bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of Raynaud's phenomenon in children ages 12–15 years: Prevalence and association with other common symptoms
Authors: Jones Gareth T. , Herrick Ariane L. , Woodham Sarah E. , Baildam Eileen M. , Macfarlane Gary J. , Silman Alan J. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveAlthough Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in adults is frequently reported as having been present since childhood, there have been no studies on the prevalence of RP in children. This study was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of RP in children ages 12–15 years and to determine whether, as with other commonly reported symptoms, there were any associations with adverse psychosocial factors.MethodsA previously validated self‐administered RP questionnaire was distributed to 903 children ages 12–15 years, from 28 schools. The questionnaire also included questions on other common childhood symptoms and on adverse psychosocial factors.ResultsSeven hundred twenty children responded (80%), in whom the prevalence of RP was 15%. This was higher in girls (18% versus 12%) and increased with age. After adjustment for age and sex, there was an association with reporting of current pain, both in the arm/shoulder region and elsewhere in the body. There were no associations with psychosocial variables.ConclusionRP is frequent in children ages 12–15 years. Unlike other common childhood symptoms, RP showed no association with psychosocial factors in this study.
Reduction in the evolution of murine type II collagen–induced arthritis by treatment with rosiglitazone, a ligand of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ
Authors: Cuzzocrea Salvatore , Mazzon Emanuela , Dugo Laura , Patel Nimesh S. A. , Serraino Ivana , Di Paola Rosanna , Genovese Tiziana , Britti Domenico , De Maio Massimo , Caputi Achille P. , Thiemermann Christoph 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveThe peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand‐dependent transcription factors related to retinoid, steroid, and thyroid hormone receptors. The thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone is a PPARγ ligand that modulates the transcription of target genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rosiglitazone on the inflammatory response in mice with collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA).MethodsCIA was induced in DBA/1J mice by an intradermal injection of 100 μl of an emulsion of bovine type II collagen (CII; 100 μg) in Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) at the base of the tail. On day 21, a second injection of CII in CFA was administered. Rosiglitazone (10 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (10% DMSO) was administered beginning on day 25 (arthritis onset) until day 35. Clinical, radiographic, histopathologic, and laboratory assessments were performed.ResultsMice immunized with CII in CFA developed erosive arthritis of the hind paws. Macroscopic evidence of CIA first appeared as periarticular erythema and edema of the hind paws. The incidence of CIA was 100% by day 27 in the CII‐challenged mice, and the severity progressed over the 35‐day study period. Radiographic evaluation revealed focal resorption of bone. Histopathologic features of CIA included erosion of cartilage at the joint margins. Rosiglitazone treatment ameliorated the clinical signs on days 26–35 and improved the histologic findings in the joint and paw. The degree of oxidative and nitrosative damage was significantly reduced in rosiglitazone‐treated mice, as indicated by elevation of malondialdehyde levels, formation of nitrotyrosine, and activation of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase. Plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor, interleukin‐1β, and interleukin‐6 were also significantly reduced by rosiglitazone treatment.ConclusionThese data demonstrate that rosiglitazone exerts an antiinflammatory effect on chronic inflammation and is able to ameliorate the tissue damage associated with CIA.
