bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interleukin‐21 (IL‐21) synergizes with IL‐2 to enhance T‐cell receptor‐induced human T‐cell proliferation and counteracts IL‐2/transforming growth factor‐β‐induced regulatory T‐cell development
Authors: Battaglia Alessandra , Buzzonetti Alexia , Baranello Cinzia , Fanelli Mara , Fossati Marco , Catzola Valentina , Scambia Giovanni , Fattorossi Andrea 
Published: December 2012

SummaryInterleukin‐2 (IL‐2) is a mainstay for current immunotherapeutic protocols but its usefulness in patients is reduced by severe toxicities and because IL‐2 facilitates regulatory T (Treg) cell development. IL‐21 is a type I cytokine acting as a potent T‐cell co‐mitogen but less efficient than IL‐2 in sustaining T‐cell proliferation. Using various in vitro models for T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐dependent human T‐cell proliferation, we found that IL‐21 synergized with IL‐2 to make CD4+ and CD8+ T cells attain a level of expansion that was impossible to obtain with IL‐2 alone. Synergy was mostly evident in naive CD4+ cells. IL‐2 and tumour‐released transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) are the main environmental cues that cooperate in Treg cell induction in tumour patients. Interleukin‐21 hampered Treg cell expansion induced by IL‐2/TGF‐β combination in naive CD4+ cells by facilitating non‐Treg over Treg cell proliferation from the early phases of cell activation. Conversely, IL‐21 did not modulate the conversion of naive activated CD4+ cells into Treg cells in the absence of cell division. Treg cell reduction was related to persistent activation of Stat3, a negative regulator of Treg cells associated with down‐modulation of IL‐2/TGF‐β‐induced phosphorylation of Smad2/3, a positive regulator of Treg cells. In contrast to previous studies, IL‐21 was completely ineffective in counteracting the suppressive activity of Treg cells on naive and memory, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Present data provide proof‐of‐concept for evaluating a combinatorial approach that would reduce the IL‐2 needed to sustain T‐cell proliferation efficiently, thereby reducing toxicity and controlling a tolerizing mechanism responsible for the contraction of the T‐cell response.
Factors promoting the prolonged shedding of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus in patients treated with oseltamivir for 5 days
Authors: Ryoo Seung M. , Kim Won Y. , Sohn Chang H. , Seo Dong W. , Oh Bum J. , Lee Jae H. , Lee Yoon S. , Lim Kyoung S. 
Published: December 2012

BackgroundThe duration of viral shedding is an important determinant of infectivity and transmissibility and provides vital information for effective infection prevention and control. However, few studies have evaluated viral shedding in patients admitted to hospital with 2009 H1N1 influenza and treated with oseltamivir.ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of prolonged 2009 H1N1 influenza viral shedding in patients treated for 5 days with oseltamivir and to identify factors that promote prolonged viral shedding.MethodsThis was a prospective, observational cohort study of 173 patients infected with 2009 H1N1 influenza (confirmed by RT‐PCR) who were admitted to isolation rooms in the emergency department of our hospital between August 25, 2009 and December 31, 2009. All of the patients were treated according to institutional protocols and received routine follow‐up RT‐PCR testing after 5 days of oseltamivir therapy. Prolonged viral shedding was defined as a positive follow‐up RT‐PCR result.ResultOf the 173 patients in our cohort, 88 (50·8%) showed persistent viral shedding after oseltamivir treatment. Viral shedding was significantly prolonged if antiviral therapy was started ≥2 days after symptom onset (OR 2·74, 95% CI 1·29–5·82), if there were major comorbidities (OR 3·07, 95% CI 1·29–7·32), and/or if respiratory symptoms were still present on the day 5 of antiviral treatment (OR 4·13, 95% CI 2·10–8·11).ConclusionsThe presence of major comorbidities, a delay in initiating antiviral treatment, and continuing respiratory symptoms after 5 days of antiviral treatment are associated with prolonged shedding of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Dynamic angling effort influences the value of minimum‐length limits to prevent recruitment overfishing
Authors: Allen M. S. , Ahrens R. N. M. , Hansen M. J. , Arlinghaus R. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractRecruitment overfishing occurs when stocks are fished to a level where recruitment declines proportionally with adult abundance. Although typically considered a commercial fishery problem, recruitment overfishing can also occur in freshwater recreational fisheries. This study developed an age‐structured model to determine if minimum‐length limits can prevent recruitment overfishing in black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (LeSueur), and walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill) fisheries considering angling effort response to changes in fish abundance. Simulations showed that minimum‐length limits prevented recruitment overfishing of black crappie and walleye, but larger minimum‐length limits were required if angler effort showed only weak responses to changes in fish abundance. Low angler‐effort responsiveness caused fishing mortality rates to remain high when stock abundance declined. By contrast, at high effort responsiveness, anglers left the fishery in response to stock declines and allowed stocks to recover. Angler effort for black crappie and walleye fisheries suggested that angler effort could be highly responsive for some fisheries and relatively stable for others, thereby increasing the risk of recruitment overfishing in real fisheries. Recruitment overfishing should be considered seriously in freshwater recreational fisheries, and more studies are needed to evaluate the responsiveness of angler effort to changes in fish abundance.
