bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationship between serum ferritin, hepatic iron staining, diabetes mellitus and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: D'Souza R. F. C. , Feakins R. , Mears L. , Sabin C. A. , Foster G. R. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryBackground : Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus affects over 170 million individuals worldwide and 20% of patients develop cirrhosis after 20 years. Increased iron stores and hepatic iron content have been suggested to be important in fibrosis progression. The increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been associated with increased iron deposits in patients with chronic hepatitis C.Aim : To assess the potential relationship between serum ferritin and hepatic iron staining and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and whether these factors are increased in diabetic patients with hepatitis C virus.Methods : This was a cross‐sectional, multi‐centre study involving hospitals in the north‐east of London between 1992 and 2003. Chronic hepatitis C patients with a liver biopsy and data concerning age, sex, basal metabolic index, diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance, alcohol intake, serum ferritin level and ethnicity were enrolled. Each biopsy was scored for fibrosis and stained for hepatic iron.Results : Three hundred and thirty nine patients (200 Caucasian; 139 Asian) were enrolled. Fifty three patients had no fibrosis, 131 had mild fibrosis (stage one to two Modified Ishak), 68 moderate fibrosis (stage three to four) and 87 cirrhosis (stage five to six). 4.4% of patients had elevations in serum ferritin, whilst 11% had increased hepatic iron staining. The serum ferritin and hepatic iron staining were unrelated to the degree of fibrosis. Serum ferritin was significantly higher in patients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance compared to non‐diabetics. No association was seen between diabetes and hepatic iron staining.Conclusions : Many patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection may have elevated serum ferritin and/or iron deposition within the liver. However, both played no significant role in the progression of hepatitis C virus related liver injury. The association between chronic hepatitis C virus infection and type II diabetes mellitus exists, however the biological mechanism of this association still remains to be elucidated.
Occurrence and risk factors for benign epithelial gastric polyps in atrophic body gastritis on diagnosis and follow‐up
Authors: Di Giulio E. , Lahner E. , Micheletti A. , Milione M. , D'Ambra G. , Bordi C. , Delle Fave G. , Annibale B. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryBackground : Benign epithelial gastric polyps have been reported to be more common in atrophic body gastritis. The role of Helicobacter pylori infection in the induction of gastric atrophy is well‐known. The development of hyperplastic polyps may be in relation to H. pylori infection.Aim : To investigate occurrence of benign epithelial gastric polyps in atrophic body gastritis patients at diagnosis and follow‐up, and the role of H. pylori and other risk factors for the development of benign epithelial gastric polyps.Methods : A total of 259 consecutive atrophic body gastritis patients included in a follow‐up programme, of whom 202 were followed up for median period of 4 years (range: 2–11). At baseline and follow‐up gastroscopies, the presence of benign epithelial gastric polyps was evaluated. Biopsies for histology were obtained from all detected benign epithelial gastric polyps.Results : Frequency of benign epithelial gastric polyps in atrophic body gastritis patients were 4.6% at baseline and 5.9% at follow‐up. About 91.7% were hyperplastic polyps. H. pylori infection was detected in 79.2% atrophic body gastritis patients with benign epithelial gastric polyps, and in 70.8% without benign epithelial gastric polyps. Smoking was more frequent among patients with benign epithelial gastric polyps [42% vs. 20%, OR 2.8 (95% CI: 1.2–6.9)].Conclusions : Benign epithelial gastric polyps occur in about 5% of atrophic body gastritis patients, and the vast majority are hyperplastic polyps. Smoking habit, but not H. pylori infection, increases the risk for benign epithelial gastric polyps in atrophic body gastritis patients.
