bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the cutting edge of organ renewal: Identification, regulation, and evolution of incisor stem cells
Authors: Kuang‐Hsien Hu Jimmy , Mushegyan Vagan , Klein Ophir D.
Published: December 2013

The rodent incisor is one of a number of organs that grow continuously throughout the life of an animal. Continuous growth of the incisor arose as an evolutionary adaptation to compensate for abrasion at the distal end of the tooth. The sustained turnover of cells that deposit the mineralized dental tissues is made possible by epithelial and mesenchymal stem cells residing at the proximal end of the incisor. A complex network of signaling pathways and transcription factors regulates the formation, maintenance, and differentiation of these stem cells during development and throughout adulthood. Research over the past 15 years has led to significant progress in our understanding of this network, which includes FGF, BMP, Notch, and Hh signaling, as well as cell adhesion molecules and micro‐RNAs. This review surveys key historical experiments that laid the foundation of the field and discusses more recent findings that definitively identified the stem cell population, elucidated the regulatory network, and demonstrated possible genetic mechanisms for the evolution of continuously growing teeth. genesis 52:79–92. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hoxa5/Cre transgenic mice: Novel tools for regional deletion along the anterior‐posterior axis
Authors: Bérubé‐Simard Félix‐Antoine , Jeannotte Lucie
Published: December 2013

Summary: The Hoxa5 homeobox gene encodes a transcription factor that plays a critical role in specifying the identity of the cervico‐thoracic region along the anterior‐posterior embryo axis and in orchestrating organ morphogenesis. The loss of Hoxa5 function results in skeletal transformations, lethality at birth due to lung defects, and organ anomalies affecting the digestive tract, the mammary gland and the ovary. Study of Hoxa5 gene regulation has revealed the interplay of several control regions that direct Hoxa5 developmental expression. Enhancers targeting expression in the CNS, the paraxial and lateral plate mesoderm at the cervico‐thoracic level, and in the mesenchymal compartment of the respiratory and digestive tracts have been identified. Using these molecular tools, we have generated two Hoxa5/Cre transgenic mouse lines carrying different combinations of Hoxa5 regulatory enhancers and allowing site‐specific recombination in subsets of Hoxa5 expression sites as tested with the Rosa26/lacZ reporter mice. Further validation of the recombination efficiency of the Hoxa5/Cre transgenic lines was performed with mice carrying a Hoxa5 conditional allele. Hoxa5 deletion with the Hoxa5/Cre mouse lines recapitulates Hoxa5 mutant phenotypes, such as skeletal defects, neonatal lethality, and lung malformations. Hoxa5/Cre mouse lines provide novel genetic tools for gene function analysis in defined tissues along the anterior‐posterior axis. genesis 52:149–156. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Divergence of feeding channels within the soil food web determined by ecosystem type
Authors: Crotty Felicity V. , Blackshaw Rod P. , Adl Sina M. , Inger Richard , Murray Philip J.
Published: December 2013

Understanding trophic linkages within the soil food web (SFW) is hampered by its opacity, diversity, and limited niche adaptation. We need to expand our insight between the feeding guilds of fauna and not just count biodiversity. The soil fauna drive nutrient cycling and play a pivotal, but little understood role within both the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles that may be ecosystem dependent. Here, we define the structure of theSFWin two habitats (grassland and woodland) on the same soil type and test the hypothesis that land management would alter theSFWin these habitats. To do this, we census the community structure and use stable isotope analysis to establish the pathway of C and N through each trophic level within the ecosystems. Stable isotope ratios of C and N from all invertebrates were used as a proxy for trophic niche, and community‐wide metrics were obtained. Our empirically derived C/N ratios differed from those previously reported, diverging from model predictions of global C and N cycling, which was unexpected. An assessment of the relative response of the different functional groups to the change from agricultural grassland to woodland was performed. This showed that abundance of herbivores, microbivores, and micropredators were stimulated, while omnivores and macropredators were inhibited in the grassland. Differences between stable isotope ratios and community‐wide metrics, highlighted habitats with similar taxa had differentSFWs, using different basal resources, either driven by root or litter derived resources. Overall, we conclude that plant type can act as a top‐down driver of community functioning and that differing land management can impact on the wholeSFW.
The IL‐23/Th17 axis is involved in the adaptive immune response to Bacillus anthracis in humans
Authors: Harris Kristina M. , Ramachandran Girish , Basu Subhendu , Rollins Sandra , Mann Dean , Cross Alan S.
Published: December 2013

