bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Macrophage inflammatory protein‐3 alpha (MIP‐3a) Is a novel serum prognostic marker in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Iwata Takashi , Tanaka Koji , Inoue Yasuhiro , Toiyama Yuji , Hiro Junichiro , Fujikawa Hiroyuki , Okugawa Yoshinaga , Uchida Keiichi , Mohri Yasuhiko , Kusunoki Masato 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesA significant prognostic difference exists among metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients despite of any treatments. We identify the specific cytokines related to prognosis of metastatic CRC and assess their prognostic significance.MethodsStage IV CRC patients were divided into two groups according to their prognosis. Difference in serum cytokine level between these groups was determined by the cytokine array. Among the specific cytokines, macrophage inflammatory protein‐3 alpha (MIP‐3a) was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of 242 CRC patients.ResultsSeveral cytokines related to prognostic difference in stage IV CRC were identified. The median MIP‐3a level (28.2 pg/ml) was used as a cut‐off value. Increased MIP‐3a was significantly associated with synchronous liver metastases and age. In univariate analysis, high MIP‐3a was correlated with poor prognosis (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high MIP‐3a was an independent prognostic factor in all CRC patients (P < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, high MIP‐3a was significantly associated with poor survival in patients with stage II, II/III, and IV CRC, respectively.ConclusionsSerum MIP‐3a is not only an independent prognostic factor, but also an independent predictive factor for liver metastasis, which may guide the decision making of metastatic CRC patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:160–166. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognostic significance of tetraspanin CD151 in newly diagnosed glioblastomas
Authors: Lee Dakeun , Suh Yeon‐Lim , Park Tae‐In , Do In‐Gu , Seol Ho Jun , Nam Do‐Hyun , Kim Sung Tae 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundTetraspanin CD151 is a positive effector of cancer invasion and metastasis.MethodsWe investigated the expression of CD151 by immunohistochemistry in 211 cases of grade I to IV gliomas. Additionally, we performed O6‐methylguanin‐DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation analysis using real‐time methylation‐specific PCR in 36 patients with glioblastoma, and the prognostic significance of these biomarkers in glioblastomas was evaluated.ResultsOverexpression of CD151 was observed in a significant proportion (55.6%) of glioblastomas, while CD151 was rarely overexpressed in most of grade I to III glial tumors. CD151 overexpression was closely associated with MGMT methylation (P = 0.014), and it was a prognostic factor for predicting worse overall survival (OS; P = 0.002) and progression‐free survival (PFS; P = 0.043). We also found that combination of CD151 overexpression and MGMT methylation better stratified the patients' OS (P = 0.001) and PFS (P = 0.009). In multivariate analysis, CD151 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS over MGMT methylation (P = 0.012).ConclusionsCD151 seems to have a critical role for high‐grade progression in astroglial tumors. Furthermore, CD151 is a good tissue marker that can be used easily in a daily practice for predicting worse prognosis in patients with glioblastoma. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:646–652. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Estimating past and future male loss in three Zambian lion populations
Authors: Becker Matthew S. , Watson Fred G.R. , Droge Egil , Leigh Kellie , Carlson Ron S. , Carlson Anne A. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractAfrican lions (Panthera leo) are declining continent‐wide, with protected area populations subject to a variety of anthropogenic effects. Zambia contains viable lion populations of considerable importance for photographic and hunting tourism, but long‐term lion demographic data do not exist to guide recent management directives and population projections under different strategies. We described population size, as well as age and sex structure of lions in 3 Zambian national park populations bordering hunting areas, and found them to be male‐depleted relative to other systems. We then estimated rates of adult male loss leading to male depletion in these populations and the effect of different future hunting management options on population characteristics. Predictions from matrix population models constructed within a Bayesian framework confirmed that the observed population structure was likely due to high rates of adult male loss and that instituting age limits on male harvests with quota reductions would reduce male depletion, improve tourism by providing older and more abundant males, and slightly increase population size. Reducing male mortality from wire snare poaching would also result in similar demographic impacts, and in concert with changes in hunting regulations would substantially improve the quality and quantity of adult male lions. However, model results varied depending on whether we assumed historical population stability. Predictions assuming negative historical growth rate indicated that substantially more conservative lion harvest management is warranted. We discuss the relevance of these findings for maintaining viable lion populations in and around protected areas in Zambia. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Ungulate damage to safflower in Utah
