bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between length of storage of red blood cell units and outcome of critically ill children: a prospective observational study
Authors: Karam Oliver , Tucci Marisa , Bateman Scot T , Ducruet Thierry , Spinella Philip C , Randolph Adrienne G , Lacroix Jacques
Published: May 2010

Introduction

Transfusion is a common treatment in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Studies in adults suggest that prolonged storage of red blood cell units is associated with worse clinical outcome. No prospective study has been conducted in children. Our objectives were to assess the clinical impact of the length of storage of red blood cell units on clinical outcome of critically ill children.

Methods

Prospective, observational study conducted in 30 North American centers, in consecutive patients aged <18 years with a stay ≥ 48 hours in a PICU. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome after transfusion. The secondary outcomes were 28-day mortality and PICU length of stay. Odds ratios were adjusted for gender, age, number of organ dysfunctions at admission, total number of transfusions, and total dose of transfusion, using a multiple logistic regression model.

Results

The median length of storage was 14 days in 296 patients with documented length of storage. For patients receiving blood stored ≥ 14 days, the adjusted odds ratio for an increased incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome was 1.87 (95% CI 1.04;3.27, P = 0.03). There was also a significant difference in the total PICU length of stay (adjusted median difference +3.7 days, P < 0.001) and no significant change in mortality.

Conclusions

In critically ill children, transfusion of red blood cell units stored for ≥ 14 days is independently associated with an increased occurrence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and prolonged PICU stay.
Modeling non-uniformity in short-read rates in RNA-Seq data
Authors: Li Jun , Jiang Hui , Wong Wing Hung
Published: May 2010

After mapping, RNA-Seq data can be summarized by a sequence of read counts commonly modeled as Poisson variables with constant rates along each transcript, which actually fit data poorly. We suggest using variable rates for different positions, and propose two models to predict these rates based on local sequences. These models explain more than 50% of the variations and can lead to improved estimates of gene and isoform expressions for both Illumina and Applied Biosystems data.
Breast Cancer Survival in Relation to the Metastatic Tumor Burden in Axillary Lymph Nodes
Authors: Andersson Yvette , Frisell Jan , Sylvan Maria , de Boniface Jana , Bergkvist Leif
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastases in patients with breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

Between September 2000 and January 2004, 3,369 patients with breast cancer were included in a prospective cohort. According to their lymph node status, they were classified in the following four groups: 2,383 were node negative, 107 had isolated tumor cells, 123 had micrometastases, and 756 had macrometastases. Median follow-up time was 52 months. Kaplan-Meier estimates and the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to analyze survival.

Results

Five-year cause-specific and event-free survival rates were lower for patients with micrometastases (pN1mi) than for node-negative (pN0) patients (94.1% v 96.9% and 79.6% v 87.1%, respectively; P = .020 and P = .032, respectively). There was no significant survival difference between node-negative patients and those with isolated tumor cells. The overall survival of pN1mi and pN0 patients did not differ.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a worse prognosis for patients with micrometastases than for node-negative patients.
Intense Dose-Dense Sequential Chemotherapy With Epirubicin, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide Compared With Conventionally Scheduled Chemotherapy in High-Risk Primary Breast Cancer: Mature Results of an AGO Phase III Study
Authors: Moebus Volker , Jackisch Christian , Lueck Hans-Joachim , du Bois Andreas , Thomssen Christoph , Kurbacher Christian , Kuhn Walther , Nitz Ulrike , Schneeweiss Andreas , Huober Jens , Harbeck Nadia , von Minckwitz Gunter , Runnebaum Ingo B. , Hinke Axel , Kreienberg Rolf , Konecny Gottfried E. , Untch Michael
Published: May 2010

Purpose

Patients with primary breast cancer who have extensive axillary lymph node involvement have a poor prognosis after conventional adjuvant therapy. We compared intense dose-dense (IDD) adjuvant chemotherapy with conventionally scheduled adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk primary breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

In this randomized, phase III trial, a total of 1,284 eligible patients with four or more involved axillary lymph nodes were randomly assigned to receive IDD sequential epirubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide (IDD-ETC) every 2 weeks or conventionally scheduled epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel every three weeks. The primary end point was event-free survival (EFS).

Results

At a median follow-up of 62 months, 5-year event-free survival rates were 62% in the conventional arm and 70% in the IDD-ETC arm, representing a 28% reduction of the relative risk of relapse (P < .001). This benefit was independent of menopausal, hormone receptor, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. The 5-year overall survival rates were 77% versus 82%, representing a 24% reduction of the relative risk of death (P = .0285). IDD therapy was associated with significantly more nonhematologic and hematologic toxicities, but no treatment-related death occurred. Four occurrences of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) were observed in the IDD-ETC arm. No severe congestive heart failure was reported.