The neutralization of toxins is considered essential for protection against lethal infection with Bacillus anthracis (BA), a select agent and bioterrorism threat. However, toxin‐neutralizing activity alone would not be expected to provide sterile immunity. Therefore, we hypothesized that the development of an adaptive immune response against BA is required for bacterial clearance. We found that human monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (hDCs) kill germinated BA bacilli, but not nongerminated BA spores. hDCs produce IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐12, and IL‐23, and these cytokines are differentially regulated by germination‐proficient versus germination‐deficient BA spores. Moreover, the IL‐23 response to BA spores is regulated by IL‐1R‐mediated signaling. hDCs infected with germinating BA spores stimulated autologous CD4+ T cells to secrete IL‐17A and IFN‐γ in a contact‐dependent and antigen‐specific manner. The T‐cell response to BA spores was not recapitulated by hDCs infected with germination‐deficient BA spores, implying that the germination of spores into replicating bacilli triggers the proinflammatory cytokine response in hDCs. Our results provide primary evidence that hDCs can generate a BA‐specific Th17 response, and help elucidate the mechanisms involved. These novel findings suggest that the IL‐23/Th17 axis is involved in the immune response to anthrax in humans.
Large crowd modelling: an analysis of the Duisburg Love Parade disaster
Authors: Pretorius Maria , Gwynne Steven , Galea Edwin R.
Published: December 2013

Given the amount of data publically available relating to the incident at the Duisburg Love Parade of 2010, this event is a valuable case study for the development and management of large‐scale crowd circulation and emergency incidents. Here, we study the crowd dynamics associated with a large crowd event similar to that of the Love Parade in Duisburg. The paper discusses the analysis of observations of the incident and explores the application of an evacuation model to investigate similar crowd scenarios. The data‐set produced from this analysis was used to configure the buildingEXODUS model to approximate the original incident to verify whether buildingEXODUS can reliably represent agent actions, the conditions that develop and the impact of these developments upon performance. The model is then used to identify potential alternative crowd management and ingress/egress strategies to prevent the crowd crush incident from occurring. Traditionally, fine mesh evacuation models, such as buildingEXODUS, are not used to investigate high‐density crowd conditions, because the underlying discretisation of space limits the maximum density that can be achieved within the models. In this paper, a novel approach is used to combine the data of pedestrian flow and space utilisation to indicate the onset of potentially dangerous population densities using a fine node model. The analysis demonstrates that the model can capture the key elements of such a large‐scale incident and identify important causal factors. The work demonstrates that the model is broadly able to capture key crowd features if representative assumptions are implemented. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of Work‐Limiting Disability on Labor Force Participation
Authors: Webber Douglas A. , Bjelland Melissa J.
Published: December 2013

According to the justification hypothesis, non‐employed individuals may over‐report their level of work limitation, leading to biased census/survey estimates of the prevalence of severe disabilities and the associated labor force participation rate. For researchers studying policies which impact the disabled or elderly (e.g., Supplemental Security Income, Disability Insurance, and Early Retirement), this could lead to significant bias in key parameters of interest. Using the American Community Survey, we examine the potential for both inflated and deflated reported disability status and generate a general index of disability, which can be used to reduce the bias of these self‐reports in other studies. We find that at least 4.8 million individuals have left the labor force because of a work‐limiting disability, at least four times greater than the impact implied by our replication of previous models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tips of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: superior mesenteric artery first approach (with video)
Authors: Cho Akihiro , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Kainuma Osamu
Published: December 2013

In previous reports of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, the Kocher maneuver with a wide mobilization of the right colonic flexure is carried out in the early phase, and dissection of the superior mesenteric artery is performed in the last phase of resection. This report describes laparoscopic superior mesenteric artery first approach, in which the superior mesenteric artery is dissected in the early phase of resection. Through the ligament of Treitz, the retroperitoneum is widely opened and the superior mesenteric artery is isolated just superior to the left renal vein. The periarterial connective tissue and nerve plexuses surrounding the superior mesenteric artery are dissected longitudinally to identify the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery, which is then tied and divided. The superior mesenteric artery first approach and early ligation of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery is considered to be a feasible, safe, and effective method for performing pure laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Optimal cut‐off value for the number of colorectal liver metastases: a project study for hepatic surgery of the Japanese Society of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic Surgery
Authors: Beppu Toru , Sakamoto Yoshihiro , Hasegawa Kiyoshi , Honda Goro , Tanaka Kuniya , Kotera Yoshihito , Nitta Hiroyuki , Yoshidome Hiroyuki , Hatano Etsuro , Ueno Masaki , Takamura Hiroyuki , Baba Hideo , Kosuge Tomoo , Kokudo Norihiro , Takahashi Keiichi , Endo Itaru , Wakabayashi Go , Miyazaki Masaru , Uemoto Shinji , Ohta Tetsuo , Kikuchi Ken , Takayama Tadatoshi , Yamaue Hiroki , Yamamoto Masakazu , Takada Tadahiro
Published: December 2013

Background

The optimal cut‐off value of the number of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) to predict prognosis after hepatic resection remains unclear. This study was conducted to determine a suitable cut‐off value.

Methods

A total of 727 hepatectomized patients with CRLM were evaluated. We proposed the following optimal cut‐off values: first, a small P‐value for the log‐rank test with no overlapping of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for median survival time using the Kaplan–Meier method and the hazard ratio (HR) using the Cox proportional hazards model and, second, the maximum HR value for accurate separation.

Results

For disease‐free survival analysis, of the three group separations, A2 (1, 2–4, and ≥5) showed a small P‐value and the largest HR, whereas two group separations, B2, B3 and B4 showed similarly small P‐values, but B4 (1–4, ≥5) indicated the largest HR. Regarding the overall survival analysis, of the three group separations, A2 showed the smallest P‐value, whereas the two group separations, B4 showed similarly small P‐values, with the largest HR.

