bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eucommia Leaf Extract (ELE) Prevents OVX-Induced Osteoporosis and Obesity in Rats
Authors: Zhang Wenping , Fujikawa Takahiko , Mizuno Kaito , Ishida Torao , Ooi Kazuya , Hirata Tetsuya , Wada Atsunori
Published: August 2012

The cortex of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver is widely used to treat kidney deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine. Its leaves have recently been reported to have anti-obesity properties in metabolic syndrome-like rat models. Due to a sharp decline in estrogen production, obesity, together with osteoporosis, are common problems in postmenopausal women. In this study, we examined the potential effect of Eucommia leaf extract (ELE) in preventing osteoporosis and obesity induced by ovariectomy (OVX). Forty-six female Wistar rats were divided into six groups: Sham-Cont, OVX-Cont, and four OVX groups administered estradiol and different concentrations of ELE 1.25%, ELE 2.5%, and ELE 5%. Treatments were administered after ovariectomy at six weeks of age and continued for 12 weeks. OVX induced a significant decrease in the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar, femora, and tibiae, together with a marked increase in body mass index (BMI). The administration of 5% ELE led to a significant increase in tibial and femoral BMD, as well as significantly increased bone-strength parameters when compared with OVX-Cont rats. According to the suppressed Dpd and increased osteocalcin concentrations in ELE 5% rats, we suggest that varying proportions of bone formation and bone absorption contributed to the enhanced BMD in the femora and tibiae. In addition, significant decreases in body weight, BMI and fat tissue in 5% ELE rats were also observed. These results suggest that ELE may have curative properties for BMD and BMI in OVX rats, and could provide an alternative therapy for the prevention of both postmenopausal osteoporosis and obesity.
Antitumor Effects of Pinus massoniana Bark Extract in Murine Sarcoma S180 Both in Vitro and in Vivo
Authors: Zhang Jin-Hong , Feng Dong-Ru , Ma Hong-Ling , Liu Bing , Wang Hong-Bin , Xie Heng , Li Ruo-Da , Wang Jin-Fa
Published: August 2012

Pinus massoniana bark extract (PMBE) is a mixture of flavonoids, and showed a capability of inducing cell apoptosis; however, its properties have not yet been fully investigated. This paper evaluates the antitumor effects of PMBE in murine sarcoma S180 both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the growth inhibition of S180 cells was concentration dependent on PMBE as shown by the CCK-8 assay. The AO/EB staining and flow cytometry assay showed that PMBE induced S180 cell apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the cells in the S phase were decreased by treatment with PMBE. In vivo, the treatment of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg PMBE reduced the tumor weight and volume of S180-bearing NIH mice by 9%–67% and 13%–68%, respectively. Peripheral leukocyte count and lymphoproliferation were increased significantly after treatment with PMBE. Our results suggest that PMBE inhibits the tumor cell growth by inducing cell apoptosis and improving lymphoproliferation.
APPLYING EXPERT JUDGMENT TO IMPROVE AN INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO PREDICT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT
Authors: LÓPEZ-MARTÍN CUAUHTÉMOC , ABRAN ALAIN
Published: August 2012

Expert-based effort prediction in software projects can be taught, beginning with the practices learned in an academic environment in courses designed to encourage them. However, the length of such courses is a major concern for both industry and academia. Industry has to work without its employees while they are taking such a course, and academic institutions find it hard to fit the course into an already tight schedule. In this research, the set of Personal Software Process (PSP) practices is reordered and the practices are distributed among fewer assignments, in an attempt to address these concerns. This study involved 148 practitioners taking graduate courses who developed 1,036 software course assignments. The hypothesis on which it is based is the following: When the activities in the original PSP set are reordered into fewer assignments, the result is expert-based effort prediction that is statistically significantly better.
RELIABILITY ENGINEERING OF LARGE JIT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Authors: FARIA JOSE , NUNES EUSEBIO
Published: August 2012

This paper introduces the rationale and the fundamental elements and algorithms of a reliability engineering methodology combining analytical and simulation tools, and discusses its application to the design of a large, multi-cell and heterogeneous production system with just-in-time (JIT) deliveries. In order to cope with the inherent complexity of such analysis, a two level hierarchical modeling and evaluation framework was developed. Local models are first obtained from the failure and repair processes of the manufacturing equipment. Then, these models are combined with the failure propagation delays introduced by the work-in-process buffers in order to obtain the system level model. The evaluation algorithm is able to deal with reliability models containing stochastic processes with generalized distributions. This fundamental requirement comes from the fact that repair and failure propagation processes typically present hyper-exponential distributions, e.g., lognormal distributions, that cannot be assessed using the conventional reliability techniques. The second part of the paper addresses several design issues of the production system that directly impact the reliability of the deliveries, and explains how the behavioral and structural characteristics of JIT production systems were explored in order to implement effective evaluation algorithms.
AGGREGATE RISK MEASURES FOR DYNAMIC SYSTEMS FROM OPERATIONAL DATA
Authors: MACLEAN LEONARD C. , RICHMAN ALEX
Published: August 2012

