bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CD34‐positive superficial myxofibrosarcoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Smith Steven C. , Poznanski Ann A. , Fullen Douglas R. , Ma Linglei , McHugh Jonathan B. , Lucas David R. , Patel Rajiv M. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundMyxofibrosarcoma (MFS) arises most commonly in the proximal extremities of the elderly, where it may involve subcutaneous and dermal tissues and masquerade as benign entities in limited biopsy samples. We encountered such a case, in which positivity for CD34 and morphologic features were initially wrongly interpreted as a ‘low‐fat/fat‐free’ spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma. Case series have not assessed prevalence of CD34 reactivity among cutaneous examples of MFS.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of our institution's experience, selecting from among unequivocal MFS resection specimens those superficial cases in which a limited biopsy sample might prove difficult to interpret. These cases were immunostained for CD34 and tabulated for clinicopathologic characteristics.ResultsAfter review of all MFS diagnoses over 5 years (n = 56), we identified a study group of superficial MFS for comparison to the index case (total n = 8). Of these, the index and three additional cases (4 of 8, 50%; 2 low, 2 high grade) demonstrated positive staining for CD34, with diffuse staining of spindled cells including cellular processes. Four additional cases showed no or equivocal/rare staining.ConclusionsCD34 positivity should be recognized as prevalent among such cases and should not be inappropriately construed as inveighing against a diagnosis of MFS in favor of benign entities.
ALK rearrangements in EBUS‐derived transbronchial needle aspiration cytology in lung cancer
Authors: Neat M. J. , Foot N. J. , Hicks A. , Breen R. , Wilkins B. , McLean E. , Santis G. 
Published: April 2013

