bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acoustic noise concerns in functional magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Moelker Adriaan , Pattynama Peter M.T. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractMagnetic resonance (MR) acoustic scanner noise may negatively affect the performance of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a problem that worsens at the higher field strengths proposed to enhance fMRI. We present an overview of the current knowledge on the effects of confounding acoustic MR noise in fMRI experiments. The principles and effectiveness of various methods to reduce acoustic noise in fMRI are discussed, practical considerations are addressed and recommendations are made. Hum. Brain Mapping 20:123–141, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Physiological evidence of interaction of first‐ and second‐order motion processes in the human visual system: A magnetoencephalographic study
Authors: Sofue Ayako , Kaneoke Yoshiki , Kakigi Ryusuke 
Published: October 2003

AbstractHumans have several mechanisms for the visual perception of motion, including one that is luminance‐based (first‐order) and another that is luminance‐independent (second‐order). Recent psychophysical studies have suggested that significant interaction occurs between these two neural processes. We investigated whether such interactions are represented as neural activity measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG). The second‐order motion of a drifting sinusoidal grating, which is defined by the speed of the dot motion, did not generate a response. Apparent motion (AM) of the square area, defined by the speed of randomly moving dots, evoked a magnetic response whose latency and amplitude changed with the distance that the area moved (a second‐order characteristic), though the response properties were significantly different from those for the first‐order AM. AM, defined by both first‐ and second‐order attributes, evoked an MEG response and the latencies and the amplitudes were distributed between those for the first‐ and second‐order motions. The cortical source of the response was estimated to be around MT+. The results show a distinct difference in the neural processing of the second‐order motion that cannot be explained by the difference in visibility, and they indicate that the interaction of the neural processes underlying first‐ and second‐order motion detection occurs before the MEG response. Our study provides the first physiological evidence of a neural interaction between the two types of early motion detection. Hum. Brain Mapp. 20:158–167, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
If the price is right: vagueness and values clarification in contingent valuation
Authors: Shiell Alan , Gold Lisa 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe use of willingness to pay to value the benefits of health care is increasing. Much of this work assumes that health preferences are well formed or ‘complete’ and readily revealed if the right question is asked in the right way. We examined this assumption, seeking evidence in a mixed‐methods study that explored the meaning and implications of vague responses to a payment‐scale based willingness to pay exercise.One‐half of the sample said that their vagueness meant that their maximum willingness to pay was actually greater than the amount that they had previously said it was. Thirty percent agreed that they would probably pay £10 more than a sum that they had previously said they would most definitely not pay, if they found this to be the cost of the vaccine. Interview data supported the view that the payment scale had failed to elicit the maximum willingness to pay and that some participants used the information on cost to help clarify their values, in contrast to the theory underpinning willingness to pay. The results suggest a need to consider values‐clarification in health economic evaluations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A view from the bridge: agreement between the SF‐6D utility algorithm and the Health Utilities Index
Authors: O'Brien Bernie J. , Spath Marian , Blackhouse Gordon , Severens J.L. , Dorian Paul , Brazier John 
Published: October 2003

