bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Change and Subjectivity in International Environmental Law: The Micro-Politics of the Transformation of Biodiversity into Genetic Gold
Authors: Kotsakis Andreas 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThere is no hope for international environmental law to be an engine for global social change when it can no longer provide a compelling account of itself. This article presents a theoretical framework, constructed from the works of Michel Foucault, capable of tracing this loss of descriptive capacity, as well as the resultant prescriptive confusion. The analysis examines the challenges posed by the triptych of biodiversity, biotechnology and neoliberalism housed under the idea of genetic gold, and calls for attention to micro-politics, in the shape of the apparatuses for the production of environmental subjectivity that operate outside the formal structures of the international legal sphere. The trope of genetic gold is revealed as an obsolete attempt to protect a fixed idea of biodiversity based on an outdated conception of environmental value. In response, the author argues for a mature confrontation with the end(s) of international environmental law.
ATHENA: the analysis tool for heritable and environmental network associations
Authors: Holzinger Emily R. , Dudek Scott M. , Frase Alex T. , Pendergrass Sarah A. , Ritchie Marylyn D. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMotivation: Advancements in high-throughput technology have allowed researchers to examine the genetic etiology of complex human traits in a robust fashion. Although genome-wide association studies have identified many novel variants associated with hundreds of traits, a large proportion of the estimated trait heritability remains unexplained. One hypothesis is that the commonly used statistical techniques and study designs are not robust to the complex etiology that may underlie these human traits. This etiology could include non-linear gene × gene or gene × environment interactions. Additionally, other levels of biological regulation may play a large role in trait variability.Results: To address the need for computational tools that can explore enormous datasets to detect complex susceptibility models, we have developed a software package called the Analysis Tool for Heritable and Environmental Network Associations (ATHENA). ATHENA combines various variable filtering methods with machine learning techniques to analyze high-throughput categorical (i.e. single nucleotide polymorphisms) and quantitative (i.e. gene expression levels) predictor variables to generate multivariable models that predict either a categorical (i.e. disease status) or quantitative (i.e. cholesterol levels) outcomes. The goal of this article is to demonstrate the utility of ATHENA using simulated and biological datasets that consist of both single nucleotide polymorphisms and gene expression variables to identify complex prediction models. Importantly, this method is flexible and can be expanded to include other types of high-throughput data (i.e. RNA-seq data and biomarker measurements).Availability: ATHENA is freely available for download. The software, user manual and tutorial can be downloaded from http://ritchielab.psu.edu/ritchielab/software.Contact: marylyn.ritchie@psu.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Seasonal patterns in microbial communities inhabiting the hot springs of Tengchong, Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Briggs Brandon R. , Brodie Eoin L. , Tom Lauren M. , Dong Hailiang , Jiang Hongchen , Huang Qiuyuan , Wang Shang , Hou Weiguo , Wu Geng , Huang Liuquin , Hedlund Brian P. , Zhang Chuanlun , Dijkstra Paul , Hungate Bruce A. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryStudies focusing on seasonal dynamics of microbial communities in terrestrial and marine environments are common; however, little is known about seasonal dynamics in high‐temperature environments. Thus, our objective was to document the seasonal dynamics of both the physicochemical conditions and the microbial communities inhabiting hot springs in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China. The PhyloChip microarray detected 4882 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within 79 bacterial phylum‐level groups and 113 OTUs within 20 archaeal phylum‐level groups, which are additional 54 bacterial phyla and 11 archaeal phyla to those that were previously described using pyrosequencing. Monsoon samples (June 2011) showed increased concentrations of potassium, total organic carbon, ammonium, calcium, sodium and total nitrogen, and decreased ferrous iron relative to the dry season (January 2011). At the same time, the highly ordered microbial communities present in January gave way to poorly ordered communities in June, characterized by higher richness of Bacteria, including microbes related to mesophiles. These seasonal changes in geochemistry and community structure are likely due to high rainfall influx during the monsoon season and indicate that seasonal dynamics occurs in high‐temperature environments experiencing significant changes in seasonal recharge. Thus, geothermal environments are not isolated from the surrounding environment and seasonality affects microbial ecology.
Psychosocial factors and mortality in women with early stage endometrial cancer
Authors: Telepak Laura C. , Jensen Sally E. , Dodd Stacy M. , Morgan Linda S. , Pereira Deidre B. 
Published: October 2013