ObjectivesPatients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) positive for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements may be treated successfully with the ALK inhibitor crizotinib. ALK copy‐number abnormalities have also been described. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to determine ALK status in endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)‐derived cytology samples.MethodsSamples were obtained from 55 consecutive patients with NSCLC who had undergone EBUS‐transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) according to our standard clinical protocols. All tumours had been screened previously for epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and v‐Ki‐ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations. FISH, using commercially available ALK rearrangement‐specific probes, was employed to assess ALK status. IHC using the ALK‐1 monoclonal antibody (DAKO) was also performed.ResultsFISH analysis was successful in 52 of 55 samples (94.5%); ALK rearrangement was demonstrated in 3 of 52 samples from patients with NSCLC (5.7%). ALK amplification was observed in 3 of 52 patient samples (5.7%) and an increase in ALK copy number was found in 28 of 52 patient samples (53.8%). IHC on cell blocks demonstrated ALK expression in one of three samples with ALK rearrangement. One patient sample had concomitant ALK rearrangement and KRAS mutation.ConclusionsWe found FISH to be superior to IHC using the ALK‐1 monoclonal antibody for the detection of ALK rearrangement in EBUS‐TBNA cytology specimens in NSCLC, and also that ALK rearrangement can co‐exist with KRAS mutation in the same tumour.
Plasma sRAGE and N‐(carboxymethyl) lysine in patients with CHF and/or COPD
Authors: Boschetto Piera , Campo Ilaria , Stendardo Mariarita , Casimirri Enrico , Tinelli Carmine , Gorrini Marina , Ceconi Claudio , Fucili Alessandro , Potena Alfredo , Papi Alberto , Ballerin Licia , Fabbri Leonardo M. , Luisetti Maurizio 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundKnowledge of the role of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), particularly its soluble form (sRAGE), and of its advanced glycation end product (AGE) ligand, N‐(carboxymethyl)lysine adducts (CML), is limited in chronic heart failure (CHF) and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We evaluated whether the AGE/RAGE system is activated in stable CHF and COPD, and whether plasma sRAGE and CML levels are affected by clinical and functional parameters.Materials and methodsWe measured plasma levels of sRAGE and CML using a sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 143 subjects, aged ≥ 65 years, divided into five groups: 58 with CHF, 23 with COPD, 27 with CHF+COPD and 35 controls (17 healthy smokers and 18 healthy nonsmokers). Individuals with diabetes were excluded from the study.ResultsPlasma levels of sRAGE and CML were higher in CHF patients than in controls [sRAGE: 0·48 (0·37–0·83) vs. 0·42 (0·29–0·52) ng/mL, P = 0·01; CML: 1·95 (1·58–2·38) vs. 1·68 (1·43–2·00) ng/mL, P = 0·01]. By contrast, sRAGE and CML were not different between both COPD and CHF+COPD patients and controls (P > 0·05). N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (Nt‐pro BNP) correlated with sRAGE, but not with CML, in the patient groups: CHF (r = 0·43, P < 0·001), COPD (r = 0·77, P < 0·0001) and CHF/COPD (r = 0·43, P = 0·003).ConclusionsPlasma levels of sRAGE and CML are increased in CHF, but not in COPD patients. The robust association between NT‐pro BNP, a diagnostic and prognostic marker in CHF, and sRAGE concentrations might suggest a possible BNP pathway of amplification of inflammation via the AGE/RAGE system.
Bone marrow osteoblast vulnerability to chemotherapy
Authors: Gencheva Marieta , Hare Ian , Kurian Susan , Fortney Jim , Piktel Debbie , Wysolmerski Robert , Gibson Laura F. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractOsteoblasts are a major component of the bone marrow microenvironment, which provide support for hematopoietic cell development. Functional disruption of any element of the bone marrow niche, including osteoblasts, can potentially impair hematopoiesis. We have studied the effect of two widely used drugs with different mechanisms of action, etoposide (VP16) and melphalan, on murine osteoblasts at distinct stages of maturation. VP16 and melphalan delayed maturation of preosteoblasts and altered CXCL12 protein levels, a key regulator of hematopoietic cell homing to the bone marrow. Sublethal concentrations of VP16 and melphalan also decreased the levels of several transcripts which contribute to the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) including osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN), and collagen 1A1 (Col1a1). The impact of chemotherapy on message and protein levels for some targets was not always aligned, suggesting differential responses at the transcription and translation or protein stability levels. As one of the main functions of a mature osteoblast is to synthesize ECM of a defined composition, disruption of the ratio of its components may be one mechanism by which chemotherapy affects the ability of osteoblasts to support hematopoietic recovery coincident with altered marrow architecture. Collectively, these observations suggest that the osteoblast compartment of the marrow hematopoietic niche is vulnerable to functional dysregulation by damage imposed by agents frequently used in clinical settings. Understanding the mechanistic underpinning of chemotherapy‐induced changes on the hematopoietic support capacity of the marrow microenvironment may contribute to improved strategies to optimize patient recovery post‐transplantation.
A Consulting Giant; a Disgruntled Client: A ‘Failed’ Attempt to Change Management Controls in a Public Sector Organisation
Authors: Junaid Ashraf M. , Uddin Shahzad 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThere has been very little research into management consulting interventions in public sector organisations, especially in emerging economies. This paper aims to fill this void by narrating the empirics of a consulting assignment carried out by a large international consulting firm in a Pakistani public sector organisation. The study found that consultants’ recommendations of ‘businesslike’ management controls, such as a modern performance measurement system and a ‘state‐of‐the‐art’ information system, were rejected outright by the client management. Employing a critical realist perspective that focuses on the structural conditions facing both the client and the consultants, and on the strategies adopted by both parties, the study aims to explain the empirics of the case. Through structural and strategic analysis, this paper aims to enhance our understanding of the dynamics of management consulting in public sector organisations, especially in emerging economies.
‘Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Succeed': Accounting and Privatisation in the Prison Service of England and Wales
Authors: Mennicken Andrea 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the challenges involved in the transformation of the prison into a performance‐oriented accounting entity. It examines the implication of private sector accounting and consulting expertise in redefining prison values and prison performance, and it discusses the consequences this had for definitions of risk and responsibility. The paper shows how the reforms promoted a systemic decentring of Prison Service accountability. Prison managers and regulators came to be inserted into hierarchies of expertise and credibility shaped by quests for commensuration and auditability. Further, the paper shows how the reform attempts brought about a situation of institutional lock‐in by contributing, as the outgoing HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers has put it in 2010, to the creation of an inflated prison system ‘too big to fail, and too big to succeed'.
Complex dynamics may limit prediction in marine fisheries
Authors: Glaser Sarah M , Fogarty Michael J , Liu Hui , Altman Irit , Hsieh Chih‐Hao , Kaufman Les , MacCall Alec D , Rosenberg Andrew A , Ye Hao , Sugihara George 
Published: April 2013

