bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low Levels of Serum Ferritin Lead to Adequate Hemoglobin Levels and Good Survival in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Ogawa Chie , Tsuchiya Ken , Kanda Fumiyoshi , Maeda Teiryo
Published: January 2015

Background: The optimal level of serum ferritin (s-ft) for anemia control and good survival in hemodialysis (HD) patients remains unclear. A 10-year survey was performed to clarify the appropriate quantities of s-ft and investigate the relationships among s-ft, transferrin saturation (TSAT), and mortality in HD patients. Methods: HD outpatients (n = 125) treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) were followed for 10 years. The ESA and low-dose iron supplement dosages were adjusted to maintain the hemoglobin (Hb) at 10-11 g/dl, according to Japanese guidelines. The Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank tests, and the Cox proportional hazards model were used for performing the statistical analyses. The interactions among the Hb, s-ft, and TSAT were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Patients with TSAT ≥20% were classified according to the s-ft cutoff values: group 1 (s-ft <30 ng/ml); group 2 (s-ft 30-80 ng/ml); group 3 (s-ft >80 ng/ml); TSAT <20% was a predictor of poor outcome. Results: The survival rate in group 2 was significantly higher than that in other groups (p = 0.013), and the Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed a good effect of low levels of s-ft on patients' survival. The multiple linear regression model showed a strong effect of s-ft on the Hb (log [s-ft], β-coefficient −0.45: 95% confidence interval −0.65 to −0.26, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed that low levels of s-ft have a beneficial effect on the outcome of HD patients receiving ESA. Thus, the optimal s-ft level might be lower than that established previously for these patients.
Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of ARTS-DN: A Randomized Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Finerenone in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and a Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Ruilope Luis M. , Agarwal Rajiv , Chan Juliana C. , Cooper Mark E. , Gansevoort Ron T. , Haller Hermann , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Rossing Peter , Schmieder Roland E. , Nowack Christina , Ferreira Anna C. , Pieper Alexander , Kimmeskamp-Kirschbaum Nina , Bakris George L.
Published: January 2015

Background/Aims: Finerenone decreases albuminuria in patients having heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and mild-to-moderate (stage 2-3) chronic kidney disease. The MinerAlocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Tolerability Study-Diabetic Nephropathy (ARTS-DN; NCT01874431) is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2b study. ARTS-DN investigated whether the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone reduces albuminuria without causing major alterations in serum potassium levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a clinical diagnosis of DN who were receiving a renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) inhibitor. Methods: Patients were randomized to oral finerenone 1.25-20 mg or placebo once daily. The primary objectives were to assess the ratio of the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio at day 90 to that at baseline in patients receiving finerenone, and to compare it with that in the placebo group. Additional exploratory analyses included evaluating changes from baseline in serum potassium levels, efficacy and safety biomarkers, and health-related quality of life. Results: Of 1,501 patients screened, 821 (the sample population) received at least one dose of finerenone/placebo. Baseline characteristics included: male, 77.8%; white, 84.2%; very high albuminuria (formerly macroalbuminuria), 38.4%; high albuminuria (formerly microalbuminuria), 60.3%; median (range) estimated glomerular filtration rate, 66.3 (24.5-130.7) ml/min/1.73 m2; and systolic blood pressure (mean ± standard deviation), 138.1 ± 14.4 mm Hg. There was a history of cardiovascular disease in 39.6%, diabetic neuropathy in 20.0%, and diabetic retinopathy in 19.9% of patients. Conclusion: ARTS-DN is the first phase 2b trial of finerenone in combination with a RAS inhibitor in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a clinical diagnosis of DN.
Updating the Surgical Management of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: de Mestier Louis , Lardière-Deguelte Sophie , Brixi Hedia , O'Toole Dermot , Ruszniewski Philippe , Cadiot Guillaume , Kianmanesh Reza
Published: January 2015

Well-differentiated digestive neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms usually associated with slow growth but a high rate of metastases, including peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). Herein, we aimed to comprehensively review the current knowledge of PC in terms of implications for the management and prognosis of patients with NET, including the latest studies and expert statements. NET-derived PC concerns about 17% of NET patients and up to 30% of those with small intestine primary NET. It has an independent pejorative prognostic impact. The extent of PC in NET patients and its severity can be expressed by analogy to other malignancies. However, it must be placed in the context of NET disorders, which usually vary from other PC-related malignancies. Recently, a gravity PC score was proposed by a consensus European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) expert group, but it requires validation. In addition, the form of peritoneal involvement (nodular or fusiform/infiltrative) might influence its prognosis and management. Aggressive surgical management seems justified for subsets of NET-related PC but requires careful selection of the candidates most likely to benefit. Cytoreductive surgery prolongs survival, especially when the peritoneal lesions are completely resected. Too little is known about the benefit of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for NET-derived PC, but if it confers an advantage, it would have to be counterbalanced by its high morbidity.
Effect of Chronic Cabergoline Treatment and Testosterone Replacement on Metabolism in Male Patients with Prolactinomas
Authors: Auriemma Renata S. , Galdiero Mariano , Vitale Pasquale , Granieri Luciana , Lo Calzo Fabio , Salzano Ciro , Ferreri Lucia , Pivonello Claudia , Cariati Federica , Coppola Giorgio , de Angelis Cristina , Colao Annamaria , Pivonello Rosario
Published: January 2015