Risk and predictors of cardiovascular disease in psoriasis: a population‐based study
Authors: Maradit‐Kremers Hilal , Dierkhising Ross A. , Crowson Cynthia S. , Icen Murat , Ernste Floranne C. , McEvoy Marian T. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground Emerging evidence suggests that severe psoriasis is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The goal of this study was to examine the risk and predictors of clinical cardiovascular events in psoriasis.Methods We performed a historical cohort and a nested case–cohort study using the population‐based resources in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The study population included a population‐based incidence cohort of patients with psoriasis first diagnosed between January 1, 1970, and January 1, 2000, and 2678 age‐ and sex‐matched non‐psoriasis subjects. Cardiovascular events, including hospitalized myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedures, stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular death.Results Psoriasis was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction based on diagnostic codes (hazard ratio 1.26; 95% confidence intervals: 1.01, 1.58) but not when the analyses were restricted to validated myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 1.18; 95% confidence intervals: 0.80, 1.74). Psoriasis was not associated with an increased risk of heart failure or cardiovascular death. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were significantly associated with cardiovascular risk in psoriasis. Each 1% increase in Framingham risk score at psoriasis incidence corresponded with a 5–10% increase in risk of cardiovascular events.Conclusion In this large incidence cohort of patients with psoriasis representing the full disease severity spectrum, psoriasis was not associated with an increased cardiovascular risk.
Human leukocyte antigens class I and class II in patients with pemphigus in southern Turkey
Authors: Koc Cilem Kaya , Sallakci Nilgun , Akman‐Karakaş Ayşe , Alpsoy Erkan , Yegin Olcay 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Genetic factors that predispose individuals to pemphigus are considered to play important roles in the development of the disease. Furthermore, population studies of patients with pemphigus have clearly shown that the most prevalent alleles differ across ethnic groups.Objectives  This controlled study was designed to detect the distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II alleles in Turkish patients with pemphigus.Methods  Sixty patients diagnosed with pemphigus according to clinical findings, histology, immunofluorescence, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were enrolled in the study. The control group consisted of 60 healthy adult transplant donors. HLA typing was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with sequence‐specific primers (SSP) method.Results  The frequencies of HLAs A*11, CW*01, DRB1*04, DRB1*14, DQB1*05, and DPB1*0401 were found to be statistically significantly higher in the disease group than in controls. By contrast, the frequencies of HLAs B*18, B*50, DRB1*11, DQB1*02, DQB1*06, DPB1*0301, and DPB1*1102 were statistically significantly lower in the pemphigus group than in controls. Linkage dysequilibrium analysis showed that DRB1*14/DQB1*05, A*11/DQB1*05, and A*11/DRB1*14 alleles were detected frequently in pemphigus patients, and DRB1*11/DQB1*05, DRB1*14/DQB1*02, B*50/DQB1*02, and B*50/DPB1*0301 alleles appeared frequently in healthy controls.Conclusions  The results suggest that DRB1*04, DRB1*14, DQB1*05, and DPB1*0401 class II HLAs and A*11 and CW*01 class I HLAs are associated with pemphigus in southern Turkey. Observed differences in LD patterns between patients and controls suggest that the coexistence of the respective alleles is strongly determinant of predisposition towards (DRB1*14/DQB1*05 and A*11/DQB1*05) or protection against (B*50/DQB1*02) the disease.
