bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Randomised controlled trial of bipolar radio‐frequency endometrial ablation and balloon endometrial ablation
Authors: Bongers Marlies Y. , Bourdrez Petra , Mol Ben W.J. , Heintz A. Peter M. , Brölmann Hans A.M. 
Published: September 2004

Objective  To compare the effectiveness of two second‐generation ablation techniques, bipolar radio‐frequency impedance‐controlled endometrial ablation (NovaSure) and balloon ablation (ThermaChoice), in the treatment of menorrhagia.Design  Double‐blind, randomised, controlled trial.Setting  A large teaching hospital with 500 beds in The Netherlands.Population  Women suffering from menorrhagia referred by their general practitioner.Methods  Women suffering from menorrhagia, without intracavitary abnormalities, were randomly allocated to bipolar radio‐frequency ablation (bipolar group) and balloon ablation (balloon group) in a 2:1 ratio. At follow up, both women and observers were unaware of the type of treatment that had been performed.Main outcome measures  The main outcome measure was amenorrhea at 3, 6 and 12 months after randomisation.Results  One hundred and twenty‐six women were included in the study, of which 83 were allocated to the bipolar group, and 43 to the balloon group. No complications occurred in either of the treatment groups. At the one‐year follow up stage, amenorrhea rates were 43% (34/83) in the bipolar group and 8% (3/43) in the balloon group (treatment effect in time P < 0.001). At this stage, 90% of the patients in the bipolar group were satisfied with the result of the treatment against 79% in the balloon group (treatment effect in time P= 0.003).Conclusion  The bipolar radio‐frequency impedance‐controlled endometrial ablation system is more effective than balloon ablation in the treatment of menorrhagia.
Neurokinin B and nitric oxide plasma levels in pre‐eclampsia and isolated intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: D'Anna Rosario , Baviera Giovanni , Corrado Francesco , Crisafulli Alessandra , Ientile Riccardo , Buemi Michele , Squadrito Francesco 
Published: September 2004

Objective  To verify if neurokinin B plasma level is increased in pre‐eclampsia and IUGR. Also, to ascertain if there is a correlation between neurokinin B plasma level and nitric oxide production.Design  A total of 90 pregnant women were studied. Thirty had a gestation complicated by pre‐eclampsia and 30 by isolated IUGR; the other 30 were controls. In all patients, neurokinin B plasma level and nitric oxide metabolites (nitrites/nitrates) level were measured.Setting  University, General Hospital, Messina, Italy.Methods  Neurokinin B blood samples were taken at 33.5 weeks of gestation and at term. Samples for nitric oxide breakdown products were taken at delivery from the antecubital vein and then from the umbilical vein.Results  Neurokinin B plasma levels in the pre‐eclamptic and IUGR groups were significantly higher than controls. Nitric oxide metabolites levels in pre‐eclamptic and IUGR patients were also higher than controls. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation among neurokinin B plasma values and nitric oxide metabolite levels either in pre‐eclampsia, in IUGR or in the control group.Conclusion  Neurokinin B could be involved in pregnancy haemodynamic adaptation via nitric oxide production. In pregnancies complicated with pre‐eclampsia and IUGR, increased neurokinin B plasma level, correlated well with increased nitric oxide metabolite level, which may be a compensatory mechanism to improve blood flow to the uteroplacental unit.
Shuttle craft: a candidate quantitative trait gene for Drosophila lifespan
Authors: Pasyukova Elena G. , Roshina Natalia V. , Mackay Trudy F. C. 
Published: September 2004