AbstractComplex nonlinear dynamics in marine fisheries create challenges for prediction and management, yet the extent to which they occur in fisheries is not well known. Using nonlinear forecasting models, we analysed over 200 time series of survey abundance and landings from two distinct ecosystems for patterns of dynamic complexity (dimensionality and nonlinear dynamics) and predictability. Differences in system dimensionality and nonlinear dynamics were associated with time series that reflected human intervention via fishing effort, implying the coupling between human and natural systems generated dynamics distinct from those detected in the natural resource subsystem alone. Estimated dimensionality was highest for landings and higher in abundance indices of unfished species than fished species. Fished species were more likely to display nonlinear dynamics than unfished species, and landings were significantly less predictable than abundance indices. Results were robust to variation in life history characteristics. Dynamics were predictable over a 1‐year time horizon in seventy percent of time series, but predictability declined exponentially over a 5‐year horizon. The ability to make predictions in fisheries systems is therefore extremely limited. To our knowledge, this is the first cross‐system comparative study, and the first at the scale of individual species, to analyse empirically the dynamic complexity observed in fisheries data and to quantify predictability broadly. We outline one application of short‐term forecasts to a precautionary approach to fisheries management that could improve how uncertainty and forecast error are incorporated into assessment through catch limit buffers.
How long should we ignore imperfect detection of species in the marine environment when modelling their distribution?
Authors: Monk Jacquomo 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThe application of the ‘ecosystem approach’ to marine conservation management demands knowledge of the distribution patterns of the target species or communities. This information is commonly obtained from species distribution models (SDMs). This article explores an important but rarely acknowledged assumption in these models: almost all species may be present, but simply not detected by the particular survey method. However, nearly all of these SDM approaches neglect this important characteristic. This leads to the violation of a fundamental assumption of these models, which presuppose the detection of a species is equal to one (i.e. at each survey locality, a species is perfectly detected). In this article, the concept of imperfect detection is discussed, how it potentially influences the prediction of species' distributions is examined, and some statistical methods that could be used to incorporate the detection probability of species in estimates of their distribution are suggested. The approaches discussed here could improve the collection and interpretation of marine biological survey data and provide a coherent way to incorporate detection probability estimates in the modelling of species distributions. This will ultimately lead to an unbiased and more rigorous understanding of the distribution of species in the marine environment.
Relationships between nutrient enrichment, pleurocerid snail density and trematode infection rate in streams
Authors: Ciparis Serena , Iwanowicz Deborah D. , Voshell J. Reese 
Published: April 2013

Summary

Nutrient enrichment is a widespread environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems. Eutrophic conditions caused by nutrient enrichment may result in a higher prevalence of infection by trematode parasites in host populations, due to greater resource availability for the molluscan first intermediate hosts.

This study examined relationships among land use, environmental variables indicating eutrophication, population density of the pleurocerid snail, Leptoxis carinata, and trematode infections. Fifteen study sites were located in streams within the Shenandoah River catchment (Virginia, U.S.A.), where widespread nutrient enrichment has occurred.

Snail population density had a weak positive relationship with stream water nutrient concentration. Snail population density also increased as human activities within stream catchments increased, but density did not continue to increase in catchments where anthropogenic disturbance was greatest.

Cercariae from five families of trematodes were identified in L. carinata, and infection rate was generally low (<10%). Neither total infection rate nor the infection rate of individual trematode types showed a positive relationship with snail population density, nutrients or land use.

There were statistically significant but weak relationships between the prevalence of infection by two trematode families and physical and biological variables. The prevalence of Notocotylidae was positively related to water depth, which may be related to habitat use by definitive hosts. Prevalence of Opecoelidae had a negative relationship with orthophosphate concentration and a polynomial relationship with chlorophyll a concentration. Transmission of Opecoelid trematodes between hosts may be inhibited by eutrophic conditions.

Leptoxis carinata appears to be a useful species for monitoring the biological effects of eutrophication and investigating trematode transmission dynamics in lotic systems.
Functional aging impairs the role of feedback in motor learning
Authors: Liu Yu , Cao Chunmei , Yan Jin H 
Published: April 2013

AimOptimal motor skill acquisition frequently requires augmented feedback or knowledge of results (KR). However, the effect of functional declines on the benefits of KR remains to be determined. The objective of this research was to examine how cognitive and motor deficits of older adults influence the use of KR for motor skill learning.MethodsA total of 57 older adults (mean 73.1 years; SD 4.2) received both cognitive and eye–hand coordination assessments, whereas 55 young controls (mean 25.8 years; SD 3.8) took only the eye–hand coordination test. All young and older participants learned a time‐constrained arm movement through KR in three pre‐KR and post‐KR intervals.ResultsIn the subsequent no‐KR skill retests, absolute and variable time errors were not significantly reduced for the older learners who had KR during skill practice, especially for those with cognitive and motor dysfunctions. The finding suggests that KR results in no measureable improvement for older adults with cognitive and motor functional deficiencies. More importantly, for the older adults, longer post‐KR intervals showed greater detrimental effects on feedback‐based motor learning than shorter pauses after KR delivery.DiscussionThe findings support the hypothesis about the effects of cognitive and motor deficits on KR in motor skill learning of older adults. The dynamics of cognitive and motor aging, external feedback and internal control mechanisms collectively explain the deterioration in the sensory‐motor learning of older adults. The theoretical implications and practical relevance of functional aging for motor skill learning are discussed. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 849–859.
Effect of treatment with branched‐chain amino acids during sorafenib therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Takeda Haruhiko , Nishikawa Hiroki , Iguchi Eriko , Ohara Yoshiaki , Sakamoto Azusa , Saito Sumio , Nishijima Norihiro , Nasu Akihiro , Komekado Hideyuki , Kita Ryuichi , Kimura Toru , Osaki Yukio 
Published: April 2013

