bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A flow visualization model of duodenogastric reflux after esophagectomy with gastric interposition
Authors: Park Chul-Hyun , Lee Jae-Ik , Sung Jaeyong , Choi Sunghoon , Ko Kwang-Pil
Published: September 2013

Background

Our goal was to verify surgical factors that affect duodenogastric reflux (DGR) after esophagectomy through the use of a flow visualization model that would mimic an intrathoracic gastric tube.

Methods

Transparent gastric tube models for different routes (retrosternal space [RS] and posterior mediastinum [PM]) were fabricated. Various distal pressures were applied to the experimental model filled with water, and the flow was recorded with a high-speed camera. The volume and maximum height of the refluxate through the pylori of two different sizes (7.5 mm, 15 mm) in two different postures (upright, semi-Fowler) was measured by analyzing the video clips.

Results

For the large pylorus setting, when the pressures of 20, 30, and 40 mmHg were applied in the upright position, the volumes of the refluxate in the RS/PM tubes were 87.7 ± 1.1/96.4 ± 1.7 mL, 150.8 ± 1.1/158.0 ± 3.2 mL, and 156.8 ± 3.3/198.0 ± 4.7 mL (p < 0.05), and the maximum heights were 101.6 ± 4.8/113.4 ± 2.9 mm, 151.4 ± 2.2/165.4 ± 1.5 mm, and 166.1 ± 1.7/193.7 ± 6.6 mm (p < 0.05). The data for the small pylorus setting or in the semi-Fowler position showed similar tendencies. For any given route, posture or pressure setting, DGR in the large pylorus model was definitively higher than that for small one.

Conclusions

This fluid mechanics study demonstrates posterior mediastinal gastric interposition or pyloric drainage procedure, or both, is associated with high reflux of duodenal contents.
Isolation of anticancer constituents from flos genkwa (Daphne genkwaSieb.et Zucc.) through bioassay-guided procedures
Authors: Li Simeng , Chou Guixin , Hseu Youcheng , Yang Hsinling , Kwan HiuYee , Yu Zhiling
Published: September 2013

Background

Flos Genkwa (yuanhua in Chinese), the dried flower buds of Daphne genkwa Sieb.et Zucc. (Thymelaeaceae), is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb mainly used for diuretic, antitussive, expectorant, and anticancer effects. However, systematic and comprehensive studies on Flos Genkwa and its bioactivity are limited.

Results

After confirmation of the anti-tumor activity, the 95% ethanolic extract was subjected to successive solvent partitioning to petroleum ether, dichloromethane, n-butanol, and water soluble fractions. Each fraction was tested using the same biological activity model, and the dichloromethane fraction had the highest activity. The dichloromethane fraction was subjected to further chromatographic separation for the isolation of compounds 1–13. Among the 13 compounds, the diterpene esters (compounds 10–13) showed anticancer activity, whereas the flavonoids, lignanoids, and peptides showed moderate activity. Compound 13 was a new daphnane diterpenoid, which was named genkwanin VIII.

The preliminary antitumor mechanism of yuanhuacine was studied by protein expression and cell cycle analysis in MCF-7 cancer cells.

Conclusion

The present investigation tends to support the traditional use of Flos Genkwa for treating cancer. Through bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation techniques, the CH2Cl2 fraction was determined as the active fraction of the flower buds of D. genkwa, and the anti-tumor activity was ascribable to the compounds 10–13.
Pathway-based outlier method reveals heterogeneous genomic structure of autism in blood transcriptome
Authors: Campbell Malcolm G , Kohane Isaac S , Kong Sek Won
Published: September 2013

Background

Decades of research strongly suggest that the genetic etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is heterogeneous. However, most published studies focus on group differences between cases and controls. In contrast, we hypothesized that the heterogeneity of the disorder could be characterized by identifying pathways for which individuals are outliers rather than pathways representative of shared group differences of the ASD diagnosis.

Methods

Two previously published blood gene expression data sets – the Translational Genetics Research Institute (TGen) dataset (70 cases and 60 unrelated controls) and the Simons Simplex Consortium (Simons) dataset (221 probands and 191 unaffected family members) – were analyzed. All individuals of each dataset were projected to biological pathways, and each sample’s Mahalanobis distance from a pooled centroid was calculated to compare the number of case and control outliers for each pathway.

Results

Analysis of a set of blood gene expression profiles from 70 ASD and 60 unrelated controls revealed three pathways whose outliers were significantly overrepresented in the ASD cases: neuron development including axonogenesis and neurite development (29% of ASD, 3% of control), nitric oxide signaling (29%, 3%), and skeletal development (27%, 3%). Overall, 50% of cases and 8% of controls were outliers in one of these three pathways, which could not be identified using group comparison or gene-level outlier methods. In an independently collected data set consisting of 221 ASD and 191 unaffected family members, outliers in the neurogenesis pathway were heavily biased towards cases (20.8% of ASD, 12.0% of control). Interestingly, neurogenesis outliers were more common among unaffected family members (Simons) than unrelated controls (TGen), but the statistical significance of this effect was marginal (Chi squared P < 0.09).

