bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Presence of Epstein–Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and human papillomavirus in normal oral mucosa of HIV‐infected and renal transplant patients
Authors: Ammatuna P , Campisi G , Giovannelli L , Giambelluca D , Alaimo C , Mancuso S , Margiotta V 
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of EBV‐DNA,CMV‐DNA and HPV‐DNA in oral healthy mucosa of HIV‐infected and renal transplant patients. To associate the detection of viral genomes with laboratory parameters of immunodeficiency, gender, antiretroviral and immunosuppressive therapy.DESIGN: A cross‐sectional analysis of lingual and buccal cytobrushings from HIV‐infected and renal transplant patients.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Lingual and buccal cytobrushings were obtained from clinically normal oral mucosa of 57 HIV+, 40 renal transplant patients and 30 healthy uninfected controls, all matched for age at baseline of examination. Presence of EBV‐, CMV‐ and HPV‐DNA was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We evaluated their association, in HIV+subjects, with gender, CD4+cell count, HIV‐RNA load, and antiretroviral therapy; and in renal transplant patients, with gender, CD4/CD8 ratio, and immunosuppressive therapy. Data were managed and analysed by Epi‐Info 6.0.RESULTS: EBV‐DNA was detected in 42.1% of HIV+(24/57), in 65.0% of transplant patients (26/40), and in 16.6% of controls (5/30) (P= 0.03 andP= 0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, male gender in HIV+group was found to be significantly associated with the presence of EBV‐DNA (P= 0.02)vsfemales, after adjusting for CD4+cell count and HIV‐RNA load. CMV‐ and HPV‐DNA were detected in 3.5% and 7.0% of HIV+, and in none and 20.0% of transplant patients, respectively. No relationship was found between the epithelial detection of these two viruses and any parameter evaluated.CONCLUSIONS: EBV genome was significantly detected in clinically normal oral mucosa of renal transplant and HIV+patients. A significant gender association was found among HIV+, suggesting that oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is more likely to occur in HIV+men than women.
Lipid peroxidation caused by oxygen radicals from Fusobacterium‐stimulated neutrophils as a possible model for the emergence of periodontitis
Authors: Sheikhi M , Bouhafs RKL , Hammarström K‐J , Jarstrand C 
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVE: The possible contribution of bacteria and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to the disease process of periodontitis was evaluated.DESIGN: Fusobacterium nucleatum has been associated with chronic adult periodontitis. Intracellular production and extracellular release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by PMN stimulated by fusobacteria were evaluated. To estimate the potential extracellular damage that might be caused by the ROS, the lipid peroxidation (LPO) of an exogenous phospholipid, Intralipid, was assayed.METHODS: The ROS production of PMN was studied by the nitroblue tetrazolium and chemiluminescence tests. The levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) and 4‐hydroxyalkenals were used to indicate LPO.RESULTS: Fusobacterium nucleatum strains stimulated neutrophils to produce a large amount of ROS, independently of plasma complement factors. The two strains tested induced considerable intracellular, but no extracellular chemiluminescence responses during the first hour, indicating that ROS were released into phagosomes. However an incubation period of 4 h, in the presence of the extracellular lipid resulted in a high degree of LPO, presumably caused by ROS release from the Fusobacterium‐stimulated PMN. ROS production and lipid peroxidation could be counteracted by vitamin E.CONCLUSION: In periodontitis local bacteria might stimulate PMN to release ROS, which cause inflammation and destruction.
