bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Life‐table analysis of artificial insemination pregnancy rates for couples with male factor and idiopathic infertility
Authors: Suzuki Kohta , Kasai Tsuyoshi , Suzuki Mariko , Miyake Maki , Fujie Michiko , Mizuno Kaoruko , Hirata Shuji , Hoshi Kazuhiko 
Published: March 2004

Background:  In the summer of 2002, standard guidelines for the application of assisted reproductive technology were reported by a research group of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the number of cycles of artificial insemination and the cumulative pregnancy rates according to the cause of infertility.Methods:  Patients who experienced their first cycle of artificial insemination during the period of January 1999–December 2002 were included in the study and were divided into a male factor infertility group and an idiopathic infertility group. Cumulative pregnancy rates resulting from artificial insemination with the husband's semen were calculated by the life‐table approach.Results:  During the study period, 139 couples entered the assisted reproduction program and underwent 581 cycles. Significant differences were observed in cumulative pregnancy rates between the two groups.Conclusion:  It is recommended that couples with male factor infertility and who fail to conceive within six or seven cycles of intrauterine insemination, consider a modification of treatment strategy such as in vitro fertilization, because cumulative pregnancy rates of this group were reached at a plateau within six or seven cycles. In contrast, patients with idiopathic infertility, the cumulative pregnancy rates appeared to increase constantly with each subsequent cycle. It is important to consider modifications of treatment strategy in the light of the cause of infertility. (Reprod Med Biol 2004; 3: 27–31)
Bone lesions in elderly patients with multiple myeloma: a multicenter study by the Society for Geriatric Hematology
Authors: Umeda Masanori , Adachi Yamao , Tomiyama Junji , Takasaki Masaru , Shin Koichi , Mori Mayumi , Tsutsumi Hisashi , Murai Yoshirou , Mutoh Yoshitomo , Tomoyasu Shigeru , Kawato Masafumi , Nakamura Noriko , Metori Shouhei , Yamaguchi Hisomu 
Published: March 2004