Diagnosis of digital clubbing by high‐frequency ultrasound imaging
Authors: Roy Homagni Sikha , Wang Zhigang , Ran Haitao , Song Weixiang , Zheng Yuanyi 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Current methods to diagnose clubbing have drawbacks. This study was done to test a novel and convenient method for the diagnosis of digital clubbing using high‐frequency ultrasound.Methods  Index fingers from a healthy control group without digital clubbing and a patient group with digital clubbing were examined by ultrasound. The morphology of the clubbing fingers was observed. The soft tissue depth under the nail (SDUN), interphalangeal depth (IPD), and distal phalangeal depth (DPD) were measured. The ratio of DPD and IPD (DPD/IPD) was calculated.Results  Nails, soft tissue under nails, digital bones, and digital joints were clearly observed by ultrasound. The mean SDUN was 0.16 ± 0.01 cm for the control group and 0.284 ± 0.02 cm for the patient group (P < 0.01). Ultrasound images were assessed by naked eye and ultrasound measurement. SDUNs in the patient group were larger than SDUNs in the healthy control group. The DPDs were larger than IPDs in the patient group, while in the healthy control group, DPDs were smaller than IPDs. The mean DPD/IPD ratio was 0.86 ± 0.04 cm in the control group and 1.077 ± 0.11 cm in the patient group (P < 0.05).Conclusion  We present a new, easy, convenient method for the diagnosis of digital clubbing using ultrasound. We also discovered a new parameter for the diagnosis of clubbing fingers and identification of pseudodigital clubbing, the SDUN. The increased SDUN might be taken as an early sign of digital clubbing.
Co‐presentation of human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV‐1)‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and adult‐onset infective dermatitis associated with HTLV‐1 infection
Authors: Okajima Renata , Casseb Jorge , Sanches José A. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV‐1) is the etiologic agent of adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), infective dermatitis associated with HTLV‐1 (IDH), and various other clinical conditions. Several of these diseases can occur in association.Objective  Report an association of diseases related to HTLV‐1 infection, occurring in an unusual age group.Methods  Dermatological and laboratory exams were consecutively performed in HTLV‐1‐infected individuals from January 2008 to July 2010 in the HTLV Outpatient Clinic at the Institute of Infectious Diseases “Emilio Ribas” in São Paulo, Brazil.Results  A total of 193 individuals (73 HAM/TSP and 120 asymptomatic carriers) were evaluated, three of which were associated with adult‐onset IDH and HAM/TSP. In all three cases, the patients were affected by IDH after the development and progression of HAM/TSP‐associated symptoms.Limitations  Small number of cases because of the rarity of these diseases.Conclusion  We draw attention to the possibility of co‐presentation of adult‐onset IDH in patients with a previous diagnosis of HAM/TSP, although IDH is a disease classically described in children. Thus, dermatologists should be aware of these diagnoses in areas endemic for HTLV‐1 infection.
Assessment of the safety and efficacy of three concentrations of topical ivermectin lotion as a treatment for head lice infestation
Authors: Meinking Terri L. , Mertz‐Rivera Kamara , Villar Maria Elena , Bell Margie 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground  Ivermectin is a broad‐spectrum parasiticide in widespread systemic use, including as an off‐label treatment for head lice infestation. The potential of the topical use of ivermectin as a treatment for head lice infestation was suggested by an in vitro report of a novel lotion formulation.Objectives  This study investigated the relative effectiveness of three ivermectin lotion concentrations (0.15, 0.25, and 0.5%) compared with vehicle placebo in eliminating head lice infestation.Methods  In this randomized, blinded study, 78 head lice‐infested subjects, aged 2–62 years, received a single, 10‐minute application of product on day 1. Evaluations were completed at two and six hours post‐application, and on days 2, 8 (±1), and 15 (+2). Safety was assessed according to the evaluations of trained observers and adverse event (AE) reports. Efficacy was assessed according to scalp and hair examinations.Results  Compared with placebo, all ivermectin concentrations resulted in the statistically significant (P ≤ 0.003) eradication of head lice through to day 15, with the highest level of eradication (73.7%) in subjects who received the 0.5% concentration. The severity of pruritus decreased from baseline in all treatment groups, including the placebo group, from six hours post‐treatment to day 15, with the greatest reduction in the 0.5% concentration group. No ocular irritation was observed. All three ivermectin treatment strengths and vehicle were well tolerated.Conclusions  A single application of a 0.5% concentration of this ivermectin lotion formulation shows promise as a safe and effective treatment for head lice infestation and the associated signs of pruritus.
