bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clean Procedure and DFT Study for the Synthesis of 2‐Amino‐3‐ethoxycarbonyl‐4‐(aryl)‐4H‐pyrano‐[3,2‐c]‐chromene‐5‐ones Derivatives: A Novel Class of Potential Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Agents
Authors: Medyouni R. , Hamdi N. , Ben Said R. , Al-Ayed A. S. , Zagrouba Fethi
Published: October 2012

2‐Amino‐3‐ethoxycarbonyl‐4‐(aryl)‐4H‐pyrano‐[3,2‐c]‐chromene‐5‐ones 5 is synthesized by the two‐component reaction of 4‐hydroxycouamrin with ethyl‐2‐cyano‐3‐(aryl) acrylate 3. The structures of the obtained compounds are confirmed by analytical IR, 1H, and 13C‐NMR spectra to elucidate the different positions of protons and carbons and as well as theoretic studies (DFT/B3LYP). All the newly synthesized compounds are screened for their antibacterial. Furthermore, these compounds showed antioxidant activities of different extents with respect to individual compounds as well as to the antioxidant methods. The compounds 5a–e were found to be the most active antioxidant in the series then Trolox, which makes the investigated complexes a promising new class of antibacterial activity compounds.
Kinetic Study of the Oxidation of Catechols in the Presence of N‐Methylaniline
Authors: Khalafi Lida , Rafiee Mohammad , Shahbak Maryam , Shirmohammadi Hamidreza
Published: October 2012

The reactions of electrochemically generated o‐quinones from oxidation of catechol and 4‐methylcatechol as Michael acceptors with N‐methylaniline as nucleophile have been studied using cyclic voltammetry. Voltammetric responses show that oxidation of catechols is followed by Michael addition of N‐methylaniline. The reaction products are believed to be diphenylamine derivatives of catechols that undergo electron transfer at more negative potentials than the catechols. The observed homogeneous rate constants (kobs) for Michael addition were estimated by digital simulation and show that the reactivity of 4‐methyluinone is considerably less than o‐quinone. The oxidation potentials of the desired products drastically depend on the solution pH and their structures.
Synthesis of Oxovanadium(IV) Complexes with Tetraaza Coordinating Ligands
Authors: Singh Sanjay , Yadav Hardeo S. , Yadava Ashok Kumar , Rao Devendra Pratap
Published: October 2012

Oxovanadium(IV) complexes of the type [VO(mac)]SO4 (where mac = tetraaza macrocyclic ligands derived by condensation of thenil with 1,4‐diaminobenzene or 3,4‐diaminopyridine and their reaction with β‐diketones) have been prepared using vanadyl ion as kinetic template. The prepared macrocyclic complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, magnetic moments, and infrared, electronic, and electron spin resonance data. From the spectroscopic studies, five‐coordinate square‐pyramidal geometry for the VO2+ complexes have been proposed wherein derived ligands act as tetradentate chelating agents.
Adipokines in Plasma and Breast Tissues: Associations with Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Authors: Llanos Adana A. , Dumitrescu Ramona G. , Marian Catalin , Makambi Kepher H. , Spear Scott L. , Kallakury Bhaskar V.S. , Perry David J. , Convit Rafael J. , Platek Mary E. , Millen Amy E. , Adams-Campbell Lucile L. , Freudenheim Jo L. , Shields Peter G.
Published: October 2012

Background: Blood adipokines are associated with breast cancer risk; however, blood–breast adipokine correlations and factors that explain variation in adipokines are unknown.

Methods: Plasma (n = 155) and breast (n = 85) leptin and adiponectin were assessed by immunoassays in women with no history of cancer. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to determine breast adipokine associations.

Results: Through body mass index (BMI)-adjusted analyses, we initially observed positive plasma–breast correlations for leptin (r = 0.41, P = 0.0002) and adiponectin (r = 0.23, P = 0.05). The positive plasma–breast correlation for leptin was strongest among normal weight women (r = 0.62), whereas the correlation for adiponectin was strongest among obese women (r = 0.31). In multivariable models, adjusting for BMI, demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors, plasma leptin was not associated with breast leptin, and only the highest quartile of plasma adiponectin was associated with tissue levels. Of the risk factors investigated, those that contributed most to the variation in breast tissue adipokines were BMI and race for leptin, oral contraceptive use and smoking status for adiponectin.

Conclusions: Although we report positive plasma–breast adipokine correlations overall, plasma adipokine concentrations may not be good surrogates for breast concentrations among all women. Predictors of breast adipokines vary, depending on subject characteristics, possibly explaining inconsistent epidemiologic results and they implicate differing pathways toward carcinogenesis.

Impact: A clearer understanding of the relationships between plasma adipokines and their levels within the target organ is necessary to better understand the impact of these hormones on breast cancer risk. Future studies are needed to identify additional factors associated with breast adipokines in target tissues. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1745–55. ©2012 AACR.
A Cluster Randomized Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of Patient Navigation in Improving Quality of Diagnostic Care for Patients with Breast or Colorectal Cancer Abnormalities
Authors: Wells Kristen J. , Lee Ji-Hyun , Calcano Ercilia R. , Meade Cathy D. , Rivera Marlene , Fulp William J. , Roetzheim Richard G.
Published: October 2012

Background: This study examines efficacy of a lay patient navigation (PN) program aimed to reduce time between a cancer abnormality and definitive diagnosis among racially/ethnically diverse and medically underserved populations of Tampa Bay, Florida.

