bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Existence of Homoclinic Orbits for a Class of Asymptotically p‐Linear Difference Systems with p‐Laplacian
Authors: Zhang Qiongfen , Tang X. H.
Published: August 2011

By applying a variant version of Mountain Pass Theorem in critical point theory, we prove the existence of homoclinic solutions for the following asymptotically p‐linear difference system with p‐Laplacian
Δ(|Δu(n − 1)|p−2Δu(n − 1))+∇[−K(n, u(n)) + W(n, u(n))] = 0,
where p ∈ (1, +∞), n ∈ ℤ, u ∈ ℝN, K, W : ℤ × ℝN → ℝ are not periodic in n,
and W is asymptotically p‐linear at infinity.
Nuts Improve Diet Quality Compared to Other Energy-Dense Snacks While Maintaining Body Weight
Authors: Tey Siew Ling , Brown Rachel , Gray Andrew , Chisholm Alexandra , Delahunty Conor
Published: August 2011

Previous studies have reported that regular nut consumption reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and does not promote weight gain despite the fact that nuts are energy-dense. However, no studies have investigated the body composition of those regularly consuming nuts compared to similar intakes of other snacks of equal energy density. This parallel study (n= 118) examined the effects of providing daily portions (~1100 kJ/d) of hazelnuts, chocolate, or potato crisps compared to a control group receiving no snacks for twelve weeks. Effects on body weight and composition, blood lipids and lipoproteins, resting metabolic rate (RMR), appetite indices, and dietary quality were compared. At week 12, there was no significant difference in any of the outcome measurements between the groups except for dietary quality, which improved significantly in the nut group. Nuts can be incorporated into the diet without adversely affecting body weight and can improve diet quality.
Analysis of Water Features in Gas Leakage Area
Authors: Huaishan Liu , Fengfan Wang , Siyou Tong , Gaolin Li , Haiyan Zhang
Published: August 2011

In a certain frequency range, gas is an effective absorber and scatterer of sound, which changes the compressibility of water, and then changes the speed and frequency of sound. Gas continues rising, deforming, and dissolving. The same bubble of natural gas has different radii at different depths. By analyzing these changes, the resonance frequency of gas bubble, and its impacts on sound wave, characteristics of the influences of gas at different depths on the incident sound wave can be obtained. The main sound features of gas are relevant to the gas size, gas content, velocity, attenuation, resonance frequency, the scattering cross-section, and so forth. Sound models with hydrate and free gas in the water and sediment are established. Through the practical application to actual data, the sound characteristics yielded when the gas (or gas hydrate dissociation) escaped the water of seismic data are very clear.
PU.1 and Haematopoietic Cell Fate: Dosage Matters
Authors: Mak Ka Sin , Funnell Alister P. W. , Pearson Richard C. M. , Crossley Merlin
Published: August 2011

The ETS family transcription factor PU.1 is a key regulator of haematopoietic differentiation. Its expression is dynamically controlled throughout haematopoiesis in order to direct appropriate lineage specification. Elucidating the biological role of PU.1 has proved challenging. This paper will discuss how a range of experiments in cell lines and mutant and transgenic mouse models have enhanced our knowledge of the mechanisms by which PU.1 drives lineage-specific differentiation during haematopoiesis.
Keratitis-Ichthyosis-Deafness Syndrome, Atypical Connexin GJB2 Gene Mutation, and Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: More Than a Random Association?
Authors: Fozza Claudio , Poddie Fausto , Contini Salvatore , Galleu Antonio , Cottoni Francesca , Longinotti Maurizio , Cucca Francesco
Published: August 2011

Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by skin lesions, neurosensorial hypoacusia, and keratitis, usually due to the mutation involving the connexin 26 gene. We report on a KID patient who showed the atypical mutation and developed a T-cell lymphoma so far never described in this group of patients.
Protein Profiling of Human Nonpigmented Ciliary Epithelium Cell Secretome: The Differentiation Factors Characterization for Retinal Ganglion Cell line
Authors: Yang Ming-Hui , Krishnamoorthy Raghu R. , Jong Shiang-Bin , Chu Pei-Yu , Yang Yuan-Han , Chen Wen-Cheng , Chen Sharon Chia-Ju , Dibas Adnan , Yorio Thomas , Chung Tze-Wen , Tyan Yu-Chang
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this paper was to characterize proteins secreted from the human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial (HNPE) cells, which have differentiated a rat retinal ganglion cell line, RGC‐5. Undifferentiated RGC‐5 cells have been shown to express several marker proteins characteristic of retinal ganglion cells. However, RGC‐5 cells do not respond to N‐methyl‐D aspartate (NMDA), or glutamate. HNPE cells have been shown to secrete numbers of neuropeptides or neuroproteins also found in the aqueous humor, many of which have the ability to influence the activity of neuronal cells. This paper details the profile of HNPE cell‐secreted proteins by proteomic approaches. The experimental results revealed the identification of 132 unique proteins from the HNPE cell‐conditioned SF‐medium. The biological functions of a portion of these identified proteins are involved in cell differentiation. We hypothesized that a differentiation system of HNPE cell‐conditioned SF‐medium with RGC‐5 cells can induce a differentiated phenotype in RGC‐5 cells, with functional characteristics that more closely resemble primary cultures of rat retinal ganglion cells. These proteins may replace harsh chemicals, which are currently used to induce cell differentiation.
Degree and Predictors of Functional Loss of the Operated Kidney following Nephron-Sparing Surgery: Assessment by Quantitative SPECT of 99m Tc-Dimercaptosuccinic Acid Scintigraphy
Authors: Nativ Ofer , Levi Amos , Farfara Roy , Halachmi Sarel , Moskovitz Boaz
Published: August 2011

