bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different loss of material in recurrent chromosome 20 interstitial deletions in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome and in myeloid neoplasms
Authors: Valli Roberto , Pressato Barbara , Marletta Cristina , Mare Lydia , Montalbano Giuseppe , Curto Francesco Lo , Pasquali Francesco , Maserati Emanuela
Published: December 2013

Background

An interstitial deletion of the long arms of chromosome 20, del(20)(q), is frequent in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), and it is recurrent in the BM of patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), who have a 30-40% risk of developing MDS and AML.

Results

We report the results obtained by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (a-CGH) in six patients with SDS, and we compare the loss of chromosome 20 material with one patient with MDS, and with data on 92 informative patients with MDS/AML/MPN and del(20)(q) collected from the literature.

Conclusions

The chromosome material lost in MDS/AML/MPN is highly variable with no identifiable common deleted regions, whereas in SDS the loss is more uniform: in 3/6 patients it was almost identical, and the breakpoints that we defined are probably common to most patients from the literature. In some SDS patients less material may be lost, due to different distal breakpoints, but the proximal breakpoint is in the same region, always leading to the loss of theEIF6gene, an event which was related to a lower risk of MDS/AML in comparison with other patients.
Genome-wide analyses implicate 33 loci in heritable dog osteosarcoma, including regulatory variants near CDKN2A/B
Authors: Karlsson Elinor K , Sigurdsson Snaevar , Ivansson Emma , Thomas Rachael , Elvers Ingegerd , Wright Jason , Howald Cedric , Tonomura Noriko , Perloski Michele , Swofford Ross , Biagi Tara , Fryc Sarah , Anderson Nathan , Courtay-Cahen Celine , Youell Lisa , Ricketts Sally L , Mandlebaum Sarah , Rivera Patricio , von Euler Henrik , Kisseberth William C , London Cheryl A , Lander Eric S , Couto Guillermo , Comstock Kenine , Starkey Mike P , Modiano Jaime F , Breen Matthew , Lindblad-Toh Kerstin
Published: December 2013

Background

Canine osteosarcoma is clinically nearly identical to the human disease, but is common and highly heritable, making genetic dissection feasible.

Results

Through genome-wide association analyses in three breeds (greyhounds, Rottweilers, and Irish wolfhounds), we identify 33 inherited risk loci explaining 55% to 85% of phenotype variance in each breed. The greyhound locus exhibiting the strongest association, located 150 kilobases upstream of the genes CDKN2A/B, is also the most rearranged locus in canine osteosarcoma tumors. The top germline candidate variant is found at a >90% frequency in Rottweilers and Irish wolfhounds, and alters an evolutionarily constrained element that we show has strong enhancer activity in human osteosarcoma cells. In all three breeds, osteosarcoma-associated loci and regions of reduced heterozygosity are enriched for genes in pathways connected to bone differentiation and growth. Several pathways, including one of genes regulated by miR124, are also enriched for somatic copy-number changes in tumors.

Conclusions

Mapping a complex cancer in multiple dog breeds reveals a polygenic spectrum of germline risk factors pointing to specific pathways as drivers of disease.
Magnetic targeting enhances retrograde cell retention in a rat model of myocardial infarction
Authors: Huang Zheyong , Shen Yunli , Sun Aijun , Huang Gangyong , Zhu Hongmin , Huang Bingqing , Xu Jianfeng , Song Yanan , Pei Ning , Ma Jing , Yang Xiangdong , Zou Yunzeng , Qian Juying , Ge Junbo
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Retrograde coronary venous infusion is a promising delivery method for cellular cardiomyoplasty. Poor cell retention is the major obstacle to the establishment of this method as the preferred route for cell delivery. Here, we explored whether magnetic targeting could enhance retrograde cell retention in a rat model of myocardial infarction.

Methods

Rat mesenchymal stem cells were labeled with superparamagnetic oxide nanoparticles. The magnetic responsiveness of MSCs was observed while cells flowed through a tube that served as a model of blood vessels in a 0.6-Tesla magnetic field. In a Sprague–Dawley rat model of acute myocardial infarction, 1 × 106 magnetic mesenchymal stem cells were transjugularly injected into the left cardiac vein while a 0.6-Tesla magnet was placed above the heart. The cardiac retention of transplanted cells was assessed by using quantitative Y chromosome-specific polymerase chain reaction, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Cardiac function was measured by using echocardiography, and histologic analyses of infarct morphology and angiogenesis were obtained.

Results

The flowing iron oxide-labeled mesenchymal stem cells were effectively attracted to the area where the magnet was positioned. Twenty-four hours after cellular retrocoronary delivery, magnetic targeting significantly increased the cardiac retention of transplanted cells by 2.73- to 2.87-fold. Histologic analyses showed that more transplanted cells were distributed in the anterior wall of the left ventricle. The enhanced cell engraftment persisted for at least 3 weeks, at which time, left ventricular remodeling was attenuated, and cardiac function benefit was improved.

