bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pathway-Based Analysis of the Hidden Genetic Heterogeneities in Cancers
Authors: Zhao Xiaolei , Zhong Shouqiang , Zuo Xiaoyu , Lin Meihua , Qin Jiheng , Luan Yizhao , Zhang Naizun , Liang Yan , Rao Shaoqi 
Published: January 2014

Abstract
Many cancers apparently showing similar phenotypes are actually distinct at the molecular level, leading to very different responses to the same treatment. It has been recently demonstrated that pathway-based approaches are robust and reliable for genetic analysis of cancers. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether such function-based approaches are useful in deciphering molecular heterogeneities in cancers. Therefore, we aimed to test this possibility in the present study. First, we used a NCI60 dataset to validate the ability of pathways to correctly partition samples. Next, we applied the proposed method to identify the hidden subtypes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Finally, the clinical significance of the identified subtypes was verified using survival analysis. For the NCI60 dataset, we achieved highly accurate partitions that best fit the clinical cancer phenotypes. Subsequently, for a DLBCL dataset, we identified three hidden subtypes that showed very different 10-year overall survival rates (90%, 46% and 20%) and were highly significantly (P  = 0.008) correlated with the clinical survival rate. This study demonstrated that the pathway-based approach is promising for unveiling genetic heterogeneities in complex human diseases.
Maternal micronutrient imbalance alters gene expression of BDNF, NGF, TrkB and CREB in the offspring brain at an adult age
Authors: Sable Pratiksha , Kale Anvita , Joshi Asmita , Joshi Sadhana 
Published: January 2014

AbstractMicronutrients like folate, vitamin B12, and fatty acids which are interlinked in the one carbon cycle play a vital role in mediating epigenetic processes leading to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. Our earlier study demonstrates that a micronutrient imbalanced diet adversely affects docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and protein levels of neurotrophins like brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the brain and cognition in the offspring by 3 months of age. In this study we attempt to analyze if these effects are a consequence of a change in gene expression of these molecules. Further, we also examined the effect of either a postnatal control diet or a prenatal omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation on gene expression in the cortex of the offspring. Pregnant rats were divided into control and five treatment groups at two levels of folic acid (normal and excess folate) in the presence and absence of vitamin B12. Omega‐3 fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid – EPA + DHA) supplementation was given to vitamin B12 deficient groups. Following delivery, 8 dams from each group were shifted to control diet and remaining continued on the same treatment diet. Our results demonstrate that the imbalanced diet caused a marked reduction in the mRNA levels of BDNF, NGF, TrkB, and cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB). Prenatal omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation to the maternal imbalanced diet was able to normalize the mRNA levels of all the above genes. This study demonstrates that a maternal diet imbalanced in micronutrients (folic acid, vitamin B12) influences gene expression of neurotrophins and their signalling molecules and thereby adversely affects the brain of the offspring.
Photoimmunotherapy: Comparative effectiveness of two monoclonal antibodies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor
Authors: Sato Kazuhide , Watanabe Rira , Hanaoka Hirofumi , Harada Toshiko , Nakajima Takahito , Kim Insook , Paik Chang H. , Choyke Peter L. , Kobayashi Hisataka 
Published: January 2014

Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a new cancer treatment that combines the specificity of antibodies for targeting tumors with the toxicity induced by photosensitizers after exposure to near infrared (NIR) light. Herein we compare two commonly available anti‐EGFR monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab and panitumumab, for their effectiveness as PIT agents in EGFR positive tumor models. A photosensitizer, IR‐700, conjugated to either cetuximab (cet‐IR700) or panitumumab (pan‐IR700), was evaluated using EGFR‐expressing A431 and MDAMB468‐luc cells in 2D‐ and 3D‐culture. PIT was conducted with irradiation of NIR light after exposure of the sample or animal to each conjugate. In vivo PIT was performed with fractionated exposure of NIR light after injection of each agent into A431 xenografts or a MDAMB468‐luc orthotopic tumor bearing model.Cet‐IR700 and pan‐IR700 bound with equal affinity to the cells in 2D‐culture and penetrated equally into the 3D‐spheroid, resulting in identical PIT cytotoxic effects in vitro. In contrast, in vivo anti‐tumor effects of PIT with cet‐IR700 were inferior to that of pan‐IR700. Assessment of the biodistribution showed lower accumulation into the tumors and more rapid hepatic catabolism of cet‐IR700 compared to pan‐IR700. Although cet‐IR700 and pan‐IR700 showed identical in vitro characteristics, pan‐IR700 showed better therapeutic tumor responses than cet‐IR700 in in vivo mice models due to the prolonged retention of the conjugate in the circulation, suggesting that retention in the circulation is advantageous for tumor responses to PIT. These results suggest that the choice of monoclonal antibody in photosensitizer conjugates may influence the effectiveness of PIT.