Complex systems are subject to failure with increased use and degradation. The risk process is the stochastic dynamic process of system failures and their severities. This paper considers aggregate risk measures for the risk process of complex systems in the context of stochastic ordering. The aggregation follows from the accumulation of losses from a series of failure events. The emphasis is on second-order risk measures which account for risk aversion as defined by concave utilities. A second-order measure termed the adjusted risk priority number (ARPN) is presented. The measure is constructed from well-known statistics: rate of failures, average severity of failures, and the Gini Index for severity of failures. The ARPN is contrasted with the traditional risk priority number (RPN) defined by the rate and average severity. The computation and use of the measures is illustrated with a spectrum of failure data from commercial aircraft in the USA.
UNIVARIATE PROCESS CAPABILITY INDICES FOR UNILATERAL SPECIFICATION REGION — A REVIEW AND SOME MODIFICATIONS
Authors: CHATTERJEE MOUTUSHI , CHAKRABORTY ASHIS KUMAR
Published: August 2012

In a manufacturing industry, often the quality characteristic under study is found to have only one of the two specification limits viz., upper specification limit (USL) or lower specification limit (LSL). In such cases the process capability indices (PCI) designed for bilateral specifications become inappropriate. However, in the literature only a few indices are available to address this problem. In the present paper, we have made an extensive study of the PCI's for unilateral specifications with a brief discussion of their possible fields of applications and drawbacks, if any. We have also proposed a logical formulation of a parameter of one of these indices which reduces the subjectivity of the index and hence makes it more suitable for practical application. An example, with the computed values of the various PCI's, is discussed to make a comparative study of the performance and inter-relationship between these PCI's. We have concluded the paper with a discussion on the future scope of study in this field.
HUMANOID FALL AVOIDANCE USING A MIXTURE OF STRATEGIES
Authors: ASMAR DANIEL C. , JALGHA BASSAM , FAKIH ADEL
Published: August 2012

If we are to one day rely on robots as assistive devices they should be capable of mitigating the impact of random disturbances and avoid falling. Humans are surprisingly apt at remaining on their feet when pushed; they rely on reflexes such as bending the ankles and/or the hips, or by taking a step if the magnitude of the disturbance is relatively large. This paper presents a fall avoidance scheme that is capable of applying both ankle and hip strategies on a humanoid robot. While both strategies serve the same purpose, the hip strategy can absorb larger disturbances but has a higher energy overhead and should be avoided when it is not necessary. Our system is capable of detecting at the onset of a disturbance if an ankle or hip strategy is more appropriate. The decision is taken based on a 'decision surface' that is delimited by threshold values of the robot's state variables. The control is based on the Virtual Model Control (VMC) approach. The system is tested on a simulated robot developed under Gazebo as well as on a real small-scale humanoid robot. Results show successful fall avoidance with an ability to choose the optimum fall avoidance strategy.
β-Arrestin-biased AT1R stimulation promotes cell survival during acute cardiac injury
Authors: Kim Ki-Seok , Abraham Dennis , Williams Barbara , Violin Jonathan D. , Mao Lan , Rockman Howard A.
Published: August 2012

Pharmacological blockade of the ANG II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a common therapy for treatment of congestive heart failure and hypertension. Increasing evidence suggests that selective engagement of β-arrestin-mediated AT1R signaling, referred to as biased signaling, promotes cardioprotective signaling. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a β-arrestin-biased AT1R ligand TRV120023 would confer cardioprotection in response to acute cardiac injury compared with the traditional AT1R blocker (ARB), losartan. TRV120023 promotes cardiac contractility, assessed by pressure-volume loop analyses, while blocking the effects of endogenous ANG II. Compared with losartan, TRV120023 significantly activates MAPK and Akt signaling pathways. These hemodynamic and biochemical effects were lost in β-arrestin-2 knockout (KO) mice. In response to cardiac injury induced by ischemia reperfusion injury or mechanical stretch, pretreatment with TRV120023 significantly diminishes cell death compared with losartan, which did not appear to be cardioprotective. This cytoprotective effect was lost in β-arrestin-2 KO mice. The β-arrestin-biased AT1R ligand, TRV120023, has cardioprotective and functional properties in vivo, which are distinct from losartan. Our data suggest that this novel class of drugs may provide an advantage over conventional ARBs by supporting cardiac function and reducing cellular injury during acute cardiac injury.
Physiological remodeling of the mitral valve during pregnancy
Authors: Wells Sarah M. , Pierlot Caitlin M. , Moeller Andrew D.
Published: August 2012