Conclusions

These results suggest that magnetic targeting offers new perspectives for retrograde coronary venous delivery to enhance cell retention and subsequent functional benefit in heart diseases.
Exact Formulae for Variances of Functionals of Convex Hulls
Authors: Buchta Christian
Published: December 2013

The vertices of the convex hull of a uniform sample from the interior of a convex polygon are known to be concentrated close to the vertices of the polygon. Furthermore, the remaining area of the polygon outside of the convex hull is concentrated close to the vertices of the polygon. In order to see what happens in a corner of the polygon given by two adjacent edges, we consider—in view of affine invariance—n points P1,…, Pn distributed independently and uniformly in the interior of the triangle with vertices (0, 1), (0, 0), and (1, 0). The number of vertices of the convex hull, which are close to the origin (0, 0), is then given by the number Ñn of points among P1,…, Pn, which are vertices of the convex hull of (0, 1), P1,…, Pn, and (1, 0). Correspondingly, D̃n is defined as the remaining area of the triangle outside of this convex hull. We derive exact (nonasymptotic) formulae for var Ñn and var . These formulae are in line with asymptotic distribution results in Groeneboom (1988), Nagaev and Khamdamov (1991), and Groeneboom (2012), as well as with recent results in Pardon (2011), (2012).
Wicksell's Problem in Local Stereology
Authors: Thórisdóttir Ó. , Kiderlen M.
Published: December 2013

Wicksell's classical corpuscle problem deals with the retrieval of the size distribution of spherical particles from planar sections. We discuss the problem in a local stereology framework. Each particle is assumed to contain a reference point and the individual particle is sampled with an isotropic random plane through this reference point. Both the size of the section profile and the position of the reference point inside the profile are recorded and used to recover the distribution of the corresponding particle parameters. Theoretical results concerning the relationship between the profile and particle parameters are discussed. We also discuss the unfolding of the arising integral equations, uniqueness issues, and the domain of attraction relations. We illustrate the approach by providing reconstructions from simulated data using numerical unfolding algorithms.
Piecewise-Multilinear Interpolation of a Random Field
Authors: Abramowicz Konrad , Seleznjev Oleg
Published: December 2013

We consider a piecewise-multilinear interpolation of a continuous random field on a d-dimensional cube. The approximation performance is measured using the integrated mean square error. Piecewise-multilinear interpolator is defined by N-field observations on a locations grid (or design). We investigate the class of locally stationary random fields whose local behavior is like a fractional Brownian field, in the mean square sense, and find the asymptotic approximation accuracy for a sequence of designs for large N. Moreover, for certain classes of continuous and continuously differentiable fields, we provide the upper bound for the approximation accuracy in the uniform mean square norm.
Probabilistic Cellular Automata, Invariant Measures, and Perfect Sampling
Authors: Bušić Ana , Mairesse Jean , Marcovici Irène
Published: December 2013

A probabilistic cellular automaton (PCA) can be viewed as a Markov chain. The cells are updated synchronously and independently, according to a distribution depending on a finite neighborhood. We investigate the ergodicity of this Markov chain. A classical cellular automaton is a particular case of PCA. For a one-dimensional cellular automaton, we prove that ergodicity is equivalent to nilpotency, and is therefore undecidable. We then propose an efficient perfect sampling algorithm for the invariant measure of an ergodic PCA. Our algorithm does not assume any monotonicity property of the local rule. It is based on a bounding process which is shown to also be a PCA. Last, we focus on the PCA majority, whose asymptotic behavior is unknown, and perform numerical experiments using the perfect sampling procedure.
Mixture Representations for the Joint Distribution of Lifetimes of two Coherent Systems with Shared Components
Authors: Navarro Jorge , Samaniego Francisco J. , Balakrishnan N.
Published: December 2013

The signature of a system is defined as the vector whoseith element is the probability that the system fails concurrently with theith component failure. The signature vector is known to be a distribution-free measure and a representation of the system's survival function has been developed in terms of the system's signature. The present work is devoted to the study of the joint distribution of lifetimes of pairs of systems with shared components. Here, a new distribution-free measure, the ‘joint bivariate signature’, of a pair of systems with shared components is defined, and a new representation theorem for the joint survival function of the system lifetimes is established. The theorem is shown to facilitate the study of the dependence between systems and the comparative performance of two pairs of such systems.
The Joint Laplace Transforms for Diffusion Occupation Times
Authors: Li Bin , Zhou Xiaowen
Published: December 2013

In this paper we adopt the perturbation approach of Landriault, Renaud and Zhou (2011) to find expressions for the joint Laplace transforms of occupation times for time-homogeneous diffusion processes. The expressions are in terms of solutions to the associated differential equations. These Laplace transforms are applied to study ruin-related problems for several classes of diffusion risk processes.
The Role of Dispersal in Interacting Patches Subject to an Allee Effect
Authors: Lanchier N.
Published: December 2013

