bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) and syndecan-1 (SDC1) are potential biomarkers for putative circulating CD15+/CD30+ cells in poor outcome Hodgkin lymphoma patients
Authors: Gharbaran Rajendra , Goy Andre , Tanaka Takemi , Park Jongwhan , Kim Chris , Hasan Nafis , Vemulapalli Swathi , Sarojini Sreeja , Tuluc Madalina , Nalley Kip , Bhattacharyya Pritish , Pecora Andrew , Suh K Stephen
Published: August 2013

Background

High risk, unfavorable classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) includes those patients with primary refractory or early relapse, and progressive disease. To improve the availability of biomarkers for this group of patients, we investigated both tumor biopsies and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of untreated (chemo-naïve, CN) Nodular Sclerosis Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (NS-cHL) patients for consistent biomarkers that can predict the outcome prior to frontline treatment.

Methods and materials

Bioinformatics data mining was used to generate 151 candidate biomarkers, which were screened against a library of 10 HL cell lines. Expression of FGF2 and SDC1 by CD30+ cells from HL patient samples representing good and poor outcomes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical (IHC), and immunofluorescence analyses.

Results

To identify predictive HL-specific biomarkers, potential marker genes selected using bioinformatics approaches were screened against HL cell lines and HL patient samples. Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF2) and Syndecan-1 (SDC1) were overexpressed in all HL cell lines, and the overexpression was HL-specific when compared to 116 non-Hodgkin lymphoma tissues. In the analysis of stratified NS-cHL patient samples, expression of FGF2 and SDC1 were 245 fold and 91 fold higher, respectively, in the poor outcome (PO) group than in the good outcome (GO) group. The PO group exhibited higher expression of the HL marker CD30, the macrophage marker CD68, and metastatic markers TGFβ1 and MMP9 compared to the GO group. This expression signature was confirmed by qualitative immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent data. A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that samples in which the CD30+ cells carried an FGF2+/SDC1+ immunophenotype showed shortened survival. Analysis of chemo-naive HL blood samples suggested that in the PO group a subset of CD30+ HL cells had entered the circulation. These cells significantly overexpressed FGF2 and SDC1 compared to the GO group. The PO group showed significant down-regulation of markers for monocytes, T-cells, and B-cells. These expression signatures were eliminated in heavily pretreated patients.

Conclusion

The results suggest that small subsets of circulating CD30+/CD15+ cells expressing FGF2 and SDC1 represent biomarkers that identify NS-cHL patients who will experience a poor outcome (primary refractory and early relapsing).
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutation-specific microRNA signature predicts favorable prognosis in glioblastoma patients with IDH1 wild type
Authors: Wang Zheng , Bao Zhaoshi , Yan Wei , You Gan , Wang Yinyan , Li Xuejun , Zhang Wei
Published: August 2013

Background

To date, no prognostic microRNAs (miRNAs) for isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) wild-type glioblastoma multiformes (GBM) have been reported. The aim of the present study was to identify a miRNA signature of prognostic value for IDH1 wild-type GBM patients using miRNA expression dataset from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Methods

Differential expression profiling analysis of miRNAs was performed on samples from 187 GBM patients, comprising 17 mutant-type IDH1 and 170 wild-type IDH1 samples.

Results

A 23-micoRNA signature which was specific to the IDH1 mutation was revealed. Survival data was available for 140 of the GBM patients with wild-type IDH1. Using these data, the samples were characterized as high-risk or low-risk group according to the ranked protective scores for each of the 23 miRNAs in the 23-miRNA signature. Then, the 23 IDH1 mutation-specific miRNAs were classified as risky group and protective group miRNAs based on the significance analysis of microarrays d-score (SAM d-value) (positive value or negative value). The risky group miRNAs were found to be expressed more in the high-risk samples while the protective group miRNAs were expressed more in the low-risk samples. Patients with high protective scores had longer survival times than those with low protective scores.

Conclusion

These findings show that IDH1 mutation-specific miRNA signature is a marker for favorable prognosis in primary GBM patients with the IDH1 wild type.
Fed-batch production of MCL-PHA with elevated 3-hydroxynonanoate content
Authors: Jiang Xuan Jade , Sun Zhiyong , Ramsay Juliana A , Ramsay Bruce A
Published: August 2013

With no inhibition of β-oxidation, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 produces medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (MCL-PHA) with approximately 65 mol% 3-hydroxynonanoate (HN) from nonanoic acid. Production of PHA with higher HN content and an adjustable monomeric composition was obtained using acrylic acid, a fatty acid β-oxidation inhibitor, together with nonanoic acid and glucose as co-substrates in fed-batch fermentations. Different monomeric compositions were obtained by varying the feeding conditions to impose different specific growth rates and inhibitor feed concentrations. At a nonanoic acid: glucose: acrylic acid feed mass ratio of 1.25: 1: 0.05 and a specific growth rate of 0.15 h-1, 71.4 g L-1 biomass was produced containing 75.5% PHA with 89 mol% HN at a cumulative PHA productivity of 1.8 g L-1 h-1.
Characterization of a novel polyclonal anti-hypusine antibody
Authors: Nishiki Yurika , Farb Thomas B , Friedrich Jessica , Bokvist Krister , Mirmira Raghavendra G , Maier Bernhard
Published: August 2013

