bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Imported paracoccidioidomycosis in Spain
Authors: Ginarte Manuel , Pereiro Manuel , Toribio Jaime 
Published: October 2003

SummaryThe report deals with three patients, who developed paracoccidioidomycosis in Europe after having been in South America 50, 25 and 38 years before, respectively. The conditions for the long period of quiescent infection and for the late manifestations are discussed.
Cervical lymphadenitis caused by Candida albicans
Authors: Sang H. , Wu B. , Zhang X. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryCervical lymphadenitis caused by Candida albicans developed in an 8‐year‐old Chinese child. There was no evidence of disseminated infection. The infection apparently confined to a lymph node was interpreted as a stage of fungal invasion. The child showed lymphopenia with a proportionate decrease in T‐helper and T‐suppressor cells. The child was successfully treated intravenously with fluconazole.
Fungal peritonitis in 15 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)
Authors: Manzano‐Gayosso P. , Hernández‐Hernández F. , Méndez‐Tovar L. J. , González‐Monroy J. , López‐Martínez R. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryPeritonitis is a frequent complication in patients with chronic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment. The aim of this study was to know the prevalence of fungal peritonitis on patients undergoing CAPD, and to determine the antifungal susceptibility pattern of the identified isolates. Samples of the peritoneal dialysis fluid from 165 patients on CAPD treatment with peritonitis manifestations were submitted to mycological study (direct microscopic examination, culture and antifungal susceptibility test). Ten Candida isolates were identified, being C. albicans and C. parapsilosis the most common species. From isolates obtained, three species (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. guilliermondii) presented itraconazole resistance while C. glabrata was resistant to both itraconazole and ketoconazole. Aspergillus fumigatus was associated to peritonitis in three cases and Acremonium sp. in two.
Development and validation of a disease‐specific treatment satisfaction questionnaire for gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Coyne K. S. , Wiklund I. , Schmier J. , Halling K. , Degl' Innocenti A. , Revicki D. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryBackground : Currently, no disease‐specific, patient‐based, treatment satisfaction instruments related to gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease exist.Aim: To develop and validate a treatment satisfaction questionnaire for gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (TSQ‐G).Methods : A new questionnaire was developed from patient focus groups, clinician input and literature review. A validation study was conducted in treated gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease patients. Ancillary measures included the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form‐36, Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, Socially Desirable Response Scale, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire‐18 and physician and patient measures of symptoms and satisfaction. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, intra‐class correlations, analyses of variance and t‐tests.Results : A total of 198 gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 50.7 years, 68% female and 84% Caucasian. The physician‐rated severity of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease was mild (32%), moderate (50%) and severe (18%); 83% were on proton pump inhibitors. The final TSQ‐G consisted of 28 items with seven sub‐scales; Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.58 to 0.94. Correlations with the expected sub‐scales of the ancillary measures were moderate to strong. The TSQ‐G sub‐scales discriminated significantly between levels of physician‐rated disease severity, symptom days and patient and physician ratings of satisfaction.Conclusions : The TSQ‐G has excellent reliability and construct validity and appears to be a useful tool for the evaluation of treatment satisfaction in gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease patients.
European multicentre validation trial of two new non‐invasive tests for the detection of  Helicobacter pylori antibodies: urine‐based ELISA and rapid urine test
Authors: Leodolter A. , Vaira D. , Bazzoli F. , Schütze K. , Hirschl A. , Mégraud F. , Malfertheiner P. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryAim : Non‐invasive tests for the assessment of Helicobacter pylori status are now an integral part of the management strategies for patients with dyspepsia. The aim of this study was to evaluate a urine based antibody ELISA and a near patient urine test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in a European population.Methods : Urine samples were collected from 449 patients (240 females, 209 males, mean age 54 years), with dyspeptic symptoms but no previous H. pylori eradication therapy, at five centres in four European countries. All patients underwent GI endoscopy and biopsies were taken for H. pylori diagnosis. Urine samples were analysed using an IgG ELISA (URINELISA) and a near patient urine test (RAPIRUN). In addition, a serum IgG ELISA (Pyloriset‐EIA‐GIII), a whole blood test (Pyloriset‐Screen) and a 13C‐urea breath test were performed.Results : The sensitivity of the urine based ELISA and the near patient urine test was 90% and 82%, and the specificity 68% and 83%, respectively. The accuracy of the serum ELISA and the whole blood test was comparable with the urine based test.Conclusion : The urine based ELISA and the near patient urine test are just as accurate as the serological tests. This comparable accuracy and complete non‐invasiveness of the former gives it an advantage over blood based tests. This limits the application of these tests in general practice.