Introduction: Hyperprolactinemia and hypogonadism are reportedly associated with an impaired metabolic profile. The current study aimed at investigating the effects of testosterone replacement and cabergoline (CAB) treatment on the metabolic profile in male hyperprolactinemic patients. Patients and Methods: Thirty-two men with prolactinomas, including 22 with total testosterone (TT) <8 nmol/l (HG, 69%) and 10 with TT >8 nmol/l (non-HG, 31%), were entered in the study. In all patients, metabolic parameters were assessed at diagnosis and after 12- and 24-month treatment. Results: Compared to non-HG patients, at baseline the HG patients had higher waist circumference (WC). TT significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI). Twelve-month CAB induced PRL normalization in 84%. HG prevalence significantly decreased (28%) and non-HG prevalence significantly increased (72%). Anthropometric and lipid parameters, fasting insulin (FI), insulin sensitivity index (ISI₀), homeostatic model assessment of insulin secretion (HOMA-β) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) significantly improved compared to baseline. TT was the best predictor for FI. Percent change (Δ) of TT significantly correlated with ΔCholesterol, ΔWeight and ΔBMI. Compared to non-HG patients, the HG patients had a higher weight, BMI, WC and HOMA-β. In HG, testosterone replacement was started. After 24 months, PRL normalized in 97%. HG prevalence significantly decreased (6%) and non-HG prevalence significantly increased (94%). Anthropometric and lipid parameters, FI, ISI₀, HOMA-β and HOMA-IR significantly improved compared to baseline, with FI, ISI₀, HOMA-β and HOMA-IR further ameliorating compared to the 12-month evaluation. Compared to non-HG patients, the HG patients still had a higher weight, BMI and WC. Conclusions: In hyperprolactinemic hypogonal men, proper testosterone replacement induces a significant improvement in the metabolic profile, even though the amelioration in the lipid profile might reflect the direct action of CAB.
Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Acting Across Multiple Tissues Are Enriched in Inherited Risk for Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Foroughi Asl Hassan , Talukdar Husain A. , Kindt Alida S.D. , Jain Rajeev K. , Ermel Raili , Ruusalepp Arno , Nguyen Khanh-Dung H. , Dobrin Radu , Reilly Dermot F. , Schunkert Heribert , Samani Nilesh J. , Braenne Ingrid , Erdmann Jeanette , Melander Olle , Qi Jianlong , Ivert Torbjörn , Skogsberg Josefin , Schadt Eric E. , Michoel Tom , Björkegren Johan L.M.
Published: January 2015

Background—

Despite recent discoveries of new genetic risk factors, the majority of risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) remains elusive. As the most proximal sensor of DNA variation, RNA abundance can help identify subpopulations of genetic variants active in and across tissues mediating CAD risk through gene expression.

Methods and Results—

By generating new genomic data on DNA and RNA samples from the Stockholm Atherosclerosis Gene Expression (STAGE) study, 8156
cis
-acting expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for 6450 genes across 7 CAD-relevant tissues were detected. The inherited risk enrichments of tissue-defined sets of these eQTLs were assessed using 2 independent genome-wide association data sets. eQTLs acting across increasing numbers of tissues were found increasingly enriched for CAD risk and resided at regulatory hot spots. The risk enrichment of 42 eQTLs acting across 5 to 6 tissues was particularly high (≤7.3-fold) and confirmed in the combined genome-wide association data from Coronary Artery Disease Genome Wide Replication And Meta-Analysis Consortium. Sixteen of the 42 eQTLs associated with 19 master regulatory genes and 29 downstream gene sets (n>30) were further risk enriched comparable to that of the 153 genome-wide association risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms established for CAD (8.4-fold versus 10-fold). Three gene sets, governed by the master regulators
FLYWCH1
,
PSORSIC3
, and
G3BP1
, segregated the STAGE patients according to extent of CAD, and small interfering RNA targeting of these master regulators affected cholesterol-ester accumulation in foam cells of the THP1 monocytic cell line.

Conclusions—

eQTLs acting across multiple tissues are significant carriers of inherited risk for CAD.
FLYWCH1
,
PSORSIC3
, and
G3BP1
are novel master regulatory genes in CAD that may be suitable targets.
Bibliografia w cyfrowej przestrzeni informacyjnej
Authors: Woźniak-­Kasperek Jadwiga
Published: January 2015