Methods: Using a cluster randomized design, the study consisted of 11 clinics (six navigated; five control). Patients were navigated from time of a breast or colorectal abnormality to diagnostic resolution, and to completion of cancer treatment. Using a generalized mixed-effects model to assess intervention effects, we examined: (i) length of time between abnormality and definitive diagnosis, and (ii) receipt of definitive diagnosis within the 6-month minimum follow-up period.

Results: A total of 1,267 patients participated (588 navigated; 679 control). We also included data from an additional 309 chart abstractions (139 navigated arm; 170 control arm) that assessed outcomes at baseline. PN did not have a significant effect on time to diagnostic resolution in multivariable analysis that adjusted for race-ethnicity, language, insurance status, marital status, and cancer site (P = 0.16). Although more navigated patients achieved diagnostic resolution by 180 days, results were not statistically significant (74.5% navigated vs. 68.5% control, P = 0.07).

Conclusions: PN did not impact the overall time to completion of diagnostic care or the number of patients who reached diagnostic resolution of a cancer abnormality. Further evaluation of PN programs applied to other patient populations across the cancer continuum is necessary to gain a better perspective on its effectiveness.

Impact: PN programs may not impact timely resolution of an abnormality suspicious of breast or colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1664–72. ©2012 AACR.
Impact of Breast Cancer Subtypes and Treatment on Survival: An Analysis Spanning Two Decades
Authors: Haque Reina , Ahmed Syed A. , Inzhakova Galina , Shi Jiaxiao , Avila Chantal , Polikoff Jonathan , Bernstein Leslie , Enger Shelley M. , Press Michael F.
Published: October 2012

Background: We investigated the impact of breast cancer molecular subtypes and treatment on survival in a cohort of medically insured women followed for more than 20 years.

Methods: We examined 934 female members of an integrated health care delivery system newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1988 and 1995 and followed them through 2008. Tumors were classified into four molecular subtypes on the basis of their expression profile: luminal A; luminal B; basal-like; and HER2-enriched. We followed women from the surgery date to death, health plan disenrollment, or study's end. HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were fit using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for cancer treatments and tumor characteristics.

Results: A total of 223 (23.9%) women died because of breast cancer during the 21-year study period. Compared with women with luminal A tumors, women with HER2-enriched (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.53–4.29) and luminal B tumors (HR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.08–3.54) had roughly a two-fold increased adjusted risk of breast cancer mortality. In addition, the survival curves suggest that risk of late mortality persists in women with luminal A tumors.

Conclusion: Among women with health care coverage, molecular subtypes were important predictors of breast cancer mortality. Women with HER2-enriched tumors and luminal B subtypes had the poorest survival despite adjusting for important covariates.

Impact: In a cohort followed for more than 20 years, women with HER2-enriched tumors had worse survival, but interestingly, the survival curve for women with luminal A tumors continued to steadily decline after 10 years of follow-up. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1848–55. ©2012 AACR.
Patient Navigation for Breast and Colorectal Cancer Treatment: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Fiscella Kevin , Whitley Elizabeth , Hendren Samantha , Raich Peter , Humiston Sharon , Winters Paul , Jean-Pierre Pascal , Valverde Patricia , Thorland William , Epstein Ronald
Published: October 2012

Background: There is limited high-quality evidence about the impact of patient navigation (PN) on outcomes for patients with diagnosed cancer.

Methods: We pooled data from two sites from the national Patient Navigation Research Program. Patients (n = 438) with newly diagnosed breast (n = 353) or colorectal cancer (n = 85) were randomized to PN or usual care. Trained lay navigators met with patients randomized to PN to help them assess treatment barriers and identify resources to overcome barriers. We used intent-to-treat analysis to assess time to completion of primary treatment, psychologic distress (impact of events scale), and satisfaction (patient satisfaction with cancer-related care) within 3 months after initiation of cancer treatment.

Results: The sample was predominantly middle-aged (mean age = 57) and female (90%); 44% were race-ethnic minorities (44%), 46% reported lower education levels, 18% were uninsured, and 9% reported a non-English primary language. The randomized groups were comparable in baseline characteristics. Primary analysis showed no statistically significant group differences in time to completion of primary cancer treatment, satisfaction with cancer-related care, or psychologic distress. Subgroup analysis showed that socially disadvantaged patients (i.e., uninsured, low English proficiency, and non-English primary language) who received PN reported higher satisfaction than those receiving usual care (all P < 0.05). Navigated patients living alone reported greater distress than those receiving usual care.

Conclusions: Although the primary analysis showed no overall benefit, the subgroup analysis suggests that PN may improve satisfaction with care for certain disadvantaged individuals.