Enhancement of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 activity in gingival tissue and cultured fibroblasts from Down's syndrome patients
Authors: Komatsu T , Kubota E , Sakai N 
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVES: To identify one of the possible factors responsible for periodontal disease in Down's syndrome (trisomy 21) patients, we studied the enzyme activity and the mRNA expression pattern of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) of cultured gingival fibroblasts (GF) and fresh gingival tissues.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gingival tissue was used as the cell source and was biopsied at the time of dental treatment from nine patients with Down's syndrome and nine non‐Down's controls. GF were cultivated in serum‐free media for analyses of their MMP activities at the transcription or the protein level. The MMP activities in the supernates were measured by gelatin impregnated zymography. Relative levels of MMP mRNA from the cultured GF or freshly isolated gingival tissues were determined using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).RESULT AND CONCLUSIONS: The production of the active type of MMP‐2 in GF from Down's syndrome patients (D‐GF) was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the control GF (C‐GF) at the protein level. The mRNA expressions of membrane‐type1 MMP (MT1‐MMP) and MMP‐2 in D‐GF were constitutively augmented when compared with those of C‐GF. These findings suggest that specific increase of the active form of MMP‐2 in D‐GF may possibly be due to the concomitant expression of MT1‐MMP in the cultured cells, and this could be related to the pathogenesis of gingivitis/periodontitis associated with Down's syndrome patients.
Benign fibro‐osseous lesions of the jaw bones in Jamaica: analysis of 32 cases
Authors: Ogunsalu CO , Lewis A , Doonquah L 
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVE: It is intended to analyse all the cases of benign fibro‐osseous lesions seen at the two major public hospitals in Jamaica over a 15‐year period and to compare our result with what has been previously documented by other authors. No such analysis has been carried out in Jamaica or elsewhere in the English‐speaking Caribbean.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The case files of patients histologically diagnosed to have a fibro‐osseous lesion at both the Kingston Public Hospital and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Jamaica from 1980 to 1995 were retrieved and information about these lesions was documented. The WHO classification for benign fibro‐osseous lesions was used.RESULTS: A total of 32 cases of benign fibro‐osseous lesions were recorded over the 15‐year period. Of these, 15 were histologically reported as fibrous dysplasia, 10 as ossifying fibroma, three as gigantiform cementoma, one each as periapical cemental dysplasia and cementoblastoma, and two cases of recurrent fibrous dysplasia. With the exception of gigantiform cementoma the age at presentation for these lesions is not consistent and this can be particularly noted for ossifying fibroma and fibrous dysplasia, both of which occurred between the age of 10 and 68 years.CONCLUSION: These lesions are more common in females, furthermore it is suggested that the inconsistent age at presentation for some of these lesions may be peculiar to Jamaica, and may be due to delay in reporting a lesion by the patient, as routine dental examination is not a common practice.
Autism and pervasive developmental disorders
Authors: Volkmar Fred R. , Lord Catherine , Bailey Anthony , Schultz Robert T. , Klin Ami 
Published: December 2004

The quantity and quality of research into autism and related conditions have increased dramatically in recent years. Consequently we selectively review key accomplishments and highlight directions for future research. More consistent approaches to diagnosis and more rigorous assessment methods have significantly advanced research, although the boundaries of the ‘broader phenotype’ remain to be defined and the validity of Asperger's disorder as a discrete syndrome remains controversial. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that Autism Spectrum Disorders are common, but there continues to be debate about the causes of the increase in the frequency with which autism is diagnosed.Psychological research has helped to develop new developmental models for the disorder and there have also been significant advances in the molecular genetics of autism and understanding of the underlying neurobiological processes. Areas important for future research include the study of autism as it first develops, i.e., in infants and very young children, and of specific processes (psychological and neurobiological) which underlie the disorder. Significant challenges lie ahead in evaluating the growing number of treatments for autism and in integrating the results of research into treatment and educational settings.
Tropoelastin expression is up‐regulated during activation of hepatic stellate cells and in the livers of CCl4‐cirrhotic rats
Authors: Kanta Jiri , Dooley Steven , Delvoux Bert , Breuer Sebastian , D'Amico Thomas , Gressner Axel M. 