AbstractBackground: The SF‐6D is a new health state classification and utility scoring system based on 6 dimensions (‘6D’) of the Short Form 36, and permits a “bridging” transformation between SF‐36 responses and utilities. The Health Utilities Index, mark 3 (HUI3) is a valid and reliable multi‐attribute health utility scale that is widely used. We assessed within‐subject agreement between SF‐6D utilities and those from HUI3.Methods: Patients at increased risk of sudden cardiac death and participating in a randomized trial of implantable defibrillator therapy completed both instruments at baseline. Score distributions were inspected by scatterplot and histogram and mean score differences compared by paired t‐test. Pearson correlation was computed between instrument scores and also between dimension scores within instruments. Between‐instrument agreement was by intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC).Results: SF‐6D and HUI3 forms were available from 246 patients. Mean scores for HUI3 and SF‐6D were 0.61 (95% CI 0.60–0.63) and 0.58 (95% CI 0.54–0.62) respectively; a difference of 0.03 (p<0.03). Score intervals for HUI3 and SF‐6D were (‐0.21 to 1.0) and (0.30–0.95). Correlation between the instrument scores was 0.58 (95% CI 0.48–0.68) and agreement by ICC was 0.42 (95% CI 0.31–0.52). Correlations between dimensions of SF‐6D were higher than for HUI3.Conclusions: Our study casts doubt on the whether utilities and QALYs estimated via SF‐6D are comparable with those from HUI3. Utility differences may be due to differences in underlying concepts of health being measured, or different measurement approaches, or both. No gold standard exists for utility measurement and the SF‐6D is a valuable addition that permits SF‐36 data to be transformed into utilities to estimate QALYs. The challenge is developing a better understanding as to why these classification‐based utility instruments differ so markedly in their distributions and point estimates of derived utilities. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Illustrating the impact of including future costs in economic evaluations: an application to end‐stage renal disease care
Authors: Manns Braden , Meltzer David , Taub Ken , Donaldson Cam 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThere are strong theoretical arguments for including future costs for related and unrelated medical care and non‐medical expenditures within economic evaluations. Nevertheless, there is limited data on how inclusion of such costs affects the cost effectiveness of medical interventions in practice. For a low‐cost intervention that improves survival in end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, we sought to determine how the inclusion of future costs for related medical care (i.e. dialysis and transplantation) and for unrelated medical care and non‐medical expenditure would affect the magnitude of the cost per QALY ratio. We performed a cost‐utility analysis comparing hemodialysis using a synthetic dialyser (the current treatment of choice in Canada) with the historical gold‐standard treatment (use of a cellulose dialyser). We contrasted the results of the analysis including and excluding various measures of future costs. While the inclusion of future costs for unrelated medical care and non‐medical expenditures had a significant impact on the cost per QALY ratio, the size of the cost per QALY ratio was most sensitive to inclusion of future costs for related medical care. Our analysis shows that even relatively inexpensive interventions that extend survival of dialysis patients may not be cost‐effective since, by extending survival, the extra outpatient dialysis costs that are incurred are large. Inclusion of such costs (which, in and of itself, is methodologically correct) in economic evaluations in this area may mitigate against the acceptance of interventions that are relatively inexpensive themselves but which improve patient survival. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maxillary obturators: The relationship between patient satisfaction and speech outcome
Authors: Rieger Jana M. , Wolfaardt John F. , Jha Naresh , Seikaly Hadi 
Published: October 2003

AbstractBackground.Patient satisfaction with a maxillary obturator has been studied in relation to extent of surgical defect, sociodemographic characteristics, scores on mental health inventories, and psychosocial adjustment to illness scales. However, review of the literature reveals limited study of the relationship between patient satisfaction with an obturator and clinical speech outcome measures. The purpose of this study is to relate patient satisfaction scores obtained by questionnaire with those obtained by means of clinical speech measurements.Methods.Acoustical, aeromechanical, and perceptual measurements of speech were collected for 20 patients after receiving a definitive obturator. Patient satisfaction with their obturator was later measured with the Obturator Functioning Scale (OFS).Results.Results reveal that poorer aeromechanical speech results were associated with patient‐reported avoidance of social events, whereas lower speech intelligibility outcomes were related to overall poorer perception of speech function on the OFS. Several background patient characteristics were significantly related to several responses on the OFS and to the aeromechanical assessment outcomes.Conclusions.Results from instrumental assessments of speech seem to be informative regarding not only speech outcome but also a patient's satisfaction with the obturator. Consideration of background patient characteristics is important when interpreting both clinically obtained and patient‐perceived outcomes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head and Neck 25: 000–000, 2003