Bibliography in a digital information environmentThe dynamically changing area of the digital, including web, information interacts with the bibliographic universe, bringing new opportunities as well as new problems for both the bibliographers and the users. The article analyzes the following issues: 1) The aim of bibliography. Bibliographies serve utilitarian purposes, they allow, or at the very least facilitate, the access to relevant publications; they connect the information with its potential recipient. But bibliographies fulfil more tasks. They are treasuries of memory, images of a widely understood culture in a certain time and place; documents of archival value meant to be preserved for future generations. 2) Bibliography and library catalogue. The dangers of identifying bibliography as library catalogue. 3) The form of bibliography. The advantages and disadvantages of the paper (printed) and the digital forms. Full­-text resource as the target standard of bibliographic services and an opportunity of computer-­aided indexing. The possibilities and advantages of using Web 2.0 tools in bibliographies. 4) Searching tools. Arrangements and indexes. Bibliografia w cyfrowej przestrzeni informacyjnejDynamicznie zmieniająca się przestrzeń informacji cyfrowej, w tym sieciowej, oddziałuje na uniwersum bibliograficzne, stając się źródłem zarówno nowych możliwości, jak i trudności, z którymi muszą się zmagać i bibliografowie, i użytkownicy. W artykule poddano analizie cztery grupy zagadnień: 1) Cele i zadania bibliografii. Bibliografie służą celom utylitarnym, umożliwiają, lub co najmniej ułatwiają, osobom zainteresowanym dotarcie do właściwych publikacji. Bibliografie mają też inne zadania. Są skarbnicami pamięci, obrazem stanu szeroko rozumianej kultury w określonym czasie i miejscu, dokumentem, który ma znamiona dokumentu archiwalnego, przeznaczonego do zachowania dla przyszłych pokoleń. 2) Bibliografia a katalog biblioteczny. Konsekwencje utożsamiania bibliografii i katalogów. 3) Postać bibliografii. Zalety i wady wersji drukowanych i cyfrowych. Dostęp do zasobów pełnotekstowych jako docelowy standard serwisów bibliograficznych i szansa na indeksowanie wspomagane komputerowo. Możliwości i zalety stosowania narzędzi Web 2.0 w bibliografiach. 4) Narzędzia wyszukiwawcze. Układy i indeksy.
Tekstowy korpus a dalše informaciske srědki wo hornjoserbskej rěči w interneće
Authors: Wölkowa Sonja
Published: January 2015

The Upper Sorbian text corpus and further sources of information with regard to Upper Sorbian in the InternetIn the present era of globalisation and the omnipresence of the Internet, Sorbian linguistics faces new challenges along the lines “What is not in the Internet, does not exist”. The demand for digital sources of information with regard to Upper and Lower Sorbian and those accessible online as working tools and reference points for language practice and as a source for academic research increases. As a result of this ongoing development, the Foundation for the Sorbian People established a workgroup called “Sorbian in the new media” at the end of 2012, which has pointed out the creation of an online German­Upper Sorbian dictionary as the major task in this field of activities. The focus of this article, however, is the Upper-­Sorbian text corpus HoTKo, which has been created by the Sorbian Institute and which has been made available in co-­operation with the Institute of the Czech National Corpus at the Charles University in Prague. The article presents the history and development of the corpus, its extent and shape as well as its link to or incorporation into further planned digital projects of the Sorbian Institute with regard to the Upper Sorbian language.
Abstrakt i adnotacja jako element opisu dokumentu w bazie iSybislaw
Authors: Kowalski Paweł
Published: January 2015

Abstract and annotation as an element of bibliographic description in the iSybislaw databaseAbstract (sometimes called summary) of a scientific publication is a brief text that contains keywords. It is one of the elements of a bibliographic description in the bibliographic database iSybislaw – a modern information retrieval system. In the paper definitions of terms such as abstract, annotation and summary along with their constitutive elements are presented. A characteristics of such short texts inserted in the iSybislaw database in the fields Abstract and Abstract 2 is also given. Based on some examples excerpted from the iSybislaw system a typology of short texts, which are elements of the database bibliographic description, is proposed. The material allows to list three kinds of texts that are being used in the iSybislaw database: annotations, abstracts and biographic annotations. Abstrakt i adnotacja jako element opisu dokumentu w bazie iSybislawPrzedmiotem analizy artykułu są krótkie teksty, które stanowią jeden z elementów opisu bibliograficznego w systemie wyszukiwawczym iSybislaw. W praktyce naukowej używane są różne terminy odnoszące się do takich tekstów (abstrakt, adnotacja, streszczenie). Autor podaje ich definicje oraz wskazuje elementy konstytutywne. Na podstawie przykładów wyekscerpowanych z systemu iSybislaw przedstawia ich typologię oraz omawia miejsce i funkcje w opisie bibliograficznym.
Łužisko-serbska bibliografija – jeje stawizny a přichod
Authors: Šěn Franc
Published: January 2015

The Sorbian bibliography – its history and futureThe first Sorbian bibliographic registers were compiled in the 18th century and also became a tool for the growing national­historical awareness of the Sorbian intelligentsia. In 1847, the society named Maćica Serbska was founded to promote scholarly and cultural discussions for a national-­cultural discourse. In this function, it also made publication activities possible. In addition, the society founded a central Sorbian library and recorded all new Sorbian-­language books in its journal. A genuine Sorbian bibliography was compiled by Jakub Wjacsławk in 1929 (re-­issued and supplemented in 1952). The Institute for Sorbian People Research, founded in Bautzen in 1951 (since 1992 called the Sorbian Institute) continued this work. Predominantly in five-­year intervals, altogether ten volumes of this bibliography were published in the period 1945–2005. Since 1986, this was done electronically, establishing a database, which has been made available on the website of the Sorbian Institute since 2003 and also forms part of the German-language virtual library Slavistik, the so called Slavistik-­Portal.
Słowa kluczowe, tagi…, i co dalej?
Authors: Babik Wiesław
Published: January 2015