This article is concerned with a stochastic multipatch model in which each local population is subject to a strong Allee effect. The model is obtained by using the framework of interacting particle systems to extend a stochastic two-patch model that was recently introduced by Kang and the author. The main objective is to understand the effect of the geometry of the network of interactions, which represents potential migrations between patches, on the long-term behavior of the metapopulation. In the limit as the number of patches tends to ∞, there is a critical value for the Allee threshold below which the metapopulation expands and above which the metapopulation goes extinct. Spatial simulations on large regular graphs suggest that this critical value strongly depends on the initial distribution when the degree of the network is large, whereas the critical value does not depend on the initial distribution when the degree is small. Looking at the system starting with a single occupied patch on the complete graph and on the ring, we prove analytical results that support this conjecture. From an ecological perspective, these results indicate that, upon arrival of an alien species subject to a strong Allee effect to a new area, though dispersal is necessary for its expansion, fast long-range dispersal drives the population toward extinction.
Numb family proteins are essential for cardiac morphogenesis and progenitor differentiation
Authors: Zhao Chen , Guo Hua , Li Jingjing , Myint Thomas , Pittman William , Yang Le , Zhong Weimin , Schwartz Robert J. , Schwarz John J. , Singer Harold A. , Tallquist Michelle D. , Wu Mingfu
Published: December 2013

Numb family proteins (NFPs), including Numb and numb-like (Numbl), are cell fate determinants for multiple progenitor cell types. Their functions in cardiac progenitor differentiation and cardiac morphogenesis are unknown. To avoid early embryonic lethality and study NFP function in later cardiac development, Numb and Numbl were deleted specifically in heart to generate myocardial double-knockout (MDKO) mice. MDKOs were embryonic lethal and displayed a variety of defects in cardiac progenitor differentiation, cardiomyocyte proliferation, outflow tract (OFT) and atrioventricular septation, and OFT alignment. By ablating NFPs in different cardiac populations followed by lineage tracing, we determined that NFPs in the second heart field (SHF) are required for OFT and atrioventricular septation and OFT alignment. MDKOs displayed an SHF progenitor cell differentiation defect, as revealed by a variety of methods including mRNA deep sequencing. Numb regulated cardiac progenitor cell differentiation in an endocytosis-dependent manner. Studies including the use of a transgenic Notch reporter line showed that Notch signaling was upregulated in the MDKO. Suppression of Notch1 signaling in MDKOs rescued defects in p57 expression, proliferation and trabecular thickness. Further studies showed that Numb inhibits Notch1 signaling by promoting the degradation of the Notch1 intracellular domain in cardiomyocytes. This study reveals that NFPs regulate trabecular thickness by inhibiting Notch1 signaling, control cardiac morphogenesis in a Notch1-independent manner, and regulate cardiac progenitor cell differentiation in an endocytosis-dependent manner. The function of NFPs in cardiac progenitor differentiation and cardiac morphogenesis suggests that NFPs might be potential therapeutic candidates for cardiac regeneration and congenital heart diseases.
PRDM14 promotes active DNA demethylation through the Ten-eleven translocation (TET)-mediated base excision repair pathway in embryonic stem cells
Authors: Okashita Naoki , Kumaki Yuichi , Ebi Kuniaki , Nishi Miyuki , Okamoto Yoshinori , Nakayama Megumi , Hashimoto Shota , Nakamura Tomohumi , Sugasawa Kaoru , Kojima Nakao , Takada Tatsuyuki , Okano Masaki , Seki Yoshiyuki
Published: December 2013

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins oxidize 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). 5fC and 5caC can be excised and repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway, implicating 5mC oxidation in active DNA demethylation. Genome-wide DNA methylation is erased in the transition from metastable states to the ground state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in migrating primordial germ cells (PGCs), although some resistant regions become demethylated only in gonadal PGCs. Understanding the mechanisms underlying global hypomethylation in naive ESCs and developing PGCs will be useful for realizing cellular pluripotency and totipotency. In this study, we found that PRDM14, the PR domain-containing transcriptional regulator, accelerates the TET-BER cycle, resulting in the promotion of active DNA demethylation in ESCs. Induction of Prdm14 expression transiently elevated 5hmC, followed by the reduction of 5mC at pluripotency-associated genes, germline-specific genes and imprinted loci, but not across the entire genome, which resembles the second wave of DNA demethylation observed in gonadal PGCs. PRDM14 physically interacts with TET1 and TET2 and enhances the recruitment of TET1 and TET2 at target loci. Knockdown of TET1 and TET2 impaired transcriptional regulation and DNA demethylation by PRDM14. The repression of the BER pathway by administration of pharmacological inhibitors of APE1 and PARP1 and the knockdown of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) also impaired DNA demethylation by PRDM14. Furthermore, DNA demethylation induced by PRDM14 takes place normally in the presence of aphidicolin, which is an inhibitor of G1/S progression. Together, our analysis provides mechanistic insight into DNA demethylation in naive pluripotent stem cells and developing PGCs.
Plasma membrane translocation of REDD1 governed by GPCRs contributes to mTORC1 activation
Authors: Michel Grégory , Matthes Hans W. D. , Hachet-Haas Muriel , El Baghdadi Keltouma , de Mey Jan , Pepperkok Rainer , Simpson Jeremy C. , Galzi Jean-Luc , Lecat Sandra
Published: December 2013