Purpose. To determine the degree and predictors of renal function loss of the operated kidney following nephron-sparing surgery (NSS).Material and methods. The study group included 113 patients with renal mass who underwent NSS at our institution. QDMSA before and 3–6 months after surgery was used for evaluation differences in renal function of each kidney. Mean change of percent uptake by the kidney was correlated with various clinical and pathological variables.Results. The overall average decrease of renal function of the operated kidney as measured by QDMSA was 10.5% ± 2.6 SER. Among the studied variables, the most important predictors of postoperative ipsilateral residual kidney function were estimated blood loss (EBL),P=0.0003, duration of warm ischemia,P=0.008, patient’s age at surgery,P=0.024, method used for tumor bed closure,P=0.06,and location of the lesion,P=0.08.Conclusions. Carful hemostasis, minimal duration of arterial clamping, and use of tissue adhesives to seal tumor bed are associated with maximal preservation of postoperative residual renal function after NSS. These variables should be considered by the operative team when planning the surgical procedure .
Effects of Exercise Training on Molecular Markers of Lipogenesis and Lipid Partitioning in Fructose-Induced Liver Fat Accumulation
Authors: Yasari Siham , Prud'homme Denis , Tesson Frédérique , Jankowski Marek , Gutkowska Jolanta , Levy Emile , Lavoie Jean-Marc
Published: August 2011

The present study was designed to investigate the impact of exercise training on lipogenic gene expression in liver and lipid partitioning following the ingestion of a high fructose load. Female rats were exercise-trained for 8 wk or kept sedentary before being submitted to a fasting/refeeding protocol. Rats were further subdivided as follow: rats were fasted for 24 h, refed a standard diet for 24 h, starved for another 24 h, and refed with a standard or a high-fructose diet 24 h before sacrifice. Fructose refeeding was associated with an increase in hepatic lipid content, endocannabinoid receptor 1, sterol regulatory element-binding protein1c, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase1 gene expression in both Sed and TR rats. However, desaturation indexes measured in liver (C16 : 1/C16 : 0 and C18 : 1/C18 : 0) and plasma (C18 : 1/C18 : 0) were higher (P<0.01) in TR than in Sed rats following fructose refeeding. It is concluded that exercise training does not significantly affect fat accumulation and the molecular expression of genes involved in lipogenesis after fasting and fructose refeeding but does modify the partitioning of lipids so as to provide more unsaturated fatty acids in liver without affecting liver fat content.
Potential Use of Organic- and Hard-Rock Mine Wastes on Aided Phytostabilization of Large-Scale Mine Tailings under Semiarid Mediterranean Climatic Conditions: Short-Term Field Study
Authors: Santibañez Claudia , de la Fuente Luz María , Bustamante Elena , Silva Sergio , León-Lobos Pedro , Ginocchio Rosanna
Published: August 2011

The study evaluated the efficacy of organic- and hard-rock mine waste type materials on aided phytostabilization of Cu mine tailings under semiarid Mediterranean conditions in order to promote integrated waste management practices at local levels and to rehabilitate large-scale (from 300 to 3,000 ha) postoperative tailings storage facilities (TSFs). A field trial with 13 treatments was established on a TSF to test the efficacy of six waste-type locally available amendments (grape and olive residues, biosolids, goat manure, sediments from irrigation canals, and rubble from Cu-oxide lixiviation piles) during early phases of site rehabilitation. Results showed that, even though an interesting range of waste-type materials were tested, biosolids (100 t ha-1dry weight, d.w.) and grape residues (200 t ha-1d.w.), either alone or mixed, were the most suitable organic amendments when incorporated into tailings to a depth of 20 cm. Incorporation of both rubble from Cu-oxide lixiviation piles and goat manure into upper tailings also had effective results. All these treatments improved chemical and microbiological properties of tailings and lead to a significant increase in plant yield after three years from trial establishment. Longer-term evaluations are, however required to evaluate self sustainability of created systems without further incorporation of amendments.
Are Quality Improvements in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Program Related to Better Care or Better Data Documentation?
Authors: Reeves Mathew J. , Grau-Sepulveda Maria V. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Olson DaiWai M. , Smith Eric E. , Schwamm Lee H.
Published: August 2011

Background—

Increased compliance with performance measures could reflect better care or better data documentation. We examined trends in the documentation of eligibility criteria, treatment contraindications, and missing data in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program to quantify their contribution to increased performance measure compliance.