Validation of tissue array technology in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Bei , van den Brekel Michiel W. M. , Buschers Wim , Balm Alfons J. M. , van Velthuysen Marie‐Louise F. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractBackground.The recent development of tissue array technology has potentiated large‐scale retrospective cohort studies using archival formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissues. This study evaluates the potential for using archival head and neck cancer tissue in such arrays.Method.Tissue array blocks were made from 184 head and neck cancer specimens. Three core tissue biopsies (0.6 mm × 3–4 mm) were taken from individual “donor” paraffin‐embedded tumor blocks and arrayed into a new “recipient” paraffin block. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses were performed using antibodies recognizing cyclin‐D1, Rb, and EGFR. IHC was scored on a 6‐point scale for extent and a 3‐point scale for intensity. We compared the staining of tissue array disks with staining of full tissue sections.Results.Seventy‐four percent (475 of 640) of samples placed into tissue arrays were confirmed to represent tumor tissue. The remaining samples were lost during processing or contained too few tumor cells. Only 6% of cases were completely lost, whereas 55%, 28%, and 11% of cases were judged on 3, 2, or 1 disk, respectively. Cohen's κ coefficient was 0.66 for cyclin‐D1, 0.40 for EGFR, and 0.41 for Rb.Conclusions.Tissue array technology is a rapid and efficient method for retrospective analysis of protein expression and is a promising tool for validation of prognostic markers in large series of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. The agreement in scoring of the full section and the tissue arrays is reasonable. Discordance is probably due to intraobserver variation and lack of robustness of the scoring inherent of the proteins studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head and Neck 25: 000–000, 2003
The utility of tolonium chloride rinse in the diagnosis of recurrent or second primary cancers in patients with prior upper aerodigestive tract cancer
Authors: Epstein Joel B. , Feldman Roy , Dolor Rowena J. , Porter Stephen R. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractBackground.The clinical utility of tolonium chloride rinse was compared with unaided visual examination alone in the diagnosis of oral carcinoma in patients previously treated for carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.Methods.A total of 668 patients were enrolled in this multicenter study. At each site, an oral clinical visual examination was completed by one investigator followed by tolonium chloride rinse and examination by a second investigator blinded to the examination findings of the first investigator. If a lesion was considered suspicious (urgent biopsy required at the first visit), the lesion was biopsied after tolonium chloride rinsing. Patients with lesions characterized at the first visit as not suspicious (biopsy not urgent) or that stained with tolonium chloride were asked to return for a second visit. At the second visit, any residual lesion or lesions that retained tolonium chloride were biopsied.Results.A total of 96 biopsies was performed in 81 of the 668 patients (12.1%), of which 30 (31.3%) were diagnosed histologically as carcinoma/carcinoma in situ (CIS) and the remainder as inflammation (31.3%), keratosis (26.6%), dysplasia (21.9%), ulcer (2.1%), other (3.1%), or no abnormality (1.0%). Of the 30 lesions with the diagnosis of carcinoma/CIS, 12 (sensitivity 40.0%) were considered to be clinically suspicious (CS+), whereas 29 (sensitivity 96.7%) retained tolonium chloride (p = .0002). The predictive values of a positive test for clinical examination and tolonium chloride staining were similar (36.4% vs 32.6%; p = .5871), indicating that the greater sensitivity of tolonium chloride was not associated with an excessive number of unnecessary biopsies (false positives).Conclusions.Tolonium chloride rinse is more sensitive than clinical examination alone in detecting lesions that might be found on biopsy to be carcinoma or CIS. The increased sensitivity is largely attributed to lesions that stain but were not detected clinically on visual examination. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 000–000, 2003
A new technique for multiparameter imaging microscopy: Use of long decay time photoluminescent labels enables multiple color immunocytochemistry with low channel‐to‐channel crosstalk
Authors: Soini Aleksi E. , Kuusisto Ari , Meltola Niko J. , Soini Erkki , Seveus Lahja 
Published: October 2003