The mTORC1 kinase promotes cell growth in response to growth factors via Receptor Tyrosine Kinase activation. It is regulated by energy level and nutrient availability. mTORC1 activity is also inhibited by cellular stresses via overexpression of REDD1 (REgulated in Development and DNA damage responses). We report the identification of REDD1 as a positive hit in a fluorescent live-imaging screen aiming at discovering new proteins implicated in G Protein-Coupled Receptors signaling, based on a translocation criteria. Using a sensitive and quantitative plasma membrane localisation assay based on Bioluminescent Resonance Energy Transfer, we further show that a panel of endogenously expressed GPCRs, via a calcium/calmodulin pathway, triggers plasma membrane translocation of REDD1 but not of its homolog REDD2. REDD1 and REDD2 share a conserved mTORC1-inhibitory motif characterized at the functional and structural level and differ most in their amino-terminii. We show that the amino-terminal of REDD1 and its mTORC1-inhibitory motif participate in REDD1's dynamic interaction with the plasma membrane evoked by GPCRs. Our study further leads to the description of REDD1 as a novel effector in GPCR signaling. We show that fast mTORC1 activation by GPCRs correlates with fast and maximal REDD1 translocation to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of functional REDD1 leads to a diminution of mTORC1 activation by GPCRs. By contrast, depleting endogenous REDD1 protein unleashes mTORC1 activity. Thus, translocation to the plasma membrane seems to be an inactivation mechanism of REDD1 by GPCRs probably via sequestering of its functional mTORC1-inhibitory motif since this motif is necessary for plasma membrane targeting.
Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth: Reforms and Economic Transformation in India
Authors: Dhingra Swati
Published: December 2013

Swati Dhingra of London School of Economics and Political Science reviews, “Reforms and Economic Transformation in India” edited by Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Nine papers explore economic policy reforms in India and consider why their impact has not been as significant as it has been in other reform-oriented economies. Papers discuss labor regulations and firm size distribution in Indian manufacturing; complementarity between formal and informal manufacturing in India—the role of policies and institutions; services growth in India—a look inside the black box; organized retailing in India—issues and outlook; selling the family silver to pay the grocer's bill?—the case of privatization in India; variety in, variety out—imported input and product scope expansion in India; reforms and the competitive environment; the postreform narrowing of inequality across castes—evidence from the states; and entrepreneurship in services and the socially disadvantaged in India. Bhagwati is University Professor of Economics and Law at Columbia University. Panagariya is Professor of Economics and Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University.”
Economic Systems: Private Rights and Public Problems: The Global Economics of Intellectual Property in the 21st Century
Authors: Hu Albert G.
Published: December 2013

Albert G. Hu of National University of Singapore reviews, “Private Rights and Public Problems: The Global Economics of Intellectual Property in the 21st Century” by Keith E. Maskus. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Presents an economic perspective on intellectual property rights and their relationship to global issues. Discusses the big stakes in selling knowledge; the big global upgrade—is it working?; global governance; regulating a stressed system; intellectual property rights and global policy challenges; and revitalizing a tired system. Maskus is Research Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Professor of Economics and Associate Dean for Social Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, a fellow at the Kiel Institute for World Economics, and an adjunct professor at the University of Adelaide.”
Public Economics: Taxes in America: What Everyone Needs to Know
Authors: Cullen Julie Berry
Published: December 2013

Julie Berry Cullen of University of California, San Diego reviews, “Taxes in America: What Everyone Needs to Know” by Leonard E. Burman and Joel Slemrod. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Explores how the U.S. tax system works, how it affects people and businesses, and how it might be made better. Discusses the basics of taxes; personal income taxes; business income taxes; taxing spending; other kinds of taxes; taxes and the economy; the hidden welfare state; the burden of taxation; tax administration and enforcement; misperceptions and reality in the policy process; tax myths; and tax reform. Burman is Daniel Patrick Moynihan Professor of Public Affairs in the Maxwell School and is with the Departments of Public Administration and Economics and the Law School at Syracuse University. Slemrod is Paul W. McCracken Collegiate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Director of the Office of Tax Policy Research in the Ross School of Business, and Professor and Chair in the Department of Economics at the University of Michigan.”
Constitutional Foundations of Legal Responsibility and Constitutional Legal Responsibility
Authors: Gadzhiyev Gadis
Published: December 2013

This article attempts to address the concept of “public responsibility”, as well as the problem of relationships between branches of legal responsibility and responsibility in a negative and a positive sense, from the standpoint of the philosophy of law, including the dispute between nominalists and realists. In addition, the phenomenon of the direct action of constitutional principles of legal liability and the problem of “constitutionalization” of legislation on administrative offenses are analyzed on the basis of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation practice.
Administrative Liability in the System of Public-Private Responsibility
Authors: Zyryanov Sergey
Published: December 2013

Administrative liability is used as an universal controller of public relations. But there are no objective criteria to distinguish it from criminal liability. The author explores published points of view on this problem and offers to use a sign of public danger.
Codification of Rules of Corporate Legislation on Liability of Managers for Damages Caused to Legal Entities
Authors: Gutnikov Olyeg
Published: December 2013

