bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory T cells predict the time to initial treatment in early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Weiss Lukas , Melchardt Thomas , Egle Alexander , Grabmer Christoph , Greil Richard , Tinhofer Inge
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND:

Early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by a highly variable course of disease. Because it is believed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are potent suppressors of antitumor immunity, the authors hypothesized that increased Tregs may favor disease progression.

METHODS:

Treg levels (cluster of differentiation 3 [CD3]‐positive, [CD4]‐positive, CD25‐positive, and CD127‐negative) in peripheral blood from 102 patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate correlations with clinical data.

RESULTS:

The relative Treg numbers in CD4‐positive T cells were significantly greater in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia compared with the numbers in a control group of 170 healthy individuals (P = .001). Patients were divided into 2 groups using a median Treg value of 9.7% (the percentage of CD4‐positive T cells). Patients with higher Treg levels had a significantly shorter time to initial treatment (median, 5.9 years) compared with patients who had lower Treg levels (median, 11.7 years; log‐rank P = .019). Furthermore, Treg levels (the percentage of CD4‐positive T cells) had significant prognostic power to predict the time to initial treatment in univariate analysis (P = .023) and in multivariate Cox regression analysis that included the variables Rai stage, immunoglobulin heavy‐chain variable region gene mutational status, chromosomal aberrations, and CD38 expression (P = .028).

CONCLUSIONS:

Higher Treg levels had significant and independent prognostic power for predicting the time to initial treatment in patients with low to intermediate stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Cancer‐related chronic pain
Authors: Green Carmen R. , Hart‐Johnson Tamera , Loeffler Deena R.
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND:

Disparities in cancer survival and pain rates negatively impact quality of life (QOL). This study examines cancer‐related chronic pain (CP) and its impact on QOL in diverse cancer survivors.

METHODS:

This survey study focused on current and past pain, health, and QOL in black and white cancer survivors. Participants with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer and multiple myeloma were recruited through the Michigan State Cancer Registry. Analysis of variance was used to examine outcome differences by pain status, race, and sex. Hierarchical regressions explored predictors for experiencing pain.

RESULTS:

The subjects (N = 199) were 31% black, 49% female, and 57 to 79 years old; 19.5% experienced current pain, and 42.6% reported pain since diagnosis. Women experience more pain (P < .001) and greater pain severity (P = .04) than men. Blacks experienced more pain interference and disability (P < .05). Experiencing pain is related to greater depressive symptoms, poorer functioning, and more symptoms. In hierarchical regressions, female sex predicted pain since diagnosis; pain severity for pain since diagnosis was predicted by black race and female sex.

CONCLUSIONS:

The authors extend the literature by showing that 20% of diverse cancer survivors had cancer‐related CP, and 43% had experienced pain since diagnosis, revealing racial and sex disparities in cancer‐related CP's incidence and impact on QOL. Having pain was related to poorer QOL in several domains and was more frequently experienced by women. Although black race was not related to pain prevalence, it was related to greater severity. This study reveals an unaddressed cancer survivorship research, clinical, and policy issue. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Neoadjuvant therapy is associated with improved survival in resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Artinyan Avo , Anaya Daniel A. , McKenzie Shaun , Ellenhorn Joshua D. I. , Kim Joseph
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND:

Neoadjuvant therapy has been used to improve survival in operable pancreatic cancer. The authors' objective was to compare long‐term outcomes in patients receiving neoadjuvant versus adjuvant therapy for resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

METHODS:

The California Cancer Surveillance Program for Los Angeles County retrospectively identified 458 patients with nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent definitive pancreatic resection and received systemic chemotherapy between 1987 and 2006. The cohort was grouped by timing of systemic therapy—neoadjuvant or adjuvant. Clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival were compared. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the benefit of neoadjuvant therapy, independent of other significant factors.

RESULTS:

Of the 458 patients, 39 (8.5%) received neoadjuvant therapy, and 419 (91.5%) received adjuvant therapy. There was a significantly lower rate of lymph node positivity in the neoadjuvant group (45% vs 65%; P = .011) despite a higher rate of extrapancreatic tumor extension. On Kaplan‐Meier analysis, the neoadjuvant group had significantly better overall survival compared with the adjuvant group (median survival, 34 vs 19 months; P = .003). Overall survival was also improved in the neoadjuvant therapy patients with extrapancreatic disease (median survival, 31 vs 19 months; P = .018). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, neoadjuvant therapy was an independent predictor of improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.37‐0.89; P = .013).

