bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Book Reviews
Authors: Sävborg Daniel , Stanworth Hilary , Hallgren Karin , Pedersen Mikkel Venborg , Rinne Jenni , Svensson Birgitta , Melchior Marie Riegels , Lillbroända-Annala Sanna , Fjell Tove Ingebjørg , Damsholt Tine , Nilsson Fredrik , Reme Eva , Kaijser Lars , Herd Katarzyna , Joensen Jóan Pauli , Koski Kaarina
Published: June 2024

Objects in Flight, Mirja Arnshav & Anneli Karlsson, Föremål på flykt. Nordic Academic Press, Lund 2022
The Swedish Theory of Love, Henrik Berggren & Lars Trägårdh, The Swedish Theory of Love. Individualism and Social Trust inModern Sweden. University of Washington Press 2022
Danish Ballads and Folk Songs, Kirsten Sass Bak, Ballader, skæmt og skillingstryk. Fortællinger om dansk sanghistorie frem til 1900. Videncenter for Sang, Sangens Hus, Herning 2022.
Learning from History, Anne Eriksen, Livets Læremester. Historiske kunnskapstradisjoner i Norge 1650–1840. Pax Forlag, Oslo 2020.
Methodologies in Cultural Studies, Outi Fingeroos, Konsta Kajander & Tiina-Riitta Lappi (eds.). Kulttuurien tutkimuksen menetelmät. SKS Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Tietolipas 274. Helsinki 2022.
The Untold Story of Men’s Fashion Men’s Fashion. An Untold Story, Ingrid Giertz-Mårtenson (ed.). Manligt mode. En okänd historia. Bokförlaget Langenskiöld, Stockholm 2022.
Cultural Heritage in Change, Lizette Gradén & Tom O’Dell (eds.). Kulturarv i förändring. Studentlitteratur, Lund 2020.
House Dreams in Gothenburg, Kerstin Gunnemark, Villaliv i Ekebäck. Om generationsskiften och gentrifiering. Makadam förlag,Göteborg/Stockholm 2022.
The Consequences of Different Covid Strategies, Anders Gustavsson, Covid 19 pandemins konsekvenser utmed den norsk-svenska riksgränsens södra del. Strömstad akademi, Strömstad 2022.
Sleeping ‒ A Cultural History, Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen, Søvn. Ei Kulturhistorie. Skald, Leikanger 2022.
Smugglers of Denmark, Nils Valdersdorf Jensen, Smuglerlandet Danmark. Mennesker, sprut og cigaretter. Gads forlag, Copenhagen2022.
New Fields and Forms of Ethnological Fieldwork, Kim Silow Kallenberg, Elin von Unge & Lisa Wiklund Moreira (eds). Etnologiskt fältarbete. Nya fält och former. Studentlitteratur, Lund.
Pop, Rock, and the Sixties, Sven-Erik Klinkmann, Ropet från gårdagen. Popen, rocken och sextiotalet. Scriptum, Vasa 2021.
Feasts: Celebration, Intoxication, and Rituals, Ditlev L. Mahler & Elisabeth Colding (eds.). Fest. Fejring, rus og ritualer. Gads Forlag, København, 2022.
A Rich History of Danish Fashion MODEN i Danmark gennem 400 år. Bind 1. 1660‒1900. Status – Luksus – Velklædt. 255 pp. Ill. Mikkel Venborg Pedersen. Bind 2. 1900‒2020. Chik – Smart – Moderne. 245 pp. Ill. Marie Riegels Melchior. Gads forlag, København 2022.
Food Heritage, Anita Synnestvedt & Monica Gustafsson (eds.) Matarv. Berättelser om mat som kulturarv. Carlsson Bokförlag, Stockholm 2021.
Swedish Belief Tradition in a Nutshell, Tora Wall, Folktrons väsen. Encyklopedi. Bokförlaget Stolpe, Stockholm 2021
Aspectos médico-legales en la intoxicación por monóxido de carbono.
Authors: Pulgar Haro Héctor David , Baculima Cumbe Mariela Alexandra
Published: June 2024

Introducción: Una de las formas más comunes de intoxicación por gases es la causada por el monóxido de carbono (CO). El CO es un gas inodoro, insípido, incoloro y no irritante formado por la combustión de hidrocarburos. Objetivo: Describir los aspectos médico-legales de la intoxicación por monóxido de carbono. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica no sistemática con metodología descriptiva en bases de datos como: PubMed, SciELO, ScienceDirect, Elsevier y otras, considerando estudios de los últimos 5 años en los idiomas español e inglés que hicieran referencia al tema. Resultados: Se encontraron 45 artículos de los cuales solo 30 artículos entre tesis de grado, casos clínicos, revisiones bibliográficas, y más cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. Discusión: El monóxido de carbono es una de las principales causas de muerte por intoxicación en todo el mundo y se ha denominado "asesino silencioso" por su falta de lesiones patognomónicas macroscópicas por lo que su diagnóstico se acompaña de un análisis completo entre la autopsia y los exámenes complementarios. Conclusiones: El examen anatomopatológico minucioso en el diagnóstico de intoxicación por CO puede ser suficiente. En los casos forenses donde las causas de muerte no se encuentran aclarada es conveniente la realización de análisis toxicológicos.
Análisis de Tendencias en Investigaciones de Contaduría Pública en Universidades de Boyacá
Authors: Vargas Pineda Nidya Alejandra , Patiño Suárez Ginna Marcela , Celis Parra Ricardo Elias
Published: June 2024

