bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sorafenib and its derivative SC‐49 sensitize hepatocellular carcinoma cells to CS‐1008, a humanized anti‐TNFRSF10B (DR5) antibody
Authors: Chen Kuen‐Feng , Chen Hui‐Ling , Shiau Chung‐Wai , Liu Chun‐Yu , Chu Pei‐Yi , Tai Wei‐Tien , Ichikawa Kimihisa , Chen Pei‐Jer , Cheng Ann‐Lii
Published: September 2012

Background and Purpose

Previously, we have shown that sorafenib sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to apoptosis induced by TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TNFSF10; TRAIL). Here, we report that sorafenib and SC‐49 sensitize HCC cells to CS‐1008, a novel anti‐human death receptor 5 (TNFRSF10B) antibody.

Experimental Approach

HCC cell lines (PLC5, Huh‐7, and Hep3B) were treated with CS‐1008 and/or sorafenib and analysed in terms of apoptosis and signal transductions.

Key Results

SC‐49 is a sorafenib derivative, which is devoid of kinase inhibitory activity. Both sorafenib and SC‐49 down‐regulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 at Tyr705 and subsequently reduced the levels of STAT3‐regulated proteins, Mcl‐1, survivin and cylcin D1, in CS‐1008‐treated HCC cells. Knockdown of STAT3 by RNA interference overcame apoptotic resistance to CS‐1008 in HCC cells, and ectopic expression of STAT3 in HCC cells abolished the sensitizing effects of sorafenib and SC‐49 on CS‐1008‐induced apoptosis, indicating that inhibition of STAT3 mediates the enhancing effects of these compounds when combined with CS‐1008. Importantly, inhibition of SHP‐1 by adding a specific SHP‐1 inhibitor reduced the effects of SC‐49 and CS‐1008 on p‐STAT3 and apoptosis, whereas co‐treatment of CS‐1008 with SC‐49 increased the activity of SHP‐1. These data indicate that the combined effects of CS‐1008 and SC‐49 on HCC are mediated by SHP‐1. Moreover, the combination of CS‐1008 and SC‐49 inhibited HCC xenograft tumour growth in vivo.

Conclusions and Implications

Sorafenib and its derivative SC‐49 sensitize HCC cells to the antitumour effects of CS‐1008 through SHP‐1‐dependent inactivation of STAT3.
The influence of selected demographic factors and wound location on the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF‐A) in the wound healing process after neurosurgery: Brief report
Authors: Ślusarz Robert , Gadomska Grażyna , Biercewicz Monika , Grzelak Lech , Szewczyk Maria T. , Rość Danuta , Beuth Wojciech
Published: September 2012

The main aim of the work was to estimate the influence of selected demographic factors and wound location on the concentration of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF‐A) in patients after neurosurgical operations. The study included 20 adult patients who received a surgical treatment because of degenerative spine changes. Measurements of the concentration of theVEGF‐Ain the patients' blood serum were taken three times (the first time––before the operation; the second time––during the first 24 hours after surgery; and the third time––between the fifth and the seventh day after the operation). No statistically significant correlation between the concentration ofVEGF‐Ain the patients' blood serum before and after the operation was noted. A statistically significant correlation between the concentration ofVEGF‐Ain the individual measurements was found. It can be concluded that people with a higher concentration ofVEGF‐Abefore surgery obtained a higher concentration ofVEGF‐Ain the measurements taken after the operation. There is a statistically significant link between the patient's age and the concentration ofVEGF‐Aduring the immediate postoperative period (the older the patient, the higher the level ofVEGF‐Ais observed).
The Social Construction of Human Kinds
Authors: Sveinsdóttir Ásta Kristjana
Published: September 2012

Social construction theorists face a certain challenge to the effect that they confuse the epistemic and the metaphysical: surely our conceptions of something are influenced by social practices, but that doesn't show that the nature of the thing in question is so influenced. In this paper I take up this challenge and offer a general framework to support the claim that a human kind is socially constructed, when this is understood as a metaphysical claim and as a part of a social constructionist debunking project. I give reasons for thinking that a conferralist framework is better equipped to capture the social constructionist intuition than rival accounts of social properties, such as a constitution account and a response‐dependence account, and that this framework helps to diagnose what is at stake in the debate between the social constructionists and their opponents. The conferralist framework offered here should be welcomed by social constructionists looking for firm foundations for their claims, and for anyone else interested in the debate over the social construction of human kinds.
Validation of a Cognitive Assessment Battery Administered over the Telephone
Authors: Rapp Stephen R. , Legault Claudine , Espeland Mark A. , Resnick Susan M. , Hogan Patricia E. , Coker Laura H. , Dailey Maggie , Shumaker Sally A. ,   The CAT Study Group
Published: September 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the validity and reliability of a cognitive test battery and questionnaires administered by telephone.

Design

Observational study; 110 participants randomly assigned to receive two administrations of the same cognitive test battery 6 months apart in one of four combinations (Time 1 administration/Time 2 administration): telephone/telephone, telephone/face to face, face to face/telephone, face to face/face to face.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Participants

One hundred ten women aged 65 to 90 without dementia.