Methods and Results—

Data on 569 883 ischemic stroke admissions to 1028 GWTG-Stroke hospitals between April 2003 and September 2009 were obtained. Seven measures were examined: intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator therapy, early antithrombotics, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation/flutter, discharge antithrombotics, lipid therapy, and smoking cessation. Within each target population, the proportion of subjects treated, not treated, not treated because of contraindications, or with missing data were generated by calendar year. There were minimal changes in the size of the target populations for 6 of the measures; however, the size of the deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis population was reduced ≈5% in 2008 because of a format change to the data collection form. All measures showed significant increases in the proportion of eligible subjects treated across the study period. These increases occurred without major shifts in contraindications or missing data, with the exception of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation/flutter where the increase occurred in conjunction with a decline in contraindications. Similar findings were seen when the data were examined by the duration of hospital participation in the program.

Conclusions—

These findings suggest that the majority of performance improvement in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program represent an increase in the number of patients with stroke treated and not changes to the underlying target populations or documentation of contraindications or missing data.
Adjusting the Adjusted χ2/df Ratio Statistic for Dichotomous Item Response Theory Analyses
Authors: Tay Louis , Drasgow Fritz
Published: August 2011

Two Monte Carlo simulation studies investigated the effectiveness of the mean adjusted χ2/ df statistic proposed by Drasgow and colleagues and, because of problems with the method, a new approach for assessing the goodness of fit of an item response theory model was developed. It has been previously recommended that mean adjusted χ2/ df values greater than 3 using a cross-validation data set indicate substantial misfit. The authors used simulations to examine this critical value across different test lengths (15, 30, 45) and sample sizes (500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000). The one-, two- and three-parameter logistic models were fitted to data simulated from different logistic models, including unidimensional and multidimensional models. In general, a fixed cutoff value was insufficient to ascertain item response theory model–data fit. Consequently, the authors propose the use of the parametric bootstrap to investigate misfit and evaluated its performance. This new approach produced appropriate Type I error rates and had substantial power to detect misfit across simulated conditions. In a third study, the authors applied the parametric bootstrap approach to LSAT data to determine which dichomotous item response theory model produced the best fit. Future applications of the mean adjusted χ2/ df statistic are discussed.
Towards flexible exascale stream processing system simulation
Authors: Park Alfred J , Li Cheng-Hong , Nair Ravi , Ohba Nobuyuki , Shvadron Uzi , Zaks Ayal , Schenfeld Eugen
Published: August 2011

Stream processing is an important emerging computational model for performing complex operations on and across multi-source, high-volume, unpredictable dataflows. We present Flow, a platform for parallel and distributed stream processing system simulation that provides a flexible modeling environment for analyzing stream processing applications. The Flow stream processing system simulator is a high-performance, scalable simulator that automatically parallelizes chunks of the model space and incurs near-zero synchronization overhead for acyclic stream application graphs. We show promising parallel and distributed event rates exceeding 149 million events per second on a cluster with 512 processor cores.
Pathologic Findings and Toxin Identification in Cyanobacterial (Nodularia spumigena) Intoxication in a Dog
Authors: Simola O. , Wiberg M. , Jokela J. , Wahlsten M. , Sivonen K. , Syrjä P.
Published: August 2011

A 3-year-old Cairn Terrier dog that had been in contact with sea water containing cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) was euthanized because of acute hepatic failure and anuria after a 5-day illness. Histologic findings included lytic and hemorrhagic centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis and renal tubular necrosis. The cyanotoxin nodularin was detected in liver and kidney by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Nodularin is a potent hepatotoxin produced by the algal species Nodularia spumigena. The intensity of algal blooms has increased during the past decades in the Baltic Sea region, thus increasing the risk for intoxications in domestic and wild animals. The authors describe the pathologic findings of cyanobacterial toxicosis in a dog with direct identification of the toxin from organ samples.
Metastatic Melanomas in Young Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)
Authors: Williams S. M. , Zavala G. , Hafner S. , Collett S. R. , Cheng S.
Published: August 2011

Four young broiler chickens affected by multiple melanotic tumors are described. Grossly, there were multiple tumors composed of melanocytes within the skin, skeletal muscle, and multiple visceral organs. Tumors ranged from flattened macules to masses that extensively replaced viscera. Microscopically, melanocytes were often well pigmented, and while there was moderate nuclear anisokaryosis, mitotic rates were low. Immunohistochemical staining of some melanomas with antibodies to S100 proteins, Melan-A, vimentin, or neuron-specific enolase after bleaching of tumor cells with potassium permanganate revealed lack of immunostaining of tumor cells with antibodies to S100, strong positive staining of tumor cells for neuron-specific enolase, moderate staining with antibodies to vimentin, and faint staining for Melan-A. Only neuron-specific enolase staining was evident in unbleached tumor cells. Attempts to identify exogenous avian leukosis viruses in these tumors were unsuccessful.
Internet and Print Resources to Facilitate Pathology Analysis When Phenotyping Genetically Engineered Rodents
Authors: Bolon B. , Couto S. , Fiette L. , Perle K. La
Published: August 2011