Conclusions

Unlike group difference approaches, our analysis identified the samples within the case and control groups that manifested each expression signal, and showed that outlier groups were distinct for each implicated pathway. Moreover, our results suggest that by seeking heterogeneity, pathway-based outlier analysis can reveal expression signals that are not apparent when considering only shared group differences.
The ovarian transcriptome of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, feeding upon a bovine host infected with Babesia bovis
Authors: Heekin Andrew M , Guerrero Felix D , Bendele Kylie G , Saldivar Leo , Scoles Glen A , Dowd Scot E , Gondro Cedric , Nene Vishvanath , Djikeng Appolinaire , Brayton Kelly A
Published: September 2013

Background

Cattle babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle with the most severe form of the disease caused by the apicomplexan, Babesia bovis. Babesiosis is transmitted to cattle through the bite of infected cattle ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus. The most prevalent species is Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, which is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. The transmission of B. bovis is transovarian and a previous study of the R. microplus ovarian proteome identified several R. microplus proteins that were differentially expressed in response to infection. Through various approaches, we studied the reaction of the R. microplus ovarian transcriptome in response to infection by B. bovis.

Methods

A group of ticks were allowed to feed on a B. bovis-infected splenectomized calf while a second group fed on an uninfected splenectomized control calf. RNA was purified from dissected adult female ovaries of both infected and uninfected ticks and a subtracted B. bovis-infected cDNA library was synthesized, subtracting with the uninfected ovarian RNA. Four thousand ESTs were sequenced from the ovary subtracted library and annotated.

Results

The subtracted library dataset assembled into 727 unique contigs and 2,161 singletons for a total of 2,888 unigenes, Microarray experiments designed to detect B. bovis-induced gene expression changes indicated at least 15 transcripts were expressed at a higher level in ovaries from ticks feeding upon the B. bovis-infected calf as compared with ovaries from ticks feeding on an uninfected calf. We did not detect any transcripts from these microarray experiments that were expressed at a lower level in the infected ovaries compared with the uninfected ovaries. Using the technique called serial analysis of gene expression, 41 ovarian transcripts from infected ticks were differentially expressed when compared with transcripts of controls.

Conclusion

Collectively, our experimental approaches provide the first comprehensive profile of the R. microplus ovarian transcriptome responding to infection by B. bovis. This dataset should prove useful in molecular studies of host-pathogen interactions between this tick and its apicomplexan parasite.
Antimicrobial activities of stearidonic and gamma-linolenic acids from the green seaweed Enteromorpha linza against several oral pathogenic bacteria
Authors: Park Nam-Hee , Choi Jae-Suk , Hwang Seon-Yeong , Kim Yang-Chun , Hong Yong-Ki , Cho Kwang Keun , Choi In Soon
Published: September 2013

Background

We found that the edible green seaweed Enteromorpha linza displayed potent antimicrobial activity against Prevotella intermedia and Porphyromonas gingivalis. To elucidate the active component of E. linza, isolation procedures were performed.

Results

The main active compound was isolated by polarity fractionation, Sephadex LH-20 gel chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The active compounds were eluted at isocratic 95% acetonitrile by RP-HPLC and identified as unsaturated fatty acids, stearidonic acid (SA, C18:4 n-3) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, C18:3 n-6) by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The yields of SA and GLA from dried seaweed tissue were 6.33 × 10-3% and 6.47 × 10-3%, respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration values of SA and GLA were 39.06 μg/mL against P. intermedia and 9.76 μg/mL against P. gingivalis, respectively. SA and GLA were also active against several other oral pathogens, including Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Candida albicans, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. vincenti, and Streptococcus mutans, at micromolar concentrations.

Conclusions

These data suggest that the E. linza extracts SA and GLA are useful antimicrobial agents for the prevention and/or treatment of periodontitis.
Designing and implementing unemployment benefit systems in middle and low income countries: beyond risk-pooling vs savings
Authors: Robalino David A , Weber Michael
Published: September 2013

Several middle income countries are considering reforms to their severance pay regulations to both increase flexibility for firms and better protect workers. Policy discussions then often revolve around whether to adopt an unemployment insurance (UI) scheme or unemployment individual savings accounts (UISAs). Proponents of the first emphasize its ability to pool risks and introduce an element of solidarity. Critics point to its potentially negative effects on labor supply as individuals could have fewer incentives to seek, take or keep jobs. In this paper, we show that UI and UISAs are, in fact, particular cases of a more general design and that the crucial policy choice is in terms of how redistribution - to cover benefits for those who could not save enough - is financed. We outline key features of this general design and identify trade-offs and possible solutions. We then discuss issues related to implementation and show how recent technological developments around biometric identification can facilitate the monitoring of conditionalities related to participation in job-search and training activities.

JEL codes

O15, J64, H55
Phase I trial of the oral PARP inhibitor olaparib in combination with paclitaxel for first- or second-line treatment of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Dent Rebecca A , Lindeman Geoffrey J , Clemons Mark , Wildiers Hans , Chan Arlene , McCarthy Nicole J , Singer Christian F , Lowe Elizabeth S , Watkins Claire L , Carmichael James
Published: September 2013

Introduction

This Phase I study evaluated the safety, tolerability and efficacy of olaparib, a potent oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC).