There is growing evidence that heart valves are not passive structures but can remodel with left ventricular dysfunction. To determine if these tissues remodel under nonpathological conditions, we examined the mirtal valve anterior leaflet during the volume loading and cardiac expansion of pregnancy using a bovine model. We measured leaflet dimensions, chordal attachments, and biaxial mechanical properties of leaflets collected from never-pregnant heifers and pregnant cows (pregnancy duration estimated from fetal length). Hydrothermal isometric tension (HIT) tests were performed to assess the denaturation temperature (Td) associated with collagen molecular stability and the load decay half-time ( t1//2) associated with intermolecular cross-linking. Histological changes were examined using Verhoeff-van Gieson and picrosirius red staining with polarized light. We observed striking changes to the structure and material properties of the mitral anterior leaflet during pregnancy. Leaflet area was increased 33%, with a surprising increase (nearly 25%) in chordae tendinae attachments. There was a biphasic change in leaflet extensibility: it rapidly decreased by 30% and then reversed to prepregnant values by late pregnancy. The 2°C decrease in Td in pregnancy was indicative of collagen remodeling, whereas the 70% increase in HIT t1/2 indicated an increase in collagen cross-linking. Finally, histological results suggested transient increases in leaflet thickness and transient decreases in collagen crimp. This remodeling may compensate for the increased loading conditions associated with pregnancy by normalizing leaflet stress and maintaining coaptation. Understanding the mechanisms of mitral valve physiological remodeling in pregnancy could contribute to alternative treatments of pathological remodeling associated with left ventricular dysfunction.
Gut Microbial Translocation in Critically Ill Children and Effects of Supplementation with Pre- and Pro Biotics
Authors: Papoff Paola , Ceccarelli Giancarlo , d'Ettorre Gabriella , Cerasaro Carla , Caresta Elena , Midulla Fabio , Moretti Corrado
Published: August 2012

Bacterial translocation as a direct cause of sepsis is an attractive hypothesis that presupposes that in specific situations bacteria cross the intestinal barrier, enter the systemic circulation, and cause a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Critically ill children are at increased risk for bacterial translocation, particularly in the early postnatal age. Predisposing factors include intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice, intra-abdominal hypertension, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury and secondary ileus, and immaturity of the intestinal barrier per se. Despite good evidence from experimental studies to support the theory of bacterial translocation as a cause of sepsis, there is little evidence in human studies to confirm that translocation is directly correlated to bloodstream infections in critically ill children. This paper provides an overview of the gut microflora and its significance, a focus on the mechanisms employed by bacteria to gain access to the systemic circulation, and how critical illness creates a hostile environment in the gut and alters the microflora favoring the growth of pathogens that promote bacterial translocation. It also covers treatment with pre- and pro biotics during critical illness to restore the balance of microbial communities in a beneficial way with positive effects on intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation.
Complete Heart Block in Thyrotoxicosis, Is It a Manifestation of Thyroid Storm? A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Al Bannay Rashed , Husain Aysha , Khalaf Saeed
Published: August 2012

Thyrotoxicosis complicated by advance degree atrioventricular block, a rare complication of a common disease. The term apathetic thyrotoxicosis, where palpitations and cardiac involvement are the sole manifestations of disease, is well known. Thyroxin's ability to sensitize the catecholamine receptors causing tachyarrhythmias is well addressed. However, as an aetiology for advanced heart block, thyrotoxicosis is ranked as one of the rarest.
The Effect of Bifid Triple Viable on Immune Function of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Li Guohua , Zeng Sheng , Liao Wangdi , Lv Nonghua
Published: August 2012

Objective. To study effect and its mechanism of Bifid Triple Viable for initially treating ulcerative colitis with 5-aminosalicylic acid.Methods. 82 patients, who were firstly diagnosed as ulcerative colitis, were randomized into experiment group (41 cases, treated with Bifid Triple Viable and Etiasa) and control group (41 cases, treated with Etiasa). The clinic symptom score, colon mucosa inflammation score, and some immune indices were detected and compared between two groups before and two months after treatment.Results. Two months after treatment, the clinical symptom score, colon mucosa inflammation score, and IL-1βexpression in colon mucosa decreased significantly (P<0.01), and IL-10 and IgA expressions in colon mucosa increased significantly (P<0.01). Those differences were more marked in experiment group than control group (P<0.05). However, peripheral blood T cell subgroup, immunoglobulins, and complements had no significant difference between two groups two months after treatment, but the ratio of peripheral blood CD4+ T cell to CD8+ T cell in experiment group increased more than that in control group (P<0.05).Conclusion. Bifid Triple Viable contributed to Etiasa to treat ulcerative colitis in inducing remission period, which was perhaps related to affecting the patient’s immune function.
Robust Control for Uncertain Switched Systems with Interval Nondifferentiable Time‐Varying Delays
Authors: La-inchua T. , Niamsup P.
Published: August 2012

This paper addresses the conditions for robust stabilization of a class of uncertain
switched systems with delay. The system to be considered is autonomous and the state
delay is time‐varying. Using Lyapunov functional approach, restriction on the derivative
of time‐delay function is not required to design switching rule for the robust stabilization
of switched systems with time‐varying delays. The delay‐dependent stability conditions
are presented in terms of the solution of LMIs which can be solved by various available
algorithms. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical
results.
Exploratory Clinical Trial of (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-l-glutamate for Imaging xC− Transporter Using Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung or Breast Cancer
Authors: Baek Sora , Choi Chang-Min , Ahn Sei Hyun , Lee Jong Won , Gong Gyungyub , Ryu Jin-Sook , Oh Seung Jun , Bacher-Stier Claudia , Fels Lüder , Koglin Norman , Hultsch Christina , Schatz Christoph A. , Dinkelborg Ludger M. , Mittra Erik S. , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Moon Dae Hyuk
Published: August 2012

Purpose: (4S)-4-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-l-glutamate (BAY 94-9392, alias [18F]FSPG) is a new tracer to image xC− transporter activity with positron emission tomography (PET). We aimed to explore the tumor detection rate of [18F]FSPG in patients relative to 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). The correlation of [18F]FSPG uptake with immunohistochemical expression of xC− transporter and CD44, which stabilizes the xCT subunit of system xC−, was also analyzed.