Use of the Visual Range of Detection to Estimate Effective Sweep Width for Land Search and Rescue Based On 10 Detection Experiments in North America
Authors: Koester Robert J. , Chiacchia Kenneth B. , Twardy Charles R. , Cooper Donald C. , Frost John R. , Robe R. Quincy 
Published: January 2014

Objective Standard-of-practice search management requires that the probability of detection (POD) be determined for each search resource after a task. To calculate the POD, a detection index ( W) is obtained by field experiments. Because of the complexities of the land environment, search planners need a way to estimate the value of W without conducting formal experiments. We demonstrate a robust empirical correlation between detection range ( Rd) and W, and argue that Rd may reliably be used as a quick field estimate for W. Methods We obtained the average maximum detection range (AMDR), Rd, and W values from 10 detection experiments conducted throughout North America. We measured the correlation between Rd and W, and tested whether the apparent relationship between W and Rd was statistically significant. Results On average we found W ≈ 1.645 × Rd with a strong correlation ( R2 = .827). The high-visibility class had W ≈ 1.773 × Rd (also R2 = .867), the medium-visibility class had W ≈ 1.556 × Rd ( R2 = .560), and the low-visibility had a correction factor of 1.135 ( R2 = .319) for Rd to W. Using analysis of variance and post hoc testing, only the high- and low-visibility classes were significantly different from each other ( P < .01). We also found a high correlation between the AMDR and Rd ( R2 = .9974). Conclusions Although additional experiments are required for the medium- and low-visibility search objects and in the dry-domain ecoregion, we suggest search planners use the following correction factors to convert field-measured Rd to an estimate of the effective sweep width ( W): high-visibility W = 1.8 × Rd; medium-visibility W = 1.6 × Rd; and low-visibility W = 1.1 × Rd.
Too Soft for Economics, Too Rigid for Sociology, or Just Right? The Productive Ambiguities of Sen’s Capability Approach
Authors: Kremakova Milena I. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe capability approach has been developed by Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum and others as a human-centred normative framework for the evaluation of individual and group well-being, quality of life and social justice. Sen and Nussbaum’s ideas have influenced global, national and local policy and have been further developed in a number of academic disciplines, but so far have remained largely unnoticed in sociology. This article examines recent capability-informed theories and empirical applications in the sociology of human rights and other academic fields adjacent to sociology, focussing on examples of social policy studies in the fields of welfare, the labour market, health and disability, and education. The article outlines several potential areas in which capability-informed frameworks are relevant for critical social theory, public sociology and global sociology.