The translation factor eIF5A is the only protein known to contain the amino acid hypusine, which is formed posttranslationally. Hypusinated eIF5A is necessary for cellular proliferation and responses to extracellular stressors, and has been proposed as a target for pharmacologic therapy. Here, we provide the first comprehensive characterization of a novel polyclonal antibody (IU-88) that specifically recognizes the hypusinated eIF5A. IU-88 will be useful for the investigation of eIF5A biology and for the development of assays recognizing hypusinated eIF5A.
Virmid: accurate detection of somatic mutations with sample impurity inference
Authors: Kim Sangwoo , Jeong Kyowon , Bhutani Kunal , Lee Jeong Ho , Patel Anand , Scott Eric , Nam Hojung , Lee Hayan , Gleeson Joseph G , Bafna Vineet
Published: August 2013

Detection of somatic variation using sequence from disease-control matched data sets is a critical first step. In many cases including cancer, however, it is hard to isolate pure disease tissue, and the impurity hinders accurate mutation analysis by disrupting overall allele frequencies. Here, we propose a new method, Virmid, that explicitly determines the level of impurity in the sample, and uses it for improved detection of somatic variation. Extensive tests on simulated and real sequencing data from breast cancer and hemimegalencephaly demonstrate the power of our model. A software implementation of our method is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/virmid/.
Editorial: Pannexin-1—the hidden gatekeeper for HIV-1
Authors: Paoletti Audrey , Raza Syed Qasim , Voisin Laurent , Law Frédéric , Caillet Marina , Martins Isabelle , Deutsch Eric , Perfettini Jean-Luc
Published: August 2013

Discussion on the hemichannel PANX1 and associated signaling molecules as new targets for the development of anti-HIV therapeutic strategies.
Editorial: Strangers with candy: policing the lungs with C-type lectins
Authors: Kulkarni Ritwij , Jeyaseelan Samithamby
Published: August 2013

Discussion on Clec4d as an orphan C-type lectin receptor in the innate immune surveillance of airways following bacterial pneumonia.
Romanticism, the Temporalization of History, and the Historicization of Form
Authors: Halmi Nicholas
Published: August 2013

Since the beginning of its academic study around 1870, Romanticism has been defined simultaneously as a historical period (chronologically restricted) and as a stylistic type (chronologically open). This paradox, consisting in the difficulty of reconciling historical temporality with the systematization of knowledge, can be traced back to the “temporalization” of history in the second half of the eighteenth century, when transhistorical aesthetic classification was destabilized and literary history developed as a distinct critical practice. But the troubled historical consciousness manifested in aesthetic theory of the time — nostalgia for an irrecoverable past — also expressed itself artistically in forms at once engaged with and detached from history, notably stylistic simulacra of the past and, in poetry, failed or ironized revivals of the classical gods.
SNX15 links clathrin endocytosis to the PtdIns(3)P early endosome independent of the APPL1 endosome
Authors: Danson Chris , Brown Edward , Hemmings Oliver J. , McGough Ian J. , Yarwood Sam , Heesom Kate J. , Carlton Jeremy G. , Martin-Serrano Juan , May Margaret T. , Verkade Paul , Cullen Peter J.
Published: August 2013

Sorting nexins (SNXs) are key regulators of the endosomal network. In designing an RNAi-mediated loss-of-function screen, we establish that of thirty human SNXs only SNX3, SNX5, SNX9, SNX15 and SNX21 appear to regulate EGF receptor degradative sorting. Suppression of SNX15 results in a delay in receptor degradation arising from a defect in movement of newly internalised EGF receptor-labelled vesicles into early endosomes. Besides a PtdIns(3)P- and PX domain-dependent association to early endosomes, SNX15 also associates with clathrin-coated pits and clathrin-coated vesicles via direct binding to clathrin through a non-canonical clathrin-binding box. From live cell imaging, the activated EGF receptor enters distinct sub-populations of SNX15- and APPL1-labelled peripheral endocytic vesicles, which do not undergo heterotypic fusion. The SNX15-decorated receptor-containing sub-population does however undergo direct fusion with the Rab5-labelled early endosome. Our data is consistent with a model in which the EGF receptor enters the early endosome following clathrin-mediated endocytosis through at least two parallel pathways: maturation via an APPL1-intermediate compartment and an alternative more direct fusion between SNX15 decorated endocytic vesicles and the Rab5-positive early endosome.
The architectural relationship of components controlling mast cell endocytosis
Authors: Cleyrat Cédric , Darehshouri Anza , Anderson Karen L. , Page Christopher , Lidke Diane S. , Volkmann Niels , Hanein Dorit , Wilson Bridget S.
Published: August 2013