Experimental Design: Patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, n = 10) or breast cancer (n = 5) who had a positive [18F]FDG uptake were included in this exploratory study. PET images were acquired following injection of approximately 300 MBq [18F]FSPG. Immunohistochemistry was done using xCT- and CD44-specific antibody.

Results: [18F]FSPG PET showed high uptake in the kidney and pancreas with rapid blood clearance. [18F]FSPG identified all 10 NSCLC and three of the five breast cancer lesions that were confirmed by pathology. [18F]FSPG detected 59 of 67 (88%) [18F]FDG lesions in NSCLC, and 30 of 73 (41%) in breast cancer. Seven lesions were additionally detected only on [18F]FSPG in NSCLC. The tumor-to-blood pool standardized uptake value (SUV) ratio was not significantly different from that of [18F]FDG in NSCLC; however, in breast cancer, it was significantly lower (P < 0.05). The maximum SUV of [18F]FSPG correlated significantly with the intensity of immunohistochemical staining of xC− transporter and CD44 (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: [18F]FSPG seems to be a promising tracer with a relatively high cancer detection rate in patients with NSCLC. [18F]FSPG PET may assess xC− transporter activity in patients with cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(19); 5427–37. ©2012 AACR.
Tissue–Specific Insulin Signaling, Metabolic Syndrome, and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Rask-Madsen Christian , Kahn C. Ronald
Published: August 2012

Impaired insulin signaling is central to development of the metabolic syndrome and can promote cardiovascular disease indirectly through development of abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism, hypertension, and a proinflammatory state. However, insulin’s action directly on vascular endothelium, atherosclerotic plaque macrophages, and in the heart, kidney, and retina has now been described, and impaired insulin signaling in these locations can alter progression of cardiovascular disease in the metabolic syndrome and affect development of microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Recent advances in our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of insulin’s effects on vascular tissues offer new opportunities for preventing these cardiovascular disorders.
Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Cognition and Brain
Authors: Yates Kathy F. , Sweat Victoria , Yau Po Lai , Turchiano Michael M. , Convit Antonio
Published: August 2012

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a clustering of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, has been associated with cognitive dysfunction and brain abnormalities. This review describes the literature on the impact of MetS on brain and cognition and suggests directions for future research. A literature search for reports of MetS and cognition and brain imaging was conducted for both nonelderly adults and adolescents. No studies were found describing MetS and brain or cognition among adolescents; therefore, we also included studies investigating individual components of MetS in this age group. Most studies found associations between MetS and cognitive dysfunction. Multiple cognitive domains were affected by MetS in adults. In adolescents, the majority of findings were in executive functioning. Brain imaging literature in adults implicated MetS in ischemic stroke, white matter alterations, and altered brain metabolism. For adolescents, individual MetS factors were linked to volume losses in the hippocampus and frontal lobes. MetS negatively impacts cognitive performance and brain structure. Potential explanatory models include impaired vascular reactivity, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and abnormal brain lipid metabolism. We posit that insulin resistance-associated impairment in cerebrovascular reactivity is an important mechanism underlying brain deficits seen in MetS.
Clinical outcome of patients with follicular lymphoma receiving chemoimmunotherapy in the PRIMA study is not affected by FCGR3A and FCGR2A polymorphisms
Authors: Ghesquières Hervé , Cartron Guillaume , Seymour John Francis , Delfau-Larue Marie-Hélène , Offner Fritz , Soubeyran Pierre , Perrot Aurore , Brice Pauline , Bouabdallah Réda , Sonet Anne , Dupuis Jehan , Casasnovas Olivier , Catalano John Vincent , Delmer Alain , Jardin Fabrice , Verney Aurélie , Dartigues Peggy , Salles Gilles
Published: August 2012

In patients with follicular lymphoma treated with single-agent rituximab, single nucleotide polymorphisms in the FCGR3A gene are known to influence response and progression-free survival. The prognostic role of FCGR3A and FCGR2A polymorphisms in patients with follicular lymphoma treated with rituximab and chemotherapy combination remains controversial and has not been evaluated in the context of rituximab maintenance. FCGR3A and FCGR2A single nucleotide polymorphisms were evaluated in, respectively, 460 and 455 patients treated in the PRIMA study to investigate whether these were associated with response rate and patient outcome after rituximab chemotherapy induction and 2-year rituximab maintenance. In this representative patient cohort, complete and unconfirmed complete responses after rituximab chemotherapy were observed in 65%, 67%, 66% (P = .86) and 60%, 72%, 66% (P = .21) of FCGR3A VV, VF, FF and FCGR2A HH, HR, RR carriers, respectively. After 2 years of rituximab maintenance (or observation), response rates did not differ among the different genotypes. Progression-free survival measured from either treatment initiation or randomization to observation or maintenance was not influenced by these polymorphisms. These data indicate that FCGR3A and FCGR2A polymorphisms do not influence response rate and outcome when rituximab is combined with chemotherapy or used as maintenance treatment. The PRIMA study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00140582.
Forty years of increasing suicide mortality in Poland: Undercounting amidst a hanging epidemic?
Authors: Höfer Peter , Rockett Ian R H , Värnik Peeter , Etzersdorfer Elmar , Kapusta Nestor D
Published: August 2012

Background

Suicide rate trends for Poland, one of the most populous countries in Europe, are not well documented. Moreover, the quality of the official Polish suicide statistics is unknown and requires in-depth investigation.