Multiple isotope analyses of the pike tapewormTriaenophorus nodulosusreveal peculiarities in consumer–diet discrimination patterns
Authors: Behrmann-Godel J. , Yohannes E. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractPrevious studies of dietary isotope discrimination have led to the general expectation that a consumer will exhibit enriched stable isotope levels relative to its diet. Parasite–host systems are specific consumer–diet pairs in which the consumer (parasite) feeds exclusively on one dietary source: host tissue. However, the small numbers of studies previously carried out on isotopic discrimination in parasite–host (ΔXP-HT) systems have yielded controversial results, showing some parasites to be isotopically depleted relative to their food source, while others are enriched or in equilibrium with their hosts. Although the mechanism for these deviations from expectations remains to be understood, possible influences of specific feeding niche or selection for only a few nutritional components by the parasite are discussed. ΔXP-HTfor multiple isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) were measured in the pike tapewormTriaenophorus nodulosusand two of its life-cycle fish hosts, perchPerca fluviatilisand pikeEsox lucius, within whichT. nodulosusoccupies different feeding locations. Variability in the value of ΔXP-HTcalculated for the parasite and its different hosts indicates an influence of feeding location on isotopic discrimination. In perch liver ΔXP-HTwas relatively more negative for all three stable isotopes. In pike gut ΔXP-HTwas more positive for δ13C, as expected in conventional consumer–diet systems. For parasites feeding on pike gut, however, the δ15N and δ34S isotope values were comparable with those of the host. We discuss potential causes of these deviations from expectations, including the effect of specific parasite feeding niches, and conclude that ΔXP-HTshould be critically evaluated for trophic interactions between parasite and host before general patterns are assumed.
Pomegranate extract: a potential protector against aminoglycoside ototoxicity
Authors: Kahya V , Ozucer B , Dogan R , Meric A , Yuksel M , Gedikli O , Ozturan O 
Published: January 2014

AbstractObjective:To investigate the effectiveness of pomegranate extract as protection against aminoglycoside ototoxicity.Design:Prospective, randomised, controlled, experimental study.Subjects:Eighteen Wistar albino rats were randomly allocated to 5 days of either: saline injections; gentamicin injections; or pomegranate extract (100 µl/day via gavage) plus gentamicin injections. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions were tested before treatment and on day 3. After treatment, reactive oxygen species levels were measured in each rat's right cochlea and right kidney via chemiluminescence.Results:Baseline emission amplitudes were similar. Post-treatment emissions differed significantly in the two treatment groups (p < 0.001). Cochlear reactive oxygen species levels were significantly higher in the gentamicin group (mean ± standard deviation, 316.6 ± 36.5 relative light units per mg) than the gentamicin plus pomegranate extract group (240 ± 24.6 relative light units per mg) (p = 0.004); control group levels were 119.1 ± 10.3 relative light units per mg. Renal reactive oxygen species levels were similar for the control and gentamicin plus pomegranate extract groups (p = 0.59) but much higher in the gentamicin group (p = 0.004).Conclusion:Concurrent systemic pomegranate extract administration reduced reactive oxygen species level increases and otoacoustic emission changes, following aminoglycoside injection.
Effects of transitional bilingual education on Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ literacy and language development: Year 2 results
Authors: DURÁN LILLIAN , ROSETH CARY J. , HOFFMAN PATRICIA 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTYear 2 findings are reported from a longitudinal, experimental-control study involving 31 Spanish-speaking preschoolers (aged 38–48 months) randomly assigned to two Head Start classrooms. In Year 1, classrooms differed only in the language of instruction, with teachers using only Spanish in one classroom and only English in the other. In Year 2, an experimental transitional bilingual education (TBE) model was implemented, with English being gradually introduced in the TBE classroom until a ratio of 30:70 English-to-Spanish was achieved and Spanish being gradually introduced in the predominantly English (PE) classroom until a ratio of 70:30 English-to-Spanish was achieved. Year 2 results were consistent with Year 1, with the TBE classroom exceeding the PE classroom on all Spanish measures of language and literacy development and no significant differences favoring the PE classroom. Results also indicated that Year 2 trajectories were conditional on first-year effects, suggesting that sustained growth in dual language learner's early literacy may depend on early intervention among 3-year-old preschoolers.