Methods

Eligible patients who had received ≤1 prior cytotoxic regimen for mTNBC were treated with olaparib 200 mg bid continuously plus weekly paclitaxel 90 mg/m2 for three weeks per four-week cycle. Dose modifications in a large proportion of patients due to neutropenia resulted in enrollment of a second cohort of patients who, if they experienced grade ≥2 neutropenia in cycle 1, received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, which was continued prophylactically in subsequent cycles. All patients had measurable disease; tumor responses were evaluated according to RECIST (version 1.0).

Results

Nineteen patients (cohort 1, n = 9; cohort 2, n = 10) received treatment; 15 had received prior taxane chemotherapy. The most frequent adverse events were diarrhea (n = 12, 63%), nausea (n = 11, 58%) and neutropenia (n = 11, 58%). Seven neutropenia events were reported in cohort 1 (four grade ≥3) and four in cohort 2 (two grade ≥3, including one event of febrile neutropenia). The median (range) dose intensity of paclitaxel was 57% (26 to 100%) in cohort 1 and 73% (29 to 100%) in cohort 2. Seven patients (37%) had a confirmed partial response; one patient remains on olaparib monotherapy without progression.

Conclusions

The combination of olaparib and weekly paclitaxel was complicated by a significant clinical interaction, with higher-than-expected rates of neutropenia despite secondary prophylaxis. Given the encouraging response rate, alternative scheduling and dosing strategies should be considered (funded by AstraZeneca; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00707707).
Development of the Post Cardiac Surgery (POCAS) prognostic score
Authors: Tamayo Eduardo , Fierro Inma , Bustamante-Munguira Juan , Heredia-Rodríguez María , Jorge-Monjas Pablo , Maroto Laura , Gómez-Sánchez Esther , Bermejo-Martín Francisco Jesús , Álvarez Francisco Javier , Gómez-Herreras José Ignacio
Published: September 2013

Introduction

The risk of mortality in cardiac surgery is generally evaluated using preoperative risk-scale models. However, intraoperative factors may change the risk factors of patients, and the organism functionality parameters determined upon ICU admittance could therefore be more relevant in deciding operative mortality. The goals of this study were to find associations between the general parameters of organism functionality upon ICU admission and the operative mortality following cardiac operations, to develop a Post Cardiac Surgery (POCAS) Scale to define operative risk categories and to validate an operative mortality risk score.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study, including 920 patients who had undergone cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Several parameters recorded on their ICU admission were explored, looking for a univariate and multivariate association with in-hospital mortality (90 days). In-hospital mortality was 9%. Four independent factors were included in the POCAS mortality risk model: mean arterial pressure, bicarbonate, lactate and the International Normalized Ratio (INR). The POCAS scale was compared with four other risk scores in the validation series.

Results

In-hospital mortality (90 days) was 9%. Four independent factors were included in the POCAS mortality risk model: mean arterial pressure, bicarbonate ratio, lactate ratio and the INR. The POCAS scale was compared with four other risk scores in the validation series. Discriminatory power (accuracy) was defined with a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. The best accuracy in predicting in-hospital mortality (90 days) was achieved by POCAS. The areas under the ROC curves of the different systems analyzed were 0.890 (POCAS), followed by 0.847 (Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAP II)), 0.825 (Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)), 0.768 (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II)), 0.754 (logistic EuroSCORE), 0.714 (standard EuroSCORE) and 0.699 (Age, Creatinine, Ejection Fraction (ACEF) score).

Conclusions

Our new system to predict the operative mortality risk of patients undergoing cardiac surgery is better than others used for this purpose (SAP II, SOFA, APACHE II, logistic EuroSCORE, standard EuroSCORE, and ACEF score). Moreover, it is an easy-to-use tool since it only requires four risk factors for its calculation.
A prospective longitudinal multicentre study of health related quality of life in ICU survivors with COPD
Authors: Berkius Johan , Engerström Lars , Orwelius Lotti , Nordlund Peter , Sjöberg Folke , Fredrikson Mats , Walther Sten M
Published: September 2013

Introduction

Mortality amongst COPD patients treated on the ICU is high. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) after intensive care is a relevant concern for COPD patients, their families and providers of health care. Still, there are few HRQL studies after intensive care of this patient group. Our hypothesis was that HRQL of COPD patients treated on the ICU declines rapidly with time.

Methods

Fifty-one COPD patients (COPD-ICU group) with an ICU stay longer than 24 hours received a questionnaire at 6, 12 and 24 months after discharge from ICU. HRQL was measured using two generic instruments: the EuroQoL instrument (EQ-5D and EQ-VAS) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). The results were compared to HRQL of two reference groups from the general population; an age- and sex-adjusted reference population (Non-COPD reference) and a reference group with COPD (COPD reference).