Eukaryotic cells use multiple routes for receptor internalization. Here, we examine the topographical relationships of clathrin-dependent and clathrin-independent endocytic structures on the plasma membranes of leukemia-derived mast cells. The high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) utilizes both pathways, while transferrin receptor serves as a marker for the classical clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway. Both receptors were tracked by live cell imaging, in presence or absence of inhibitors that established their differential dependence on specific endocytic adaptor proteins. The topology of antigen-bound FcεRI, clathrin, dynamin, Arf6 and Eps15-positive structures were analysed by 2D and 3D immunoelectron microscopy techniques, revealing their remarkable spatial relationships and unique geometry. We conclude that the mast cell plasma membrane has multiple specialized domains for endocytosis. Their close proximity may reflect shared components, such as lipids and adaptor proteins that facilitate inward membrane curvature. Intersections between these specialized domains may represent sorting stations that direct cargo to specific endocytic pathways.
Trans-induced cis interaction in the tripartite NGL-1, netrin-G1, and LAR adhesion complex promotes excitatory synaptic development
Authors: Song Yoo Sung , Lee Hye-Jin , Prosselkov Pavel , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Kim Eunjoon
Published: August 2013

The initial contact between axons and dendrites at early neuronal synapses is mediated by surface adhesion molecules and is thought to induce synaptic maturation through the recruitment of additional synaptic proteins. The initiation of synaptic maturation should be tightly regulated to ensure that synaptic maturation occurs selectively at subcellular sites of axo-dendritic adhesion. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we report that the initial trans-synaptic adhesion mediated by presynaptic netrin-G1 and postsynaptic NGL-1 (netrin-G1 ligand-1) induces a cis interaction between netrin-G1 and the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase LAR (leukocyte antigen-related), and that this promotes presynaptic differentiation. We propose that trans-synaptic adhesions at early neuronal synapses trigger recruitment of neighboring adhesion molecules in a cis manner in order to couple initial axo-dendritic adhesion with synaptic differentiation.
TRAPPIII is responsible for the vesicular transport from early endosomes to the Golgi apparatus that facilitates Atg9 cycling in autophagy
Authors: Shirahama-Noda Kanae , Kira Shintaro , Yoshimori Tamotsu , Noda Takeshi
Published: August 2013

Autophagy is a bulk protein-degradation process, and is regulated by many factors. In this study, we quantitatively assessed the contribution of each essential yeast gene to autophagy. Among the contributing factors that we identified, we focused on the TRAPPIII complex, recently shown to act as a guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for a Rab small GTPase, Ypt1. Autophagy is defective in the TRAPPIII mutant under nutrient-rich conditions (Cvt pathway), but starvation-induced autophagy is only partially affected. Here we show that TRAPPIII functions at the Golgi apparatus to receive general retrograde vesicle traffic from early endosomes. Cargo proteins in this TRAPPIII-dependent pathway include Atg9, a transmembrane protein that is essential for autophagy, and Snc1, a SNARE unrelated to autophagy. When cells were starved, further disruption of vesicle movement from late endosomes to the Golgi apparatus caused defects in Atg9 trafficking and autophagy. Thus, TRAPPIII-dependent sorting pathways provide Atg9 reservoirs for pre-autophagosomal structure/phagophore assembly sites under nutrient-rich conditions, whereas the late endosome-to-Golgi pathway is added to these reservoirs when nutrients are limited. This clarification of the role of TRAPPIII elucidates how general membrane traffic contributes to autophagy.
Erk and PI3K temporally coordinate different modes of actin-based motility during embryonic wound healing
Authors: Li Jingjing , Zhang Siwei , Soto Ximena , Woolner Sarah , Amaya Enrique
Published: August 2013

Embryonic wound healing provides a perfect example of efficient recovery of tissue integrity and homeostasis, which is vital for survival. Tissue movement in embryonic wound healing requires two functionally distinct actin structures: a contractile actomyosin cable and actin protrusions at the leading edge. Here we report that the discrete formation and function of these two structures is achieved by the temporal segregation of two intracellular upstream signals and distinct downstream targets. The sequential activation of Erk and PI3K signalling divides Xenopus embryonic wound healing into two phases. In the first phase, activated Erk suppresses PI3K activity, and is responsible for the activation of Rho and myosin-2, which drives actomyosin cable formation and constriction. The second phase is dominated by restored PI3K signalling, which enhances Rac and Cdc42 activity, leading to the formation of actin protrusions that drive migration and zippering. Together, we propose a new mechanism for coordinating different modes of actin-based motility in a complex tissue setting, namely embryonic wound healing.
Soluble amyloid-β precursor protein binds its cell surface receptor in a cooperative fashion with glypican and syndecan proteoglycans
Authors: Reinhard Constanze , Borgers Marianne , David Guido , De Strooper Bart
Published: August 2013