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first population‐based study to compare neoadjuvant versus adjuvant treatment strategies in resectable pancreatic cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy is associated with a lower rate of lymph node positivity and improved overall survival and should be considered an acceptable alternative to the surgery‐first paradigm in operable pancreatic cancer. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society
Direct preparation of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 powders
Authors: Jiang Heng , Su Ting Ting , Gong Hong , Zhai Yu Chun
Published: November 2010

K0.5Na0.5NbO3 powders have been directly synthesized by an alternative solid–state method. Stoichimometric mixture of ammonium niobium oxalate and C4H4O6KNa·4H2O were calcined in temperature range from 500 to 800 °C for 3 h. The precursor and calcination products were characterized with respect to stoichiometry, purity, crystalline structure, particle size and powder morphology using X–ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. XRD and XRF results reveal that stoichiometric K0.5Na0.5NbO3 powders could be synthesized by the method. The particle size is about 68 nm for the precursor calcined at 500 °C according to XRD data, which is in good agreement with SEM data. The average band gap energy is estimated to be 3.18 eV by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The building blocks of mammalian lung development
Authors: Rawlins Emma L.
Published: November 2010

Progress has recently been made in identifying progenitor cell populations in the embryonic lung. Some progenitor cell types have been definitively identified by lineage‐tracing studies. However, others are not as well characterized and their existence is inferred on the basis of lung morphology, or mutant phenotypes. Here, I focus on lung development after the specification of the initial lung primordium. The evidence for various lung embryonic progenitor cell types is discussed and future experiments are suggested. The regulation of progenitor proliferation in the embryonic lung, and its coordinate control with morphogenesis, is also discussed. In addition, the relationship between embryonic and adult lung progenitors is considered. Developmental Dynamics 240:463–476, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Migration of dorsal aorta mesenchymal stem cells induced by mouse embryonic circulation
Authors: Yan Xin‐Long , Lan Yu , Wang Xiao‐Yan , He Wen‐Yan , Yao Hui‐Yu , Chen Dong‐Bo , Xiong Jia‐Xiang , Gao Jiao , Li Zhuan , Yang Guan , Li Xiu‐Sen , Liu Yuan‐Lin , Zhang Ji‐Yan , Liu Bing , Mao Ning
Published: November 2010

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent powerful tools for regenerative medicine for their differentiation and migration capacity. However, ontogeny and migration of MSCs in mammalian mid‐gestation conceptus is poorly understood. We identified canonical MSCs in the mouse embryonic day (E) 11.5 dorsal aorta (DA). They possessed homogenous immunophenotype (CD45−CD31−Flk‐1−CD44+CD29+), expressed perivascular markers (α‐SMA+NG2+PDGFRβ+PDGFRα+), and had tri‐lineage differentiation potential (osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes). Of interest, MSCs were also detected in E12.5–E13.5 embryonic circulation, 24 hr later than in DA, suggesting migration like hematopoietic stem cells. Functionally, E12.5 embryonic blood could trigger efficient migration of DA‐MSCs through platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor‐, transforming growth factor‐beta receptor‐, but not basic fibroblast growth factor receptor‐mediated signaling. Moreover, downstream JNK and AKT signaling pathway played important roles in embryonic blood‐ or PDGF‐mediated migration of DA‐derived MSCs. Taken together, these results revealed that clonal MSCs developed in the mouse DA. More importantly, the embryonic circulation, in addition to its conventional transporting roles, could modulate migration of MSC during early embryogenesis. Developmental Dynamics, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three‐dimensional localisation of NANOG, OCT4, and E‐cadherin in porcine pre‐ and peri‐implantation embryos
Authors: Wolf Xenia Asbæk , Serup Palle , Hyttel Poul
Published: November 2010

The expression patterns of NANOG and OCT4 have previously been reported to differ markedly between mammalian species indicating distinct species‐specific roles during development. We investigate the three‐dimensional expression pattern of NANOG and OCT4 in porcine pre‐ and peri‐implantation embryos. The expression of NANOG differed remarkably from that reported in other species. NANOG was not detected in the inner cell mass of hatched porcine blastocysts, but later appeared in the epiblast and hypoblast of spherical blastocysts where Rauber's layer had disintegrated. In pre‐gastrulating, filamentous embryos NANOG was localised to nuclei in a minor portion of the epiblast cells in which E‐CADHERIN seemed to be up‐regulated and OCT4 down‐regulated. Later NANOG was restricted to the potential PGCs. OCT4 was detected in inner cell mass, epiblast, and mesoderm, and we found that OCT4 expression, in contrast to earlier speculations, at least in hatched blastocysts, resembles the expression pattern in the mouse embryo. Developmental Dynamics, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of Pitx2c expression in the mouse heart using a reporter transgene
Authors: Furtado Milena B. , Biben Christine , Shiratori Hidetaka , Hamada Hiroshi , Harvey Richard P.
Published: November 2010

To aid in detection and tracking of cells targeted by the left‐right (LR) pathway in the heart throughout morphogenesis, expression from a Pitx2c‐lacZ transgene (P2Ztg) was analysed in detail. β‐galactosidase expression from P2Ztg was robust, allowing reliable visualisation of low‐level Pitx2c expression, and was virtually entirely dependent upon NODAL signalling in the heart. P2Ztg showed expression in trabecular and septal, as well as non‐trabecular, myocardium, and a strong expression bias in myocardium associated with individual endocardial cushions of the atrioventricular canal and outflow tract, which are essential for cardiac septation. Expression on the ventral surface of the outflow tract evolved to a specific stripe that could be used to track the future aorta during outflow tract spiralling and remodelling. Our data show that the P2Ztg transgene is a useful resource for detection of molecular disturbances in the LR cascade, as well as morphogenetic defects associated with other cardiac congenital disorders. Developmental Dynamics, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cell autonomous requirement of endocardial Smad4 during atrioventricular cushion development in mouse embryos
Authors: Song Langying , Zhao Mei , Wu Bingruo , Zhou Bin , Wang Qin , Jiao Kai
Published: November 2010

