bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fundus Autofluorescence and Colour Fundus Imaging Compared During Telemedicine Screening in Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Kolomeyer Anton M , Baumrind Benjamin R , Szirth Bernard C , Shahid Khadija , Khouri Albert S
Published: June 2013

We investigated the use of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging in screening the eyes of patients with diabetes. Images were obtained from 50 patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing telemedicine screening with colour fundus imaging. The colour and FAF images were obtained with a 15.1 megapixel non-mydriatic retinal camera. Colour and FAF images were compared for pathology seen in nonproliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR and PDR, respectively). A qualitative assessment was made of the ease of detecting early retinopathy changes and the extent of existing retinopathy. The mean age of the patients was 47 years, most were male (82%) and most were African American (68%). Their mean visual acuity was 20/45 and their mean intraocular pressure was 14.3 mmHg. Thirty-eight eyes (76%) did not show any diabetic retinopathy changes on colour or FAF imaging. Seven patients (14%) met the criteria for NPDR and five (10%) for severe NPDR or PDR. The most common findings were microaneurysms, hard exudates and intraretinal haemorrhages (IRH) (n = 6 for each). IRH, microaneurysms and chorioretinal scars were more easily visible on FAF images. Hard exudates, pre-retinal haemorrhage and fibrosis, macular oedema and Hollenhorst plaque were easier to identify on colour photographs. The value of FAF imaging as a complementary technique to colour fundus imaging in detecting diabetic retinopathy during ocular screening warrants further investigation.
Dyadic interviewing: a technique valuing interdependence in interviews with individuals with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Caldwell Kate
Published: June 2013

Dyadic interviewing is a qualitative approach that recognizes there exists an interdependent relationship between individuals, embracing this phenomenon as a source of information rather than attempting to control for it. Informed by a Critical Disability Studies ideology, this dyadic interview technique has been adapted to address some of the difficulties that present when conducting interviews with individuals with intellectual disabilities. The interview structure consists of a dyad that includes the individual with intellectual disability and the person they identify as their key support person. Currently, researchers have embraced dyadic interviewing as a method of triangulation. However, it also has potential to be used as an important method of accommodation for people with intellectual disability that promotes choice and self-determination in research participation.
Treating Attention Maintained Behavior in a High School Student
Authors: Berkout Olga V. , Gross Alan M.
Published: June 2013

Functional behavior analytic approaches have been demonstrated to be widely applicable and efficacious. While interventions have typically focused on children and individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavior analytic principles have a great deal to offer to conceptualizations of psychopathology in other populations. This manuscript describes a case of an adolescent with oppositional symptoms treated using a functional behavior analytic intervention. Following an 8-week course of treatment, the client experienced improvements in the areas of academic and social functioning. Findings suggest that a functional behavior analytic perspective may have a great deal to offer to treatment of adolescents.
School Nutrition Programs
Authors: Hayes Dayle , Berdan Garrett
Published: June 2013

Schools in the United States serve more than 12 million breakfasts and 32 million lunches every school day, as well as multiple snacks and supper meals in some cases. These meals are funded by federal legislation and regulated by nutrition standards that follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. School nutrition professionals face many challenges when improving campus food environments and are using multiple, innovative strategies to serve healthier meals to students.
Prevalence of Medication Use in Children for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction
Authors: Lenz Thomas L.
Published: June 2013

Recently there has been concern regarding the prevalence of medication use in children to manage the same cardiometabolic risk factors that traditionally begin in adulthood, but are now more prevalent in children. Two studies have been published reporting the actual prevalence of medication use in children to treat the conditions of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Both studies report that the overall prevalence of medication use among children to manage these conditions is increasing. Concurrently, physical activity levels and healthy eating habits in children are decreasing and the incidence of obesity is increasing. Although medications used to treat cardiometabolic risks are important for preventing future cardiovascular disease, greater resources should be dedicated toward lifestyle medicine–related treatment and prevention efforts in this population to improve the future health of these individuals and the general health of America.
It’s Easier to Lie if You Believe it Yourself: Derrida, Arendt, and the Modern Lie
Authors: La Caze Marguerite
Published: June 2013

In ‘‘History of the Lie: Prolegomena’’ (2002) Jacques Derrida examines Hannah Arendt’s analysis of the modern lie in politics in her essays ‘‘Lying in Politics’’ (1972) and ‘‘Truth and Politics’’ (1968/1993). Arendt contrasts the traditional lie, where lies were told and secrets kept for the greater good or to defeat the enemy, with the modern lie, which comprises deception and self-deception on a massive scale. This article investigates the seriousness of different kinds of lies in political life in the light of Arendt and Derrida’s reflections on lying and contemporary lies in politics and shows where concern should focus.
“Get Your Asphalt Off My Ancestors!”: Reclaiming Richmond’s African Burial Ground
Authors: Hong Mai-Linh K.
Published: June 2013