Impact: PN for cancer patients may not necessarily reduce treatment time nor distress. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1673–81. ©2012 AACR.
Patient Navigation Improves Cancer Diagnostic Resolution: An Individually Randomized Clinical Trial in an Underserved Population
Authors: Raich Peter C. , Whitley Elizabeth M. , Thorland William , Valverde Patricia , Fairclough Diane
Published: October 2012

Background: Barriers to timely resolution of abnormal cancer screening tests add to cancer health disparities among low-income, uninsured, and minority populations. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the impact of lay patient navigators on time to resolution and completion of follow-up testing among patients with abnormal screening tests in a medically underserved patient population.

Methods: Denver Health, the safety-net health care system serving Denver, is one of 10 performance sites participating in the Patient Navigation Research Program. Of 993 eligible subjects with abnormal screening tests randomized to navigation and no-navigation (control) arms and analyzed, 628 had abnormal breast screens (66 abnormal clinical breast examinations, 304 BIRADS 0, 200 BIRADS 3, 58 BIRADS 4 or 5) whereas 235 had abnormal colorectal and 130 had abnormal prostate screens.

Results: Time to resolution was significantly shorter in the navigated group (stratified log rank test, P < 0.001). Patient navigation improved diagnostic resolution for patients presenting with mammographic BIRADS 3 (P = 0.0003) and BIRADS 0 (P = 0.09), but not BIRADS 4/5 or abnormal breast examinations. Navigation shortened the time for both colorectal (P = 0.0017) and prostate screening resolution (P = 0.06). Participant demographics included 72% minority, 49% with annual household income less than $10,000, and 36% uninsured.

Conclusions: Patient navigation positively impacts time to resolution of abnormal screening tests for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers in a medically underserved population.

Impact: By shortening the time to and increasing the proportion of patients with diagnostic resolution patient navigation could reduce disparities in stage at diagnosis and improve cancer outcomes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1629–38. ©2012 AACR.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Patient Navigation for Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients: Effects on Quality of Life
Authors: Hendren Samantha , Griggs Jennifer J. , Epstein Ronald , Humiston Sharon , Jean-Pierre Pascal , Winters Paul , Sanders Mechelle , Loader Starlene , Fiscella Kevin
Published: October 2012

Background: Patient navigation is a promising intervention to ameliorate cancer health disparities. This study objective was to measure patient navigation effects on cancer-specific quality of life (QOL) among patients with newly diagnosed cancer.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial of patient navigation was conducted in Rochester, NY. Patients with breast cancer and colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to receive a patient navigation intervention or usual care. QOL was measured at baseline and four subsequent time points, using the validated Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B, FACT-C) instruments.

Results: Among 319 randomized patients (165 patient navigation, 154 control), median age was 57 years and 32.5% were from minority race/ethnicity groups. Patient navigation and control groups were comparable on baseline factors, except home ownership versus renting (more home ownership among controls, P = 0.05) and race (more whites among controls, P = 0.05). Total and subscale FACT scores did not differ between groups when analyzed as a change from baseline to 3 months, or at various time points. The emotional well-being subscale change from baseline approached significance (better change among patient navigation group, P = 0.05). Time trends of QOL measures did not differ significantly between groups. Adjustment for baseline patient factors did not reveal a benefit of patient navigation on QOL.

Conclusions: In this randomized trial of patient navigation, there was no statistically significant effect on disease-specific QOL.

Impact: These results suggest that patient navigation may not affect QOL during cancer treatment, that social/medical support are adequate in this study's setting, or that the trial failed to target patients likely to experience QOL benefit from patient navigation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1682–90. ©2012 AACR.
Vitamin D Receptor Gene Haplotypes and Polymorphisms and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Nested Case–Control Study
Authors: Engel Lawrence S. , Orlow Irene , Sima Camelia S. , Satagopan Jaya , Mujumdar Urvi , Roy Pampa , Yoo Sarah , Sandler Dale P. , Alavanja Michael C.
Published: October 2012

Background: Observational and experimental studies suggest that vitamin D may influence breast cancer etiology. Most known effects of vitamin D are mediated via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Few polymorphisms in the VDR gene have been well studied in relation to breast cancer risk and results have been inconsistent.

Methods: We investigated VDR polymorphisms and haplotypes in relation to breast cancer risk by genotyping 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) that (i) had known/suspected impact on VDR function, (ii) were tagging SNPs for the three VDR haplotype blocks among whites, or (iii) were previously associated with breast cancer risk. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in relation to breast cancer risk among 270 incident cases and 554 matched controls within the Agricultural Health Study cohort.

Results: In individual SNP analyses, homozygous carriers of the minor allele for rs2544038 had significantly increased breast cancer risk (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0–2.5) and homozygous carriers of the minor allele for rs11168287 had significantly decreased risk (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–1.0). Carriers of the minor allele for rs2239181 exhibited marginally significant association with risk (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 0.9–2.0). Haplotype analyses revealed three haplotype groups (blocks “A,” “B,” and “C”). Haplotype GTCATTTCCTA in block B was significantly associated with reduced risk (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.9).