Esomeprazole resolves chronic heartburn in patients without erosive oesophagitis
Authors: Katz P. O. , Castell D. O. , Levine D. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryBackground : Patients with chronic heartburn but with no endoscopic evidence of erosive oesophagitis require gastric acid suppression to relieve symptoms.Aim : To assess the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole in patients with frequent heartburn for ≥ 6 months and no evidence of erosive oesophagitis on endoscopy.Methods : Two randomized, double‐blind, 4‐week, multi‐centre trials with identical methodology compared once‐daily esomeprazole, 40 mg (n = 241) or 20 mg (n = 234), with placebo (n = 242) for the rigorous end‐point of complete resolution of heartburn. Secondary end‐points included the percentage of heartburn‐free days and the time to first and sustained resolution of heartburn.Results : Patients treated with either dose of esomeprazole were two to three times more likely to achieve complete resolution of heartburn than patients treated with placebo (P < 0.001). The percentage of heartburn‐free days was significantly higher with esomeprazole 40 mg (63%, 66%) or 20 mg (63%, 68%) than with placebo (46%, 36%; P ≤ 0.001) in each of the two studies. Esomeprazole was associated with a significantly shorter mean time to first (6–7 days) and sustained (12–17 days) resolution of heartburn compared with placebo (first, 10–12 days; sustained, 21–22 days; P ≤ 0.008). The spectrum and frequency of adverse events with esomeprazole were similar to those with placebo.Conclusions : Esomeprazole, at daily doses of 40 mg or 20 mg, is effective and safe for the treatment of chronic heartburn in patients without erosive oesophagitis.
A sensitive guaiac faecal occult blood test is less useful than an immunochemical test for colorectal cancer screening in a Chinese population
Authors: Wong B. C.‐Y. , Wong W. M. , Cheung K. L. , Tong T. S. M. , Rozen P. , Young G. P. , Chu K. W. , Ho J. , Law W. L. , Tung H. M. , Lai K. C. , Hu W. H. C. , Chan C. K. , Lam S. K. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryBackground : Colorectal cancer screening by guaiac faecal occult blood test has been shown to reduce the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in Western populations. The optimal faecal occult blood test, whether guaiac or immunochemical, for colorectal cancer screening in the Chinese population remains to be defined.Aim : To compare the performance characteristics of a sensitive guaiac‐based faecal occult blood test (Hemoccult SENSA) and an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (FlexSure OBT) in a Chinese population referred for colonoscopy.Methods : One hundred and thirty‐five consecutive patients who were referred for colonoscopy and who met the study inclusion criteria took samples for the two faecal occult blood tests simultaneously from three successive stool specimens, with no dietary restrictions. All tests were developed and interpreted by a single experienced technician who was blind to the clinical diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value for the detection of colorectal adenomas and cancers were estimated for the two tests.Results : The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value for the detection of significant colorectal neoplasia (adenomas ≥ 1.0 cm and cancers) were 91%, 70% and 18% for Hemoccult SENSA and 82%, 94% and 47% for FlexSure OBT. The specificity and positive predictive value were significantly higher for FlexSure OBT than for Hemoccult SENSA (P < 0.001 and P = 0.016, respectively). Combining the positive results from both faecal occult blood tests did not improve the accuracy.Conclusion : The positive predictive value of the immunochemical faecal occult blood test for the detection of significant colorectal neoplasia was 29% better than that of the sensitive guaiac‐based test. This may relate to the Chinese diet and requires further study. The poor specificity of the sensitive guaiac‐based test, without dietary restriction, makes it less useful for colorectal cancer screening in a Chinese population.
Signs of infection in Pap smears and risk of adverse pregnancy outcome
Authors: Buchmayer Susanne , Sparén Pär , Cnattingius Sven 
Published: October 2003

SummaryPrevious studies on whether signs of infection in Pap smears imply a risk factor for preterm delivery are conflicting. In a large population‐based study, we combined information from the Swedish Medical Birth Register and the Swedish Pap Smear Screening Register to investigate whether signs of infection in Pap smears increase the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for antepartum death, preterm or small‐for‐gestational‐age delivery. The presence of Coccobacilli or Trichomonas vaginalis in Pap smears increased the risk of small‐for‐gestational‐age delivery (OR 1.3 and 1.4, respectively). Signs of infection in Pap smears were generally not associated with an increased risk of antepartum death or preterm birth. However, the presence of Coccobacilli in Pap smears within 4 weeks before delivery was associated with a more than fourfold increase in risk of very preterm delivery (≤31 weeks, OR 4.7). This indicates that if Coccobacilli are detected in Pap smears during the second trimester, antibacterial treatment may lower the risk of very preterm delivery.