SummaryVariation in longevity in natural populations is attributable to the segregation of multiple interacting loci, whose effects are sensitive to the environment. Although there has been considerable recent progress towards understanding the environmental factors and genetic pathways that regulate lifespan, little is known about the genes causing naturally occurring variation in longevity. Previously, we used deficiency complementation mapping to map two closely linked quantitative trait loci (QTL) causing female‐specific variation in longevity between the Oregon (Ore) and 2b strains of Drosophila melanogaster to 35B9–C3 and 35C3 on the second chromosome. The 35B9–C3 QTL encompasses a 50‐kb region including four genes, for one of which, shuttle craft (stc), mutations have been generated. The 35C3 QTL localizes to a 200‐kb interval with 15 genes, including three genes for which mutations exist (reduced (rd), guftagu (gft) and ms(2)35Ci). Here, we report quantitative complementation tests to mutations at these four positional candidate genes, and show that ms(2)35Ci and stc are novel candidate quantitative trait genes affecting variation in Drosophila longevity. Complementation tests with stc alleles reveal sex‐ and allele‐specific failure to complement, and complementation effects are dependent on the genetic background, indicating considerable epistasis for lifespan. In addition, a homozygous viable stc allele has a sex‐specific effect on lifespan. stc encodes an RNA polymerase II transcription factor, and is an attractive candidate gene for the regulation of longevity and variation in longevity, because it is required for motoneuron development and is expressed throughout development. Quantitative genetic analysis of naturally occurring variants with subtle effects on lifespan can identify novel candidate genes and pathways important in the regulation of longevity.
Nuclear accumulation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3 during replicative senescence of human fibroblasts
Authors: Zmijewski Jaroslaw W. , Jope Richard S. 
Published: September 2004

SummaryActivation of the tumor suppressor protein p53 contributes to cellular senescence. As glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK3) was recently found to interact with p53 and contribute to the actions of p53, this study examined whether GSK3 accumulated in the nucleus and associated with p53 in senescent cells. Compared with young and middle‐aged human WI‐38 fibroblasts, senescent cells were found to contain increased nuclear levels of GSK3β, and also tended to accumulate in the nucleus the other isoform of GSK3, GSK3α. Co‐immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that GSK3β and p53 formed a complex in the nucleus. Further experiments tested whether inhibition of GSK3 altered the development of senescence using long‐term treatment with the selective GSK3 inhibitor lithium. Lithium treatment reduced the senescence‐associated accumulation of p53 and caused cells to enter a reversible quiescent state. These results indicate that a portion of the p53 that is activated in senescent cells is modulated by its association with GSK3β in the nucleus, an association that is known to facilitate the actions of p53 and that may contribute to senescence.
The non‐existent aging program: how does it work?
Authors: Bredesen Dale E. 
Published: September 2004

SummaryAging and lifespan determination have been viewed, in the most well‐accepted theories, as nonprogrammatic, and are thought to result from the evolutionary selection for early fitness at the expense of late survival. Here, recent data implicating potentially programmatic aspects of aging and lifespan determination are discussed, and analogies between programmed cell death and programmed organismal death are offered. It is hoped that the recognition of at least the possibility of a programmatic aspect, or aspects, to the determination of longevity and the process of aging will help to optimize our chances to identify appropriate therapeutic targets both for longevity enhancement and disease prevention.
A novel ATX‐S10(Na) photodynamic therapy for human skin tumors and benign hyperproliferative skin
Authors: Takahashi Hidetoshi , Itoh Yasuhiro , Nakajima Susumu , Sakata Isao , Iizuka Hajime 
Published: September 2004