Results

HRQL of the COPD-ICU group at 6 months after discharge from ICU was lower compared to the COPD reference group: Median EQ-5D was 0.66 vs. 0.73, P = 0.08 and median EQ-VAS was 50 vs.55, P < 0.05. There were no significant differences in the SF-36 dimensions between the COPD-ICU and COPD-reference groups, although the difference in physical functioning (PF) approached statistical significance (P = 0.059). Patients in the COPD-ICU group who were lost to follow-up after 6 months had low HRQL scores at 6 months. Scores for patients who died were generally lower compared to patients who failed to respond to the questionnaire. The PF and social functioning (SF) scores in those who died were significantly lower compared to patients with a complete follow up. HRQL of patients in the COPD-ICU group that survived a complete 24 months follow up was low but stable with no statistically significant decline from 6 to 24 months after ICU discharge. Their HRQL at 24 months was not significantly different from HRQL in the COPD reference group.

Conclusions

HRQL in COPD survivors after intensive care was low but did not decline from 6 to 24 months after discharge from ICU. Furthermore, HRQL at 24 months was similar to patients with COPD who had not received ICU treatment.
Genome-wide signatures of differential DNA methylation in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Nordlund Jessica , Bäcklin Christofer L , Wahlberg Per , Busche Stephan , Berglund Eva C , Eloranta Maija-Leena , Flaegstad Trond , Forestier Erik , Frost Britt-Marie , Harila-Saari Arja , Heyman Mats , Jónsson Ólafur G , Larsson Rolf , Palle Josefine , Rönnblom Lars , Schmiegelow Kjeld , Sinnett Daniel , Söderhäll Stefan , Pastinen Tomi , Gustafsson Mats G , Lönnerholm Gudmar , Syvänen Ann-Christine
Published: September 2013

Background

Although aberrant DNA methylation has been observed previously in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the patterns of differential methylation have not been comprehensively determined in all subtypes of ALL on a genome-wide scale. The relationship between DNA methylation, cytogenetic background, drug resistance and relapse in ALL is poorly understood.

Results

We surveyed the DNA methylation levels of 435,941 CpG sites in samples from 764 children at diagnosis of ALL and from 27 children at relapse. This survey uncovered four characteristic methylation signatures. First, compared with control blood cells, the methylomes of ALL cells shared 9,406 predominantly hypermethylated CpG sites, independent of cytogenetic background. Second, each cytogenetic subtype of ALL displayed a unique set of hyper- and hypomethylated CpG sites. The CpG sites that constituted these two signatures differed in their functional genomic enrichment to regions with marks of active or repressed chromatin. Third, we identified subtype-specific differential methylation in promoter and enhancer regions that were strongly correlated with gene expression. Fourth, a set of 6,612 CpG sites was predominantly hypermethylated in ALL cells at relapse, compared with matched samples at diagnosis. Analysis of relapse-free survival identified CpG sites with subtype-specific differential methylation that divided the patients into different risk groups, depending on their methylation status.

Conclusions

Our results suggest an important biological role for DNA methylation in the differences between ALL subtypes and in their clinical outcome after treatment.
The mutational landscape of chromatin regulatory factors across 4,623 tumor samples
Authors: Gonzalez-Perez Abel , Jene-Sanz Alba , Lopez-Bigas Nuria
Published: September 2013

Background

Chromatin regulatory factors are emerging as important genes in cancer development and are regarded as interesting candidates for novel targets for cancer treatment. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the role of this group of genes in different cancer types.

Results

We have analyzed 4,623 tumor samples from thirteen anatomical sites to determine which chromatin regulatory factors are candidate drivers in these different sites. We identify 34 chromatin regulatory factors that are likely drivers in tumors from at least one site, all with relatively low mutational frequency. We also analyze the relative importance of mutations in this group of genes for the development of tumorigenesis in each site, and in different tumor types from the same site.

Conclusions

We find that, although tumors from all thirteen sites show mutations in likely driver chromatin regulatory factors, these are more prevalent in tumors arising from certain tissues. With the exception of hematopoietic, liver and kidney tumors, as a median, the mutated factors are less than one fifth of all mutated drivers across all sites analyzed. We also show that mutations in two of these genes, MLL and EP300, correlate with broad expression changes across cancer cell lines, thus presenting at least one mechanism through which these mutations could contribute to tumorigenesis in cells of the corresponding tissues.
Prognostic Relevance of Treatment Response Measured by Flow Cytometric Residual Disease Detection in Older Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Freeman Sylvie D. , Virgo Paul , Couzens Steve , Grimwade David , Russell Nigel , Hills Robert K. , Burnett Alan K.
Published: September 2013

Purpose

Older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a high relapse rate after standard chemotherapy. We investigated whether measuring chemotherapy sensitivity by multiparameter flow cytometric minimal residual disease (MFC-MRD) detection has prognostic value in patients older than age 60 years or is simply a surrogate for known age-related risk factors.

Patient and Methods

Eight hundred ninety-two unselected patients treated intensively in the United Kingdom National Cancer Research Institute AML16 Trial were assessed prospectively for MFC-MRD during treatment. Eight hundred thirty-three patients had leukemia-associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs) identified by pretreatment screening. Four hundred twenty-seven patients entered complete remission (CR) after one or two courses (designated C1 and C2, respectively) and were MFC-MRD assessable by LAIP detection in CR bone marrow for at least one of these time points. MRD positivity was defined as residual disease detectable by LAIP.