Proteolytic processing of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) generates the amyloid-β peptide, which plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease. The physiological function of APP and its proteolytic fragments however remains barely understood. Here we show that, based on its binding characteristics, the secreted ectodomain of APP (sAPP) is a novel member of the heparin-binding growth factor superfamily. Like other members, sAPP binds in a bivalent manner to the plasma membrane with two different subdomains. The N-terminal growth factor-like domain (GFLD) is necessary and sufficient for protein-receptor binding, whereas the E2-domain mediates interaction with membrane-anchored heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). The membrane-anchored HSPGs function as low-affinity co-receptors for sAPP and enhance the affinity to the sAPP receptor. Our findings provide a solid basis for the further identification of this receptor.
Competence approach to descriptive geometry syllabus
Authors: Иванов  , Ivanov Gennadiy
Published: August 2013

In connection with the introduction of third generation educational standards, which are designed to form the educational programs adequate to global trends and labor needs, the descriptive geometry syllabus for bachelors seen from the competence approach positions is discussed. The objectives, aimed to overcome the higher education’s inertia and weak response to the external factors are considered. The task of employers’ role enhancement in professional personnel’s competences training is putting forward. The idea of including the computer graphics questions in the descriptive geometry syllabus is considered. It is arguing that improving of descriptive geometry syllabus’ quality will contribute to achievement of a number of competencies.
The aims and methods of teaching drawing
Authors: Вышнепольский  , Vyshnyepolskiy Vladimir , Сальков  , Sal'kov Nikolay
Published: August 2013

The purposes which must be solved by Geometric and Graphic Disciplines Chair while preparing the working programs of study, and which are the part of learning algorithm are demonstrated. 1. Spatial perception development. 2. To teach the students to work with projection documents: a) teach to read drawing; b) teach to make sketches; c) teach to perform drawing (non-associated) with 2D-graphics. 3. To teach a parameter modeling (3D-graphics). By removing at least one item from this algorithm you can get a faulty graduate.
Computer means of graphic disciplines’ training courses support
Authors: Бойков  , Boykov Aleksey
Published: August 2013

The paper focuses on the complex use of distance learning techniques to support the training course of descriptive geometry and engineering graphics during on-site training in connection with transfer of all University’s faculties at the baccalaureate system. The approbation of suggested training system for engineering graphics supporting by computer means on several batches of different University’s faculties is assumed.
To the question of educational process organization on graphic disciplines in Belarusian high educational institutions
Authors: Малаховская  , Malakhovskaya V.
Published: August 2013

The analysis of the main trends related to descriptive geometry teaching methods in Belarusian engineering education system has been performed in this paper. The traditional structure has been characterized, from whence the need for adjustment the «Descriptive Geometry» section content of «Engineering Graphics» course in accordance with evolving the computer assisted design systems’ trends has been revealed. The organizational and methodological aspects related to descriptive geometry teaching on mechanical engineering faculties with regard to geometric computer simulation as modern design direction have been considered. The curricula change questions are proved, and also the actions for «Descriptive geometry» section teaching technique improvement are offered.
Overview of computer technologies used in descriptive geometry teaching
Authors: Ваванов  , Vavanov D. , Иващенко  , Ivashchenko A.
Published: August 2013

The problem related to adequate use of computer technology and the Internet as supporting tools in the descriptive geometry course is arising in connection with the spread of distance learning practice in different disciplines. The analysis of computer tools used for teaching the students of technical high educational institutions in descriptive geometry is offered in this paper. The classification of used computer means according to learning material assimilation has been cited.
Solid-fuel Rocket Engines: Layered Composite Materials Manufacturing and Thermal Diffusivity Measurements
Authors: Dominiak Adam , Rąpała Michał , Domański Roman , Bartkowiak Bartosz , Darnowski Piotr
Published: August 2013

This communication presents thermal diffusivity measurements of fourteen layered insulating composite materials. Composite materials that were taken under investigation contained matrixes based on epoxy and phenol-formaldehyde resins and reinforcements, such as glass, basalt fiber and wrapping or ceramic paper. They were all prepared by the Rocket Section of the Students Space Association (RS-SSA). Manufacturing process of samples is described. Additional objective of this research was to obtain the quality of such prepared materials and if they are reliable enough to be used in solid-fuel rocket motors. Use of composite materials to build combustion chamber walls of solid fuel rocket engines, rather than metal, leads to weight reduction and increases amount of fuel that rocket can carry. That improves performances and gives new possibilities for rocket applications. To apply new high performance solid fuels, development of new composite materials was required. Analysis of thermal properties gives the answer, which material should be used for new solid-fuel rockets designed by RS-SSA.
The most appropriate discount rate
Authors: Burgess David F. , Zerbe Richard O.
Published: August 2013