AbstractIn this report, we describe luminescence imaging microscopy using five different photoluminescent dyes in a single specimen. We combined the long decay time luminophores, europium(III) chelate, terbium(III) chelate, palladium(II) coproporphyrin, and platinum(II) coproporphyrin, with a green nuclear stain, Syto 25™, that emits conventional fast decaying fluorescence. The luminescence emissions from the five different luminophores were separated from each other by the differences in spectra and decay times using time‐resolved detection. Applicability of this dye‐combination for multiparameter analysis of a biological object was verified in a mixed population of peripheral blood leukocytes. Leukocyte cytocentrifugates were incubated in one step with a cocktail of luminophore‐conjugated antibodies recognizing neutrophil‐ and lymphocyte‐specific markers, followed by rapid staining with a mixture of nuclear stain and Pt‐porphyrin as an eosinophil stain. The results show that multiple luminescent dyes with long decay time can be used together, and in combination with a conventional fluorophore. The separation of the signals of the long decay time labels was distinctive and enabled reliable identification of different leukocyte types, as well as an automated cell count. The long decay time luminophores together with time‐resolved luminescence imaging microscopy (TR‐LIM) provide a unique tool for studies of simultaneous expression of multiple antigens at the level of a single cell. In comparison with other multiparameter imaging techniques, the described technique offers increased accuracy of results, simplification of preparation procedure, and dramatic shortening of the total processing time. To our knowledge, this is the first time that simultaneous fivefold labeling/staining and analysis in a single specimen has been performed in the field of immunocytochemistry. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:396–407, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Induced maturation of frog mast cells by nerve growth factor during ontogenesis
Authors: Baccari Gabriella Chieffi , Raucci Franca , Di Fiore Maria M. , Monteforte Rossella 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on ontogenesis of frog mast cells was investigated in vivo by histochemical, morphometric, and ultrastructural analysis. Three groups of tadpoles at various stages of development were used. In the first group, the larvae received i.p. injections of 1 ng NGF/g; the second group received 10 ng NGF/g, while the control group received only the vehicle. The first recognizable mast cells arose symmetrically in the tongue at stage 26 of Witschi's standard table. At stages 26 and 29, the mast cell number in the NGF‐injected tadpoles was significantly higher than the control group. From stage 29 onward, the mast cell number rapidly increased in all groups. No significant differences in mast cell number were observed between the control group and the NGF‐injected groups at stages 31 and 33. Electron microscopy revealed that at metamorphic climax (stage 33), the mast cells in the NGF‐treated groups were more mature than those in the control group. Therefore, nerve growth factor at early stages of tadpole development is likely to induce differentiation of mast cell precursors, while at later stages it is likely to induce maturation of immature mast cells. The close anatomical association between mast cells and perineurium, observed during nerve development, is intriguing. Already in the early stages of nerve development, the mast cells form a network around Schwann cell–axon complexes, together with the perineurial cells. At climax, the mast cells are located between the perineurial layers, suggesting that they may play a role in the tissue‐nerve barrier of the perineurium. Nerve growth factor also seems to induce perineurial cell maturation. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:439–450, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunoelectron microscopic studies on protein gene product 9.5 and calcitonin gene‐related peptide in vallate taste cells and related nerves in the guinea pig
Authors: Huang Yi‐Jen , Wu Yu‐Hung , Lu Kuo‐Shyan 
Published: October 2003

AbstractOn the basis of our previous report that protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)‐immunoreactive nerve fibers and taste cells and calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP)‐immunoreactive nerve fibers are found in guinea pig vallate papillae [Huang and Lu (1996b) Arch. Histol. Cytol. 