Measurements

The battery included tests of attention; verbal learning and memory; verbal fluency; executive function; working memory; global cognitive functioning; and self‐reported measures of perceived memory problems, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbance, and health‐related quality of life. Test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, relative bias associated with telephone administration, and change scores were evaluated.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in scores on any of the cognitive tests or questionnaires between participants randomly assigned to telephone or face‐to‐face administration at the Time 1 assessment, indicating equivalence across administration modes. There was no significant bias for tests or questionnaires administered by telephone (P's > .01), nor was there a difference in mean change scores between administration modes except for Category Fluency (P = .01) and California Verbal Learning Test long‐delay free recall (P = .004). Mean test–retest coefficients for the battery were not significantly different between groups, although individual test–retest correlation coefficients were generally higher within modes than between modes.

Conclusion

Telephone administration of cognitive tests and questionnaires to older women is reliable and valid. Use of telephone batteries can substantially reduce the cost and burden of cognitive assessments and increase enrollment, retention, and data completeness, thereby improving study validity.
Effect of At‐Home Whitening Strips on the Surface Roughness and Color of a Composite and an Ormocer Restorative Material
Authors: Gurbuz Ayhan , Ozkan Pelin , Yilmaz Kerem , Yilmaz Burak , Durkan Rukiye
Published: September 2012

Purpose: Oxygenating agents like carbamide peroxide or H2O2 are commonly used whitening agents. They have varying influence on the color and surface roughness of resin‐based restorative materials and teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an at‐home peroxide whitening agent applied through a whitening strip on the color and surface roughness of a nanofilled composite resin and an ormocer‐based resin.

Materials and Methods: Disc‐shaped (2 mm thick, 10 mm diameter) nanofilled resin composite (n = 10) and ormocer (n = 10) specimens were prepared. All specimens were treated with a whitening strip. Whitening procedures were performed applying a 6.5% hydrogen peroxide whitening strip (Crest White Strips Professional) for 30 minutes twice each day for a period of 21 consecutive days. During the test intervals, the specimens were rinsed under running distilled water for 1 minute to remove the whitening agents and immersed in 37°C distilled water until the next treatment. Surface roughness and color of the specimens were measured with a profilometer and a colorimeter, respectively, before and after whitening. Color changes were calculated (ΔE) using L*, a*, and b* coordinates. Repeated measures of variance analysis and Duncan test were used for statistical evaluation (α= 0.05).

Results: The average surface roughness of composite increased from 1.4 Ra to 2.0 Ra, and from 0.8 Ra to 0.9 Ra for the ormocer material; however, these changes in roughness after whitening were not significant (p > 0.05). Also, when two materials were compared, the surface roughness of restorative materials was not different before and after whitening (p > 0.05). L* and b* values for each material changed significantly after whitening (p < 0.05). ΔE values (before/after whitening) calculated for composite (11.9) and ormocer (16.1) were not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: The tested whitening agent did not affect the surface roughness of either resin‐based restorative material. Both materials became brighter after whitening. The behavior of the materials in the yellow/blue axis was opposite to each other after whitening. Each material had clinically unacceptable color change after whitening (ΔE > 5.5); however, the magnitude of the color change of materials was similar (p > 0.05). According to the results of this study, with the use of materials tested, patients should be advised that existing composite restorations may bleach along with the natural teeth, and replacement of these restorations after whitening may not be required.
A Note on the Aggregation of Event Probabilities
Authors: Hora Stephen C.
Published: September 2012

In this article, multiple forecasts given as probabilities of events are aggregated using two assumptions: calibration and conditional independence. The forecasts are treated as data and the aggregation is based on Bayes's theorem. A measure of discrimination is given and the behavior of the aggregated posterior probability is examined as the number of forecasters grows without bound. The work is motivated by recent research efforts employing large numbers of individual forecasts.
Coparenting Interventions for Fragile Families: What Do We Know and Where Do We Need To Go Next?
Authors: McHale James , Waller Maureen R. , Pearson Jessica
Published: September 2012

With a large and growing share of American families now forming outside of marriage, triangular infant–mother–father relationship systems in “fragile families” have begun to attract the interest of family scholars and clinicians. A relatively novel conceptualization has concerned the feasibility of intervening to support the development of a sustained and positive coparenting alliance between mothers and fathers who have not made an enduring relationship commitment to one another. At this point in time, there are very few published outcome studies of programs explicitly conceived to help build coparenting alliances in such families. This article reviews what we currently know from this evolving field of study, and from those related responsible fatherhood and marriage and relationship enhancement (MRE) initiatives that included any explicit targeting, strengthening, and assessment of fragile family coparenting in their designs. We summarize lessons learned thus far from Access and Visitation (AV) programs for non‐residential fathers, from MRE programs for low‐income, unmarried couples, and from newer programs for fragile families directly designed to target and support coparenting per se. We close with recommendations for charting this important new family process terrain.
Voices of Dialogue and Directivity in Family Therapy With Refugees: Evolving Ideas About Dialogical Refugee Care
Authors: De Haene Lucia , Rober Peter , Adriaenssens Peter , Verschueren Karine
Published: September 2012