Neonatal skin care: a concise review
Authors: Ness Molly J. , Davis Dawn M. R. , Carey William A. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractSkin care practices play an important role in the health of well newborns and hospitalized neonates. Fortunately, for many aspects of neonatal skin care, there exist evidence‐ or consensus‐based recommendations to guide best practices. Based on our review of the recent medical literature, we include in this manuscript the current recommendations regarding neonatal skin cleansing and antisepsis; umbilical cord care; use of emollients; and prevention of diaper dermatitis. In addition, we review the recommended practices for preventing and treating pressure ulcers, wounds, and other skin injuries in hospitalized neonates.
Maximizing diagnostic outcomes of skin biopsy specimens
Authors: Sleiman Rima , Kurban Mazen , Abbas Ossama 
Published: December 2012

AbstractSkin biopsy is a common dermatologic procedure that is typically required to assess cutaneous neoplasms and to evaluate indistinct skin eruptions for which a clinical differential diagnosis is considered. Although plenty of literature exists on the histopathologic features of different skin diseases, clues and methods that help maximize the diagnostic results and avoid common pitfalls in the processing of skin biopsies have received little attention. In cutaneous biopsy, interpretation is very important, as is the process of choosing the appropriate biopsy technique. As soon as the decision to perform a skin biopsy is taken and until microscopic slide evaluation occurs, multiple opportunities for error may arise, any of which may disadvantage the pathologist in efforts to reach a definitive diagnosis. Therefore, it is exceptionally important that clinicians work closely with pathologists to optimize biopsy results. The purpose of this review is to increase awareness of the potential for error in the course of obtaining and interpreting biopsy specimens. The process consists of several steps that refer to, respectively: choice of biopsy site; choice of technique; tissue fixation; tissue processing; the pathologist's interpretation; and clinicopathologic correlation. Avoiding these pitfalls may, in turn, maximize the pathologist's ability to make the correct diagnosis and thus provide better patient care.
Performance and flow: The religious classical in translocal and transnational linguistic repertoires
Authors: Rosowsky Andrey 
Published: December 2012

Within general and specific contexts of plurilingual sociolinguistic practices, the ‘religious classical’ presents a quandary for sociolinguists. A feature of many ethno‐religious settings, both autochthonous and diasporic, the religious classical is communicatively ‘inert’, invariably ‘ancient’ and restricted to ‘ritual’ and textual scholarship. Social processes involving complex and often contradictory linguistic resources, and characterised by some as cultural and linguistic ‘flows’, seem to sideline the religious classical, with its restricted sociolinguistic function and domain, as an object of analysis. In a study of the teaching and practice of religious classicals in well‐established diasporic settings in the U.K., the author seeks to account for scripted performative acts which can be described and explained as flexible linguistic resources which counteract and resist the fixed and unchanging notion of the religious classical. They underpin a dynamic (and thus ‘flow‐like’) rather than a static relationship between language and identity.Parmi des contextes des pratiques plurilingues et sociolinguistiques, soit généraux soit particuliers, la langue liturgique présente un dilemme pour les sociolinguistes. La langue liturgique fait partie de nombreux cadres ethno‐religieux, et autochtones et diasporiques, et elle est ‘inerte’ en ce qui concerne la communication, invariablement ancienne et limitée aux recherches sur des rites et des textes sacrés. Des processus sociaux qui comprennent des ressources linguistiques complexes et souvent contradictoires, et qui sont caractérisés, par quelques personnes, comme des ‘flots’ culturels et linguistiques, paraissent marginaliser la langue liturgique, dont la fonction et le domaine sont bornés, en tant qu’objet d’analyse. Dans une enquête sur l’enseignement et la pratique des langues liturgiques dans des cadres diasporiques bien établis au Royaume‐Uni, l’auteur cherche à expliquer les actes performatifs et écrits qui peuvent être décrits et expliqués comme des ressources linguistiques flexibles et qui contrebalancent et résistent l'idée fixe et immuable de la langue liturgique. Ils soulignent des relations dynamiques, plutôt que des relations statiques, entre la langue et l’identité. [French]