Results

MFC-MRD negativity, which was achieved in 51% of patients after C1 (n = 286) and 64% of patients after C2 (n = 279), conferred significantly better 3-year survival from CR (C1: 42% v 26% in MRD-positive patients, P < .001; C2: 38% v 18%, respectively; P < .001) and reduced relapse (C1: 71% v 83% in MRD-positive patients, P < .001; C2: 79% v 91%, respectively; P < .001), with higher risk of early relapse in MRD-positive patients (median time to relapse, 8.5 v 17.1 months, respectively). In multivariable analysis, MRD status at the post-C1 time point independently predicted survival, identifying a subgroup of intermediate-risk patients with particularly poor outcome. However, survival benefit from gemtuzumab ozogamicin was not associated with MFC-MRD chemotherapy sensitivity.

Conclusion

Early assessment of treatment response using flow cytometry provides powerful independent prognostic information in older adults with AML, lending support to the incorporation of MRD detection to refine risk stratification and inform clinical trial design in this challenging group of patients.
Frequency of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Among Patients With High- or Intermediate-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission
Authors: Mawad Raya , Gooley Ted A. , Sandhu Vicky , Lionberger Jack , Scott Bart , Sandmaier Brenda M. , O'Donnell Paul , Becker Pamela S. , Petersdorf Stephen , Dorcy Kathleen Shannon , Hendrie Paul , Sorror Mohamed L. , Walter Roland B. , Deeg H. Joachim , Appelbaum Frederick R. , Estey Elihu H. , Pagel John M.
Published: September 2013

Purpose

To determine the frequency of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1).

Patients and Methods

Between January 1, 2008, and March 1, 2011, 212 newly diagnosed patients with AML received treatment at our center. Ninety-five patients age less than 75 years with intermediate- or high-risk AML achieved a complete remission, and 21 patients achieved a morphologic remission with incomplete blood count recovery.

Results

Seventy-eight (67%; 95% CI, 58% to 76%) of 116 patients received HCT at a median of 2.8 months (range, 0.5 to 19 months) from their CR1 date. The median age was 57 years in both the HCT patient group (range, 18 to 75 years) and the non-HCT patient group (range, 24 to 70 years; P = .514). Between the HCT patients and the non-HCT patients, the mean Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 1.1 compared with 1.5, respectively (P = .005), and the average HCT comorbidity score within 60 days of CR1 was 1.7 and 2.1, respectively (P = .68). Twenty-nine (76%) of 38 non-HCT patients were HLA typed, and matched donors were found for 13 of these 29 patients (34% of all non-HCT patients). The most common causes for patients not receiving transplantation in CR1 were early relapse (within 6 months) in 12 patients (32%), poor performance status in eight patients (21%), and physician decision in five patients (13%).

Conclusion

HCT can be performed in CR1 in the majority of patients with AML for whom it is currently recommended. The main barriers to HCT were early relapse and poor performance status, highlighting the need for improved therapies for patients with AML of all ages.
Environment, Health, and Human Capital
Authors: Graff Zivin Joshua , Neidell Matthew
Published: September 2013

In this review, we discuss three major contributions economists have made to our understanding of the relationship between the environment and individual well-being. First, in explicitly recognizing how optimizing behavior, particularly in the form of residential sorting, can lead to nonrandom assignment of pollution, economists have employed a wide range of quasi-experimental techniques to develop causal estimates of the effect of pollution. Second, economic research has placed a considerable focus on the role of avoidance behavior, which is an important component for understanding the difference between biological and behavioral effects of pollution and for proper welfare calculations. Lastly, economic research has expanded the focus of analysis beyond traditional health outcomes to include measures of human capital, including labor supply, productivity, and cognition. Our review of the quasi-experimental evidence on this topic suggests that pollution does indeed have a wide range of effects on individual well-being, even at levels well below current regulatory standards. Given the importance of health and human capital as an engine for economic growth, these findings underscore the role of environmental conditions as an important factor of production. (JEL I12, I31, J24, Q51, Q53)
A Review of Enrico Moretti's The New Geography of Jobs
Authors: Glaeser Edward
Published: September 2013