In this article, we reflect on our evolving ideas regarding a dialogical approach to refugee care. Broadening the predominant phased trauma care model and its engaging of directive expertise in symptom reduction, meaning making, and rebuilding connectedness, these developing dialogical notions involve the negotiation of silencing and disclosure, meaning and absurdity, hope and hopelessness in a therapeutic dialogue that accepts its encounter of cultural and social difference. In locating therapeutic practice within these divergent approaches, we argue an orientation on collaborative dialogue may operate together with notions from the phased trauma care model as heuristic background in engaging a polyphonic understanding of coping with individual and family sequelae of forced displacement. This locating of therapeutic practice, as informed by each perspective, invites us to remain present to fragments of therapeutic positioning that resonate power imbalance or appropriation in a therapeutic encounter imbued with a social context that silences refugees’ suffering. In a clinical case analysis, we further explore these relational complexities of negotiating directive expertise and collaborative dialogue in the therapeutic encounter with refugee clients.
The Golden Pig, Reflections As Ancestral Blessings: The Reflecting Process in Teaching Family Therapy
Authors: Davis Judith
Published: September 2012

This is an example of a postmodern, dialogical approach to teaching family therapy based on the work of such practitioners as Tom Andersen, Michael White, and Lynn Hoffman, among others. It demonstrates the way in which the reflecting process connects all of the participants in a web of meanings both educational and transformational. This particular consultation, which includes the author, her graduate students, the client, and guest participant Lynn Hoffman, ends with an unexpected ritual of intergenerational appreciation. Privileging the transcript, it is presented as a kind of theatre where the learning is revealed more through the dialogue than through authorial analysis. The experience is embedded in an “ethics of participation” (Hoffman, 1992) where social connectedness and attunement are key.
The Shift from Monologue to Dialogue in a Couple Therapy Session: Dialogical Investigation of Change from the Therapists’ Point of View
Authors: Olson Mary E. , Laitila Aarno , Rober Peter , Seikkula Jaakko
Published: September 2012

As part of a larger research project on couple therapy for depression, this qualitative case study examines the nature of dialogue. Drawing on Bakhtinian concepts, the investigation shows how the conversation shifts from a monologue to dialogue. Among the findings are: first, the process of listening is integral to the transforming experience. That is, the careful listening of the therapist can evoke new voices, just as the experience of one of the partners’ “listening in” to the conversation between the other partner and the therapist can create movement and new trajectories. The latter is a qualitative difference between dialogic therapy with a couple and that with an individual. Second, the therapist not only acts as creative listener, but as the dialogue unfolds, actively contributes to meaning‐making. Third, the study upholds having a team of researchers as a polyphonic forum and the usefulness of Bakhtinian concepts in clinical research on dialogue in multi‐actor sessions.
Coparenting and Children's School Readiness: A Mediational Model
Authors: Cabrera Natasha J. , Scott Mindy , Fagan Jay , Steward‐Streng Nicole , Chien Nicole
Published: September 2012

We examined the long‐term direct and indirect links between coparenting (conflict, communication, and shared decision‐making) and preschoolers' school readiness (math, literacy, and social skills). The study sample consisted of 5,650 children and their biological mothers and fathers who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort. Using structural equation modeling and controlling for background characteristics, we found that our conceptual model of the pathways from coparenting to child outcomes is structurally the same for cohabiting and married families. Controlling for a host of background characteristics, we found that coparenting conflict and shared decision‐making were negatively and positively, respectively, linked to children's academic and social skills and co‐parental communication was indirectly linked to academic and social skills through maternal supportiveness. Coparenting conflict was also indirectly linked to children's social skills through maternal depressive symptoms. The overall findings suggest that for both cohabiting and married families, the context of conflicted coparenting may interfere with the development of children's social competencies and academic skills, whereas collaborative coparenting promotes children's school readiness because mothers are more responsive to their children's needs. These findings have implications for programs aimed at promoting positive family processes in cohabiting and married families.
Les faibles rémunérations en Afrique du Sud
Authors: OOSTHUIZEN Morné
Published: September 2012

Il y a eu d'abondantes recherches sur les rémunérations en Afrique du Sud, mais peu de travaux ont été consacrés aux bas salaires. L'auteur examine ceux‐ci sur la période 2001–2007. Après avoir considéré plusieurs définitions des bas salaires, il analyse leur fréquence et les facteurs associés à la probabilité d'être faiblement rémunéré. Partant des salaires minima prescrits par les déterminations sectorielles du département national du travail, qu'il met en correspondance avec les données de l'enquête sur la main‐d'œuvre, il explore les effets des salaires minima obligatoires et de la négociation collective, et observe que cette dernière, notamment, a réduit la fréquence des bas salaires.
L'emploi faiblement rémunéré au Brésil
Authors: FONTES Adriana , PERO Valéria , BERG Janine
Published: September 2012