Conclusions: These results suggest that variation in VDR may be associated with breast cancer risk.

Impact: Our findings may help guide future research needed to define the role of vitamin D in breast cancer prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1856–67. ©2012 AACR.
Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen Concentration and Hemodilution among Chinese Middle-Aged Obese Men: A Hematocrit-Based Equation for Plasma Volume Estimation Is Induced
Authors: Li Feng , Shen Zhenhai , Lu Yun , Yun Jingting , Fan Yupeng
Published: October 2012

Background: A hematocrit (HCT)-based and a body surface area (BSA)–based equations were applied for plasma volume (PV) estimation, respectively, to confirm and quantify the hemodilution effect in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening among obese men. The agreement between the equations was additionally investigated.

Methods: A total of 1,444 men were retrospectively collected, with ages 40 to 65 years, PSA 0 to 4 ng/mL, and no prostate cancer. PSA mass was calculated as PSA concentration multiplied by PV. Multivariable linear regression models, theoretical models, and the Bland–Altman method were used.

Results: PSA concentration significantly decreased with increasing body mass index (BMI; β = −0.011, P < 0.001); however, PSA mass estimated by HCT- (β = 0.004, P = 0.132) and BSA (β = −0.003, P = 0.094)-based equations remained consistent. A screening PSA of 4.0 ng/mL in nonobese men was found to be corresponding to 3.32 and 3.68 ng/mL in obese men extrapolated by PV on the basis of HCT and BSA, respectively. Moreover, the mean (95% confidence interval) difference of PV between the two equations was 0.33 (−0.06 to 0.73) L.

Conclusions: The inverse relationship between PSA concentration and BMI might be explained by a hemodilution effect among obese men. There is significant variation in PV calculated by the two equations.

Impact: A value between 3.32 and 3.68 ng/mL might be recommended for PSA screening in middle-aged obese Asian men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1731–4. ©2012 AACR.
Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length with Colorectal Cancer Risk: Nested Case–Control Findings from the Shanghai Women's Health Study
Authors: Cui Yong , Cai Qiuyin , Qu Shimian , Chow Wong-Ho , Wen Wanqing , Xiang Yong-Bing , Wu Jie , Rothman Nathaniel , Yang Gong , Shu Xiao-Ou , Gao Yu-Tang , Zheng Wei
Published: October 2012

Background: Telomeres are specialized chromatin structures essential for maintenance of chromosomal integrity and stability. Abnormal alteration of telomere length has been linked to several cancers; however, epidemiologic evidence about the association of telomere length with colorectal cancer risk has been conflicting.

Methods: We conducted a nested case–control study to evaluate the association between telomere length and colorectal cancer risk using peripheral blood samples collected before cancer diagnosis. The study included 441 women with incident colorectal cancer and 549 matched controls. Monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR was applied to measure relative telomere length. Multiple logistic regressions were used to derive adjusted OR with 95% confidence intervals (CI) as the measure of association between telomere length and subsequent colorectal cancer risk.

Results: A U-shaped association was observed between telomere length and colorectal cancer risk (test for nonlinearity P = 0.0112). Women with telomere length in the third quintile (40th–60th percentiles) had the lowest risk of colorectal cancer, and the risks were elevated with a shorter or longer telomere length. This U-shaped association did not statistically differ for colon cancer and rectum cancer.

Conclusions and Impact: Our prospective study revealed a U-shaped association between telomere length in peripheral blood cells and colorectal cancer risk. Our findings provide strong evidence that both very short and very long telomeres are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1807–13. ©2012 AACR.
Associations of Serum Sex Steroid Hormone and 5α-Androstane-3α,17β-Diol Glucuronide Concentrations with Prostate Cancer Risk Among Men Treated with Finasteride
Authors: Kristal Alan R. , Till Cathee , Tangen Catherine M. , Goodman Phyllis J. , Neuhouser Marian L. , Stanczyk Frank Z. , Chu Lisa W. , Patel Sherfaraz K. , Thompson Ian M. , Reichardt Juergen K. , Hoque Ashraful , Platz Elizabeth A. , Figg William D. , Van Bokhoven Adrie , Lippman Scott M. , Hsing Ann W.
Published: October 2012

Background: Finasteride, an inhibitor of 5α-reductase (type II), lowers intraprostatic dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is reflected in serum as reduced 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol glucuronide (3α-dG). It also modestly increases serum testosterone (T), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2). In this altered hormonal milieu, it is unknown whether serum concentrations of these hormones are associated with prostate cancer risk.

Methods: In this nested case–control study of men in the finasteride arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, sex steroid hormones and sex hormone binding globulin were measured at baseline and approximately 3-year posttreatment in 553 prostate cancer cases and 694 controls.