El presente trabajo muestra una investigación documental de los proyectos de grado actualmente publicados en los repositorios públicos del programa profesional de contaduría pública de las universidades del departamento de Boyacá como son: Universidad Antonio Nariño, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, Universidad Santo Tomas, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Universidad de Boyacá. Se logró generar una herramienta la cual presenta una descripción verídica sobre las líneas de investigación más usadas en los trabajos de grado en los programas profesionales de contaduría en el Departamento de Boyacá. Se aplicó la metodología cualitativa de tipo inductivo, con la que se pudo obtener, analizar y clasificar la información obtenida para presentar los resultados en una herramienta tipo matriz cualitativa de elaboración propia la cual proporcionará información relevante a los estudiantes de contaduría pública de la Universidad Antonio Nariño de la ciudad de Duitama Boyacá para que puedan tomar decisiones respecto a sus trabajos de grado que optimicen su aprendizaje profesional contable.
A Feasibility Analysis of P.I.R. Swadaya Oil Palm Plantations in East Kalimantan
Authors: Yahya Zuhdi
Published: June 2024

In the framework of East Kalimantan's regional economic development, one of the important development sectors, apart from oil and gas, is agriculture, especially the oil palm plantation subsector, among others in the scheme of the People's Nucleus Plantation (PIR) Swadaya  scheme. This study aims to analysis the PIR Swadaya oil palm development program in East Kalimantan, mainly in terms of financial feasibility through financial analysis. Study used primary and secondary data. To find those data, methods of interviews and list of questionnaires are used. The financial potential projection is carried out during the economic life of the plant for 25 years, and to identify the state of the business against the possibility of fluctuations in the discount value, calculated the condition of the oil palm plantation venture independently with a discount of 10%, through Sensitivity analysis shows that NPV, IRR, PP and B / C ratio at varying interest rates of 8%, 12%, 15% and 20% investment is still safe.
Proximate Composition, Comparative Phytochemical Analysis, and HPLC Profiling of Various Solvent Extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis Leaves
Authors: Chineze Nsofor Benedicta , Ezinne Nwankwo Valerie , Chinwuba Obidiegwu Onyeka , Maduabuchi Eze Peter , Christiana Abba Chika
Published: June 2024

Choosing the right solvent in herbal preparation is very important for extracting bioactive compounds from medicinal plant, as it greatly affects the yield and quality of phytochemicals obtained. This study aimed to investigate the proximate composition, phytochemical analysis and HPLC profiling of various solvents extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis leaves, a medicinal plant used in herbal remedies. The dried leaves of Anthocleista djalonensis were analyzed for their nutritional profile using standard methods. The leaves were then extracted by maceration using three different solvents: 95% analytical ethanol, hot distilled water, and local gin (78% alcohol). Various phytochemicals in the extracts were identified and quantified using standard analytical methods. Additionally, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to compare the chemical compositions of the extracts, using a reverse-phase C18 column and UV detection at 254nm. The results of the proximate analysis revealed good nutritional value, with protein (15.90%), moisture content (9.08%), total ash (10.37%), crude fibre (4.00%), crude fat (2.40%), carbohydrate (61.53%), and an energy value of 331.33 KJ. All tested phytochemicals were found in the ethanol and local gin extracts, while the distilled water extract showed the absence of terpenoids and steroids. In the quantitative analysis, the local gin extract had the highest concentrations of alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. On the other hand, the HPLC fingerprint analysis identified seventeen (17), twelve (12), and nine (9) compounds in ethanol, local gin and water extracts respectively. Four (4) shared peaks with similar retention time were observed across all extracts, indicating the presence of common phytocompounds. In conclusion, this study shows that Anthocleista djalonensis leaves have good nutritional values, suggesting their potential as dietary phytonutrient. Local gin stands out as the best solvent among those tested for extracting beneficial compounds from Anthocleista djalonensis leaves supporting its traditional use as solvent in herbal preparation.
A Review on Genetic Improvement in Aquaculture through Selective Breeding
Authors: Kashyap Narsingh , Meher Prem Kumar , Eswaran Suresh , Kathirvelpandian Ayyathurai , Udit Uday Kumar , Ramasre Jaiswar Rahul , Vaishnav Anand , Chandravanshi Sanjay , Dhruve Domendra , Lal Jham
Published: June 2024

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic plants. Selective breeding is a key tool used in aquaculture to improve the genetic makeup of farmed species and enhance their productivity and desirable traits. This review explores the application of quantitative genetic principles in fish breeding, which has advanced more slowly compared to livestock breeding. Traditional fish breeding designs are often complicated by confounding effects, making it necessary to modify standard practices to distinguish additive, maternal, and non-additive genetic influences for effective genetic improvement. Selective breeding is essential in aquaculture, offering rapid selection responses and significant genetic gains. Despite the economic importance of traits in aquaculture species, there is limited knowledge of their phenotypic and genetic parameters due to underdeveloped breeding programs. This review highlights various selective breeding programs for key species such as salmon, trout, tilapia, and carp. Carp breeding, crucial in Indian aquaculture, has demonstrated substantial growth rate enhancements through selective breeding. The review underscores the potential of selective breeding to enhance economically significant traits in aquaculture, emphasizing the need for ongoing research and development in genetic improvement strategies.
Standardization of Seed Testing Protocol and Seed Germination Improvement Treatment in Henna (Lawsonia inermis Linn.).
Authors: M Shobharani , S Sundareswaran , TN Deepak , S Ramappa
Published: June 2024