Ethnic variations in birthweight percentiles in Kuwait
Authors: Alshimmiri M. M. , Hammoud M. S. , Al‐Saleh E. A. , Alsaeid K. M. S. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryThe objectives of this retrospective study were to assess the effect of ethnicity on birthweight percentiles and to compare ethnic‐specific percentiles with other references. Analysis was made of 35 768 singleton live births from 22 to 44 completed weeks of gestation at two major obstetric hospitals in Kuwait, after exclusion of data with inaccurate gestational age, major congenital abnormalities, stillbirths, and outlying birthweights. The population included four major ethnic groups: Gulf Arabs, Mediterranean Arabs, Egyptians, and a group combining Indians and Southeast Asians. Total population and ethnic‐specific smoothed birthweight percentiles according to gestational age were developed. Indians‐Asians had the smallest birthweights, the highest prevalence of small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) birthweights and the lowest prevalence of large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) birthweights. On the contrary, Egyptians had the largest birthweights, the lowest prevalence of SGA birthweights and the highest prevalence of LGA birthweights. Plotting our birthweights on a reference from Canada resulted in a low prediction rate for SGA and a low sensitivity in identifying LGA of all ethnic groups. We conclude that interpretation of fetal growth and birthweight should involve locally derived and ethnically specific percentiles based on accurately calculated gestational age.
Young maternal age and preterm birth
Authors: Da Silva Antônio A. M. , Simões Vanda M. F. , Barbieri Marco A. , Bettiol Heloisa , Lamy‐Filho Fernando , Coimbra Liberata C. , Alves Maria T. S. S. B. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryThe association between young maternal age and preterm birth (PTB) remains controversial. In some studies the association disappeared after controlling for socio‐economic and reproductive factors, thus indicating that social disadvantage rather than biological factors may be the explanation. However, in other studies the association persisted after adjustment. The relation between young maternal age and PTB was studied in a city located in Brazil, an underdeveloped country, where the prevalence of teenage pregnancy was high, 29%. A systematic sampling of 2541 hospital births, stratified by hospital, was performed in São Luís, Northeast Brazil, from March 1997 to February 1998. The risks of PTB for infants born to two groups of young mothers (<18 and 18–19 years) were calculated with and without adjustment for confounding factors (family income, marital status, mode of delivery, parity, health insurance, and short maternal stature) in a logistic regression model, using mothers 25–29 years of age as the reference group. In the unadjusted analysis, the risk of PTB was higher for mothers < 18 years [odds ratio (OR) = 2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64, 3.57]. Those aged 18 or 19 years were not at a higher risk of PTB (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.58, 1.38). After adjustment, the risk of PTB for mothers < 18 years was lower but remained significant after controlling for confounding (OR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.11, 2.60). After performing a stratified analysis according to parity, the risk of PTB among very young primiparae (<18 years) remained significant (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.02, 3.08), whereas the risk among non‐primiparous adolescents was not significantly higher than the risk among mothers in the reference group. This suggests that the association between young maternal age and PTB may have a biological basis or an artifactual explanation (errors in gestational age estimation may be more common among very young mothers) or may be due to residual confounding.
Perceived health of adults after prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine
Authors: Roseboom Tessa J. , Van Der Meulen Jan H. P. , Ravelli Anita C. J. , Osmond Clive , Barker David J. P. , Bleker Otto P. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryPeople who were undernourished in early gestation are more obese, have a more atherogenic lipid profile, and altered blood coagulation and seem to have an increased risk of coronary heart disease. We now report on whether they also feel less healthy. We therefore assessed the perceived health of 50‐year‐old‐men and women born alive as singletons around the time of the Dutch famine in the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam. People who had been exposed to famine in early gestation, but not those exposed in mid‐ or late gestation, more often rated their health as poor (10.3% vs. to 4.9% in the unexposed, odds ratio (OR) 2.2 [1.0, 4.8]). The effect of exposure to famine in early gestation on perceived health could only partly be explained by an increased prevalence of coronary heart disease, respiratory diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia or cancer (adjusted OR 2.2 [0.9, 5.2]). Adjustment for adult risk factors (BMI, LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, blood pressure, smoking, lung function) also attenuated the results to some extent (adjusted OR 1.9 [0.6, 5.5]). People who were exposed to famine in early gestation were not only less healthy in terms of objective measures of health but they also felt less healthy. Because poor perceived health is a strong predictor of mortality, we may expect increased mortality in people who were exposed to famine in early gestation in the future.
