bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fate of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve post total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Mistry Dinshaw , O'Meeghan Christopher 
Published: September 2005

Background:  The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve is a known cause of morbidity following knee surgery. The incidence of sensory changes following total knee arthroplasty, and its effect on patient satisfaction with arthroplasty surgery remain undocumented. Our aim was to document the incidence of infrapatellar nerve palsy following total knee arthroplasty and its effect on patient satisfaction.Methods:  Between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2003 all patients attending outpatients clinic for primary total knee joint arthroplasty were prospectively tested for sensory defects. Patients were then assessed postoperatively and satisfaction was measured using the British Orthopaedic Satisfaction Score and a visual analogue scale.Results:  Thirty‐one patients satisfied inclusion criteria of which 21 agreed to participate. One patient was excluded later in the study leaving 20 patients. Seventy per cent of patients had sensory changes in the area supplied by the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve. Patient satisfaction scores did not correlate to the presence of a sensory deficit. Two patients stated that the sensory deficit was a significant factor in their dissatisfaction with their arthroplasty surgery.Conclusions:  Sensory changes due to damage to the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve during total knee joint arthroplasty is a common occurrence and can interfere with patient satisfaction. Patients should be informed of this risk in the preoperative discussion.
Is a cystogram necessary after radical prostatectomy?
Authors: Ischia Joseph J. , Lindsay Stephen 
Published: September 2005

Background:  Improvements in the surgical technique of radical prostatectomy have allowed the length of postoperative catheterization to be reduced dramatically over the past 20 years. Today, many surgeons perform a cystogram to ensure the anastomosis is watertight before an ‘early’ (day 7 or less) trial of void (TOV). We aim to show that achieving an intraoperative watertight anastomosis may preclude the need for routine cystogram prior to TOV.Methods:  Between 31 May 1999 and 29 February 2004, we performed a prospective study of 68 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy by a single surgeon. We tested the vesicourethral anastomosis for watertightness intraoperatively by instilling 250 mL of normal saline in to the bladder and compared this with evidence of extravasation on the cystogram on day 7.Results:  Fifty‐four (79.4%) of the 68 patients had a watertight anastomosis intraoperatively. All men had a cystogram on day 7 (6−9 days). Sixty (88.2%) of these cystograms showed no evidence of extravasation. Three men (4.4%) who had evidence of a leak on their cystogram had achieved a watertight anastomosis intraoperatively. However, one of these men had suffered a postoperative septicaemia which may have jeopardized the anastomosis. Only two (2.9%) of the 68 patients had unsuspected extravasation at their day 7 cystogram. Therefore, 97.1% of patients (95% Confidence Interval: 95.1%−99.2%) could be suitably managed by our proposed protocol.Conclusion:  Achieving an intraoperative watertight anastomosis is a very good predictor of a watertight cystogram on day 7. It seems feasible to avoid routine cystograms prior to TOV in the absence of other postoperative complications.
The Economics of School Quality
Authors: Hanushek Eric A. 
Published: September 2005