By treating spatial conflict as one way communities wrestle with the memory and legacy of slavery, this article unites critical landscape analysis, a tool of legal geography, with legal and cultural analysis and recent scholarship on African American reparations. A slave cemetery lay beneath a parking lot in Shockoe Bottom, a neighborhood of downtown Richmond that was once a major slave-trading hub. In recent years, controversy arose over the site’s use, generating racially charged local debate and two failed lawsuits seeking to preserve the site. This article examines the significance of the African Burial Ground controversy by analyzing its symbolic, discursive, spatial, and legal dimensions. Although the law ostensibly protects ancestral graves from desecration, it demands that a plaintiff demonstrate biological descent from the interred in order to make a claim; as this case demonstrates, standing is denied to those whose family histories were obliterated by slavery. I argue that the plaintiff’s lack of standing before the law, which is rooted in slavery, cannot be separated from other, social and political forms of illegitimacy historically inscribed upon African Americans. Here, claims of desecration were relegated to the political arena, where redress was possible but subject to the vagaries of local, state, and national racial politics. Community activists, unable to protect the Burial Ground through the force of the law, instead mobilized the spectacle of the law, and achieved a surprising out-of-court resolution to the conflict.
Making a Point and Making a Noise: A Punk Prayer
Authors: Manderson Desmond
Published: June 2013

Recent scholarship in the new interdisciplinary field of law and music has done much to explore the relationship between these two cultural forms, in terms of force and meaning, history and structure. More must now be done to show how they matter to one another, how music can charge a social conflict with political urgency and color it with a distinct emotional timbre. The future lies in developing these research trajectories still more intently: towards the embodied and sonic dimensions of music on the one hand, and towards its contemporary relevance on the other. Such a discussion would have to be alert to the places and times in which music inserts a kind of pressing aesthetic note into the political and juridical process. And it would have to think the aesthetic, the legal, and the political in connection with one another. These propositions are explored through a case study of the trial of Pussy Riot in Moscow during 2012. While the prosecution chose to present the group’s actions as a species of ‘religious hatred,’ the defense characterized them as engaging in ‘political dissent.’ But neither adequately capture the role and meaning of the music and aesthetic elements of the performance of the three women. Yet these were integral to Pussy Riot’s actions. While the trial achieved some recognition as a political trial it deserves recognition rather as one of the great trials of modern art.
Modeling the hygrothermal behavior of biobased construction materials
Authors: Dubois Samuel , Evrard Arnaud , Lebeau Frédéric
Published: June 2013

Materials with high moisture exchange capacity may have a strong impact on indoor climate conditions as well as building energy performance. Crop-based materials, characterized by their high porosity and hygroscopicity, belong to this category. Modeling their hygrothermal behavior accurately is thus particularly relevant for appropriate building design. A COMSOL Multiphysics transient heat air and moisture model is developed in this article to simulate moisture exchange between a lime–hemp concrete block and surrounding air during a Moisture Buffer Value evaluation test. Results are then compared with the validated heat air and moisture software using performance criteria showing a slight preference for both moisture exchanges and latent heat effect characterization. It offers yet additional advantages in terms of flexibility and transparency as well as further evolution potential.
National voice: A discourse analysis of China Central Television’s News Simulcast
Authors: Feng Debing
Published: June 2013

News Simulcast, the flagship news program for China Central Television (CCTV), has been widely studied by Chinese scholars. However, little attention has been paid to its representation of ideological meanings. To address this issue, the present study, drawing upon Van Dijk’s (1988b) framework of three-level analysis of discourse structure, carries out a comprehensive discourse analysis of the news broadcast on this program. A corpus of 10 episodes of News Simulcast was selected as the database, from which a subset of four episodes were thoroughly examined from the macro-level of discoursal and thematic structure to the micro-level of linguistic and semiotic structure. It demonstrates that, due to its historic background and political privilege, News Simulcast broadcasts news with an authoritative national voice, speaking primarily in the interests of the Communist Party, the government and the people, and it thus forms a rather stereotyped discourse structure: positive ‘us’ versus negative ‘them’.
Chlorhexidine for the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia in critically ill adults
Authors: Buckley Mitchell S , Dzierba Amy L , Smithburger Pamela L , McAllen Karen J , Jordan Ché J , Kane-Gill Sandra L
Published: June 2013

Nosocomial pneumonia is common in critically ill patients and is associated with high mortality rates. The development of pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been associated with bacterial colonisation within the oral cavity and translocation into the respiratory tract. Over recent years, several strategies have been employed and recommended for preventing ventilator associated pneumonia in the ICU. Chlorhexidine, a topical antiseptic, is a promising agent in preventing nosocomial pneumonia because of its wide antimicrobial spectrum of activity, ease of administration, minimal concerns of contributing to bacterial resistance and relatively benign side effect profile. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of chlorhexidine in preventing nosocomial pneumonia in critically ill patients, we conducted a literature search by using PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases; Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1966– February 2013) for relevant studies. Overall, seven clinical trials were identified. These studies showed mixed results and the majority failed to demonstrate a significant reduction in the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia with the use of chlorhexidine. However, the cardiothoracic surgery ICU patient population may benefit from its use. Further studies are warranted to clearly define the role of chlorhexidine in preventing nosocomial pneumonia.
A Review of the Stellate Ganglion Block/Cervical Sympathetic Block on the Prevention and Therapy of Cerebral Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Naidu Ramana (Ramo) K.
Published: June 2013