A research endeavor aimed at standardizing the seed germination process for Henna involved a comprehensive exploration of various germination media, temperature regimes, and dormancy - breaking treatments. Three distinct media - top of paper, between paper and sand-were evaluated alongside constant temperatures of 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C, as well as an alternating temperature of 20/30°C. An array of pre-treatments, including water soaking, KNO3, thiourea, leaching, GA3, and chilling treatment, were administered with the objective of enhancing seed germination. The findings highlighted the top of paper method and an alternate temperature of 20/30°C as the most conducive for seed germination, yielding remarkable outcomes viz., 80% germination rate, root length of 1.4cm, shoot length of 1.6cm, dry matter production of 3.0 mg 10 seedlings-1, and a vigor index of 240. Furthermore, specific timelines for key germination stages were delineated: 5.5days for initiation of germination, 7.8 days for 50% seed germination, 16.0days for the onset of seedling withering, and 17.8days for the initiation of seedling mortality. As a result, it recommended that the first count on 8th day and final count on 16th day for evaluation. Further investigation found that soaking seed in a 1% Thiourea solution for 24 hours was highly effective, resulting in an impressive 94% germination rate, with minimal abnormal seedlings (3%), fresh ungerminated seeds (2%), and dead seeds (1%). Additionally, it significantly improved speed of germination (4.6), root length (1.5cm), shoot length (1.4cm), dry matter production (3.43 mg 10 seedlings-1), vigor index I (277), and Vigor index II (324). In contrast, untreated seeds only attained a 64% germination rate.
Feeding and Biotic Potential of Coccinellid Predators on Coriander Aphid
Authors: Dalal Pappu Lal , Hussain Akhter , Piploda Sanju , Kumari Heera
Published: June 2024

The work on feeding and biotic potential of coccinellid predators on coriander aphid was studied under ambient laboratory condition at the Department of Entomology, SKN College of Agriculture (SKNAU), Jobner and observed that the first, second, third and fourth instar grubs of Coccinella septempunctata were consume 33.60, 55.22, 129.11 and 193.88 aphids during their respective stages. A grub of C. septempunctata consumed 411.13±10.82 aphids during its total life span. The adult male and female beetles consumed 1425.50±231.82 and 1983.25±177.92 aphids during their adult longevity with daily aphid consumption ability of 54.35±2.95 and 64.14±3.90 aphids per day, respectively.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Impediments Perceived by the Members of Farmer Producer Organizations in North Bihar, India
Authors: Banik Trishita , Prakash Satya , Lal Sudhanand Prasad
Published: June 2024

The agriculture sector in India is currently facing several challenges, such as increasing landholding fragmentation, diminishing per-capita land availability, and rural youth's disinterest in farming. FPOs help small and marginal farmers by lowering transaction costs, facilitating credit sources for farmers, providing technical guidance, producing support and capacity building, and creating long-term sustainability to improve the farming community. This study investigates the constraints perceived by members of FPOs. Data were collected from 240 members across 6 FPOs. An ex-post facto research design was used to study four broad constraints regarding Producer Organization Promoting Institution’s (POPI’s) support, marketing, organizational technical and operational constraints. The Friedman two-way ANOVA rank test was used to analyze thirty-five statements under four broad constraints. The findings revealed that marketing is the most severe constraint, followed by constraints regarding POPI’s support as well as organizational, technical, and operational support. Under marketing constraints without guaranteed procurement systems, inadequate storage facilities are most severe. Under constraints perceived by FPO members regarding POPI’s support, considering resource-affluent areas and exclusive attention to progressive farmers are significant. Competition of villages to get benefits and irregular procurement of the produce are most significant constraints under organizational and technical constraints. The research indicates that by overcoming these obstacles with better infrastructure, fair distribution of resources, and improved connections to markets, one can boost the sustainability and economic feasibility of Farmer Producer Organizations, thereby enhancing socio-economic benefits for farmers in North Bihar.
Excision of a Viral Reprogramming Cassette by Delivery of Synthetic Cre mRNA
Authors: Loh Yuin‐Han , Yang Jimmy Chen , De Los Angeles Alejandro , Guo Chunguang , Cherry Anne , Rossi Derrick J. , Park In‐Hyun , Daley George Q.
Published: May 2012

The generation of patient‐specific induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells provides an invaluable resource for cell therapy, in vitro modeling of human disease, and drug screening. To date, most human iPS cells have been generated with integrating retro‐ and lenti‐viruses and are limited in their potential utility because residual transgene expression may alter their differentiation potential or induce malignant transformation. Alternatively, transgene‐free methods using adenovirus and protein transduction are limited by low efficiency. This unit describes a protocol for the generation of transgene‐free human induced pluripotent stem cells using retroviral transfection of a single vector, which includes the coding sequences of human OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and cMYC linked with picornaviral 2A plasmids. Moreover, after reprogramming has been achieved, this cassette can be removed using mRNA transfection of Cre recombinase. The method described herein to excise reprogramming factors with ease and efficiency facilitates the experimental generation and use of transgene‐free human iPS cells. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 21:4A.5.1‐4A.5.16. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Removal of heavy‐metal ions from aqueous solution with nanochelating resins based on poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride)
Authors: Hasanzadeh Reza , Moghadam Peyman Najafi , Samadi Naser , Asri‐Rezaei Siamak
Published: May 2012