Conclusions

Tumor number separation in patients with CRLM after hepatic resection should be performed using the A2 (1, 2–4, and ≥5) or B4 (1–4 and ≥5) classifications.
The Synthesis of New Heterocycles Using 2‐(4‐Chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐3,3,7‐trimethyl‐2H‐indol‐2‐ylidene) Propanedial
Authors: Alyari Maryam , Baradarani Mehdi M. , Afghan Arash , Joule John A.
Published: December 2013

4‐Chloro‐2,3,3,7‐tetramethyl‐3H‐indole (an indolenine) was produced by the reaction of 5‐chloro‐2‐methylphenylhydrazine hydrochloride with 3‐methylbutan‐2‐one via Fischer reaction. Exposure of the indolenine to the Vilsmeier reagent at 50°C produced a β‐diformyl compound, 2‐(4‐chloro‐1,3‐dihydro‐3,3,7‐trimethyl‐2H‐indol‐2‐ylidene)propanedial. This dialdehyde was reacted with arylhydrazines, acetamidinium chloride, urea, thiourea, guanidinium chloride, and cyanoacetamide to give various 5‐membered and 6‐membered heterocyclic products, each carrying a 4‐chloro‐3,3,7‐trimethyl‐3H‐indol‐2‐yl unit as a substituent, in excellent yields.
Molecular imaging and pharmacokinetics of 99mTc‐hTERT antisense oligonucleotide as a potential tumor imaging probe
Authors: Liu Meng , Wang Rong Fu , Yan Ping , Zhang Chun Li , Cui Yong Gang
Published: December 2013

Targeting and visualization of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) represents a promising approach for providing diagnostic value. The uptake kinetics and imaging results of 99mTc‐hTERT antisense oligonucleotides (ASON) in hTERT‐expressing cells were examined in vitro and in vivo. The pharmacokinetics and acute toxicity studies of 99mTc‐hTERT ASON were also performed. The labeling efficiencies of radiolabeled oligonucleotide reached 76 ± 5%, the specific activity was up to 1850 kBq/µg, and the radiochemical purity was above 96%. Radioactivity accumulated to a higher concentration in hTERT‐expressing cells with antisense probe than with sense control (p < 0.05). Lipid carrier incorporation significantly increased the transmembrane delivery of radiolabeled probes (p < 0.05). hTERT‐expressing xenografts in nude mice were clearly visualized at 6 h postinjection of the antisense probe but not the sense control probe. However, liposome did not increase the radioactivity accumulation of probes in tumors for either antisense or sense probe (p > 0.05). Radioactivity counts per minute versus time profiles for 99mTc‐hTERT ASON were biphasic, indicative of a three‐compartment model. The pharmacokinetics parameters of half‐life of distribution (T1/2α), half‐life of elimination (T1/2β), total apparent volume of distribution (Vd), and total rate of clearance were 2.04 ± 0.48 min, 24 ± 4.8 min, 109.83 ± 17.20 mL, and 3.19 ± 0.17 mL/min, respectively. The acute toxicity study results showed the safe application of 99mTc‐hTERT ASON in vivo. This study provides further evidences that 99mTc‐hTERT ASON should be developed as a safe, potential molecular image‐guided diagnostic agent.
Continuous vagal IONM prevents recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis by revealing initial EMG changes of impending neuropraxic injury: A prospective, multicenter study
Authors: Phelan Eimear , Schneider Rick , Lorenz Kerstin , Dralle Henning , Kamani Dipti , Potenza Andre , Sritharan Niranjan , Shin Jenifer , W. Randolph Gregory
Published: December 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

Existing intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) formats stimulate the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) intermittently, exposing it to risk for injury in between stimulations. We report electrophysiologic parameters of continuous vagal monitoring, utilizing a novel real‐time IONM format, and relate these parameters to intraoperative surgical maneuvers that delineate nascent adverse but reversible electrophysiologic parameters to prevent nerve injury. These results are correlated with postoperative vocal cord functional outcome.

Study Design

Prospective multicenter tertiary study.

Method

Evoked vagal nerve waveform amplitude and latency changes during 102 thyroidectomies were recorded. Adverse electrophysiologic response was categorized into 1‐concordant amplitude reduction and latency increase events (combined events) and 2‐loss of signal (LOS). Surgical maneuvers were modified when adverse electrophysiologic findings were noted. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative laryngoscopy; intraoperative electrophysiologic findings were correlated with postoperative laryngeal function.

Results

Continuous vagal monitoring did not result in stimulation‐evoked nerve injury or intraoperative adverse cardiac, pulmonary, or gastrointestinal effects. Both intraoperative combined events and LOS were associated with development of vocal cord paralysis (VCP) (P = 0.001 and P >0.001 respectively). Combined events had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 33%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 97%, and were reversible in 73%. LOS had a PPV of 83%, NPV of 98%, and was reversible in only 17%. Milder combined events and isolated amplitude or latency changes were not associated with VCP.