Why is prosperity distributed so unevenly across America's metropolitan areas? While population growth has gone disproportionately towards the Sunbelt, high-skill areas have experienced the strongest income growth since 1970. Gaps between more and less educated areas were modest forty years ago, but they have become quite large, and far larger than would be predicted solely by the general rise in the returns to skill. Unemployment rates during the recent recession were also strongly correlated with area level education. This essay reviews Enrico Moretti's The New Geography of Jobs, which both describes and explains these significant regional trends. (JEL I32, J24, R12, R23, R32)
Gestão da Sustentabilidade Organizacional: inovação, aprendizagem e capital humano
Authors: Azevedo Adalberto Mantovani Martiniano de
Published: September 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13071/regec.2317-5087.2013.2.1.4582.231-238.A coletânea de artigos que compõem a obra Gestão da sustentabilidade organizacional: inovação, aprendizagem e capital humano baseia-se nas ideias de que o gerenciamento de fontes externas e internas de conhecimento é fundamental para a introdução de inovações tecnológicas e organizacionais, sendo este um fator decisivo para a manutenção e ampliação da relevância econômica de organizações públicas e privadas. Com base nessas ideias, os diversos artigos da coletânea focam as estratégias de gestão do capital humano, recurso interno das organizações essencial para desenvolver o que Teece, Pisano e Chuen (1997) chamam de competências dinâmicas das organizações. Essas competências dinâmicas podem ser entendidas como capacitações específicas para implementar combinações mais eficientes dos recursos internos e externos, através da geração de inovações tecnológicas e organizacionais que garantam a sustentabilidade organizacional frente a mudanças em seu ambiente externo
Estratégias Tecnológicas e Dinâmica de Inovação das Empresas Agroindustriais no Brasil
Authors: Carvalho Silvia Angélica Domingues de , Furtado Andre Tosi
Published: September 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13071/regec.2317-5087.2013.2.1.4906.47-75.Este artigo analisa o comportamento e as estratégias das empresas agroalimentares brasileiras no período de 1998 a 2005, focando os aspectos tecnológicos e inovadores. A principal base de dados utilizada para a construção dos indicadores foi a Pesquisa Industrial de Inovação Tecnológica (PINTEC-IBGE). A metodologia também se apoiou em extensa revisão de literatura. Observou-se que o setor de alimentos e bebidas foi marcado por baixos indicadores de esforço tecnológico, mas elevados indicadores de resultado, demonstrando que a agroindústria nacional desempenhou um papel de difusora tecnológica e atuou pouco como geradora de conhecimento. Os reduzidos esforços tecnológicos, entretanto, se mostraram suficientes para resultados econômicos significativos, visualizados pelo aumento da participação das empresas inovadoras de alimentos no valor da transformação industrial e no valor exportado pelas empresas do setor.
Digital Droplet PCR for Rapid Quantification of Donor DNA in the Circulation of Transplant Recipients as a Potential Universal Biomarker of Graft Injury
Authors: Beck Julia , Bierau Sarah , Balzer Stefan , Andag Reiner , Kanzow Philipp , Schmitz Jessica , Gaedcke Jochen , Moerer Onnen , Slotta Jan E , Walson Philip , Kollmar Otto , Oellerich Michael , Schütz Ekkehard
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from grafts in the circulation of transplant recipients is a potential biomarker of rejection. Its usefulness was investigated after heart transplantation during the maintenance phase by use of microarrays and massive parallel sequencing of donor and recipient DNA. Disadvantages of these methods are high costs, long turnaround times, and need for donor DNA. Therefore, we sought to develop a rapid and cost-effective method using digital droplet PCR (ddPCR).

METHODS

Plasma samples were collected from stable recipients after liver (LTx, n = 10), kidney (KTx, n = 9), and heart (HTx, n = 8) transplantation as well as from 7 additional patients directly after LTx. Known single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected for high minor allelic frequencies, of which 41 hydrolysis probe assays were established. Plasma cfDNA was preamplified, followed by conventional real-time PCR to define informative (heterologous) SNPs, which were then used for quantification (percentage) of graft-derived cfDNA (GcfDNA) using ddPCR.

RESULTS

Mean recovery was 94% (SD, 13%) with an imprecision of 4%–14% with the use of controls with 2% minor allele. GcfDNA in stable patients was <6.8% (LTx), <2.5% (KTx), and <3.4% (HTx). On the day of LTx, GcfDNA was approximately 90% and by day 10 it was <15% in complication-free LTx recipients. In 2 patients with biopsy-proven rejection, GcfDNA increased to >60%, whereas in 1 patient with cholestasis no increase was found.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel, cost-effective, rapid technique was developed to quantify GcfDNA in transplant recipients. This technique embodies a promising, potentially universal biomarker for early detection of rejection, which could enable more effective therapeutic interventions.
Of motors, martians and jazz age cities : The stereoscopic inventions of Laurens Hammond
Authors: Chapman Owen , Loader Alison Reiko
Published: September 2013

Our article focuses on Laurens Hammond’s stereoscopic inventions of the 1920s. The ‘Teleview’ system, an early example of S3D cinema, synchronized projectors and seat-mounted viewing apparatuses with the a/c motor that would later drive his musical instruments. Shortly after its acclaimed New York premiere in 1922 (mere months after the similarly ill-fated S3D Fairall system), Hammond reconfigured his invention into a live vaudeville act using his competitor’s simpler but less effective anaglyph technique. Patented and licensed to the Ziegfeld Follies, his largely forgotten ‘Shadowgraph’ astonished audiences with live stereoscopy. Our article postulates that this apparent regression from electromechanical cinema spectacles to disposable theatre glasses was due less to the technical and economic challenges of Hammond’s initial system, and more to its construction as a form of Tom Gunning’s so-called ‘cinema of the attractions’.
Beyond cheap thrills: 3D cinema today, the parallax debates and the ‘Pop-Out’
Authors: Klinger Barbara
Published: September 2013