Conclusion

IDD-ETC was less well tolerated compared with conventional chemotherapy but significantly improved event-free and overall survivals in patients with high-risk primary breast cancer who had four or more positive axillary lymph nodes.
Phase I Dose-Escalation Study of Recombinant Human Apo2L/TRAIL, a Dual Proapoptotic Receptor Agonist, in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Authors: Herbst Roy S. , Eckhardt S. Gail , Kurzrock Razelle , Ebbinghaus Scot , O'Dwyer Peter J. , Gordon Michael S. , Novotny William , Goldwasser Meredith A. , Tohnya Tanyifor M. , Lum Bert L. , Ashkenazi Avi , Jubb Adrian M. , Mendelson David S.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

Apoptosis ligand 2/tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL)—a member of the tumor necrosis factor cytokine family—induces apoptosis by activating the extrinsic pathway through the proapoptotic death receptors DR4 and DR5. Recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL (rhApo2L/TRAIL) has broad potential as a cancer therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-human clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of multiple intravenous doses of rhApo2L/TRAIL in patients with advanced cancer.

Patients and Methods

This phase I, open-label, dose-escalation study treated patients with advanced cancer with rhApo2L/TRAIL doses ranging from 0.5 to 30 mg/kg/d, with parallel dose escalation for patients without liver metastases and with normal liver function (cohort 1) and for patients with liver metastases and normal or mildly abnormal liver function (cohort 2). Doses were given daily for 5 days, with cycles repeating every 3 weeks. Assessments included adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, pharmacokinetics, and imaging to evaluate antitumor activity.

Results

Seventy-one patients received a mean of 18.3 doses; seven patients completed all eight treatment cycles. The AE profile of rhApo2L/TRAIL was similar in cohorts 1 and 2. The most common AEs were fatigue (38%), nausea (28%), vomiting (23%), fever (23%), anemia (18%), and constipation (18%). Liver enzyme elevations were concurrent with progressive metastatic liver disease. Two patients with sarcoma (synovial and undifferentiated) experienced serious AEs associated with rapid tumor necrosis. Two patients with chondrosarcoma experienced durable partial responses to rhApo2L/TRAIL.

Conclusion

At the tested schedule and dose range, rhApo2L/TRAIL was safe and well tolerated. Dose escalation achieved peak rhApo2L/TRAIL serum concentrations equivalent to those associated with preclinical antitumor efficacy.
Pregnancy Outcome After Treatment for Wilms Tumor: A Report From the National Wilms Tumor Long-Term Follow-Up Study
Authors: Green Daniel M. , Lange Jane M. , Peabody Eve M. , Grigorieva Natalia N. , Peterson Susan M. , Kalapurakal John A. , Breslow Norman E.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of prior treatment with radiation therapy or chemotherapy for unilateral Wilms tumor (WT) diagnosed during childhood on pregnancy complications, birth weight, and the frequency of congenital malformations in live-born offspring.

Patients and Methods

We reviewed pregnancy outcomes among female survivors and partners of male survivors of WT treated on National Wilms Tumor Studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 by using a maternal questionnaire and a review of both maternal and offspring medical records.

Results

We received reports of 1,021 pregnancies with duration of 20 weeks or longer, including 955 live-born singletons, for whom 700 sets of maternal and offspring medical records were reviewed. Rates of hypertension complicating pregnancy (International Classification of Diseases [ICD] code 642), early or threatened labor (ICD-644) and malposition of the fetus (ICD-652) increased with increasing radiation dose in female patients. The percentages of offspring weighing less than 2,500 g at birth and of those having less than 37 weeks of gestation also increased with dose. There was no significant trend with radiation dose in the number of congenital anomalies recorded in offspring of female patients.

Conclusion

Women who receive flank radiation therapy as part of the treatment for unilateral WT are at increased risk of hypertension complicating pregnancy, fetal malposition, and premature labor. The offspring of these women are at risk for low birth weight and premature (ie, < 37 weeks gestation) birth. These risks must be considered in the obstetrical management of female survivors of WT.
Chemotherapy Patients' Perceptions of Drug Administration Safety
Authors: Schwappach David L.B. , Wernli Martin
Published: May 2010

Purpose

To explore chemotherapy patients' experiences of drug administration safety and to investigate the relationship between perceptions of risk and harm from error, staff safety practices, and patients' engagement in error prevention strategies.

Patients and Methods

Four hundred seventy-nine chemotherapy patients treated at the oncology/hematology department of a large regional hospital in Switzerland completed a self-administered survey (53% response rate).