The social opportunity cost of capital discount rate is the appropriate
discount rate to use when evaluating government projects. It satisfies the
fundamental rule that no project should be accepted that has a rate of
return less than alternative available projects, and it ensures that worthy
projects satisfy the potential Pareto test. The social time preference
approach advocated by Moore et al. fails to satisfy either of these criteria
even in the unlikely case that the private sector behaves myopically with
respect to a project’s future benefits and costs.
Steroid profiling for congenital adrenal hyperplasia by tandem mass spectrometry as a second-tier test reduces follow-up burdens in a tertiary care hospital: A retrospective and prospective evaluation
Authors: Seo Ja Young , Park Hyung-Doo , Kim Jong Won , Oh Hyeon Ju , Yang Jeong Soo , Chang Yun Sil , Park Won Soon , Lee Soo-Youn
Published: August 2013

Background: Newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) based on measuring 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) by immunoassay generates a number of false-positive results, especially in preterm neonates. We applied steroid profiling by using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as a second-tier test in newborns with positive CAH screening and evaluated its clinical utility in a tertiary care hospital setting.

Methods: By performing a 4-year retrospective data review, we were able to test 121 dried blood spots from newborns with positive CAH screening for 17-OHP, androstenedione and cortisol levels by LC-MS/MS. We prospectively evaluated the clinical utility of steroid profiling after the implementation of steroid profiling as a second-tier test in our routine clinical practice. During the 2-year prospective study period, 104 cases with positive initial screening by FIA were tested by LC-MS/MS. Clinical and laboratory follow-up were performed for at least 6 months.

Results: The preterm neonates accounted for 50.7% (76/150) and 70.4% (88/125) of screening-positive cases in retrospective and prospective cohorts, respectively. By applying steroid profiling as a second-tier test for positive CAH screening, we eliminated all false-positive results and decreased the median follow-up time from 75 to 8 days.

Conclusions: Our data showed that steroid profiling reduced the burden of follow-up exams by improving the positive predictive value of the CAH screening program. The use of steroid profiling as a second-tier test for positive CAH screening will improve clinical practice particularly in a tertiary care hospital setting where positive CAH screening from preterm neonates is frequently encountered.
Revisiting African States Participation in the WTO Dispute Settlement through Intra-Africa RTA Dispute Settlement
Authors: Forere Malebakeng
Published: August 2013

Whereas developed countries were the main players in the GATT dispute settlement mechanism, the era of the WTO saw a sharp increase in the developing countries’ participation in trade disputes. Thus, developing countries are active complainants and defendants in the WTO dispute settlement processes. Nevertheless, African states are still marginalised, and this situation has attracted attention of many scholars. As a result, scholars in the field have come up with many reasons to explain why African states do not appear as either complainants or respondents. The reasons for Africa’s non-participation have been argued to include cost of WTO litigation relative to the gains, low trade volumes, legal knowledge and non-integration of African countries in the WTO system. This article seeks to contribute to the existing literature on Africa’s non-participation in the WTO dispute settlement. The goal in this article is to confirm or dispel assumptions that African states have interests that they need to safeguard through dispute settlement but are inhibited from doing so because of the reasons mentioned above. Unlike other studies, the determination on Africa’s non-participation in the WTO dispute settlement will be approached from African states’ participation in intra-Africa RTA dispute settlement mechanisms. While there are six intra-Africa RTAs notified to the WTO, this work focuses on only two – East African Community and Southern Africa Development Community.
Human infertility: are endocrine disruptors to blame?
Authors: Marques-Pinto André , Carvalho Davide
Published: August 2013

Over recent decades, epidemiological studies have been reporting worrisome trends in the incidence of human infertility rates. Extensive detection of industrial chemicals in human serum, seminal plasma and follicular fluid has led the scientific community to hypothesise that these compounds may disrupt hormonal homoeostasis, leading to a vast array of physiological impairments. Numerous synthetic and natural substances have endocrine-disruptive effects, acting through several mechanisms. The main route of exposure to these chemicals is the ingestion of contaminated food and water. They may disturb intrauterine development, resulting in irreversible effects and may also induce transgenerational effects. This review aims to summarise the major scientific developments on the topic of human infertility associated with exposure to endocrine disruptors (EDs), integrating epidemiological and experimental evidence. Current data suggest that environmental levels of EDs may affect the development and functioning of the reproductive system in both sexes, particularly in foetuses, causing developmental and reproductive disorders, including infertility. EDs may be blamed for the rising incidence of human reproductive disorders. This constitutes a serious public health issue that should not be overlooked. The exposure of pregnant women and infants to EDs is of great concern. Therefore, precautionary avoidance of exposure to EDs is a prudent attitude in order to protect humans and wildlife from permanent harmful effects on fertility.
The carbon footprint of reinforced concrete
Authors: Purnell Phil
Published: August 2013