Methods

Population and mortality data disaggregated by sex, age, manner, and cause were obtained from the Polish Central Statistics Office for the period 1970-2009. Suicides and deaths categorized as ‘undetermined injury intent,’ ‘unknown causes,’ and ‘unintentional poisonings’ were analyzed to estimate the reliability and sensitivity of suicide certification in Poland over three periods covered by ICD-8, ICD-9 and ICD-10, respectively. Time trends were assessed by the Spearman test for trend.

Results

The official suicide rate increased by 51.3% in Poland between 1970 and 2009. There was an increasing excess suicide rate for males, culminating in a male-to-female ratio of 7:1. The dominant method, hanging, comprised 90% of all suicides by 2009. Factoring in deaths of undetermined intent only, estimated sensitivity of suicide certification was 77% overall, but lower for females than males. Not increasing linearly with age, the suicide rate peaked at ages 40-54 years.

Conclusion

The suicide rate is increasing in Poland, which calls for a national prevention initiative. Hangings are the predominant suicide method based on official registration. However, suicide among females appears grossly underestimated given their lower estimated sensitivity of suicide certification, greater use of “soft” suicide methods, and the very high 7:1 male-to-female rate ratio. Changes in the ICD classification system resulted in a temporary suicide data blackout in 1980-1982, and significant modifications of the death categories of senility and unknown causes, after 1997, suggest the need for data quality surveillance.
No evidence of a death-like function for species B1 human adenovirus type 3 E3-9K during A549 cell line infection
Authors: Frietze Kathryn M , Campos Samuel K , Kajon Adriana E
Published: August 2012

Background

Subspecies B1 human adenoviruses (HAdV-B1) are prevalent respiratory pathogens. Compared to their species C (HAdV-C) counterparts, relatively little work has been devoted to the characterization of their unique molecular biology. The early region 3 (E3) transcription unit is an interesting target for future efforts because of its species-specific diversity in genetic content among adenoviruses. This diversity is particularly significant for the subset of E3-encoded products that are membrane glycoproteins and may account for the distinct pathobiology of the different human adenovirus species. In order to understand the role of HAdV-B-specific genes in viral pathogenesis, we initiated the characterization of unique E3 genes. As a continuation of our efforts to define the function encoded in the highly polymorphic ORF E3-10.9K and testing the hypothesis that the E3-10.9K protein orthologs with a hydrophobic domain contribute to the efficient release of viral progeny, we generated HAdV-3 mutant viruses unable to express E3-10.9K ortholog E3-9K and examined their ability to grow, disseminate, and egress in cell culture.

Results

No differences were observed in the kinetics of infected cell death, and virus progeny release or in the plaque size and dissemination phenotypes between cells infected with HAdV-3 E3-9K mutants or the parental virus. The ectopic expression of E3-10.9K orthologs with a hydrophobic domain did not compromise cell viability.

Conclusions

Our data show that despite the remarkable similarities with HAdV-C E3-11.6K, HAdV-B1 ORF E3-10.9K does not encode a product with a “death-like” biological activity.
Prognostic impact of circulating tumor cells assessed with the CellSearch System™ and AdnaTest Breast™ in metastatic breast cancer patients: the DETECT study
Authors: Müller Volkmar , Riethdorf Sabine , Rack Brigitte , Janni Wolfgang , Fasching Peter A , Solomayer Erich , Aktas Bahriye , Kasimir-Bauer Sabine , Pantel Klaus , Fehm Tanja
Published: August 2012

Introduction

There is a multitude of assays for the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) but a very limited number of studies comparing the clinical relevance of results obtained with different test methods. The DETECT trial for metastatic breast cancer patients was designed to directly compare the prognostic impact of two commercially available CTC assays that are prominent representatives of immunocytochemical and RT-PCR based technologies.

Methods

In total, 254 metastatic breast cancer patients were enrolled in this prospective multicenter trial. CTCs were assessed using both the AdnaTest Breast Cancer and the CellSearch system according to the manufacturers' instructions.

Results

With the CellSearch system, 116 of 221 (50%) evaluable patients were CTC-positive based on a cut-off level at 5 or more CTCs. The median overall survival (OS) was 18.1 months in CTC-positive patients. (95%-CI: 15.1-22.1 months) compared to 27 months in CTC-negative patients (23.5-30.7 months; p<0.001). This prognostic impact for OS was also significant in the subgroups of patients with triple negative, HER2-positive and hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative primary tumors. The progression free survival (PFS) was not correlated with CTC status in our cohort receiving different types and lines of systemic treatment (p = 0.197). In multivariate analysis, the presence of CTCs was an independent predictor for OS (HR: 2.7, 95%-CI: 1.6-4.2). When the AdnaTest Breast was performed, 88 of 221 (40%) patients were CTC-positive. CTC-positivity assessed by the AdnaTest Breast had no association with PFS or OS.