Atrioventricular (AV) cushions are the precursors of AV septum and valves. In this study, we examined roles of Smad4 during AV cushion development using a conditional gene inactivation approach. We found that endothelial/endocardial inactivation of Smad4 led to the hypocellular AV cushion defect and that both reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis contributed to the defect. Expression of multiple genes critical for cushion development was down‐regulated in mutant embryos. In collagen gel assays, the number of mesenchymal cells formed is significantly reduced in mutant AV explants compared to that in control explants, suggesting that the reduction of cushion mesenchyme formation in mutants is unlikely secondary to their gross vasculature abnormalities. Using a previously developed immortal endocardial cell line, we showed that Smad4 is required for BMP signaling‐ stimulated upregulation of Tbx20 and Gata4. Therefore, our data collectively support the cell‐autonomous requirement of endocardial Smad4 in regulating AV cushion development. Developmental Dynamics, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A process for the production of a diacylglycerol‐based milk fat analogue
Authors: Lubary Marta , Hofland Gerard W. , ter Horst Joop H.
Published: November 2010

We propose a novel process for the production of a DAG‐rich acylglycerol mixture derived from milk fat. This product has potentially interesting nutritional properties, derived from both its high content of DAG and of short‐chain fatty acids (FAs). The proposed process consists of three steps: lipase‐catalysed partial ethanolysis of milk fat, extraction of the by‐product fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) and isomerization of DAG to increase the proportion of 1,3‐DAG. The experimental investigation of the process steps was done using milk fat and trilaurin. Several lipases were tested for maximizing the percentage of DAG in the acylglycerol mixture produced by ethanolysis. The selectivity of the chosen lipase was such that the produced AG mixture was enriched in short‐chain FAs in relation to the original milk fat. FAEEs were completely extracted from the ethanolysis mixture by SC‐CO2. In the final process step, we explored the reaction conditions for facilitating acyl migration in the DAG mixture, so that the equilibrium proportion of 1,3‐DAG (∼64%) was attained. Our results set the basis for the development of a simple process for the production of a DAG‐rich milk fat analogue.
Lipase‐catalyzed synthesis of partial acylglycerols of acetoacetate
Authors: Haas Michael J. , Fox Pamela S. , Foglia Thomas A.
Published: November 2010

Immobilized Rhizomucor miehei lipase (Lipozyme RMIM) was employed in the synthesis of partial acylglycerols of acetoacetate (C4H6O3, 3‐oxobutanoic acid). Both 1(3)‐sn‐monoacetoacetyl glycerol (MAcG) and 1,3‐sn‐diacetoacetyl glycerol (DAcG) resulting from esterification of glycerol with ethylacetoacetate were isolated and identified by 1H and 13C NMR. An HPLC method for the separation and quantitation of these species was developed. The effects on product yield of coordinate variations in the amounts of enzyme, water, ethyl acetoacetate, and the ratio of immobilizing silica to glycerol were explored. This allowed creation of predictive equations relating these variables to product yield. Reaction conditions were thereby identified and validated under which maximum yields of MAcG and/or DAcG or total ester were predicted. The production of both MAcG and DAcG was markedly sensitive to water, with optimal yields obtained within a narrow range of added water contents. Substantial excesses of ethylacetoacetate ameliorated the inhibitory effect of water. MAcG was effectively produced with the lowest amount of RMIM investigated. It was necessary to use larger amounts of lipase to achieve high yields of DAcG, and even then actual yields were only 30% of theoretical maximum. In the absence of silica only MAcG was produced.

Practical applications: Aceotacetyl esters of glycerol are potential prochiral building blocks for further chemical synthesis and exhibit the chemical reactivity of both the acetoacetyl moiety and of glycerol. They are thus of potential use in, for example, the production of biopolymers exhibiting any of a variety of features and functionalities. The use of enzymatic catalysis rather than chemical synthesis for their production offers advantages of reduced degradation and contamination due to the gentler reaction conditions characteristic of enzymatic catalysis, as well as a potential reduction in the costs to procure and dispose of catalyst.
Relationships between the transcriptome and physiological indicators of reproduction in female rainbow trout over an annual cycle
Authors: Hook Sharon E , Nagler James J , Cavileer Tim , Verducci Joseph , Liu Yushi , Hayton William , Schultz Irvin R
Published: November 2010