Results: Median posttreatment changes in concentrations of 3α-dG, T, E1, and E2 were −73.8%, +10.1%, +11.2%, and +7.5% (all P < 0.001), respectively. Neither the pre- nor posttreatment concentrations of 3α-dG, nor its change, were associated with risk. Pretreatment, high concentrations of E1 and low concentrations of T were associated with increased cancer risk [OR; 95% confidence interval (CI) quartile 4 vs. 1: 1.38 (0.99–1.93) Ptrend = 0.03; 0.64 (0.43–0.93) Ptrend = 0.07, respectively]. Posttreatment, high concentrations of both E1 and E2 were associated with increased cancer risk [OR; 95% CI quartile 4 vs. 1: 1.54 (1.09–2.17) Ptrend = 0.03; 1.49 (1.07–2.07) Ptrend = 0.02, respectively].

Conclusions: Among finasteride-treated men, concentrations of 3α-dG were not associated with total or Gleason grades 2 to 6, 7 to 10, or 8 to 10 cancer. High serum estrogens may increase cancer risk when intraprostatic DHT is pharmacologically lowered.

Impact: Low posttreatment serum estrogens may identify men more likely to benefit from use of finasteride to prevent prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1823–32. ©2012 AACR.
Statin Use and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Prospective Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study
Authors: Chan June M. , Litwack-Harrison Stephanie , Bauer Scott R. , Daniels Nicholas A. , Wilt Timothy J. , Shannon Jackilen , Bauer Douglas C.
Published: October 2012

Background: Statins are a common medication for cholesterol control that may also have effects on cancer-related pathways. The evidence of an association between statins and prostate cancer risk remains ambiguous.

Methods: We examined statin use in a prospective cohort of 5,069 elderly U.S. men and the risk of incident total, low/high stage, and low/high grade prostate cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2008. We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle characteristics.

Results: There was no evidence of an association between statin use and any of the prostate cancer endpoints (total, low/high stage, low/high grade prostate cancer), adjusting for age, study site, race, body mass index, marital status, family history of prostate cancer, number of comorbidities, physical activity, and smoking history.

Conclusions and Impact: In this study of elderly U.S. men, we observed a null association between statin use and risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1886–8. ©2012 AACR.
How Does Inhibition of the Renin-Angiotensin System Affect the Prognosis of Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Platinum-Based Chemotherapy?
Authors: Kim Seung Tae , Park Kyong Hwa , Oh Sang Cheul , Seo Jae Hong , Kim Jun Suk , Shin Sang Won , Kim Yeul Hong
Published: October 2012

Background: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is related to the regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the effect of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II type-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) in 63 patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) with platinum-based chemotherapy. All patients analyzed had received medications for hypertension at the diagnosis of AGC. Patients were divided into two groups: an ACEI/ARB group (n = 30) and a non-ACEI/ARB group (n = 33). Results: Patient characteristics were not different between patients with and without ACEI/ARB. The response rate for all patients was 25.4% and the disease control rate was 77.8%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) for first-line chemotherapy was 5.5 months (95% CI 3.71–7.29) in the ACEI/ARB group and 4.3 months (95% CI 2.39–6.21) in the non-ACEI/ARB group (p = 0.506). There was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) in the ACEI/ARB group compared to the non-ACEI/ARB group (median OS: 8.2 vs. 13.9, p = 0.0095). In multivariate analysis, the use of ACEI/ARB was a significant independent prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.039) but not for PFS. Conclusion: ACEI/ARB in combination with standard chemotherapy might improve survival in patients with AGC and hypertension. These results support further investigation into the anticancer effects of ACEL/ARB.
Chronic Stress-Induced Changes in Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Spinal Glia Markers in the Rat: A Time Course Study
Authors: Golovatscka Viktoriya , Ennes Helena , Mayer Emeran A. , Bradesi Sylvie
Published: October 2012

Background/Aims: Spinal glia activation has been proposed as one mechanism underlying visceral hyperalgesia in a rodent model of chronic stress. In order to assess the possible role of changes in circulating cytokines and in blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability in spinal glia activation, we studied the time course of peripheral and spinal pro-inflammatory cytokines and of spinal and satellite glia markers in response to repeated water avoidance (WA) stress. Methods: Spinal cords and dorsal root ganglion cells (DRGs) were collected from control rats, rats exposed to 1-hour WA, or 1-hour WA daily for 5 days or 1-hour WA daily for 10 days. Results: We demonstrated a time-dependent change in circulating IL-1β and spinal IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in stressed animals compared with controls. We found altered expression of the astrocyte markers GFAP and Connexin 43 in spinal and DRG samples at different time points. Finally, WA was associated with increased BSCB permeability. Conclusions: These findings confirm the concept that both peripheral and spinal immune markers are altered after chronic WA and suggest a possible link between stress-induced increase of peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines, changes in satellite glial cells, increase in BSCB permeability and increase in spinal pro-inflammatory mediators suggesting glia activation.
Anti-TNF-Alpha Induced Psoriasiform Eruptions with Severe Scalp Involvement and Alopecia: Report of Five Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Osório F. , Magro F. , Lisboa C. , Lopes S. , Macedo G. , Bettencourt H. , Azevedo F. , Magina S.
Published: October 2012