Chelating resins have been considered to be suitable materials for the recovery of heavy metals in water treatments. A chelating resin based on modified poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) with 2‐aminopyridine was synthesized. This modified resin was further reacted with 1,2‐diaminoethan or 1,3‐diaminopropane in the presence of ultrasonic irradiation for the preparation of a tridimensional chelating resin on the nanoscale for the recovery of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The adsorption behavior of Fe2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ ions were investigated by the synthesis of chelating resins at various pH's. The prepared resins showed a good tendency for removing the selected metal ions from aqueous solution, even at acidic pH. Also, the prepared resins were examined for the removal of metal ions from industrial wastewater and were shown to be very efficient at adsorption in the cases of Cu2+, Fe2+, and Pb2+. However; the adsorption of Zn2+ was lower than those of the others. The resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Effect of polyethylene glycol tether size and chemistry on the attachment of lactase to polyethylene films
Authors: Mahoney Kurt W. , Talbert Joey N. , Goddard Julie M.
Published: May 2012

Numerous foodstuffs have been developed for lactose intolerant individuals. However, current methods to reduce lactose require excessive enzyme and are not viable for small producers. A novel solution proposed to overcome these problems is the immobilization of lactase to standard food‐contact packaging materials. The ability of these packages to convert lactose is dependent on the quantity and specific activity of the enzyme after immobilization. In this study, the material interface of polyethylene (PE) films was modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) tethers of 1 kDa, 2 kDa, 5 kDa, and 10 kDa containing epoxy, acrylate, aldehyde, and succinimdyl ester end‐group functionality. The results showed that a 5 kDa tether enabled maximum absolute activity of 0.49 × 10−2 ALU/cm2 when compared to tethers of different sizes with identical functionalization. Compared to succinimdyl, epoxide, and acrylate functionalized PEG tethers, an aldehyde end‐group resulted in films with the highest absolute immobilized enzyme activity of 0.67 × 10−2 ALU/cm2. Regardless of tether size or chemistry, the activity retention of lactase was less than 15% compared to the soluble enzyme after immobilization to PEG‐functionalized PE films. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Starch‐graft copolymers of N‐vinylformamide and acrylamide modified with montmorillonite manufactured by reactive extrusion
Authors: Kugler Szymon , Spychaj Tadeusz , Wilpiszewska Katarzyna , Gorący Krzysztof , Lendzion‐Bieluń Zofia
Published: May 2012

Graft copolymers of potato starch with acrylamide, acrylamide, and acrylic acid or N‐vinylformamide in the presence of 1–16 wt % montmorillonite were manufactured via reactive extrusion. XRD and TEM measurements exhibited intercalated structure of clay dispersion (d001 distance up to 2.3 nm). The influence of graft polymer(s) system and montmorillonite content on thermal properties, water sorption as well as polyvalent metal cation (Cd2+ and Fe3+) sorption of obtained starch graft copolymers has been determined. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Electrospinning of Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) nanofibers with feature surface microstructure
Authors: Yang Dongzhi , Zhang Jianfeng , Xue Jie , Nie Jun , Zhang Ziping
Published: May 2012

The development of surface microstructure with specific features in electrospun nanofibers has attracted more and more attention in recent years. In this article, a common biological polyester, poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was electrospinning into nanofibers with “coral‐like” surface microstructure by a conventional‐electrospinning setup. The effect of the process parameters on the microstructure in electrospun nanofibers were investigated via a series of experiments. The formation mechanism of this feature structure and cytotoxicity assays of PHBV membrane were also discussed. The water contact angle of the electrospun PHBV membrane was higher than that of the PHBV cast film due to a very‐rough fiber surface including porous beads when PHBV was electrospun from the concentration of 4 wt %. Because of special hole shape and size distribution, the physical structure of surface of PHBV electrospun fibers offered it special properties, such as specific‐surface area, hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties, adhesion properties of cells and biological substances, etc. The demonstrated method of form coral structure would contribute to the areas such as filtration, sensor, tissue engineering scaffolds, and carriers of drugs or catalysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Preparation and electrochemical performances of porous polypyrrole film by interfacial polymerization
Authors: Shen Mingxia , Han Yongqin , Lin Xiaochen , Ding Bing , Zhang Luojiang , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: May 2012

In this study, porous polypyrrole (PPy) film was synthesized by facile interfacial polymerization using ionic liquid as oxidant. The morphology of PPys changed from dense microspherical/nanospherical agglomerated structure to porous structure with the increasing concentration of the oxidant. The magnetic ionic liquid, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate (Bmim[FeCl4]), played a major role of oxidant when the concentration was lower than 0.075M. As the concentration increased to 0.075M, the π–π interactions between pyrrole cations and iminazole ring of Bmim[FeCl4], as evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer results, may affect the packing of PPy chains and subsequently cause the formation of porous structure of PPys. Electrochemical performances showed that PPy with porous structure displayed the highest specific capacitance of 170 F/g at a current density of 2 A/g in 1M H2SO4 solution and a good capacitive behavior, which has potential application as supercapacitor materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Thermal properties of calcium carbonate powder reinforced vinyl ester composites: Pilot study
Authors: Ku Harry , Cardona Francisco , Jamal Eddine Mustapha
Published: May 2012