Dental pulp capping: effect of Emdogain Gel on experimentally exposed human pulps
Authors: Olsson H. , Davies J. R. , Holst K. E. , Schröder U. , Petersson K. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractAim  To investigate the effect of Emdogain Gel (Biora AB, Malmö, Sweden), consisting of a enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in a propylene glycol alginate (PGA) vehicle, on experimentally exposed human pulps and to register postoperative symptoms.Methodology  Nine pairs of contralateral premolars scheduled for extraction on orthodontic indications were included. Following a superficial pulp amputation performed with a small (016) diamond bur, either EMDgel or a mix of calcium hydroxide and sterile saline was placed at random in contact with the pulp wound. The subjects made records of symptoms and were also interviewed about pain/discomfort by a blinded examiner. After 12 weeks the teeth were extracted, prepared and subjected to light microscopic examination in which the inflammation and newly formed hard tissue in the pulp were analysed. Immunohistochemistry was performed using affinity‐purified rabbit anti‐EMD polyclonal antibodies.Results  Postoperative symptoms were less frequent in the EMDgel‐treated than in the calcium hydroxide‐treated teeth, especially during the first six weeks. In the EMDgel‐treated teeth, new tissue partly filled the space initially occupied by the gel and hard tissue was formed alongside the exposed dentine surfaces and in patches in the adjacent pulp tissue. EMD was detected in the areas where new hard tissue had been formed. The wound area of the EMDgel‐treated teeth exhibited inflammation in the majority of the teeth whereas less inflammation was seen in the calcium hydroxide‐treated teeth where the hard tissue was formed as a bridge.Conclusions  In the EMDgel‐treated teeth, postoperative symptoms were less frequent and the amount and pattern of hard tissue formation were markedly different than in the teeth treated with calcium hydroxide. However, the operative procedure and the formulation with EMD in a PGA vehicle do not seem to be effective for the formation of a hard tissue barrier.
Copper–zinc superoxide dismutase activity in healthy and inflamed human dental pulp
Authors: Varvara G. , Traini T. , Esposito P. , Caputi S. , Perinetti G. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractAim  To examine copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn‐SOD) activity in clinically healthy and symptomatic human dental pulps.Methodology  Twenty‐five systemically healthy patients, 14 females and 11 males (age: 13.1–34.6 years; mean: 21.7 ± 6.3), were the source of the pulp tissue. The condition of the pulps was assessed using clinical and radiographic evaluation. The pulp tissue was collected by longitudinally grooving and splitting the teeth (if extracted) or during endodontic treatment, and were age‐ and sex‐matched between the healthy and the irreversible symptomatic pulpitis tissue groups. Cu, Zn‐SOD activity was determined through spectrophotometric methods and a Mann–Whitney test assessed the significance of differences between the groups.Results  The enzyme activities were 144.8 ± 42.2 and 68.1 ± 25.0 U mg−1 in the healthy and irreversible symptomatic pulp tissue, respectively. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001).Conclusions  These results demonstrate a potential role for Cu, Zn‐SOD during dental pulp inflammation in humans.
Dental arch morphological and dimensional characteristics in Jordanian children and young adults with β‐thalassaemia major
Authors: AL‐WAHADNI A. , QUDEIMAT M. A. , AL‐OMARI M. 
Published: March 2005

Summary.Objective.   The aim of this study was to examine the arch dimensions of Jordanian patients with β‐thalassaemia major in comparison with an unaffected control group.Methods.   The sample consisted of 24 patients who suffered from β‐thalassaemia major (mean age = 13·9 ± 3·1 years) and an unaffected control group (mean age = 13·5 ± 2·9 years) matched for dental age, sex, and incisor and molar relationships. The unaffected control group was randomly selected from four public schools in the Governate of Irbid‐Jordan. Alginate impressions were taken of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches of all participants. All measurements of the arch dimensions were made on the casts using an electronic digital sliding calliper.Results.   In the mandibular arch, when compared with the patients with thalassaemia, the unaffected control group subjects showed a (statistically) significantly larger incisor width, larger arch depth, and larger left and right anterior arch lengths (1·18, 2·58, and 1·85 and 1·12 mm, respectively). In the maxillary arch, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean incisor width (± 2·16 mm), arch depth (± 3·14 mm), inter‐molar width (± 1·21 mm) and in the left anterior arch length (± 1·97 mm). The canine widths, premolar widths, left and right posterior arch length, and curve of Spee of both arches showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups.Conclusion.   When compared to unaffected subjects, patients with β‐thalassaemia major exhibited: a narrower maxilla; a shorter maxilla and mandible; and smaller incisor widths for the maxillary and mandibular arches.