Keywords, tags... and what else?Keywords and their latest versions, called tags, are the object of this paper. Those expressions are treated as elements of the lexical systems of respective languages: the keyword language and the tag language. Our presentation of those vocabulary groups is intended to demonstrate that they are not homonymous, in structural or functional respects. Those two lexical resources are presented rather from the viewpoint of the theory of indexing and retrieval languages as well as the information search theories.Considering the future of the languages in question, the author presents the folksonomies and the possibilities of application of the respective vocabulary collections in the construction of tools required for semantization of the information retrieval environment in the Internet, including the construction of ontology and thought maps.Special attention was paid to the idea that keywords and tags are practically equivalent to specific “languages” which, similarly to natural languages, are subjected to continuous changes. For that reason, it is necessary to regularly monitor them and consider their practical application in document and information description and search.The works on keywords constitute a step towards the construction of linguistic tools for the needs of a semantic website. This paper is a contribution to the discussion on the development of keyword vocabularies created at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Such vocabularies constitute part of the Slavic bibliographic information system. Słowa kluczowe, tagi…, i co dalej?Przedmiotem artykułu są słowa kluczowe oraz ich nowsza odmiana zwana tagami. Wyrażenia te zostały potraktowane jako elementy systemów leksykalnych odpowiednich języków: języka słów kluczowych oraz języka tagów. Prezentacja tych grup słownictwa ma na celu wykazanie, że nie są to homonimiczne grupy leksyki zarówno pod względem strukturalnym, jak i funkcjonalnym. Wymienione zasoby słownictwa zostały zaprezentowane z punktu widzenia teorii języków informacyjno-wyszukiwawczych oraz teorii wyszukiwania informacji.Biorąc pod uwagę przyszłość omawianych języków, zaprezentowano folksonomie oraz możliwości wykorzystania omówionych zbiorów słownictwa w budowie narzędzi do semantyzacji środowiska wyszukiwawczego w Internecie, w tym do budowy ontologii i map myśli.Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na to, że słowa kluczowe i tagi to w praktyce swoistego rodzaju „języki”, które, podobnie jak język naturalny, podlegają ciągłym zmianom, stąd potrzeba stałego śledzenia i uwzględniania pragmatyki ich stosowania w opisie i wyszukiwaniu dokumentów i informacji.Prace nad słowami kluczowymi stanowią krok w kierunku budowy lingwistycznych narzędzi na potrzeby semantycznego Web-u. Artykuł stanowi głos w dyskusji nad tworzonymi w Instytucie Slawistyki PAN w Warszawie słownikami słów kluczowych stanowiącymi element systemu slawistycznej informacji bibliograficznej.
Синонимия ключевых слов в системе славистической библиографии как эпистемологические рефлексы развития лингвистической терминологии
Authors: Кульпина [Kul'pina] Валентина Г. [Valentina G.] , Татаринов [Tatarinov] Виктор A. [Viktor A.]
Published: January 2015

Synonymy of keywords in the bibliographic system of the Slavic linguistics as epistemological reflexes of linguistic terminology’s developmentIn the article the features of keyword synonymy in Bibliographic database of world Slavic linguistics publications iSybislaw are considered. The issue of keywords in information retrieval system is examined in connection with synonymy in linguistic terminology. There are established relations between general scientific terms and keywords of Slavic linguistics. Some applied lingvodidactic and lingvopragmatic aspects of keywords’ compiling are also presented.
Słowa kluczowe podawane przez autora publikacji jako podstawa opisu bibliograficznego w iSybislawie
Authors: Stanojević Marek , Kryżan­-Stanojević Barbara
Published: January 2015