Bien que les bas salaires prévalent dans les pays en développement, le phénomène n'a guère étéétudié en profondeur. Pour combler cette lacune, les auteurs examinent la fréquence, la permanence et les caractéristiques de l'emploi faiblement rémunéré dans six zones métropolitaines du Brésil entre 2002 et 2009. Sa part dans l'emploi salarié a décru de 24,4 à 21,5 pour cent. Comme dans les pays à revenu élevé, le risque d'être faiblement rémunéré touche plus les femmes, les personnes de couleur, les jeunes et les moins instruits. L'analyse de leur mobilité montre que l'expérience professionnelle améliore les perspectives de progression, même des salariés peu rémunérés.
Low pay among wage earners and the self‐employed in India
Authors: RANI Uma , BELSER Patrick
Published: September 2012

While inequality and poverty in India have been much studied, little attention has been given to the underlying role of the labour market. To help remedy this gap, the authors examine low pay in India, giving particular attention to its magnitude, characteristics and determinants. An absolute low‐pay threshold is calculated that, if reached, would provide workers with a decent livelihood. Using household‐level micro‐data that cover wage earners and the self‐employed, the authors find that roughly half of India's workforce is low‐paid, revealing a serious “decent work” deficit. They propose policies to improve wages and productivity and thereby boost earnings.
Low wages and policy options in the Republic of Korea: Are policies working?
Authors: HWANG Deok Soon , LEE Byung‐Hee
Published: September 2012

Despite the introduction and expansion of collective bargaining, minimum wages and unemployment and in‐work benefits, low pay is increasingly common in the Republic of Korea. This is at odds with much of the literature – including the ILO's Global Wage Report 2010/11 – which suggests that protective policies will curb low pay. Focusing on the Republic of Korea, the authors examine this intriguing paradox and conclude that while the appropriate policy “menu” was implemented, its effectiveness was limited by incomplete coverage and insufficient benefit levels. They suggest this disappointing situation represents not only a labour market failure, but also a policy failure.
Empleo de baja remuneración: una perspectiva mundial
Authors: LEE Sangheon , SOBECK Kristen
Published: September 2012

El artículo proporciona una panorámica mundial de las tendencias en lo relativo al empleo de baja remuneración y de las políticas para reducir su frecuencia. Constituye la introducción al presente número monográfco, centrado en el Brasil, China, República de Corea, India y Sudáfrica, tras «Salarios bajos en Europa y Estados Unidos» (vol. 128 (2009), núm. 4). Se analizan definiciones y métodos de cálculo, además de dos políticas que generan diferencias entre países: la negociación colectiva y el salario mínimo, cuyo nivel, según los autores, ha de alcanzar un cierto umbral para que resulte eficaz frente al empleo de baja remuneración.
Baja remuneración entre asalariados y trabajadores por cuenta propia en la India
Authors: RANI Uma , BELSER Patrick
Published: September 2012

Son numerosas las investigaciones sobre desigualdad y pobreza en la India, pero los factores laborales subyacentes han recibido poca atención. Por ello los autores estudian aquí el problema de la baja remuneración, su magnitud, características y determinantes. Calculan un umbral absoluto de baja remuneración por encima del cual un trabajador puede llevar una vida digna. A partir de microdatos sobre trabajadores asalariados, ocasionales y por cuenta propia, constatan que alrededor de la mitad de la población activa india trabaja con baja remuneración, lo cual apunta a un grave déficit de trabajo decente. Se proponen políticas para aumentar los ingresos y la productividad del trabajo.
L’appel au visuel. Pour une rhétorique baroque du Cleveland de Prévost
Authors: Fauskevåg Svein‐Eirik
Published: September 2012

Cet article se propose de mettre en évidence le contexte littéraire et religieux dans lequel naissent les nombreux appels au visuel recensés dans Cleveland de l’abbé Prévost. Que signifient en profondeur ces appels dans la description des scènes narrées et dans les discours prêtés aux personnages ? L’article se propose de montrer l’effet rhétorique produit sur le lecteur par un parcours textuel qui, appuyéà l’image narrative, tend à identifier écriture et peinture. Ce faisant, Cleveland semble partager avec la tradition rhétorique du baroque une croyance en la puissance de la représentation.
Centre and Periphery in Lawrence Norfolk’s The Pope’s Rhinoceros and Christoph Ransmayr’s Die letzte Welt
Authors: MacKenzie Robin
Published: September 2012

In this paper, I explore the relationship between centre and periphery in two recent novels: The Pope’s Rhinoceros by Lawrence Norfolk (1996) and Christoph Ransmayr’s Die letzte Welt (1988). Both novels are set in Rome (the first in the High Renaissance, the second during the reign of the emperor Augustus); in both, the authority and ‘centrality’ of Rome is subtly challenged and subverted. In The Pope’s Rhinoceros, monks from the Baltic island of Usedom, who travel to Rome to seek help in rebuilding their collapsing monastery, discover that the putative centre of Christendom is bereft of any spiritual authority, though extremely active in the political sphere (notably as arbiter between rising colonial powers, Spain and Portugal). Die letzte Welt, whose protagonist, Cotta, journeys to Tomi on the Black Sea coast to investigate rumours of the death of the exiled poet Ovid, portrays imperial Rome as a sclerotic regime whose ideological underpinnings are threatened by the destabilising energies of the periphery, where (as in the Metamorphoses) ‘nothing retains its form’. Finally, in both novels, the centre’s claims to temporal power and dominion are relativised by the broader, ‘geological’ timescale of the natural phenomena so vividly evoked in the marginal lands.
Whither the Tory left?: The demise of progressive Conservatism
Authors: Bale Tim
Published: September 2012