As legislation forces significant reductions in the operational carbon dioxide emissions of the built environment, increasing attention is focused on the embodied carbon of structural materials. As the most prevalent structural material, the embodied carbon of concrete is of paramount interest. Previous direct or indirect analyses of embodied carbon in concrete have treated it either as an elemental material with a value of single embodied carbon, or calculated embodied carbon for a limited range of reinforced concrete mix designs, or returned only values for plain concrete. In this paper, the results are presented from a preliminary study into the embodied carbon of reinforced concrete as a function of: concrete strength grade; steel strength; mix design; cement replacement; and structural form. Findings are expressed both in terms of ECraw (kgCO2/kg reinforced concrete) and ECf (kgCO2 per unit of structural performance). They suggest that there is a wide range of ECraw (0·06−0·47) and that ECf is minimised by using C50 concrete. Savings in ECf achieved by adjusting mix design parameters (20–35%) generally exceed those achieved by replacing cement with pulverised fuel ash (10–25%). C50 beams of all mix designs have lower ECf than comparable timber composite or steel beams.
Enhanced accelerated drying of concrete floor slabs
Authors: Holmes Niall , West Roger P.
Published: August 2013

Concrete floor slabs dry out through a process of evaporation and diffusion provided the ambient environment promotes such drying. Impermeable floor coverings laid on concrete slabs can be subject to damage caused by high levels of residual moisture trapped by premature sealing of the surface. This damage can include timber floor boards buckling, vinyls blistering or tiles lifting. Whether or not it is safe to apply such a covering depends on whether the slab is sufficiently dry. Furthermore, if accelerated drying techniques are employed to reduce the waiting time before covering, the surface relative humidity reduces more rapidly, but there is an increase in the risk of damage to the covering because of higher levels of residual moisture deep within the slab. By using actual data from a variety of specimens to calibrate a non-linear finite-element model of the moisture migration, this paper shows how numerical predictions can be undertaken to determine a safer long-term relative humidity under an impermeable floor covering.
Exposure of U.S. National Parks to land use and climate change 1900–2100
Authors: Hansen Andrew J. , Piekielek Nathan , Davis Cory , Haas Jessica , Theobald David M. , Gross John E. , Monahan William B. , Olliff Tom , Running Steven W.
Published: August 2013

Many protected areas may not be adequately safeguarding biodiversity from human activities on surrounding lands and global change. The magnitude of such change agents and the sensitivity of ecosystems to these agents vary among protected areas. Thus, there is a need to assess vulnerability across networks of protected areas to determine those most at risk and to lay the basis for developing effective adaptation strategies. We conducted an assessment of exposure of U.S. National Parks to climate and land use change and consequences for vegetation communities. We first defined park protected‐area centered ecosystems (PACEs) based on ecological principles. We then drew on existing land use, invasive species, climate, and biome data sets and models to quantify exposure of PACEs from 1900 through 2100. Most PACEs experienced substantial change over the 20th century (>740% average increase in housing density since 1940, 13% of vascular plants are presently nonnative, temperature increase of 1°C/100 yr since 1895 in 80% of PACEs), and projections suggest that many of these trends will continue at similar or increasingly greater rates (255% increase in housing density by 2100, temperature increase of 2.5°–4.5°C/100 yr, 30% of PACE areas may lose their current biomes by 2030). In the coming century, housing densities are projected to increase in PACEs at about 82% of the rate of since 1940. The rate of climate warming in the coming century is projected to be 2.5–5.8 times higher than that measured in the past century. Underlying these averages, exposure of individual park PACEs to change agents differ in important ways. For example, parks such as Great Smoky Mountains exhibit high land use and low climate exposure, others such as Great Sand Dunes exhibit low land use and high climate exposure, and a few such as Point Reyes exhibit high exposure on both axes. The cumulative and synergistic effects of such changes in land use, invasives, and climate are expected to dramatically impact ecosystem function and biodiversity in national parks. These results are foundational to developing effective adaptation strategies and suggest policies to better safeguard parks under broad‐scale environmental change.
Communicating with Chinese American Families in the NICU Using the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Model
Authors: Merritt Linda
Published: August 2013

Having an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a frightening experience for parents. However, it can be even more frightening for them when they are from a different culture and speak a different language than the health care team. Hence, a nurse needs to be culturally competent in order to provide proper care to a multicultural society.

The purpose of this article is to describe how NICU nurses can communicate with one such culture, the Chinese American, the largest Asian group in the United States. A transcultural nursing model will be described to use as a guide to help the nurse. The culture, Chinese Americans, will be described to help nurses provide culturally competent care. Research studies will be presented so the reader can develop an understanding of how parents of Chinese descent perceive the care they receive. Interventions and recommendations will be presented on how to enhance communication between the nurses and this cultural group.
Jeune Syndrome: Considerations for Management of Asphyxiating Thoracic Dystrophy
Authors: Poyner Sabrina E. , Bradshaw Wanda T.
Published: August 2013