ObjectivesPsychosocial factors have previously been linked with survival and mortality in cancer populations. Little evidence is available about the relationship between these factors and outcomes in gynaecologic cancer populations, particularly endometrial cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women. This study examined the relationship between several psychosocial factors prior to surgical resection and risk of all‐cause mortality in women with endometrial cancer.DesignThe study utilized a non‐experimental, longitudinal design.MethodsParticipants were 87 women (Mage = 60.69 years, SDage = 9.12 years) who were diagnosed with T1N0–T3N2 endometrial cancer and subsequently underwent surgery. Participants provided psychosocial data immediately prior to surgery. Survival statuses 4–5 years post‐diagnoses were abstracted via medical record review. Cox regression was employed for the survival analysis.ResultsOf the 87 women in this sample, 21 women died during the 4‐ to 5‐year follow‐up. Adjusting for age, presence of regional disease and medical comorbidity severity (known biomedical prognostic factors), greater use of an active coping style prior to surgery was significantly associated with a lower probability of all‐cause mortality, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78, p = .04. Life stress, depressive symptoms, use of self‐distraction coping, receipt of emotional support and endometrial cancer quality of life prior to surgery were not significantly associated with all‐cause mortality 4–5 years following diagnosis.ConclusionsGreater use of active coping prior to surgery for suspected endometrial cancer is associated with lower probability of all‐cause mortality 4–5 years post‐surgery. Future research should attempt to replicate these relationships in a larger and more representative sample and examine potential behavioural and neuroendocrine/immune mediators of this relationship.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject? Psychosocial factors have previously been linked with clinical outcomes in a variety of cancer populations. With regards to gynecologic cancer, the majority of the research has been conducted in ovarian cancer and examines the protective role of social support in mortality outcomes.

What does this study add?

Demonstrates association between active coping during perioperative period and 5 year survival.

Demonstrates psychosocial–survival relationship exists independent of biobehavioral factors.
Immunohistochemical analysis of KBA.62 in 18 neurothekeomas: a potential marker for differentiating neurothekeoma, but a marker that may lead to confusion with melanocytic tumors
Authors: Suarez Andrea , High Whitney A. 
Published: October 2013