Background/purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment for various skin tumors and other skin diseases. We investigated the potential therapeutic effects of PDT using ATX‐S10(Na) ointment and a diode laser in mouse skin models of experimental skin tumors as well as transplanted human samples of superficial skin tumors and lesional psoriatic skin.Methods: ATX‐S10(Na) ointment (1% w/v) was introduced into tape‐stripped mouse skin, transplanted squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples and human skin diseases after topical application, then PDT was performed.Results: ATX‐S10(Na) ointment (1% w/v) was introduced effectively into tape‐stripped mouse skin and transplanted SCC samples after topical application, but was not detected after 48 h, as assessed by fluorescence microscopy. PDT, using 1% ATX‐S10(Na) ointment and diode laser (50 J/cm2), was found to decrease epidermal thickness in 12‐0‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA)‐treated mouse skin by 6 days. PDT with 1% ATX‐S10(Na) ointment and diode laser (150 J/cm2) was also effective for transplanted SCC, and tumors were eliminated by 6 weeks. PDT against Bowen disease, basal‐cell carcinoma, and psoriasis xenografts onto SCID mice also showed marked suppression of tumor growth and cell proliferation, respectively.Conclusion: Our results indicate that ATX‐S10(Na)‐PDT is an effective treatment for various skin tumors and psoriasis in experimental mouse models.
Phototoxicity of exogenous protoporphyrin IX and δ‐aminolevulinic acid in the photo hen's egg test
Authors: Neumann Norbert J. , Hanneken Sandra , Ruzicka Thomas , Lehmann Percy 
Published: September 2004

Background: Oxygen, appropriate light sources, and special photosensitizers are necessary to induce photochemical damage in tumor cells via photodynamic therapy (PDT) δ‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is increasingly used in PDT, because topical or systemic administration of ALA induces accumulation of endogenous porphyrins preferentially in neoplastic tissues. Subsequent radiation with light of approximately 630 nm leads to selective damage of tumor cells. PDT should optimally leave peritumoral tissues unaffected, but only few data are reported on the effects and the time course of ALA‐induced porphyrins in tumor‐free tissues.Methods: Therefore, we studied the phototoxic effects of protoporphyrin IX (PP) and ALA‐induced porphyrins in a recently established photototoxic model based on tumor‐free tissue, the photo hen's egg test (PHET).Results: Employing this test procedure, PP provoked strong phototoxic reactions when irradiated with Ultraviolet A immediately and up to 30 h after substance application. In contrast, ALA induced a significant phototoxic effect only if irradiated 24 h after application.Conclusion: Thus, we observed a delayed phototoxic effect of ALA in tumor‐free tissue of the yolk sac (YS) blood vessel system. This delayed phototoxic response 24 h after ALA application is probably caused by endogenously synthesized porphyrins. In contrast, epithelial tumors show a maximum porphyrin accumulation 4–8 h after ALA application whereas in healthy human skin porphyrin synthesis is less intensive but prolonged with maximum levels 24–48 h after ALA application. Thus, ALA induced virtually the same delayed phototoxic effect in the tumor‐free YS blood vessel tissue as in healthy human skin. These results show that the PHET is a useful model for the predictive preclinical risk assessment of exogenous or endogenous photosensitizers.
Dermatomyositis: comparative studies of cutaneous photosensitivity in lupus erythematosus and normal subjects
Authors: Dourmishev L. , Meffert H. , Piazena H. 
Published: September 2004

Purpose: Cutaneous features of dermatomyositis (DM) strongly suggest that ultraviolet (UV) radiation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the incidence and the nature of photosensitivity in this disorder have not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the UVB (290–320 nm) minimal erythema dose (MED) in DM patients in comparison with those in lupus erythematosus (LE) and healthy controls.Methods: Non‐irradiated back skin of 75 Caucasians with skin types II and III according to the Fitzpatrick classification were present in three different subject groups and tested for photomanifestation on non‐irradiated suprascapular back skin with an ETG‐1 Erythemtester. The first group included 19 DM patients, the second 30 patients with LE, and the third 26 healthy control volunteers. The MEDs were determined 24 h after irradiation adjusted according to skin type.Results: Nine of the 19 DM patients (47.4%) demonstrated reduced MEDs to UVB radiation. Seven DM patients (36.8%) had a history of increased cutaneous photosensivity and four of these (21.1%) reported diseased aggravation after sun exposure. Both the DM and LE patient groups showed reduced MED to UVB radiation (P<0.05) compared with the control group (19.2%). Increased erythemal sensitivity to UVB irradiation was found more frequently in patients with systemic LE and cutaneous discoid LE, than in those with subacute cutaneous LE.Conclusion: DM patients, similar to those with LE, showed a significantly reduced MED to UVB irradiation compared with healthy persons.
Ergocalciferol promotes in vivo differentiation of keratinocytes and reduces photodamage caused by ultraviolet irradiation in hairless mice
Authors: Mitani Hiroaki , Naru Eiji , Yamashita Mika , Arakane Kumi , Suzuki Tadashi , Imanari Toshio 
Published: September 2004