Jeune syndrome (JS), or asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a small, narrow thorax, with associated shortening of limbs. Children with JS present with variable degrees of respiratory distress, frequently lethal in the neonatal period. Other associated complications include renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, and retinal dysfunction. Management focuses on stabilization and support of respiratory function. Treatment may be palliative in nature or corrective. In recent years, the advance in surgical treatment of the thoracic hypoplasia in JS offers hope to those families with a child suffering from the syndrome. Even with increased research into treatment of this disorder, prognosis is usually poor. Comorbidities associated with JS lead to serious organ dysfunction in later years. Families who have a child with JS need genetic counseling and education focusing on the seriousness of the disorder, the risks and benefits of treatment, and the lifelong needs of those with JS.
Ergonomic Procedure for Heel Sticks and Shots in Kangaroo Care (Skin-to-Skin) Position
Authors: Cong Xiaomei , Ludington-Hoe Susan , Vazquez Victoria , Zhang Di , Zaffetti Sharon
Published: August 2013

Kangaroo Care (KC) has been recommended as a pain-reducing strategy in neonates; however, KC has not been widely used to minimize procedural pain caused in part by nurses’/phlebotomists’ discomfort when positioning themselves and the infant for blood drawing and injections. Therefore, an ergonomically designed setup incorporating the use of KC was introduced into clinical practice to facilitate blood draws and injections. The step-by-step procedure used for heel sticks and injections is presented in this manuscript. After implementing the ergonomic step-by-step protocol, complaints of discomfort by nurses and phlebotomists ceased, and an additional benefit was that infant pain responses were significantly reduced.
Contact Hours, Skills Fairs, and Competency Assessment
Authors: Pilcher Jobeth , Stone Lisa , Reynolds Regina
Published: August 2013

Various regulatory agencies have indicated the need to measure initial and ongoing competency among health care workers. Yet, what is competency and how can it be measured? In reality, competency assessment is about outcomes. Maintaining and advancing our knowledge, skills, and analytical abilities is important for achieving optimal patient outcomes. Competency assessment should go beyond the act of attending lectures and skills fairs. Competency assessment should be a time when nurses can demonstrate and document their problem-solving and decision-making skills, inclusion of best practices, and evidence of how those skills make a difference for the patients they care for.
Pertuzumab for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2-positive metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Chung Clement , Lam Masha S. H.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety, and administration of pertuzumab in patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer are reviewed.

Disease progression in HER2-positive breast cancer is often due to resistance to or a lack of efficacy of trastuzumab-based anti-HER2 therapy. Pertuzumab is the first humanized monoclonal antibody in a new class of drugs, the HER dimerization inhibitors, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Since pertuzumab binds to a different epitope than trastuzumab, combination therapy with pertuzumab and trastuzumab results in a more complete blockade of HER2 signaling than trastuzumab monotherapy. The efficacy of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab–docetaxel dual therapy was demonstrated in a pivotal randomized multicenter Phase III trial, which showed a significant benefit in terms of progression-free survival, with improved overall survival, in favor of the triple therapy as an initial regimen in treatment-naive patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. The combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab has been found to have a tolerable toxicity profile. As clinical trials of pertuzumab for adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and metastatic-disease treatment continue, its role in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer will continue to evolve.

Conclusion

Pertuzumab, a novel HER2 dimerization inhibitor, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer when used in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel and is recommended for first-line therapy.
Ball and Brown (1968): A Retrospective
Authors: Ball Ray , Brown Philip R.
Published: August 2013

This essay provides a retrospective view on our co-authored paper, Ball and Brown (1968). The retrospective was commissioned by Gregory B. Waymire, then President of the American Accounting Association. It describes how we both came to be Ph.D. students at The University of Chicago and set about researching the relation between earnings and share prices. It outlines the background against which we conducted the research, including the largely a priori accounting research literature at the time and the electric atmosphere and radical new ideas then in full bloom at Chicago. We describe some of the principal research choices we made, and their strengths and weaknesses. We also describe the reception our research received and how the related literature subsequently unfolded.
Expression of substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, β-endorphin and methionine-enkephalin in human dental pulp tissue after orthodontic intrusion: A pilot study
Authors: Chavarría-Bolaños Daniel , Martinez-Zumaran Alan , Lombana Nelson , Flores-Reyes Hector , Pozos-Guillen Amaury
Published: August 2013

Objective:

To determine the levels of two sensory neuropeptides (substance P [SP] and calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP]) and two endogenous opioids (methionine-enkephalin [Met-Enk] and β-endorphin [β-End]) in dental pulp tissue samples subjected to controlled orthodontic intrusive forces.

Materials and Methods:

Sixteen healthy premolars were selected from eight patients who were undergoing extraction for orthodontic purposes. Eight were randomly used as controls, and the other eight were assigned to an experimental group (controlled orthodontic intrusive forces applied for 24 hours). After this period, teeth were extracted, and pulp samples were obtained. All samples were processed to quantify the expression levels of SP, CGRP, Met-Enk, and β-End using commercial radioimmunoassay kits.

Results:

All samples exhibited basal levels of both neuropeptides and endogenous opioids. After 24 hours of the intrusive stimulus, all patients reported a tolerable discomfort localized at the involved premolar. Only SP was significantly increased (P < .05). For the other molecules, no statistically significant differences were observed (P > .05); however, they expressed important increasing trends.