Conclusions

The prognostic relevance of CTC detection in metastatic breast cancer patients depends on the test method. The present results indicate that the CellSearch system is superior to the AdnaTest Breast Cancer in predicting clinical outcome in advanced breast cancer.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials Registry number ISRCTN59722891.
The Future of Offshore Oil Drilling — An Evaluation of the Economic, Environmental and Political Consequences of the Deepwater Horizon Incident
Authors: Harzl Viktoria , Pickl Matthias
Published: August 2012

Oil exploration and sustainability often seem an oxymoron, especially because one year ago the Deepwater Horizon incident turned into one of the largest marine oil spill in history. Marine and costal life, the population, as well as the entire ecosystem were affected and additionally harmed by the spread of chemicals in the course of clean-up efforts. However, environmental damage is not the only consequence. Lost revenues by the local fishing, tourism and other industries affect the livelihoods of many. One year after the incident, its magnitude and the not fully coordinated response efforts remain a major topic of environmental management discussions. This paper provides an economic, environmental and political assessment of the Deepwater Horizon incident. A look into the future of offshore drilling suggests that it is not only here to stay, but will grow in importance. We must therefore learn to improve the environmental management of offshore drilling.
Sigmis: A Feature Selection Algorithm Using Correlation Based Method
Authors: Blessie E. Chandra , Karthikeyan E.
Published: August 2012

Feature Selection is one of the preprocessing steps in machine learning tasks. Feature Selection is effective in reducing the dimensionality, removing irrelevant and redundant feature. In this paper, we propose a new feature selection algorithm (Sigmis) based on Correlation method for handling the continuous features and the missing data. Empirical comparison with three existing feature selection algorithms using UCI data sets shows that the proposed system is very effective and efficient in selecting the feature set.
Improved Biometric Recognition and Identification of Human Iris Patterns Using Neural Networks
Authors: Gopikrishnan M. , Santhanam T.
Published: August 2012

A biometric system provides automatic identification of an individual based on a unique feature or characteristic possessed by the individual. Iris recognition is regarded as the most reliable and accurate biometric identification system available. An approach for accurate Biometric Recognition and Identification of Human Iris Patterns using Neural Network has been illustrated by gopikrishnan et. al. It has been concluded by Yingzi Du et. al that the partial iris portion of the iris pattern describes the uniqueness and the pupil has no direct effect on the accuracy of the biometric recognition. In this paper the Iris recognition has been carried out employing a template of size 10 × 480 pixels instead of 20 × 480 pixels as employed in the earlier paper. The results of the two sizes of the templates have been compared and it has been observed that the accuracy of the results obtained with the limited template size is comparable with that of the one with the full size. The reason for this is also discussed in this paper. The improved methodology suggested has resulted in the reduction of the space requirement as well as time complexity with no loss in accuracy. This paper also provides results of iris recognition performed applying Hamming distance, Feed forward back propagation, Cascade forward back propagation, Elman forward back propagation and perceptron. It has been established that the method suggested applying perceptron provides the best accuracy in respect of iris recognition with no major additional computational complexity.
A New Semantic Method for Image Retrieval
Authors: Raja S. V. Kasmir , Khadir A. Shaik Abdul
Published: August 2012

In this paper, a multi-level image representation model is developed and used to mine semantic feature hidden in the original remote sensing image. This model is consisted of three levels: region level, region feature level and semantic level. The first two levels aim at represent image content by using region feature. Semantic level aims at extracting hidden semantic feature. At last, interested part and uninterested part method is used to improve the retrieval precision. Experiment shows that this method can well improve the accuracy of the retrieval result.
A Strategic Study of Mining Fuzzy Association Rules Using Fuzzy Multiple Correlation Measues
Authors: John Robinson P. , Samuel Chellathurai A. , Prakash George Dharma Raj E.
Published: August 2012

Two different data variables may behave very similarly. Correlation is the problem of determining how much alike the two variables actually are and association rules are used just to show the relationships between data items. Mining fuzzy association rules is the job of finding the fuzzy item-sets which frequently occur together in large fuzzy data set, where the presence of one fuzzy item-set in a record does not necessarily imply the presence of the other one in the same record. In this paper a new method of discovering fuzzy association rules using fuzzy correlation rules is proposed, because the fuzzy support and confidence measures are insufficient at filtering out uninteresting fuzzy correlation rules. To tackle this weakness, a fuzzy correlation measure for fuzzy numbers, is used to augment the fuzzy support-confidence framework for fuzzy association rules. We have extended the Apriori algorithm to fuzzy multiple correlation analysis, which is the new approach presented in this paper comparing to most of the previous works. A practical study over the academic behaviour of a particular school is done and some valuable suggestions are given, based on the results obtained.
Rolling Element Bearings
Authors: Takeuchi Yoshimi R. , Mandler William F.
Published: August 2012

Description

Eight peer-reviewed papers provide an overview of the recent achievements in bearing technology.