Development of autoimmune exocrinopathy resembling Sjögren's syndrome in adoptively transferred mice with autoreactive CD4+ T cells
Authors: Arakaki Rieko , Ishimaru Naozumi , Saito Ichiro , Kobayashi Masaru , Yasui Natsuo , Sumida Takayuki , Hayashi Yoshio 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveThe pathologic mechanisms responsible for organ‐specific tissue damage in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) remain unclear, but it has been suggested that the pathology is mediated by autoreactive CD4+ T cells infiltrating the salivary and lacrimal glands. This study was undertaken to investigate whether α‐fodrin autoantigen–specific autoreactive CD4+ T cells are capable of inducing autoimmune lesions.MethodsA total of 45 synthetic α‐fodrin peptides designed to be 20 amino acid residues in length were generated. To establish an autoreactive T cell line, limiting dilution analysis (LDA) was performed on lymph node cells (LNCs) in the presence of α‐fodrin peptides. The effects of adoptive transfer of autoreactive CD4+ T cells into normal syngeneic recipients were investigated.ResultsAutoreactive CD4+ T cell lines that recognize synthetic α‐fodrin peptide, which produced Th1 cytokines and showed cytotoxic activities, were established in a murine model for SS. T cell receptor Vβ usage and third complementarity‐determining region (CDR3) sequences indicated that in some cases Vβ6‐CDR3 genes matched between the tissue‐infiltrating T cells and the autoreactive T cell lines. Adoptive transfer of the autoreactive CD4+ T cells into normal syngeneic recipients induced autoimmune lesions quite similar to those of SS.ConclusionOur data help to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for tissue destruction in autoimmune exocrinopathy and indicate that autoreactive CD4+ T cells play a pivotal role in the development of murine SS.
Splenectomy attenuates streptococcal cell wall–induced arthritis and alters leukocyte activation
Authors: Kimpel Donald , Dayton Tim , Fuseler John , Gray Laura , Kannan Krishnaswamy , Wolf Robert E. , Grisham Matthew 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the role of the spleen in the pathogenesis of streptococcal cell wall (SCW)–induced arthritis and determine the impact of splenectomy on monocytes and T cells involved in the arthritis.MethodsFemale Lewis rats were separated into 4 groups: 1) saline‐injected, sham‐operated; 2) saline‐injected, splenectomized; 3) peptidoglycan–polysaccharide (PG‐PS)–injected, sham‐operated; and 4) PG‐PS–injected, splenectomized. After a 10‐day recovery period, rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of saline or PG‐PS (25 μg rhamnose/gm body weight). We evaluated the effect of splenectomy on joint inflammation, histopathology, leukocyte subtypes in blood and lymph nodes, cytokines, and cell surface expression of CD44 and CD45RC in the chronic phase of the disease (day 28).ResultsSplenectomy dramatically decreased chronic joint inflammation and histopathologic damage as well as altered cell types in lymph nodes and peripheral blood, as analyzed by flow cytometry. Nitric oxide (NO) production, levels of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor α, and a biomarker of Th1 cell predominance correlated with the level of joint inflammation. Surprisingly, in splenectomized animals, increased expression of adhesion molecules thought to track T cells to inflamed tissue were observed in lymph nodes.ConclusionThe result of splenectomy was attenuation of SCW‐induced arthritis and changes in mediators of inflammation, including T cell subsets, proinflammatory cytokines, and NO production. Splenectomy may remove an important antigen reservoir and alter immune cell activation in the SCW‐induced arthritis model.
Leflunomide use during the first 33 months after food and drug administration approval: Experience with a national cohort of 3,325 patients
Authors: Siva Chokkalingam , Eisen Seth A. , Shepherd Rebecca , Cunningham Francesca , Fang Meika A. , Finch William , Salisbury Don , Singh Jasvinder A. , Stern Richard , Zarabadi S. Alireza 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo describe leflunomide (LEF) use in a national cohort of 3,325 veterans.MethodsPrescriptions for LEF and 9 disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs written between October 1998 and June 2001 at all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers were obtained from VA national databases.ResultsLEF was initiated with a loading dose of 100 mg daily for 3 days in 61% of patients, and 42% of patients discontinued LEF. LEF was more likely to be discontinued if a 3‐day 100‐mg loading dose was prescribed, patients were younger than 44 years or older than 75 years, or reported an annual family income <$60,000. Review of medical records of 291 discontinuers revealed that the most common reasons for discontinuation were inefficacy (30%), gastrointestinal symptoms (29%), medication noncompliance or lost to followup (14%), and elevated liver enzymes (5%).ConclusionLEF is relatively safe in clinical practice. The VA's national databases provide an excellent, inexpensive resource for postmarketing evaluation of rheumatologic medications.