Conclusions:

The expression levels of SP and CGRP in dental pulp samples from the experimental group support the positive correlation between the symptomatic clinical scenario and increased expression levels of neuropeptides, clarifying the role of neurogenic inflammation in early injury response.
A prospective controlled evaluation of Class II division 1 malocclusions treated with fixed lingual mandibular growth modificator
Authors: Alali Osama H.
Published: August 2013

Objective:

To assess the net dentofacial effects of the fixed lingual mandibular growth modificator (FLMGM).

Materials and Methods:

The study sample comprised 38 patients with Class II/1 malocclusion and retrognathic mandible. All were in the pubertal growth spurt. Whereas FLMGM was applied to the treatment group (n  =  21, mean age  =  13.2 years), no treatment was performed on the control group (n  =  17, mean age  =  12.5 years). Skeletal and dentoalveolar changes were assessed on digital lateral cephalograms obtained at the beginning and end of the treatment/observation period of 8 months. Paired and independent t-tests were used to assess the differences within and between groups.

Results:

Maxillary growth was not affected by FLMGM treatment, which resulted in a significant overjet reduction of 4.1 mm, an increase in total mandibular length (Co-Gn) of 2.3 mm, chin advancement of 1.6°, and upper incisor retroclination of 4.0°. A reduction of 2.4° in ANB was largely due to an increase of 1.8° in SNB. Favorably, the lower incisors were obviously retroclined by 4.5°. The changes in the vertical skeletal relationships were negligible.

Conclusion:

FLMGM was effective in treating growing Class II/1 patients and produced favorable dentofacial effects, with the matched untreated sample showing minimal changes. Lower incisor retroclination was a benefit of FLMGM treatment.
Assessment of the flash flood potential of Bâsca River Catchment (Romania) based on physiographic factors
Authors: Minea Gabriel
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this paper is to identify areas with high flash-flood potential based on an evaluation of physiographic factors controlling the formation of surface runoff. The research method relies on the use of the Flash Flood Potential Index (FFPI), which incorporates physiographic characteristics from the catchment (terrain slope, profile curvature, land use and soil texture). The spatial distribution of the physiographic factors (which contribute to the creation, control and concentration within the drainage network of the overland flow) and the classified zoning of areas according to their hydrological response were achieved with GIS techniques. The results obtained show that physiographic factors on 227 sq km (29%) favor surface runoff on slopes and its localization towards the drainage network. Notably, the highest values of FFPI belong to the lower part of the catchment, where high human population density can be found, reflecting an increased vulnerability to floods and inundations of this area.
Core-scale radioscopic imaging: a new method reveals density–calcium link in Antarctic firn
Authors: Freitag Johannes , Kipfstuhl Sepp , Laepple Thomas
Published: August 2013

A new radioscopic imaging technique has been developed to measure firn density in unprecedented resolution and accuracy even when the porosity is low or the geometry of a core or piece of core is not perfect. The technique is based on an X-ray microfocus computer tomograph (ICE-CT) designed especially for ice-core applications. Applied on an archive piece of the Antarctic firn core B32 drilled in Dronning Maud Land in 1998, the obtained density profile shows a strong correlation with the calcium ion concentration as found previously in Greenland. Given the impurity–density relationship found previously in Greenland, our result suggests both improved accuracy of the new density measurements and an impurity–density relationship with a similar magnitude in Greenland to that on the Antarctic plateau. Our measurements provide first evidence that the impurity–density relationship is a universal feature of polar firn and that the calcium ion concentration can serve as a proxy to describe quantitatively the effect of the impurities on densification.
Genetic Diversity of Black Salamanders (Aneides flavipunctatus) across Watersheds in the Klamath Mountains
Authors: Reilly Sean , Mulks Mitchell , Reilly Jason , Jennings W. , Wake David
Published: August 2013

Here we characterize the genetic structure of Black Salamanders (Aneides flavipunctatus) in the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. We hypothesized that the Sacramento, Smith, Klamath, and Rogue River watersheds would represent distinct genetic populations based on prior ecological results, which suggest that Black Salamanders avoid high elevations such as the ridges that separate watersheds. Our mitochondrial results revealed two major lineages, one in the Sacramento River watershed, and another containing the Klamath, Smith, and Rogue River watersheds. Clustering analyses of our thirteen nuclear loci show the Sacramento watershed population to be genetically distinctive. Populations in the Klamath, Smith, and Rogue watersheds are also distinctive but not as differentiated and their boundaries do not correspond to watersheds. Our historical demographic analyses suggest that the Sacramento population has been isolated from the Klamath populations since the mid-Pleistocene, with negligible subsequent gene flow (2 Nm ≤ 0.1). The Smith and Rogue River watershed populations show genetic signals of recent population expansion. These results suggest that the Sacramento River and Klamath River watersheds served as Pleistocene refugia, and that the Rogue and Smith River watersheds were colonized more recently by northward range expansion from the Klamath.