Conclusions

Continuous vagal monitoring is safe and provides real‐time RLN evaluation during surgical maneuvers. Combined events and LOS, both easily identifiable intraoperatively, are related to the development of VCP. A combined event represents a largely reversible electrophysiologic change when the associated surgical maneuver is aborted. If allowed to continue, it can advance to LOS (which typically is significantly less reversible) and to postoperative VCP. Continuous vagal monitoring has utility in identifying real‐time adverse concordant amplitude and latency changes (combined events), which can prompt modification of the associated surgical maneuver and may prevent RLN paralysis during thyroidectomy.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 124:1498–1505, 2014
Tierischer Eischnee und andere Schäume
Authors: Groß Michael
Published: December 2013

Oberflächenaktive Proteine kommen in der Natur selten vor. Aber Frösche, Pferde und Pilze liefern Beispiele solcher Substanzen. Medizin und Lebensmitteltechnik planen, sie zu verwenden.
Single machine just‐in‐time scheduling problems with two competing agents
Authors: Gerstl Enrique , Mosheiov Gur
Published: December 2013

In scheduling problems with two competing agents, each one of the agents has his own set of jobs to be processed and his own objective function, and both share a common processor. In the single‐machine problem studied in this article, the goal is to find a joint schedule that minimizes the total deviation of the job completion times of the first agent from a common due‐date, subject to an upper bound on the maximum deviation of job completion times of the second agent. The problem is shown to be NP‐hard even for a nonrestrictive due‐date, and a pseudopolynomial dynamic program is introduced and tested numerically. For the case of a restrictive due‐date (a sufficiently small due‐date that may restrict the number of early jobs), a faster pseudopolynomial dynamic program is presented. We also study the multiagent case, which is proved to be strongly NP‐hard. A simple heuristic for this case is introduced, which is tested numerically against a lower bound, obtained by extending the dynamic programming algorithm. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 1–16, 2014
Extraction‐free In situ Derivatisation of Timosaponin AIII Using Direct Analysis in Real Time TOF/MS
Authors: Kim Hye Jin , Park Se Ri , Jang Young Pyo
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Direct analysis in real time (DART) TOF/MS has been used for mass information of various non‐polar phytochemicals in raw material with no sample preparation. However, low ionisation efficiency for polar compounds including glycosides limits its extensive use in the field of phytochemical analysis.

Objective

In order to develop a direct analysis method for polar glycosides using in situ derivatisation, which improves ionisation efficiency of hydrophilic glycosides.

Method

Anemarrhena Rhizoma was used as a model plant targeting on Timosaponin AIII utilising a Dip‐It module. Permethylation was applied to the powdered raw material with tetramethylammonium hydroxide in front of a DART ion source. Also, DART TOF/MS combined with permethylation was applied to timosaponin AIII standard solution to obtain the limit of detection (LOD).

Results

In situ methylation of timosaponin AIII and Anemarrhena Rhizoma raw material were successfully used to ionise the glycoside. The LOD was found to be in the range of 2.4–4.8 ng for permethylated timosaponin AIII and this level is four times higher than the range of the underivatisation analysis. Direct analysis of permethylated timosaponin from Anemarrhena Rhizoma was also successfully performed.

Conclusion

A simple and quick derivatisation method with tetramethylammonium hydroxide was developed for the direct identification of a hydrophilic saponin from the plant tissue. Better ionisation efficiency conferred by in situ permethylation enabled ionisation of whole molecules of timosaponin AIII from the plant tissue. This simple analytical method will provide a solution to reduce tedious sample preparation steps, not only for non‐polar but also hydrophilic natural products directly from the tissue. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biomimetic protein‐based elastomeric hydrogels for biomedical applications
Authors: Whittaker Jasmin , Balu Rajkamal , Choudhury Namita R. , Dutta Naba K.
Published: December 2013

In recent years, protein‐based elastomeric hydrogels have gained increased research interest in biomedical applications for their remarkable self‐assembly behaviour, tunable 3D porous structure, high resilience (elasticity), fatigue lifetime (durability), water uptake, excellent biocompatibility and biological activity. The proteins and polypeptides can be derived naturally (animal or insect sources) or by recombinant (bacterial expression) routes and can be crosslinked via physical or chemical approaches to obtain elastomeric hydrogels. Here we review and present the recent accomplishments in the synthesis, fabrication and biomedical applications of protein‐based elastomeric hydrogels such as elastin, resilin, flagelliform spider silk and their derivatives. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Segregation indices for disease clustering
Authors: Ceyhan Elvan
Published: December 2013

Spatial clustering has important implications in various fields. In particular, disease clustering is of major public concern in epidemiology. In this article, we propose the use of two distance‐based segregation indices to test the significance of disease clustering among subjects whose locations are from a homogeneous or an inhomogeneous population. We derive the asymptotic distributions of the segregation indices and compare them with other distance‐based disease clustering tests in terms of empirical size and power by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The null pattern we consider is the random labeling (RL) of cases and controls to the given locations. Along this line, we investigate the sensitivity of the size of these tests to the underlying background pattern (e.g., clustered or homogenous) on which the RL is applied, the level of clustering and number of clusters, or to differences in relative abundances of the classes. We demonstrate that differences in relative abundances have the highest influence on the empirical sizes of the tests. We also propose various non‐RL patterns as alternatives to the RL pattern and assess the empirical power performances of the tests under these alternatives. We observe that the empirical size of one of the indices is more robust to the differences in relative abundances, and this index performs comparable with the best performers in literature in terms of power. We illustrate the methods on two real‐life examples from epidemiology. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi‐state models for colon cancer recurrence and death with a cured fraction
Authors: Conlon A.S.C. , Taylor J.M.G. , Sargent D.J.
Published: December 2013