Author-provided keywords as the basis of bibliographical description in the iSybislaw bibliographyA bibliographer primarily relies on the abstract and keywords provided by the author of the original article. However the author-provided abstract and keywords are rarely sufficient. The bibliographer’s task is to ascertain that they correspond to the content of the article itself, as well as to find the closest equivalents in the language of the bibliography, Polish in our case. Additional confounding factors in determining the keywords corresponding most accurately to the submission in question include terminological inconsistencies within the works by certain authors, terminological inconsistencies within each of the languages as well as possible inconsistencies due to different theoretical backgrounds. This article deals with all of these issues on the basis of two pairs of examples. The first is the Polish term frazeologizm ‘idiom, phrase’ and the Croatian term frazem ‘idiom, phrase’. The second pair is the Polish term dialekt ‘dialect’ and the Croatian terms dijalekt/narječje ‘dialect/vernacular’. The complication inherent in the work of the bibliographer is due to, inter alia, the fact that the bibliographer’s strategy in prepairing the bibliographic description should enable the user to achieve the best possible effectiveness and efficiency in his/her search. Słowa kluczowe podawane przez autora publikacji jako podstawa opisu bibliograficznego w iSybislawieStreszczenie/abstrakt i słowa kluczowe podane przez autora w oryginalnym artykule są podstawą opracowania bibliograficznego, nie stanowią jednak wystarczającego źródła pracy bibliografa. Jego zadaniem jest przede wszystkim sprawdzenie, czy streszczenie/abstrakt i słowa kluczowe odpowiadają treści samego artykułu. Kolejne zadanie polega na odnalezieniu w języku bibliografii (w naszym przypadku jest to język polski) najbliższych ekwiwalentów słów kluczowych. Czynniki utrudniające dobór odpowiednich słów kluczowych z istniejącej bazy to brak ujednolicenia  terminologicznego w pracach niektórych autorów, zróżnicowanie terminologiczne między językami, a także różnice terminologiczne związane z różnymi teoriami lingwistycznymi. W niniejszym artykule rozpatrywane są wszystkie te problemy na podstawie dwu przykładów. Pierwszy z nich stanowi para: polski termin frazeologizm i chorwacki termin frazem. Drugi reprezentowany jest przez polski termin dialekt i chorwackie terminy dijalekt/narječje. Problemy w pracy bibliografa wiążą się z opracowywaniem przez niego opisu bibliograficznego, który powinien zapewnić użytkownikowi jak największą skuteczność wyszukiwania informacji.
Беларуская лінгвістычная тэрміналогія: праблемы фіксацыі і функцыянавання
Authors: Волкава [Volkava] Яўгенiя [IAŭheniia]
Published: January 2015

Belarusian linguistic terminology: some problems of functioning and fixationThe article considers functioning and fixation of the Belarusian linguistic terminology. Scientific papers, textbooks for schools and universities, terminological and general­purpose dictionaries are under consideration.Brief excursus on the history of the Belarusian linguistics showed the diversity and randomness of the terms creation processes. Contradictions in the views of linguists on the development of the Belarusian linguistics and terminology were revealed: on the one hand, the orientation on Russian terminological system, on the other hand there is an intention to turn terminology to the national direction. Simultaneously internationalization of terminology, the process typical for other Slavic languages, occurs.This article demonstrates inconsistencies in the use of Belarusian terms indefinite pronoun and definite/indefinite article (and some other terms) in scientific, educational literature and in various dictionaries.The article argues that Russian terminological system prevails in education and subsequently affects the discourse of Belarusian linguistics.The author believes that another problem of Belarusian terminology is a relatively small amount of a Belarusian linguistics discourse and limited subjects of studies, which does not allow to settle the terms.In these difficult circumstances, an appeal to the experience of other Slavic languages with a more developed system of terminology and with an extensive linguistic discourse can help.
A Surface Wind Extremes (“Wind Lulls” and “Wind Blows”) Climatology for Central North America and Adjoining Oceans (1979–2012)
Authors: Malloy Jonny W. , Krahenbuhl Daniel S. , Bush Chad E. , Balling Robert C. , Santoro Michael M. , White Joshua R. , Elder Renée C. , Pace Matthew B. , Cerveny Randall S.
Published: January 2015

This study explores long-term deviations from wind averages, specifically near the surface across central North America and adjoining oceans (25°–50°N, 60°–130°W) for 1979–2012 (408 months) by utilizing the North American Regional Reanalysis 10-m wind climate datasets. Regions where periods of anomalous wind speeds were observed (i.e., 1 standard deviation below/above both the long-term mean annual and mean monthly wind speeds at each grid point) were identified. These two climatic extremes were classified as wind lulls (WLs; below) or wind blows (WBs; above). Major findings for the North American study domain indicate that 1) mean annual wind speeds range from 1–3 m s−1 (Intermountain West) to over 7 m s−1 (offshore the East and West Coasts), 2) mean durations for WLs and WBs are high for much of the southeastern United States and for the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, respectively, 3) the longest WL/WB episodes for the majority of locations have historically not exceeded 5 months, 4) WLs and WBs are most common during June and October, respectively, for the upper Midwest, 5) WLs are least frequent over the southwestern United States during the North American monsoon, and 6) no significant anomalous wind trends exist over land or sea.
Cross Validation of TRMM PR Reflectivity Profiles Using 3D Reflectivity Composite from the Ground-Based Radar Network over the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Park Shinju , Jung Sung-Hwa , Lee GyuWon
Published: January 2015

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) measures reflectivity downward from space and provides observations of the vertical distributions of precipitation over land as well as the ocean. It overpasses the southern part of the Korean Peninsula where (i) a dense network of operational S-band scanning radars is available and (ii) various types of precipitation occur. By utilizing a 3D reflectivity composite from the ground S-band radar (GR) observations, this paper shows a comparison of reflectivity profiles observed with both PR and GR focusing on their vertical structure. For four cases of widespread rain, visual and statistical analyses show that PR attenuation-corrected reflectivity agrees closely with reflectivity observed from the GR composite below the melting layer. Above and within the melting layer, PR is affected critically by its sensitivity while GR beam broadening at far ranges causes systematic differences in the PR–GR comparisons. For four cases of convective rain, PR underestimates the mean reflectivities by 1–3 dB compared with those from GR at low levels where precipitation attenuation is significant toward the ground. In these cases, the low sensitivity of PR results in a small number of matched points for weak echoes. Also, the PR–GR discrepancy for the convective case is more affected by time mismatching.
Numerical Simulations of the Boundary Layer Jet off the Southeastern Coast of China
Authors: Du Yu , Chen Yi-Leng , Zhang Qinghong
Published: January 2015

A strong coastal boundary layer jet (CBLJ) (~8 m s−1) off the southeastern coast of China (around 28°N, 122°E) is found from the July 2006–11 hourly model data simulated by the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF-ARW) with a 9-km horizontal grid. The southerly CBLJ has a jet core at the 925-hPa level, located along the western periphery of the west Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). The CBLJ is mainly contributed by large-scale enhancement by diurnal forcing and orographic effects by the coastal terrain along the southeastern China coast and the terrain of Taiwan.