Results

Sixteen percent of patients reported having experienced an error in their care, and 11% were currently very concerned about errors. Patients perceived the risk of four detailed errors as rather low, whereas the mean rating of potential harm from error was substantial. Relative to other errors, patients seem to underestimate the harm associated with drug overdosing. Seventy-seven percent of responders agreed that patients can help to prevent errors. Although patients perceived staff as being committed to providing safe care, ratings related to patient involvement in safety were considerably lower. More than one quarter of patients disagreed that staff instructed them to watch for and report errors. Patients engaged in safety behaviors, particularly in those behaviors that are compatible with traditional patient-provider relations. Risk of error perceptions, affirmative attitudes toward patient preventability, and error experience were positively linked to safety-related behaviors, whereas higher levels of global trust in staff safety practices were inconsistently associated with lower frequency of engagement in safety strategies.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy safety is a considerable concern for patients. Many patients are prepared to be involved in error prevention. The results highlight areas for improvement in communication and cooperation for safety between patients and providers.
Ofatumumab, a Novel Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody for the Treatment of B-Cell Malignancies
Authors: Cheson Bruce D.
Published: May 2010

The availability of safe and effective monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has dramatically altered treatment strategies for B-cell malignancies. Rituximab, a type I chimeric anti-CD20 mAb, not only has activity against a broad range of CD20-positive B-cell malignancies but also, when combined with chemotherapy or other biologic agents, has improved response rates; in addition, in certain situations, progression-free survival and even overall survival may be prolonged. Recently, other anti-CD20 mAbs have been developed to improve on the activity achieved with rituximab or to demonstrate efficacy in patients whose diseases are resistant to rituximab. The most extensively studied of these is ofatumumab, a type I human antibody that binds to a different epitope of CD20 than rituximab. Preclinical data suggest improved complement-dependent cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity compared with rituximab. In early clinical trials, ofatumumab demonstrated single-agent activity against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a number of histologies of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. This antibody was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of CLL that is resistant to both fludarabine and alemtuzumab. Additional study is ongoing with ofatumumab in combination with chemotherapy and biologic agents to further enhance its efficacy. Ofatumumab offers another effective agent with which to improve the outcome of patients with B-cell malignancies.
Dying Instruction: Puritan Pedagogy in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Authors: Farrell Molly
Published: May 2010

Farrell places Harriet Beecher Stowe's abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in the context of the nineteenth-century movement for education reform. Her essay explores the novel's representation of pedagogy and adoption and how these techniques worked simultaneously to incorporate racial outsiders and mark them as separate from the religious educators who taught and cared for them. Stowe drew these strategies from James Janeway's seventeenth-century Token for Children storybooks, which evangelicals actively reprinted and adapted for use in Sunday schools in Stowe's time. These token stories revolve around dying child “saints,” of whom Stowe's character Eva is one iteration. Upon death, these ideal children leave a powerful emotional memory that can transform incorrigible children into eager students. As the example of Mary Martha Sherwood's The History of Little Henry and His Bearer shows, the pedagogic formula from Janeway's original Token books was re-imagined in the nineteenth century to involve colonial missionaries working in imperial outposts such as India. Thus the character Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin becomes both the object of a colonizing, missionary effort within the nation and an example with which Stowe can imagine ex-slaves becoming part of American society without changing its character. The intimacy created by adoption and loving education becomes a tool for garnering submission from racial outsiders.
Problem Portraits: The Ambivalence of Visual Representation in Byzantium
Authors: Chatterjee Paroma
Published: May 2010

This study offers a close reading of the processes involved in crafting a Byzantine holy portrait by focusing on certain episodes in the Life of Nikon and the Life of Irene of Chrysobalanton, hagiographies dated to the eleventh century. The article argues that the anxieties of visual representation in Byzantium are encoded in those episodes in the narrative in which an artist prepares to make a saint's portrait. In the process, the episodes offer provocative ruminations on the relations between a representation and its prototype, words and images, sight versus hearing, and the roles of the artist and the viewer. They reveal that these issues were by no means resolved with the official end of Iconoclasm in 843, but remained vibrant arenas of philosophical and theological reflection well into the eleventh century.
Interpreting Inaccuracy: The Fiction of Longitude in Early Modern Spain
Authors: Kimmel Seth R.
Published: May 2010

This essay demonstrates that the political efficacy of the first New World maps was paradoxically contingent upon their empirical indeterminacy. Pilots, cosmographers, and monarchs struggled to formulate and monopolize still-unstable cartographic conventions—the problem of longitude was not solved until the late eighteenth century—even while they capitalized on the absence of empirically verifiable data. By telling the story of sixteenth-century Iberian cartography in terms of scientific limitation, it is possible to understand how maps and the discourses surrounding them could have been at once authoritative and recognizably inaccurate. This fresh account of scientific change, which emerges from the early modern record of institutional and imperial conflict, unsettles the contemporary scholarly use of cartographic history as an explanatory mechanism for reading Renaissance literature, colonial history, and humanist prose.
Production of Wnt4b by floor plate cells is essential for the segmental patterning of the vertebral column in medaka
Authors: Inohaya Keiji , Takano Yoshiro , Kudo Akira
Published: May 2010

