated with increased age, consumption of fish, local meats other than chicken, PCB 118, and inversely with weeks of gestation.

Conclusion
The total TEQs among Chapaevsk adolescents were higher than most values previously reported in non-occupationally exposed populations of comparable or even older ages. Dietary consumption of local foods, as well as age and weeks of gestation, predicted dioxin exposure in this population.
Analysis of memory T lymphocyte activity following stimulation with overlapping HLA-A*2402, A*0101 and Cw*0402 restricted CMV pp65 peptides
Authors: Ghei Monica , Stroncek David F , Provenzano Maurizio 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
The continuous efforts aimed at the identification of new immune epitopes across the MHC system has led to the discovery that more than one peptide may be restricted to the same HLA antigen and function as an immune determinant for that association. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of two overlapping peptides, the nonamer (9-mer) cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65341–349 (QYDPVAALF) and the decamer (10-mer) CMV pp65341–350 (QYDPVAALFF), and the esadecamer (16-mer) peptide containing both the 9-mer and 10-mer sequences, CMV pp65340–355 (RQYDPVAALFFFDIDL), to stimulate and maintain over time a T cell immune reactivation by HLA-A*2402, A*0101, and Cw*0402 cells from CMV-seropositive subjects. The 9-mer, 10-mer, and 16-mer peptides effectively stimulated CTLs from HLA-A*2402, HLA-A*0101, and HLA-Cw*0402 CMV seropositive donors. This data confirms that both the 9-mer and the 10-mer peptides are promiscuous and are not restricted to a single HLA antigen. CMV pp65341–349 and CMV pp65341–350 have the ability to produce CMV-specific CTLs in subjects with several different HLA types, presenting a practical advantage over other peptides that are restricted only to a single HLA antigen, and thus being optimal for CMV adoptive immune therapy. Moreover, since the 16-mer peptide encompasses both the 9-mer and 10-mer peptides, it may be better than either of these peptides for CMV adoptive immune therapy.
Conservation of functional domains and limited heterogeneity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase gene following vertical transmission
Authors: Sundaravaradan Vasudha , Hahn Tobias , Ahmad Nafees 
Published: May 2005

AbstractBackgroundThe reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a crucial role in the life cycle of the virus by converting the single stranded RNA genome into double stranded DNA that integrates into the host chromosome. In addition, RT is also responsible for the generation of mutations throughout the viral genome, including in its own sequences and is thus responsible for the generation of quasi-species in HIV-1-infected individuals. We therefore characterized the molecular properties of RT, including the conservation of functional motifs, degree of genetic diversity, and evolutionary dynamics from five mother-infant pairs following vertical transmission.ResultsThe RT open reading frame was maintained with a frequency of 87.2% in five mother-infant pairs' sequences following vertical transmission. There was a low degree of viral heterogeneity and estimates of genetic diversity in mother-infant pairs' sequences. Both mothers and infants RT sequences were under positive selection pressure, as determined by the ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions. Phylogenetic analysis of 132 mother-infant RT sequences revealed distinct clusters for each mother-infant pair, suggesting that the epidemiologically linked mother-infant pairs were evolutionarily closer to each other as compared with epidemiologically unlinked mother-infant pairs. The functional domains of RT which are responsible for reverse transcription, DNA polymerization and RNase H activity were mostly conserved in the RT sequences analyzed in this study. Specifically, the active sites and domains required for primer binding, template binding, primer and template positioning and nucleotide recruitment were conserved in all mother-infant pairs' sequences.ConclusionThe maintenance of an intact RT open reading frame, conservation of functional domains for RT activity, preservation of several amino acid motifs in epidemiologically linked mother-infant pairs, and a low degree of genetic variability following vertical transmission is consistent with an indispensable role of RT in HIV-1 replication in infected mother-infant pairs.
Age and kidney function are the primary correlates of fasting plasma total homocysteine levels in non-diabetic and diabetic adults. Results from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Duncan Glen E , Li Sierra M , Zhou Xiao-Hua 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
Background
Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is commonly elevated in persons with diabetes. This may be due to effects of insulin and/or glucose and/or metabolic control on the metabolism or plasma levels of tHcy. This study examined the effects of fasting plasma glucose status on fasting tHcy levels among adults without diabetes, and diabetes per se among adults with a self-report history of diabetes.

Methods
Analysis of data on adults (≥ 20y) who had fasted at least 8 hours, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2000 and 2001–2002). Subjects with no self-report history of diabetes were grouped according to fasting plasma glucose status as normal (< 100 mg/dL = NFG, n = 2,244), impaired (≥ 100 < 126 mg/dL = IFG, n = 1,108), or a provisional diagnosis of diabetes (≥ 126 mg/dL = DFG, n = 133). Subjects with a self-report history of diabetes (n = 275) were examined separately.