The viscoelastic properties of vinyl ester (VE) composites filled with calcium carbonate (CC) (CaCO3) powder have been evaluated using the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) technique. It was found that irrespective of the percentage by weight of CaCO3 powder, the VE composites postcured in an oven up to 60°C have higher glass transition temperatures (Tg) and storage modulus than their counterparts cured at ambient conditions. However, the loss moduli were lower for composites postcured in an oven than their ambient cured counterparts. It was also found that the crosslinking density of the composites slightly increased with particulate (CaCO3) loading and composites postcured in an oven have higher crosslinking density than their counterparts cured at ambient conditions. These results confirmed an increase in stiffness for composites with postcuring treatment. Micrographs by SEM were obtained and confirmed a close inter phase adhesion of the CC filler with the VE resin matrix in the composites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Use of serum procalcitonin to detect bacterial infection in patients with autoimmune diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wu Jiunn‐Yih , Lee Si‐Huei , Shen Chih‐Jung , Hsieh Yueh‐Che , Yo Ping‐Hsiung , Cheng Hsiang‐Yun , Chan Rai‐Chi , Lee Chien‐Chang , Chang Shy‐Shin
Published: May 2012

Objective

To systematically review evidence of the accuracy of the procalcitonin test for diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients with autoimmune disease.

Methods

The major databases Medline, EMBase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between January 1966 and October 2011 that evaluated procalcitonin, alone or in comparison with other laboratory markers such as C‐reactive protein (CRP), as a diagnostic marker for bacterial infection in patients with autoimmune disease and provided sufficient data to permit construction of 2 × 2 tables.

Results

Nine studies were included in the final meta‐analysis. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve values were 0.91 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.88–0.93) for procalcitonin and 0.81 (95% CI 0.78–0.84) for CRP. In general, testing for procalcitonin was highly specific for identifying infectious complications, although it was not as sensitive as testing for CRP. Pooled sensitivity was 0.75 (95% CI 0.63–0.84) for procalcitonin tests and 0.77 (95% CI 0.67–0.85) for CRP tests. Pooled specificity was 0.90 (95% CI 0.85–0.93) for procalcitonin tests and 0.56 (95% CI 0.25–0.83) for CRP tests. The positive likelihood ratio for procalcitonin (7.28 [95% CI 5.10–10.38]) was sufficiently high to qualify procalcitonin testing as a rule‐in diagnostic tool, while the negative likelihood ratio (0.28 [95% CI 0.18–0.40]) was not sufficiently low to qualify procalcitonin testing as a reliable rule‐out diagnostic tool.

Conclusion

Procalcitonin has higher diagnostic value than CRP for the detection of bacterial sepsis in patients with autoimmune disease, and the test for procalcitonin is more specific than sensitive. A procalcitonin test is not recommended to be used in isolation as a rule‐out tool.
A Global Public Health Strategy for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Wallace Simon , Fein Deborah , Rosanoff Michael , Dawson Geraldine , Hossain Saima , Brennan Lynn , Como Ariel , Shih Andy
Published: May 2012

In recent years, there has been increasing awareness about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) around the world, including in low and middle income countries. Unlike countries in Western Europe and North America where infrastructure and capacity are available to help meet some of the needs of individuals with ASD, little expertise or capacity exists in most of the developing world. In 2008 Autism Speaks launched the Global Autism Public Health (GAPH) Initiative to facilitate the development of systematic and sustainable solutions for enhancing global autism awareness, research, training and service delivery. In the last 3 years Autism Speaks has established collaboration with stakeholders from over 20 countries who are working alongside dedicated local and international stakeholders to effect change. In this article, the GAPH framework is described, along with a few brief case examples that illustrate how the framework for implementation of the model can occur. GAPH is still in its infancy but has the potential to have significant impact through inclusive collaboration with local and international stakeholders to develop effective and sustainable public health solutions for disseminating best practices and delivering tangible benefits to individuals with ASD and their families. Autism Res 2012, 5: 211–217. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Backbone motion in elastin's hydrophobic domains as detected by 2H NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Kumashiro Kristin K. , Ohgo Kosuke , Elliott Douglas W. , Kagawa, Todd F. , Niemczura Walter P.
Published: May 2012

The elasticity of vertebrate tissue originates from the insoluble, cross‐linked protein elastin. Here, the results of variable‐temperature 2H NMR spectra are reported for hydrated elastin that has been enriched at the Hα position in its abundant glycines. Typical powder patterns reflecting averaged quadrupolar parameters are observed for the frozen protein, as opposed to the two, inequivalent deuterons that are detected in a powder sample of enriched glycine. The spectra of the hydrated elastin at warmer temperatures are dominated by a strong central peak with features close to the baseline, reflective of both isotropic and very weakly anisotropic motions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97:882–888, 2012.
Video event representation and inference on And‐Or graph
Authors: Jiang Kai , Chen Xiaowu , Zhang Yu , Zhao Qinping
Published: May 2012