Background:  Bone lesions in multiple myeloma (MM) have a significant impact on the quality of life of elderly patients, but they have not been extensively investigated in the elderly.Methods:  The subjects were 146 elderly MM patients (aged ≥ 65 years, median age 74) admitted to 11 institutions. Bone lesions were compared with those in 65 non‐elderly MM patients.Results:  At the time of diagnosis, skeletal symptoms were present in 104 cases and bone pain in 75. Mixed type occurred more often in elderly patients (63.5%) than in controls (28.3%) (P < 0.0001). Lumbar vertebral lesions were more common in elderly than non‐elderly patients (P < 0.0001). Bone lesions restricted physical activity in 71 elderly patients (48.6%). There was a significant difference between elderly patients with and without bone lesions in the rate of detection of plasma cells in bone marrow. Significant differences were detected in serum calcium concentration, the rate of detection of plasma cells in bone marrow, and serum β2‐microglobulin concentration between patients with and without bone pain, and between those with and without fractures. No significant differences were detected in survival time between elderly patients with and without bone lesions, with and without bone pain, or with and without fractures, whereas a significant difference was seen between these subgroups of non‐elderly patients.Conclusion:  Although there were no significant differences in the incidence of bone lesions between elderly and non‐elderly patients, the mixed type of bone lesions occurred more often in the elderly than in controls. Lumbar vertebral lesions were more common in elderly than non‐elderly patients. There was no significant difference in prognosis between elderly patients with and those without bone lesions so the treatment strategy for bone lesions in the elderly should be aimed at improving quality of life through direct treatment of the bone lesions, with subsequent improvement of the related symptoms.
‘Alien Diplomatist’: Antisemitism and Anti‐Germanism in the Diplomatic Career of Sir Francis Oppenheimer
Authors: Otte T. G. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractThis article examines the interaction of antisemitic sentiments, bred by social exclusivity, and the conduct of diplomacy through the prism of the career of Sir Francis Oppenheimer, one of the few Jews in Britain's foreign service in the early part of the twentieth century. Oppenheimer filled consular and diplomatic posts between 1900 and 1920. Despite his distinguished services, his brilliant analyses of pre‐1914 German economics and politics, and his key role in Britain's wartime blockade efforts against the Central Powers, Oppenheimer found himself hampered in the execution of his duties, and thwarted in his hopes for advancement, by latent antisemitism amongst the senior ranks of Britain's diplomatic establishment. During the war years, the combination of such sentiments, the xenophobia of the super‐patriotic press, and Whitehall turf‐wars proved irresistible, bringing Oppenheimer's career to an early end.
Treatment of vascular and soft‐tissue sarcomas in dogs using an alternating protocol of ifosfamide and doxorubicin
Authors: Payne S. E. , Rassnick K. M. , Northrup N. C. , Kristal O. , Chretin J. D. , Cotter S. M. , Kintzer P. , Frimberger A. E. , Morrison‐Collister K. E. , Wood C. A. , Moore A. S. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractA retrospective analysis was done to assess the toxicity and efficacy associated with an alternating chemotherapy protocol of ifosfamide (375 mg m−2) and doxorubicin (30 mg m−2) for adjuvant treatment of 39 dogs with sarcomas. Twelve dogs had various soft‐tissue sarcomas and 27 dogs had hemangiosarcoma (HSA). Complete blood counts were evaluated 7 days after the first dose of ifosfamide and doxorubicin. One dog had grade 4 neutropenia (<500 µL−1) after treatment with ifosfamide and one dog had grade 3 neutropenia (500–1000 µL−1) after treatment with doxorubicin. One dog treated with doxorubicin was hospitalized for 24 h due to vomiting. The median survival time (ST) for the 27 dogs with HSA treated by surgery and with doxorubicin/ifosfamide was 149 days (mean 366 days). Although the protocol of alternating ifosfamide and doxorubicin was well tolerated, it failed to result in a statistically significant improvement in the ST when compared to a historical population of dogs with stage 2 splenic HSA treated by surgery alone.
Breed incidence of lymphoma in a UK population of insured dogs
Authors: Edwards D. S. , Henley W. E. , Harding E. F. , Dobson J. M. , Wood J. L. N. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractCanine lymphoma is one of the commonest forms of spontaneous canine neoplasia. Improved understanding of the genetic and environmental risk factors for canine lymphoma, including breed differences, may have comparative benefits for the study of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans. In this study, data from a pet insurance company were used to estimate the incidences of canine lymphoma for pedigree breeds in the UK. Out of a total of 130 684 insured dogs, 103 had a diagnosis of lymphoma recorded. A significant breed effect was found with the boxer, bulldog and bull mastiff breeds, all having a high incidence of lymphoma. The small number of lymphoma cases recorded may have limited our ability to detect other breeds with an elevated risk. Incidence of lymphoma was found to increase with age, peaking at 10 years of age.
The bisphosphonates alendronate and zoledronate are inhibitors of canine and human osteosarcoma cell growth in vitro
Authors: Poirier V. J. , Huelsmeyer M. K. , Kurzman I. D. , Thamm D. H. , Vail D. M. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractBisphosphonates (BPs) are a class of non‐hydrolysable analogues of pyrophosphate that have high affinity for bone mineral and are inhibitors of bone resorption. The in vitro effects of two nitrogen‐containing BPs, alendronate (ALE) and zoledronate (ZOL), on growth, induction of apoptosis and effects on cell‐cycle distribution in two canine and two human osteosarcoma (OSA) cell lines are investigated here. Both significantly (P < 0.001) reduced cell growth in all cell lines, as assessed by a colorimetric assay with IC50 values in the range of 7.3–61.4 µM and 7.9–36.3 µM for ALE and ZOL, respectively. Both BPs caused a significant (P < 0.001) dose‐dependent increase in the proportion of cells undergoing apoptosis, as assessed both by cell‐cycle analysis and by annexin‐V binding. Both ALE and ZOL altered the proportion of cells in each phase of the cell cycle, but the extent and proportion was both drug and cell line dependent. These data indicate that the nitrogen‐containing BPs have direct anti‐tumour activity against canine and human OSA cells.
A combination chemotherapy protocol with MOPP and CCNU consolidation (Tufts VELCAP‐SC) for the treatment of canine lymphoma
Authors: Morrison‐Collister K. E. , Rassnick K. M. , Northrup N. C. , Kristal O. , Chretin J. D. , Williams L. E. , Cotter S. M. , Moore A. S. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractA chemotherapy protocol using a consolidation phase of alkylating agents was used for treating 94 dogs with lymphoma. Fifty‐seven percent of dogs were in stage V, 63% were ill and 38% had T‐cell lymphoma. The complete remission (CR) rate was 70% and is comparable to results achieved with previously published chemotherapy protocols. Anorexia predicted the remission; of the 40 dogs without anorexia, 35 (88%) achieved CR whereas of 52 dogs with anorexia, 30 (58%) achieved CR.Median first CR duration was 168 days and 1‐ and 2‐year CR rates were 17.4 and 15.5%, respectively. Platelet count affected length of first CR, with a 53.2% reduced chance of coming out of remission with each log increase in platelet count. Median survival time was 302 days. One and 2‐year survival rates were 44 and 13%, respectively. Anorexia and no dose reduction of any drug were independent negative variables. Of 93 dogs with toxicity data, 65 dogs (70%) required a dose reduction. Cyclophosphamide was most commonly reduced with reductions in 31 (38%) of 82 dogs. A dose reduction was significantly more likely in dogs with B‐cell lymphoma than in those with T‐cell lymphoma.
Hypertrophic osteopathy secondary to pulmonary sarcoma in a cat
Authors: Grierson J. M. , Burton C. A. , Brearley M. J. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractA case of hypertrophic osteopathy secondary to a pulmonary spindle cell sarcoma is described. The 9‐year‐old male cat presented with a 1‐month history of decreased appetite, decreased activity and progressive lameness with swelling and pain of all four limbs. Thoracic radiographs showed a soft tissue opaque mass in the left caudal lung lobe. Radiographs of all limbs showed extensive periosteal new bone formation of uniform opacity demonstrating a ‘palisading’ pattern. The lung mass was removed at exploratory thoracotomy; histopathological examination diagnosed a low‐grade spindle cell sarcoma. Prior to surgery, the cat had a non‐specific conjunctivitis that resolved spontaneously following lobectomy raising the possibility of a paraneoplastic association. The lameness also resolved; six months after surgery, the periosteal palisading of new bone on the long bones had remodelled, and there was no evidence of pulmonary metastases.
Net ecosystem carbon exchange in two experimental grassland ecosystems
Authors: Verburg Paul S. J. , Arnone John A. , Obrist Daniel , Schorran David E. , Evans R. David , Leroux‐swarthout Debbie , Johnson Dale W. , Luo Yiqi , Coleman James S. 
Published: March 2004