In cancer clinical trials, patients often experience a recurrence of disease prior to the outcome of interest, overall survival. Additionally, for many cancers, there is a cured fraction of the population who will never experience a recurrence. There is often interest in how different covariates affect the probability of being cured of disease and the time to recurrence, time to death, and time to death after recurrence. We propose a multi‐state Markov model with an incorporated cured fraction to jointly model recurrence and death in colon cancer. A Bayesian estimation strategy is used to obtain parameter estimates. The model can be used to assess how individual covariates affect the probability of being cured and each of the transition rates. Checks for the adequacy of the model fit and for the functional forms of covariates are explored. The methods are applied to data from 12 randomized trials in colon cancer, where we show common effects of specific covariates across the trials. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MicroRNA-34a Inhibits Osteoblast Differentiation and In Vivo Bone Formation of Human Stromal Stem Cells
Authors: Chen Li , HolmstrØm Kim , Qiu Weimin , Ditzel Nicholas , Shi Kaikai , Hokland Lea , Kassem Moustapha
Published: December 2013

Osteoblast differentiation and bone formation (osteogenesis) are regulated by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified as novel key regulators of human stromal (skeletal, mesenchymal) stem cells (hMSC) differentiation. Here, we identified miRNA-34a (miR-34a) and its target protein networks as modulator of osteoblastic (OB) differentiation of hMSC. miRNA array profiling and further validation by quantitative RT-PCR revealed that miR-34a was upregulated during OB differentiation of hMSC, and in situ hybridization confirmed its OB expression in vivo. Overexpression of miR-34a inhibited early commitment and late OB differentiation of hMSC in vitro, whereas inhibition of miR-34a by anti-miR-34a enhanced these processes. Target prediction analysis and experimental validation confirmed Jagged1 (JAG1), a ligand for Notch 1, as a bona fide target of miR-34a. siRNA-mediated reduction of JAG1 expression inhibited OB differentiation. Moreover, a number of known cell cycle regulator and cell proliferation proteins, such as cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4 and CDK6), E2F transcription factor three, and cell division cycle 25 homolog A were among miR-34a targets. Furthermore, in a preclinical model of in vivo bone formation, overexpression of miR-34a in hMSC reduced heterotopic bone formation by 60%, and conversely, in vivo bone formation was increased by 200% in miR-34a-deficient hMSC. miRNA-34a exhibited unique dual regulatory effects controlling both hMSC proliferation and OB differentiation. Tissue-specific inhibition of miR-34a might be a potential novel therapeutic strategy for enhancing in vivo bone formation. Stem Cells  2014;32:902–912
Comparison of Perioperative and Long‐term Outcomes of Total and Proximal Gastrectomy for Early Gastric Cancer: A Multi‐institutional Retrospective Study
Authors: Masuzawa Toru , Takiguchi Shuji , Hirao Motohiro , Imamura Hiroshi , Kimura Yutaka , Fujita Junya , Miyashiro Isao , Tamura Shigeyuki , Hiratsuka Masahiro , Kobayashi Kenji , Fujiwara Yoshiyuki , Mori Masaki , Doki Yuichiro
Published: December 2013

Background

Various surgical procedures are used to treat early gastric cancers in the upper third of the stomach (U‐EGCs). However, there is no general agreement regarding the optimal surgical procedure.

Methods

The medical records of 203 patients with U‐EGC were collected from 13 institutions. Surgical procedures were classified as Roux‐en‐Y esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy (TG‐RY), esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy (PG‐EG), or jejunal interposition after PG (PG‐JI). Patient clinical characteristics and perioperative and long‐term outcomes were compared among these three groups.

Results

TG‐RY, PG‐EG, and PG‐JI were performed in 122, 49, and 32 patients, respectively. Tumors were larger in TG‐RY patients than in PG‐EG and PG‐JI patients, and undifferentiated‐type gastric adenocarcinoma tended to be more frequent in TG‐RY than in PG‐EG. The operative time was shorter for PG‐EG than for PG‐JI and TG‐RY. Hospital stay and early postoperative complications were not different for the three procedures. With respect to gastrectomy‐associated symptoms, a “stuck feeling” and heartburn tended to be more frequent in PG‐EG patients, while dumping syndrome and diarrhea were more frequent in TG‐RY patients. Post‐surgical weight loss was not different among the three groups, however, serum albumin and hemoglobin levels tended to be lower in TG‐RY patients.