One of the most dangerous and distressing complications of subarachnoid hemorrhage is the development of delayed cerebral ischemia from cerebral vasospasm. Although the exact mechanism causing cerebral vasospasm remains unclear, current evidence suggests that breakdown products of blood within the subarachnoid space may interact with the sympathetic innervation of the cerebral vasculature to produce vasoconstriction. Therefore, a novel treatment that would lessen these sympathetic effects may be beneficial to patients with cerebral vasospasm. This review will examine the potential benefit to neuro-critical care medicine that ultrasound-guided cervical sympathetic blockade, also known as the stellate ganglion block, could have on cerebral vasospasm.
Pulmonary Hypertension and the Interdependence of Ventricular Function
Authors: Singh Mandeep , Afifi Sherif
Published: June 2013

Pulmonary hypertension is a hemodynamic problem that can result in grave morbidity and mortality including right-sided heart failure and sudden death. The nature of the pulmonary circulation makes it highly interdependent with right ventricular function. Thus, the study of functional deterioration in pulmonary blood flow should always take into account the impact on right ventricular function, and vice versa. A rational approach to the management of pulmonary hypertension should focus not only on specific dynamics of that low pressure circuit but also on enhancing the function of the right ventricle. In this article, a comprehensive discussion of recent developments in pharmacologic and surgical therapies is provided for the complicated disorder of pulmonary hypertension.
The role of direct renin inhibitors in the treatment of the hypertensive diabetic patient
Authors: Riccioni Graziano
Published: June 2013

Hypertensive patients with diabetes exhibit an increased risk for cardiovascular complications, such as acute coronary syndrome, stroke, heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). These two chronic diseases are linked to a high rate of morbidity and mortality and for this reason it is important for the clinician to recognize the need for effective treatment of hypertension, which can require combination therapy to achieve blood pressure (BP) goals. Direct renin inhibitors (DRIs) may be useful in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) as they provide a more complete blockade of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), effectively suppressing residual angiotensin II production and the counter-regulatory increase in plasma renin activity observed in patients receiving monotherapy with ACEIs or ARBs. Some questions regarding the action of aliskiren in cardiovascular and renal disorders are open. In particular, the combination therapy of aliskiren and a RAAS blocker in diabetic hypertensive patients with CKD is controversial. Several published studies demonstrated that aliskiren is suitable for once-daily administration and its antihypertensive effect is comparable or superior to that of other antihypertensive agents at recommended doses, with a good tolerability profile. At the moment the association with ACEIs and ARBs is not recommended in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and renal impairment even if a recent published open-label study of low-dose aliskiren (150 mg/daily) in association with ACEIs or ARBs has demonstrated a good tolerability profile without the adverse events found in other studies. This review provides a brief overview of RAAS blocking, in particular the rationale and clinical evidence supporting the use of the DRI aliskiren, in high-risk patients with T2DM.
Baseline Renal Function among Antiretroviral Therapy-Naive, HIV-Infected Patients in Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Onodugo Obinna D. , Chukwuka Chinwe , Onyedum Cajetan , Ejim Emmanuel , Mbah Anthony , Nkwo Peter , Ugwu George , Ukoma Ubani , Okafor Chinyere , Anyene Chukwujekwu , Nwabueze Emmanuel , Obi Frank , Akabueze Jude , Uche Ikenna , Ekochin Fintan , Nnoruka Edith
Published: June 2013

Background:

Renal insufficiency has been shown to be a significant, independent risk factor for mortality among HIV-infected patients. Unfortunately, little is known about the prevalence and nature of renal impairment in African populations initiating antiretroviral treatment. This study aims to find the prevalence of abnormal renal function among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive, HIV-infected patients in the South Eastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Method:

This is a cross-sectional hospital-based study, involving 300 ART-naive HIV-positive patients, seen over a 1-year period, aged from 18 years and older, presenting to the clinic for the first time.

Results:

A total of 300 patients were included in the study, 104 (34.7%) males and 196 (65.3%) females. The prevalence of significant renal disease was 24.3% (73 of 300), while 38.3% (115 of 300) had mild renal impairment. Using logistic regression, age, CD4 count, urea, creatinine, and hemoglobin were significantly associated with renal impairment.

Conclusion:

The authors observed a high prevalence of significant renal impairment among HIV-infected patients at the time of ART initiation.
Identifying Subgroups of Care Providers Participating in a Telehealth Educational Intervention
Authors: Wao Hesborn , Beckstead Jason W. , Beal Jeffrey , Aluoch Marilyn , Skipper Theresa C. , Orrick Joanne J.
Published: June 2013

Health care providers (HCPs) serving HIV-infected patients, especially in rural and underserved areas, have limited access to continuing medical education.

Objective:

To identify subgroups of HCPs who might benefit from a telehealth training program focusing on HIV/AIDS care based on HCPs’ objective for attending the training.