AbstractIncreases in net primary production (NPP) may not necessarily result in increased C sequestration since an increase in uptake can be negated by concurrent increases in ecosystem C losses via respiratory processes. Continuous measurements of net ecosystem C exchange between the atmosphere and two experimental cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) ecosystems in large dynamic flux chambers (EcoCELLs) showed net ecosystem C losses to the atmosphere in excess of 300 g C m−2 over two growing cycles. Even a doubling of net ecosystem production (NEP) after N fertilization in the second growing season did not compensate for soil C losses incurred during the fallow period. Fertilization not only increased C uptake in biomass but also enhanced C losses through soil respiration from 287 to 469 g C m−2, mainly through an increase in rhizosphere respiration. Fertilization decreased dissolved inorganic C losses through leaching of from 45 to 10 g C m−2.Unfertilized cheatgrass added 215 g C m−2 as root‐derived organic matter but the contribution of these inputs to long‐term C sequestration was limited as these deposits rapidly decomposed. Fertilization increased NEP but did not increase belowground C inputs most likely due to a concurrent increase in the production and decomposition of rhizodeposits. Decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) was reduced by fertilizer additions. The results from our study show that, although annual grassland ecosystems can add considerable amounts of C to soils during the growing season, it is unlikely that they sequester large amounts of C because of high respiratory losses during dormancy periods. Although fertilization could increase NEP, fertilization might reduce soil C inputs as heterotrophic organisms favor root‐derived organic matter over native SOM.
Fall Prevention in Residential Care: A Cluster, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Kerse Ngaire , Butler Meg , Robinson Elizabeth , Todd Maree 
Published: March 2004