The floor plate is a key organizer that controls the specification of neurons in the central nervous system. Here, we show a new role of the floor plate: segmental pattern formation of the vertebral column. Analysis of a spontaneous medaka mutant, fused centrum (fsc), which exhibits fused centra and the absence of the intervertebral ligaments, revealed that fsc encodes wnt4b, which was expressed exclusively in the floor plate. In fsc mutants, we found that wnt4b expression was completely lost in the floor plate and that abnormal conversion of the intervertebral ligament cells into osteoblasts appeared to cause a defect of the intervertebral ligaments. The establishment of the transgenic rescue lines and mosaic analyses allowed the conclusion to be drawn that production of wnt4b by floor plate cells is essential for the segmental patterning of the vertebral column. Our findings provide a novel perspective on the mechanism of vertebrate development.
Strain-related effects of fenbendazole treatment on murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Ramp A A , Hall C , Orian J M
Published: May 2010

Parasitic infections are a concern in animal facilities, in view of their influence on physiological processes and the immune status of animals. Pinworms are effectively controlled with the anthelminthic fenbendazole (FBZ, [5-(phenylthio)-1 H-benzamidazol-2-yl]carbamic acid methyl ester; C15H13N3O2S); however, questions remain as to whether prolonged FBZ exposure alters the disease course in specific experimental models, such as those pertaining to the immune system. We report that a three-month regimen of FBZ-medicated feed severely affected the onset and disease severity of murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a disease that mimics multiple sclerosis. Differences were recorded between mouse strains used. Our data suggest that where the use of FBZ is mandatory, its full effect should be verified on the particular EAE variant adopted by the laboratory.
Differential effects of grammatical gender and gender inflection in bare noun production
Authors: Paolieri Daniela , Lotto Lorella , Leoncini Debora , Cubelli Roberto , Job Remo
Published: May 2010

In a new series of experiments with the picture–word interference paradigm, we replicated the grammatical gender interference effect in bare noun production in Italian: naming times are slower to picture–word noun pairs sharing the same gender. This effect is independent from the morphological transparency for gender, but responses are significantly slower when the distracters are transparent for gender. Overall, the pattern of results supports the assumption that in bare noun production grammatical gender is always selected, at least in languages like Italian. We assume that the differential effects of the nominal endings are due to the mechanisms involved in the recognition of grammatical gender of the distracter nouns which are sensitive to the morphological transparency for gender: lexical representation of transparent written words leads to a higher level of activation, thus resulting in stronger gender interference.
Immunohistochemical Labeling of the Inhibin/Activin βC Subunit in Normal Human Placental Tissue and Chorionic Carcinoma Cell Lines
Authors: Weissenbacher Tobias , Brüning Ansgar , Kimmich Tanja , Makovitzky Josef , Gingelmaier Andrea , Mylonas Ioannis
Published: May 2010

Inhibins and activins are important regulators of the female reproductive system. A novel inhibin subunit, named βC, has been identified and demonstrated to be expressed in several human tissues. We demonstrate here that inhibin βC is expressed in human placenta. Expression of the inhibin βC subunit was demonstrated at the protein level by means of immunohistochemical evaluation and at the transcriptional level by an inhibin βC-specific RT-PCR analysis. Expression of inhibin βC was detected in the human chorionic carcinoma cell lines JEG and BeWo. Although the precise role of this novel inhibin subunit in human placenta development and homeostasis is unclear, analogies with other inhibin sub-units and the strong expression of βC in normal human trophoblast cells and chorionic carcinoma cells suggest that βC may be involved in autocrine/paracrine signaling pathways, angiogenesis, decidualization, and tissue remodeling under normal and malignant conditions. Additionally, JEG and BeWo express βC and, therefore, can be used as a cell culture model for further functional analysis of this subunit in the human placenta.
Service Robotics as an Application for the Grand Challenges in Computer Enginering
Authors: Maehle Erik
Published: May 2010

Service robots have a very high potential for the future and are already today employed in a number of important applications. For exploiting this potential successfully progress has to be made in many disciplines. This article focuses on robot control architectures in hardware and software. Taking today existing robots as examples typical current control architectures are presented and the contribution of the Grand Challenges in Computer Science to their further development is discussed.
Human uterine stem/progenitor cells: their possible role in uterine physiology and pathology
Authors: Maruyama Tetsuo , Masuda Hirotaka , Ono Masanori , Kajitani Takashi , Yoshimura Yasunori
Published: May 2010

The human uterus mainly consists of the endometrium and the outer smooth muscle layer termed the myometrium. The uterus harbours the exceptional and remarkable regenerative ability responsible for cyclical regeneration and remodelling throughout the reproductive life. The uterus must swiftly and cooperatively enlarge to hold the growing foetus during pregnancy. Furthermore, the endometrium, in particular the functionalis layer, must also regenerate, differentiate and regress with each menstrual cycle under hormonal control. Endometrial regeneration from the basal layer is thought to contribute to replacement of the functionalis layer followed by its slough off during menses and parturition. These morphological and functional features of human endometrium can be reproduced in murine models in which severely immunodeficient mice are xenotransplanted with dispersed human endometrial cells under the kidney capsule. The uterine myometrium possesses the similar plasticity of the endometrium. This is demonstrated by multiple cycles of pregnancy-induced enlargement and regression after parturition. It is likely that regeneration and remodelling in the female reproductive tract are achieved presumably through endometrial and myometrial stem cell systems. Recent evidence now supports the existence of these stem cell systems in humans. Here, we will review our current understanding of uterine stem/progenitor cells. We also propose a novel hypothetical model in which stem cell activities explain the physiological remodelling and regeneration of the human uterus and the pathogenesis of gynaecological diseases such as endometriosis.
Intragenic Suppression of a Trafficking-Defective Brassinosteroid Receptor Mutant in Arabidopsis
Authors: Belkhadir Youssef , Durbak Amanda , Wierzba Michael , Schmitz Robert J , Aguirre Andrea , Michel Rene , Rowe Scott , Fujioka Shozo , Tax Frans E
Published: May 2010

