bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of long‐term culture on the expression of antigens and adhesion molecule in single porcine pancreatic endocrine cells
Authors: Edamura Kazuya , Nasu Koko , Iwami Yukiko , Nishimura Ryohei , Ogawa Hiroyuki , Sasaki Nobuo , Ohgawara Hisako 
Published: June 2005

Abstract:  Background:  Changes in the expression of galactose (Gal) α1‐3Gal, swine lymphocyte antigen (SLA) class II and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)‐1 of single porcine pancreatic endocrine (PE) cells during the culture period were investigated.Methods:  Cultured porcine PE‐cells were fixed in 10% buffered formalin for histological evaluation. At 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks of culture, mRNA was obtained from porcine PE‐cells so that the expression of SLA class II and ICAM‐1 genes could be examined by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction.Results:  The rates of Galα1‐3Gal and SLA class II‐positive cells did not decrease during the culture period, but the rates of Galα1‐3Gal and SLA class II strongly positive cells significantly decreased. ICAM‐1‐positive cells were scarcely observed during the culture period. SLA class II and ICAM‐1 mRNAs were detected at 1 and 3 weeks of culture, but were not detected after 6 weeks of culture.Conclusions:  These results suggest that partial reduction in the expression of these antigens could be obtained by a long‐term culture.
Review of tongue‐tie release at a tertiary maternity hospital
Authors: Amir Lisa Helen , James Jennifer Patricia , Beatty Joanne 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  To review the first 12 months of assessment and release of lingual frenulum (frenotomy) at a breast‐feeding clinic in a tertiary maternity hospital (August 2002 to end of July 2003) and to report on the breast‐feeding outcomes and parental satisfaction. Methods:  A structured telephone interview was conducted with the mother at least 3 months after the assessment. Data were collected about the presenting problem and the effect of release of the tongue‐tie (if performed). Parents were also asked about their satisfaction with the procedure and of problems following the release. Results:  Sixty‐six babies were assessed in 12 months. If infants were assessed as: (i) having impaired lingual function (using the Hazelbaker assessment tool for lingual frenulum function); (ii) the frenulum visualized to be a thin membrane; and (iii) the parent(s) gave informed consent, the frenulum was released. Initial and follow‐up data are available on 46 infants. Infants had a mean age of 18 days (range 3–98), 63% were male infants and most had difficulties with attachment to the breast. Frenotomy was performed on 35 infants and breast‐feeding improved in 83%. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the frenotomy procedure and no complications were reported. Conclusion:  Frenotomy is a safe and easy procedure. Infants with a significant tongue‐tie that is interfering with breast‐feeding have shown an improvement with breast‐feeding following frenotomy.
Randomized, controlled trial of division of tongue‐tie in infants with feeding problems
Authors: Hogan Monica , Westcott Carolyn , Griffiths Mervyn 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  To determine whether, in infants with a tongue‐tie and a feeding problem, the current medical treatment (referral to a lactation consultant) or immediate division works best and enables the infants to feed normally. Methods:  Between March and July 2002, all the babies in the district of Southampton with tongue‐ties were followed in order to see if they had any feeding problems. If they developed problems, the mothers gave written consent and were enrolled in an ethics committee approved, randomized, controlled trial, comparing 48 h of intensive lactation consultant support (control) with immediate division. Results:  A total of 201 babies had tongue‐tie, of whom 88 had breast‐feeding or bottle‐feeding problems. Thirty‐one were not enrolled, so 57 were randomized. Of the 29 controls, one improved (3%) and breast‐fed for 8 months, but 28 did not. At 48 h, these 28 were offered division, which all accepted, and 27 improved (96%) and fed normally. Of the 28 babies who had immediate division, 27 improved and fed normally but one remained on a nipple shield (P < 0.001). Twenty‐four mothers breast‐fed for 4 months (24/40, 60%). Overall, division of the tongue‐tie babies resulted in improved feeding in 54/57 (95%) babies. Conclusions:  This randomized, controlled trial has clearly shown that tongue‐ties can affect feeding and that division is safe, successful and improved feeding for mother and baby significantly better than the intensive skilled support of a lactation consultant.
Assessment and follow‐up of suspected child abuse in preschool children with fractures seen in a general hospital emergency department
Authors: Ziegler David S , Sammut John , Piper Anne C 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  To evaluate the emergency department assessment and follow‐up of possible child abuse in children with fractures. Methods:  A retrospective audit was conducted of children up to 3 years of age who presented with a fracture to a general hospital emergency department over a 2‐year period. Results:  In the 98 cases included, there was no documentation of complete physical examination in 57% of cases, whether the injury was witnessed in 54%, or time of injury in 18%. In 27% of cases the history documented was too brief to assess consistency of the injury with the history. Seventy‐five per cent of children with known prior injuries did not have their past history documented. In 80% of all cases there was no indication that the emergency department doctor had considered the possibility of child abuse. Emergency doctors did not recognize four out of 16 cases (25%) with inconsistent histories. There was poor follow‐up of patients in whom abuse was suspected: 46% of children less than 2 years had neither a skeletal survey nor bone scan. Patients referred to a paediatrician by the emergency department were significantly more likely to have a skeletal survey performed and to have the diagnosis of child abuse confirmed. Conclusions:  Emergency department staff in a general hospital do not document or assess for all of the indicators of child abuse in a high‐risk population and they do not document consideration of the diagnosis in the majority of cases. Emergency department staff need more training and more resources to allow for full assessment of child abuse. Suspected child abuse cases should be referred to a paediatrician to improve investigation and follow‐up.
Digital imaging does not improve localization of percutaneously inserted central lines in neonates
Authors: Webster Nicola J , Page Bernadette , Kuschel Carl A , Battin Malcolm R 
Published: June 2005