Methods:

Hierarchical cluster analysis combined with thematic analysis identified the subgroups.

Results:

A total of 56 HCPs attended between 1 and 9 of the 12 sessions conducted (mean ≈ 2, standard deviation = 1.6). Subgroups identified included knowledge (HCPs interested in gaining, increasing, or updating their knowledge in HIV care), learn–expert (HCPs interested in learning, obtaining, or providing expert opinion), and observe–apply–network (HCPs interested in observing the training, applying knowledge gained to practice, and networking). No group differences were found in the participants’ reaction to the session, change in knowledge following the training, and other important characteristics.

Conclusion:

Methodological contributions of the study are discussed.
Dermatology Quality of Life Impairments among Newly Diagnosed HIV-Infected Patients in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria
Authors: Shittu R. O. , Odeigah L. O. , Mahmoud Abdulraheem O. , Sani M. A. , Bolarinwa O. A.
Published: June 2013

The study sought to describe the quality-of-life impairments in newly diagnosed HIV-infected adult patients with cutaneous lesions. This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study of 160 newly diagnosed HIV-infected adult patients attending the HIV/AIDS clinic of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). Systemic random sampling technique was used in recruiting respondents for the study. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to gauge the quality-of-life impairments. The study showed high prevalence of cutaneous lesions in HIV-infected patients. Majority of the respondents (83.7%) scored more than 10 in DLQI score. This signifies that the skin lesions had large negative effects on their quality of life. The assessment of the impact of dermatoses on patients’ quality of life is important for clinical management. It is pertinent to detect patients at higher risk of experiencing worse quality of life in order to treat them holistically.
Antibiotic therapy in nongastrointestinal MALT lymphoma: a review of the literature
Authors: Kiesewetter Barbara , Raderer Markus
Published: June 2013

Although antibiotic therapy has been established as the standard of care in patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, much less is known about the value of antibiotic therapy in nongastrointestinal (non-GI) MALT lymphomas. A computerized search (Medline) accompanied by a manual search to identify clinical reports on the topic of antibacterial therapy in patients with non-GI MALT lymphomas was performed. The majority of data were available for MALT lymphoma of the ocular adnexa (OAML) including a total of 131 patients in 4 retrospective studies, 3 prospective series (including 81 patients), and 1 case report. Treatment was exclusively targeting Chlamydophila psittaci (CP), using doxycycline in all but 2 studies. The median follow-up for these studies was 25 months, and both CP-positive as well as CP-negative patients responded. Complete remission was achieved in 23 patients (18%), 36 (27%) had a partial remission, 55 (42%) had stable disease, and 8 patients (6%) had progressive disease accounting for an overall response rate of 45%. In the largest study, a better response was suggested in CP-positive patients. By contrast, only scattered reports could be found for other non-GI localizations, allowing no conclusion about the benefit of antibiotic therapy and probably resulting in a publication bias toward positive cases. Based on these results, antibiotic therapy using doxycycline appears to be a reasonable first-line therapy for patients with OAML. Antibiotics, however, remain experimental for the time being in patients with other non-GI MALT lymphomas. Further preclinical studies as well as large-scale therapeutic trials are warranted to define the role of antibiotic therapy in such patients.
Cardiovascular toxicity and titin cross-reactivity of affinity-enhanced T cells in myeloma and melanoma
Authors: Linette Gerald P. , Stadtmauer Edward A. , Maus Marcela V. , Rapoport Aaron P. , Levine Bruce L. , Emery Lyndsey , Litzky Leslie , Bagg Adam , Carreno Beatriz M. , Cimino Patrick J. , Binder-Scholl Gwendolyn K. , Smethurst Dominic P. , Gerry Andrew B. , Pumphrey Nick J. , Bennett Alan D. , Brewer Joanna E. , Dukes Joseph , Harper Jane , Tayton-Martin Helen K. , Jakobsen Bent K. , Hassan Namir J. , Kalos Michael , June Carl H.
Published: June 2013

Key Points

Engineered T-cell receptors can have redundant recognition of alternative protein motifs, resulting in severe cardiac toxicity. The use of induced pleuripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a promising approach to identify potential off-target effects of engineered T cells.
SGN-CD33A: a novel CD33-targeting antibody–drug conjugate using a pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer is active in models of drug-resistant AML
Authors: Kung Sutherland May S. , Walter Roland B. , Jeffrey Scott C. , Burke Patrick J. , Yu Changpu , Kostner Heather , Stone Ivan , Ryan Maureen C. , Sussman Django , Lyon Robert P. , Zeng Weiping , Harrington Kimberly H. , Klussman Kerry , Westendorf Lori , Meyer David , Bernstein Irwin D. , Senter Peter D. , Benjamin Dennis R. , Drachman Jonathan G. , McEarchern Julie A.
Published: June 2013

Key Points

SGN-CD33A is a novel antibody-drug conjugate, consisting of an engineered anti-CD33 mAb conjugated to a potent DNA cross-linking cytotoxin. SGN-CD33A is highly active in a broad panel of preclinical AML models and, in contrast to GO, is active despite MDR or poor-risk cytogenetics.
FusionQ: a novel approach for gene fusion detection and quantification from paired-end RNA-Seq
Authors: Liu Chenglin , Ma Jinwen , Chang ChungChe , Zhou Xiaobo
Published: June 2013

Background

Gene fusions, which result from abnormal chromosome rearrangements, are a pathogenic factor in cancer development. The emerging RNA-Seq technology enables us to detect gene fusions and profile their features.