Normal transcriptomic patterns along the brain-pituitary-gonad-liver (BPGL) axis should be better characterized if endocrine-disrupting compound–induced changes in gene expression are to be understood. Female rainbow trout were studied over a complete year-long reproductive cycle. Tissue samples from pituitary, ovary, and liver were collected for microarray analysis using the 16K Genomic Research on Atlantic Salmon Project (GRASP) microarray and for quantitative polymerase chain reaction measures of estrogen receptor (ER) isoform messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Plasma was collected to determine levels of circulating estradiol-17β (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). As an a priori hypothesis, changes in gene expression were correlated to either circulating levels of E2, FSH, and LH, or ER mRNAs quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In the liver, most transcriptomic patterns correlated to levels of either E2, LH, or ERs. Fewer ovarian transcripts could be correlated to levels of E2, ERα, or FSH. No significant associations were obvious in the pituitary. As a post hoc hypothesis, changes in transcript abundance were compared with microarray features with known roles in gonadal maturation. Many altered transcripts in the ovary correlated to transcript levels of estradiol 17-beta-dehydrogenase 8 or 17 B HSD12, or to glycoprotein alpha chain 1 or 2. In the pituitary, genes involved with the growth axis (e.g., growth hormone, insulin-related growth factor binding protein) correlated with the most transcripts. These results suggest that transcriptional networks along the BPGL axis may be regulated by factors other than circulating steroid hormones. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:309–318. © 2010 SETAC
Iterative MMSE estimation of SINR for turbo‐coded FH‐SS systems in partial‐band interference and fading channels
Authors: Gomaa Ahmad , Elezabi Ayman
Published: November 2010

The minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimate of the signal‐to‐interference‐and‐noise ratio (SINR) is derived for turbo‐coded slow frequency hopping systems in the presence of partial‐band interference and Rayleigh fading. The MMSE estimator operates without training symbols and iteratively uses the turbo decoder extrinsic information to improve the accuracy of the SINR estimate. Performance comparisons are made with a genie‐aided MAP‐based estimator and near‐optimal performance is obtained for all but impractically small hop sizes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New dithiazinanes and bis‐dithiazinanes‐bearing pendant ethylamines: Structure and reactivity
Authors: Colorado‐Peralta Raúl , López‐Rocha Cristina A. , Sánchez‐Ruiz Sonia A. , Contreras Rosalinda , Flores‐Parra Angelina
Published: November 2010

The structure and reactivity of a series of new ethylaminedithiazinanes and bis‐diethylaminedithiazinanes synthesized from formaldehyde, NaSH, and N,N‐dimethyl‐ethylene‐diamine (1), N‐methyl‐ethylene‐diamine (2), and N‐ethyl‐ethylene‐diamine (3) are reported. Compound 1 afforded 2‐([1,3,5]‐dithiazinan‐5‐yl)‐ethylene‐N,N‐dimethyl‐amine (4). The reaction of 4 with dry CH2Cl2 gave N‐{2‐([1,3,5]dithiazinan‐5‐yl)‐ethylene}‐N‐chloromethyl‐N,N‐dimethyl‐ammonium chloride (5) in high yield, whereas in wet CH2Cl2 and DMSO provided a mixture of 5 with N‐{2‐([1,3,5]‐dithiazinan‐5‐yl)‐ethylene}‐N,N‐dimethyl‐ammonium hydrochloride (6).bis‐{2‐([1,3,5]‐Dithiazinan‐5‐yl)‐ethylene‐N‐alkyl‐amino}‐methylene‐disulfides (7) and (8) formed by two dithiazinanes linked through the chain (CH2)2NRCH2SSCH2NR(CH2)2‐ (7 R = methyl, 8 R = ethyl) reacted with CH2Cl2 giving after neutralization of the hydrolysis products the ethylaminedithiazinanes with different pendant N‐groups [(CH2)2NMeH2+(9); (CH2)2NEtH2+ (10); (CH2)2NMeH (11); (CH2)2NEtH (12); (CH2)2NMeHBH3 (13) (CH2)2NEtHBH3 (14). (CH2)2NMe2BH3 (15), and (CH2)2NEtMeBH3.(16)]. The x‐ray diffraction analyses of compounds 5, 6, 9, and 10 are reported. Variable temperature NMR experiments afforded the Δ G≠ of the ring interconversion of the six‐membered heterocycles 6, 9, and 10. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 22:59–71, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/hc.20657
No Resistance to Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Detected After up to 144 Weeks of Therapy in Patients Monoinfected With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Δ
Authors: Snow-Lampart Andrea , Chappell Brandi , Curtis Maria , Zhu Yuao , Myrick Florence , Schawalder James , Kitrinos Kathryn , Svarovskaia Evguenia S. , Miller Michael D. , Sorbel Jeff , Heathcote Jenny , Marcellin Patrick , Borroto-Esoda Katyna
Published: November 2010