Genetically engineered mice and rats are increasingly used as models for exploring disease progression and mechanisms. The full spectrum of anatomic, biochemical, and functional changes that develop in novel, genetically engineered mouse and rat lines must be cataloged before predictions regarding the significance of the mutation may be extrapolated to diseases in other vertebrate species, including humans. A growing list of reference materials, including books, journal articles, and websites, has been produced in the last 2 decades to assist researchers in phenotyping newly engineered rodent lines. This compilation provides an extensive register of materials related to the pathology component of rodent phenotypic analysis. In this article, the authors annotate the resources they use most often, to allow for quick determination of their relevance to research projects.
Functional and Radiographic Outcomes of Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee Treated With Extra-Articular Retrograde Drilling
Authors: Boughanem Jay , Riaz Rehan , Patel Ronak M. , Sarwark John F.
Published: August 2011

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions of the medial femoral condyle in the adolescent population can cause significant impairment and restriction in physical activity. Studies have established the efficacy of transarticular antegrade drilling for juvenile OCD lesions of the knee, although concerns of consequences from drilling through the articular cartilage remain. Alternatively, retrograde extra-articular drilling avoids drilling the cartilage while ensuring adequate channels for revascularization and healing.

Purpose: The authors present the results of 31 skeletally immature patients who underwent retrograde drilling of OCD lesions of the knee with an average follow-up of 4 years.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: The procedure consisted of a standard arthroscopic evaluation of the knee and subsequent percutaneous retrograde drilling obliquely through the condylar epiphysis starting distal to the physis and ending in the center-center of the OCD lesion. Outcome measures included radiographic signs of healing, Lysholm scoring and the Tegner activity scale to measure performance and activity restriction, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores.

Results: Average follow-up for the 31 patients was 4 years (range, 1.5-7 years). Sixteen of the 34 lesions were grade I or II based on radiographic findings with signs and symptoms greater than 6 months. The remaining 18 were grade III secondary to a sclerotic rim surrounding the defect. Overall, improvement in Lysholm scores (70 to 95; standard deviation [SD] ± 14.95), Tegner scores (4 to 7; SD ± 2.31), and VAS pain scores (6.9 to 1.3; SD ± 2.16) were found to be statistically significant. Radiographs showed stable or improved lesions in all cases.

Conclusion: Retrograde extra-articular drilling provided clinical and radiographic improvement in most juveniles with OCD lesions who failed nonoperative management. This method serves to decompress the lesion and allow revascularization without disrupting the articular cartilage surface in stable OCD lesions.
Group Versus Individual Administration Affects Baseline Neurocognitive Test Performance
Authors: Moser Rosemarie Scolaro , Schatz Philip , Neidzwski Katherine , Ott Summer D.
Published: August 2011

Background: Computer-based tests are widely used for the purpose of documenting baseline neurocognitive function, and athletes are often tested in groups. At present, there is limited research on the effects of administering these tests in a group versus individual setting.

Hypothesis: Athletes assessed with neurocognitive tests in groups would show decreased performance compared with those assessed individually.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: High school athletes completed preseason baseline neurocognitive tests either in groups in their school or individually in a private neuropsychological clinic (with no significant between-group differences in sex, history of concussion, and attention deficit disorder/learning disability). All athletes completed the ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) test battery on 1 occasion, which yielded scores in the area of verbal memory, visual memory, motor processing speed, reaction time, and symptom scores.

Results: Athletes in the group setting scored significantly lower on verbal memory (mean 83.4 vs 86.5; P = .003), visual memory (mean 71.6 vs 76.7; P = .0001), motor processing speed (mean 35.6 vs 38.4; P = .0001), and reaction time (mean 0.61 vs 0.57; P = .001), but not symptom scores (mean 6.1 vs 4.4; P = .11), and exhibited a greater rate of invalid baselines. Similar results were obtained after excluding athletes with attention deficit disorder/learning disability and/or a history of concussion.

Conclusion: Administering baseline neurocognitive testing to athletes in a group setting may introduce extraneous error, negatively affecting test performance.
Assets for Employment in Aboriginal Community–Based Human Services Agencies
Authors: Brown Jason , Fraehlich Cheryl
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to explore the prior educational and employment experiences of staff members in urban Aboriginal human services agencies. A total of 44 individuals employed by one of three community sites within one Canadian inner city generated 85 unique responses to the question: “What were your employment and education experiences before you got this job?” Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis of independent grouping of the responses by 16 participants revealed five underlying themes: formal education, helping others, holder of cultural knowledge, life experiences, and on-the-job training. These results were compared and contrasted with the available literature.
On the equations of motion in constrained multibody dynamics
Authors: Lidström P
Published: August 2011