Results

In this paper, we proposed a novel fusion detection tool, FusionQ, based on paired-end RNA-Seq data. This tool can detect gene fusions, construct the structures of chimerical transcripts, and estimate their abundances. To confirm the read alignment on both sides of a fusion point, we employed a new approach, “residual sequence extension”, which extended the short segments of the reads by aggregating their overlapping reads. We also proposed a list of filters to control the false-positive rate. In addition, we estimated fusion abundance using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm with sparse optimization, and further adopted it to improve the detection accuracy of the fusion transcripts. Simulation was performed by FusionQ and another two stated-of-art fusion detection tools. FusionQ exceeded the other two in both sensitivity and specificity, especially in low coverage fusion detection. Using paired-end RNA-Seq data from breast cancer cell lines, FusionQ detected both the previously reported and new fusions. FusionQ reported the structures of these fusions and provided their expressions. Some highly expressed fusion genes detected by FusionQ are important biomarkers in breast cancer. The performances of FusionQ on cancel line data still showed better specificity and sensitivity in the comparison with another two tools.

Conclusions

FusionQ is a novel tool for fusion detection and quantification based on RNA-Seq data. It has both good specificity and sensitivity performance. FusionQ is free and available at http://www.wakehealth.edu/CTSB/Software/Software.htm.
bioNerDS: exploring bioinformatics’ database and software use through literature mining
Authors: Duck Geraint , Nenadic Goran , Brass Andy , Robertson David L , Stevens Robert
Published: June 2013

Background

Biology-focused databases and software define bioinformatics and their use is central to computational biology. In such a complex and dynamic field, it is of interest to understand what resources are available, which are used, how much they are used, and for what they are used. While scholarly literature surveys can provide some insights, large-scale computer-based approaches to identify mentions of bioinformatics databases and software from primary literature would automate systematic cataloguing, facilitate the monitoring of usage, and provide the foundations for the recovery of computational methods for analysing biological data, with the long-term aim of identifying best/common practice in different areas of biology.

Results

We have developed bioNerDS, a named entity recogniser for the recovery of bioinformatics databases and software from primary literature. We identify such entities with an F-measure ranging from 63% to 91% at the mention level and 63-78% at the document level, depending on corpus. Not attaining a higher F-measure is mostly due to high ambiguity in resource naming, which is compounded by the on-going introduction of new resources. To demonstrate the software, we applied bioNerDS to full-text articles from BMC Bioinformatics and Genome Biology. General mention patterns reflect the remit of these journals, highlighting BMC Bioinformatics’s emphasis on new tools and Genome Biology’s greater emphasis on data analysis. The data also illustrates some shifts in resource usage: for example, the past decade has seen R and the Gene Ontology join BLAST and GenBank as the main components in bioinformatics processing.

Conclusions

We demonstrate the feasibility of automatically identifying resource names on a large-scale from the scientific literature and show that the generated data can be used for exploration of bioinformatics database and software usage. For example, our results help to investigate the rate of change in resource usage and corroborate the suspicion that a vast majority of resources are created, but rarely (if ever) used thereafter. bioNerDS is available at http://bionerds.sourceforge.net/.
Breed, sex and anatomical location-specific gene expression profiling of the porcine skeletal muscles
Authors: Zhang Jie , Zhou Chaowei , Ma Jideng , Chen Lei , Jiang Anan , Zhu Li , Shuai Surong , Wang Jinyong , Li Mingzhou , Li Xuewei
Published: June 2013

Background

Skeletal muscle is one of the most important economic traits in agricultural animals, especially in pigs. In the modern pig industry, lean type pigs have undergone strong artificial selection for muscle growth, which has led to remarkable phenotypic variations compared with fatty type pigs, making these different breeds an ideal model for comparative studies.

Results

Here, we present comprehensive gene expression profiling for the white (longissimus dorsi muscle) and the red (psoas major muscle) skeletal muscles among male and female fatty Rongchang, feral Tibetan and lean Landrace pigs, using a microarray approach. We identified differentially expressed genes that may be associated the phenotypic differences of porcine muscles among the breeds, between the sexes and the anatomical locations. We also used a clustering method to identify sets of functionally coexpressed genes that are linked to different muscle phenotypes. We showed that, compared with the white muscles, which primarily modulate metabolic processes, the red muscles show a tendency to be a risk factor for inflammation and immune-related disorders.