Caesarean route of delivery and hyaline membrane disease: a hospital‐based case–control study in Greater Beirut
Authors: Beydoun Hind , Yunis Khalid A. , Khogali Mustapha , Usta Ihab , Tamim Hala ,   National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network (NCPNN)
Published: October 2003

SummaryA hospital‐based case–control study was conducted to examine the relationship between hyaline membrane disease (HMD) and caesarean route of delivery, in light of sociodemographic, obstetric and perinatal confounders and risk modifying factors. The study population consisted of 78 HMD cases and a control group of 803 infants delivered at 25–36 weeks’ gestation and admitted over a 16‐month period to nine hospitals in Greater Beirut, Lebanon. The likelihood of delivery by caesarean section was nearly twice as high among newborn infants diagnosed with HMD as compared with the non‐HMD control group (OR = 2.02, [95% CI 1.04, 3.92], after adjusting for fetal growth ratio, one‐minute Apgar score, maternal age, antenatal steroid administration and pregnancy‐related complications. The impact of caesarean section on HMD was considerably more important in infants delivered ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation (OR = 2.10, [95% CI 0.79, 5.52]) as compared with those delivered afterwards (OR = 1.13, [95% CI 0.40, 3.21]).
Birthweight and relationship with infant, child and adult mortality in the Jerusalem perinatal study
Authors: Friedlander Y. , Paltiel O. , Deutsch L. , Knaanie A. , Massalha S. , Tiram E. , Harlap S. 
Published: October 2003

SummaryThere is growing evidence that several chronic adult diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke, can result from events occurring in fetal life. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between birthweight and all‐cause mortality in young adults. We studied total mortality in a population‐based cohort of 80 936 offspring born in Jerusalem in 1964–76. During an average follow‐up of 28.8 years 2 324 984 person‐years were contributed and 2092 deaths occurred. Overall, in both genders, the univariable and the multivariable Cox‐proportional hazard models indicated a strong negative relationship between birthweight and total mortality, mostly because of infant deaths. At ages 1–14 birthweight seemed unrelated to all‐cause mortality. In males aged 15+, birthweight was again a significant predictor of death (Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.78, 0.99], for 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in birthweight). The analysis by categories suggested a general decreasing of the risk of mortality with increasing birthweight (HRs = 1.0, 1.02, 0.85, 0.77, 0.57 for those belonging to birthweight groups of < 2500 g, 2500–2999 g, 3000–3499 g, 3500–3999 g and ≥ 4000 g, respectively). In females aged 15+ there was a J‐shaped relation between birthweight and mortality but these associations were not statistically significant. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that events during intrauterine life have remote consequences for adult health and underline the need to consider gender differences.
Determinants of sperm transfer in the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata: male variation, female condition and copulation duration
Authors: Engqvist L. , Sauer K. P. 
Published: October 2003

Abstract
Recent studies suggest that sperm production and transfer may have significant costs to males. Male sperm investment into a current copulation may therefore influence resources available for future matings, which selects for male strategic mating investment. In addition, females may also benefit from actively or passively altering the number of sperm transferred by males. In the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata, the number of sperm transferred during copulation depended on copulation duration and males in good condition (residual weight) copulated longer and also transferred more sperm. Moreover, sperm transferred and stored per unit time was higher in copulations with females in good condition than in copulations with females in poor condition. Males varied greatly and consistently in their sperm transfer rate, indicative of costs associated with this trait. The duration of the pairing prelude also varied between males and correlated negatively with the male's sperm transfer rate, but no other male character correlated significantly with male sperm transfer rate. The results are consistent with strategic mating effort but sperm transfer could also be facilitated by the physical size of females and/or females in good condition may be more cooperative during sperm transfer.
Genetic architecture of susceptibility to herbivores in hybrid willows
Authors: Fritz R. S. , Hochwender C. G. , Brunsfeld S. J. , Roche B. M. 
Published: October 2003

Abstract
We performed a common garden experiment using parental, F1, F2, and backcross willow hybrids to test the hypothesis that hybrid willows experience breakdown of resistance to herbivores. After exposing plants to herbivores in the field, we measured the densities/damage caused by 13 insect herbivores and one herbivorous mite. Using joint-scaling tests, we determined the contribution of additive, dominance, and epistasis to variation in susceptibility to herbivores (measured either as density or damage level) among the six genetic classes. We found the genetic architecture of susceptibility/resistance in the parental species to be complex, involving additive, dominance, and epistasis for each herbivore species. Although genic interactions altered plant susceptibility for each of the 14 herbivores, three distinct patterns of response of herbivores to hybrids were expressed. One pattern, observed in four herbivore species, supported the hypothesis of breakdown of resistance genes in recombinant hybrids. A second pattern, shown by six other herbivore species, supported the hypothesis of hybrid breakdown of host recognition genes. In other words, epistatic interactions for host recognition traits (probably oviposition/feeding stimulants or attractants) appeared to be important in determining herbivore abundance for those six species. The final patterns supported a structure of dominance, either for host recognition traits (in the case of three herbivore species) or for host resistance traits (for one herbivore species). The combination of differing responses of herbivore species, including members of the same genus and tribe, and the ubiquitous importance of epistasis suggests that many genes affect herbivore resistance in this hybrid willow system.