Association of nitrate use with risk of new radiographic features of hip osteoarthritis in elderly white women: The study of osteoporotic fractures
Authors: Lane Nancy E. , Williams Elizabeth N. , Hung Yun‐Yi , Hochberg Marc C. , Cummings Steven R. , Nevitt Michael C. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between nitrate medication use and the development of new radiographic findings of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in elderly women.MethodsPelvic radiographs were obtained at baseline and a mean of 8.3 years later in 5,987 women, age ≥65 years at the baseline examination of the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Atlas‐standardized individual radiographic features (IRFs) of OA were assessed and minimal joint space was measured on paired films. New radiographic findings of hip OA were defined as the development in hips free of these findings at baseline: 1) joint space narrowing (JSN), which consisted of either a MJS ≤1.5 mm or an IRF score indicating lateral JSN ≥2 or medial JSN ≥3; 2) an IRF score for osteophytes of ≥2 in any location; or 3) a summary grade of 2 or more (at least 2 IRFs present). Nitrate use was recorded by interview at years 6 and 8. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association of nitrate use with new radiographic findings of hip OA, adjusting for age, weight, height, bone mineral density, and estrogen.ResultsCompared with no reported use of nitrates, we found significant associations between use of nitrates at 1 clinic visit and new JSN (odds ratio [OR] 1.94, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.18–3.17, P = 0.009), new osteophyte formation (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.03–2.88, P = 0.04), and any new radiographic finding of hip OA or total hip arthroplasty for OA (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.16–2.52, P = 0.007). Any nitrate use was associated with an increased risk of developing summary grade 3 or greater hip OA (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.03–3.31, P = 0.041), but not with any other incident findings of OA.ConclusionOlder women using nitrates may have an increased risk of developing new radiographic findings of hip OA.
Access to pediatric rheumatology care in the United States
Authors: Mayer Michelle L. , Mellins Elizabeth D. , Sandborg Christy I. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo describe rheumatology providers, depict their availability, and determine the extent to which internist rheumatologists may expand access to care for children with rheumatic diseases.MethodsUsing data from the American College of Rheumatology and the Bureau of Health Professions Area Resource File, we generated a national map of providers' practice locations and calculated distances between each county and the nearest rheumatologist. We also performed a logit analysis to identify provider and county characteristics that were associated with internist rheumatologists' willingness to treat children.ResultsApproximately 50% of the under 18 population in the United States live within 50 miles of a pediatric rheumatologist and nearly 90% live within 50 miles of a pediatric rheumatologist or an internist rheumatologist who treats children. Internist rheumatologists in private practice were 3 times as likely as those in medical schools to treat children (P < 0.001). Likewise, internist rheumatologists who live 200 or more miles from a pediatric rheumatologist were more than twice as likely to treat children as those who lived within 10 miles of a pediatric rheumatologist (P < 0.001).ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that internist rheumatologists are more geographically diffuse than pediatric rheumatologists and act as substitutes for pediatric rheumatologists in those regions that lack such providers. Research is needed to understand the role of internist rheumatologists in caring for children with rheumatic diseases and the quality of the care that they provide to this population.
Factors contributing to possession and use of walking aids among persons with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
Authors: Van der Esch M. , Heijmans M. , Dekker J. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the possession and use of walking aids among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), and to identify factors contributing to possession and actual use of these aids.MethodsA random sample of 640 patients with RA or OA was derived from a database of 6,500 registered patients. A total of 410 (64%) patients (223 RA, 187 OA) completed a questionnaire on possession and use of walking aids. Demographics, disease‐related characteristics, and information about possession and use were assessed. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine which factors are associated with the possession and use of walking aids.ResultsForty‐nine percent of the RA patients and 44% of the OA patients owned a walking aid. Canes, forearm crutches, walkers, and orthopedic footwear were most frequently possessed. In the RA group, age, education, frequency of pain, and disability were associated with possessing a walking aid. In the OA group, age and disability were associated with possession. Approximately 30% of the owners did not use their walking aid. Factors associated with the actual use of an aid included higher age, a high intensity of pain, more disability, decrease in morning stiffness by the aid, and a positive evaluation of the aid.ConclusionAlmost half of patients with RA or OA possess a walking aid. Disability, pain, and age‐related impairments seem to determine the need for a walking aid. Nonuse is associated with less need, negative outcome, and negative evaluation of the walking aid.