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is a nucleotide analogue with potent activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV). To date, no reports of HBV clinical resistance to TDF have been confirmed. In two phase 3 studies (GS-US-174-0102 and GS-US-174-0103), 375 hepatitis B e antigen–negative (HBeAg−) patients and 266 HBeAg+ patients with chronic hepatitis B (some nucleoside-naive and some lamivudine-experienced) were randomized 2:1 to receive TDF (n = 426) or adefovir dipivoxil (ADV; n = 215) for 48 weeks. After week 48, eligible patients received open-label TDF with no interruption. The studies are being continued through week 384/year 8; week 144 data are presented here. Per protocol, viremic patients (HBV DNA level ≥ 400 copies/mL or 69 IU/mL) had the option of adding emtricitabine (FTC) at or after week 72. Resistance analyses of HBV polymerase/reverse transcriptase (pol/RT) were based on population dideoxy sequencing. Phenotypic analyses were conducted in HepG2 cells with recombinant HBV derived from patient serum. Most patients maintained TDF monotherapy treatment across both studies (607/641, 95%). A resistance analysis of HBV pol/RT was performed at the baseline for all patients, for viremic patients at week 144 or at the last time when they were on TDF monotherapy (34 on TDF and 19 on ADV-TDF), and for patients who remained viremic after the addition of FTC (7/20 on TDF and 5/14 on ADV-TDF). No patient developed amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to TDF. Virological breakthrough on TDF monotherapy was infrequent over 144 weeks (13/426, 3%) and was attributed to documented nonadherence in most cases (11/13, 85%). Persistent viremia (≥400 copies/mL) through week 144 was rare (5/641, 0.8%) and was not associated with virological resistance to TDF by population or clonal analyses.

Conclusion:

No nucleoside-naive or nucleoside-experienced patient developed HBV pol/RT mutations associated with TDF resistance after up to 144 weeks of exposure to TDF monotherapy. (HEPATOLOGY 2010)
Effects of the curvelet transform over interferometric images
Authors: Baena R. , Núñez J.
Published: November 2010

One of the major challenges of the current imaging techniques is to obtain good results from images acquired with interferometric techniques. The huge complexity of these images—presence of numerous negative pixels (∼50%), undesired structures introduced by the sparse sampling of the frequencial domain, noise, etc.—advises us to use multiresolution techniques to separate the different problems or features and isolate them in different scales at each resolution level. In this article, we introduce a new tool known as curvelets to work with these images. Its good properties, oriented to classify the visual information in the image depending on its elongated structures, make it an interesting tool to separate the real information from artifacts that belong to the psf sidelobes in different scales. We have decomposed, using both the Wavelet and the Curvelet transform, several interferometric images simulated and acquired with astronomical arrays of radiotelescopes, with which we cover a wide range of situations, and compared each coefficients scale obtained with both transforms. We have found that celestial sources shape keeps better its symmetry in each curvelet scale than in wavelets, and the capability of differentiation between extended sources and point ones is also higher. The identification of the sources is more clear with curvelets as well, because better with curvelets as well because of a high increase of the target enhancement respect the background in the negative pixels of the image. Furthermore, it is possible to create scales with only psf sidelobe information. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 333–353, 2010
Virtual view synthesis method and self‐evaluation metrics for free viewpoint television and 3D video
Authors: Oh Kwan‐Jung , Yea Sehoon , Vetro Anthony , Ho Yo‐Sung
Published: November 2010

Virtual view synthesis is one of the most important techniques to realize free viewpoint television and three‐dimensional (3D) video. In this article, we propose a view synthesis method to generate high‐quality intermediate views in such applications and new evaluation metrics named as spatial peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and temporal peak signal‐to‐noise ratio to measure spatial and temporal consistency, respectively. The proposed view synthesis method consists of five major steps: depth preprocessing, depth‐based 3D warping, depth‐based histogram matching, base plus assistant view blending, and depth‐based hole‐filling. The efficiency of the proposed view synthesis method has been verified by evaluating the quality of synthesized images with various metrics such as peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, structural similarity, discrete cosine transform (DCT)‐based video quality metric, and the newly proposed metrics. We have also confirmed that the synthesized images are objectively and subjectively natural. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 378–390, 2010
An effective approach for wavelet lifting based on filter optimization and median operator
Authors: Quan Do , Ho Yo‐Sung
Published: November 2010

In JPEG2000, the Cohen–Daubechies–Feauveau (CDF) 9/7‐tap wavelet filter implemented by using the conventional lifting scheme has two problems. The first problem is that the filter coefficients are remaining complex; second, the conventional lifting scheme ignores image edges in the coding process. In this article, we propose an effective wavelet lifting scheme to solve these problems. For this purpose, we design the optimal 9/7‐tap wavelet filters in two steps. In the first step, we select the appropriate filter coefficients; in the second step, we employ a median operator to consider image edges. Experimental results from using the median lifting scheme and combining filter optimization and median lifting show that our proposed methods outperform the well‐known CDF 9/7‐tap wavelet filter of JPEG2000 on edge‐dominant images. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 359–366, 2010
Identification of copy–paste regions in digital image
Authors: Jajal Brijesh , Desai Vipul
Published: November 2010