Results
Fasting tHcy was higher (Ps < 0.01) among non-diabetic subjects with DFG and IFG, compared to NFG (median [95% confidence interval] = 8.6 [8.0–9.2], 8.3 [8.1–8.5], and 7.4 [7.3–7.5] μmol/L, respectively). Diabetic subjects had levels similar to non-diabetic subjects with DFG and IFG (8.3 [7.9–8.6] μmol/L). Age and estimated creatinine clearance were strong correlates of fasting tHcy among non-diabetic subjects (r = 0.38 to 0.44 and r = -0.35 to -0.46, respectively) and diabetic subjects (r = 0.41 and r = -0.46, respectively) (Ps < 0.001), while fasting glucose and glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) were weaker (but still significant) correlates of tHcy in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects. Fasting glucose status was not a significant independent predictor of fasting tHcy levels in non-diabetic subjects, and HbA1c was not a significant independent predictor of tHcy in diabetic subjects (Ps > 0.05).

Conclusion
Fasting tHcy levels are elevated among non-diabetic adults with elevated fasting glucose levels, compared to persons with normal fasting glucose levels, and among diabetic adults. However, elevations in fasting tHcy appear to be mediated primarily by age and kidney function, and not by measures of glucose metabolism.
Childhood IQ and all‐cause mortality before and after age 65: Prospective observational study linking the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 and the Midspan studies
Authors: Hart C. L. , Taylor M. D. , Smith G. , Whalley L. J. Davey , Starr J. M. , Hole D. J. , Wilson V. , Deary I. J. 
Published: May 2005

Objectives.The objective was to investigate how childhood IQ related to all‐cause mortality before and after age 65.Design.The Midspan prospective cohort studies, followed‐up for mortality for 25 years, were linked to individuals' childhood IQ from the Scottish Mental Survey 1932.Methods.The Midspan studies collected data on risk factors for cardiorespiratory disease from a questionnaire and at a screening examination, and were conducted on adults in Scotland in the 1970s. An age 11 IQ from the Scottish Mental Survey 1932, a cognitive ability test conducted on 1921‐born children attending schools in Scotland, was found for 938 Midspan participants. The relationship between childhood IQ and mortality risk, adjusting for adulthood socio‐economic confounders, was analysed. The effect of adjustment for childhood IQ on the relationship between established risk factors (blood pressure, smoking, height and respiratory function) and mortality was also investigated.Results.For deaths occurring up to age 65, there was a 36% increased risk per standard deviation decrease (15 points) in childhood IQ which was reduced to 29% after adjusting for social class and deprivation category. There was no statistically significant relationship between childhood IQ and deaths occurring after the age of 65. Adjustment for childhood IQ attenuated the risk factor—mortality relationship in deaths occurring up to age 65, but had no effect in deaths occurring after age 65.Conclusions.Childhood IQ was significantly related to deaths occurring up to age 65, but not to deaths occurring after age 65.
Substance use among pregnant women in the context of previous reproductive loss and desire for current pregnancy
Authors: Coleman Priscilla K. , Reardon David C. , Cougle Jesse R. 
Published: May 2005

Objective. The primary objectives of this study were to explore maternal history of perinatal loss and pregnancy wantedness as correlates of substance use during pregnancy.Method. The research design involved interviewing women who gave birth in Washington DC hospitals during 1992. Interview data included pregnancy history (prior births, induced abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths), desire for the pregnancy (wanted, not wanted, mistimed), socio‐demographic information, timing of onset of prenatal care, and substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs) during pregnancy.Results. A history of induced abortion was associated with elevated risk for maternal substance use of various forms; whereas other forms of perinatal loss (miscarriage and stillbirth) were not related to substance use. Unwanted pregnancy was associated with cigarette smoking during pregnancy, but not with any other forms of substance use.Conclusions. Reproductive history information may offer insight to professionals pertaining to the likelihood of women using substances in a later pregnancy.
Causal beliefs and behaviour change post‐myocardial infarction: How are they related?
Authors: French David P. , James Delyth , Horne Rob , Weinman John 
Published: May 2005

Introduction.Weinman, Petrie, Sharpe, and Walker (2000)showed that the causal attributions of a sample of first‐time myocardial infarction (MI) patients and their spouses from Auckland, New Zealand, were associated with changes in health‐related behaviour over the first 6 months post‐MI. However, their analyses did not control for pre‐MI health‐related behaviour.Method.This paper reports a re‐analyses of the Auckland data, and a replication study conducted with 155 first‐time MI patients in Brighton, United Kingdom (UK), to investigate whether baseline attributions for MI were related to health‐related behaviour change at 6 months (N=132). Spouses (N=85) also completed the attribution questionnaire at baseline.Results.There was no consistent relationship between the causal attributions of patients and subsequent behaviour change in Auckland and Brighton. For both samples, causal attributions were associated with pre‐MI behaviour.Conclusions.The data from both samples suggest that the causal attributions of MI patients and their spouses may be realistic, but not predictive of subsequent changes in behaviour.
The DAS24: A short form of the Derriford Appearance Scale DAS59 to measure individual responses to living with problems of appearance
Authors: Carr Tony , Moss Timothy , Harris David 
Published: May 2005