Objectives: To establish the effectiveness of a fall‐prevention program in reducing falls and injurious falls in older residential care residents.Design: Cluster, randomized, controlled trial.Setting: Fourteen randomly selected residential care homes in Auckland, New Zealand.Participants: All older residents (n=628, 95% participation rate).Intervention: Residential care staff, using existing resources, implemented systematic individualized fall‐risk management for all residents using a fall‐risk assessment tool, high‐risk logo, and strategies to address identified risks.Measurements: Number of residents sustaining a fall, falls, and injurious‐falls incidence rates.Results: During 12 months of follow‐up, 103 (43%) residents in the control group and 173 (56%) residents in the intervention group fell (P<.018). There was a significantly higher incidence rate of falls in intervention homes than in control homes (incident rate ratio=1.34, 95% confidence interval=1.06–1.72) during the intervention period after adjusting for dependency level (type of home), baseline fall rate, and clustering. There was no difference in the injurious fall incidence rate or incidence of serious injuries.Conclusion: This fall‐prevention intervention did not reduce falls or injury from falls. Low‐intensity intervention may be worse than usual care.
Alcohol Intake and Risk of Dementia
Authors: Luchsinger Jose A. , Tang Ming‐Xin , Siddiqui Maliha , Shea Steven , Mayeux Richard 
Published: March 2004

Objectives: To examine the association between intake of alcoholic beverages and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia associated with stroke (DAS) in a cohort of elderly persons from New York City.Design: Cohort study.Setting: The Washington Heights Inwood–Columbia Aging Project.Participants: Nine hundred eighty community‐dwelling individuals aged 65 and older without dementia at baseline and with data on alcohol intake recruited between 1991 and 1996 and followed annually.Measurements: Intake of alcohol was measured using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Subjects were followed annually, and incident dementia was diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria and classified as AD or DAS.Results: After 4 years of follow‐up, 260 individuals developed dementia (199 AD, 61 DAS). After adjusting for age, sex, apolipoprotein E (APOE)‐ɛ4 status, education, and other alcoholic beverages, only intake of up to three daily servings of wine was associated with a lower risk of AD (hazard ratio=0.55, 95% confidence interval=0.34–0.89). Intake of liquor, beer, and total alcohol was not associated with a lower risk of AD. Stratified analyses by the APOE‐ɛ4 allele revealed that the association between wine consumption and lower risk of AD was confined to individuals without the APOE‐ɛ4 allele.Conclusion: Consumption of up to three servings of wine daily is associated with a lower risk of AD in elderly individuals without the APOEε‐4 allele.
Periodontal Disease and Weight Loss in Older Adults
Authors: Weyant Robert J. , Newman Anne B. , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Bretz Walter A. , Corby Patricia M. , Ren Dianxu , Weissfeld Lisa , Rubin Susan M. , Harris Tamara 
Published: March 2004

Objectives: To determine the association between periodontal disease and weight loss in an elderly cohort.Design: A longitudinal design was used with participants from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) cohort study to determine the association between periodontal disease status and weight loss of at least 5% of baseline body weight over a period of 2 years.Setting: Participants were examined in research clinics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee.Participants: A randomly selected subset of 1,053 individuals from the Health ABC examination, aged 65 and older, ambulatory and community‐dwelling at baseline.Measurements: Periodontal disease was measured as mean pocket depth and attachment loss, extent (percentage) of pockets with at least 6 mm probing depth, extent of bleeding on probing, and tissue inflammation.Results: In logistic regression models adjusting for variables that may explain weight loss, extent of periodontal pockets with at least 6 mm probing depth showed a significant association with weight loss (odds ratio=1.53, 95% confidence interval=1.32–1.77).Conclusion: Periodontal disease may be causally related to weight loss in the elderly and thus may increase risk of morbidity and mortality.
Arterial Stiffness Is Associated with Orthostatic Hypotension in Elderly Subjects with History of Falls
Authors: Boddaert Jacques , Tamim Hani , Verny Marc , Belmin Joël 
Published: March 2004