Topics cover

This new ASTM publication creates a technical knowledge base that enhances the bearing engineer’s capabilities and provides insight into ways this information can be used.
Effects of Radiation on Nuclear Materials: 25th Volume
Authors: Yamamoto Takuya
Published: August 2012

Description

Seventeen peer-reviewed papers focus on the latest research on the effects of radiation on nuclear materials. These papers focus on:

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Issues and Programs that address the multiple challenges of extended reactor life, including detailed coverage of irradiation embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel steels.

Synergistic Effects of Gas Atoms (i.e. helium and hydrogen) and Displacement Damage, with an emphasis on the unprecedented challenge to structural and plasma-facing materials in nuclear fusion reactors.

Sections cover
Microglial Cathepsin B Contributes to the Initiation of Peripheral Inflammation-Induced Chronic Pain
Authors: Sun Li , Wu Zhou , Hayashi Yoshinori , Peters Christoph , Tsuda Makoto , Inoue Kazuhide , Nakanishi Hiroshi
Published: August 2012

Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 play critical roles in the induction of chronic pain hypersensitivity. Their inactive forms are activated by caspase-1. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the activation of pro-caspase-1. There is increasing evidence that cathepsin B (CatB), a typical lysosomal cysteine protease, is involved in the pro-caspase-1 activation and the subsequent maturation of IL-1β and IL-18. In this context, CatB is considered to be an important molecular target to control chronic pain. However, no information is currently available about the role of CatB in chronic pain hypersensitivity. We herein show that CatB deficiency or the intrathecal administration of CA-074Me, a specific CatB inhibitor, significantly inhibited the induction of complete Freund's adjuvant-induced tactile allodynia in mice without affecting peripheral inflammation. In contrast, CatB deficiency did not affect the nerve injury-induced tactile allodynia. Furthermore, CatB deficiency or CA-074Me treatment significantly inhibited the maturation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 by cultured microglia following treatment with the neuroactive glycoprotein chromogranin A (CGA), but not with ATP. Moreover, the IL-1β expression in spinal microglia and the induction of tactile allodynia following the intrathecal administration of CGA depended on CatB, whereas those induced by the intrathecal administration of ATP or lysophosphatidic acid were CatB independent. These results strongly suggest that CatB is an essential enzyme for the induction of chronic inflammatory pain through its activation of pro-caspase-1, which subsequently induces the maturation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 by spinal microglia. Therefore, CatB-specific inhibitors may represent a useful new strategy for treating inflammation-associated pain.
From Distributed Resources to Limited Slots in Multiple-Item Working Memory: A Spiking Network Model with Normalization
Authors: Wei Ziqiang , Wang Xiao-Jing , Wang Da-Hui
Published: August 2012

Recent behavioral studies have given rise to two contrasting models for limited working memory capacity: a “discrete-slot” model in which memory items are stored in a limited number of slots, and a “shared-resource” model in which the neural representation of items is distributed across a limited pool of resources. To elucidate the underlying neural processes, we investigated a continuous network model for working memory of an analog feature. Our model network fundamentally operates with a shared resource mechanism, and stimuli in cue arrays are encoded by a distributed neural population. On the other hand, the network dynamics and performance are also consistent with the discrete-slot model, because multiple objects are maintained by distinct localized population persistent activity patterns (bump attractors). We identified two phenomena of recurrent circuit dynamics that give rise to limited working memory capacity. As the working memory load increases, a localized persistent activity bump may either fade out (so the memory of the corresponding item is lost) or merge with another nearby bump (hence the resolution of mnemonic representation for the merged items becomes blurred). We identified specific dependences of these two phenomena on the strength and tuning of recurrent synaptic excitation, as well as network normalization: the overall population activity is invariant to set size and delay duration; therefore, a constant neural resource is shared by and dynamically allocated to the memorized items. We demonstrate that the model reproduces salient observations predicted by both discrete-slot and shared-resource models, and propose testable predictions of the merging phenomenon.
Immunosupression with corticosteroids and thymectomy in myastenia gravis: an evaluation of immediate and short term results in 20 patients
Authors: Assis J. Lamartine de , Marchiori Paulo E. , Zambon Antonio A. , Curi Nagib , Filomeno Luiz Tarcisio Brito , Scaff Milberto
Published: August 2012

A comparatice study was conducted on two groups of patients with the generalized severe form of myasthenia gravis. The first group of 20 patients received oral daily doses of 60-100 mg of prednisone prior to thymectomy. The control group of 20 were submitted to surgery without prior corticosteroid treatment. The study included statistical analysis of the clinical results and surgical complications for both groups. The author concluded that the use of steroids preoperatively is beneficial.
Epidemiologia dos acidentes vasculares encefálicos na cidade do salvador: aspectos clínicos
Authors: Lessa Inês
Published: August 2012