The equations of motion for a constrained multibody system are derived from a continuum mechanical point of view. This will allow for the presence of rigid, as well as deformable, parts in the multibody system together with kinematical constraints. The approach leads to the classical Lagrange–d’Alembert equations of motion under constraint conditions. The generalized forces appearing in the equations of motion are given as expressions involving contact, internal and body forces in the sense of continuum mechanics. A detailed analysis of physical constraint conditions and their implication for the equations of motion is presented. A precise distinction is made between constraints on the motion on the one hand and resistance to the motion on the other. Transformation properties – covariance and invariance under changes of configuration coordinates – are elucidated. The elimination and calculation of the so-called Lagrangian multipliers is discussed and some useful reformulations of the equations of motion are presented. Finally a Power theorem for the constrained multibody system is proved.
Escalation to natalizumab or switching among immunomodulators in relapsing multiple sclerosis
Authors: Prosperini Luca , Giannì Costanza , Leonardi Laura , De Giglio Laura , Borriello Giovanna , Galgani Simonetta , Pozzilli Carlo , Gasperini Claudio
Published: August 2011

Objective: To evaluate whether an escalation approach was more effective in suppressing clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity than switching among immunomodulators in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients.

Methods: In this post-marketing, prospective, observational study in two Italian multiple sclerosis (MS) centres, a total of 285 RRMS patients who failed a first-line treatment with interferon beta (IFNβ) or glatiramer acetate (GA) were considered. Patients were subdivided according to the strategy adopted after the failure (defined as the occurrence of ≥2 relapses or 1 relapse with residual disability): the switching (SWI) group, i.e. those switched among different IFNβ formulations, or from IFNβ to GA and vice versa; and the escalating (ESC) group, i.e. those escalated to natalizumab. Proportions of patients free from different types of disease activity (relapses, sustained disability progression, new active lesions on MRI, or a combination of them) were calculated at 12 and 24 months. Since patients were not randomized to treatment group, propensity score (PS)-adjusted Cox regression models were built to control for several potential confounders.

Results: At 12 months there were no differences between the two groups in proportions of patients free from relapse, disability progression, MRI activity, and combined activity. After 24 months we observed greater proportions of patients in the ESC than SWI group free from relapse ( p < 0.0001), disability progression ( p = 0.0045), MRI activity ( p = 0.0003), and combined activity ( p < 0.0001). PS-adjusted models confirmed these findings, with hazard ratios ranging from 0.38 to 0.56 favours the ESC group.

Conclusion: We suggest that an escalation to natalizumab is more effective than switching among immunomodulators in RRMS patients who failed a first-line treatment.
Convergence at the surface; divergence beneath
Authors: O’Brien Mark
Published: August 2011

In the UK school system social remits – requiring schools to work towards improved social as well as educational outcomes for children – have become significant over the last decade. This study focuses upon the inter-professional issues in the running of one small-scale intervention involving parents and their babies based in schools in an urban setting in the UK. The programme, run over the school year 2007/08, provided a professional framework in which parents from the local community surrounding a school brought their babies into classroom settings to talk about aspects of baby care and development. This professional framework included classroom teachers, one senior cross-school education manager, family health visitors and one senior children’s health nurse. Despite agreement about the benefits of the programme there were also clear differences of priority. This paper describes the different perceptions that each of these two sets of professionals – from health and from education – had of the programme, and highlights some critical perspectives that tended to come more from health professionals. It also maps out potential solutions which draw upon recent literature that is similarly focused upon inter-professional and inter-agency service delivery. In so doing it offers valuable insights to professionals working in inter-agency collaborations in schools.
Impact of a nurse-led clinic for chronic constipation in children
Authors: Ismail Nevine , Ratchford Irene , Proudfoot Celia , Gibbs John
Published: August 2011

The impact of a nurse-led constipation clinic was assessed by evaluating the first 50 patients, aged 1.5 to 10 years, using a questionnaire before initial clinic visit and at the third clinic visit, three to four months later. Patients had been constipated for at least six months. The nurses explained the physiology of constipation, the rationale for laxative treatment and the need to comply with treatment. Good toileting behaviour was encouraged. This resulted in an increase in defaecation frequency and stool softness, whereas soiling and pain on defaecation decreased. There was no significant change in the amount of laxatives taken, although it was suspected that compliance improved. Parental understanding of constipation and its management increased. Overall, the control of constipation in children improved markedly through attendance at a nurse-led clinic.
Birth outcomes among booked and unbooked women at a secondary health facility in southwest Nigeria
Authors: Osungbade Kayode O , Ayinde Olubunmi O
Published: August 2011