The article covers various matters relating to liability of managers for damages. It contains analysis of particular corporate law rules in question with specific focus on the decree of Plenary meeting of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of July 30, 2013 N 62 “Certain Matters Connected with Compensation of Damages by Members of Management in Legal Entities”. The author comes to the conclusion that the rules of liability should be uniform irrespectively of the particular type of legal entity. There are also justifying arguments in support of introduction and codification of general provisions regarding liability of managers into the Russian Civil Code.
Indirect Judicial Normative Control: Notion and Issues of Realization
Authors: Nikitin Sergey
Published: December 2013

The author analyses the concept and content of the indirect normative control in civil and arbitral proceedings as a form of judicial control in rule-making. By indirect judicial normative control the author means supervisory activity of general jurisdiction courts and arbitration courts aimed at verification of legality (eligibility) of legal commands subject to be applied during proceedings and adjudications in a specific legal file initiated unrelated to the verification of this legal command. The author notes lack of completeness and uniformity in legal regulation of indirect judicial normative control issues. The author analyses the attitude of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the problem of enforcement of general jurisdiction courts’ right to verify in specific cases federal laws and other laws and regulations, and direct applicability of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The author offers for consideration measures, allowing the creation of necessary conditions for barring the action of legal commands, invalidated by a court during carrying out the indirect normative control and for their subsequent elimination from the Russian statutory and regulatory system.
Criminal Liability for Unlawful Actions in Bankruptcy in the USA
Authors: Kubantsev Sergey
Published: December 2013

The article describes the application of criminal law in the United States to persons who commit crimes during or immediately before of the bankruptcy, initiated into the United States. The focus is on the judicial interpretation of legislative criteria bankruptcy fraud.
Historical Features of Origin of Primary Criminal Prohibitions
Authors: Markuntsov Sergey
Published: December 2013

The article considers different approaches to the issue of genesis of law. Examines the social nature and form of rules of common law. The author comes to the conclusion that existed in the primitive society-of prohibitions is taboo, in fact, were of a criminal-law nature, and taboo of, in spite of individual differences mechanism of action, is the su-community primary form of criminal-legal influence.
Contractual Responsibility and Economic Crisis
Authors: Komarov Alyeksandr
Published: December 2013

The article deals with the problems of regulating the situation which arises in connection with changed circumstances resulting in creating hardships in performance of the contract. The author attempts to evaluate the practice of application of Art. 451 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation that provides corresponding rules. Evolution of the law on hardships in major civil law jurisdiction is also addressed to in the article.
Properties of Sandwich-Type Particleboard Panels Made from Rubberwood and Eastern Redcedar
Authors: Fueangvivat Vallayuth , Jarusombuti Songklod , Hiziroglu Salim , Bauchongkol Piyawade
Published: December 2013

The objective of this study was to determine some of the mechanical properties of sandwich-type particleboard manufactured from rubberwood (Hevea brasilenesis) and Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). A total of 36 panels with two density levels of 0.65 and 0.75 g/cm3 were made using 10 percent urea-formaldehyde, a combination of 3 percent urea-formaldehyde and 10 percent cassava starch, and 10 percent cassava starch, respectively, as a binder. Three-layer panels with rubberwood fibers on the face layers and a mixture of 10 percent Eastern redcedar and 90 percent rubberwood particles in the core layer of the panels were manufactured. The highest modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, and internal bond strength values of 2,990, 34.72, and 1.09 MPa, respectively, were found for those panels made with 10 percent urea-formaldehyde having a density of 0.75 g/cm3. Panels made with 10 percent starch did not have satisfactory mechanical properties and dimensional stability according to Japanese Industrial Standards. However, it seems that a mixture of a low percentage of urea-formaldehyde resin with cassava starch would be a viable alternative binder to manufacture particleboard with acceptable mechanical properties and enhanced surface quality.
An inverse problem for the recovery of the vascularization of a tumor
Authors: Colin Thierry , Iollo Angelo , Lagaert Jean-Baptiste , Saut Olivier
Published: December 2013

In this paper we present a simplified model of tumor growth and an associated inverse problem. Our model consists in describing the evolution of a population of cancer cells and the density of oxygen. The growth rate depends on the concentration of oxygen. The oxygen distribution is computed by means of a diffusion equation, the source term being localized on the blood vessels. We consider the inverse problem that consists in recovering the position of the blood vessels
assuming the distribution of tumor cells. We use an adjoint method. Results relative to idealized clinical cases are discussed.
Chemerin concentrations in maternal and fetal compartments: implications for metabolic adaptations to normal human pregnancy
Authors: Kasher-Meron Michal , Mazaki-Tovi Shali , Barhod Ehud , Hemi Rina , Haas Jigal , Gat Itai , Zilberberg Eran , Yinon Yoav , Karasik Avraham , Kanety Hannah
Published: December 2013

Objectives: Chemerin, a novel adipocytokine, has been implicated in major metabolic and inflammatory processes. Study aims were to determine whether circulating maternal chemerin concentration (1) differs between pregnant and non-pregnant women, (2) changes as a function of gestational age, and (3) correlates with maternal insulin resistance. In addition, we investigated which compartment, maternal, fetal or placental, is the source of chemerin in maternal circulation.