Abstract
Recent national concerns about student performance on PISA tests and similar assessments appear warranted because of the direct relationship between student cognitive skills and both individual earnings and national growth. The evidence on the impacts of school quality indicates very large economic effects. Available research shows, however, that improving school quality is difficult and not closely related to spending levels. One approach supported by research is improving teacher quality, which can yield sizable gains in student performance. Instituting appropriate policies to alter the teacher force will necessarily take significant time.
Educational Attainment and Family Background
Authors: Aakvik Arild , Vaage Kjell , Salvanes Kjell G. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThis paper analyses the effect of aspects of family background, such as family income and parental education, on the educational attainment of persons born from 1967 to 1972. Family income is measured at different periods of a child’s life to separate long-term versus short-term effects of family income on educational choices.We find that permanent income matters to a certain degree, and that family income when the child is 0-6 years old is an important explanatory variable for educational attainment later in a child’s life. We find that short-term credit constraints have only a small effect on educational attainment. Long-term factors, such as permanent family income and parental education, are much more important for educational attainment than are short-term credit constraints. Public interventions to alleviate the effects of family background should thus also be targeted at a child’s early years, the shaping period for the cognitive and non-cognitive skills important later in life.
The effects of antipsychotics on β‐catenin, glycogen synthase kinase‐3 and dishevelled in the ventral midbrain of rats
Authors: Alimohamad H. , Sutton L. , Mouyal J. , Rajakumar N. , Rushlow W. J. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractProtein kinase B and glycogen synthase kinase‐3 have been identified as susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and altered protein and mRNA levels have been detected in the brains of schizophrenics post‐mortem. Recently, we reported that haloperidol, clozapine and risperidone alter glycogen synthase kinase‐3 and β‐catenin protein expression and glycogen synthase kinase‐3 phosphorylation levels in the rat prefrontal cortex and striatum. In the current study, β‐catenin, adenomatous polyposis coli, Wnt1, dishevelled and glycogen synthase kinase‐3 were examined in the ventral midbrain and hippocampus using western blotting. In addition, β‐catenin and GSK‐3 were examined in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area using confocal and fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that repeated antipsychotic administration results in significant elevations in glycogen synthase kinase‐3, β‐catenin and dishevelled‐3 protein levels in the ventral midbrain and hippocampus. Raclopride causes similar changes in β‐catenin and GSK‐3 in the ventral midbrain, suggesting that D2 dopamine receptor antagonism mediated the changes observed following antipsychotic administration. In contrast, amphetamine, a drug capable of inducing psychotic episodes, had the opposite effect on β‐catenin and GSK‐3 in the ventral midbrain. Collectively, the results suggest that antipsychotics may exert their beneficial effects through modifications to proteins that are associated with the canonical Wnt pathway.
Induction and attenuation of neuronal apoptosis by proteasome inhibitors in murine cortical cell cultures
Authors: Suh Jaehong , Lee Young Ae , Gwag Byoung Joo 
Published: September 2005

AbstractEvidence has accumulated showing that pharmacological inhibition of proteasome activity can both induce and prevent neuronal apoptosis. We tested the hypothesis that these paradoxical effects of proteasome inhibitors depend on the degree of reduced proteasome activity and investigated underlying mechanisms. Murine cortical cell cultures exposed to 0.1 µm MG132 underwent widespread neuronal apoptosis and showed partial inhibition of proteasome activity down to 30–50%. Interestingly, administration of 1–10 µm MG132 almost completely blocked proteasome activity but resulted in reduced neuronal apoptosis. Similar results were produced in cortical cultures exposed to other proteasome inhibitors, proteasome inhibitor I and lactacystin. Administration of 0.1 µm MG132 led to activation of a mitochondria‐dependent apoptotic signaling cascade involving cytochrome c, caspase‐9, caspase‐3 and degradation of tau protein; such activation was markedly reduced with 10 µm MG132. High doses of MG132 prevented the degradation of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) cIAP and X chromosome‐linked IAP, suggesting that complete blockade of proteasome activity interferes with progression of apoptosis. In support of this, addition of high doses of proteasome inhibitors attenuated apoptosis of cortical neurons deprived of serum. Taken together, the present results indicate that inhibition of proteasome activity can induce or prevent neuronal cell apoptosis through regulation of mitochondria‐mediated apoptotic pathways and IAPs.
Suppression of protein kinase Cε mediates 17β‐estradiol‐induced neuroprotection in an immortalized hippocampal cell line
Authors: Jung Marianna E. , Watson David G. , Simpkins James W. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractAlthough estrogens are neuroprotective in a variety of neuroprotection models, the precise underlying mechanisms are currently not well understood. Here, we examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in mediating estrogen‐induced neuroprotection in the HT‐22 immortalized hippocampal cell line. The neuroprotection model utilized calcein fluorescence to quantitate cell viability following glutamate insults. 17β‐Estradiol (βE2) protected HT‐22 cells when treatment was initiated before or after the glutamate insult. The inhibition of PKC by bis‐indolylmaleimide mimicked and enhanced βE2‐induced neuroprotection. In contrast, the inhibition of specific PKC isozymes (α and β) by Go6976, inhibition of 1‐phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase by wortmannin, or inhibition of protein kinase A by H‐89, did not alter cell viability, suggesting a specific involvement of PKC in an isozyme‐dependent manner. We further examined whether estrogen interacts with PKC in a PKC isozyme‐specific manner. Protein levels and activity of PKC isozymes (α, δ, ε, and ζ) were assessed by western blot analysis and radiolabeled phosphorylation assays respectively. Among the isozymes tested, βE2 altered only PKCε; it reduced the activity and membrane translocation of PKCε in a manner that correlated with its protection against glutamate toxicity. Furthermore, βE2 reversed the increased activity of membrane PKCε induced by glutamate. These data suggest that the neuroprotective effects of estrogens are mediated in part by inhibition of PKCε activity and membrane translocation.
Isolation and characterization of twelve polymorphic microsatellite markers for the invasive ascidian Styela clava (Tunicata)
Authors: DUPONT L. , VIARD F. , BISHOP J. D. D. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe invasive solitary ascidian Styela clava has spread extensively along European coasts since its first occurrence in the early 1950s. In order to characterize spatial and temporal patterns of genetic change during its establishment and subsequent spread, we developed 12 species‐specific loci from an enriched microsatellite library. Polymorphism was explored in one native and two introduced populations (N = 31 ± 1). Number of alleles per locus varied from two to 13 (mean = 7). The average expected heterozygosity within populations ranged from 0.539 to 0.580.
Micro‐Phylogeographic and Demographic History of Portuguese Male Lineages
Authors: Beleza Sandra , Gusmão Leonor , Lopes Alexandra , Alves Cíntia , Gomes Iva , Giouzeli Maria , Calafell Francesc , Carracedo Angel , Amorim António 
Published: September 2005