Validation of a Japanese version of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire in 3,763 patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Matsuda Yuko , Singh Gurkirpal , Yamanaka Hisashi , Tanaka Eiichi , Urano Wako , Taniguchi Atsuo , Saito Terunobu , Hara Masako , Tomatsu Taisuke , Kamatani Naoyuki 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo develop and validate a self‐administered instrument for measuring functional status in Japanese‐speaking rheumatoid arthritis patients.MethodsWe translated the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) into Japanese (original HAQ), and then made a tentative Japanese version of the HAQ (J‐HAQ) with culturally appropriate modifications of the arising, eating, and reach category questions. The questionnaire was then administered to 3,763 RA patients (82.6% female; mean age 58.0 years; mean onset age 47.4 years; mean disease duration 10.5 years).ResultsThis instrument showed excellent internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.927), with a mean interitem correlation of 0.60. For the arising category question, the J‐HAQ asks about arising from a futon in addition to a bed because futons are still common in Japanese culture. Arising from a futon is generally more difficult for disabled individuals than is arising from a bed, so the arising score was higher in the J‐HAQ (mean score 0.82) than in the original HAQ (0.48). The average scores for the eating and reach categories were virtually identical for the original HAQ and the J‐HAQ, with correlation coefficients of 0.979 and 0.926, respectively. Thus, the overall disability index (average of the scores for all functional areas) was higher in the J‐HAQ (0.81) than in the original HAQ (0.76), although the correlation coefficient was high (0.993). The test‐retest reliability value (0.92), studied at a 1‐week interval, revealed identical disability index scores measured on the 2 occasions.ConclusionThe final version of the J‐HAQ is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring functional status in Japanese‐speaking RA patients.
Participatory patient–physician communication and morbidity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Ward Michael M. , Sundaramurthy Saigeetha , Lotstein Debra , Bush Thomas M. , Neuwelt C. Michael , Street Richard L. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractObjectiveTo examine associations between active patient–physician communication and measures of morbidity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).MethodsAudiotapes of routine visits between 79 women with SLE and their rheumatologists were coded for active patient participation and the degree of patient‐centered communication of the physician, using a validated coding scheme. Measures of SLE activity, functional disability, and permanent organ damage were recorded at the same visit. Permanent organ damage was reassessed in 68 patients after a median of 4.7 years.ResultsPatients who participated more actively in their visits had less permanent organ damage, as measured by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, and tended to accrue less organ damage over time. There were no associations between either active patient participation or physicians' patient‐centered communication scores and measures of SLE activity or functional disability.ConclusionsPatients with SLE who participated more actively in their visits had less permanent organ damage, suggesting that involving patients more in their care may decrease morbidity.
Enhanced Web document retrieval using automatic query expansion
Authors: Shamim Khan M. , Khor Sebastian 
Published: December 2003

AbstractThe ever growing popularity of the Internet as a source of information, coupled with the accompanying growth in the number of documents made available through the World Wide Web, is leading to an increasing demand for more efficient and accurate information retrieval tools. Numerous techniques have been proposed and tried for improving the effectiveness of searching the World Wide Web for documents relevant to a given topic of interest. The specification of appropriate keywords and phrases by the user is crucial for the successful execution of a query as measured by the relevance of documents retrieved. Lack of users' knowledge on the search topic and their changing information needs often make it difficult for them to find suitable keywords or phrases for a query. This results in searches that fail to cover all likely aspects of the topic of interest. We describe a scheme that attempts to remedy this situation by automatically expanding the user query through the analysis of initially retrieved documents. Experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the query expansion scheme are presented.