BackgroundNeurothekeoma represents a neoplasm of uncertain histogenesis that often occurs on the head and neck of younger individuals. Distinguishing neurothekeoma from other tumors, particularly malignancies such as melanoma, can be difficult given the variable presence of nuclear atypia, mitoses and extension into fat or skeletal muscle. KBA.62 represents an anti‐melanoma monoclonal antibody that marks approximately 93% of melanomas. This study sought to evaluate KBA.62 expression in neurothekeomas, both as means of affirming the diagnosis and as a potential confounding factor in excluding a melanocytic process.MethodsEighteen neurothekeomas from 17 patients were analyzed by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was performed with KBA.62, S100 and CD10 antibodies. The diagnosis of neurothekeoma was confirmed by at least two dermatopathologists.ResultsAll cases showed similar light microscopic and immunohistochemical features. With the exception of two cases, cells expressed CD10 and exhibited morphologic features consistent with neurothekeoma. All 18 cases were S100 immunonegative. The epithelioid cells of all neurothekeomas were KBA.62 immunopositive, including both of two neurothekeomas occurring in the same patient.ConclusionsIn this study 100% of neurothekeomas tested were KBA.62 positive, admittedly to varying degrees, suggesting the utility of this reagent as being supportive of the diagnosis of neurothekeoma.
Assessing the influence of geography, land cover and host species on the local abundance of a generalist brood parasite, the brown‐headed cowbird
Authors: Cummings Katherine , Veech Joseph A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimThe brown‐headed cowbird is an obligate brood parasite known to exploit a large number of host species and use a variety of habitats. Much attention has been directed towards uncovering the fundamental factors that affect cowbird abundance; however, no study has evaluated these factors in the context of a biogeographic‐scale analysis that takes into account spatial autocorrelation. Our primary objective was to compare the relative influence of geography, land cover and host species on the local abundance of cowbirds.LocationGreat Plains region of the USA.MethodsWe used data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the National Land Cover Database to examine the relationships between cowbird abundance and host species, land cover composition and geographic location of a survey route. Multiple regression models were developed for various combinations of these factors. To control for spatial autocorrelation, we used SAM 4.0 (Spatial Analysis in Macroecology) software to implement simultaneous autoregressive modelling of the error term. We then used a model comparison approach to identify the factors that most influence cowbird abundance.ResultsAmong all models examined, host species richness was the single most strong predictor and the sole statistically significant predictor. Cowbird abundance increased with host species richness but did not change in any significant way with non‐host passerine richness or abundance of host species. Models with land cover variables tended to have the poorest fit to the cowbird abundance data.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that cowbirds may be attracted to areas with greater host richness and/or recruit better in such areas, although our data did not allow direct examination of either process. In a greater context, our study demonstrates the utility of a spatially based and geographically extensive analysis in finding range‐wide factors that affect the local abundance of a species.
Serum ferritin level is higher in poorly controlled patients with Type 2 diabetes and people without diabetes, aged over 55 years
Authors: Batchuluun B. , Matsumata T. , Batchuluun B. , Erdenebileg N. , Tsagaantsooj G. , Boldbaatar K. , Khasag A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimsDiabetes mellitus has been increasing in Mongolia. There is also growing concern about the relationship between iron stores and the severity of Type 2 diabetes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum ferritin level among Mongolian individuals with and without diabetes.MethodsOf 254 participants, a total of 99 previously diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes and the same numbers of subjects without diabetes were enrolled and invited to a physical examination (BMI, central obesity, blood pressure) and fasting blood tests (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, serum ferritin, C‐reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transferase).ResultsSerum ferritin was higher in the patients with Type 2 diabetes compared with the control group without diabetes, with a significant difference in the female groups (341.6 ± 67.2 and 159.1 ± 36.8 ng/ml respectively, P = 0.019). Of the patients with Type 2 diabetes, 43.4% had hyperferritinaemia, and 21.2% of the individuals without diabetes had hyperferritinaemia. In the group with Type 2 diabetes, serum ferritin level was significantly higher in the group of women whose HbA1c was ≥ 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) compared with the other group of women whose HbA1c was < 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) (562.1 ± 122.1 and 220.5 ± 78.7 ng/ml respectively, P = 0.025). We also found that the subjects without diabetes, aged over 55 years, are at risk of increased serum ferritin.ConclusionPoorly controlled patients with Type 2 diabetes and people without diabetes of over 55 years of age are likely to be at a higher risk of developing hyperferritinaemia. Thus, regular assessments of serum ferritin might be important for those who are at risk of hyperferritnaemia for prevention and an early intervention.
Incidence and predictors of hospitalization for tendon rupture in Type 2 diabetes: the Fremantle Diabetes Study
Authors: Zakaria M. H. B. , Davis W. A. , Davis T. M. E. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimsTo determine the incidence and predictors of tendon ruptures requiring hospitalization of representative patients with Type 2 diabetes.MethodsA total of 1296 patients from the longitudinal observational Fremantle Diabetes Study, Phase I, and 5159 de‐identified age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects without diabetes from the same urban area were studied. The patients' mean (sd) age was 64.0 (11.3) years and 48.6% of them were male. Their median (interquartile range) diabetes duration was 4.0 (1.0–9.0) years. The main outcome assessed was any tendon rupture requiring hospitalization in the Fremantle Diabetes Study subjects and the matched control subjects. Independent predictors of spontaneous ruptures in the patients from the Fremantle Diabetes Study were assessed using Cox proportional hazards modelling.ResultsThe incidence rate ratio for any tendon rupture requiring hospitalization in patients vs control subjects was 1.44 (95% CI 1.10–1.87; P = 0.005). Independent predictors of spontaneous ruptures in patients were BMI [hazard ratio 1.05 (95% CI 1.002–1.10] for 1 kg/m2 increase; P = 0.010] and alcohol consumption [hazard ratio 1.52 (95% CI 1.11–2.09) for √1 standard drink/day increase; P = 0.010]. Adjustment of the incidence rate ratio for overall rupture requiring hospitalization for these variables using the BMI and alcohol consumption data from the contemporary Australian general population suggested it could be as high as 1.84.ConclusionsThere is a greater risk of tendon rupture requiring hospitalization in people with Type 2 diabetes. Alcohol consumption and adiposity are potentially modifiable risk factors of spontaneous ruptures in patients with diabetes.
Association between lung capacity measurements and abnormal glucose metabolism: findings from the Crossroads study
Authors: Yu D. , Simmons D. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimTo examine the association between lung function and metabolic syndrome/Type 2 diabetes.MethodsA total of 1454 adults from rural Victoria, Australia, from randomly selected households included in the Crossroads study, provided spirometric measurements including forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, predicted percentage value of forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity predicted percentage value. Assessments also included HbA1c, metabolic syndrome components and a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test. The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curves for waist circumference were compared with those for combinations of waist circumference and raw spirometric measures (forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s) for identifying metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes.ResultsPartipants with a greater number of metabolic syndrome components were more likely to have reduced lung function, particularly if Type 2 diabetes was present: the predicted value of forced expiratory volume in 1 s decreased by 5–6% for participants with 2–4 metabolic syndrome components, and by 9% for those with Type 2 diabetes. The risk of metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes was inversely associated with higher spirometry values (forced expiratory volume in 1 s percentage predicted value: odds ratio for 2–4 metabolic syndrome components 0.36–0.21 in women and 0.32–0.30 men; the odds ratio for Type 2 diabetes was 0.36 in women and 0.28 in men). Receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis for identifying metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes revealed significant differences between the area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve with waist circumference alone and that for the combination of waist circumference with lung capacity measures.ConclusionPulmonary function is lower in people with metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. Spirometry variables are independent predictors of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.
The effect of diabetic neuropathy on foot bones: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Barwick A. L. , de Jonge X. A. K. Janse , Tessier J. W. , Ho A. , Chuter V. H. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractAimsIt is proposed that diabetic neuropathy may affect peripheral bone. Direct innervation of bone as well as neural control over its vascular supply and muscular influences may be affected by diabetes‐induced peripheral neuropathies. Associated changes to bone may contribute to the occurrence of foot bone pathology in this population. This systematic review aims to examine the literature related to the effect of diabetic neuropathy on foot bones.Methods Studies examining relationships between neuropathy and indicators of bone health (e.g. bone mineral density) in populations with diabetes were sought. Relevant publications were obtained from searches in MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase in the period up to March 2013. Meta‐analysis was performed using a random effects model in the statistical package Stata version 12.1.ResultsTen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the narrative synthesis. All studies were cross‐sectional or case–control in design. Four of the 10 included studies found results indicating poorer bone health in those with diabetes and neuropathy compared with those with diabetes without neuropathy. Seven of the 10 studies were able to be included in a meta‐analysis. The mean pooled effect was –0.36 (95% CI –0.76 to 0.04; P = 0.08), indicating a non‐significant trend towards poorer bone health in those with diabetic neuropathy.ConclusionsWe did not find a significant relationship between presence of neuropathy in those with diabetes and poorer peripheral bone health. However, methodological limitations of the included studies mean further research is required to investigate this theoretical relationship.
Customer segmentation issues and strategies for an automobile dealership with two clustering techniques
Authors: Tsai Chih‐Fong , Hu Ya‐Han , Lu Yu‐Hsin 
Published: October 2013