AbstractThe clinal pattern observed for the distribution of Y‐chromosome lineages in Europe is not always reflected at a geographically smaller scale. Six hundred and sixty‐three male samples from the 18 administrative districts of Portugal were typed for 25 Y‐chromosome biallelic and 15 microsatellite markers, in order to assess the degree of substructuring of male lineage distribution. Haplogroup frequency distributions, Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and genetic distance analyses at both Y‐SNP and Y‐STR levels revealed a general genetic homogeneity of Portuguese sub‐populations. The traditional division of the country in north, central and south, which is usually considered in studies addressing questions of the genetic variation distribution in Portugal, was not reflected in the Y‐haplotype distribution. Instead, just one sub–region (Alentejo) stood out due to the presence of high diversity levels and a higher number of different lineages, at higher frequencies than in other regions. These results are reconciled with the historical evidence available, assuming that from prehistorical times down to the end of the medieval period this region harboured the most diverse groups of people and, because of economic depression, remained relatively isolated from recent homogenisation movements. The finding of a broadly homogeneous background for the Portuguese population has vast repercussions in forensic, epidemiological and association studies.
Catheter Ablation of Regular Atrial Arrhythmia Following Surgical Treatment of Permanent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: DENEKE THOMAS , KHARGI KRISHNA , GREWE PETER H. , CALCUM BERND , LACZKOVICS AXEL , KEYHAN‐FALSAFI ALI , MÜGGE ANDREAS , LAWO THOMAS , LEMKE BERND 
Published: September 2005

Introduction: Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is gaining widespread acceptance. However, therapeutic modalities for secondary regular atrial tachycardia are still empiric. Methods and Results: After linear atrial cooled‐tip radiofrequency ablation (SICTRA) during cardio‐surgical procedures to cure permanent AF, patients with regular atrial tachycardia were identified. Invasive electrophysiology including electroanatomic mapping was performed. Catheter ablation was directed to suppress atrial arrhythmia depending on activation mapping findings. Follow‐up was performed after 3 months and then after every 6 months. Of 238 patients, 12 (5.0%) were identified with regular secondary arrhythmias (12 ± 7 months after surgery) including 9 (3.8%) with persistent forms originating from the right atrium (RA) in six (66%) (isthmus‐dependent macroreentry in 4, incisional macroreentry in 1, and RA ectopy in 1). All patients with RA origin of the tachycardia were successfully ablated. Two patients had left atrial (LA)‐macroreentry circling around the mitral valve indicating insufficiency of the intraoperative ablation procedure: one patient was successfully ablated within the LA isthmus, in the other patient no complete conduction block could be induced. One patient had LA‐macroreentry degenerating into AF, and ablation was not performed.During follow‐up (9 ± 4 months), no recurrences of atrial tachycardias were documented after successful ablation. Conclusions: Persistent regular “secondary” arrhythmia occurred in 3.8% (9/238) of patients after SICTRA to treat permanent AF. Predominantly (67%; 6/9), the arrhythmia was located in the RA mostly incorporating the RA‐isthmus. Catheter ablation was highly effective for RA tachycardia (100%). In three cases (33%), LA‐macroreentry was documented and catheter ablation was successful in only one patient (overall success 78%).
Mapping of Atrial Activation During Sustained Atrial Fibrillation in Dogs with Rapid Ventricular Pacing Induced Heart Failure: Evidence for a Role of Driver Regions
Authors: RYU KYUNGMOO , SHROFF SUNIL C. , SAHADEVAN JAYAKUMAR , MARTOVITZ NICHOLE L. , KHRESTIAN CELEEN M. , STAMBLER BRUCE S. 
Published: September 2005