A case-controlled analytic study involving 406 singleton unbooked and 396 singleton booked births was conducted. Unbooked births constituted 16.6% of all births during the study. Booked births were half as likely to preterm than unbooked births (43, 10.9% vs 81, 20.0%; p<0.001). Unbooked births were seven times more likely to be stillbirth than booked births (80, 17.7% vs 13, 3.3%; p< 0.001). Booked births were a third as likely to have a low birth weight as unbooked births (36, 9.1% vs 104, 25.6%; p< 0.001). Unbooked births had a significantly lower mean birth weight of 2.95 ± 0.53 kg than 3.08 ± 0.45 kg of booked births ( p< 0.001). Unbooked births had a significantly lower mean Apgar score at 1 minute and 5 minutes than booked births (6.64 ± 1.42 vs 7.08 ± 1.12 and 9.16 ± 1.40 vs 9.64 ± 1.00; p< 0.001) respectively.Unbooked births are common and their birth outcomes may result in high morbidity and disability, thereby contributing to the high child mortality in developing countries. Strengthening perinatal health services through professional skilled care at birth and providing quality services for all unbooked births may lead to improved birth outcomes.
Fashioning a Proper Institutional Position: Professional Identity Work in the Triadic Structure of the Care Planning Conference
Authors: Hitzler Sarah
Published: August 2011

Professionals do not only, as is today widely agreed on, work to construct institutionally workable identities for their clients in interaction, they also have to carry out substantial identity work themselves. Such work can be considerably more complicated in interactions which have a triadic structure, i.e. in which professionals from two different institutions and clients interact, demanding of professionals to invoke situational identities which match their relationships towards each other as well as towards the clients. By discussing the identity work of two professionals in a care planning conference, this article traces the difficulties that such a structure presents to practitioners. In addition, it sets out to show how ethnomethodologically informed membership categorization analysis and positioning analysis, as it was developed by discursive psychology, can be combined in the analysis of social work interactions in order to shed light on the identity work of social work professionals.
Understanding Cognitive Strategy With Adaptive Automation in Dual-Task Performance Using Computational Cognitive Models
Authors: Kaber David B. , Kim Sang-Hwan
Published: August 2011

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of advance auditory cuing of control mode changes in an adaptively automated system on human performance and to explain cognitive behaviors at mode changes by using a computational cognitive model. A dual-task piloting simulation, involving tracking and tactical decision making, was developed to collect human performance data with auditory cuing or no cuing of mode transitions in the tactical task. Computational GOMS (goal, operators, methods, and selection) language models were coded to simulate user behavior on the basis of expectation of increased memory transactions (between long-term and working stores) at mode transitions. The models were applied to the same task simulation and scenarios performed by the humans. Human performance data did not reveal differences between cued and no-cue trials possibly because of distraction from the tracking (secondary loading) task. Comparison of results for human and model output demonstrated the model to be descriptive of the pattern of human performance across conditions but not accurate in predicting timing of memory use in preparing for manual control. A refined GOMS language model was coded on the basis of a modified assumption that memory stores are used on an ad hoc basis after high-workload mode transitions and with consideration of human parallel processing in dual-task performance. Results revealed the refined model to have greater plausibility for representing actual behavior. The manner of operator use of memory stores for controlling an adaptive system provides insight into the impact of cuing of mode transitions and a basis for future systems design.
TET2 mutation is an unfavorable prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics
Authors: Chou Wen-Chien , Chou Sheng-Chieh , Liu Chieh-Yu , Chen Chien-Yuan , Hou Hsin-An , Kuo Yuan-Yeh , Lee Ming-Cheng , Ko Bor-Sheng , Tang Jih-Luh , Yao Ming , Tsay Woei , Wu Shang-Ju , Huang Shang-Yi , Hsu Szu-Chun , Chen Yao-Chang , Chang Yi-Chang , Kuo Yi-Yi , Kuo Kuan-Ting , Lee Fen-Yu , Liu Ming-Chi , Liu Chia-Wen , Tseng Mei-Hsuan , Huang Chi-Fei , Tien Hwei-Fang
Published: August 2011

The studies concerning clinical implications of TET2 mutation in patients with primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are scarce. We analyzed TET2 mutation in 486 adult patients with primary AML. TET2 mutation occurred in 13.2% of our patients and was closely associated with older age, higher white blood cell and blast counts, lower platelet numbers, normal karyotype, intermediate-risk cytogenetics, isolated trisomy 8, NPM1 mutation, and ASXL1 mutation but mutually exclusive with IDH mutation. TET2 mutation is an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics, and its negative impact was further enhanced when the mutation was combined with FLT3-ITD, NPM1-wild, or unfavorable genotypes (other than NPM1+/FLT3-ITD− or CEBPA+). A scoring system integrating TET2 mutation with FLT3-ITD, NPM1, and CEBPA mutations could well separate AML patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics into 4 groups with different prognoses (P < .0001). Sequential analysis revealed that TET2 mutation detected at diagnosis was frequently lost at relapse; rarely, the mutation was acquired at relapse in those without TET2 mutation at diagnosis. In conclusion, TET2 mutation is associated with poor prognosis in AML patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics, especially when it is combined with other adverse molecular markers. TET2 mutation appeared to be unstable during disease evolution.
A phase 1 study of imatinib for corticosteroid-dependent/refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease: response does not correlate with anti-PDGFRA antibodies
Authors: Chen George L. , Arai Sally , Flowers Mary E. D. , Otani Joanne M. , Qiu Jingxin , Cheng Ethan C. , McMillan Alex , Johnston Laura J. , Shizuru Judith A. , Miklos David B.
Published: August 2011