The cell surface receptor kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE-1 (BRI1) is the major receptor for steroid hormones in Arabidopsis. Plants homozygous for loss-of-function mutations in BRI1 display a reduction in the size of vegetative organs, resulting in dwarfism. The recessive bri1-5 mutation produces receptors that do not accumulate to wild-type levels and are retained mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum. We have isolated a dominant suppressor of the dwarf phenotype of bri1-5 plants. We show that this suppression is caused by a second-site mutation in BRI1, bri1-5R1. The bri1-5R1 mutation partially rescues the phenotypes of bri1-5 in many tissues and enhances bri1-5 phenotypes above wild-type levels in several other tissues. We demonstrate that the phenotypes of bri1-5R1 plants are due to both increased cell expansion and increased cell division. To test the mechanism of bri1-5 suppression, we assessed whether the phenotypic suppression in bri1-5R1 was dependent on ligand availability and the integrity of the signaling pathway. Our results indicate that the suppression of the dwarf phenotypes associated with bri1-5R1 requires both BR biosynthesis and the receptor kinase BRI1-ASSOCIATED KINASE-1 (BAK1). Finally, we show that bri1-5R1 partially restores the accumulation and plasma membrane localization of BRI1. Collectively, our results point toward a model in which bri1-R1 compensates for the protein-folding abnormalities caused by bri1-5, restoring accumulation of the receptor and its delivery to the cell surface.
The Next Generation of Molecular Markers From Massively Parallel Sequencing of Pooled DNA Samples
Authors: Futschik Andreas , Schlötterer Christian
Published: May 2010

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is about to revolutionize genetic analysis. Currently NGS techniques are mainly used to sequence individual genomes. Due to the high sequence coverage required, the costs for population-scale analyses are still too high to allow an extension to nonmodel organisms. Here, we show that NGS of pools of individuals is often more effective in SNP discovery and provides more accurate allele frequency estimates, even when taking sequencing errors into account. We modify the population genetic estimators Tajima's π and Watterson's θ to obtain unbiased estimates from NGS pooling data. Given the same sequencing effort, the resulting estimators often show a better performance than those obtained from individual sequencing. Although our analysis also shows that NGS of pools of individuals will not be preferable under all circumstances, it provides a cost-effective approach to estimate allele frequencies on a genome-wide scale.
Some Consequences of Demographic Stochasticity in Population Genetics
Authors: Parsons Todd L , Quince Christopher , Plotkin Joshua B
Published: May 2010

Much of population genetics is based on the diffusion limit of the Wright–Fisher model, which assumes a fixed population size. This assumption is violated in most natural populations, particularly for microbes. Here we study a more realistic model that decouples birth and death events and allows for a stochastically varying population size. Under this model, classical quantities such as the probability of and time before fixation of a mutant allele can differ dramatically from their Wright–Fisher expectations. Moreover, inferences about natural selection based on Wright–Fisher assumptions can yield erroneous and even contradictory conclusions: at small population densities one allele will appear superior, whereas at large densities the other allele will dominate. Consequently, competition assays in laboratory conditions may not reflect the outcome of long-term evolution in the field. These results highlight the importance of incorporating demographic stochasticity into basic models of population genetics.
Population Structure With Localized Haplotype Clusters
Authors: Browning Sharon R , Weir Bruce S
Published: May 2010

We propose a multilocus version of FST and a measure of haplotype diversity using localized haplotype clusters. Specifically, we use haplotype clusters identified with BEAGLE, which is a program implementing a hidden Markov model for localized haplotype clustering and performing several functions including inference of haplotype phase. We apply this methodology to HapMap phase 3 data. With this haplotype-cluster approach, African populations have highest diversity and lowest divergence from the ancestral population, East Asian populations have lowest diversity and highest divergence, and other populations (European, Indian, and Mexican) have intermediate levels of diversity and divergence. These relationships accord with expectation based on other studies and accepted models of human history. In contrast, the population-specific FST estimates obtained directly from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) do not reflect such expected relationships. We show that ascertainment bias of SNPs has less impact on the proposed haplotype-cluster-based FST than on the SNP-based version, which provides a potential explanation for these results. Thus, these new measures of FST and haplotype-cluster diversity provide an important new tool for population genetic analysis of high-density SNP data.
Exposure to Antibiotics in a United States-Mexico Border Birth Cohort
Authors: Broussard Cheryl S. , Goodman Karen J. , Nurgalieva Zhannat Z. , Fischbach Lori A. , Gold Benjamin D.
Published: May 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to compare the frequency of children's antibiotic intake, emphasizing antibiotics with anti-Helicobacter pylori effects, in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico.