Effect of laser irradiance on the surface morphology and laser induced plasma parameters of zinc
Authors: Akram Mahreen , Bashir Shazia , Hayat Asma , Mahmood Khaliq , Ahmad Riaz , Khaleeq-U-Rahaman M. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe effect of laser-irradiance on the surface morphology and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of zinc has been investigated by employing Nd:YAG laser (wavelength λ = 1064 nm, pulse durationt ~ 10 ns, and repetition rate = 10 Hz) under ambient environment of argon at a pressure of 20 Torr. For this purpose, zinc targets were exposed to various laser irradiances ranging from 13 GW/cm2to 100 GW/cm2. Scanning electron microscope analysis has been performed to analyze the surface modification of irradiated zinc targets. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the formation of various kinds of structures such as ripples, cones, cavities, and wave like ridges at the center and peripheral regions of ablated zinc. In the central ablated region with increasing laser irradiance, the growth of distinct and well defined ripples is observed. Further increase in irradiance makes the appearance of these ripples diffusive and narrow. In order to correlate the plasma parameters with the surface modification, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis has also been performed. The electron temperature and number density of zinc plasma have been evaluated at various laser irradiances. For both plasma parameters, an increasing trend up to a certain value of laser irradiance is observed which is due to enhanced energy deposition. Afterword a decreasing trend is achieved which is attributed to the shielding effect. With further increase in irradiance a saturation stage comes and almost no change in plasma parameters is observed. This saturation is explainable on the basis of the formation of a self-regulating regime near the target surface. A strong correlation between surface modification and plasma parameters is established.
RAPID REVIEW: AN EMERGING APPROACH TO EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS IN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Khangura Sara , Polisena Julie , Clifford Tammy J. , Farrah Kelly , Kamel Chris 
Published: January 2014

Background: Increasingly, healthcare decision makers demand quality evidence in a short timeframe to support urgent and emergent decisions related to procurement, clinical practice, and policy. Health technology assessment (HTA) producers are responding by developing innovative approaches to evidence synthesis that can be executed more quickly than traditional systematic review. These approaches, and the broader implications they bring to bear on health decision making and policy development, however, are generally neither well-understood nor well-described. This study intends to contribute to an emerging literature around methodological approaches to rapid review in HTA by outlining those developed and implemented by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).Methods: Since 2005, CADTH has developed and implemented a rapid review approach that synthesizes evidence to support informed healthcare decisions and policy. Rapid Response reports are tailored to the identified needs of Canadian health decision makers, representing a range of options with regard to depth, breadth, and time-to-delivery.Results: Preliminary observations indicate that CADTH's approach to rapid evidence review is generally well-received by Canadian health decision makers; real-world case studies provide pragmatic examples of how health decision makers have used Rapid Response reports to support evidence-informed health decisions across Canada.Conclusions: Rapid review is becoming an increasingly important approach to evidence synthesis, both within and external to the field of HTA. Transparent reporting of the methods used to develop rapid review products will be critical to the assessment of their relevance, utility and effects in a range of contexts.
Multiscale variability of ambient conditions, fast ice dynamics and biogeochemistry in the coastal zone of Victoria Land, Ross Sea
Authors: Cozzi Stefano 
Published: January 2014

AbstractInterannual and seasonal variability of the biogeochemical characteristics of fast ice were analysed in relation to ambient conditions, water column properties and ice biota. According to Zubov's Law, the annual atmospheric cooling should generate 2.5 m thick fast ice sheets in this coastal zone, but katabatic wind peaks in July–August often cause ice breakouts, resulting in highly variable growth periods (2–9 months) and thickness (1.0–2.5 m). In spring, atmospheric forcings significantly modulate brine content (5–20%) and drainage in fast ice, as well as salinity oscillations in bottom and platelet layers (15 psu). In the water column, the formation of nutrient-impoverished Summer Surface Waters is triggered by seawater warming (-1.9 to 0.7°C), ice melting (0.03 m d-1) and pelagic production. Negative NO3 and SiO2 balances and positive NH4 balances (-41, -153 and +173 kg km-2, respectively) were estimated in fast ice in spring, whereas nutrient budgets in the platelet layer are regulated by its variable level of isolation from seawater. The large accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (3890 kg km-2) in the ice system and its release in seawater in late spring are important features of the carbon cycle in these Antarctic coastal zones, with possible implications for the modulation of climate.