Published: December 2004

Abstract:Background/Aims:Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are regarded as the principal cells synthesizing extracellular matrix components in fibrotic liver. Elastin content is increased in cirrhotic livers, but the cellular source is not known. Contribution of HSC to the production of elastin was investigated.Methods:Expression of elastin in CCl4‐cirrhotic rat liver was studied by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, liver myofibroblasts were identified in histological sections by α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) staining. LightCycler PCR and Northern blotting were used to detect tropoelastin mRNA in isolated HSC; tropoelastin protein was detected in the cells and in cell‐conditioned medium by Western blotting.Results:HSC, isolated from normal rat liver, displayed increasing tropoelastin mRNA expression during transdifferentiation in culture. Expression of tropoelastin mRNA was accompanied by the production of tropoelastin protein in vitro. Increased levels of tropoelastin transcripts were found in the connective tissue septa of CCl4‐cirrhotic rats and co‐localized with α‐SMA positive cells. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated elastin presence in the septa.Conclusion:HSC express tropoelastin and its expression increases during transdifferentiation to myofibroblast‐like cells.
Activation of cyclin‐dependent kinases CDC2 and CDK2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Kay K. W. , Ng Irene O. L. , Fan S. T. , Albrecht Jeffrey H. , Yamashita Katsumi , Poon Randy Y. C. 
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Background: The cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) CDC2 and CDK2 are key regulators of the cell cycle. The expression of the CDK alone does not necessary reflect their true activities because they are highly regulated by post‐translational mechanisms. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, but the kinase activities of CDKs in HCC have not been examined.Methods: Here we examined the protein expression and kinase activities associated with CDC2 and CDK2 in HCC and the corresponding non‐tumorous liver tissues.Results: CDC2 and CDK2 are activated in HCC in over 70% and 80% of the cases, respectively, but have little correlation with clinical parameters and PCNA expression. Interestingly, PCNA was readily detectable in extracts from non‐tumorous liver, but more than 60% of samples contain higher concentration of PCNA in HCC than the corresponding non‐tumorous tissues. CDC2 and CDK2 are generally activated in the same HCC samples, but the extent of their activation varied significantly, suggesting that the pathways leading to the activation of CDC2 and CDK2 can be regulated independently. Both positive regulators of CDK activity like cyclins and CDKs, and negative regulators of CDK activity like p21CIP1/WAF1 and Thr14/Tyr15 phosphorylation were up‐regulated in HCC. Conclusion: CDC2 and CDK2 are activated in HCC, and this may be due to a complex interplay between the level of the cyclin, CDK, CDK inhibitors, and inhibitory phosphorylation.
An electron microscopic and morphometric study of ursodeoxycholic effect in primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Neuman Manuela G. , Cameron Ross G. , Haber Julia A. , Katz Gady G. , Blendis Laurence M. 
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Background/aims: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease that results in cholestasis and bile duct loss. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been shown to reduce hepatocellular damage in PBC. The study attempted to quantify perisinusoidal collagenization and the number of apoptotic bodies in PBC liver biopsies from patients in a randomized control trial treated with UDCA compared to those who received placebo. Methods: Twenty‐eight patients with PBC (10 cirrhotic, 18 non‐cirrhotic; 13 treated with UDCA, 15 treated with placebo) were compared with 32 controls with normal hepatic histology on light mictoscopy. Liver biopsies were examined for degree of perisinusoidal fibrosis and apoptotic activity using electron microscopy. Results: The degree of perisinusoidal fibrosis and apoptotic activity was similar in pretreatment biopsies of UDCA and placebo‐treated patients. After two years of placebo, patients showed a significant increase in fibrosis (P < 0.001). In contrast, there were no changes in non‐cirrhotic and a decrease in fibrosis in cirrhotic patients given UDCA.At baseline, PBC patients had higher numbers (apoptotic cells/100 hepatocytes ± SE) of apoptotic cells (7 ± 3), than controls (2 ± 0.5) (P < 0.05), with no difference between cirrhotic and non‐cirrhotic patients in the two groups of patients. After two years, the numbers of apoptotic cells in UDCA‐treated patients decreased significantly compared to baseline (3 ± 2) (P < 0.05); with placebo patients the number of apoptotic cells increased (12 ± 5) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Treatment with UDCA prevents the deposition of perisinusoidal collagen and reduces the apoptotic activity in PBC patients after 2 years of therapy.