AbstractCompanies can use customer segmentation to group customers with similar characteristics together and identify the differences between groups to develop marketing strategies. This study investigates the problem of customer segmentation in relation to automotive customer relationship management and presents a real case study of an automobile dealer in Taiwan. Although several past studies have adopted different clustering techniques with which to group customer attributes, few have simultaneously considered customer transaction behaviour and customer satisfaction variables. In addition, most previous work has used only a single clustering method for customer segmentation, which results in unreliable results and leads to inadequate marketing decisions. Therefore, in this study, we consider two clustering techniques, k‐means and expectation maximization, and compare their results for correctness. The experimental results show that four customer groups are identified with both clustering methods: loyal, potential, VIP and churn customer groups. Based on the segmentation results, several customized marketing strategies aimed at each of the four customer groups are suggested to improve the quality of services for effective customer relationship management.
Evaluation of the Sysmex XT‐4000i for the automated body fluid analysis
Authors: Lehto T. M. , Leskinen P. , Hedberg P. , Vaskivuo T. E. 
Published: October 2013

SummaryIntroductionBody fluid (BF) analysis is traditionally performed using microscopy, which is time‐consuming and labor‐intensive and has wide interobserver variability. Automation has been suggested to improve these elements.MethodsBody fluid mode of the Sysmex XT‐4000i was used to analyze 51 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and 81 BF samples. white blood cell (WBC) count (cell/μL), WBC differential (MN% and PMN%), and turnaround time (TAT) were compared with manually performed microscopic counting.ResultsWithin‐run imprecision of BF (CV%) was 2.8–19.3. Functional sensitivity was 18 cell/μL (CV% 19.3). The accuracy of WBC count was moderate with CSF samples (rs = 0.55) and good with BF samples (rs = 0.95). The TAT of BF and CSF samples decreased with samples without high HF‐BF count when analyzed with XT‐4000i.ConclusionThe BF mode of Sysmex XT‐4000i was found to be accurate and precise with samples where the WBC count was >200 cell/μL. Our results indicate that Sysmex XT‐4000i can help to reduce TAT of BF sample analysis and decrease work effort in a laboratory. However, automatically performed cell counting cannot replace microscopic analysis in samples with abnormal findings.