Authors: Haney Michael J. , Conover Michael R. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIn Utah, farmers are concerned that ungulates are damaging safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) fields. We examined elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) damage to safflower production in San Juan County, Utah during 2009 and 2010. We collected data on damaged safflower plants within 28 fields, totaling 1,581 ha (13 fields totaling 963 ha during 2009; 15 fields totaling 618 ha during 2010). We compared 3 methods to assess yield losses: ungulate‐proof exclosures, adjacent plant compensation method, and counting the number of damaged plants in 50‐m transects (safflower count method). Exclosures were of limited use because they could not be erected until farmers stopped cultivating their fields. Hence, this method did not account for ungulate damage to young plants. The adjacent plant compensation method assessed yields within 1 m of a randomly selected damaged plant to account for any compensatory growth of neighboring plants, but this method proved inaccurate because ungulate herbivory was concentrated so that a browsed plant was often surrounded by other browsed plants so no compensatory growth by surrounding plants occurred. The most accurate method was the safflower count method, which determined the number of damaged plants within a field and then multiplied this number by the decrease in yield from an average damaged plant. We used this method to examine 981,000 plants for damage. Deer and elk damaged or killed 7.2% of safflower plants during 2009 and 1.4% of plants during 2010. Overall yield reduction was 2.9% during 2009 and 0.6% in 2010. The value of safflower loss within all surveyed fields in 2009 was $9,023 for a loss of $9.42/ha. The loss of value within surveyed fields in 2010 was $2,330, or $3.77/ha. The best model for predicting ungulate damage during 2009 included distance to a canyon and the percent of a field bordered by a fallow field, whereas the best model for 2010 included distance to a canyon and the percent of a field bordered by a wheat field. We surveyed safflower farmers during the spring of 2010 to compare perceived losses in their fields during 2009 to those measured that same year. Farmers believed that damage by deer and elk reduced their yields by 20% with most damage caused by elk (${\bar {x}}$ = 12% by elk, 7% by deer, 1% by other wildlife). On average, perceptions of damage were 5.2 times greater than the actual levels we measured during 2009. This was not surprising because farmers usually surveyed their field from the field's edge where ungulate damage was concentrated. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Patterns of human–coyote conflicts in the Denver Metropolitan Area
Authors: Poessel Sharon A. , Breck Stewart W. , Teel Tara L. , Shwiff Stephanie , Crooks Kevin R. , Angeloni Lisa 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIn many cities throughout North America, human–coyote conflicts are an emerging problem. Little research has described temporal and spatial patterns of human–coyote conflicts, although such information can be an important step in developing and optimizing management efforts. We used reports from 22 entities within the Denver Metropolitan Area (DMA) in Colorado that provided information on coyote observations (signs, sightings, and encounters) and conflicts (incidents, pet‐attacks, and human‐attacks). Our objectives were to 1) define, quantify, and map categories of coyote observations and conflicts, and 2) investigate temporal and spatial patterns of conflicts, particularly related to land cover types and housing density classes. We compiled 4,006 coyote reports, including 78 signs (1.9%), 3,023 sightings (75.5%), 395 encounters (9.9%), 26 incidents (0.6%), 471 pet‐attacks (11.8%), and 13 human‐attacks (0.3%). We found a strong seasonal pattern with reports of both observations and conflicts highest during December–March and lowest during July–September. Numbers of coyote conflicts were disproportionately greater in open space and development land cover types (in contrast to natural and agricultural land cover) and in suburban housing areas (in contrast to urban, exurban, and rural areas). Hotspots of coyote conflicts were apparent in the southern region of the DMA, possibly because coyotes had better access to development, and hence interaction with residents, via natural areas bordering urban areas; reporting bias may have also influenced this outcome. Our results will help target management efforts, particularly those focused on people (e.g., education), but also highlight the critical need for improved methods of collecting conflict information via a standardized reporting mechanism to help reduce bias. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Words without Boundaries: Computational Approaches to Chinese Word Segmentation
Authors: Huang Chu‐Ren , Xue Nianwen 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe fact that words are not conventionally demarcated in Chinese orthography makes the process of word segmentation non‐trivial. Chinese word segmentation remains a challenging topic in Chinese computational linguistics. We survey previous approaches to Chinese word segmentation, including dictionary look‐up, strength of internal binding, as well as character tagging and machine learning. The Word Boundary Decision (WBD) approach which requires no prior lexical knowledge is proposed. It is shown that the WBD model greatly reduces the complexity of Chinese word segmentation and may provide a promising approach to address domain adaption and robustness issues.