Heterogeneous hepatic enhancement on CT angiography in idiopathic portal hypertension
Authors: Waguri Nobuo , Suda Takeshi , Kamura Takeshi , Aoyagi Yutaka 
Published: December 2004

Abstract:Background:Idiopathic portal hypertension is an uncommon condition characterized by presinusoidal portal perfusion disturbance without known causes.Methods:In the present study, portal and arterial perfusion dynamics were evaluated in two cases with idiopathic portal hypertension using computed tomography during arterial portography and hepatic arteriography. Ten cases with liver cirrhosis were also studied as a reference.Results:In cases with idiopathic portal hypertension, portal perfusion was conspicuously heterogeneous and decreased especially at the periphery of the liver where arterial perfusion was reciprocally increased. When the spatial heterogeneity of an enhancement of the liver was quantified using a densitometric analysis of computed tomography during hepatic arteriography images, the densities at the periphery were higher and varied more than those of the inner areas in cases with idiopathic portal hypertension. In contrast, the densities did not vary between the periphery and the inner areas at the cases with liver cirrhosis.Conclusions:The heterogeneous increase of arterial perfusion in periphery of the liver may be an important feature of idiopathic portal hypertension.
Live trapping to monitor small mammals in Britain
Authors: FLOWERDEW JOHN R. , SHORE RICHARD F. , POULTON SIMON M. C. , SPARKS TIMOTHY H. 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACT1. The use of live trapping in Britain to monitor small mammal distribution and population fluctuations is reviewed. Four small mammal monitoring programmes from Britain, the results of which are either partially or wholly unpublished, were examined to determine the nature and extent of information that can be gathered from long‐term and/or large‐scale live‐trapping programmes, the degree to which such information can be extrapolated across habitats, and the likely precision with which long‐term changes in numbers can be quantified. The most extensive of the surveys examined were The Mammal Society National Woodland Small Rodent Survey and the ADAS Hedgerow Survey. These monitored wood mouseApodemus sylvaticus, bank voleClethrionomys glareolusand, in the ADAS survey only, common shrewSorex araneuspopulation fluctuations on a broad spatial scale.2. The studies provided evidence of population synchrony and demonstrated quantitatively the effects of mast crops and local food supplies on rodent dynamics. Evidence of population synchrony between sites for wood mice and shrews suggests that it may be possible to extrapolate population changes from site‐specific to national scenarios. However, this may be problematic for some species and across habitats, although comparison of the data from the woodland and hedgerow surveys suggests that there may be a degree of long‐term synchrony in bank vole populations between the two habitats.3. Analysis of the capture data from the two surveys indicated that annual changes of 3–11% from the population mean would be detectable with 85% power if monitoring is carried out for 10 years on 50 sites; increasing site replication further is unlikely to result in a significant increase in precision.4. The nature of the information provided by live trapping with grids, as carried out in The Mammal Society and the ADAS surveys, is compared with that obtained from line trapping and from a range of indirect techniques. It is suggested that future monitoring will need to take an integrated approach in which information from direct and indirect monitoring of small mammal populations is linked with broad‐scale data on changes in habitat availability.
Investment in Fixed Capital Stock: Testing for the Impact of Sectoral and Systemic Uncertainty*
Authors: Fedderke Johannes 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThis paper applies current theory recognizing the irreversibility of investment, in order to test for the impact of uncertainty on investment expenditure for a middle income country. The contribution of the paper is unique in two respects. First, it employs dynamic heterogeneous panel estimation techniques not previously applied to investment functions. Secondly, it explicitly tests for the impact of both sectoral and systemic uncertainty on investment expenditure. We find that both sectoral (as measured by output volatility) and systemic uncertainty (as measured by political instability) have a negative impact on investment rates in a middle income country context. Liquidity constraints and growth in total factor productivity are found to have no impact on investment, while trade liberalization has the impact predicted by Heckscher‐Ohlin trade theory. Finally, we find complementarity effects between physical capital and skilled human capital, suggesting that South African educational policies may have hampered investment in physical capital as well as the growth performance of the economy. Policy implications emphasize the importance of lowering uncertainty for investors, and the need for sound human capital investment.