AimTo examine the effect of branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib.MethodsSeventy‐eight subjects with unresectable HCC with a serum level of albumin of 3.5 g/dL or less treated with sorafenib were evaluated. They were classified into two groups: those receiving BCAA granules (n = 34; BCAA group) or a regular diet (n = 44; control group). We compared overall survival and administration period of sorafenib, and analyzed absolute changes in serum levels of albumin during sorafenib therapy in 41 patients who continued sorafenib therapy for 1 month or more with a follow up of more than 3 months.ResultsMedian survival time (MST) in BCAA and control groups was 350 and 143 days (P = 0.007), respectively. Median administration period of sorafenib in the two groups was 59 and 41 days (P = 0.018). In the 41 patients described above, at 1 month, there was no significant change in the serum level of albumin between the two groups, but at 3 months, the difference in the absolute change in the serum level of albumin in the two groups reached significance (P = 0.023). In these subgroup analyses, the administration period of sorafenib as well as the MST in the BCAA group were significantly longer than those in the control group (P = 0.020 and = 0.004).ConclusionBCAA treatment during sorafenib therapy in HCC patients is useful for maintaining hepatic functional reserve, which may help to avoid early discontinuance of sorafenib therapy and improve survival.
Characterization of HLA‐F polymorphism in four distinct populations in Mainland China
Authors: Pan F. H. , Liu X. X. , Tian W. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryCurrently, there is a lack of information on polymorphism of human leucocyte antigen‐F (HLA‐F) gene in ethnically diverse human populations. In this study, HLA‐F allelic typing was performed for 690 individuals representing two southern Chinese Han populations (Hunan Han and Guangdong Han) and two northern Chinese populations (Inner Mongolia Han and Inner Mongolia Mongol), using polymerase chain reaction‐sequence‐specific priming (PCR‐SSP) and PCR‐sequencing methods. Our results showed that (i) HLA‐F*01 : 01 predominated in each population with a frequency >0.94 and HLA‐F*01 : 03 was relatively more common in the two northern Chinese populations with a frequency of approximately 0.05; (ii) both geographical and ethnical factors are related to HLA‐F allelic distribution, as evidenced by the significant difference in HLA‐F allelic distribution between the Hunan Han population and the two northern Chinese populations; (iii) significant linkage disequilibrium (LD) was observed for haplotype HLA‐A*03‐F*01 : 03 in three populations. In most cases, this haplotype extended to HLA‐E*01 : 03; and (iv) Ewens–Watterson homozygosity statistic at the HLA‐F locus did not depart significantly from expectation in each of the four populations. Our data revealed a low level of HLA‐F allelic variation in Chinese populations, suggesting that HLA‐F gene may have existed before some of the HLA‐A polymorphism and have been evolving under neutrality.
Support needs of caregivers: case studies in South Africa
Authors: Sandy P.T. , Kgole J.C. , Mavundla T.R. 
Published: April 2013

BackgroundLimpopo is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa with limited resources to support caregivers and individuals who are learning disabled. Offering support and care to children with learning disabilities can be a complex and difficult task to achieve. Caregivers carry great responsibility for ensuring the needs of children in their care are met. Such responsibility can generate great amounts of stress that may negatively impact caregivers' day‐to‐day functioning. Yet, research concerning how to support caregivers in meeting the needs of this group of children in Limpopo has never before been carried out.AimTo investigate the support needs of caregivers caring for children with learning disabilities.MethodsA case study design of three families of children with learning disabilities was used. Data were generated in two phases using a semi‐structured interview format. In phase 1, participants were interviewed in their homes. Phase 2 relates to follow‐up interviews of participants in a community clinic. All data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.FindingsThe study identified a range of support needs for caregivers. Examples of these include financial, emotional, practical support, training, respite care, affiliate stigma and partnership working.DiscussionCaring for children with learning disabilities was perceived as difficult and frustrating, yet rewarding. This difficulty was noted to be compounded by caregivers' lack of skills and knowledge of caring for these children. They also had experiences of stigma, which sometimes involves overt acts of discrimination and social exclusion that further added to their frustration.ConclusionsThe study findings have implications for practice and policy. Regular training and support should be offered to caregivers in order to broaden their understanding of learning disabilities and enhance their caring ability. Nurses are the main source of training and support and offer these during clinic‐based engagement and home visits.