This paper presents an approach for video event inference from dozens of actions performed by multiple players. First, we constructed an And‐Or graph to describe the different configurations of the event category such as shooting in soccer matches. We considered both temporal relations and role relations for the graph and encode them as vector parameters for each pair of graph nodes. Then, we developed an inference algorithm by using bottom‐up and top‐down processes. We found the proposals for each node during the bottom‐up step by considering three terms of energies and refined the proposals during the top‐down step by measuring the action‐labeling similarity and the temporal misplacement penalty. The optimal proposal of the inferring event and its score are obtained as the result. In the experiments, we tested the inference performance of the approach for the shooting events on real soccer match videos. By our approach, we can infer different kinds of shooting events in one scenario and interpret them play‐by‐play in a flexible way. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of small GTPases in neuronal morphogenesis and polarity
Authors: Gonzalez‐Billault Christian , Muñoz‐Llancao Pablo , Henriquez Daniel R. , Wojnacki José , Conde Cecilia , Caceres Alfredo
Published: May 2012

The highly dynamic remodeling and cross talk of the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton support neuronal morphogenesis. Small RhoGTPases family members have emerged as crucial regulators of cytoskeletal dynamics. In this review we will comprehensively analyze findings that support the participation of RhoA, Rac, Cdc42, and TC10 in different neuronal morphogenetic events ranging from migration to synaptic plasticity. We will specifically address the contribution of these GTPases to support neuronal polarity and axonal elongation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Impact of numerical variation in FMS‐like tyrosine kinase receptor 3 internal tandem duplications on clinical outcome in normal karyotype acute myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Borthakur Gautam , Kantarjian Hagop , Patel Keyur P. , Ravandi Farhad , Qiao Wei , Faderl Stefan , Kadia Tapan , Luthra Raja , Pierce Sherry , Cortes Jorge E.
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

The impact of single versus multiple fms‐like tyrosine kinase receptor 3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3‐ITD) mutations on the clinical outcome of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia has not been well studied, and particularly has not been investigated while simultaneously accounting for the quantitative mutation burden.

METHODS:

The authors conducted a multivariate analysis of overall survival, event‐free survival, and complete remission duration, including numeric variation (single vs multiple) and quantitative mutant burden of FLT3‐ITD as variables among other clinically relevant factors.

RESULTS:

An analysis of a cohort of 1043 patients with AML demonstrated that, among patients with normal‐karyotype acute myelogenous leukemia and FLT3‐ITD mutation, overall survival and event‐free survival were not affected by the number of FLT3‐ITD mutations, but complete remission duration was significantly longer in patients who had multiple FLT3‐ITD mutations (median, 86 weeks vs 34 weeks; P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results indicated that time‐to‐event analyses of patients with normal‐karyotype acute myelogenous leukemia and FLT3‐ITD mutation should take into account the number of mutations and the mutant burden, among other factors. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Development and validation of a symptom index for advanced hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers
Authors: Butt Zeeshan , Parikh Neehar D. , Beaumont Jennifer L. , Rosenbloom Sarah K. , Syrjala Karen L. , Abernethy Amy P. , Benson Al B. , Cella David
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

The 45‐item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Hepatobiliary (FACT‐Hep) questionnaire assesses health‐related quality of life in patients with liver, bile duct, and pancreatic cancers. Although the FACT‐Hep was initially derived from patient input, this study's researchers sought to verify adequate coverage of items by soliciting open‐ended input from patients with advanced disease.

METHODS:

As part of a larger study in collaboration with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), 50 people (60% male, 80% caucasian, average age 60.4 years) with stage 3 or 4 hepatobiliary or pancreatic cancer were recruited. Participants generated and ranked up to 10 important symptoms and concerns that physicians should monitor when assessing the value of chemotherapy. Patients were also able to provide open‐ended, qualitative information that was evaluated systematically. Ten expert physicians also provided input on priority symptoms.

RESULTS:

The resulting 18‐item NCCN‐FACT Hepatobiliary‐Pancreatic Symptom Index (NFHSI‐18) demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .89) and moderate to strong correlations with measures of physical well‐being (ρ = .76), emotional well‐being (ρ = 0.52), and functional well‐being (ρ = 0.57). Scores on the NFHSI‐18 were also highly correlated with the original hepatobiliary scale of the FACT‐Hep (ρ = .82; all P < .001). Compared with patients with better performance status, patients with poor performance status had worse NFHSI‐18 symptom scores, F(3,47) = 9.74; P = .0003.

CONCLUSIONS:

The NFHSI–18 assesses symptoms of importance to patients with hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers and demonstrates promising measurement properties. The scale is a good candidate for brief symptom assessment in clinical trials. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Can procalcitonin distinguish infectious fever from tumor‐related fever in non‐neutropenic cancer patients?
Authors: Shomali William , Hachem Ray , Chaftari Anne‐Marie , Jiang Ying , Bahu Ramez , Jabbour Joseph , Raad Sammy , Al Shuaibi Munirah , Al Wohoush Iba , Raad Issam
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

Procalcitonin (PCT) has been proposed as a marker of infection and was studied in neutropenic patients. This study investigated its role in non‐neutropenic febrile cancer patients (NNCPs).

METHODS:

Between July 2009 and July 2010, a total of 248 NNCPs with fever were studied. PCT was measured in plasma within 24 hours of fever onset and 4 to 7 days thereafter, using a Kryptor system with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.075 ng/mL. Patients' clinical, microbiological, and radiological data were reviewed to make the diagnosis and were correlated with PCT levels.