Although the geostrophic winds offshore are faster in the afternoon due to the larger east–west pressure gradient caused by land surface heating over the China plain, the CBLJ has a nocturnal (~0200 LST) maximum. In the afternoon hours, easterly ageostrophic winds driven by differential land–sea thermal heating develop at low levels. After sunset, with the disappearance of land surface heating, the ageostrophic winds offshore veer southward by the Coriolis force and combine with the southerly geostrophic flow resulting in a nocturnal maximum in the CBLJ. Furthermore, from two model sensitivity experiments (NoTW and LowFJ), it is apparent that the terrain of Taiwan and Fujian exerts a secondary influence (1–2 m s−1) on the strength of the CBLJ. The orographic blocking by the terrain of Taiwan and Fujian is more significant with a larger (~1 m s−1) southerly wind component north of the Taiwan Strait at night than in the afternoon hours.
A novel chlorhexidine-releasing composite bone cement: Characterization of antimicrobial effectiveness and cement strength
Authors: Rodriguez Lucas C , Palmer Kelli , Montagner Francisco , Rodrigues Danieli C
Published: January 2015

The addition of calcium phosphate fillers or antimicrobials to bone cements seems to produce inferior materials. In this study, a two-solution bone cement composite was designed for high viscosity and high pseudoplasticity to improve injection and mitigate the risk of extravasation. By pre-mixing these cements, the fillers are incorporated into the matrix and should not detrimentally affect the performance properties. To expand the functionality of this cement system, the addition of bioactive and antimicrobial phases were explored. Brushite and chlorhexidine were used as calcium phosphate filler and the antimicrobial phase, respectively. By controlling the free radical quenching mechanism provided by the chlorhexidine molecule, it was possible to achieve high polymer conversion rates. This phenomenon led to cement strength retention while successfully preventing microbial proliferation in an environment exposed to the cement surface. Based on these results, two-solution cement composite prepared with high concentrations of brushite and chlorhexidine diacetate salt hydrate may provide an attractive bioactive and antimicrobial cement for load-bearing applications.
Postmodern Experience in India
Authors: Paunksnis Šarūnas
Published: January 2015

The article discusses India’s transition to a postmodern condition and consumerist society taking the transformation in Indian cinema, and the production and consumption of certain images over the past decade as its referential point. It argues that the changes that have been occurring in India, and in its cinemas, produced new types of films, and a new type of imagination that is fixated on the consumption of subalternity. It also argues that the new films only have the appearance of dissent and critique, but instead produce a carnivalesque of subalternity as the ‘New India’s’ Other, acting as a peculiar civilising process of the society into consumption. Transformations in popular culture, its consumption and the type of imaginary reality it projects can act as a good barometer in order to reflect on more overwhelming and far-reaching transformations and their effects on the society.
Ruling Classes, Missionaries, Non-state Agencies and Health Issues in Travancore in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Authors: Basu Raj Sekhar
Published: January 2015

The article broadly deals with the initiatives on the part of the government and the non-government organisations in Travancore on health related issues. It would be argued that though the ‘enlightened’ government in the princely state of Travancore realised the importance of developing health programs to cope up with public health issues, particularly because of the frequent incidence of famines, their efforts remained half hearted and the investments remained far low. On the other hand, the missionaries were more active in setting up hospitals and dispensaries and these prove to be beneficial for the ‘lower castes’. However, though the missionaries and the ruling circles in Travancore remained divided in matters related to religion, there was some element of cooperation between them in this respect. The health related issues moved in new dimension altogether when there were active interventions on behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation and the proponents of Ayurveda in early twentieth century Travancore.
Air annealing effect on scratch behaviour of BCN films
Authors: Xu S. , Ma X. , Tang G. , Zhang Q.
Published: January 2015

Boron carbon nitride BCN films have been deposited by direct current unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The obtained amorphous films are annealed in air atmosphere with different temperatures from 200 to 800C. The composition, microstructure, mechanical properties and scratch behaviour of BCN films were studied. The microstructures do not change significantly and mechanical properties decrease slightly when the annealing temperatures are below 400C. The films are oxidised and mechanical properties decline rapidly when annealing temperature rises to 600C. The scratch depth decrease and the highest critical load increases after the films are treated by air annealing below the oxidation temperature. The dominant deformation changes from elastic deformation to plastic deformation with the increase in annealing temperature. The coefficient of friction rise and surface smoothness decreases after BCN films are oxidised. BCN amorphous films have good interfacial adhesion before and after oxidation.
Effect of electrodeposition conditions on properties of Ni–Al composite coatings
Authors: Adabi M. , Amadeh A.
Published: January 2015