Conclusion

Three surgical procedures for U‐EGC did not result in differences in weight loss, but PG‐EG and PG‐JI were better than TG‐RY according to some nutritional markers. In U‐EGC, where patients are expected to have long survival times, PG‐EG and PG‐JI should be used rather than TG‐RY.
Gastrocele Complicates the Course of Non‐operated Severe Caustic Injuries: Operative Strategies
Authors: Zerbib Philippe , Vinet Alexis , Rogosnitzky Moshe , Truant Stéphanie , Chambon Jean Pierre , Pruvot Francois René
Published: December 2013

Background

For selected cases of severe caustic injuries, evidence favors conservative management, consisting of radiographic and clinical observation without emergency surgery. However, this approach can lead to the development of gastric distension caused by combined esophageal and antral strictures, called gastrocele. This study assessed the safety of a two‐stage surgical treatment for gastrocele.

Methods

Patients treated in our department between 2004 and 2010 for caustic injury who did not receive emergency surgery and subsequently developed gastrocele were retrospectively analysed. Demographic information, symptoms, and ingestion history were documented. Surgical management included partial gastrectomy and postponed esophageal stricture treatment. Outcome measures included postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Results

Eight nonoperated patients with severe caustic injury from suicidal ingestions of caustic substances were found to have developed gastrocoele. They presented with mostly endoscopic stage IIIb esophageal and gastric injuries. All patients had clinical symptoms of vomiting and abdominal tenderness at day 8 after caustic ingestion. Antrectomy and esophageal stricture treatment were performed at an average of 2 and 8 months, respectively, after caustic ingestion. There were no postoperative deaths, and the long‐term survival rate was 83 %.

Conclusions

Gastrocele should be suspected in patients with stage III gastric and esophageal injuries who have been treated by conservative management and are still vomiting more than 1 week postingestion. A two‐staged surgical strategy of antrectomy followed by a postponed esophageal stricture treatment was found to be safe and effective for these patients.
Development of an LC–MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Free Sphingoid Bases Using 4‐Fluoro‐7‐nitrobenzofurazan (NBD‐F)
Authors: Ishikawa Toshiki , Imai Hiroyuki , Maki Kawai‐Yamada
Published: December 2013

The molecular species of sphingoid bases were tagged with the fluorescent amino group reagent, 4‐fluoro‐7‐nitrobenzofurazan (NBD‐F). The NBD‐sphingoid bases were analyzed by a highly selective and sensitive liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) technique capable of reliable detection of several fmol of the derivatives. Lipid extracts from plant samples were derivatized with NBD‐F, and all nine species of free sphingoid bases present in plant sphingolipids were separated and quantified for the first time; a complete baseline resolution was achieved for cis‐8 and trans‐8 isomers of sphingoid bases by reversed phase HPLC on a C18 column. The extraction and derivatization procedures and LC–MS/MS method can facilitate the progress of the studies for seeking the active components of sphingoid bases species in response to biological challenges.
Focus on international research strategy and teaching: the FIRST programme
Authors: Ibrahim Halah , Nair Satish Chandrasekhar
Published: December 2013

Research, education and patient care are important missions of academic health centres and their respective teaching programmes. Yet, teaching hospitals struggle with ways to effectively support quality research initiatives. These issues are even more pronounced in countries with developing medical education systems where inconsistencies in training programme structure and quality, along with the lack of uniformity in the backgrounds and experience of the faculty, can hinder meaningful research activities. Hospital leaders recognized the need to inculcate both the desire and the ability to conduct quality research into every postgraduate training programme. Given the lack of global benchmarks, the institution developed and implemented the FIRST Programme (Focus on International Research Strategy and Teaching), a hospital-wide approach to research strategy training and support in 2010–2012. Over a 3-year period, the number of resident and faculty research activities has more than doubled. The types of research studies have also changed over the past few years, with an increase in basic science and randomized clinical trials. Our experience with implementing an institution-wide research initiative has been quite encouraging. Through leadership commitment, the institution has witnessed substantial increases in both trainee and faculty scholarship over a 3-year period.
Paleoclimate record in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Authors: Abouelmagd Abdou , Sultan Mohamed , Sturchio Neil C. , Soliman Farouk , Rashed Mohamed , Ahmed Mohamed , Kehew Alan E. , Milewski Adam , Chouinard Kyle
Published: December 2013

Sixteen groundwater samples collected from production wells tapping Lower Cretaceous Nubian Sandstone and fractured basement aquifers in Sinai were analyzed for their stable isotopic compositions, dissolved noble gas concentrations (recharge temperatures), tritium activities, and 14C abundances. Results define two groups of samples: Group I has older ages, lower recharge temperatures, and depleted isotopic compositions (adjusted 14C model age: 24,000–31,000 yr BP; δ18O: − 9.59‰ to − 6.53‰; δ2H: − 72.9‰ to − 42.9‰; < 1 TU; and recharge T: 17.5–22.0°C) compared to Group II (adjusted 14C model age: 700–4700 yr BP; δ18O: − 5.89‰ to − 4.84‰; δ2H: − 34.5‰ to − 24.1‰; < 1 to 2.78 TU; and recharge T: 20.6–26.2°C). Group II samples have isotopic compositions similar to those of average modern rainfall, with larger d-excess values than Group I waters, and locally measurable tritium activity (up to 2.8 TU). These observations are consistent with (1) the Nubian Aquifer being largely recharged prior to and/or during the Last Glacial Maximum (represented by Group I), possibly through the intensification of paleowesterlies; and (2) continued sporadic recharge during the relatively dry and warmer interglacial period (represented by Group II) under conditions similar to those of the present.
Rome's World
Authors: Talbert Richard J. A.
Published: December 2013