The Yen Real Exchange Rate may be Stationary after all: Evidence from Non‐linear Unit‐root Tests*
Authors: Chortareas Georgios , Kapetanios George 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThe empirical literature that tests for purchasing power parity (PPP) by focusing on the stationarity of real exchange rates has so far provided, at best, mixed results. The behaviour of the yen real exchange rate has most stubbornly challenged the PPP hypothesis and deepened this puzzle. This paper contributes to this discussion by providing new evidence on the stationarity of bilateral yen real exchange rates. We employ a non‐linear version of the augmented Dickey–Fuller test, based on an exponentially smooth‐transition autoregressive model (ESTAR) that enhances the power of the tests against mean‐reverting non‐linear alternative hypotheses. Our results suggest that the bilateral yen real exchange rates against the other G7 and Asian currencies were mean reverting during the post‐Bretton Woods era. Thus, the real yen behaviour may not be so different after all but simply perceived to be so because of the use of a restrictive alternative hypothesis in previous tests.
The Quality of Life in England and Wales*
Authors: Srinivasan Sylaja , Stewart Geoff 
Published: December 2004

AbstractLocal amenities play an important role in determining where we choose to live and our overall quality of life (QOL). In many cases, however, amenities do not have prices and will therefore be underprovided by the market. In this paper, we use individual and county level data for England and Wales to estimate implicit amenity prices and to calculate an index of QOL for each county. Among our findings is a large negative price on air pollution. The range in QOL across counties is estimated to be in excess of 2,000 pounds per year.
The Relationship between Unemployment Benefits and Re‐employment Probabilities: Evidence from Spain*
Authors: Jenkins Stephen P. , García‐Serrano Carlos 
Published: December 2004

AbstractWe provide the first Spanish evidence about the effects on re‐employment probabilities of variations in benefit levels and time‐to‐exhaustion. Increases in unemployment insurance (UI) benefit levels had a small disincentive effect on the re‐employment hazard on average. Around this average, there were larger disincentive effects for men with elapsed durations between 4 and 18 months, whereas for men unemployed longer than 18 months, or for men resident in the south, the effect was negligible. Re‐employment hazards increased when UI exhaustion was imminent, but the change was small. Extensions to unemployment assistance eligibility in 1989 for men aged 45+ years lowered re‐employment probabilities.
Unemployment Experiences of Young Men: on the Road to Stable Employment?*
Authors: Kalwij Adriaan S. 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThis study examines the unemployment experiences of young men in the United Kingdom over the period 1982.IV–1998.I. The empirical results show that repeated unemployment is a dominant feature of the UK labour market and that individual heterogeneity affects mainly the incidence of unemployment and only to a much lesser extent the duration of unemployment. We estimate that about 73% of the young unemployed find stable employment before the age of 35. The remaining 27%, concentrated among the lower‐skilled, keep returning into unemployment, suggesting structural employment instability. These findings imply that a labour market programme targeted at increasing the employability of the young unemployed would yield long‐term benefits by not only getting them out of unemployment but also keeping them out of unemployment.
Seasonality and Wage Responsiveness in a Developing Agrarian Economy
Authors: Kanwar Sunil 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThis paper studies the wage responsiveness of labour supply and demand, simultaneously addressing the twin issues of the non‐clearing of developing rural labour markets and seasonality. It employs a data set pertaining to south‐central India, and limits itself to the agricultural market for daily‐rated labour (by far the predominant form of wage contract in the sample villages). Estimating a theoretically robust and empirically justified disequilibrium model of the agricultural labour market, we find no evidence of backward‐bending supply curves or ‘vertical’ demand curves, contrary to findings in the literature. Further, while the agricultural labour market appears to be in equilibrium during the kharif (or rainy) season, it manifests excess supply in the rabi (or post‐rainy) season.