RESULTS:

This study included 30 patients with bloodstream infection (BSI), 60 with localized bacterial infection, 141 with no documented infection, and 8 with tumor‐related fever. Most patients (98%) were inpatients or admitted to the hospital during the study. Patients with BSI had significantly higher PCT levels than did those with documented localized infections (P = .048) and no documented infection (P = .011). PCT levels were significantly higher in septic patients than in those without sepsis (P = .012). Patients with stage IV disease or metastasis had significantly higher baseline PCT levels than did those with early stages of cancer (P < .05). PCT levels dropped significantly in patients with bacterial infections in response to antibiotics (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Baseline PCT levels are predictive of BSI and sepsis in NNCPs. They may be predictors of metastasis and advanced cancer. Subsequent decrease in PCT levels in response to antibiotics is suggestive of bacterial infection. Larger trials are needed to confirm the results of this pilot study. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Generation and external validation of a tumor‐derived 5‐gene prognostic signature for recurrence of lymph node‐negative, invasive colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Lenehan Peter F. , Boardman Lisa A. , Riegert‐Johnson Douglas , De Petris Giovanni , Fry David W. , Ohrnberger Jeanne , Heyman Eugene R. , Gerard Brigitte , Almal Arpit A. , Worzel William P.
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

One in 4 patients with lymph node‐negative, invasive colorectal carcinoma (CRC) develops recurrent disease after undergoing curative surgery, and most die of advanced disease. Predicting which patients will develop a recurrence is a significantly growing, unmet medical need.

METHODS:

Archival formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) primary adenocarcinoma tissues obtained at surgery were retrieved from 74 patients with CRC (15 with stage I disease and 59 with stage II disease) for Training/Test Sets. In addition, FFPE tissues were retrieved from 49 patients with stage I CRC and 215 patients with stage II colon cancer for an External Validation (EV) Set (n = 264) from 18 hospitals in 4 countries. No patients had received neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy. Proprietary genetic programming analysis of expression profiles for 225 prespecified tumor genes was used to create a 36‐month recurrence risk signature.

RESULTS:

Using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction, a 5‐gene rule correctly classified 62 of 92 recurrent patients and 87 of 172 nonrecurrent patients in the EV Set (sensitivity, 0.67; specificity, 0.51). “High‐risk” patients had a greater probability of 36‐month recurrence (42%) than “low‐risk” patients (26%; hazard ratio, 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.19‐2.71; P = .007; Cox regression) independent of T‐classification, the number of lymph nodes examined, histologic grade/subtype, anatomic location, age, sex, or race. The rule outperformed (P = .021) current National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines (hazard ratio, 0.897). The same rule also differentiated the risk of recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.63; P = .031) in a subset of patients from the EV Set who had stage I/II colon cancer only (n = 251).

CONCLUSIONS:

To the authors' knowledge, the 5‐gene rule (OncoDefender‐CRC) is the first molecular prognostic that has been validated in both stage I CRC and stage II colon cancer. It outperforms standard clinicopathologic prognostic criteria and obviates the need to retrieve ≥12 lymph nodes for accurate prognostication. It identifies those patients most likely to develop recurrent disease within 3 years after curative surgery and, thus, those most likely to benefit from adjuvant treatment. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Response of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer to neoadjuvant therapy is not reflected by radiographic indicators
Authors: Katz Matthew H. G. , Fleming Jason B. , Bhosale Priya , Varadhachary Gauri , Lee Jeffrey E. , Wolff Robert , Wang Huamin , Abbruzzese James , Pisters Peter W. T. , Vauthey Jean‐Nicolas , Charnsangavej Chusilp , Tamm Eric , Crane Christopher H. , Balachandran Aparna
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

Experience with preoperative therapy for other cancers has led to an assumption that borderline resectable pancreatic cancers can be converted to resectable cancers with preoperative therapy. In this study, the authors sought to determine the rate at which neoadjuvant therapy is associated with a reduction in the size or stage of borderline resectable tumors.

METHODS:

Patients who had borderline resectable pancreatic cancer and received neoadjuvant therapy before potentially undergoing surgery at the authors' institution between 2005 and 2010 were identified. The patients' pretreatment and post‐treatment pancreatic protocol computed tomography images were rereviewed to determine changes in tumor size or stage using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) (version 1.1) and standardized anatomic criteria.

RESULTS:

The authors identified 129 patients who met inclusion criteria. Of the 122 patients who had their disease restaged after receiving preoperative therapy, 84 patients (69%) had stable disease, 15 patients (12%) had a partial response to therapy, and 23 patients (19%) had progressive disease. Although only 1 patient (0.8%) had their disease downstaged to resectable status after receiving neoadjuvant therapy, 85 patients (66%) underwent pancreatectomy. The median overall survival duration for all 129 patients was 22 months (95% confidence interval, 14‐30 months). The median overall survival duration for the patients who underwent pancreatectomy was 33 months (95% confidence interval, 25‐41 months) and was not associated with RECIST response (P = .78).