Objective: To determine whether the use of digital imaging improves the localization of percutaneously inserted central (PIC) line tips compared to standard radiographs, with contrast being used in both cases. Methods: Digital radiographs taken for localization of PIC lines between October 2002 and September 2003 were identified from the neonatal database. Two reporters independently reviewed the radiographs and stated (i) whether the tip could confidently be seen and (ii) the position. The observers were encouraged to use all the image modification modalities available. The formal radiology report was taken as the third ‘reporter’. Results: Overal 117 digital radiographs from 98 infants were reviewed. Reporter 1 identified the tip in 83 (71%); reporter 2 in 84 (72%); and the radiologist in 95 (81%), although all agreed that the tip could be identified in only 55 (47%) radiographs. In radiographs where the reporters agreed that the tip could be identified, they agreed on the position in 37 (67%) cases. In 61 (52%) radiographs the reporters did not agree that the tip could be seen, but they agreed on its position in 36 (59%) cases. The kappa coefficient for agreement on line position was 0.63. The level of agreement between reporters in this study using digital imaging was not significantly different from our previous findings using standard radiography with contrast (74/117, 63% vs 57/96, 59%). Conclusion: The use of digital imaging, with its ability to manipulate images in order to identify PIC line tips, is not significantly better than using standard radiography with contrast.
Adolescents and sexually transmitted infections: Knowledge and behaviour in Italy
Authors: Trani Francesca , Gnisci Francesca , Nobile Carmelo GA , Angelillo Italo F. 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  Sexually transmitted infections (STI) among adolescents continue to be an important public health problem for many industrialized and developing countries. This study evaluated knowledge and behaviour in adolescents regarding prevention of STI. Methods:  Information was obtained by using self‐reported questionnaire from a random sample of 644 undergraduate students at university and at public high schools aged 14–20 years in Catanzaro (Italy). Results:  Only 14.2% of respondents knew about the main STI and that they can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with HIV seropositive partners; this knowledge was significantly higher among adolescents who had had a higher number of sexual partners in their lifetime and who had received information from physicians about STI. A total of 33.8% reported having had sexual intercourse at least once and the mean age at first intercourse was 16 years. Older males and adolescents with employed mothers were more likely to have reported having had a sexual experience. The prevalence of using condoms every time during sexual intercourse was 51.8% and such behaviour was more likely in younger adolescents and males. The prevalence of condom use on the last occasion of sex was 71.9%. Younger adolescents, those with a higher perception of the risk of contracting STI and those with lesser knowledge about STI were independent predictors for using condoms. The mean total score of the respondents' perception of a risk of contracting STI was 5.8. Conclusions:  Evidence to develop and implement strategies with the hope of improving adolescents' level of knowledge and reducing unsafe sexual practices.
Risks of seroconversion of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses in children with multitransfused thalassaemia major
Authors: Lee Way Seah , Teh Chee Meng , Chan Lee Lee 
Published: June 2005

Objectives:  To estimate the risks of seroconversion of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) in children with multitransfused thalassaemia at a thalassaemic clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods:  Seventy‐two children (39 males, median age 11.3 years, 2.5th–97.5th centile: 1.4–19.2 years) with thalassaemia major were studied. The risks of seroconversion of HBV, HCV and HIV were estimated by comparing the seroprevalences of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti‐HCV and anti‐HIV between a defined starting point and an end point. The end point was the point when latest serological results were available while the starting point was when regular transfusion was commenced, or approximately 5 years before the end point when the duration of transfusion was longer. Results:  The median duration of the study was 49 months (range 8–69 months, total 2953 patient‐months). There were 2605 transfusion episodes and 4154 units of blood transfused (0.88 transfusion episode/patient per month, 1.41 units of blood transfused/patient per month). There were three new seroconversions for anti‐HCV but none for HBsAg and anti‐HIV. The risk of seroconversion for HCV was one in 1384 units of blood transfused (95% CI: 4000–472). The seroprevalence rates at the starting and end points were: HBsAg (1%, 1%), anti‐HCV (10%, 13%) and anti‐HIV (0%, 0%), respectively. Conclusions:  The estimated risk of acquiring HCV infection in children receiving multiple blood transfusions in this study is surprisingly higher than the generally accepted estimated risk. Other routes of transmission may be important. A prospective, multicentre study to estimate such risks more precisely is needed.
Infective endocarditis: Experience of a paediatric emergency department
Authors: Lewena Stuart 
Published: June 2005