In recent technocrat world, an alteration of a digital image is more ubiquitous amongst techno‐savvy professionals, which has also been proved recurrent even for laymen. This has been popularized on account of a lucid access of different types of image‐editing software. Copying a particular region from a digital image to selective location within the same image is one of the good citations of image doctoring. Usually, the bitmap pictures are represented in the form of three‐channel color image, in which the algorithm identifies the similar areas with an assumption of image acquisition in 24 bits Bitmap format. In the present article, an exclusive procedure was applied to produce an output image, pinpointing the copy–paste area with more than 90% accuracy. The resultant image was depicting a forgery operation presumed to be performed, which determined two areas of similarity. A novel approach of 1‐connected graph was applied, as the forgery is not believed to be done in the form of a petite point‐like area. Finally, the forgery area was exposed with an aid of discerning color value, commonly as a black color for an apparent visibility of an image. The present application will be a tool in image forensics that can be applicable to identify the copy–paste regions in a single bitmap image. This article refers to a new approach for detecting the image portions which are copied from another image. Besides, the present investigation discusses an algorithm effectively implemented to determine the areas formed by copy–paste operation in an image. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 367–369, 2010
Joint coding of multiview video and depth data using virtual view synthesis
Authors: Na Sang‐Tae , Ho Yo‐Sung
Published: November 2010

To compress multiview video and depth information, we synthesize a virtual image for the current view using color and depth data of neighboring views. In this article, we then use a view interpolation prediction scheme at the virtual image to improve the inter‐view prediction. We also propose a solution for overlapping regions and empty holes that are generated during the intermediate view synthesis process due to occlusion and disocclusion situations. Experimental results show that the proposed methods achieve approximately 0.65 dB of Peak Signal‐to‐Noise Ratio (PSNR) gain on average for multiview depth data and 0.17 dB of PSNR gain for multiview video coding, compared with the reference software, Joint Multiview Video Model 1.0. We also show that our method is even more powerful for smaller search ranges. Furthermore, we examine the effects of inter‐view prediction on hierarchical B‐pictures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 370–377, 2010
Learning methods for melanoma recognition
Authors: Torre Elisabetta La , Caputo Barbara , Tommasi Tatiana
Published: November 2010

Melanoma is the most deadly skin cancer. Early diagnosis is a challenge for clinicians. Current algorithms for skin lesions' classification focus mostly on segmentation and feature extraction. This article instead puts the emphasis on the learning process, testing the recognition performance of three different classifiers: support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network andk‐nearest neighbor. Extensive experiments were run on a database of more than 5000 dermoscopy images. The obtained results show that the SVM approach outperforms the other methods reaching an average recognition rate of 82.5% comparable with those obtained by skilled clinicians. If confirmed, our data suggest that this method may improve classification results of a computer‐assisted diagnosis of melanoma. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 20, 316–322, 2010
Mechanical contributions of the cortical and trabecular compartments contribute to differences in age-related changes in vertebral body strength in men and women assessed by QCT-based finite element analysis
Authors: Christiansen Blaine A , Kopperdahl David L , Kiel Douglas P , Keaveny Tony M , Bouxsein Mary L
Published: November 2010

The biomechanical mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in age-related vertebral fracture rates are ill defined. To gain insight into this issue, we used finite element analysis of clinical computed tomography (CT) scans of the vertebral bodies of L3 and T10 of young and old men and women to assess age- and sex-related differences in the strength of the whole vertebra, the trabecular compartment, and the peripheral compartment (the outer 2 mm of vertebral bone, including the thin cortical shell). We sought to determine whether structural and geometric changes with age differ in men and women, making women more susceptible to vertebral fractures. As expected, we found that vertebral strength decreased with age 2-fold more in women than in men. The strength of the trabecular compartment declined significantly with age for both sexes, whereas the strength of the peripheral compartment decreased with age in women but was largely maintained in men. The proportion of mechanical strength attributable to the peripheral compartment increased with age in both sexes and at both vertebral levels. Taken together, these results indicate that men and women lose vertebral bone differently with age, particularly in the peripheral (cortical) compartment. This differential bone loss explains, in part, a greater decline in bone strength in women and may contribute to the higher incidence of vertebral fractures among women than men. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Vitamin K status in spaceflight and ground-based models of spaceflight
Authors: Zwart Sara R , Booth Sarah L , Peterson James W , Wang Zuwei , Smith Scott M
Published: November 2010

Bone loss is a well-documented change during and after long-duration spaceflight. Many types of countermeasures to bone loss have been proposed, including vitamin K supplementation. The objective of this series of studies was to measure change in vitamin K status in response to microgravity under a variety of spaceflight and spaceflight analog (model) conditions, including long-duration spaceflight studies (n = 15), three bed rest studies (n = 15, 49, and 24), and a 14-day saturation dive (n = 6). In crew members who flew 2–6 months on the International Space Station, in-flight and postflight plasma phylloquinone concentrations were unchanged from the preflight mean. Consistent with this finding, urinary γ-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA), a measure of vitamin K-dependent protein turnover, did not change in response to flight. Serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin (%ucOC), a measure of vitamin K function, was generally unchanged in response to flight. Spaceflight findings were corroborated by findings of no changes in phylloquinone, urinary GLA, or %ucOC during or after bed rest in three separate bed rest studies (21–90 days in duration) or after a 14-day saturation dive. The data presented here do not support either a need for vitamin K supplementation during spaceflight or the suggestion of using vitamin K as a bone loss countermeasure in spaceflight. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Is bone loss the reversal of bone accrual? evidence from a cross-sectional study in daughter-mother-grandmother trios
Authors: Wang Qin , Xu Leiting , Wang Qingju , Chen Decai , Tian Haoming , Lu Chunyan , Cheng Shumei , Völgyi Eszter , Wiklund Petri , Munukka Eveliina , Nicholson Patrick , Alén Markku , Cheng Sulin
Published: November 2010