Effect of the diurnal rhythm and 24 h of sleep deprivation on dichotic temporal order judgment
Authors: BABKOFF HARVEY , ZUKERMAN GIL , FOSTICK LEAH , BEN‐ARTZI ELISHEVA 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe present study examined the impact of mild (24 h) sleep deprivation and of the circadian rhythm on auditory temporal resolution, measured by dichotic temporal order judgment (TOJ). The rationale for the present study was based on several areas of research. First, the ‘sleep‐based neuropsychological perspective’ hypothesis posits that sleep reduction initially impacts the functions associated with intact prefrontal cortical activity, e.g. language tasks. Secondly, recent studies indicate the importance of the role of auditory temporal resolution in speech comprehension. Thirdly, there is accumulating evidence of the involvement of prefrontal cortical structures in auditory temporal resolution. We hypothesized that mild to moderate sleep deprivation would affect dichotic TOJ negatively. The results showed that: (1) 24 h of sleep deprivation significantly reduced the overall level of accuracy in dichotic TOJ and increased dichotic TOJ threshold from 57.61 ms to 73.93 ms, a reduction in temporal resolution of 28.3%; (2) dichotic TOJ was subject to a small, but significant diurnal rhythm having a nadir in early to mid afternoon. As auditory temporal resolution of speech and non‐speech sounds seems to be dependent on intact functioning of the left inferior and left dorso‐lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), these data strengthen the argument that even mild to moderate sleep deprivation can impact negatively on PFC‐dependent functions. Furthermore, based on these findings, we suggest that the deficit in auditory temporal resolution in individuals suffering from sleep loss may also affect language comprehension.
The ontogeny of mammalian sleep: a response to Frank and Heller (2003)
Authors: BLUMBERG MARK S. , KARLSSON KARL Æ. , SEELKE ADELE M. H. , MOHNS ETHAN J. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryIn a recent review, Frank and Heller (2003) provided support for their ‘presleep theory’ of sleep development. According to this theory, rapid eye movement (REM) and non‐rapid eye movement (Non‐REM) sleep in rats emerge from a common ‘dissociated’ state only when the neocortical EEG differentiates at 12 days of age (P12). Among the assumptions and inferences associated with this theory is that sleep before EEG differentiation is only ‘sleep‐like’ and can only be characterized using behavioral measures; that the neural mechanisms governing presleep are distinct from those governing REM and Non‐REM sleep; and that the presleep theory is the only theory that can account for developmental periods when REM and Non‐REM sleep components appear to overlap. Evidence from our laboratory and others, however, refutes or casts doubt on these and other assertions. For example, infant sleep in rats is not ‘sleep‐like’ in that it satisfies nearly every criterion used to characterize sleep across species. In addition, beginning as early as P2 in rats, myoclonic twitching occurs only against a background of muscle atonia, indicating that infant sleep is not dissociated and that electrographic measures are available for sleep characterization. Finally, improved techniques are leading to new insights concerning the neural substrates of sleep during early infancy. Thus, while many important developmental questions remain, the presleep theory, at least in its present form, does not accurately reflect the phenomenology of infant sleep.
Sleep disturbance and daytime symptoms in wheezing school‐aged children
Authors: DESAGER KRISTINE N. , NELEN VERA , WEYLER JOOST J. J. , DE BACKER WILFRIED A. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe aim of the study was to investigate whether wheezing is associated with disturbed sleep and increased daytime symptoms in school‐aged children. A random sample of 1234 children, aged 6–14 years, participated in a respiratory health study in the region of Antwerp. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and a separate sleep questionnaire were completed. In the children who wheezed in the last 12 months, sleep quality was more frequently disturbed due to nocturnal awakenings and restless sleep compared with children who did not wheeze. Daytime sleepiness and tiredness were more common in wheezing than in non‐wheezing children. After adjusting for possible confounders a positive association was found between wheeze and: difficulties falling asleep [odds ratio (OR) = 2.0], restless sleep (OR = 5.0), daytime sleepiness (OR = 3.8) and daytime tiredness (OR = 5.1). Chronic cough (OR = 2.4), snoring (OR = 2.0), chronic rhinitis (OR = 2.6) and eczema (OR = 3.3) were associated with disturbed sleep. Chronic cough (OR = 2.5) and rhinitis (OR = 4.1) were related to daytime tiredness. Chronic rhinitis was an important risk factor for snoring (OR = 1.9). In wheezing school‐aged children, decreased quality of sleep and increased daytime tiredness and sleepiness were more often reported. Upper airway symptoms were related to the sleep disturbances.