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that impaired hemodynamic orthostatic changes commonly observed in the elderly may be related to age‐related increase in arterial wall stiffness.Design: Convenience sample of consecutive patients admitted for falls.Setting: Acute‐ and intermediate‐care geriatric ward of a French hospital.Participants: Fifty‐seven elderly patients (46 women) consecutively admitted to a geriatric ward with a history of recent falls.Measurements: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) was assessed using blood pressure measurements in the supine position and 1, 2, and 3 minutes after standing. Arterial wall stiffness was assessed using upper‐limb and aortic pulse‐wave velocities, measured with an external pressure transducer connected to a computer.Results: OH was present in 18 patients with a mean age±standard deviation of 85.4±7.6 (5 men, 13 women) and absent in 39 patients aged 83.7±6.2 (6 men, 33 women). Upper‐limb pulse‐wave velocity was significantly higher, by 16%, in patients with OH than those without (9.91 vs 8.53 m/s; P<.02). Significant correlations were found between upper‐limb pulse‐wave velocity and systolic blood pressure changes after 1 minute of standing (r=0.263, P<.05) and maximal diastolic blood pressure change after standing (r=0.351, P<.01).Conclusion: Upper‐limb arterial wall stiffness was significantly greater in elderly patients with OH than in patients without OH and was significantly related to blood pressure changes after standing. These results highlight the possible role of age‐related changes in the arterial tree in the hemodynamic response to orthostatic challenges.
Physical Functioning, Depression, and Preferences for Treatment at the End of Life: The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study
Authors: Straton Joseph B. , Wang Nae‐Yuh , Meoni Lucy A. , Ford Daniel E. , Klag Michael J. , Casarett David , Gallo Joseph J. 
Published: March 2004

(See editorial comments by Dr. Linda Emanuel on pp 641–642.)Objectives:  To examine the relationship between worsening physical function and depression and preferences for life‐sustaining treatment.Design:  Mailed survey of older physicians.Setting:  Longitudinal cohort study of medical students in the graduating classes from 1948 to 1964 at Johns Hopkins University.Participants:  Physicians who completed the life‐sustaining treatment questionnaire in 1998 and provided information about health status in 1992 and 1998 (n=645, 83% of respondents to the 1998 questionnaire; mean age 68).Measurements:  Preferences for life‐sustaining treatment, assessed using a checklist questionnaire in response to a standard vignette.Results:  Of 645 physicians, 11% experienced clinically significant decline in physical functioning, and 18% experienced worsening depression over the 6‐year period. Physicians with clinically significant functional decline were more likely (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.18–3.88) to prefer high‐burden life‐sustaining treatment. Worsening depression substantially modified the association between declining functioning and treatment preferences. Physicians with declining functioning and worsening depression were more likely (AOR=5.33, 95% CI=1.60–17.8) to prefer high‐burden treatment than respondents without declining function or worsening depression.Conclusion:  This study calls attention to the need for clinical reassessment of preferences for potentially life‐sustaining treatment when health has declined to prevent underestimating the preferences of older patients.
Dietary Patterns of Rural Older Adults Are Associated with Weight and Nutritional Status
Authors: Ledikwe Jenny H. , Smiciklas‐Wright Helen , Mitchell Diane C. , Miller Carla K. , Jensen Gordon L. 
Published: March 2004

Objectives: To characterize dietary patterns of rural older adults and relate patterns to weight and nutritional status.Design: Cross‐sectional.Setting: Rural Pennsylvania.Participants: One hundred seventy‐nine community‐dwelling adults aged 66 to 87 years.Measurements: A home visit was conducted to collect demographic, health behavior, and anthropometric data and a blood sample. Five 24‐hour dietary recall were administered. Cluster analysis classified participants into dietary patterns using food subgroup servings. Chi‐square, analysis of covariance, and logistic regression were used to assess differences across clusters.Results: A low‐nutrient‐dense cluster (n=107), with higher intake of breads, sweet breads/desserts, dairy desserts, processed meats, eggs, and fats/oils, and a high‐nutrient‐dense cluster (n=72) with higher intake of cereals, dark green/yellow vegetables, other vegetables, citrus/melons/berries, fruit juices, other fruits, milks, poultry, fish, and beans, were identified. Those in the high‐nutrient‐dense cluster had lower energy intake; higher energy‐adjusted intake of fiber, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamins B6, B12, and D; higher Healthy Eating Index scores; higher plasma vitamin B12 levels; and a lower waist circumference. Those with a low‐nutrient‐dense dietary pattern were twice as likely to be obese, twice as likely to have low plasma vitamin B12 levels, and three to 17 times more likely to have low nutrient intake.Conclusion: This study provides support for recommending a high‐nutrient‐dense dietary pattern for older adults. Behavioral interventions encouraging diets characterized by high‐nutrient‐dense foods may improve weight and nutritional status of older adults.