Extractive industries and local development in the Peruvian Highlands
Authors: Ticci Elisa , Escobal Javier 
Published: January 2014

AbstractDuring the last 20 years, the mining sector in Peru has been experiencing sustained growth. Using census, administrative, nationally and regionally representative data we compare districts in the Peruvian Highlands with a recent mining development with suitable counterfactuals. We find that the new mining activities attract migration inflows, and have some positive effects over educational indicators, and that these impacts, on average, are smaller in districts with lower levels of corporate social expenditure. However, the results of this study suggest that the local potential welfare impact of the mining boom is largely untapped and corporate social responsibility has had a limited role in improving this effect.
Insufficient autumn vitamin D intake and low vitamin D status in 7-year-old Icelandic children
Authors: Bjarnadottir Adda , Kristjansdottir Asa Gudrun , Hrafnkelsson Hannes , Johannsson Erlingur , Magnusson Kristjan Thor , Thorsdottir Inga 
Published: January 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe aim was to investigate autumn vitamin D intake and status in 7-year-old Icelanders, fitting BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness as predictors.DesignThree-day food records and fasting blood samples were collected evenly from September to November, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with an ergometer bike. Food and nutrient intakes were calculated, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25(OH)D) and serum parathyroid hormone were analysed. Suboptimal vitamin D status was defined s-25(OH)D <50 nmol/l, and deficient status as s-25(OH)D <25 nmol/l.SettingSchool-based study in Reykjavik, Iceland in 2006.SubjectsOf the 7-year-olds studied (n 265), 165 returned valid intake information (62 %), 158 gave blood samples (60 %) and 120 gave both (45 %).ResultsRecommended vitamin D intake (10 μg/d) was reached by 22·4 % of the children and 65·2 % had s-25(OH)D <50 nmol/l. Median s-25(OH)D was higher for children taking vitamin D supplements (49·2 nmol/l v. 43·2 nmol/l, respectively; P < 0·0 0 1). Median s-25(OH)D was lower in November (36·7 nmol/l) than in September (59·9 nmol/l; P < 0·001). The regression model showed that week of autumn accounted for 18·9 % of the variance in s-25(OH)D (P < 0·001), vitamin D intake 5·2 % (P < 0·004) and cardiorespiratory fitness 4·6 % (P < 0·005).ConclusionsA minority of children followed the vitamin D recommendations and 65 % had suboptimal vitamin D status during the autumn. Week of autumn was more strongly associated with vitamin D status than diet or cardiorespiratory fitness, which associated with vitamin D status to a similar extent. These results demonstrate the importance of sunlight exposure during summer to prevent suboptimal vitamin D status in young schoolchildren during autumn in northern countries. An increased effort is needed for enabling adherence to the vitamin D recommendations and increasing outdoor activities for sunlight exposure.
The proportion of unhealthy foodstuffs children are exposed to at the checkout of convenience supermarkets
Authors: Horsley Jason A , Absalom Katie AR , Akiens Evie M , Dunk Robert J , Ferguson Alice M 
Published: January 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the proportion of foods that are unhealthy to which children are exposed at the checkout of convenience supermarkets.DesignWe performed a cross-sectional survey of foodstuffs displayed at the checkout. Products displayed at or below children's eye-level were designated as healthy, unhealthy or unclassifiable using the Food Standards Agency's scoring criteria.SettingThirteen convenience supermarkets from the three leading UK supermarket chains were selected on the basis of proximity to the town hall in Sheffield, England.SubjectsConvenience supermarkets were defined as branches of supermarket chains that were identified as being other than superstores on their company's store locator website.ResultsIn almost all of the convenience supermarkets surveyed, the main healthy product on display was sugar-free chewing gum. On average, when chewing gum was not included as a foodstuff, 89% of the products on display at the checkouts of convenience supermarkets were unhealthy using the Food Standards Agency's criteria. One store was a notable outlier, providing only fruit and nuts at its checkout.ConclusionsThe overwhelming majority of products to which children are exposed at the convenience supermarket checkout are unhealthy. This is despite all the supermarket chains surveyed having signed up to the UK Government's ‘responsibility deal’.