Introduction: Dogs with rapid ventricular pacing (RVP)‐induced congestive heart failure (CHF) have inducible atrial tachycardia, flutter, and fibrillation (AF). We tested the hypothesis that rapid atrial activation in multiple regions and at different rates is responsible for sustained AF in this CHF model. Methods and Results: We studied 12 episodes of sustained (>10 minutes) AF induced in 12 dogs with CHF produced by 3–6 weeks of RVP at 230 beats/minute. High‐density mapping of AF was performed using 382 unipolar atrial electrograms recorded simultaneously from epicardial electrodes on the right (RA) and left atria (LA) and Bachmann's bundle. AF mechanisms were based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis and activation sequence mapping. A driver was defined as a rapid stable activation region with a single dominant frequency peak in FFT analysis. During AF, three FFT and activation patterns were seen: (1) a single LA driver (7.8 ± 1.1 Hz) near the pulmonary veins (PVs) with irregular activation in the rest of the atria (n = 4); (2) simultaneous, multisite, biatrial drivers at differing frequencies (LA vs RA dominant frequency gradient: 1.3 ± 0.8 Hz) near the PVs (8.4 ± 0.3 Hz) and high RA (8.5 ± 1.5 Hz) (n = 7); and (3) biatrial irregular activation with multiple and/or broadband frequency peaks without a dominant frequency. (LA: 7.1–11.4 Hz; RA: 5.9–7.7 Hz) (n = 1). Atrial drivers had either a focal activation pattern or were due to a macroreentrant circuit around the PVs. Conclusions: In this CHF model, FFT analysis and activation sequence mapping demonstrate that sustained AF is characterized by single and multiple, stable LA and RA drivers with predominant sources in the PVs and high RA causing fibrillatory conduction.
Acceleration‐Dependent Left Bundle Branch Block with Severe Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony Results in Acute Heart Failure: Are There More Patients Who Benefit from Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy?
Authors: ZEPPENFELD KATJA , SCHALIJ MARTIN J. , BLEEKER GABE B. , HOLMAN EDUARD R. , BAX JEROEN J. 
Published: September 2005