Combinations of Elements: a New Paradigm for Fire Retardancy
Authors: Mariappan Thirumal , Wilkie Charles A. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThis trend article describes some recent work related to the development of flame retardancy of six common plastic materials, polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), unsaturated polyester, polyurethane, and epoxy resin. Conventionally, a single fire retardant element is used to achieve fire retardancy but in this paper, there is a description of combinations of fire retardant elements, including a nano‐sized material.
Shell Cross‐linking of Cyclodextrin‐Based Micelles via Supramolecular Chemistry for the Delivery of Drugs
Authors: Yhaya Firdaus , Binauld Sandra , Kim Yoseop , Stenzel Martina H. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractA block copolymer based on poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and a block with a statistical distribution of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) and repeating unit with carrying β‐cyclodextrin was prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click reaction. Addition of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate‐s‐adamantylmethyl acrylate) P(HEA17‐s‐AdMA7) above the LCST of the block copolymer led to capture of the micelle structure of 36 nm against disassembly. The drug‐ (albendazole) loaded supramolecular assembly, which was fixed via host–guest complexation between β‐cyclodextrin and adamantane, was then tested as a drug carrier. Cell viability studies using human ovarian carcinoma cell line (OVCAR‐3) cell lines show a higher toxicity of the shell cross‐linked micelle compared with the free block copolymer.
A randomized trial of oral betamethasone to reduce ataxia symptoms in ataxia telangiectasia
Authors: Zannolli Raffaella , Sabrina Buoni  , Betti Gianni , Salvucci Sara , Plebani Alessandro , Soresina Annarosa , Pietrogrande Maria C. , Martino Silvana , Leuzzi Vincenzo , Finocchi Andrea , Micheli Roberto , Rossi Livia Nicoletta , Brusco Alfredo , Misiani Filippo , Fois Alberto , Hayek Joseph , Kelly Colleen , Chessa Luciana 
Published: August 2012

AbstractNo controlled studies exist regarding the pharmaceutical reduction of ataxia symptoms in ataxia telangiectasia (A‐T). In a multicenter, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled crossover trial, oral betamethasone (BETA) and placebo were compared in terms of their reduction of ataxia symptoms as assessed with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). In this study of 13 A‐T children, betamethasone reduced the ICARS total score by a median of 13 points in the intent‐to‐treat population and 16 points in the per‐protocol population (ie, median percent decreases of ataxia symptoms of 28% and 31%, respectively). In conclusion, Oral betamethasone could be a promising therapy to relieve ataxia symptoms in A‐T patients; however, long‐term effectiveness and safety must be established. (Current Controlled Trials, number ISRCTN08774933.) © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Lysosome‐dependent pathways as a unifying theme in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Tofaris George K. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractAlthough the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is considered multifactorial, evidence from genetics and cell biology has implicated specific molecular pathways. This article summarizes evidence that suggests that the level of intracellular alpha‐synuclein is critical for the onset of neurodegeneration with Lewy bodies and dependent, to a large extent, on lysosomal degradation. The function of other key proteins that emerged from genetics is discussed: Pink1 and Parkin regulate the degradation of damaged mitochondria by the lysosome (mitophagy). Glucocerebrosidase and ATP13A2 are important components of this degradative organelle. VPS35 and LRRK2 may regulate trafficking within lysosome‐dependent pathways, such as autophagy and endosomal vesicle recycling. Clinically, diffuse alpha‐synucleinopathy or dementia seems to correlate with mutations which interfere with the broader function of lysosomal pathways, whereas a predominantly motor syndrome and nigrostriatal degeneration is associated with specific defects in mitophagy. Based on these studies, it is proposed that a protein network involved in trafficking to, or degradation by, lysosomes could be sufficient to explain the phenotypic spectrum within PD in a unifying biochemical pathway. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Characterization of periodic upper limb movement disorder in a patient with restless arms syndrome