Utilizing a Simulation Exercise to Illustrate Critical Inventory Management Concepts
Authors: Umble Elisabeth , Umble Michael 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTMost undergraduate business students simply do not appreciate the elegant mathematical beauty of inventory models. So how does an instructor capture students’ interest and keep them engaged in the learning process when teaching inventory management concepts? This paper describes a competitive and energizing in‐class simulation game that introduces students to basic inventory management concepts. This hands‐on, active‐learning exercise presents students with a simulated single‐product inventory environment that requires them to make ordering decisions in an attempt to minimize the total relevant inventory costs in the face of variable demand.
The Equity Indexed Annuity: A Monte Carlo Forensic Investigation into a Controversial Financial Product
Authors: Carver Andrew B. 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTEquity Indexed Annuities (EIAs) are controversial financial products because the payoffs to investors are based on formulas that are supposedly too complex for average investors to understand. This brief describes how Monte Carlo simulation can provide insight into the true risk and return of an EIA. This approach can be used as a project assignment or an in‐class assignment to demonstrate the ability of Monte Carlo simulation to solve problems involving uncertainty and nonlinear payoffs.
Access Patterns of Online Materials in a Blended Course
Authors: Asarta Carlos J. , Schmidt James R. 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTPatterns in student accesses of online materials and their effects upon student performance in a blended course are examined. Our blended course is an introductory business and economic statistics course where lectures are only available online while the traditional class period is used for complementary learning activities. Timing, volumes, intensity, and consistency of the student accesses of the online lectures are considered. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, measures of timing and consistency are shown to be related to student performance but volumes and intensity of accesses are not.
Digital Discernment: An E‐Commerce Web Site Evaluation Tool
Authors: Sigman Betsy Page , Boston Brian J. 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTStudents entering the business workforce today may well share some responsibility for developing, revising, or evaluating their company's Web site. They may lack the experience, however, to critique their employer's Web presence effectively. The purpose of developing Digital Discernment, an e‐commerce Web site evaluation tool, was to prepare students for this work. The tool provides them with a listing of criteria with which to assess e‐commerce sites, lets them evaluate pre‐selected sites qualitatively and quantitatively, and allows them to compare their evaluations with their peers. In this article, we discuss and examine the effectiveness of this tool and consider the ways in which it can help students in their future business careers.
Expeditionary Learning in Information Systems: Definition, Implementation, and Assessment
Authors: Abrahams Alan S. , Singh Tirna 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTIn the natural sciences, collecting, cataloguing, and comparing living specimens have long been a popular, collaborative mode of discovery and learning. New species are discovered, and the relationships between species are theorized. From Aristotle's “History of Animals” to Darwin's “On the Origin of Species”, and beyond, this process of learning through expedition has yielded bountiful knowledge and insights to students of science. In this paper, we propose that expeditionary learning can be applied to a softer science: the field of information systems. In the field of information systems, specimens (information systems) are created by humans, evolving with great speed. Expeditionary learning—where students collaboratively discover, catalog, and compare rapidly evolving information system specimens—is an innovative approach for learners in the IS field, and is effective in increasing IS program visibility and delivering significant, measurable community impact. Our results indicate that learning by expedition has a strong, positive community impact through educating external learners (such as high school and community college students, and the general public), and compares favorably to conventional experiential and service learning styles. Though expeditionary learning does not yield improved course evaluations, we demonstrate that learners’ perceived self‐knowledge and intentions to pursue the subject area are improved.