Bone adapts to mechanical loads applied on it. During aging, loads decrease to a greater extent at those skeletal sites where loads increase most in earlier life. Thus, the loss of bone may occur preferentially at sites where most bone has been deposited previously; ie, bone loss could be the directional reversal of accrual. To test this hypothesis, we compared the bone mass distribution at weight-bearing (tibia) and non-weight-bearing (radius) bones among 18-year-old girls, their premenopausal mothers, and their postmenopausal maternal grandmothers. Bone and muscle properties were measured by pQCT, and polar distribution of bone mass was obtained in 55 girl-mother–maternal grandmother trios. Site-matched differences in bone mass were compared among three generations. The differences between girls and mothers and between mothers and grandmothers were used to represent the patterns of bone mass accrual from early adulthood to middle age and bone loss from middle to old age, respectively. Compared to the mothers, 18-year old girls had less bone mass in the anterior and medial-posterior regions of the tibial shaft, while the grandmothers had less bone in the anterior and posterior regions. In contrast, the bone mass differences in the radial shaft between girls and mothers and mothers and grandmothers were relatively uniform. We conclude that both bone accrual and loss are direction-specific in weight-bearing bones but relatively uniform in non-weight-bearing bones. Bone loss in old age is largely, but not completely, a reversal of the preferential deposition of bone in the most highly loaded regions during early life. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Epidermal growth factor receptor plays an anabolic role in bone metabolism in vivo
Authors: Zhang Xianrong , Tamasi Joseph , Lu Xin , Zhu Ji , Chen Haiyan , Tian Xiaoyan , Lee Tang-Cheng , Threadgill David W , Kream Barbara E , Kang Yibin , Partridge Nicola C , Qin Ling
Published: November 2010

While the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–mediated signaling pathway has been shown to have vital roles in many developmental and pathologic processes, its functions in the development and homeostasis of the skeletal system has been poorly defined. To address its in vivo role, we constructed transgenic and pharmacologic mouse models and used peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), micro–computed tomography (µCT) and histomorphometry to analyze their trabecular and cortical bone phenotypes. We initially deleted the EGFR in preosteoblasts/osteoblasts using a Cre/loxP system (Col-Cre Egfrf/f), but no bone phenotype was observed because of incomplete deletion of the Egfr genomic locus. To further reduce the remaining osteoblastic EGFR activity, we introduced an EGFR dominant-negative allele, Wa5, and generated Col-Cre EgfrWa5/f mice. At 3 and 7 months of age, both male and female mice exhibited a remarkable decrease in tibial trabecular bone mass with abnormalities in trabecular number and thickness. Histologic analyses revealed decreases in osteoblast number and mineralization activity and an increase in osteoclast number. Significant increases in trabecular pattern factor and structural model index indicate that trabecular microarchitecture was altered. The femurs of these mice were shorter and smaller with reduced cortical area and periosteal perimeter. Moreover, colony-forming unit–fibroblast (CFU-F) assay indicates that these mice had fewer bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and committed progenitors. Similarly, administration of an EGFR inhibitor into wild-type mice caused a significant reduction in trabecular bone volume. In contrast, EgfrDsk5/+ mice with a constitutively active EGFR allele displayed increases in trabecular and cortical bone content. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the EGFR signaling pathway is an important bone regulator and that it primarily plays an anabolic role in bone metabolism. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Rs 6313 polymorphism in 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A gene association with polysymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Wei Chang‐Ching , Wan Lei , Lin Wen‐Yuan , Tsai Fuu‐Jen
Published: November 2010

Background: Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) were used to treat nocturnal enuresis (NE) for decades of years although their real mechanisms are unknown. Recently, some case studies demonstrated the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in the treatment of NE. Both TCA and SSRI have similar influences on serotonin transmission. This study was aimed at evaluating whether 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (5HTR2A) gene is associated with NE.Methods: We analyzed rs6313 polymorphism in 5HTR2A gene of 213 Taiwanese children (116 NE cases and 97 healthy control subjects) using polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism.Results: There were no significant differences when comparing the genotypes and allelic frequencies of rs6313 polymorphism in 5HTR2A gene between patients with NE and control subjects. However, when subsequently comparing 5HTR2A genotypes and allelic frequencies in NE child with different phenotypes, genotypes TT and TC appeared higher risks of polysymptomatic NE compared with CC (odds ratio (OR)=10.71, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.66–43.12; OR=2.68, 95% CI=0.67–10.75, respectively;P=0.0002); and allele T also revealed higher frequencies of polysymptomatic NE compared with allele C (OR=3.7, 95% CI=2.01–6.79,P=0.000015).Conclusions: This is the first study that shows the association between 5HTR2A gene polymorphisms and polysymptomatic NE. These results provide further evidence suggesting that genetic variations at 5HTR2A may influence NE treatment response. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:371–375, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of tissue disorder markers in the evaluation of disease progress and outcome prediction: a prospective cohort study in non‐cardiac critically ill patients
Authors: Ye Jing , Chen Zi , Wang Tingsong , Tong Jianjing , Li Xiaoguang , Jiang Jie , Chen Erzhen , Lu Yiming
Published: November 2010