Tracing 60 years of shifting ideological fortunes, Tim Bale argues that the left wing of the Conservative party has atrophied and is impotent, posing major challenges to the party's ability both to govern in coalition now and to secure electoral success in the future.
India's uncertain future
Authors: Crabtree James
Published: September 2012

In the wake of India's emergence as a global economic powerhouse, James Crabtree explores three vital debates about the country's future and unease about its prospects for continued progress.
Choosing Among Tucker or Chained Linear Equating in Two Testing Situations: Rater Comparability Scoring and Randomly Equivalent Groups With an Anchor
Authors: Puhan Gautam
Published: September 2012

Tucker and chained linear equatings were evaluated in two testing scenarios. In Scenario 1, referred to as rater comparability scoring and equating, the anchor‐to‐total correlation is often very high for the new form but moderate for the reference form. This may adversely affect the results of Tucker equating, especially if the new and reference form samples differ in ability. In Scenario 2, the new and reference form samples are randomly equivalent but the correlation between the anchor and total scores is low. When the correlation between the anchor and total scores is low, Tucker equating assumes that the new and reference form samples are similar in ability (which, with randomly equivalents groups, is the correct assumption). Thus Tucker equating should produce accurate results. Results indicated that in Scenario 1, the Tucker results were less accurate than the chained linear equating results. However, in Scenario 2, the Tucker results were more accurate than the chained linear equating results. Some implications are discussed.
Impact Assessment of Pumping Parameters on Groundwater Bacterial Communities
Authors: Shani Noam , Aravinthan Vasantha , Rossi Pierre , Laulan Guillaume , Ducommun Pascale , Holliger Christof
Published: September 2012

Groundwater microbial community samples are traditionally collected using pumping techniques optimized for groundwater chemistry assessment, although the impact of groundwater pumping parameters on apparent bacterial community structures (BCSs) is not really known. We therefore studied the impact of pumping lift, flow regime, and tubing material on BCS, which were analyzed by terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP). Ruzicka dissimilarity coefficients were calculated between T‐RFLP profiles to assess disparities between BCS. Variations in pumping lift, flow regime, and tubing material did not affect the apparent BCS in experiments using a homogenous water system under laboratory conditions showing that the conditions within the tube had no detectable effect on BCS. However, pumping groundwater from aquifer monitoring wells at different flow rates in the field revealed a significant impact on the apparent BCS. Water samples collected from fine sediment were the most affected by the pumping flow rate.
Tackling food security issues in indigenous communities in Canada: The Manitoba experience
Authors: FIELDHOUSE Paul , THOMPSON Shirley
Published: September 2012

Aims: The promotion of healthy living and chronic disease prevention are predicated on the ability of individuals and communities to make healthy choices. Having access to nutritious affordable food is one of the conditions required to make such choices possible but one that is too often not available, especially to families in remote regions of Canada. The present paper reviews food security issues as they pertain to indigenous communities, particularly in northern Manitoba, and describes community and government approaches to tackling food insecurity.

Method: A narrative review was formed drawing on international literature and Canadian research and practice.

Results: Strategies such as those described above have the potential to significantly enhance access to affordable, nutritious food in Northern Communities thereby improving food security, healthy living and preventing chronic disease.

Conclusions: Community‐based action combined with structural changes and a supportive policy environment hold out the prospect of changing the conditions of food access that underlie the ultimate success of healthy living and chronic disease prevention efforts. While there appears to be a growing interest in local food production and the reintroduction of traditional foods to the diet, an important key to successful change is the engagement of youth, whose food habits and preferences have been heavily influenced by mainstream commercial food culture.
Prediction of macroscopic findings of hepatocellular carcinoma on hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium‐ethoxybenzyl‐diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: Correlation with pathology
Authors: Fujinaga Yasunari , Kadoya Masumi , Kozaka Kazuto , Shinmura Rieko , Matsui Osamu , Takayama Tadatoshi , Yamamoto Masakazu , Kokudo Norihiro , Kawasaki Seiji , Arii Shigeki
Published: September 2012

Aim

We aimed to correlate the macroscopic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC).

Methods

This was a multicenter study, whose study protocol was approved by each institutional review board. One hundred and forty‐six resected nodules in 124 patients who had received a preoperative hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium‐ethoxybenzyl‐diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid‐enhanced MRI (EOB‐MRI) were analyzed. In both findings, we compared the diameter of HCC and macroscopic types divided into five types: (i) small nodular type with indistinct margin (SN‐IM); (ii) simple nodular type (with distinct margin) (SN‐DM); (iii) simple nodular type with extranodular growth (SN‐EG); (iv) confluent multinodular type (CMN); and (v) infiltrative type (IF).