Stimulatory antiplatelet derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) antibodies have been associated with extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). We performed a phase 1 dose escalation trial of imatinib in corticosteroid-dependent/refractory cGVHD to assess the safety of imatinib and test the hypothesis that abrogation of PDGFRA signaling can ameliorate the manifestations of cGVHD. Fifteen patients were enrolled. Mean follow-up time was 56.6 weeks (range, 18-82.4 weeks). Imatinib 400 mg daily was associated with more frequent moderate to life-threatening adverse events than 200 mg daily. The main adverse events were nausea, edema, confusion, diarrhea, liver function test elevation, fatigue, and myalgia. The overall response rate was 40% (6 of 15). The treatment failure rate was 40% (6 of 15). Twenty percent (3 of 15) of subjects had stable disease. Of 4 subjects with phospho-PDGFRA and phospho-PDGFRB immunohistochemistry studies before and after treatment, inhibition of phosphorylation was observed in 3 but correlated with response in one. Anti-PDGFRA antibodies were observed in 7 of 11 evaluable subjects but correlated with clinical activity in 4. We conclude that cGVHD responds to imatinib through multiple pathways that may include PDGFRA signal transduction. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00760981.
Cell of origin strongly influences genetic selection in a mouse model of T-ALL
Authors: Berquam-Vrieze Katherine E. , Nannapaneni Kishore , Brett Benjamin T. , Holmfeldt Linda , Ma Jing , Zagorodna Oksana , Jenkins Nancy A. , Copeland Neal G. , Meyerholz David K. , Knudson C. Michael , Mullighan Charles G. , Scheetz Todd E. , Dupuy Adam J.
Published: August 2011

Identifying the normal cell from which a tumor originates is crucial to understanding the etiology of that cancer. However, retrospective identification of the cell of origin in cancer is challenging because of the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes in tumor cells. The biologic state of the cell of origin likely influences the genetic events that drive transformation. We directly tested this hypothesis by performing a Sleeping Beauty transposon mutagenesis screen in which common insertion sites were identified in tumors that were produced by mutagenesis of cells at varying time points throughout the T lineage. Mutation and gene expression data derived from these tumors were then compared with data obtained from a panel of 84 human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia samples, including copy number alterations and gene expression profiles. This revealed that altering the cell of origin produces tumors that model distinct subtypes of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, suggesting that even subtle changes in the cell of origin dramatically affect genetic selection in tumors. These findings have broad implications for the genetic analysis of human cancers as well as the production of mouse models of cancer.
ss-TEA: Entropy based identification of receptor specific ligand binding residues from a multiple sequence alignment of class A GPCRs
Authors: Sanders Marijn PA , Fleuren Wilco WM , Verhoeven Stefan , van den Beld Sven , Alkema Wynand , de Vlieg Jacob , Klomp Jan PG
Published: August 2011

Background

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in many different physiological processes and their function can be modulated by small molecules which bind in the transmembrane (TM) domain. Because of their structural and sequence conservation, the TM domains are often used in bioinformatics approaches to first create a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and subsequently identify ligand binding positions. So far methods have been developed to predict the common ligand binding residue positions for class A GPCRs.

Results

Here we present 1) ss-TEA, a method to identify specific ligand binding residue positions for any receptor, predicated on high quality sequence information. 2) The largest MSA of class A non olfactory GPCRs in the public domain consisting of 13324 sequences covering most of the species homologues of the human set of GPCRs. A set of ligand binding residue positions extracted from literature of 10 different receptors shows that our method has the best ligand binding residue prediction for 9 of these 10 receptors compared to another state-of-the-art method.

Conclusions

The combination of the large multi species alignment and the newly introduced residue selection method ss-TEA can be used to rapidly identify subfamily specific ligand binding residues. This approach can aid the design of site directed mutagenesis experiments, explain receptor function and improve modelling. The method is also available online via GPCRDB at http://www.gpcr.org/7tm/.
SNP and gene networks construction and analysis from classification of copy number variations data
Authors: Liu Yang , Lee Yiu Fai , Ng Michael K
Published: August 2011

Background

Detection of genomic DNA copy number variations (CNVs) can provide a complete and more comprehensive view of human disease. It is interesting to identify and represent relevant CNVs from a genome-wide data due to high data volume and the complexity of interactions.

Results

In this paper, we incorporate the DNA copy number variation data derived from SNP arrays into a computational shrunken model and formalize the detection of copy number variations as a case-control classification problem. More than 80% accuracy can be obtained using our classification model and by shrinkage, the number of relevant CNVs to disease can be determined. In order to understand relevant CNVs, we study their corresponding SNPs in the genome and a statistical software PLINK is employed to compute the pair-wise SNP-SNP interactions, and identify SNP networks based on their P-values. Our selected SNP networks are statistically significant compared with random SNP networks and play a role in the biological process. For the unique genes that those SNPs are located in, a gene-gene similarity value is computed using GOSemSim and gene pairs that have similarity values being greater than a threshold are selected to construct gene networks. A gene enrichment analysis show that our gene networks are functionally important.