The Peutinger Map is the only map of the Roman world to come down to us from antiquity. Today it is among the treasures of the Austrian National Library in Vienna. Richard Talbert's study presented in Rome's World: The Peutinger Map Reconsidered offers a long-overdue reinterpretation and appreciation of the map as a masterpiece of both mapmaking and imperial Roman ideology. Here, the ancient world's traditional span, from the Atlantic to India, is dramatically remolded; lands and routes take pride of place, whereas seas are compressed. Talbert posits that the map's true purpose was not to assist travelers along Rome's highways, but rather to celebrate the restoration of peace and order by Diocletian's Tetrarchy. Such creative cartography, he shows, influenced the development of medieval mapmaking. With the aid of digital technology, this book enables readers to engage with the Peutinger Map in all of its fascinating immensity more closely than ever before.
The Empire of Chance
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd , Swijtink Zeno , Porter Theodore , Daston Lorraine , Beatty John , Kruger Lorenz
Published: December 2013

The Empire of Chance tells how quantitative ideas of chance transformed the natural and social sciences, as well as daily life over the last three centuries. A continuous narrative connects the earliest application of probability and statistics in gambling and insurance to the most recent forays into law, medicine, polling and baseball. Separate chapters explore the theoretical and methodological impact in biology, physics and psychology. Themes recur - determinism, inference, causality, free will, evidence, the shifting meaning of probability - but in dramatically different disciplinary and historical contexts. In contrast to the literature on the mathematical development of probability and statistics, this book centres on how these technical innovations remade our conceptions of nature, mind and society. Written by an interdisciplinary team of historians and philosophers, this readable, lucid account keeps technical material to an absolute minimum. It is aimed not only at specialists in the history and philosophy of science, but also at the general reader and scholars in other disciplines.
Von Neumann, Morgenstern, and the Creation of Game Theory
Authors: Leonard Robert
Published: December 2013

Drawing on a wealth of archival material, including personal correspondence and diaries, Robert Leonard tells the fascinating story of the creation of game theory by Hungarian Jewish mathematician John von Neumann and Austrian economist Oskar Morgenstern. Game theory first emerged amid discussions of the psychology and mathematics of chess in Germany and fin-de-siècle Austro-Hungary. In the 1930s, on the cusp of anti-Semitism and political upheaval, it was developed by von Neumann into an ambitious theory of social organization. It was shaped still further by its use in combat analysis in World War II and during the Cold War. Interweaving accounts of the period's economics, science, and mathematics, and drawing sensitively on the private lives of von Neumann and Morgenstern, Robert Leonard provides a detailed reconstruction of a complex historical drama.
The Pragmatic Enlightenment
Authors: Rasmussen Dennis C.
Published: December 2013

This is a study of the political theory of the Enlightenment, focusing on four leading eighteenth-century thinkers: David Hume, Adam Smith, Montesquieu and Voltaire. Dennis C. Rasmussen calls attention to the particular strand of the Enlightenment these thinkers represent, which he terms the 'pragmatic Enlightenment'. He defends this strand of Enlightenment thought against both the Enlightenment's critics and some of the more idealistic Enlightenment figures who tend to have more followers today, such as John Locke, Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham. Professor Rasmussen argues that Hume, Smith, Montesquieu and Voltaire exemplify an especially attractive type of liberalism, one that is more realistic, moderate, flexible, and contextually sensitive than most other branches of this tradition.
Etymology and the Invention of English in Early Modern Literature
Authors: Crawforth Hannah
Published: December 2013

How did authors such as Jonson, Spenser, Donne and Milton think about the past lives of the words they used? Hannah Crawforth shows how early modern writers were acutely attuned to the religious and political implications of the etymology of English words. She argues that these lexically astute writers actively engaged with the lexicographers, Anglo-Saxonists and etymologists who were carrying out a national project to recover, or invent, the origins of English, at a time when the question of a national vernacular was inseparable from that of national identity. English words are deployed to particular effect – as a polemical weapon, allegorical device, coded form of communication, type of historical allusion or political tool. Drawing together early modern literature and linguistics, Crawforth argues that the history of English as it was studied in the period radically underpins the writing of its greatest poets.
A Linguistic History of Ancient Cyprus
Authors: Steele Philippa M.
Published: December 2013