METHODS:

Hispanic children were enrolled prenatally at mother-child clinics in El Paso, and Juarez, in 1998–2000, to identify determinants of H pylori infection. During follow-up examinations targeted every 6 months from 6 to 84 months of age, caretakers reported medication use during the preceding interval. Courses of any systemic and H pylori-effective antibiotics were compared for US and Mexican children.

RESULTS:

Antibiotic data were available for 602 children, from 2938 follow-up visits. Overall antibiotic intake was higher in Juarez, where 84% of children received ≥1 course during the follow-up period (52% of visits), compared with El Paso, where 76% of children received ≥1 course (40% of visits). In contrast, the intake of H pylori-effective antibiotics was higher in El Paso, where 65% of children received ≥1 course during the follow-up period (27% of visits), compared with Juarez, where 44% of children received ≥1 course (16% of visits). Of H pylori-effective courses, 94% contained amoxicillin and 2% each clarithromycin, metronidazole, and furazolidone; uses were primarily for throat and ear infections, diarrhea, and cold/flu.

CONCLUSIONS:

Pediatric antibiotic use was higher in Mexico than on the US side of the border. Apparent misuse of H pylori-effective antibiotics was more frequent in Juarez but also occurred in El Paso. Such misuse of antibiotics may lead to drug resistance and may impair the control of H pylori infection in this region.
Effect of Various Risk/Benefit Trade-offs on Parents’ Understanding of a Pediatric Research Study
Authors: Tait Alan R. , Zikmund-Fisher Brian J. , Fagerlin Angela , Voepel-Lewis Terri
Published: May 2010

OBJECTIVES:

Informed decision-making requires that parents and research subjects understand the risks and benefits of a study, yet research suggests that comprehension of these elements is often poor. This study was designed to examine the effect of factors including manipulation of risk/benefit trade-offs, numeracy, and sociodemographics on parents’ understanding of risks and benefits.

METHODS:

A total of 4685 parents completed an Internet survey in which they were randomly assigned to receive information about the risks and benefits of a hypothetical pain treatment study presented in 1 of 4 scenarios. Parents’ gist (essential) and verbatim (exact) understanding and their perceptions of the risks and benefits were compared across scenarios. The effects of parental sociodemographics and numeracy were also examined.

RESULTS:

Participants who were randomly assigned to consider a research study that offered the possibility of improved outcomes had higher gist and verbatim understanding of the information than participants who were considering studies that offered only reductions in the risk for adverse effects. Furthermore, these parents perceived the risks of the study to be significantly lower compared with the scenarios that offered the same risks but less benefit. White race, college education, and higher numeracy all were associated significantly with improved gist and verbatim understanding.

CONCLUSIONS:

Research studies that offer only improved outcomes to participants may be evaluated more thoroughly than those that offer only reduced risks, and individual characteristics significantly moderate parents’ ability to comprehend risk/benefit information. These results are important toward developing strategies to improve the ways in which risks and benefits are communicated to parents and research subjects.
Vulvar Inflammation as the Only Clinical Manifestation of Crohn Disease in an 8-Year-Old Girl
Authors: Corbett Shannon L. , Walsh Catharine M. , Spitzer Rachel F. , Ngan Bo-Yee , Kives Sari , Zachos Mary
Published: May 2010

Recognition of Crohn disease in children who present with cutaneous vulvar lesions as their initial clinical manifestation is often difficult. We report here the case of an 8-year-old girl with chronic vulvar edema, which on biopsy revealed granulomatous inflammation of the vulva. Further investigation and biopsy of the terminal ileum demonstrated similar findings and was consistent with a diagnosis of Crohn disease.
Unilateral Hearing Loss Is Associated With Worse Speech-Language Scores in Children
Authors: Lieu Judith E. C. , Tye-Murray Nancy , Karzon Roanne K. , Piccirillo Jay F.
Published: May 2010

OBJECTIVE:

To determine whether children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) demonstrate worse language skills than their siblings with normal hearing, and whether children with UHL are more likely to receive extra assistance at school.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

We conducted a case-control study of 6- to 12-year-old children with UHL compared with sibling controls (74 pairs, n = 148). Scores on the oral portion of the Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS) were the primary outcome measure. Multivariable analysis was used to determine whether UHL independently predicted OWLS scores after we controlled for potential confounding variables.