Ni–Al composite coatings were prepared on 6061 Al alloy by pulse electrodeposition from a modified Watts bath containing suspended Al particles. The effect of surfactant and Al concentrations as well as electrodeposition parameters on composition, crystallographic texture, microhardness, adhesion strength and wear resistance of the coatings was investigated. The results indicated that addition of surfactant up to 0·25 g L−1 increased the amount of codeposited Al particles in nickel matrix. The incorporation of Al particles changed the preferred crystallographic orientation of the coating from (200) to (111). By increasing the current density and duty cycle, the amount of Al particles embedded in Ni matrix decreased and, therefore, the adhesion strength of the coating was improved whereas its microhardness reduced. Meanwhile, codeposition of Al particles increased the wear rate of composite coating with respect to pure nickel one. In other words Ni–Al coating is not suitable for wear resistant applications.
Evaluation of NiCoCrAlY coatings deposited on superalloy with novel cold spray process
Authors: Kalsi S. B. S. , Sidhu T. S. , Karthikeyan J. , Singh H.
Published: January 2015

The coating is considered as one of the best solutions to enhance the life of engineering components against hot corrosion. In the present study the NiCoCrAlY coating was successfully deposited on Superni 600 superalloy with cold spray process. The microstructure of the developed coating is appropriate to protect the components of power plant industry against hot corrosion. The evaluation of the coating has been done for porosity, microhardness, microstructure and phase formation with the help of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination.
BRCA1-IRIS inactivation overcomes paclitaxel resistance in triple negative breast cancers
Authors: Blanchard Zannel , Paul Bibbin T , Craft Barbara , ElShamy Wael M
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Intrinsic or acquired chemoresistance is a major problem in oncology. Although highly responsive to chemotherapies such as paclitaxel, most triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients develop chemoresistance. Here we investigate the role of BRCA1-IRIS as a novel treatment target for TNBCs and their paclitaxel-resistant recurrences.

Methods

We analyzed the response of BRCA1-IRIS overexpressing normal mammary cells or established TNBC cells silenced from BRCA1-IRIS to paclitaxel in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed BRCA1-IRIS downstream signaling pathways in relation to paclitaxel treatment. We also analyzed a large cohort of breast tumor samples for BRCA1-IRIS, Forkhead box class O3a (FOXO3a) and survivin expression. Finally, we analyzed the effect of BRCA1-IRIS silencing or inactivation on TNBCs formation, maintenance and response to paclitaxel in an orthotopic model.

Results

We show that low concentrations of paclitaxel triggers BRCA1-IRIS expression in vitro and in vivo, and that BRCA1-IRIS activates two autocrine signaling loops (epidermal growth factor (EGF)/EGF receptor 1 (EGFR)-EGF receptor 2 (ErbB2) and neurogulin 1 (NRG1)/ErbB2-EGF receptor 3 (ErbB3), which enhances protein kinase B (AKT) and thus survivin expression/activation through promoting FOXO3a degradation. This signaling pathway is intact in TNBCs endogenously overexpressing BRCA1-IRIS. These events trigger the intrinsic and acquired paclitaxel resistance phenotype known for BRCA1-IRIS-overexpressing TNBCs. Inactivating BRCA1-IRIS signaling using a novel inhibitory mimetic peptide inactivates these autocrine loops, AKT and survivin activity/expression, in part by restoring FOXO3a expression, and sensitizes TNBC cells to low paclitaxel concentrations in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we show BRCA1-IRIS and survivin overexpression is correlated with lack of FOXO3a expression in a large cohort of primary tumor samples, and that BRCA1-IRIS overexpression-induced signature is associated with decreased disease free survival in heavily treated estrogen receptor alpha-negative patients.

Conclusions

In addition to driving TNBC tumor formation, BRCA1-IRIS overexpression drives their intrinsic and acquired paclitaxel resistance, partly by activating autocrine signaling loops EGF/EGFR-ErbB2 and NRG1/ErbB2-ErbB3. These loops activate AKT, causing FOXO3a degradation and survivin overexpression. Taken together, this underscores the need for BRCA1-IRIS-specific therapy and strongly suggests that BRCA1-IRIS and/or signaling loops activated by it could be rational therapeutic targets for advanced TNBCs.
NF-κB-direct activation of microRNAs with repressive effects on monocyte-specific genes is critical for osteoclast differentiation
Authors: de la Rica Lorenzo , García-Gómez Antonio , Comet Natalia R , Rodríguez-Ubreva Javier , Ciudad Laura , Vento-Tormo Roser , Company Carlos , Álvarez-Errico Damiana , García Mireia , Gómez-Vaquero Carmen , Ballestar Esteban
Published: January 2015

Background

Monocyte-to-osteoclast conversion is a unique terminal differentiation process that is exacerbated in rheumatoid arthritis and bone metastasis. The mechanisms implicated in upregulating osteoclast-specific genes involve transcription factors, epigenetic regulators and microRNAs (miRNAs). It is less well known how downregulation of osteoclast-inappropriate genes is achieved.