Foram analisados os principais achados clínicos de 1089 pacientes atendidos com quadro agudo de acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) entre 01-07-79 e 30-06-80, na cidade do Salvador, Bahia-Brasil. Os casos procederam de todos os hospitais e serviços de urgência públicos, privados ou previdençiários que efetuavam internamento para AVE. Observou-se predominância de hemiplegias e distúrbios da linguagem em ambos os sexos. Para 167 pacientes havia história de AVE prévio (23,03%); 34,93% dos pacientes foram atendidos em coma, sendo que 80,87% deles tiveram êxito letal. Comentou-se a qualidade da atenção médica prestada e sugeriu-se melhor organização dos serviços de prevenção terciária, visando extensão da cobertura e maior adesão dos pacientes a este nível de prevenção.
Pre, intra and post-ischemic hypothermic neuroprotection in temporary focal cerebral ischemia in rats: morphometric analysis
Authors: Dezena Roberto Alexandre , Colli Benedicto Oscar , Carlotti Junior Carlos Gilberto , Tirapelli Luís Fernando
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the neuroprotection of mild hypothermia, applied in different moments, in temporary focal cerebral ischemia in rats. METHODS: Rats was divided into Control (C), Sham (S), Ischemic-control(IC), Pre-ischemic Hypothermia (IH1), Intra-ischemic Hypothermia (IH2), and Post-ischemic Hypothermia (IH3) groups. Morphometry was performed using the KS400 software (Carl Zeiss®) in coronal sections stained by Luxol Fast Blue. Ischemic areas and volumes were obtained. RESULTS: Statistically, blue areas showed difference for C vs. IC, IC vs. IH1 and IC vs. IH2 (p=0.0001; p=0.01; p=0.03), and no difference between C vs. S, IC vs. IH3 and IH vs. IH2 (p=0.39; p=0.85; p=0.63). Red areas showed difference between C vs. IC, IC vs. IH1 and IC vs. IH2 (p=0.0001; p=0.009; p=0.03), and no difference between C vs. S, IC vs. IH3 and IH1 vs. IH2 (p=0.48; p=0.27; p=0.68). Average ischemic areas and ischemic volumes showed difference between IC vs. IH1 and IC vs. IH2 (p=0.0001 and p=0.0011), and no difference between IC vs. IH3 and IH1 vs. IH2 (p=0.57; p=0.79). CONCLUSION: Pre-ischemic and intra-ischemic hypothermia were shown to be similarly neuroprotective, but this was not true for post-ischemic hypothermia.
Letters from Dom Pedro II to professor Brown-Séquard: imperial correspondence and neurophysiology
Authors: Teive Hélio A. G. , Germiniani Francisco M. B. , Munhoz Renato P. , Lees Andrew J.
Published: August 2012

The authors have analyzed the content of a selection of letters written by Dom Pedro II, the Emperor of Brazil, and sent to Doctor Charles Brown-Séquard, the famous neurologist, between 1876 and 1885. The content of those letters focuses mainly on his wife's, Princess Thereza Cristina, health issues and Dom Pedro's personal desire to foster the research into the physiological study of the nervous system.
Raça e o uso dos serviços de saúde bucal por idosos
Authors: Souza Eliane Helena Alvim de , Oliveira Pierre Andrade Pereira de , Paegle Ana Claudia , Goes Paulo Sávio Angeiras de
Published: August 2012

Analisamos se a raça pode ser considerada um fator limitante na utilização dos serviços odontológicos por idosos. O presente estudo é de caráter analítico, com a utilização de dados secundários coletados pela Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde Bucal em 2003. Foram incluídos os examinados que se declararam como brancos, pardos ou pretos, na faixa etária de 65 a 74 anos. O número amostral foi composto por 5.108 idosos sendo 2.575 brancos e 2.533 negros. Dos brancos 3,8% afirmaram nunca terem ido ao dentista enquanto que para os negros esse valor é de 7,8%. Mesmo após o ajuste com interceptação de necessidade de prótese e dor, a chance do idoso negro não ter utilizado o serviço odontológico pelo menos uma vez na vida é 0.62 OR menor que para um idoso branco. Dos que utilizaram os serviços, 21,2% dos idosos brancos visitaram o dentista no último ano, enquanto para os negros o valor foi de 14,2%, no modelo ajustado interceptado pela necessidade de prótese e dor o OR foi de 0.60. Todas as relações foram estatisticamente significantes (p < 0,001). A raça é um fator limitante na utilização dos serviços odontológicos por idosos e, mesmo após ajustes, os idosos negros permanecem com maior dificuldade na utilização dos serviços de saúde bucal.
Significados de violência familiar contra o idoso na perspectiva de profissionais da Atenção Primária à Saúde
Authors: Wanderbroocke Ana Claudia Nunes de Souza , Moré Carmen Leontina Ojeda Ocampo
Published: August 2012

O presente estudo de cunho qualitativo buscou analisar os significados atribuídos à violência familiar contra o idoso, por profissionais que atuam na atenção primária à saúde. Participaram 10 profissionais com diferentes formações, de uma unidade de saúde de referencia para idosos, sendo os dados coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e analisados segundo os princípios da Grounded Theory. Os dados foram integrados e organizados em categorias, subcategorias e elementos de análise. Os resultados evidenciaram que os participantes demonstraram a expectativa de que a família funcione como amparo e proteção e que a violência familiar é o que fere esse princípio. O significado de violência familiar contra o idoso mostrou-se alicerçado na ideia "do idoso frágil e dependente", limitando a visualização de casos que não se enquadram nesse perfil.