RESULTS:

Children with UHL had worse scores than their siblings on language comprehension (91 vs 98; P = .003), oral expression (94 vs 101; P = .007), and oral composite (90 vs 99; P < .001). UHL independently predicted these OWLS scores when multivariable regression was used with moderate effect sizes of 0.3 to 0.7. Family income and maternal education were also independent predictors of oral expression and oral composite scores. No differences were found between children with right- or left-ear UHL or with varying severity of hearing loss. Children with UHL were more likely to have an individualized education plan (odds ratio: 4.4 [95% confidence interval: 2.0–9.5]) and to have received speech-language therapy (odds ratio: 2.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.3–5.4]).

CONCLUSIONS:

School-aged children with UHL demonstrated worse oral language scores than did their siblings with normal hearing. These findings suggest that the common practice of withholding hearing-related accommodations from children with UHL should be reconsidered and studied, and that parents and educators should be informed about the deleterious effects of UHL on oral language skills.
Do Infants Fed From Bottles Lack Self-regulation of Milk Intake Compared With Directly Breastfed Infants?
Authors: Li Ruowei , Fein Sara B. , Grummer-Strawn Laurence M.
Published: May 2010

OBJECTIVE:

How breastfeeding reduces the risk of childhood obesity is unclear, and 1 hypothesis pertains to the ability of breastfed infants to self-regulate. We studied whether infants' self-regulation of milk intake is affected by feeding mode (bottle versus breast) and the type of milk in the bottle (formula versus expressed breast milk).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Participants in the 2005–2007 Infant Feeding Practices Study II received monthly questionnaires during their infant's first year, and compete data were available for 1250 infants. We tested the impact of feeding mode and type of milk during early infancy on self-regulation during late infancy.

RESULTS:

Although only 27% of infants fed exclusively at the breast in early infancy emptied the bottle or cup in late infancy, 54% of infants who were fed both at the breast and by bottle did so, and 68% of those who were fed only by bottle did so. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that infants who were bottle-fed more intensively early in life were ∼71% or 2 times more likely to empty the bottle or cup later in life than those who were bottle-fed less intensively (⅓–⅔ or ⅔ of milk feeds given by bottle versus < ⅓ of milk feeds). When feeding formula and expressed milk were considered separately, similar dose-response relationships were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Infants who are bottle-fed in early infancy are more likely to empty the bottle or cup in late infancy than those who are fed directly at the breast. Bottle-feeding, regardless of the type of milk, is distinct from feeding at the breast in its effect on infants' self-regulation of milk intake.
Child Health Research Funding and Policy: Imperatives and Investments for a Healthier World
Authors: Hay William W. , Gitterman Daniel P. , Williams David A. , Dover George J. , Sectish Theodore C. , Schleiss Mark R.
Published: May 2010

Although pediatric research enjoyed significant benefits during the National Institutes of Health (NIH) doubling era, the proportion of the NIH budget devoted to the pediatric-research portfolio has declined overall. In light of this declining support for pediatric biomedical research, the Federation of Pediatric Organizations held a topic symposium at the 2009 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting as a forum for discussion of the past and future states of funding, the rationale for directing public funds toward the understanding of child health and disease, and new programs and paradigms for promoting child health research. This report of the symposium is intended to disseminate more broadly the information presented and conclusions discussed to encourage those in the child health research community to exert influence with policy makers to increase the allocation of national funding for this underfunded area.
Contemporary Jain Thought and Practice
Authors: Jain Andrea
Published: May 2010

-
Chakras and Endocrine Glands
Authors: Jain Andrea
Published: May 2010

This paper is an exploration of preksha dhyana as a case study of modern yoga. Preksha is a system of yoga and meditation introduced by Acarya Mahaprajna of the Jain Svetambara Terapanth in the late twentieth century. I argue that preksha is an attempt to join the newly emerging transnational yoga market whereby yoga has become a practice oriented around the attainment of physical health and psychological well-being. I will evaluate the ways in which Mahaprajna appropriates scientific discourse and in so doing constructs a new and unique system of Jain modern yoga. In particular, I evaluate the appropriation of physical and meditative techniques from ancient yoga systems in addition to the explanation of yoga metaphysics by means of biomedical discourse. I will demonstrate how, in Mahaprajna’s preksha system, the metaphysical subtle body becomes somaticized. In other words, Mahaprajna uses the bio-medical understanding of physiology to locate and identify the functions of metaphysical subtle body parts and processes in the physiological body.
Laboratory of Ancient Religions
Authors: Arnal William
Published: May 2010

This paper responds to Athanasios Koutoupas' discussion of the deification of Ptolemaic rulers, and the relationship between political changes and developments, and religious ideology.
Manageable Self in the Early Hellenistic Era
Authors: Touna Vaia
Published: May 2010

This paper argues that the rise of what is commonly termed "personal religion" during the Classic-Hellenistic period is not the result of an inner need or even quality of the self, as often argued by those who see in ancient Greece foreshadowing of Christianity, but rather was the result of social, economic, and political conditions that made it possible for Hellenistic Greeks to redefine the perception of the individual and its relationship to others.
Anger Management and the Process Mediating the Link Between Witnessing Violence Between Parents and Partner Violence
Authors: Turcotte-Seabury Catherine A.
Published: May 2010