Results

The diameters in each finding (Dsurg and DMRI) were significantly correlated (R = 0.961), although Dsurg was larger than DMRI (P = 0.0216). There were significant differences between Dsurg in SN‐IM and the other groups (P < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 5.3, 99.2 and 87; 84.8, 62.7 and 81.4; 58.1, 91.3 and 84.2; 70.6, 91.5 and 89, in SN‐IM, SN‐DM, SN‐EG and CMN, respectively. The kappa value of every size was as follows: all sizes, 0.45; 20 mm or less, 0.23; more than 20 mm, 0.56.

Conclusion

EOB‐MRI could predict the macroscopic pathological findings except for SN‐IM. Small tumor size might be helpful to diagnose SN‐IM.
ProgramSPACECAP: software for estimating animal density using spatially explicit capture–recapture models
Authors: Gopalaswamy Arjun M. , Royle J. Andrew , Hines James E. , Singh Pallavi , Jathanna Devcharan , Kumar N. Samba , Karanth K. Ullas
Published: September 2012

The advent of spatially explicit capture–recapture models is changing the way ecologists analyse capture–recapture data. However, the advantages offered by these new models are not fully exploited because they can be difficult to implement.

To address this need, we developed a user‐friendly software package, created within theRprogramming environment, calledSPACECAP. This package implementsBayesian spatially explicit hierarchical models to analyse spatial capture–recapture data.

Given that a large number of field biologists prefer software with graphical user interfaces for analysing their data,SPACECAPis particularly useful as a tool to increase the adoption ofBayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture methods in practice.
Role of the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier transporter as a cerebral clearance system for prostaglandin E2 produced in the brain
Authors: Tachikawa Masanori , Ozeki Go , Higuchi Takanori , Akanuma Shin‐ichi , Tsuji Kazuhiro , Hosoya Ken‐ichi
Published: September 2012

An increasing level of prostaglandin (PG) E2 is involved in the progression of neuroinflammation induced by ischemia and bacterial infection. Although an imbalance in the rates of production and clearance of PGE2 under these pathological conditions appears to affect the concentration of PGE2 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the regulatory system remains incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cellular system of PGE2 production via microsomal PGE synthetase‐1 (mPGES‐1), the inducible PGE2‐generating enzyme, and PGE2 elimination from the CSF via the blood–CSF barrier (BCSFB). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that mPGES‐1 was expressed in the soma and perivascular sheets of astrocytes, pia mater, and brain blood vessel endothelial cells, suggesting that these cells are local production sites of PGE2 in the CSF. The in vivo PGE2 elimination clearance from the CSF was eightfold greater than that of d‐mannitol, which is considered to reflect CSF bulk flow. This process was inhibited by the simultaneous injection of unlabeled PGE2 and β‐lactam antibiotics, such as benzylpenicillin, cefazolin, and ceftriaxone, which are substrates and/or inhibitors of organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3). The characteristics of PGE2 uptake by the isolated choroid plexus were at least partially consistent with those of OAT3. OAT3 was able to mediate PGE2 transport with a Michaelis–Menten constant of 4.24 μM. These findings indicate that a system regulating the PGE2 level in the CSF involves OAT3‐mediated PGE2 uptake by choroid plexus epithelial cells, acting as a cerebral clearance pathway via the BCSFB of locally produced PGE2.
Colonization of the oral cavity by yeasts in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Godoy Janine S. R. , de Souza Bonfim‐Mendonça Patrícia , Nakamura Sandra S. , Yamada Sérgio S. , Shinobu‐Mesquita Cristiane , Pieralisi Neli , Fiorini Adriana , Svidzinski Terezinha I. E.
Published: September 2012

Objectives

To determine the frequency of yeast in the oral cavity of patients with chronic renal failure, undergoing hemodialysis (PCRFH); identification and antifungal susceptibility profile of yeast and demographic profile of patients.

Methods

We performed mouthwash in 146PCRFH; the rinse fluid was collected and cultured, yeasts grown were identified by phenotypic and molecular methods. The antifungal susceptibility profile was determined against nystatin, amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, and caspofungin based in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (documentM27‐A3).

Results

Positive culture was observed in 39% of patients, of whom 53% were women; the median of dialysis time was 2.9 years. The age of the colonized patients varied between 26 and 84 years, with a median of 52.5 years.PCRFHover 45 years were significantly more colonized (P = 0.0108) as well as denture wearers (84.0%). We isolated 81 yeasts, predominantlyCandida albicans(63%) followed byCandida glabrata. In general, yeasts were sensitive to the evaluated antifungal agents, but there was significant variation in the minimum inhibitory concentration, especially among non‐C. albicans Candida(NCAC) compared to fluconazole, caspofungin, and amphotericin B.NCACrequired significantly higher concentrations of fluconazole (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The rate of colonization by yeasts inPCRFHwas high, and there was variability in species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profile. These results are little known in this group of patients and are important for controlling the risk of developing invasive fungal infections.
Facial esthetics in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate 3 years after alveolar bonegrafting combined with rhinoplasty between 2 and 4 years of age
Authors: Offert B. , Janiszewska‐Olszowska J. , Dudkiewicz Z. , Brudnicki A. , Katsaros C. , Fudalej P. S.
Published: September 2012

Offert B., Janiszewska‐Olszowska J., Dudkiewicz Z., Brudnicki A., Katsaros C., Fudalej P. S. Facial esthetics in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate 3 years after alveolar bonegrafting combined with rhinoplasty between 2 and 4 years of age  Orthod Craniofac Res 2013; 16:36–43. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Structured Abstract

Objectives –  To evaluate facial esthetics in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) after alveolar bone grafting combined with rhinoplasty between 2 and 4 years of age.