Comparison of postnatal development of heart rate responses to trigeminal stimulation in sleeping preterm and term infants
Authors: TULADHAR RITA , HARDING RICHARD , MICHAEL ADAMSON T. , HORNE ROSEMARY S. C. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryAutonomic dysfunction has been regarded as a possible cause of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and it has been suggested that preterm infants, who are at a greater risk of SIDS than term infants, may have immature autonomic control. Our aim was to compare the maturation of cardiac autonomic control during sleep in preterm and term infants by examining heart rate responses to arousing and non‐arousing trigeminal stimuli. Preterm infants (n = 15) and term infants (n = 24) were studied longitudinally with daytime polysomnography. Air‐jet stimulation of the nares was delivered in both active sleep (AS) and quiet sleep (QS), and heart rate (HR) changes recorded for both arousal and non‐arousal responses. Changes in HR (ΔHR%) were calculated as the relative differences between baseline HR (BHR) and either MaxHR (arousal) or MinHR (non‐arousal). Comparisons of HR changes between sleep states and postnatal ages were made with two‐way anova for repeated measures and between groups with two‐way anova. The increase in HR (ΔHR%) was greater in term than preterm infants (P < 0.05), but only at 2–3 weeks corrected postnatal age (CPA). In preterm infants, there were no differences in BHR between sleep states, whereas in term infants, BHR was higher in AS than in QS at 2–3 weeks and 2–3 months of age. The smaller ΔHR% to arousing stimuli in preterm infants compared with term infants at 2–3 weeks suggests that cardiac sympathetic activity in preterm infants may be lower than in term infants. This mechanism may account for the increased risk for SIDS of preterm infants.
Impaired alertness and performance driving home from the night shift: a driving simulator study
Authors: ÅKERSTEDT TORBJÖRN , PETERS BJÖRN , ANUND ANNA , KECKLUND GÖRAN 
Published: March 2005

SummaryDriving in the early morning is associated with increased accident risk affecting not only professional drivers but also those who commute to work. The present study used a driving simulator to investigate the effects of driving home from a night shift. Ten shift workers participated after a normal night shift and after a normal night sleep. The results showed that driving home from the night shift was associated with an increased number of incidents (two wheels outside the lane marking, from 2.4 to 7.6 times), decreased time to first accident, increased lateral deviation (from 18 to 43 cm), increased eye closure duration (0.102 to 0.143 s), and increased subjective sleepiness. The results indicate severe postnight shift effects on sleepiness and driving performance.
Less effective executive functioning after one night's sleep deprivation
Authors: NILSSON JENS P. , SÖDERSTRÖM MARIE , KARLSSON ANDREAS U. , LEKANDER MATS , ÅKERSTEDT TORBJÖRN , LINDROTH NINA ERIXON , AXELSSON JOHN 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe prefrontal cortex (PFC) is affected negatively by sleep deprivation (SD) and executive functioning is largely dependent on activity in the PFC. Earlier studies have focused on subsystems of executive functioning, and tests of executive functioning have shown both low reliability and low validity. In the present study, 11 healthy volunteers were sleep deprived and compared with 11 healthy controls in a study on effects of one night's SD on integrative executive functioning. Following SD, the performance of subjects on an ecologically valid test, the modified Six Elements Test, was significantly impaired. There were no group differences on psychomotor vigilance, verbal or visuo‐spatial working memory. This extends previous knowledge of performance effects of SD, and may be of special importance for individuals with cognitive work tasks.
The conserved Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria effector protein XopX is a virulence factor and suppresses host defense in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Metz Matthew , Dahlbeck Douglas , Morales Christina Q. , Sady Bassem Al , Clark Eszter T. , Staskawicz Brian J. 