One of the most debated aspects of contemporary 3D cinema is its use of the illusion of depth that extends from the screen into the audience’s space. This is known in technical terms as negative parallax and by audiences as the ‘pop-out’. Critics often equate negative parallax with low-budget 1950s 3D films, such as Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), wherein the amphibious claw of the title monster as it reaches for the viewer seems to exploit 3D technology for cheap thrills and quick profits. In discussions today about how 3D should be used, commentators wish for a more mature and artistic 3D cinema; this cinema would mine the depth behind the screen, using, in technical terms, positive parallax. This article investigates negative parallax in live-action films of the last two years to question the typical terms by which it is appraised within the parallax debates. I argue that negative parallax’s dismissal as gimmickry has obscured the vital functions it serves in film. The objects that appear to enter the theatre’s space help to identify essential aspects of a film’s style and genre, as well as its relationship to other media that play a role in adaptation. While, because of its hypervisuality – it breaks the fourth wall – the pop-out seems anomalous in relation to the invisible style usually associated with classical Hollywood film, it has significant ties to cinematic techniques that have previously been deployed for the purposes of visual emphasis. My goal is to suspend aesthetic arguments about negative parallax to shed light on the textual roles this key element of the 3D style and experience plays in a variety of films, including superhero blockbusters, horror and fantasy films, comedies, and art-house documentaries, while situating it in the context of past visually arresting techniques used in mainstream cinema.
Transitions, images and stereoscopic 3D cinema
Authors: Burnett Ron
Published: September 2013

All media are undergoing a major shift from traditional modes of production to new digital forms. The reemergence of 3D stereoscopic films is the product of a large number of cultural and technological changes that have come into play over the last decade. Games, graphic simulations and the web are all to varying degrees implicated in the interest that creators and viewers are showing in new forms of interactions with images as well as new production models. And, since computers of varying sorts and sizes drive all of these technologies, it is pretty clear that the age of analogue images has passed.
On the idea of the model
Authors: Cramerotti Alfredo
Published: September 2013

The 2012 Alternativa artistic project in Gdánsk emphasized the need for the return to material stability, approaching the field of the political from the perspective of a tactile and concrete point of view. Rather than absorbing the artistic positions, or the theories underpinning them, one could approach the exhibition as a process for the appraisal of a model. Alfredo Cramerotti’s response takes the form of delineating four types of models that correspond to four artistic positions that struck him as the most compelling: Partizan Publik and Arne Hendricks, Mateusz Herczka, Hiwa K and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.
Study on Nonlinear Oscillations of Gear Systems with Parametric Excitation Solved by Homotopy Analysis Method
Authors: Wen Jianmin , Zhao Iijun , Huang Qianqian , Li Yumeng , Li Liang
Published: September 2013

An analytical technique, namely the homotopy analysis method (HAM), is applied to solve periodic solutions for nonlinear oscillations with parametric excitation in a gear system, in which the periodically time-varying mesh stiffness and gear backlash by using a nonlinear displacement function are included. In this paper, periodic analytic approximations for nonlinear oscillations with parametric excitation are obtained by using HAM, and the results are validated by numerical simulations. Thus the frequency-response curves are obtained by using HAM. Unlike perturbation methods, HAM does not depend on any small physical parameters at all; besides, it is valid for both weakly and strongly nonlinear problems. Moreover, different from all other analytic techniques, the HAM provides us a simple way to adjust and control the convergence region of the series solution by means of an auxiliary parameter ħ.
On the space of commuting orthogonal matrices
Authors: Rojo Galo Higuera
Published: September 2013

We enumerate and describe the path components for the spaces of
ordered commuting k-tuples of orthogonal and special orthogonal
matrices respectively.
We provide a lower bound on the number of
components for the spinor groups.
Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans Potently Inhibit Invasion and Serve as a Central Organizer of the Brain Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Silver Daniel J. , Siebzehnrubl Florian A. , Schildts Michela J. , Yachnis Anthony T. , Smith George M. , Smith Amy A. , Scheffler Bjorn , Reynolds Brent A. , Silver Jerry , Steindler Dennis A.
Published: September 2013

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most pervasive and lethal of all brain malignancies. One factor that contributes to this poor prognosis is the highly invasive character of the tumor. GBM is characterized by microscopic infiltration of tumor cells throughout the brain, whereas non-neural metastases, as well as select lower grade gliomas, develop as self-contained and clearly delineated lesions. Illustrated by rodent xenograft tumor models as well as pathological human patient specimens, we present evidence that one fundamental switch between these two distinct pathologies–invasion and noninvasion–is mediated through the tumor extracellular matrix. Specifically, noninvasive lesions are associated with a rich matrix containing substantial amounts of glycosylated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), whereas glycosylated CSPGs are essentially absent from diffusely infiltrating tumors. CSPGs, acting as central organizers of the tumor microenvironment, dramatically influence resident reactive astrocytes, inducing their exodus from the tumor mass and the resultant encapsulation of noninvasive lesions. Additionally, CSPGs induce activation of tumor-associated microglia. We demonstrate that the astrogliotic capsule can directly inhibit tumor invasion, and its absence from GBM presents an environment favorable to diffuse infiltration. We also identify the leukocyte common antigen-related phosphatase receptor (PTPRF) as a putative intermediary between extracellular glycosylated CSPGs and noninvasive tumor cells. In all, we present CSPGs as critical regulators of brain tumor histopathology and help to clarify the role of the tumor microenvironment in brain tumor invasion.
Irisin mRNA and circulating levels in relation to other myokines in healthy and morbidly obese humans
Authors: Vamvini Maria T , Aronis Konstantinos N , Panagiotou Grigorios , Huh Joo Young , Chamberland John P , Brinkoetter Mary T , Petrou Michael , Christophi Costas A , Kales Stefanos N , Christiani David C , Mantzoros Christos S
Published: September 2013