Background: Ergocalciferol (VD2) is usually administered orally and it is metabolized to produce its biologically active metabolites in the liver and kidney. Active vitamin D is a well‐known potent regulator of cell growth and differentiation.Purpose: Active vitamin D such as 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) prevents photodamage, including wrinkles and morphologic alterations. However, its clinical and cosmetic use is limited because of its potent, associated effect on calcium metabolism. We examined the efficacy of vitamin D analogues with few adverse effects for preventing skin photodamage.Method: Topical application of VD2 to hairless mouse dorsal skin, and exposure to solar‐simulating ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a dose of 10.8 J/cm2 (UVA) were performed for 15 weeks, five times a week on weekdays. At the end of the final irradiation, histological and analytical studies were performed.Results: Topical application of VD2 significantly prevented wrinkle formation and abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix components. In addition, VD2 suppressed excessive secretion of IL‐6 induced by UV irradiation in cultured human normal keratinocytes, in a dose‐dependent manner.Conclusion: VD2 promoted keratinocytes differentiation in the epidermis and showed diverse physiological effects, the same as the active form of VD3. The results suggested that the suppression of skin photodamage involved the promotion of keratinocytes differentiation and suppression of IL‐6 secretion induced by exposure to UV. Topical application of VD2 may become an effective means to suppress solar UV‐induced human skin damage.
SECURE IMAGE HIDING SCHEME BASED UPON VECTOR QUANTIZATION
Authors: HU YU-CHEN , LIN MIN-HUI 
Published: September 2004

In this paper, a novel gray-level image-hiding scheme is proposed. The goal of this scheme is to hide multiple important gray-level images into another meaningful gray-level image. The secret images to be protected are first compressed using the vector quantization scheme. Then, the DES cryptosystem is conducted on the VQ indices and related parameters to generate the encrypted message. Finally, the encrypted message is embedded into the rightmost two bits of each pixel in the cover image. According to the experimental results, average image qualities of 44.320 dB and 30.885 dB are achieved for the embedded images and the retrieved secret images, respectively. In other words, multiple secret images can be effectively hidden into one host image of the same size. In addition, the proposed scheme strengthens the protection of the secret images by conducting the DES cryptosystem on the related parameters and the VQ indices of the compressed secret images. Therefore, the proposed scheme provides a secure approach to embed multiple important images into another meaningful image of the same size.
Neural Network Uncertainty Assessment Using Bayesian Statistics: A Remote Sensing Application
Authors: Aires F. , Prigent C. , Rossow W. B. 
Published: September 2004

Neural network (NN) techniques have proved successful for many regression problems, in particular for remote sensing; however, uncertainty estimates are rarely provided. In this article, a Bayesian technique to evaluate uncertainties of the NN parameters (i.e., synaptic weights) is first presented. In contrast to more traditional approaches based on point estimation of the NN weights, we assess uncertainties on such estimates to monitor the robustness of the NN model. These theoretical developments are illustrated by applying them to the problem of retrieving surface skin temperature, microwave surface emissivities, and integrated water vapor content from a combined analysis of satellite microwave and infrared observations over land. The weight uncertainty estimates are then used to compute analytically the uncertainties in the network outputs (i.e., error bars and correlation structure of these errors). Such quantities are very important for evaluating any application of an NN model. The uncertainties on the NN Jacobians are then considered in the third part of this article. Used for regression fitting, NN models can be used effectively to represent highly nonlinear, multivariate functions. In this situation, most emphasis is put on estimating the output errors, but almost no attention has been given to errors associated with the internal structure of the regression model. The complex structure of dependency inside the NN is the essence of the model, and assessing its quality, coherency, and physical character makes all the difference between a blackbox model with small output errors and a reliable, robust, and physically coherent model. Such dependency structures are described to the first order by the NN Jacobians: they indicate the sensitivity of one output with respect to the inputs of the model for given input data. We use a Monte Carlo integration procedure to estimate the robustness of the NN Jacobians. A regularization strategy based on principal component analysis is proposed to suppress the multicollinearities in order to make these Jacobians robust and physically meaningful.
Bio-divinity and Biodiversity: Perspectives on Religion and Environmental Conservation in India
Authors: Tomalin Emma 
Published: September 2004