CONCLUSIONS:

Radiographic downstaging was rare after neoadjuvant therapy, and RECIST response was not an effective treatment endpoint for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. The authors concluded that these patients should undergo pancreatectomy after initial therapy in the absence of metastases. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid bed lesions from patients with thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinomas
Authors: Zhao Lichao , Gong Yun , Wang Jianping , Dawlett Marilyn , Huo Lei , Caraway Nancy P. , Guo Ming
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND:

To evaluate the efficacy and the limitation of fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy in thyroid bed lesions, a retrospective review was performed of the medical records of thyroid cancer patients who underwent ultrasound‐guided FNA biopsy of the thyroid bed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center over a 5‐year period.

METHODS:

Data were reviewed on 220 FNA biopsies taken from thyroid bed lesions in 195 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid bed FNA results were compared with clinical follow‐up, including neck dissection results.

RESULTS:

Recurrent carcinoma was diagnosed by FNA biopsy in 139 of 220 (63%) cases. Neck dissections were performed for 112 sites identified by FNA biopsies, and recurrent carcinoma was confirmed in 110 sites. The concordance between positive and/or suspicious FNA diagnosis and positive neck dissection results was 98% (118 of 120 cases). A false‐positive FNA occurred in one patient with follicular thyroid carcinoma. The other discrepancy was attributed to failure to remove the lesion by neck dissection. The diagnostic accuracy of thyroid bed FNA was 100% in papillary and medullary thyroid carcinoma and 93% in follicular thyroid carcinoma. Suspicious and rare false‐negative FNA results were attributed to low cellularity and lack of characteristic cytomorphologic features of thyroid carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ultrasound‐guided thyroid bed FNA biopsy is accurate and efficient in triaging patients who require post‐thyroidectomy follow‐up for recurrent thyroid carcinoma. Caution should be taken in the interpretation of FNA specimens that have low cellularity and lack characteristic cytologic features of thyroid carcinoma. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Melanocortin‐4 receptor expression in different classes of spinal and vagal primary afferent neurons in the mouse
Authors: Gautron Laurent , Lee Charlotte E. , Lee Syann , Elmquist Joel K.
Published: May 2012

Melanocortin‐4 receptor (MC4R) ligands are known to modulate nociception, but the site of action of MC4R signaling on nociception remains to be elucidated. The current study investigated MC4R expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the MC4R‐GFP reporter mouse. Because MC4R is known to be expressed in vagal afferent neurons in the nodose ganglion (NG), we also systematically compared MC4R‐expressing vagal and spinal afferent neurons. Abundant green fluorescent protein (GFP) immunoreactivity was found in about 45% of DRG neuronal profiles (at the mid‐thoracic level), the majority being small‐sized profiles. Immunohistochemistry combined with in situ hybridization confirmed that GFP was genuinely produced in MC4R‐expressing neurons in the DRG. While a large number of GFP profiles in the DRG coexpressed Nav1.8 mRNA (84%) and bound isolectin B4 (72%), relatively few GFP profiles were positive for NF200 (16%) or CGRP (13%), suggesting preferential MC4R expression in C‐fiber nonpeptidergic neurons. By contrast, GFP in the NG frequently colocalized with Nav1.8 mRNA (64%) and NF200 (29%), but only to a moderate extent with isolectin B4 (16%). Lastly, very few GFP profiles in the NG expressed CGRP (5%) or CART (4%). Together, our findings demonstrate variegated MC4R expression in different classes of vagal and spinal primary afferent neurons, and underscore the role of the melanocortin system in modulating nociceptive and nonnociceptive peripheral sensory modalities. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:3933–3948, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Altered dendritic distribution of dopamine D2 receptors and reduction in mitochondrial number in parvalbumin‐containing interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of cannabinoid‐1 (CB1) receptor knockout mice
Authors: Fitzgerald Megan L. , Chan June , Mackie Kenneth , Lupica Carl R. , Pickel Virginia M.
Published: May 2012

The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is a brain region integral to complex behaviors that are highly influenced by cannabinoids and by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R)‐mediated regulation of fast‐firing parvalbumin‐containing interneurons. We have recently shown that constitutive deletion of the cannabinoid‐1 receptor (CB1R) greatly reduces parvalbumin levels in these neurons. The effects of CB1R deletion on PL parvalbumin interneurons may be ascribed to loss of CB1R‐mediated retrograde signaling on mesocortical dopamine transmission, and, in turn, altered expression and/or subcellular distribution of D2R in the PL. Furthermore, diminished parvalbumin expression could indicate metabolic changes in fast‐firing interneurons that may be reflected in changes in mitochondrial density in this population. We therefore comparatively examined electron microscopic dual labeling of D2R and parvalbumin in CB1 (−/−) and CB1 (+/+) mice to test the hypothesis that absence of CB1R produces changes in D2R localization and mitochondrial distribution in parvalbumin‐containing interneurons of the PL. CB1 (−/−) mice had a significantly lower density of cytoplasmic D2R‐immunogold particles in medium parvalbumin‐labeled dendrites and a concomitant increase in the density of these particles in small dendrites. These dendrites received both excitatory and inhibitory‐type synapses from unlabeled terminals and contained many mitochondria, whose numbers were significantly reduced in CB1 (−/−) mice. Non‐parvalbumin dendrites showed no between‐group differences in either D2R distribution or mitochondrial number. These results suggest that cannabinoid signaling provides an important determinant of dendritic D2 receptor distribution and mitochondrial availability in fast‐spiking interneurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:4013–4031, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.