Design –  Retrospective case‐control study.

Setting –  The Department of Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland.

Material and Methods –  Photographs of full faces and cropped images of five nasolabial components: nasal deviation, nasal form, nasal profile, vermillion border, and inferior view were assessed by 5 professional and 14 layraters in 29 children (23 boys and 6 girls; mean age = 5.3 years, SD 0.5; Early‐grafted group) and 30 children (20 boys and 10 girls; mean age = 5.5 years, SD 1.0; Non‐grafted group) with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate repaired with a one‐stage closure. The groups differed regarding the timing of alveolar bone grafting: in the Early‐grafted group, alveolar bone grafting in combination with rhinoplasty (ABG‐R) was performed between 2 and 4 years of age (mean age = 2.3 years; SD 0.6); in the Non‐grafted group, the alveolar defect was grafted after 9 years of age. No primary nose correction was carried out in any group. To rate esthetics, a modified five‐grade esthetic index of Asher‐McDade was used, where grade 1 means the most esthetic and grade 5 – the least esthetic outcome.

Results –  Esthetics of full faces and of all nasolabial elements in the Early‐grafted group was significantly better than in Non‐grafted group. The scores in the Early‐grafted group ranged from 2.30 to 2.66 points, whereas in the Non‐grafted group ranged from 2.66 to 3.17 points. All intergroup differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions –  Three years post‐operatively, early alveolar bone grafting combined with rhinoplasty is favorable for facial esthetics in children with UCLP, but a longer follow‐up is needed to assess whether the improvement was permanent.
Is gingival crevicular fluid volume sensitive to orthodontic tooth movement? A systematic review of split‐mouth longitudinal studies
Authors: Perinetti G. , Primožič J. , Castaldo A. , Di Lenarda R. , Contardo L.
Published: September 2012

Perinetti G., Primožič J., Castaldo A., Di Lenarda R., Contardo L.  Is gingival crevicular fluid volume sensitive to orthodontic tooth movement? A systematic review of split‐mouth longitudinal studies  Orthod Craniofac Res 2013; 16:1–19. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S

To assess the scientific evidence for detectable volume changes of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) incident to orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). A literature survey of longitudinal split‐mouth studies was performed searching PubMed, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library, with the last access in 15 April 2012. After selection, 13 articles qualified for the final analysis. One study was judged to be of medium/high quality, six were of medium quality and the rest of low quality. Across all studies, there was very little or no statistically significant change in GCF volume incident to OTM. The changes seen were generally ascribed to the clinical or subclinical inflammation consequent to placement of the fixed orthodontic appliance. A reappraisal of the data provided in these studies was performed by comparing the GCF volume from the test (moved) and control (non‐moved) teeth, in terms of effects‐size (ES) coefficients and variations, as percentages. Generally, the ES coefficients and the variations were below 1.0 and 20%, respectively. Therefore, when using current methods to collect and measure GCF volume, there was no meaningful diagnostic potential for the GCF volume as an index of tissue remodelling incident to OTM. The GCF volume is not a reliable index for tissue remodelling incident to OTM.
A Low Pressure Turbine With Profiled Endwalls and Purge Flow Operating With a Pressure Side Bubble
Authors: Jenny P. , Abhari R. S. , Rose M. G. , Brettschneider M. , Gier J.
Published: September 2012

This paper presents an experimental and computational study of non-axisymmetric rotor endwall profiling in a low pressure turbine. Endwall profiling has been proven to be an effective technique to reduce both turbine blade row losses and the required purge flow. For this work, a rotor with profiled endwalls on both hub and shroud is considered. The rotor tip and hub endwalls have been designed using an automatic numerical optimization that is implemented in an in-house MTU code. The endwall shape is modified up to the platform leading edge. Several levels of purge flow are considered in order to analyze the combined effects of endwall profiling and purge flow. The non-dimensional parameters match real engine conditions. The 2-sensor Fast Response Aerodynamic Probe (FRAP) technique system developed at ETH Zurich is used in this experimental campaign. Time-resolved measurements of the unsteady pressure, temperature and entropy fields between the rotor and stator blade rows are made. For the operating point under investigation, the turbine rotor blades have pressure side separations. The unsteady behavior of the pressure side bubble is studied. Furthermore, the results of unsteady RANS simulations are compared to the measurements and the computations are also used to detail the flow field with particular emphasis on the unsteady purge flow migration and transport mechanisms in the turbine main flow containing a rotor pressure side separation. The profiled endwalls show the beneficial effects of improved measured efficiency at this operating point, together with a reduced sensitivity to purge flow.
Aeroelasticity at Reversed Flow Conditions — Part II: Application to Compressor Surge
Authors: Schoenenborn Harald , Breuer Thomas
Published: September 2012