Objective

Skeletal muscle is considered to be an endocrine organ that secretes a number of myokines including follistatin (FST), myostatin (MSTN), activin A, and the newly identified irisin. Irisin's biology and function exhibit similarities with the functions of the FST–MSTN–activin A axis. It remains unknown whether there is any interplay among these molecules. The aim of this study is to examine potential associations of irisin with the FST, MSTN, and activin A axis.

Methods

Two observational studies were performed to evaluate the associations of irisin with the other three peptides. Study A included 150 healthy males aged 18.48±0.16 years with BMI 23.18±3.75 kg/m2. Fasting serum samples were used to measure the levels of the molecules of interest. Study B included 14 morbidly obese individuals, candidates for bariatric surgery, aged 53.14±8.93 years with BMI 50.18±10.63 kg/m2. Blood samples were obtained after an overnight fast. Eight out of the 14 participants consented to an optional thigh biopsy during their bariatric surgery. Using the above blood and tissue samples, we measured circulating levels and muscle mRNA of irisin, FST, MSTN, and activin A.

Results

We report that FNDC5 mRNA in muscle is positively correlated with FST mRNA expression in morbidly obese subjects (ρ=0.93, P<0.001). We also found that circulating irisin is positively correlated with FST circulating levels among lean subjects (ρ=0.17, P=0.05) while this association was suggestive among the obese (ρ=0.56, P=0.07).

Conclusion

The newly identified myokine irisin may be positively associated with FST at both the mRNA and circulating protein level.
Association of Race and Ethnicity With Management of Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department
Authors: Johnson Tiffani J. , Weaver Matthew D. , Borrero Sonya , Davis Esa M. , Myaskovsky Larissa , Zuckerbraun Noel S. , Kraemer Kevin L.
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To determine if race/ethnicity-based differences exist in the management of pediatric abdominal pain in emergency departments (EDs).

METHODS:

Secondary analysis of data from the 2006–2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey regarding 2298 visits by patients ≤21 years old who presented to EDs with abdominal pain. Main outcomes were documentation of pain score and receipt of any analgesics, analgesics for severe pain (defined as ≥7 on a 10-point scale), and narcotic analgesics. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic tests obtained, length of stay (LOS), 72-hour return visits, and admission.

RESULTS:

Of patient visits, 70.1% were female, 52.6% were from non-Hispanic white, 23.5% were from non-Hispanic black, 20.6% were from Hispanic, and 3.3% were from “other” racial/ethnic groups; patients’ mean age was 14.5 years. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for confounders revealed that non-Hispanic black patients were less likely to receive any analgesic (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–0.87) or a narcotic analgesic (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.18–0.81) than non-Hispanic white patients (referent group). This finding was also true for non-Hispanic black and “other” race/ethnicity patients with severe pain (ORs [95% CI]: 0.43 [0.22–0.87] and 0.02 [0.00–0.19], respectively). Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients were more likely to have a prolonged LOS than non-Hispanic white patients (ORs [95% CI]: 1.68 [1.13–2.51] and 1.64 [1.09–2.47], respectively). No significant race/ethnicity-based disparities were identified in documentation of pain score, use of diagnostic procedures, 72-hour return visits, or hospital admissions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Race/ethnicity-based disparities exist in ED analgesic use and LOS for pediatric abdominal pain. Recognizing these disparities may help investigators eliminate inequalities in care.
Evaluation of an Early Risk Screener for PTSD in Preschool Children After Accidental Injury
Authors: Kramer Didier N. , Hertli Matthias B. , Landolt Markus A.
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the effectiveness and most powerful selection of predictors of an early screening tool for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 87 children ages 2 to 6 years after unintentional injury.

METHODS:

The examined screener was administered within 6 to 13 days post accident and consisted of an adapted version of the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS), the PEDS-ES (PEDS Early Screener), and questions on 5 additional risk factors (preexisting child behavioral problems, parental preexisting chronic mental or physical illness, pretraumatic life events in the family, parental feelings of guilt, parental posttraumatic stress). The PTSD Semi-structured Interview and Observational Record for Infants and Young Children served as criterion measure 6 months after the accident. A case was deemed positive when meeting criteria for full or partial PTSD.

RESULTS:

Use of the PEDS-ES without the additional risk factors performed best, with good sensitivity (85%) and moderate specificity (63%) for full or partial PTSD.

CONCLUSIONS:

The PEDS-ES allows for successful early screening of preschool-aged children after single accidental trauma. It may be used within a stepped-care model for early identification of individuals designated for possible secondary preventative interventions.