Conclusions

This analysis presents breed-, sex- and anatomical location-specific gene expression profiles and further identified genes that may be associated with the phenotypic differences in porcine muscles among breeds, between the sexes and the anatomical locations.
ID3 contributes to cerebrospinal fluid seeding and poor prognosis in medulloblastoma
Authors: Phi Ji Hoon , Choi Seung Ah , Lim Sang-Hee , Lee Joongyub , Wang Kyu-Chang , Park Sung-Hye , Kim Seung-Ki
Published: June 2013

Background

The inhibitor of differentiation (ID) genes have been implicated as promoters of tumor progression and metastasis in many human cancers. The current study investigated the expression and functional roles of ID genes in seeding and prognosis of medulloblastoma.

Methods

ID gene expression was screened in human medulloblastoma tissues. Knockdown of ID3 gene was performed in medulloblastoma cells in vitro. The expression of metastasis-related genes after ID3 knockdown was assessed. The effect of ID3 knockdown on tumor seeding was observed in an animal model in vivo. The survival of medulloblastoma patients was plotted according to the ID3 expression levels.

Results

Significantly higher ID3 expression was observed in medulloblastoma with cerebrospinal fluid seeding than tumors without seeding. Knockdown of ID3 decreased proliferation, increased apoptosis, and suppressed the migration of D283 medulloblastoma cells in vitro. In a seeding model of medulloblastoma, ID3 knockdown in vivo with shRNA inhibited the growth of primary tumors, prevented the development of leptomeningeal seeding, and prolonged animal survival. High ID3 expression was associated with shorter survival of medulloblastoma patients, especially in Group 4 medulloblastomas.

Conclusions

High ID3 expression is associated with medullolbastoma seeding and is a poor prognostic factor, especially in patients with Group 4 tumors. ID3 may represent the metastatic/ aggressive phenotype of a subgroup of medulloblastoma.
Inflammatory phenotypes underlying uncontrolled childhood asthma despite inhaled corticosteroid treatment: rationale and design of the PACMAN2 study
Authors: Vijverberg Susanne JH , Koenderman Leo , van Erp Francine C , van der Ent Cornelis K , Postma Dirkje S , Brinkman Paul , Sterk Peter J , Raaijmakers Jan AM , Maitland-van der Zee Anke-Hilse
Published: June 2013

Background

The diagnosis of childhood asthma covers a broad spectrum of pathological mechanisms that can lead to similarly presenting clinical symptoms, but may nonetheless require different treatment approaches. Distinct underlying inflammatory patterns are thought to influence responsiveness to standard asthma medication.

Methods/design

The purpose of the PACMAN2 study is to identify inflammatory phenotypes that can discriminate uncontrolled childhood asthma from controlled childhood asthma by measures in peripheral blood and exhaled air. PACMAN2 is a nested, case–control follow-up study to the ongoing pharmacy-based “Pharmacogenetics of Asthma medication in Children: Medication with Anti-inflammatory effects” (PACMAN) study. The original PACMAN cohort consists of children aged 4–12 years with reported use of asthma medication. The PACMAN2 study will be conducted within the larger PACMAN cohort, and will focus on detailed phenotyping of a subset of the PACMAN children. The selected participants will be invited to a follow-up visit in a clinical setting at least six months after their baseline visit based on their adherence to usage of inhaled corticosteroids, their asthma symptoms in the past year, and their age (≥ 8 years). During the follow-up visit, current and long-term asthma symptoms, medication use, environmental factors, medication adherence and levels of exhaled nitric oxide will be reassessed. The following measures will also be examined: pulmonary function, exhaled volatile organic compounds, as well as inflammatory markers in peripheral blood and blood plasma. Comparative analysis and cluster-analyses will be used to identify markers that differentiate children with uncontrolled asthma despite their use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (cases) from children whose asthma is controlled by the use of ICS (controls).

Discussion

Asthmatic children with distinct inflammatory phenotypes may respond differently to anti-inflammatory therapy. Therefore, by identifying inflammatory phenotypes in children with the PACMAN2 study, we may greatly impact future personalised treatment strategies, uncover new leads for therapeutic targets and improve the design of future clinical studies in the assessment of the efficacy of novel therapeutics.
A patient and physician survey of fibromyalgia across Latin America and Europe
Authors: Clark Patricia , Paiva Eduardo S , Ginovker Anna , Salomón Patricia Arline
Published: June 2013

Background

Patients and physicians from three Latin American (LA) and six European countries were surveyed in order to describe differences in journey to diagnosis, impact, and management of fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods

900 patients (300 LA; 600 Europe) and 1824 physicians (604 LA; 1220 Europe) were surveyed between October-December 2010 (LA) and February-April 2008 (Europe). Patients and physicians (GP or specialists) completed separate questionnaires, on symptoms, impact, and FM management. Interviews were conducted in local languages. Appropriate rating scales were used throughout. Data were analyzed using cross-tabulations and descriptive statistics. Significance was determined at P < 0.05 (indicated by *).