We describe 5 cases of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) induced psoriasiform eruptions with severe scalp involvement inducing inflammatory alopecia and review the literature on this subject. All our 5 patients were provided topical therapy, with good results in only 1 case. The remaining 4 were provided systemic therapy (methotrexate ± cyclosporine): 3 concomitantly suspended the anti-TNF-α treatment (2 are currently clear/almost clear but 1 has so far only observed mild improvement) and 1 switched anti-TNF-α (recurrent flare-ups of the disease continue). So far, no patient has developed scarring alopecia. To our knowledge, a total of 15 cases of anti-TNF-α induced psoriatic alopecia have been described. Anti-TNF-α was discontinued in 9 of the 15 patients and systemic therapy was provided to 9 of the 15 patients. Nonetheless, 2 patients developed scarring alopecia. We conclude that in anti-TNF-α induced psoriasiform eruptions some patients may respond to topical treatment, however in cases of severe scalp involvement anti-TNF-α suspension and systemic treatment should be considered in order to avoid scarring alopecia.
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Childhood Obesity in the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: El-Sayed Abdulrahman M. , Scarborough Peter , Galea Sandro
Published: October 2012

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge worldwide. There is a growing literature documenting socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity risk. Here we draw inference from the literature about inequalities in childhood obesity risk in the UK. We summarize and appraise the extant peer-reviewed literature about socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity in the UK. Common area-level indices of socioeconomic position, including the Carstairs Deprivation Index, the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Townsend Deprivation Index, as well as common household and individual-level metrics of childhood socioeconomic position, including head-of-household social class and maternal education, were generally inversely associated with childhood obesity in the UK. We summarize key methodological limitations to the extant literature and suggest avenues for future research.
Circulation
Editors' Picks
Authors:   The Editors
Published: October 2012

The following articles are being highlighted as part of
Circulation's
Topic Review series. This series will summarize the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in
Circulation
and the
Circulation
subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the most read manuscripts published on the topic of cardiovascular imaging within the last year.
Amazonian Deforestation: Impact of Global Warming on the Energy Balance and Climate
Authors: Moraes E. C. , Franchito Sergio H. , Rao V. Brahmananda
Published: October 2012

A coupled biosphere–atmosphere statistical–dynamical model is used to study the relative roles of the impact of the land change caused by tropical deforestation and global warming on energy balance and climate. Three experiments were made: 1) deforestation, 2) deforestation + 2 × CO2, and 3) deforestation + CO2, CH4, N2O, and O3 for 2100. In experiment 1, the climatic impact of the Amazonian deforestation is studied. In experiment 2, the effect of doubling CO2 is included. In experiment 3, the concentrations of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) correspond to the A1FI scenario from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. The results showed that the percentage of the warming caused by deforestation relative to the warming when the increase in GHG concentrations is included is higher than 60% in the tropical region. On the other hand, with the increase in GHG concentrations, a reduction in the decrease of evapotranspiration and precipitation in the tropical region occurs when compared with the deforestation case. Because of an increase in the net longwave flux at the surface, there is a reduction in the decrease of the surface net radiation flux when compared with the case of only deforestation. This leads to an increase in the surface temperature. Although the changes are higher at 5°S, the percentage of them when the increase in GHG concentrations is included together with deforestation relative to the case of only deforestation is higher at 5°N (higher than 50% for the surface temperature and higher than 90% for the foliage and air foliage temperatures) in both experiments 2 and 3.
Spatializing Growth Suitability for Spring Soybean Cultivation in Northeast China
Authors: He Yingbin , Liu Dongmei , Yao Yanmin , Huang Qing , Li Jianping , Chen Youqi , Shi Shuqin , Wan Li , Yu Shikai , Wang Deying
Published: October 2012

In this paper, an integrated indicator-based system is established to map the suitability of spring soybean cultivation in northeast China. The indicator system incorporates both biophysical and socioeconomic factors, including the effects of temperature, precipitation, and sunshine on the individual development stages of the spring soybean life cycle. Spatial estimates of crop suitability derived using this indicator system are also compared with spring soybean planting areas to identify locations where there is scope for structural adjustment in soybean farming. Results of this study indicate that northeast China is moderately suited to spring soybean cultivation. Areas classified as suitable, moderately suitable, and unsuitable for soybean cultivation, respectively, occupy approximately 9.09 × 104, 11.45 × 104, and 7.99 × 104 km2, accounting for 11.5%, 10.11%, and 14.49% of the total area of northeast China. The Songnen and Sanjiang Plains are identified as the most and least suitable places, respectively, for spring soybean growth. A comparative analysis indicates that the suitable, moderately suitable, and unsuitable areas account for 24.78%, 46.30%, and 28.92%, respectively, of the total area presently under soybean cultivation. The analysis suggests that soybean cultivation in Heilongjiang Province is generally unfavorable, with equivalent percentages of 15.39%, 51.70%, and 32.91%. Results suggest that agricultural structural adjustment may be required to encourage farmers to grow spring soybeans. It is anticipated that this study will provide a basis for follow-up studies on crop cultivation suitability.
Links between Central West Western Australian Rainfall Variability and Large-Scale Climate Drivers
Authors: Fierro Alexandre O. , Leslie Lance M.
Published: October 2012