Authors: Ruppert Elisabeth , Cretin Benjamin , Meyer Christelle , Kilic‐Huck Ulker , Bourgin Patrice 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackground:Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and the frequently associated periodic limb movements (PLM) are common neurological disorders whose pathophysiology remains elusive. We report on the case of a 40‐year‐old patient presenting with severe restlessness in the upper limbs, a poorly known variant of RLS.Case Report:Video‐polysomnography was performed because of the associated poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness evocative of PLM. An electromyogram of the extensor carpi radialis muscle was added. Remarkably, our patient had movements of repeated extension of the small finger that contrasted with the extension of the hallux, characteristic for PLM. Pramipexol was an effective treatment relieving the patient's upper limbs of discomfort and ameliorating her restless sleep.Conclusions:Involvement of the upper limbs in RLS is relatively common, but restlessness may be located on the upper limbs solely. One should be aware of the upper limb variant, and that treatment by dopaminergic agonists proves to be very efficient. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Modelling of steady‐state fluid flow in 3D fractured isotropic porous media: application to effective permeability calculation
Authors: Vu Minh‐Ngoc , Pouya Ahmad , Seyedi Darius M. 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYIn this paper, 3D steady‐state fluid flow in a porous medium with a large number of intersecting fractures is derived numerically by using collocation method. Fluid flow in the matrix and fractures is described by Darcy's law and Poiseuille's law, respectively. The recent theoretical development presented a general potential solution to model the steady‐state flow in fractured porous media under a far‐field condition. This solution is a hypersingular integral equation with pressure field in the fracture surfaces as the main unknown. The numerical procedure can resolve the problem for any form of fractures and also takes into account the interactions and the intersection between fractures. Once the pressure field and then the flux field in fractures have been determined, the pressure field in the porous matrix is computed completely. The basic problem of a single fracture is investigated, and a semi‐analytical solution is presented. Using the solution obtained for a single fracture, Mori‐Tanaka and self‐consistent schemes are employed for upscaling the effective permeability of 3D fractured porous media. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal control of one‐dimensional cellular uptake in tissue engineering
Authors: Kishida Masako , Ford Versypt Ashlee N. , Pack Daniel W. , Braatz Richard D. 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYA control problem motivated by tissue engineering is formulated and solved, in which control of the uptake of growth factors (signaling molecules) is necessary to spatially and temporally regulate cellular processes for the desired growth or regeneration of a tissue. Four approaches are compared for determining one‐dimensional optimal boundary control trajectories for a distributed parameter model with reaction, diffusion, and convection: (i) basis function expansion, (ii) method of moments, (iii) internal model control, and (iv) model predictive control (MPC). The proposed method of moments approach is computationally efficient while enforcing a nonnegativity constraint on the control input. Although more computationally expensive than methods (i)–(iii), the MPC formulation significantly reduced the computational cost compared with simultaneous optimization of the entire control trajectory. A comparison of the pros and cons of each of the four approaches suggests that an algorithm that combines multiple approaches is most promising for solving the optimal control problem for multiple spatial dimensions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The public's perspectives on antibiotic resistance and abuse among Chinese in Hong Kong
Authors: Wun Yuk Tsan , Lam Tai Pong , Lam Kwok Fai , Ho Pak Leung , Yung Wai Hung Raymond 
Published: August 2012