This pioneering volume approaches the languages and scripts of ancient Cyprus from an interdisciplinary point of view, with a primarily linguistic and epigraphic approach supplemented by a consideration of their historical and cultural context. The focus is on furthering our knowledge of the non-Greek languages/scripts, as well as appreciating their place in relation to the much better understood Greek language on the island. Following on from recent advances in Cypro-Minoan studies, these difficult, mostly Late Bronze Age inscriptions are reassessed from first principles. The same approach is taken for non-Greek languages written in the Cypriot Syllabic script during the first millennium BC, chiefly the one usually referred to as Eteocypriot. The final section is then dedicated to the Phoenician language, which was in use on Cyprus for some hundreds of years. The result is a careful reappraisal of these languages/scripts after more than a century of sometimes controversial scholarship.
Convex Bodies The Brunn-MinkowskiTheory
Authors: Schneider Rolf
Published: December 2013

At the heart of this monograph is the Brunn–Minkowski theory, which can be used to great effect in studying such ideas as volume and surface area and their generalizations. In particular, the notions of mixed volume and mixed area measure arise naturally and the fundamental inequalities that are satisfied by mixed volumes are considered here in detail. The author presents a comprehensive introduction to convex bodies, including full proofs for some deeper theorems. The book provides hints and pointers to connections with other fields and an exhaustive reference list. This second edition has been considerably expanded to reflect the rapid developments of the past two decades. It includes new chapters on valuations on convex bodies, on extensions like the Lp Brunn–Minkowski theory, and on affine constructions and inequalities. There are also many supplements and updates to the original chapters, and a substantial expansion of chapter notes and references.
The Origins of Global Humanitarianism
Authors: Stamatov Peter
Published: December 2013

Whether lauded and encouraged or criticized and maligned, action in solidarity with culturally and geographically distant strangers has been an integral part of European modernity. Traversing the complex political landscape of early modern European empires, this book locates the historical origins of modern global humanitarianism in the recurrent conflict over the ethical treatment of non-Europeans that pitted religious reformers against secular imperial networks. Since the sixteenth-century beginnings of European expansion overseas and in marked opposition to the exploitative logic of predatory imperialism, these reformers - members of Catholic orders and, later, Quakers and other reformist Protestants - developed an ideology and a political practice in defense of the rights and interests of distant 'others'. They also increasingly made the question of imperial injustice relevant to growing 'domestic' publics in Europe. A distinctive institutional model of long-distance advocacy crystallized out of these persistent struggles, becoming the standard weapon of transnational activists.
Constructing the Canon of Early Modern Drama
Authors: Lopez Jeremy
Published: December 2013

For one hundred years the drama of Shakespeare's contemporaries has been consistently represented in anthologies, edited texts, and the critical tradition by a familiar group of about two dozen plays running from Kyd's Spanish Tragedy to Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by way of Dekker, Jonson, Middleton and Webster. How was this canon created, and what ideological and institutional functions does it serve? What preceded it, and is it possible for it to become something else? Jeremy Lopez takes up these questions by tracing a history of anthologies of 'non-Shakespearean' drama from Robert Dodsley's Select Collection of Old Plays (1744) through those recently published by Blackwell, Norton, and Routledge. Containing dozens of short, provocative readings of unfamiliar plays, this book will benefit those who seek a broader sense of the period's dazzling array of forms.
The Battle against Anarchist Terrorism
Authors: Jensen Richard Bach
Published: December 2013

This is the first global history of the secret diplomatic and police campaign that was waged against anarchist terrorism from 1878 to the 1920s. Anarchist terrorism was at that time the dominant form of terrorism and for many continued to be synonymous with terrorism as late as the 1930s. Ranging from Europe and the Americas to the Middle East and Asia, Richard Bach Jensen explores how anarchist terrorism emerged as a global phenomenon during the first great era of economic and social globalization at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries and reveals why some nations were so much more successful in combating this new threat than others. He shows how the challenge of dealing with this new form of terrorism led to the fundamental modernization of policing in many countries and also discusses its impact on criminology and international law.
Water in Biological and Chemical Processes
Authors: Bagchi Biman
Published: December 2013

Building up from microscopic basics to observed complex functions, this insightful monograph explains and describes how the unique molecular properties of water give rise to its structural and dynamical behaviour which in turn translates into its role in biological and chemical processes. The discussion of the biological functions of water details not only the stabilising effect of water in proteins and DNA, but also the direct role that water molecules themselves play in biochemical processes, such as enzyme kinetics, protein synthesis and drug-DNA interaction. The overview of the behaviour of water in chemical systems discusses hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic effects, as well as the interactions of water with micelles, reverse micelles, microemulsions and carbon nanotubes. Supported by extensive experimental and computer simulation data, highlighting many of the recent advances in the study of water in complex systems, this is an ideal resource for anyone studying water at the molecular level.
Beyond the Balance of Power
Authors: Jackson Peter
Published: December 2013

This is a major new study of French foreign and security policy before, during and after the First World War. Peter Jackson examines the interplay between two contending conceptions of security: the first based on traditional practices of power politics and the second on internationalist doctrines that emerged in the late nineteenth century. He pays particular attention to the social and political context in which security policy was made and to the cultural dynamics of the policy-making process. The result is a comprehensive reassessment of France's security policy in the era of the Great War. The book reconsiders the evolution of French war aims and reinterprets the peace policy of the Clemenceau government in 1919. It also provides a new perspective on the foreign policy of successive French governments in the early 1920s. It shows that internationalist ideas were far more influential over this entire period than is commonly understood.