The prediction of blade loads during surge is still a challenging task. In the literature, the blade loading during surge is often referred to as “surge load,” which suggests that there is a single source of blade loading. In the second part of our paper it is shown that, in reality, the “surge load” may consist of two physically different mechanisms: the pressure shock when the pressure breaks down and aeroelastic excitation (flutter) during the blow-down phase in certain cases. This leads to a new understanding of blade loading during surge. The front block of a multistage compressor is investigated. For some points of the backflow characteristic, the quasi steady-state flow conditions are calculated using a Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS)-solver. The flow enters at the last blade row, goes backwards through the compressor and leaves the compressor in front of the inlet guide vane. The results show a very complex flow field characterized by large recirculation regions on the suction sides of the airfoils and stagnation regions close to the trailing edges of the airfoils. Based on these steady solutions, unsteady calculations are performed with a linearized aeroelasticity code. It can be shown that some of the rotor stages are aerodynamically unstable in the first torsional mode. Thus, in addition to the pressure shock, the blades may be excited by flutter during the surge blow-down phase. In spite of the short blow-down phase typical for aero-engine high pressure compressors, this may lead to very high blade stresses due to high aeroelastic excitation at these special flow conditions. The analytical results compare very well with the observations during rig testing. The correct nodal diameter of the blade vibration is reproduced and the growth rate of the blade vibration is predicted quite well, as a comparison with tip-timing measurements shows. A new flutter region in the compressor map was experimentally and analytically detected.
Error Modeling and Experimental Validation of a Planar 3-PPR Parallel Manipulator With Joint Clearances
Authors: Wu Guanglei , Bai Shaoping , Kepler Jørgen A. , Caro Stéphane
Published: September 2012

This paper deals with the error modeling and analysis of a 3-PPR planar parallel manipulator with joint clearances. The kinematics and the Cartesian workspace of the manipulator are analyzed. An error model is established with considerations of both configuration errors and joint clearances. Using this model, the upper bounds and distributions of the pose errors for this manipulator are established. The results are compared with experimental measurements and show the effectiveness of the error prediction model.
A Six Degree of
Freedom Epicyclic-Parallel Manipulator
Authors: Chen Chao , Gayral Thibault , Caro Stéphane , Chablat Damien , Moroz Guillaume , Abeywardena Sajeeva
Published: September 2012

A new six-dof epicyclic-parallel manipulator with all actuators allocated on the ground is introduced. It is shown that the system has a considerably simple kinematics relationship, with the complete direct and inverse kinematics analysis provided. Further, the first and second links of each leg can be driven independently by two motors. The serial and parallel singularities of the system are determined, with an interesting feature of the system being that the parallel singularity is independent of the position of the end-effector. The workspace of the manipulator is also analyzed with future applications in haptics in mind.
A novel false-positive cause in testis scintigraphy in the diagnosis of testis torsion
Authors: Koç Zehra Pinar , Onur Rahmi , Balci Tansel Ansal
Published: September 2012

Testis scintigraphy is the most reliable modality in the diagnosis of testis torsion since it directly reflects the vascularity of the testis. The ‘rim sign’ is considered as the pathognomonic sign of the missed torsion. However, there are some possible false-positive cases. In this case report, we would like to present an unexpected false-positive cause of the ‘rim sign’ in testis scintigraphy in an 18-year-old male patient.
Bilateral optic disc swelling as a presenting sign of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis
Authors: Pakter Grant Jason
Published: September 2012

The case of a 59-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a 6-week history of intermittent blurring of vision and diplopia is reported. Fundoscopy revealed asymmetrical, bilateral optic disc swelling with peripapillary haemorrhages. An initial CT scan and D-dimer level were reported as normal. A subsequent MRI revealed a recanalising superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare and potentially fatal condition. The author suggests that it should be part of the differential diagnosis of bilateral optic disc swelling and that a normal unenhanced CT scan and D-dimer would not rule out this potentially devastating condition.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: the importance of early diagnosis
Authors: Teotónio Rute , Marmoto Dina , Januário Cristina , Bento Conceição
Published: September 2012

A 14-year-old boy was submitted to cardiac transplant due to a dilated cardiomyopathy. On the fourth day of immunosuppression (corticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus), he developed right focal seizures and drowsiness. Blood pressure was in the normal range and laboratory findings in cerebral spinal fluid and blood were unremarkable, with drugs in non-toxic levels. The EEG showed a slow background rhythm more pronounced on the right and a seizure onset in the right occipital region. MRI revealed a diffuse hyperintense subcortical white-matter lesion on fluid attenuated inversion recovery, with lesser involvement of left temporal–occipital region. There was no enhancement with gadolinium and MRI diffusion-weighted imaging was consistent with vasogenic oedema. Tacrolimus was stopped with regression of MRI abnormalities and clinical recovery. Posterior reversible encephalopathy associated with tacrolimus is a rare but potentially serious complication of solid organ transplants. A prompt diagnosis and correct treatment is essential to avoid irreversible brain damage.