Methods: The study included three groups: Non-pregnant (n=18), pregnant women in the first trimester (n=19) and pregnant women in the third trimester (n=33). Chemerin was measured in cord blood and in maternal serum samples taken before and after delivery. Chemerin mRNA expression was evaluated in fetal and human adult tissues.

Results: Chemerin serum concentration was significantly higher in pregnant women in the third trimester than in non-pregnant and pregnant women in the first trimester. Chemerin concentration positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance. Antenatal chemerin concentration was significantly lower than that during the postpartum period. Neonatal chemerin did not correlate with maternal one. Chemerin mRNA expression was abundant in fetal and adult liver and omental fat, but relatively low in placenta.

Conclusions: Chemerin is increased during normal gestation and is associated with maternal BMI and insulin resistance. Maternal tissues, possibly liver and adipose tissue, contribute to the increased maternal chemerin concentration.
Serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration in dogs diagnosed with chronic superficial keratitis
Authors: Balicki Ireneusz , Sobczyńska-Rak Aleksandra
Published: December 2013

The objective of this study was to measure the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in dogs diagnosed with chronic superficial keratitis (CSK). The study was performed on 25 German shepherds (14 males and 11 females, aged between 3 and 11 years). The VEGF levels were determined in blood serum using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Quantikine Canine VEGF Immunoassay, R&D Systems). The test group of affected German shepherds was subdivided into two subgroups, based on the area of corneal neovascularisation. The first subgroup (9 patients) comprised dogs with neovascularisation observed in 1 to 2 quadrants of the right and left cornea, while the second subgroup (16 patients) comprised dogs with neovascularisation observed in 3 to 4 quadrants of the right and left cornea. The control group comprised 12 clinically healthy German shepherds (7 males and 5 females, aged between 3 and 9 years). The results were then statistically analysed by the Mann-Whitney test. The study indicated that the median serum VEGF concentration in healthy dogs was 14.9 pg/mL. The VEGF level observed in sick German shepherds was elevated (19.5 pg/mL) as compared to the values found in healthy dogs; however, a statistically significant increase in VEGF concentration, as compared to the values observed in healthy dogs, was only noted in the first subgroup, where the median VEGF concentration was 22.0 pg/mL. Elevated serum VEGF concentration was observed in German shepherds diagnosed with CSK. A statistically significant increase in VEGF levels was observed in dogs in the first stage of the disease, i.e. the early stage of neovascularisation.
Progesterone improves porcine in vitro fertilisation system
Authors: Malo Clara , Gil Lydia , Cano Rafael , Martinez Felisa , Gonzalez Noelia
Published: December 2013

In an effort to improve the quality of in vitro produced porcine embryos, the effect of progestagens — progesterone analogues — on the in vitro developmental competence of porcine oocytes was studied. A total of 1421 in vitro matured oocytes, from 4 replicates, were inseminated with frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Progestagens were added to late maturation and embryo cultures (10 IU/ml). Fertilisation success (pre-maturation, penetration, monospermy and efficiency) and nuclear maturation were evaluated. There were no differences among prematuration rates between groups (P = 0.221). Penetration rates were higher (P < 0.001) in the presence of progestagens (75.0%) as compared to the control (51.7%). However, no differences were observed in monospermy percentages (P = 0.246). The results indicated that supplementation with progestagens increased the efficiency of the in vitro fertilisation system (P < 0.001). An additional beneficial effect was observed in nuclear maturation with progestagens (P = 0.035). In summary, progestagen supplementation is an important factor to improve the in vitro fertilisation procedure.
Cell cycle analysis and interspecies nuclear transfer of cat cells treated with chemical inhibitors
Authors: Wittayarat Manita , Fujiwara Akira , Chatdarong Kaywalee , Techakumphu Mongkol , Sato Yoko , Tanihara Fuminori , Morita Yasuhiro , Taniguchi Masayasu , Otoi Takeshige
Published: December 2013

This study investigated the effect of chemical inhibitors on the cell-cycle synchronisation in cat fibroblast cells and evaluated the development of interspecies embryos reconstructed from cat donor cells and enucleated bovine oocytes. Cat fibroblast cells were treated with 15 μg/mL roscovitine or 0.05 μg/mL deme-colcine prior to cell cycle analysis and nuclear transfer. The percentage of cat fibroblast cells arrested at the G0/G1 phase in the roscovitine group was similar to that in the control group without any treatment. The percentage of cells arrested at the G2/M phase was significantly higher in the demecolcine group than in the control group. The fusion rate of interspecies couplets was significantly greater in the roscovitine group than in the control group. Most embryos stopped the development at the 2- or 4-cell stage, and none developed into blastocysts. Chemical inhibitor-induced donor cell cycle synchronisation did not overcome developmental arrest in interspecies cloned embryos.
Skin and skeletal system lesions of european pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) from natural habitats
Authors: Aleksić-Kovačević Sanja , Özvegy József , Krstić Nikola , Rusvai Miklós , Jakab Csaba , Stanimirović Zoran , Becskei Zsolt
Published: December 2013