Results

In LA versus Europe, patients reported having FM symptoms for longer (100.8 vs. 83.7* months), and taking longer to be diagnosed (42.3 vs. 31.1* months). FM was characterized by multiple symptoms (11.2 vs. 6.9), but more LA patients reported 14 common symptoms*, and rated pain higher on 11-point scale (8.0 vs. 7.2*). LA patients were taking fewer medications (3.3 vs. 4.0). Patients from both regions found common symptoms very/extremely disruptive to their quality of life, but symptoms impacted daily living and ability to work more significantly in LA. Physicians (GPs or specialists) from LA more often considered problems sleeping*, difficulty concentrating*, anxiety*, depression*, numbness/tingling*, and leg cramps* very/extremely disruptive vs. European physicians. Despite headache, heightened sensitivity to touch, difficulty concentrating, and joint pain being experienced by ≥50% of patients from both regions, <15% of PCPs or specialists considered these typical FM symptoms. Patients also considered 12/14 symptoms more disruptive than PCPs or specialists in the same region. However, a higher proportion of PCPs or specialists considered FM to have a strong/very strong impact on aspects of daily living vs. patients within the same region.

Conclusions

Patient- and physician-rated disease perception and impact was often higher in LA than in Europe. Patient and physician perspective concerning FM impact and disruption were often misaligned within the same region. Our observations may be representative of cultural differences in stoicism, expression, beliefs, and attitudes to pain perception and management. Better understanding of these complexities could help targeted educational/training programs incorporating cultural differences, to improve chronic care.
A quantitative technique to create a femoral tunnel at the averaged center of the anteromedial bundle attachment in anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Kai Shuken , Kondo Eiji , Kitamura Nobuto , Kawaguchi Yasuyuki , Inoue Masayuki , Amis Andrew A , Yasuda Kazunori
Published: June 2013

Background

In the anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction, 2 femoral tunnel positions are particularly critical to obtain better clinical results. Recently, a few studies have reported quantitative identification methods for posterolateral (PL) bundle reconstruction. Concerning anteromedial (AM) bundle reconstruction, however, no quantitative clinically available methods to insert a guide wire at the center of the direct attachment of the AM mid-substance fibers have been reported to date.

Methods

First, we determined the center of the femoral attachment of the AM mid-substance fibers using 38 fresh frozen cadaveric knees. Based on this anatomical sub-study, we developed a quantitative clinical technique to insert a guide wire at the averaged center for anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction. In the second clinical sub-study with 63 patients who underwent anatomic ACL reconstruction with this quantitative technique, we determined the center of an actually created AM tunnel. Then, we compared the results of the second sub-study with those of the first sub-study to validate the accuracy of the quantitative technique. In both the sub-studies, we determined the center of the anatomical attachment and the tunnel outlet using the “3-dimensional clock” system. The tunnel outlet was evaluated using the “transparent” 3-dimensional computed tomography.

Results

The averaged center of the direct attachment of the AM bundle midsubstance fibers was located on the cylindrical surface of the femoral intercondylar notch at “10:37” (or “1:23”) o’clock orientation in the distal view and at 5.0-mm from the proximal outlet of the intercondylar notch (POIN) in the lateral view. The AM tunnel actually created in ACL reconstruction was located at “10:41” (or “1:19”) o’clock orientation in the average and at 5.0-mm from the POIN. There was no significant difference between the 2 center locations.

Conclusions

The quantitative technique enabled us to easily create the femoral AM tunnel at the averaged center of the direct attachment of the AM bundle midsubstance fibers with high accuracy. This study reported information on the geometric location of the femoral attachment of the AM bundle and a clinically useful technique for its anatomical reconstruction.
Stem cells in Dentistry: knowledge and attitude of Nigerian Dentists
Authors: Sede Matthew Asizide , Audu Ochuwa , Azodo Clement Chinedu
Published: June 2013

Background

Several controversies exist about the methods of harvesting and eventual utilization of stem cells in Medicine and Dentistry. The objective of the study was to investigate the awareness, attitude and knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry among Nigerian Dentists.

Methods

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists selected from both private and public health sectors, in some of the major cities in Nigeria.

Results

The majority of the participants were ≤35 years in age, male, Pentecostal Christians, possessed a postgraduate qualification, had practiced for ≤5 years and were specialists or specializing. In this study, 153(81.0%) of the participants reported awareness about the use of stem cells in dentistry which was significantly associated with qualification and type of practice. Most of the respondents 114 (60.3%) had a poor knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry. This was significantly associated with type of practice and awareness about stem cell use in dentistry but binary logistic regression showed awareness as the only determinant of knowledge. About three-quarters 142 (75.1%) of the participants exhibited positive attitude towards stem cell use. This had a positive non-significant association with knowledge and reported awareness.

Conclusion

Data from this study revealed a high level of awareness, positive attitude to and poor knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry among a cross section of Nigerian Dentists.
A novel method of assessing quality of postgraduate psychiatry training: experiences from a large training programme
Authors: Bizrah Mukhtar , Iacoponi Eduardo , Parker Elizabeth , Rymer Janice , Iversen Amy , Wessely Simon
Published: June 2013

Background

Most assessments of the quality of postgraduate training are based on anonymised questionnaires of trainees. We report a comprehensive assessment of the quality of training at a large postgraduate psychiatry training institute using non-anonymised face-to-face interviews with trainees and their trainers.