Results

In this study, analysis of miRNA expression changes in osteoclast differentiation from human primary monocytes revealed the rapid upregulation of two miRNA clusters, miR-212/132 and miR-99b/let-7e/125a. We demonstrate that they negatively target monocyte-specific and immunomodulatory genes like TNFAIP3, IGF1R and IL15. Depletion of these miRNAs inhibits osteoclast differentiation and upregulates their targets. These miRNAs are also upregulated in other inflammatory monocytic differentiation processes. Most importantly, we demonstrate for the first time the direct involvement of Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) in the regulation of these miRNAs, as well as with their targets, whereby NF-κB p65 binds the promoters of these two miRNA clusters and NF-κB inhibition or depletion results in impaired upregulation of their expression.

Conclusions

Our results reveal the direct involvement of NF-κB in shutting down certain monocyte-specific genes, including some anti-inflammatory activities, through a miRNA-dependent mechanism for proper osteoclast differentiation.
CIRI: an efficient and unbiased algorithm for de novo circular RNA identification
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wang Jinfeng , Zhao Fangqing
Published: January 2015

Recent studies reveal that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of abundant, stable and ubiquitous noncoding RNA molecules in animals. Comprehensive detection of circRNAs from high-throughput transcriptome data is an initial and crucial step to study their biogenesis and function. Here, we present a novel chiastic clipping signal-based algorithm, CIRI, to unbiasedly and accurately detect circRNAs from transcriptome data by employing multiple filtration strategies. By applying CIRI to ENCODE RNA-seq data, we for the first time identify and experimentally validate the prevalence of intronic/intergenic circRNAs as well as fragments specific to them in the human transcriptome.
Modulation of microRNA editing, expression and processing by ADAR2 deaminase in glioblastoma
Authors: Tomaselli Sara , Galeano Federica , Alon Shahar , Raho Susanna , Galardi Silvia , Polito Vinicia Assunta , Presutti Carlo , Vincenti Sara , Eisenberg Eli , Locatelli Franco , Gallo Angela
Published: January 2015

Background

ADAR enzymes convert adenosines to inosines within double-stranded RNAs, including microRNA (miRNA) precursors, with important consequences on miRNA retargeting and expression. ADAR2 activity is impaired in glioblastoma and its rescue has anti-tumoral effects. However, how ADAR2 activity may impact the miRNome and the progression of glioblastoma is not known.

Results

By integrating deep-sequencing and array approaches with bioinformatics analyses and molecular studies, we show that ADAR2 is essential to edit a small number of mature miRNAs and to significantly modulate the expression of about 90 miRNAs in glioblastoma cells. Specifically, the rescue of ADAR2 activity in cancer cells recovers the edited miRNA population lost in glioblastoma cell lines and tissues, and rebalances expression of onco-miRNAs and tumor suppressor miRNAs to the levels observed in normal human brain. We report that the major effect of ADAR2 is to reduce the expression of a large number of miRNAs, most of which act as onco-miRNAs. ADAR2 can edit miR-222/221 and miR-21 precursors and decrease the expression of the corresponding mature onco-miRNAs in vivo and in vitro, with important effects on cell proliferation and migration.

Conclusions

Our findings disclose an additional layer of complexity in miRNome regulation and provide information to better understand the impact of ADAR2 editing enzyme in glioblastoma. We propose that ADAR2 is a key factor for maintaining edited-miRNA population and balancing the expression of several essential miRNAs involved in cancer.
Dietary practice and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients: a cross sectional hospital based study, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Worku Amelmal , Mekonnen Abebe Solomon , Wassie Molla Mesele
Published: January 2015

Background

Dietary management which is considered to be one of the cornerstones of diabetes care is based on the principle of healthy eating in the context of social, cultural and psychological influences on food choice. In Ethiopia, there is lack of data on the dietary practice of diabetic patients which underestimates its role in the management of diabetes. Hence, this study assesses the level of dietary practices and their associated factors among Type 2 diabetic patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

Institution-based cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed. A total of 403 study subjects were included in the study. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data were entered into Epi Info version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software packages for further statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. The degree of association between dependent and independent variables was assessed using the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and variables with p-value ≤0.05 were considered significant.

Results

About 46.4% of the patients were overweight and obese. More than half of the respondents (58.8%) had FBG level ≥ 126 mg/dl. The level of dietary practice among 207 (51.4%) type 2 diabetic patients was poor. Not getting nutrition education in hospitals [AOR = 4.47, 95% CI: (1.92,10.40)], despondency [AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: (1.14,4.02)], facing difficulty to choose foods [AOR = 9.66, 95% CI: (5.12,18.24)], non- availability of fruits and vegetables [AOR = 2.78, 95% CI: (1.03,7.54)], thinking about the high cost of foods [AOR = 2.36,95% CI: (1.18, 4.70)] were the factors significantly associated with the poor dietary practice.

Conclusion

Findings of this study indicated that the majority of the patients had poor dietary practice. Therefore, the integration of diabetic based nutrition education with motivation and home gardening is highly recommended.