Information search performance and research achievement: An empirical test of the Anxiety‐Expectation Mediation model of library anxiety
Authors: Onwuegbuzie Anthony J. , Jiao Qun G. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractThis study presents a test of the Anxiety‐Expectation Mediation (AEM) model of library anxiety. The AEM model contains variables that are directly or indirectly related to information search performance, as measured by students' scores on their research proposals. This model posits that library anxiety and self‐perception serve as factors that mediate the relationship between performance in writing a research proposal and other cognitive, personality, and demographic variables. The model was tested using 225 graduate students enrolled in several sections of an introductory‐level course at a midsouthern university. Structural equation modeling techniques supported the AEM model. In particular, library anxiety and research achievement were reciprocally related. Furthermore, library anxiety mediated the relationship between research performance and the following variables: age, grade point average, learning style, academic procrastination, and self‐perception. The path analysis also revealed a direct, positive path from self‐perception to research performance. In addition, self‐perception moderated the relationship between research achievement and academic procrastination, perfectionism, and hope. The AEM model of library anxiety suggests that Wine's (1980) Cognitive‐Attentional‐Interference theory, Onwuegbuzie, Jiao, and Bostick's (in press) ILP model of library anxiety, and Bandura's (1977) self‐efficacy theory can be applied to the library and information context. Findings are discussed within the framework of current social‐psychological models of educational achievement.
Literature growth, journal characteristics, and author productivity in subject indexing, 1977 to 2000
Authors: Tsay Ming‐yueh 
Published: December 2003

AbstractThis study employed the Perl program, Excel software, and some bibliometric techniques to investigate growth pattern, journal characteristics, and author productivity of the subject indexing literature from 1977 to 2000, based on the subject search of a descriptor field in the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) database. The literature growth from 1977 to 2000 in subject indexing could be fitted well by the logistic curve. The Bradford plot of journal literature fits the typical Bradford‐Zipf S‐shaped curve. Twenty core journals making a significant contribution could be identified from the Bradford‐Zipf distribution. Four major research topics in the area of subject indexing were identified as: (1) information organization, (2) information processing, (3) information storage and retrieval, and (4) information systems and services. It was also found that a vast majority of authors (76.7%) contributed only one article, which is a much larger percentage than the 60% of original Lotka's data. The 15 most productive authors and the key concepts of their research were identified.
Valproate‐induced neural tube defects in folate‐binding protein‐2 (Folbp2) knockout mice
Authors: Spiegelstein Ofer , Merriweather Michelle Y. , Wicker Ned J. , Finnell Richard H. 
Published: December 2003

AbstractBACKGROUNDFolate is an important B vitamin that is transported into cells by way of folate‐binding proteins and transporters. Folate‐binding protein‐2 nullizygous (Folbp2−/−) mice develop normally; however, we have found them to be more susceptible to the teratogenic effects of arsenate exposure than wild‐type control mice.METHODSIn the current study, we wanted to extend our findings and test the hypothesis that Folbp2−/− mice are more susceptible to the teratogenic effects of valproic acid (VPA), a commonly used antiepileptic drug that is known to induce neural tube defects (NTDs) in both humans and laboratory animals.RESULTSFolbp2−/− mice had higher VPA‐induced frequencies of embryonic lethality and exencephaly than did the wild‐type control mice during folate supplementation and a control diet, respectively. All other differences in response between the two genotypes were short of reaching statistical significance. Folate supplementation of wild‐type, but not Folbp2−/− dams reduced embryonic lethality of VPA‐treated wild‐type embryos compared to the folate‐deficient diet.CONCLUSIONSUnlike our previous findings with arsenate, enhanced susceptibility of Folbp2−/− mice to in utero VPA exposure was demonstrated in some dietary folate regimens. Thus, our data indicate a relatively frail relationship between Folbp2 and VPA‐induced NTDs. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:000–000, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.