Methods

Two consultant psychiatrists interviewed 99 trainees and 109 trainers. Scoring of interview responses was determined by using a pre-defined criteria. Additional comments were recorded as free text. Interviews covered 13 domains, including: Clinical, teaching, research and management opportunities, clinical environment, clinical supervision, adequacy of job description, absence of bullying and job satisfaction. Multiple interview domain scores were combined, generating a ‘Combined’ score for each post.

Results

The interview response rate was 97% for trainers 88% for trainees. There was a significant correlation between trainee and trainer scores for the same interview domains (Pearson’s r = 0.968, p< 0.001). Overall scores were significantly higher for specialist psychiatry posts as compared to general adult psychiatry posts (Two tailed t-test, p < 0.001, 95% CI: -0.398 to −0.132), and significantly higher for liaison psychiatry as compared to other specialist psychiatry posts (t-test: p = 0.038, 95% CI: -0.3901, -0.0118). Job satisfaction scores of year 1 to year 3 core trainees showed a significant increase with increasing seniority (Linear regression coefficient = 0.273, 95% CI: 0.033 to 0.513, ANOVA p= 0.026).

Conclusions

This in-depth examination of the quality of training on a large psychiatry training programme successfully elicited strengths and weakness of our programme. Such an interview scheme could be easily implemented in smaller schemes and may well provide important information to allow for targeted improvement of training. Additionally, trends in quality of training and job satisfaction amongst various psychiatric specialities were identified; specifically speciality posts and liaison posts in psychiatry were revealed to be the most popular with trainees.
Expression of ALDH1 in breast invasive ductal carcinoma: an independent predictor of early tumor relapse
Authors: Zhong Ying , Lin Yan , Shen Songjie , Zhou Yidong , Mao Feng , Guan Jinghong , Sun Qiang
Published: June 2013

Background

The specific mechanism underlying the contribution of the Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) phenotype to metastatic behavior and early tumor relapse in breast cancer is currently unclear.

Methods

147 randomly selected invasive ductal carcinoma samples were assayed for expression of ALDH1A1, NOTCH1, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), and association of the ALDH1A1 phenotype with clinic pathological features was further evaluated.

Results

ALDH1A1-positive cells were detected in 63.3% (93 of 147) of tumors. 80.0% (32 of 40) of tumors with strong ALDH1A1 staining displayed early recurrence, compared with 20.0% (8 of 40) of tumors negative for ALDH1A1 expression (P = 0.027). ALDH1A1 status was significantly correlated with strong malignant proliferative marker Ki67 staining (P = 0.001), and no significantly different expression of ALDH1A1 across the subtypes of ER, PR, and HER2 expression and triple negative features of tumor tissue. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that elevated ALDH1A1 expression is an independent predictor of recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. Notably, breast cancer tissue strong for ALDH1A1 expression displayed weak NOTCH1 staining compared to ALDH1A1 weak tumor tissue (P = 0.002), and the relationship between ALDH1A1 and NOTCH1 mRNA positivity was significant (Pearson correlation - 0.337, P = 0.014; Spearman’s rho - 0.376, P = 0.006). Elevated NOTCH1 mRNA level (using a cut-off value based on the median ALDH1A1 2-△△C T value) was associated with reduction of ALDH1A1 mRNA level (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

The ALDH1A1 phenotype is an independent predictor of early tumor relapse characteristic (specifically, incidence of early local recurrence and distant metastasis) of invasive ductal carcinoma. The NOTCH1 signaling pathway is possibly involved in the negative association of the ALDH1A1 phenotype with early malignant relapse in invasive ductal carcinoma.
Worldwide socioeconomic status and stroke mortality: an ecological study
Authors: Wu Sheng Hui , Woo Jean , Zhang Xin-Hua
Published: June 2013

Introduction

The effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on stroke mortality at population level has been controversial. This study explores the association of SES in childhood and adulthood with stroke mortality, as well as variations in this association among countries/regions.

Methods

Sex-specific stroke mortality at country level with death registry covering ≥ 70% population was obtained from the World Health Organization. Human Development Index (HDI) developed by the United Nations was chosen as the SES indicator. The associations between the latest available stroke mortality with HDI in 1999 (adulthood SES) and with HDI in 1960 (childhood SES) for the group aged 45–54 years among countries were examined with regression analysis. Age-standardized stroke mortality and HDI during 1974–2001 were used to estimate the association by time point.

Results

The population data were available mostly for low-middle to high income countries. HDI in 1960 and 1999 were both inversely associated with stroke mortality in the group aged 45–54 years in 39 countries/regions. HDI in 1960 accounted for 37% of variance of stroke mortality among countries/regions; HDI in 1999 for 35% in men and 53% in women (P < 0.001). There was a quadratic relationship between age-standardized stroke mortality and HDI for the countries from 1974 to 2001: the association was positive when HDI < 0.77 but it became negative when HDI > 0.80.

Conclusions

SES is a strong predictor of stroke mortality at country level. Stroke mortality increased with improvement of SES in less developed countries/region, while it decreased with advancing SES in more developed areas.