AbstractReligious environmentalists argue that religious traditions teach that the Earth is sacred and that this has traditionally served to exert control over how people interact with the natural world. However, while the recognition of "bio-divinity" is a feature of many religious traditions, including Hinduism, this is to be distinguished from religious environmentalism which involves the conscious application of religious ideas to modern concerns about the global environment. Religious environmentalism is a post-materialist environmental philosophy that has emerged from the West and has its roots in the eighteenth century European "Romantic Movement." Using the example of sacred grove preservation in India, this paper assesses the extent to which claims that Hinduism is environmentally friendly are the product of an elite middle-class environmentalist ideology and hence of little relevance to the majority of Hindus. However, the fact that discourses about sacred grove preservation have become common within discussions about the conservation of biodiversity in India might suggest that religious environmentalism does have a broader relevance. While religious institutions have, on the whole, paid little attention to environmental issues in India, one area where ecological causes have made an impact is within Hindu nationalist groups such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). This paper concludes with a discussion of the similarities between the historicist strategies of the Hindu Right and religious environmentalism, and discusses the anti-Tehri dam campaign where representatives of both have been involved in protest activity to protect the River Ganges.
Religious Development: C. P. Tiele's Paradigm of Science of Religion
Authors: Molendijk Arie 
Published: September 2004

AbstractThis essay explores C. P. Tiele's fundamental notion of religious development and, in a certain respect, it complements my earlier paper on his concept of religion, which he ultimately locates "in the innermost depths of our souls" (Numen 46 [1999]). The present article argues that the mere possibility of an interrelated, comparative study of religions (in the plural) is founded on the idea of a developmental history of religion (in the singular). To Tiele, this history testifies to the fact that the changing and transient forms of religion are ultimately inadequate expressions of the infinite in us. Thus, his "science" ties in perfectly with his liberal Protestantism. I start with some remarks on the use of the concept of religious development in the nineteenth century, then I outline Tiele's basic assumptions (with special reference to his 1874 article on the laws of development), and, finally, I scrutinize the first series of the Gifford Lectures (1896–1898), which epitomize his later views on religious development. It is shown that developmental thinking in early Dutch science of religion did not originate primarily in Darwinian thought but in German idealism. Moreover, one has to keep in mind that Tiele's developmental views met severe criticism among his successors. For instance, Gerardus van der Leeuw rejected the whole idea of religious progress because it did not comply with the unique and absolute character of religious experience. Thus, contrary to Eric Sharpe's suggestion, evolutionism was not dominant in Dutch religious studies throughout the period between the wars.
Systemic Barriers to Quitting Smoking among Institutionalised Public Mental Health Service Populations: A Comparison of Two Australian Sites
Authors: Lawn Sharon J. 
Published: September 2004

Background: This article reports the findings from a comparative study investigating smoking behaviours among institutionalised psychiatric populations from a sociological perspective. Method: The study involved participant observation of two separate Australian sites between 1999 and 2002, the second site serving to generalise the findings from the first site. Discussion and conclusions: Systemic barriers to quitting were identified, emanating from the mental health system in general. Cigarettes were identified as the currency by which economic, social and political exchange took place between participants who described an enculturation process that involved complex processes of reinforcement to smoke. Once entered into, escape from the smoking culture of the settings appeared to be extremely difficult for clients and staff.