Objectives:  To determine the clinical features at presentation of children with infective endocarditis to a tertiary centre and review the role of the emergency department in these cases. The subsequent course and outcomes are briefly discussed. Methods:  Retrospective audit of children with endocarditis presenting to a tertiary children's hospital over a 16‐year period. Results:  Twenty‐three cases of infective endocarditis were identified. Initial presentation via the paediatric emergency department occurred in 78% of cases and was associated with the least delay to commencement of appropriate treatment. The average duration of illness at the time of presentation was 6 days. Prior medical care had been sought in 65% of the cases, with antibiotics prescribed for an alternate diagnosis in 73%. Children with and without cardiac anomalies were equally represented. Of the group with normal cardiac anatomy, 45% presented without a murmur. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent causative organism (43%) and accounted for 64% of cases in children with no pre‐existing cardiac abnormalities. Permanent sequelae were more likely to occur with S. aureus. The overall mortality rate was 9%. Conclusions:  Infective endocarditis is a rare illness in children and represents a diagnostic challenge. The majority of cases will present via the paediatric emergency department with a non‐specific febrile illness, having frequently commenced antibiotics for an alternate diagnosis. Specific expertise in paediatric emergency care can assist in early diagnosis and management. Morbidity remains significant, particularly in cases caused by S. aureus.
Long‐term outcomes of seriously injured children: A study using the Child Health Questionnaire
Authors: Davey Tamzyn M , Aitken Leanne M , Kassulke Desley , Bellamy Nicholas , Ambrose Jane , Gee Travis , Clark Michele 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  To assess the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in children 1–2 years after they had sustained an injury. Methods:  Parents of all children who were identified by the Queensland Trauma Registry during their admission to either of the two paediatric specialty hospitals in Brisbane, Australia, for the treatment of an injury, were invited to participate in this study. Parents who consented to participation received a copy of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) that required them to provide information regarding their child's HRQoL following injury. The CHQ scores for the study respondents were compared with those of the Australian norms. This study was approved by the relevant ethics committees. Results:  Two hundred and forty‐one completed questionnaires were returned. The majority of cases were male (65%) and there was even representation across all age groups. The majority of injuries were considered to be minor (81%) and were predominantly the result of falls and cycling accidents causing mainly fractures and intracranial injury. On the majority of subscales of the CHQ, study participants recorded scores that were statistically significantly below those of the Australian norms. None of the relevant variables collected by the Queensland Trauma Registry were found to predict scores on the CHQ in this study (for those children hospitalized for >24 h). Conclusion:  Injured children are worse off than their Australian counterparts in terms of HRQoL even up to 2 years following an injury. Further research needs to be undertaken to identify factors that predict lower HRQoL in order to reduce the burden of injury on children and their families.
The world's longest surviving paediatric practices: Some themes of Aboriginal medical ethnobotany in Australia
Authors: Pearn John 
Published: June 2005