Background: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) has a remarkable association with clinical syndrome, life expectancy, and length of ward stay. But the defects are obvious. It is crucial to detect an effective and convenient evaluation method to monitor disease progress and predict outcome. Objective: To determine whether myoglobin (Mb) and other five tissue disorder biomarkers, troponin‐I, creatine‐kinase, creatine kinase–muscle brain, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase are independent predictors of disease progress and mortality in non‐cardiac critical illness. Methods: A prospective study with 179 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit was conducted. All serum tissue disorder markers and APACHE‐II score were measured within 24 hr of admission. Results: All the six biomarkers were significantly correlated with disease severity stratified by APACHE‐II and outcome. Serial blood samples were taken from 17 patients on detection of two new organs failure. The occurrence of organs failure was significantly associated with the elevation of Mb, troponin‐I, and APACHE‐II. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated Mb was the principal risk factor related to mortality either during hospitalization or 180‐day followup. Kaplan–Meier method and log‐rank test also showed that patients with elevated Mb levels had significantly shorter survival. The mortality was higher in patients with both Mb>500 ng/ml and APACHE‐II>20 than in those with only Mb>500 ng/ml or APACHE‐II>20. Conclusion: All the six tissue disorder markers are predictors of disease severity, organ failure, and outcome in non‐cardiac critically illness. Among them, Mb plays a pivotable role. The combined use of Mb and APACHE‐II suggest an effective method to determine the outcome of critical ill syndrome. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:376–384, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Platelet count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are good predictors of Kawasaki disease: ROC analysis
Authors: Xiu‐Yu Song , Jia‐Yu Huang , Qiang Hong , Shu‐Hui Dai
Published: November 2010

Background and Aims: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired pediatric cardiac disease and requires a timely diagnosis. Available effective therapy is ideally administered within 10 days of illness diagnosis. Recent reports of several laboratory tests in KD have been published. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of several laboratory tests. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients diagnosed with KD from January to December 2008. We studied the sensitivity and specificity of several different tests [T‐cell subgroups, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C‐reactive protein (CRP)] to predict KD using receiveroperator characteristic curve analysis. Results: No significant difference was demonstrated in T‐cell subgroups between patients with KD and referent patients (P>0.05). However, platelet count, ESR, and CRP were significantly higher in patients with KD than in referent patients (P<0.05). ESR showed a sensitivity of 93.9% and specificity of 83.3% with a cut‐off of 15 mm/hr (area under the curve [AUC], 89.1%; P=0.03). Platelet count showed a sensitivity of 70.6% and specificity of 75% with a cut‐off of 336.5×109/l (AUC, 71.2%; P=0.03). Conclusions: These results indicate that platelet count and ESR are good predictors of KD. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:385–388, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ischemia‐modified albumin in acute aortic dissection
Authors: Sbarouni Eftihia , Georgiadou Panagiota , Marathias Aikaterini , Panagiotakos Demosthenes , Geroulanos Stefanos , Voudris Vassilis
Published: November 2010

Background: Acute aortic dissection (AOD) is associated with high mortality and early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Ischemia‐modified albumin (IMA) is a marker of myocardial ischemia whereas cardiac enzymes are released when myocardial necrosis occurs. We investigated, for the first time, whether IMA increases in AOD either at presentation or after surgery. Methods: We studied 46 consecutive patients with documented AOD; we also evaluated 13 consecutive patients with dilated ascending aortas scheduled for elective surgery and admitted for preoperative coronary angiography; 46 age‐matched normal subjects served as controls. Only patients with acute onset of symptoms were included. We evaluated IMA, cardiac enzymes, N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriureticpeptide, albumin, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and D‐dimers on admission, 24 hr post‐operatively and 4 days post‐operatively. Duration from symptom onset to the first sample was 23±17 hr. Results: IMA did not differ between patients with AOD at presentation (93±19 U/ml), patients with chronic aneurysms (90±14 U/ml) and normal controls (91±9 U/ml). In addition, IMA did not change significantly after surgical repair. IMA, at baseline, however, correlated positively with time from symptom onset as well as CRP levels (P=0.05 and P=0.007, respectively). Conclusion: IMA is not elevated in AOD when blood sampling is performed within 23±17 hr after symptom onset nor increases after surgery. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:399–402, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.