Multinomial logistic regression was used on a sample of 14,252 students to determine the extent to which the relationship between witnessing interparental violence and the perpetration of violence is mediated by limited anger management ability, and to determine whether anger management is a mediator for women as well as men. Both males and females who witnessed interparental violence had higher levels of violence perpetration, and those who disclosed witnessing interparental violence had more limited anger management abilites. These limited anger management abilities were associated with increased levels of violence perpetration. This study is consistent with others finding a relationship between witnessing interparental violence and the perpetration of violence but also shows that the relationship between these two variables is mediated by limited anger management abilities.
Recidivism Among Female Child Molesters
Authors: Bader Shannon M. , Welsh Robert , Scalora Mario J.
Published: May 2010

During recent years, research about female sexual offender recidivism rates using official criminal justice records has increased. Although informative, rearrest or conviction rates may be insufficient for this population. This study examines two potential outcome measures for accurately studying recidivism among 57 female sexual offenders; a criminal recidivism measure based on formal legal charges and a reported recidivism measure based on child welfare reports. Based on the criminal recidivism outcome measure, 10 (17.5%) women were charged for a subsequent sexual crime. The broader reported recidivism measure identified six additional women with subsequent contact with police or child welfare agencies for sexually inappropriate behaviors. There were no significant differences found between the 41 nonrecidivists and the 16 recidivists. The implications of these findings are discussed.
When Is Corruption a Substitute for Economic Freedom?
Authors: Carden Art , Verdon Lisa
Published: May 2010

Corruption supposedly reduces economic progress by creating an uncertain contracting environment and by preventing the state from efficiently providing public goods and correcting externalities. However, corruption can be efficiency-enhancing in countries with relatively little economic freedom. Corruption in the military appears to reduce economic growth, while corruption in the educational environment can increase economic growth. Evidence suggests that some types of corruption can increase growth when economic freedom is low.
Pretreatments of lignocellulosic feedstock for bioethanol production
Authors: Predojevic Zlatica
Published: May 2010

The use of renewable energy sources (biofuels), either as a component in the conventional fossil fuels, gasoline and diesel, or as a pure biofuel, contributes to energy saving and decrease of total CO2 emission. The use of bioethanol mixed with gasoline significantly decreases gasoline consumption and contributes to environment protection. One of the problems in the production of bioethanol is the availability of sugar and starch based feedstock used for its production. However, lignocellulosic feedstocks are becoming more significant in the production of bioethanol due to their availability and low cost. The aim of this study is to point out the advantages and shortcomings of pretreatment processes and hydrolyses of lignocellulosic feedstocks that precede their fermentation to bioethanol.
Kinetic and equilibrium studies on fluoride removal by zirconium (IV): Impregnated groundnut shell carbon
Authors: Alagumuthu G. , Rajan M.
Published: May 2010

The carbonized ground nut shell (GNSC) was impregnated with zirconium oxy chloride, and tested to determine its capacity and kinetics for fluoride adsorption from aqueous solutions. The analysis of the isotherm equilibrium data using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equations by linear methods showed that the data fitted better with Freundlich model than the other two. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the spontaneous nature of fluoride adsorption with increase of entropy and an endothermic process. The kinetic data obtained for fluoride adsorption on zirconium impregnated ground nut shell carbon (ZIGNSC) obeyed the pseudo-second order equation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the deposition of fluoride on material and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) studies also showed the involvement of adsorbate on the adsorbent surface in the adsorption interaction. The ZIGNSC provides a cost effective material to the defluoridation problem in the developing countries by its great potential application in the fluoride removal from water.
The effect of water quality on reliability of boiler plants performance
Authors: Gajic Anto , Tomic Milorad , Pavlovic Ljubica , Pavlovic Miomir
Published: May 2010

This paper presents sources and types of corrosion processes of boiler tube system of the Thermal Power Plant "Ugljevik". The main goal in the electric power production is to achieve lower prices, which can only be done by providing low maintenance costs. While it is not possible to completely stop corrosion, it could be slowed down and it's effects could be reduced. In order to reduce corrosion to a minimum on thermal power plants' vital equipment, particularly boilers, it is necessary to determine in each particular case the acting mechanism of corrosion and agents that cause it. Damages and failures on thermal power plants are largely caused by the development of various types of corrosion processes. Special attention is given to the preparation of water, considering its importance to the occurrence of corrosion. The following types of corrosion were detected on the screen tube boiler by visual examination on the side of water and steam: erosive, pitting and impact corrosion. The inner surface of screen pipes, from which the scale layer was removed, indicates that the erosive corrosion with the thinning of pipe walls occurs. Perforation of the welded screen pipes shows that stress corrosion occurred on the screen pipe with formation of cracks and that pipe exploded. Pits on the inner surface of the screen pipes, visible after the removal of scale and corrosion products, are proof that pitting corrosion occurred. The causes of corrosion were discovered and proposed measures for their elimination were given.