Published: March 2005

Summary Nicotiana benthamiana leaves display a visible plant cell death response when infiltrated with a high titer inoculum of the non‐host pathogen, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv). This visual phenotype was used to identify overlapping cosmid clones from a genomic cosmid library constructed from the Xcv strain, GM98‐38. Individual cosmid clones from the Xcv library were conjugated into X. campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) and exconjugants were scored for an altered visual high titer inoculation response in N. benthamiana. The molecular characterization of the cosmid clones revealed that they contained a novel gene, xopX, that encodes a 74‐kDa type III secretion system (TTSS) effector protein. Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression of XopX in N. benthamiana did not elicit the plant cell death response although detectable XopX protein was produced. Interestingly, the plant cell death response occurred when the xopX Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression construct was co‐inoculated with strains of either XcvΔxopX or Xcc, both lacking xopX. The co‐inoculation complementation of the plant cell death response also depends on whether the Xanthomonas strains contain an active TTSS. Transgenic 35S‐xopX‐expressing N. benthamiana plants also have the visible plant cell death response when inoculated with the non‐xopX‐expressing strains XcvΔxopX and Xcc. Unexpectedly, transgenic 35S‐xopX N. benthamiana plants displayed enhanced susceptibility to bacterial growth of Xcc as well as other non‐xopX‐expressing Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas strains. This result is also consistent with the increase in bacterial growth on wild type N. benthamiana plants observed for Xcc when XopX is expressed in trans. Furthermore, XopX contributes to the virulence of Xcv on host pepper (Capsicum annuum) and tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) plants. We propose that the XopX bacterial effector protein targets basic innate immunity in plants, resulting in enhanced plant disease susceptibility.
Stable two‐element control of dTph1 transposition in mutator strains of Petunia by an inactive ACT1 introgression from a wild species
Authors: Stuurman Jeroen , Kuhlemeier Cris 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe high copy dTph1 transposon system of Petunia (Solanaceae) is one of the most powerful insertion mutagens in plants, but its activity cannot be controlled in the commonly used mutator strains. We analysed the regulation of dTph1 activity by QTL analysis in recombinant inbred lines of the mutator strain W138 and a wild species (P. integrifolia spp. inflata). Two genetic factors were identified that control dTph1 transposition. One corresponded to the ACT1 locus on chromosome I. A second, previously undescribed locus ACT2 mapped on chromosome V. As a 6‐cM introgression in W138, the P. i. inflata act1S6 allele behaved as a single recessive locus that fully eliminated transposition of all dTph1 elements in all stages of plant development and in a heritable fashion. Weak dTph1 activity was restored in act1S6/ACT2S6 double introgression lines, indicating that the P. i. inflata allele at ACT2 conferred a low level of transposition. Thus, the act1S6 allele is useful for simple and predictable control of transposition of the entire dTph1 family when introgressed into an ultra‐high copy W138 mutator strain. We demonstrate the use of the ACT1W138/act1S6 allele pair in a two‐element dTph1 transposition system by producing 10 000 unique and fixed dTph1 insertions in a population of 1250 co‐isogenic lines. This Petunia system produces the highest per plant insertion number of any known two‐element system, providing a powerful and logistically simple tool for transposon mutagenesis of qualitative as well as quantitative traits.
pOp6/LhGR: a stringently regulated and highly responsive dexamethasone‐inducible gene expression system for tobacco
Authors: Samalova Marketa , Brzobohaty Bretislav , Moore Ian 
Published: March 2005

SummaryWe describe pOp/LhGR, a dexamethasone‐inducible derivative of the pOp/LhG4 transcription activation system, and its use in tobacco to regulate expression of uidA (encoding β‐glucuronidase; GUS) and the cytokinin‐biosnythetic gene ipt. The pOp/LhGR system exhibited stringent regulation and strong induced phenotypes in soil and tissue culture. In conjunction with an improved target promoter, pOp6, that carries six copies of an optimized lac operator sequence the pOp6/LhGR system directed induced GUS activities that exceeded those obtained with pOp/LhG4 or the CaMV 35S promoter but without increased uninduced activity. A single dose of dexamethasone was sufficient to direct cytotoxic levels of ipt expression in soil‐grown plants although uninduced plants grew normally throughout a complete life cycle. In vitro, induced transcripts were detectable within an hour of dexamethasone application and 1 nm dexamethasone was sufficient for half maximal induction of GUS activity. Various methods of dexamethasone application were successfully applied under tissue culture and greenhouse conditions. We observed no inhibitory effects of dexamethasone or LhGR on plant development even with the highest concentrations of inducer, although tobacco seedlings were adversely affected by ethanol used as a solvent for dexamethasone stock solutions. The pOp/LhGR system provides a highly sensitive, efficient, and tightly regulated chemically inducible transgene expression system for tobacco plants.