Over the past century, and especially after the 1970s, rainfall observations show an increase (decrease) of the wet summer (winter) season rainfall over northwest (southwest) Western Australia. The rainfall in central west Western Australia (CWWA), however, has exhibited comparatively much weaker coastal trends, but a more prominent inland increase during the wet summer season. Analysis of seasonally averaged rainfall data from a group of stations, representative of both the coastal and inland regions of CWWA, revealed that rainfall trends during the 1958–2010 period in the wet months of November–April were primarily associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and with the southern annular mode (SAM) farther inland. During the wet months of May–October, the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) showed the most robust relationships. Those results hold when the effects of ENSO or IOD are excluded, and were confirmed using a principal component analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, rainfall wavelet analyses, and point-by-point correlations of rainfall with global SST anomaly fields. Although speculative, given their long-term averages, reanalysis data suggest that from 1958 to 2010 the increase in CWWA inland rainfall largely is attributable to an increasing cyclonic anomaly trend over CWWA, bringing onshore moist tropical flow to the Pilbara coast. During May–October, the flow anomaly exhibits a transition from an onshore to offshore flow regime in the 2001–10 decade, which is consistent with the observed weaker drying trend during this period.
Varied Diagnosis of the Observed Surface Temperature Trends in the Southeast United States
Authors: Misra V. , Michael J.-P.
Published: October 2012

This paper diagnoses the temperature trends in maximum (Tmax) and minimum temperatures (Tmin) over a selection of 65 stations spread over the southeast United States (SEUS) from three observed datasets. They are the Cooperative Observer network program (COOP), the COOP data corrected for documented shifts in time of observation (COOP1), and the COOP data additionally corrected for documented changes in instrumentation (COOP2). These 65 stations have been isolated for having the three observed datasets for the same time period from 1948 to 2009. The authors’ comparisons suggest that COOP2 displays stronger warming (cooling) trends in Tmax (Tmin) compared with COOP1 in all four seasons. This is consistent with the expectation from the bias correction applied for the instrument change. In comparison, the differences between COOP and COOP2 are relatively larger. In the spring, summer, and fall seasons, the median Tmax trend is warming in COOP2 while it is cooling in COOP. In the winter season, the median trends of Tmax in the two datasets are positive, but their magnitudes are substantially different. Similarly, in the winter, summer, and fall seasons, the warming trend in Tmin in COOP is contrary to the cooling trend in COOP2. In the spring season, the median trend in Tmin is comparable between the two datasets. COOP2 shows the relationship of trends in Tmin, with the extent of urbanization in these 65 stations, to be statistically significant and to be consistent with expectations from theory in contrast to the COOP data.
Evaluation of WRF Model Resolution on Simulated Mesoscale Winds and Surface Fluxes near Greenland
Authors: DuVivier Alice K. , Cassano John J.
Published: October 2012

Southern Greenland has short-lived but frequently occurring strong mesoscale barrier winds and tip jets that form when synoptic-scale atmospheric features interact with the topography of Greenland. The influence of these mesoscale atmospheric events on the ocean, particularly deep ocean convection, is not yet well understood. Because obtaining observations is difficult in this region, model simulations are essential for understanding the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean during these wind events. This paper presents results from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model simulations run at four different resolutions (100, 50, 25, and 10 km) and forced with the ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERA-Interim) product. Case study comparisons between WRF output at different resolutions, observations from the Greenland Flow Distortion Experiment (GFDex), which provides valuable in situ observations of mesoscale winds, and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) satellite data highlight the importance of high-resolution simulations for properly capturing the structure and high wind speeds associated with mesoscale wind events and surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat. In addition, the longer-term impact of mesoscale winds on the ocean is investigated by comparison of surface fluxes and winds between model resolutions over a two-month period.
The differences among three-, four-, and five-option-item formats in the context of a high-stakes English-language listening test
Authors: Lee HyeSun , Winke Paula
Published: October 2012

We adapted three practice College Scholastic Ability Tests (CSAT) of English listening, each with five-option items, to create four- and three-option versions by asking 73 Korean speakers or learners of English to eliminate the least plausible options in two rounds. Two hundred and sixty-four Korean high school English-language learners formed three groups. Each took three of the nine tests, one with five-option items, one with four-, and one with three-, with administrations counterbalanced to control for order and practice effects. Mean test scores of the three-option tests were significantly higher than those of four- and five-option tests. While no difference was found in mean item discriminations across the three different test formats, reliability coefficients showed inconsistent patterns depending on the number of options and test versions. One possible interpretation of the low correlations among the scores of three test formats is that items with different numbers of options tap into skills other than listening. The findings suggest that statistically, three options may or may not be optimal depending on the point of view taken – from that of the test score users, or from that of the test stakeholders. Test developers must consider multiple statistical, affective, and contextual factors in determining the optimal number of options.
Joining the dots: Analysing the sustainability of the Australian Aboriginal art market
Authors: Wilson-Anastasios Meaghan
Published: October 2012

Sotheby’s estimates between fifty and seventy percent of the Aboriginal art it sells at auction is bought by international collectors. How do those buyers view their acquistions? On the Sotheby’s website, you will not find Aboriginal art listed with ‘Australian’ and ‘Contemporary Art’ under the ‘Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture’ department. Rather, it is classified as one of the ‘Ancient and Ethnographic Arts’, alongside ‘Antiquities’ and ‘Pre-Columbian Art’.