Experimental results demonstrate that our selected SNP and gene networks based on the selected CNVs contain some functional relationships directly or indirectly to disease study.

Conclusions

Two datasets are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the introduced method. Some statistical and biological analysis show that this shrunken classification model is effective in identifying CNVs from genome-wide data and our proposed framework has a potential to become a useful analysis tool for SNP data sets.
Molecular evolution of the LNX gene family
Authors: Flynn Michael , Saha Orthis , Young Paul
Published: August 2011

Background

LNX (Ligand of Numb Protein-X) proteins typically contain an amino-terminal RING domain adjacent to either two or four PDZ domains - a domain architecture that is unique to the LNX family. LNX proteins function as E3 ubiquitin ligases and their domain organisation suggests that their ubiquitin ligase activity may be targeted to specific substrates or subcellular locations by PDZ domain-mediated interactions. Indeed, numerous interaction partners for LNX proteins have been identified, but thein vivofunctions of most family members remain largely unclear.

Results

To gain insights into their function we examined the phylogenetic origins and evolution of theLNXgene family. We find that aLNX1/LNX2-like gene arose in an early metazoan lineage by gene duplication and fusion events that combined a RING domain with four PDZ domains. These PDZ domains are closely related to the four carboxy-terminal domains from multiple PDZ domain containing protein-1 (MUPP1). Duplication of theLNX1/LNX2-like gene and subsequent loss of PDZ domains appears to have generated a gene encoding a LNX3/LNX4-like protein, with just two PDZ domains. This protein has novel carboxy-terminal sequences that include a potential modular LNX3 homology domain. The two ancestralLNXgenes are present in some, but not all, invertebrate lineages. They were, however, maintained in the vertebrate lineage, with further duplication events giving rise to five LNX family members in most mammals. In addition, we identify novel interactions of LNX1 and LNX2 with three known MUPP1 ligands using yeast two-hybrid asssays. This demonstrates conservation of binding specificity between LNX and MUPP1 PDZ domains.

Conclusions

TheLNXgene family has an early metazoan origin with a LNX1/LNX2-like protein likely giving rise to a LNX3/LNX4-like protein through the loss of PDZ domains. The absence of LNX orthologs in some lineages indicates that LNX proteins are not essential in invertebrates. In contrast, the maintenance of both ancestralLNXgenes in the vertebrate lineage suggests the acquisition of essential vertebrate specific functions. The revelation that the LNX PDZ domains are phylogenetically related to domains in MUPP1, and have common binding specificities, suggests that LNX and MUPP1 may have similarities in their cellular functions.
Synergistic use of plant-prokaryote comparative genomics for functional annotations
Authors: Gerdes Svetlana , El Yacoubi Basma , Bailly Marc , Blaby Ian K , Blaby-Haas Crysten E , Jeanguenin Linda , Lara-Núñez Aurora , Pribat Anne , Waller Jeffrey C , Wilke Andreas , Overbeek Ross , Hanson Andrew D , de Crécy-Lagard Valérie
Published: August 2011

Background

Identifying functions for all gene products in all sequenced organisms is a central challenge of the post-genomic era. However, at least 30-50% of the proteins encoded by any given genome are of unknown or vaguely known function, and a large number are wrongly annotated. Many of these ‘unknown’ proteins are common to prokaryotes and plants. We set out to predict and experimentally test the functions of such proteins. Our approach to functional prediction integrates comparative genomics based mainly on microbial genomes with functional genomic data from model microorganisms and post-genomic data from plants. This approach bridges the gap between automated homology-based annotations and the classical gene discovery efforts of experimentalists, and is more powerful than purely computational approaches to identifying gene-function associations.

Results

Among Arabidopsis genes, we focused on those (2,325 in total) that (i) are unique or belong to families with no more than three members, (ii) occur in prokaryotes, and (iii) have unknown or poorly known functions. Computer-assisted selection of promising targets for deeper analysis was based on homology-independent characteristics associated in the SEED database with the prokaryotic members of each family. In-depth comparative genomic analysis was performed for 360 top candidate families. From this pool, 78 families were connected to general areas of metabolism and, of these families, specific functional predictions were made for 41. Twenty-one predicted functions have been experimentally tested or are currently under investigation by our group in at least one prokaryotic organism (nine of them have been validated, four invalidated, and eight are in progress). Ten additional predictions have been independently validated by other groups. Discovering the function of very widespread but hitherto enigmatic proteins such as the YrdC or YgfZ families illustrates the power of our approach.

Conclusions

Our approach correctly predicted functions for 19 uncharacterized protein families from plants and prokaryotes; none of these functions had previously been correctly predicted by computational methods. The resulting annotations could be propagated with confidence to over six thousand homologous proteins encoded in over 900 bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic genomes currently available in public databases.