Abstract:  Contemporary paediatric practices of Australian Aboriginal men and women, in more than 100 Aboriginal Language Groups, comprise a living discipline whose origins predate Western medicine by tens of millennia. The history of paediatrics acknowledges this surviving continuum of the world's oldest child‐care practices. Because of the inextricable nexus between Aboriginal men and women and the land in which they live, medical ethnobotany forms a major part of the medical aspects of Aboriginal child care. Traditional tribal healers, called ‘Nungungi’ in some language groups of Central Australia, are identified as such whilst still young children and are given special education in the healing arts, especially that of medical ethnobotany, by older healers. Distinct from this specialized role, all Aboriginal men and women (and in particular grandmothers) in traditional communities use a sophisticated botanical materia medica in the treatment of sick and injured children.In cultures in transition, medical ethnobotanical practices may persist long after the local use of flora as sources of traditional food, weaponry, totemic identity and religious rites have disappeared. Some selected botanical ‘cures’ were adopted by early European settlers and a number of such relict uses have become part of mainstream Western life today, particularly as this applies to self‐medication. Drugs and medicaments used in the treatment of children are obtained from leaves, bark, roots and flowers, usually as fresh preparations. They are prepared as infusions, decoctions and macerations and may be enjoined with emollients such as emu or kangaroo fat for topical application. Botanical drugs and medicaments are usually prepared fresh for each administration and are rarely stored. Contemporary Australian ethnobotany exploits the medicinal properties of more than 100 genera – using such extracts as antiseptics, analgesics, astringents, antipyretics, sedatives, hypnotics, expectorants and carminatives. Their widespread use, by the world's oldest surviving cultures, reflect perhaps 50 millennia of acute observation and clinical interpretation, trial and error, serendipidity and experimentation.Australian medical ethnobotany generally, and that used specifically for children, is characterized by several features including (i) the multipurpose or ‘broad‐spectrum’ use of many floral species; (ii) a paradigm of the use of botanical material to treat symptoms and symptom‐complexes rather than disease‐based treatment; (iii) the widespread and universal medical knowledge of botanical remedies by all members of local Aboriginal communities, not only traditional community or tribal healers and (iv) the use of botanical material in the context of preventive medicine. Seventy per cent of the world's population uses traditional herbal remedies in the treatment of sick or injured children. In this context, the detailed and extensive ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia of the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia holds an important place.
High resolution CT and bronchial reversibility test for diagnosing COPD
Authors: KURASHIMA Kazuyoshi , TAKAYANAGI Noboru , SATO Nagato , KANAUCHI Tetsu , HOSHI Toshiko , TOKUNAGA Daido , UBUKATA Mikio , YANAGISAWA Tsutomu , SUGITA Yutaka , KANAZAWA Minoru 
Published: June 2005

Background:  COPD is defined by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible and is associated with relevant risk factors. The diagnosis requires that other causes of chronic airflow limitation (CAL) be excluded. We assessed the diagnostic utility of high resolution thoracic CT (HRCT) and bronchodilator reversibility to assist in making a diagnosis of COPD.Methodology:  We investigated 516 consecutive patients whose FEV1/FVC was less than 70% after inhalation of bronchodilator. HRCT was performed on all subjects and a final diagnosis was made only after 3 months of treatment and repeated spirometry.Results:  Of 516 cases, 54.3% had COPD, 19.8% had asthma plus emphysema, and 13.2% had chronic asthma. The remaining 12.7% of patients with CAL had diffuse panbronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis obliterans, or other miscellaneous diseases. In these minor diseases HRCT was essential in making a definitive diagnosis. The sensitivities of emphysema on HRCT and of absence of bronchodilator response for the diagnosis of COPD were 81% and 90%, respectively, and the specificities of the tests were 57% and 37%, respectively. In addition, HRCT revealed considerable heterogeneity of COPD. Emphysema was not recognized on HRCT in 18.6% of COPD patients. HRCT also revealed that 17.5% of COPD patients had other pulmonary complications including lung fibrosis compatible with usual interstitial pneumonia in the lung bases.Conclusions:  HRCT and the bronchial reversibility test had reasonable sensitivities but low specificities for diagnosing COPD. HRCT has some additional advantages in detecting heterogeneity and concomitant lung diseases in COPD.
Antioxidant enzyme activities in healthy Chinese adults: influence of age, gender and smoking*
Authors: HO Siu P. , CHAN‐YEUNG Moira , CHOW Kathy K.M. , IP Mary S.M. , MAK Judith C.W. 
Published: June 2005

Objective:  Specific antioxidant enzymes play a vital role in regulating and maintaining oxidant species. The aim of this study was to determine these antioxidant enzyme activities (i.e. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)) in erythrocytes from a group of healthy Chinese subjects and to study the influence of age, gender and smoking habits on the enzyme activities.Methodology:  Chinese healthy subjects (n = 276) were grouped according to their age range, gender differences and smoking habits. Antioxidant enzyme activities were measured spectrophotometrically using standard kinetic methods.Results:  There was a significant decrease in erythrocyte GPx activity in ever‐smokers compared with non‐smokers (47.10 ± 1.33 mU/g haemoglobin (Hb) vs. 51.41 ± 1.64 mU/g Hb, P < 0.05). Age‐related significant increases in erythrocyte CAT and SOD activities were found in non‐smokers but not in ever‐smokers. There was no age‐related difference in erythrocyte GPx activity in either non‐smokers or ever‐smokers. Among those >60 years old, erythrocyte CAT and GPx activities were significantly lower in ever‐smokers than in non‐smokers (29.70 ± 3.07 mU/g Hb vs. 41.63 ± 4.92 mU/g Hb (P < 0.05), and 47.55 ± 2.00 mU/g Hb vs. 55.30 ± 3.60 mU/g Hb (P < 0.05), respectively). It was also found that females had higher erythrocyte GPx activity than males but this difference did not reach significance in non‐smokers.Conclusion:  From the results of this study, it is concluded that oxidative stress seems to be present in elderly ever‐smokers among the Chinese population.