ABSTRACTPurposeAntibiotic abuse and resistance impose a continuing threat to the world. The awareness of antibiotic resistance is said to be inversely associated with the prevalence of abuse. We examined the public's perspectives on antibiotic resistance in our study of the public's knowledge, attitude and practice with antibiotics.MethodsThe study adopted a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. Eight focus groups were conducted with 56 participants purposively selected from community centres and of different socio‐economic strata. The qualitative data collected were used to construct a questionnaire for the telephone survey which surveyed 2471 adults from randomly selected residential numbers.ResultsThe focus‐group participants were unclear about the nature and causes of antibiotic resistance; they also attributed antibiotic abuse to the doctors’ responsibility. Of the questionnaire respondents, 9.0% had not heard of the term, 7.8% had ever acquired non‐prescribed antibiotics, 6.6% had ever kept the leftover and only 69.8% had always finished the full course of antibiotics. Furthermore, 77.3 % and 75.1%, respectively, agreed that the purchase of antibiotics without prescription and incomplete courses of antibiotics would lead to undesirable consequences. Of the respondents who had heard about antibiotic resistance, 38.7% agreed that they could help the prevention of resistance. They were more likely to complete the full course of antibiotics and less likely to keep the leftovers.ConclusionsThe public in general was not aware of the causes of, nor their role and capability in preventing, antibiotic resistance. Future campaigns and health education should empower everyone to restrain antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Energetic Properties of 4,4′,5,5′‐Tetranitro‐2,2′‐biimidazolate(N4BIM) Salts
Authors: Chavez David E. , Parrish Damon , Preston Daniel N. , Mares Isaac W. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThis paper describes the synthesis and characterization of several salts of 4,4′,5,5′‐tetranitro‐2,2′‐biimidazolate (N4BIM). Each of the salts were characterized chemically, thermally, morphologically, as well as with respect to destructive stimuli (impact, electrostatic discharge, friction, thermal). These salts show promise as propellant ingredient additives, and in particular, the bis‐triaminoguanidinium salt of N4BIM displays excellent burn rate and combustion behavior. Our combustion studies have shown that TAGN4BIM displays a fast burning rate and has the lowest pressure dependence exponent yet measured for a triaminoguanidinium salt.
Replacing the Equations of Fano and Fisher for Cased Charge Blast Impulse‐II‐Fracture Strain Method
Authors: Hutchinson M. D. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPrevious papers by the author [1, 2] pointed to a discovery by Fisher [3] that an equation by Fano [4], when used to predict blast impulse from cased munitions, did not fit the available data. These previous papers showed that an alternative equation for casing‐modified blast impulse could be derived directly from an equation by Gurney [5] for the kinetic energy balance between the mass of casing metal and the mass of explosive gases. However, this equation was derived for very ductile casings that are accelerated to their ideal Gurney velocity before they fracture. Many real casings, even under high dynamic strain rates, fracture before they can receive the full drive available from the explosive gases. This paper shows how the equation in reference [2] can be modified to allow for casing fracture at finite dynamic strain and provides validation for this modified equation from previously unpublished AWE archive experimental data.
Large dielectric tunability in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–x %BaTiO3 single crystals
Authors: Ge Wenwei , Luo Chengtao , Zhang Qinhui , Li Jiefang , Luo Haosu , Viehland D. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractDielectric tunability in [001] and [110] oriented Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–5.6%BaTiO3 crystals was investigated as functions of temperature and frequency. A tunability of the dielectric constant as high as 58% and 46% was obtained at room temperature under an electric field of E = 20 kV/cm applied along [001] and [110]. Our findings demonstrate that Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–5.6%BaTiO3 crystals are potential voltage‐tunable materials. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)