59:433–441]. We speculated that PGP 9.5 might be a marker for taste receptor cells and that CGRP might play an important role in taste transmission. We, therefore, performed an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of taste cells and related nerves in guinea pig vallate papillae. In the connective tissue of the vallate papilla, the ultrastructural data revealed that the PGP 9.5‐immunoreactive nerve fibers were both myelinated and unmyelinated. The CGRP‐immunoreactive nerve fibers were unmyelinated and surrounded by the cytoplasm of Schwann cells as were the non‐immunoreactive fibers. In the vallate taste buds, only type III cells, which make synaptic contacts with intragemmal nerves, were PGP 9.5‐immunoreactive, while the nerve terminals making synaptic contact with the underlying type III cells were CGRP‐immunoreactive. From these observations, we conclude that: (1) PGP 9.5 might be a useful specific marker for type III cells in guinea pig vallate taste buds; and (2) CGRP‐containing nerve fibers might be primarily involved in the neural transmission of taste stimuli. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:383–395, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of aging on neurons and glial cells from the superficial layers of the superior colliculus in rats
Authors: Díaz Florentina , Moreno Paloma , Villena Alicia , Vidal Lourdes , Pérez De Vargas Ignacio 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on glial cells and neurons from the superficial layers of the superior colliculus in rats. We used stereological methods to estimate the volume of the superficial layers, neuron size, and the number of neurons and glial cells in Wistar male rats aged 3, 24, 26, and 28 months. A 32.6% volume increase was found in the stratum griseum superficiale between the ages of 3 and 26 months, while in the 28‐month‐old animals a 19% decrease was observed. The stratum opticum did not show any changes in volume with age. Also, our analysis revealed a process of somatic and nuclear atrophy in the neurons of the superficial layers in animals aged 26 and 28 months. On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were found in the numbers of neurons. The number of glial cells in the stratum griseum superficiale showed an increase between the 3rd and 26th month, while the stratum opticum suffered no change. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:431–438, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three‐dimensional computer reconstruction of large tissue volumes based on composing series of high‐resolution confocal images by GlueMRC and LinkMRC software
Authors: Karen Petr , Jirkovská Marie , Tomori Zoltán , Demjénová Erna , Janáček Jiří , Kubínová Lucie 
Published: October 2003

AbstractComputer‐based visualization of large tissue volumes with high resolution based on composing series of high‐resolution confocal images is presented. GlueMRC and LinkMRC programs are introduced, implementing composition of overlapping series of optical sections captured by a confocal microscope, registration and subsequent composition of successive confocal stacks. Both programs are using an interactive approach in combination with automatic algorithms for image registration. Further, the method for obtaining surface renderings of microscopical structure under study is described. For this purpose, structure contours visible in the sections are interactively digitized using a Colon plug‐in module running in Ellipse environment. Then the coordinates of the contours are processed by special modules in the graphic programming environment IRIS Explorer and the structure surface is rendered. The method is shown on the 3‐D reconstruction of the capillary bed of human placental villi and chick embryonic gut and its vascular bed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:415–422, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transmission electron microscopic observations of membrane effects of antibiotic cecropin B on Escherichia coli
Authors: Chen Hueih Min , Chan Shiu‐Chiu , Lee Jao‐Chang , Chang Chia‐Ching , Murugan Marudhamuthu , Jack Ralph W. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe pathway of cell membrane lysis by the peptide antibiotic cecropin B (CB), which contains both a hydrophobic and an amphipathic α‐helix, was analysed by assessing the morphological changes of Escherichia coli following treatment with the peptide. Exposure of green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing E. coli to CB does not lead to an efflux of GFP. Moreover, transmission electron microscopic (TEM) examination of cecropin B‐treated cells showed that severe swelling precedes cell death and that the outer membrane becomes distended away from the plasma membrane. Using immuno‐gold staining and TEM of E. coli expressing the maltose‐binding protein in the cytoplasm, it was apparent that the protein remains restricted to the cytoplasmic compartment. These observations suggest that CB causes gross disruption of the outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria. Circular dichroism measurements of CB in the presence of cell membrane‐mimicking liposomes showed that CB forms secondary structure dependent on the ratio of [lipid]/[peptide]. These observations from this study are important for the future design of custom antimicrobial peptides. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:423–430, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.