Objectives. To develop a psychometrically robust and widely applicable short form of the Derriford Appearance Scale, (DAS59), which (1) will reliably and validly assess the distress and difficulties experienced in living with problems of appearance, (2) is acceptable to clinical and non‐clinical populations, and (3) facilitates research and clinical decision‐making through good standardization and sensitivity.Design. Cross‐sectional survey designs using clinical (out‐patient and in‐patient) and general population samples.Method. Twenty‐five items were selected initially from the 59 items of the original DAS59. These were refined to 24 through item analyses and the scale was standardized on 535 patients with a range of problems of appearance and on a representative general population sample (N =1,107).Results. All 24 items contributed well to the total score and internal consistency was high (α=.92). Test—retest reliability (6 months) was good (0.82), and criterion validity, with the DAS59, was excellent (0.88). Good construct validity was demonstrated in differences between (1) patient and general population samples, (2) members of the general population concerned and not concerned about their appearance, and (3) in patterns of convergent and divergent correlations with a range of established scales. The general population data revealed widespread concerns about appearance.Conclusion. The DAS24 provides a widely applicable and acceptable short form of the original DAS59. It is psychometrically robust and discriminates well between patient groups, between clinical and non‐clinical populations, and within the general population between those concerned, and those not concerned, about their appearance.
Towards a DIAMEX process using high active concentrate. Production of genuine solutions
Authors: Serrano-Purroy Daniel , Christiansen Birgit , Glatz J.-P. , Malmbeck R. , Modolo G. 
Published: May 2005

Summary
The efficiency of Minor Actinides (MA) recovery in the DIAMEX process has already been demonstrated using High Active Raffinate (HAR). The next step aims at the demonstration of reprocessing from High Active Concentrate (HAC) as feed, in view of an industrial application. The volume reduction would reduce the size of the installation to be used and thereby the costs of the process. The first step towards the demonstration of a DIAMEX process using HAC is the production of the genuine solutions. In the hot cell facility of ITU (Institute for Transuranium Elements), a HAR solution has been prepared, from small scale PUREX reprocessing of MOX fuel, and successfully subjected to a concentration/denitration process to obtain HAC. A final concentration factor (CF) of about 10 and an acidity of 4 M were reached. In the experiment a precipitate mainly composed of Sr, Zr, Mo, Sn and Ba was formed. MA precipitation was not significant (< 0.001%).
Einmodige Quantenkaskadenlaser für Anwendungen in der Spurengasanalytik (Single-Mode Quantum Cascade Lasers for Applications in Trace-Gas Sensing)
Authors: Mann Christian , Yang Q. , Fuchs F. , Bronner W. , Köhler K. , Wagner Joachim 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Entwurf, der Herstellung sowie der Charakterisierung von einmodigen DFB-Quantenkaskadenlasern für Anwendungen in der Spurengasanalytik. Die Laser eignen sich zur Detektion der fundamentalen Rotations-Schwingungs-Übergänge von Stickstoffmonoxid im Wellenlängenbereich um 5,35 μm (1870 cm−1) und von Kohlenmonoxid um 4,67 μm (2140 cm−1) mittels hochauflösender Absorptionsspektroskopie. Im Pulsbetrieb ist die Seitenmodenunterdrückung >27dB und die maximale Betriebstemperatur > 400K (127 °C). Typische Linienbreiten liegen bei etwa 100MHz.
Liquid Crystalline Elastomers
Authors: Zentel Rudolf 
Published: May 2005

AbstractToday, material science is directed towards the development of multifunctional and oriented structures. One example of such supramolecular systems are liquid crystalline (LC) elastomers which combine the properties of LC phases (the combination of order and mobility) with rubber elasticity, one of the most typical polymer properties. Their most outstanding characteristic is their mechanical orientability; strains as small as 20% are enough to obtain a perfectly oriented LC monodomain. This orientability, if LC elastomers with chiral phases are used, leads, for example, to elastomers with chiral smectic C* phases which are likely to show piezo‐electric behavior.
Polymer optical fibers and nonlinear optical device principles
Authors: Groh W. , Lupo D. , Sixl H. 
Published: May 2005

AbstractBasic principles of the present optoelectronic research activities at Hoechst AG are presented in this contribution. Within the diversified broad band spectrum of optoelectronic materials and applications our interest is focused on new types of polymer optical fibers and nonlinear optical device principles using organic Langmuir–Blodgett films and electrically poled polymers. The basic principles and the limits of the present research and development activities which, have a high market potential are outlined.
Monolayers and Langmuir–Blodgett multilayers of discotic liquid crystals?
Authors: Laschewsky André 
Published: May 2005

AbstractThe field of monolayer and multilayer films of discotic LCs is at its very beginning. The scope and limitations of this preparation method have not yet been explored, and little is known about the structures obtainable. However, the potential access to extraordinary, ordered thin films is fascinating, and will stimulate research in the future.