This paper will show that the promotion and perception of Aboriginal art as ethnographic rather than contemporary in nature is but one of a number of important aspects of the market that have implications for the industry’s long-term sustainability. This distinction has a significant effect on the way Aboriginal art is distributed, promoted and received by buyers and sellers. Collectors measure the value of ethnographic material by assessing its proximity to a culturally immaculate source. An object has the greatest ethnographic integrity if it emanates from a primitive, isolated community.
Other Views: Art History in (South) Africa and the Global South
Authors: Freschi Federico
Published: October 2012

The International Committee of the History of Art (CIHA) has recently been addressing concerns about the unequal distribution of resources around the globe and challenges from post-colonial societies to the older methods and concepts of Western art history. At the CIHA congress in Melbourne in January 2008, one of the key issues for discussion was the extent to which we need to re-think the discipline of the history of art “in order to establish cross-cultural dimensions as fundamental to its scope, method and vision”. The national association of South African Visual Arts Historians (SAVAH) proposed continuing these discussions in the colloquium ‘Other Views: Art History in (South) Africa and the Global South’, held at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in January, 2011.

A principal focus of the discussions took the ‘other view’, that is the view from the Global South. What if the centres of intellectual and financial power are reversed? What if the ‘developing world’ becomes the ‘first world’? If South becomes North? In short, we tried to imagine a public intellectual space where such polar reversals can happen, and where new histories of art can emerge which are not necessarily centred on Western-based systems, nor dependent on the West for validation.

This paper explores some of questions central to this debate, and provides a tentative framework for its central aim, viz. to complicate the history of art and the relationship between histories in the Global South and the ‘North’ or ‘West’.
Discordant order: Manila’s neo-patrimonial urbanism
Authors: Murphy Peter , Hogan Trevor
Published: October 2012

Manila is one of the world’s most fragmented, privatized and un-public of cities. Why is this so? This paper contemplates the seemingly immutable privacy of the city of Manila, and the paradoxical character of its publicity. Manila is our prime exemplar of the 21st-century mega-city whose apparent disorder discloses a coherent order which we here call ‘neo-patrimonial urbanism’. Manila is a city where poor and rich alike have their own government, infrastructure, and armies, the shopping malls are the simulacra of public congregations once found in cathedrals and plazas, and where household order is matched by streetside chaos, and personal cleanliness wars with public dirt. We nominate the key characteristics of this uncanny approximation of chaotic and discordant order – a polyphonous and polyrhythmic social order but one lacking harmony – and offer a historical sociology, a genealogy that traces an emblematic pattern across the colonizing periods of its emergent urban forms into the contemporary impositions of gated zones and territories. The enduring legacy of patrimonial power to Manila is to be found in the households and on the streets that undermine and devalue public forms of social power in favour of the patriarch and his householders (now relabelled as ‘shareholders’ in ‘public companies’) at the cost of harmonious, peaceable and just public order. Such a state of affairs is not only destructive of the historic built environment of the city, especially its public parks and plazas and heritage districts, its streets, footpaths, public transport and utilities, but is directly injurious of its citizens. To address the question of Manila’s private order and public chaos is to reopen the quest for the good city as the just polis. It is also to take us beyond arguments of indigenous versus colonial forms of urbanism that are mired in nationalist and modernization ideologies respectively, and it is to reject the reductive logics of globalization arguments that Asian mega-cities are but variations of American logics of urbanism.
Jeepney spirituality
Authors: Gustafson Darren L.
Published: October 2012

The orientation of public space is either logocentric or eclectic. The surface of a Philippine jeepney is an example of a successful inversion of American militaristic individualism into a place for the celebration of idiosyncrasies. Using Walter Benjamin’s differentiation between allegory and symbolism – and photographs of Philippine jeepney art – this essay problematizes the collapse of contemporary spirituality into a political demographic.
Archiving bodies: Kalinga batek and the im/possibility of an archive
Authors: Calano Mark Joseph
Published: October 2012

An archive is an integral part of literate and social life and is in the custody of political institutions for their historical value. It is argued that societies who lack the faculty of recording histories contribute to the archive-making process in a different context. To advance this, the work of anthropologists on the Igorots, more specifically the Kalingas, of the Philippine Cordilleras, and their tattooing practices are considered for heuristic purposes. It is in these societies, where the concept of the Western archive is absent, that the body becomes a repository of significant life events and rituals concretized by tattoos. Tattooing becomes a form of memory on how bodies remember and create narratives and counter-narratives. To serve as a provocation for further research, Derrida’s two-fold understanding of the archive is utilized. The archive, on the one hand, as a commencement that evokes the writing of the archive and, on the other hand, the understanding of the tattoos as disjointed and incomplete, allows us to understand tattoos as a trace.