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been proposed to improve hemodynamics in patients with heart failure and left bundle branch block (LBBB) by resynchronization of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony.The current report concerns a patient with narrow QRS complex without LV dyssynchrony who experienced an acute exacerbation of heart failure following exercise. Careful analysis revealed that an increase of heart rate induced acceleration‐dependent LBBB with severe LV dyssynchrony and mitral regurgitation followed by acute heart failure and hemodynamic collapse. CRT prevented these adverse reactions.Accordingly, optimal evaluation for CRT may include testing for LV dyssynchrony during exercise.
Lack of association between pro‐inflammatory cytokine (IL‐6, IL‐8 and TNF‐α) gene polymorphisms and Graves’ disease
Authors: Chen R.‐H. , Chen W.‐C. , Wang T.‐Y. , Tsai C.‐H. , Tsai F.‐J. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryGraves’ disease (GD) is a common, autoimmune disease involving the thyroid gland, and it has been previously suggested that pro‐inflammatory cytokines are involved in the disease's pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to test whether the interleukin (IL)‐6 gene promoter region, or tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α or IL‐8 gene 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR) polymorphisms could provide useful genetic markers for an individual's susceptibility to GD. A normal control group of 60 healthy people and 95 patients featuring GD were examined. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based restriction analysis was performed for the three gene polymorphisms using endonucleases BsrBI, NcoI and ApaLI, respectively. We found no significant difference between the frequencies of genotype and allelic variants for the IL‐6 gene promoter (−572 G/C), the TNF‐α gene promoter (−308 A/G) and the IL‐8 gene 3′‐UTR (2767 A/G) for GD patients and for normal controls. Cytokines are a large group of proteins that may elicit multiple effects upon immunological reactions. It still appears to be very worthwhile to continue to aggressively search for cytokine gene polymorphisms in order to predict the development of such disease.
ICAM‐1 polymorphisms and development of cutaneous malignant melanoma
Authors: Howell W. M. , Rose‐Zerilli M. J. , Theaker J. M. , Bateman A. C. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryTumour growth in cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is mediated by cell adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1). ICAM‐1 expression is associated with increasing Breslow thickness of vertical growth‐phase tumours and, in patients with stage 1 disease, may be associated with disease free and patient survival. In this study we have investigated whether two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ICAM‐1 gene encoding amino acid substitutions in codons 241 and 469 of the expressed ICAM‐1 molecule are associated with susceptibility to and markers of prognosis (including tumour Breslow thickness) in CMM. A total of 164 CMM patients and 264 cancer‐free controls were genotyped for these SNPs by the 5′ nuclease assay for allelic discrimination (TaqMan®). No genotypes showed any significant associations with CMM susceptibility, although there was a non‐significant increase in frequency of the ICAM‐1 469 AA genotype among CMM patients vs. controls (38.4% vs. 29.9%; P = 0.11). However, the ICAM‐1 241 GG genotype was significantly decreased in frequency among patients with primary invasive tumours of greater Breslow thickness (72.5% vs. 91.2%; P = 0.013; OR = 0.25 (0.072–0.85)). These results provide no evidence for a role for the ICAM‐1 codon 241 and 469 SNPs in determining susceptibility to CMM, but provide preliminary evidence that the role of ICAM‐1 polymorphism in modulating tumour growth in CMM requires further investigation in a larger study group.
Alternative splicing of IL‐24 in melanocytes by deletion of exons 3 and 5
Authors: Allen M. , Pratscher B. , Krepler C. , Frei K. , Schöfer C. , Pehamberger H. , Müller M. , Lucas T. 
Published: September 2005

SummaryTwo novel interleukin‐24 (IL‐24) splice variants were identified in normal human melanocytes by sequencing cloned polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products that are not expressed in metastatic melanoma. These gene products have been generated by differential skipping of exons 3 (IL‐24 delE3) and 5 (IL‐24 delE5). IL‐24 delE3 has limited sequence identity to the IL‐24‐interacting protein mda‐7s, and IL‐24 delE5 is homologous to IL‐24.
The Water Crisis in the Gaza Strip: Prospects for Resolution
Authors: Weinthal E. , Vengosh A. , Marei A. , Gutierrez A. , Kloppmann W. 
Published: September 2005

AbstractIsrael and the Palestinian Authority share the southern Mediterranean coastal aquifer. Long‐term overexploitation in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a decreasing water table, accompanied by the degradation of its water quality. Due to high levels of salinity and nitrate and boron pollution, most of the ground water is inadequate for both domestic and agricultural consumption. The rapid rate of population growth in the Gaza Strip and dependence upon ground water as a single water source present a serious challenge for future political stability and economic development. Here, we integrate the results of geochemical studies and numerical modeling to postulate different management scenarios for joint management between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The chemical and isotopic data show that most of the salinity phenomena in the Gaza Strip are derived from the natural flow of saline ground water from Israel toward the Gaza Strip. As a result, the southern coastal aquifer does not resemble a classic “upstream‐downstream” dispute because Israel's pumping of the saline ground water reduces the salinization rates of ground water in the Gaza Strip. Simulation of different pumping scenarios using a monolayer, hydrodynamic, two‐dimensional model (MARTHE) confirms the hypothesis that increasing pumping along the Gaza Strip border combined with a moderate reduction of pumping within the Gaza Strip would improve ground water quality within the Gaza Strip. We find that pumping the saline ground water for a source of reverse‐osmosis desalination and then supplying the desalinated water to the Gaza Strip should be an essential component of a future joint management strategy between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.