Water pollution is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of plastron, carapace and skin diseases of turtles. In this study, a total of 150 European pond turtles(Emys orbicularis)of different age and both sexes, originating from natural habitats in Serbia, were examined for morphological changes of the skin, plastron, carapace and skeletal system. The turtles were taken out from their natural habitats in Lake Ludas, Lake Palic and Lake Tresetiste. After artificial hibernation, they were subjected to detailed examination, sampled and treated, and finally returned into their natural habitat. Biopsies from the skin and shell were subjected to histopathological examination and microbiological analysis. X-ray scanning was also performed to detect changes in the skeletal system. Macroscopic changes of the skin, most frequently degenerative, inflammatory or neoplastic diseases, were diagnosed in 49.33% of the turtles examined. Dermatitis of different origin and form was the most prominent histopathological finding (28.00%). In the plastron, inflammatory and degenerative processes were frequently found. Osteopathy and mechanical injuries were the dominant findings. Macroscopic changes of the plastron, carapace and skeletal system were diagnosed in 67.33% of the turtles examined. Using X-ray scanning, generalised osteopathy, anomalies and malformations of different aetiology were also diagnosed on the tail and legs. Microbiological examinations showed the presence of a variety of bacterial and fungal agents, either primary pathogens or potential polluters, which invaded the skin and shell, or were present in cloacal swab samples. Bacterial infection was diagnosed in 76.66% of the turtles, first of all in those with skin and shell necrosis. Mycoses were diagnosed in 33.33% of the animals.
Pancreatojejunostomia – dohányzacskóöltéssel
Authors: Kelemen Dezső , Papp Róbert , Vereczkei András
Published: December 2013

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: A pancreatoduodenectomiákat követő szövődmények közül az egyik legjelentősebb a pancreasfistula. Számos próbálkozás történik a csökkentésére. A szerzők célja egy dohányzacskóöltéssel kombinált pancreatojejunostomiás anastomosis ismertetése és a kezdeti tapasztalatok bemutatása. Anyag és módszerek: A 2003 óta alkalmazott implantációs pancreatojejunostomiát módosították úgy, hogy egy dohányzacskó- és két matracöltés segítségével rögzítették a pancreas maradékát a vékonybélben. Puha pancreas esetén a Wirsung-vezetéket stentelték, és az erre használt vénakanült az afferens jejunumkacson át hozták ki a hasfal elé. 7 betegnél tumor miatt végzett, pylorusmegtartásos pancreatoduodenectomia során alkalmazták a módszert. Eredmények: A posztoperatív időszakban két szövődményt észleltek (egy esetben a duodenojejunostomia területén kialakult fekély vérzett, egy másik betegnél pedig átmeneti zavartság volt), pancreasfistulát viszont nem. Reoperációra nem került sor, és beteget sem vesztettek el. Következtetések: Bár a kis esetszám miatt messzemenő következtetéseket nem lehet levonni, a módszer ígéretesnek tűnik.
Effect of ambulatory versus hospital treatment for gestational diabetes or hyperglycemia on infant mortality rates: a systematic review
Authors: Rudge Marilza Vieira Cunha , Lima Silvana Andrea Molina , El Dib Regina Paolucci , Marini Gabriela , Magalhaes Claudia , Calderon Iracema de Mattos Paranhos
Published: December 2013

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Pregnancies complicated by diabetes are associated with increased neonatal and maternal complications. The most serious maternal complication is the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, 10-12 years after the delivery. For rigorous control over blood glucose, pregnant women are treated through ambulatory management or hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ambulatory management versus hospitalization in pregnancies complicated by diabetes or hyperglycemia. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review conducted in a public university hospital. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed and the main electronic databases were searched. The date of the most recent search was September 4, 2011. Two authors independently selected relevant clinical trials, assessed their methodological quality and extracted data. RESULTS: Only three studies were selected, with small sample sizes. There was no statistically significance different between ambulatory management and hospitalization, regarding mortality in any of the subcategories analyzed: perinatal and neonatal deaths (relative risk [RR] 0.65; 95% confidential interval [CI]: 0.11 to 3.84; P = 0.63); neonatal deaths (RR 0.29; 95% CI: 0.01 to 6.07; P = 0.43); and infant deaths (RR 0.29; 95% CI: 0.01 to 6.07; P = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: This review, based on studies with high or moderate risk of bias, showed that there was no statistically significant difference between ambulatory management and hospital care, regarding reduction of mortality rates in pregnancies complicated by diabetes or hyperglycemia. It also suggested that there is a need for further randomized controlled trials on this issue.
Cultural Consonance, Religion and Psychological Distress in an Urban Community
Authors: Dressler William W. , Dengah II H. J. Francois , Balieiro Mauro Campos , Santos Jose Ernesto dos
Published: December 2013

Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals approximate prototypes encoded in cultural models. Low cultural consonance is associated with higher psychological distress. Religion may moderate the association between cultural consonance and psychological distress. Brazil, with substantial variation in religion, is an important society for the examination of this hypothesis. Research was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, using a mixed-methods design. Measures of cultural consonance were derived using ethnographic methods and then applied in a survey of 271 individuals drawn from four distinct social strata. Low cultural consonance was associated with higher psychological distress in multiple regression analysis ( B = -.430, p < .001). Members of Pentecostal Protestant churches reported lower psychological distress independently of the effect of cultural consonance ( B = -.409, p < .05). There was no buffering effect of religion. Implications of these results for the study of religion and health are discussed.
Design of cellular beams against lateral torsional buckling
Authors: Boissonnade Nicolas , Nseir Joanna , Lo Moussa , Somja Hugues
Published: December 2013

The behaviour of so-called ‘cellular members' against lateral torsional buckling is investigated. These beams comprise regularly spaced web openings, and are especially used for their high resistance-to-weight ratio, the possibility of integrating service pipes within their height, and for aesthetic reasons. Such profiles usually exhibit a complex behaviour and many potential failure modes, including interactional local/global instability modes. Regarding global instability, members are usually designed by means of approximate design rules, which often lead to an unduly conservative girder, with beams sometimes showing up to 150% resistance reserve. This research work aims at improving this situation, through development of adequate design formulas. Both experimental and extensive numerical parametric studies are undertaken; a series of three full-scale tests is first performed, with the intention of using them to validate the derived finite-element models. Because the numerical models show very good agreement with the tests, they are then further used to gather a large set of numerical reference results where many parameters are varied: relative slenderness, steel grades, cross-sectional dimensions, bending moment distributions and the relative size of the openings. Finally, a new set of dedicated design rules is derived, which is demonstrated to be accurate and economic while leading to safe estimates of resistance when compared to all reference results.
Obesity, Health at Every Size, and Public Health Policy
Authors: Bombak Andrea
Published: December 2013

Obesity is associated with chronic diseases that may negatively affect individuals’ health and the sustainability of the health care system. Despite increasing emphasis on obesity as a major health care issue, little progress has been made in its treatment or prevention. Individual approaches to obesity treatment, largely composed of weight-loss dieting, have not proven effective. Little direct evidence supports the notion of reforms to the “obesogenic environment.” Both these individualistic and environmental approaches to obesity have important limitations and ethical implications. The low levels of success associated with these approaches may necessitate a new non–weight-centric public health strategy. Evidence is accumulating that a weight-neutral, nutrition- and physical activity–based, Health at Every Size (HAES) approach may be a promising chronic disease-prevention strategy.
Race/Ethnicity, Educational Attainment, and Foregone Health Care in the United States in the 2007–2009 Recession
Authors: Burgard Sarah A. , Hawkins Jaclynn M.
Published: December 2013

Objectives. This study assessed possible associations between recessions and changes in the magnitude of social disparities in foregone health care, building on previous studies that have linked recessions to lowered health care use.

Methods. Data from the 2006 to 2010 waves of the National Health Interview Study were used to examine levels of foregone medical, dental and mental health care and prescribed medications. Differences by race/ethnicity and education were compared before the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, during the early recession, and later in the recession and in its immediate wake.

Results. Foregone care rose for working-aged adults overall in the 2 recessionary periods compared with the pre-recession. For multiple types of pre-recession care, foregoing care was more common for African Americans and Hispanics and less common for Asian Americans than for Whites. Less-educated individuals were more likely to forego all types of care pre-recession. Most disparities in foregone care were stable during the recession, though the African American–White gap in foregone medical care increased, as did the Hispanic–White gap and education gap in foregone dental care.

Conclusions. Our findings support the fundamental cause hypothesis, as even during a recession in which more advantaged groups may have had unusually high risk of losing financial assets and employer-provided health insurance, they maintained their relative advantage in access to health care. Attention to the macroeconomic context of social disparities in health care use is warranted.
Anti-Gay Prejudice and All-Cause Mortality Among Heterosexuals in the United States
Authors: Hatzenbuehler Mark L. , Bellatorre Anna , Muennig Peter
Published: December 2013

Objectives. We determined whether individuals who harbor antigay prejudice experience elevated mortality risk.

Methods. Data on heterosexual sexual orientation (n = 20 226, aged 18–89 years), antigay attitudes, and mortality risk factors came from the General Social Survey, which was linked to mortality data from the National Death Index (1988–2008). We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine whether antigay prejudice was associated with mortality risk among heterosexuals.

Results. Heterosexuals who reported higher levels of antigay prejudice had higher mortality risk than those who reported lower levels (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 1.42), with control for multiple risk factors for mortality, including demographics, socioeconomic status, and fair or poor self-rated health. This result translates into a life expectancy difference of approximately 2.5 years (95% CI = 1.0, 4.0 years) between individuals with high versus low levels of antigay prejudice. Furthermore, in sensitivity analyses, antigay prejudice was specifically associated with increased risk of cardiovascular-related causes of death in fully adjusted models (HR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.60).

Conclusions. The findings contribute to a growing body of research suggesting that reducing prejudice may improve the health of both minority and majority populations.