bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of Genetic Counseling Services in Taiwan
Authors: Chien Shu , Su Pen‐Hua , Chen Suh‐Jen 
Published: April 2013

AbstractTaiwan is an emerging industrial country in subtropical Asia with a population of 23 million. There were around 200,000 newborns in 2011. Delayed first marriage, low birth rate, and rapid aging are major demographic issues. Genetic counseling services were established following the rapid introduction of genetic technology and enactment of relevant laws and regulations. Ultrasound was first used in 1968 to examine pregnant women. The first amniotic fluid laboratory was founded in 1981 to identify chromosomal abnormalities. In 1984, the Genetic Health Act was legislated for prevention and control of genetic disorders, and the metabolic disorder screen project was launched. National Health Insurance with overall coverage of prenatal examinations was established in 1995. A master‐level genetic counseling program was launched in 2003 and by 2011 has graduated eighty students. Two professional societies have been formed to certify genetic counselors, and 66 professionals have been certified. In summary, genetic counseling services in Taiwan are continuously improving.
The Being and Becoming of African Diaspora Art
Authors: FRANCIS JACQUELINE 
Published: April 2013

By and large, “African diaspora art” is a generic label, presently applied with the purpose of broadly situating modern and contemporary artwork by people of African descent in discussions of African art, most often in connection with “traditional” West African ritual sculpture, installation, and performance. I focus on the work that this term has done or has been summoned to do in the US since the late twentieth century. This essay considers several artistic projects and critical and institutional missions linked to African diaspora art and culture: (1) a 1960s essay by art historian Robert Farris Thompson that organizes nineteenth-century material culture under this heading, (2) the black body as icon of the African diaspora in in the work of US artist David Hammons from the 1970s, and (3) the founding of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco in 2002. We are in the process of institutionalizing African diaspora art, situating it as a cultural consciousness that supersedes other identifications and narratives of association. We value and celebrate this epistemological construct, and, in doing so, reveal that it is also a social formation driven by doubts about racial and national belonging and the desire for a transformative signification and new, organizing logics of being.Cultural identity … is a matter of “becoming” as well as of “being.”Stuart Hall1By and large, “African diaspora art” is a generic label, often summoned to broadly situate modern and contemporary artwork by people of African descent and to connect it to “traditional” West African ritual sculpture, installation, and performance.2 It is a valued and celebrated epistemological construct; it is also a social formation driven by doubts about racial and national belonging and the desire for a transformative signification and organizing logics of difference. We are in the process of institutionalizing African diaspora art, situating it as a cultural consciousness that is meant to supersede other powerful identifications and narratives of political association.
Biased attention to threat in paediatric anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, separation anxiety disorder) as a function of ‘distress’versus‘fear’ diagnostic categorization
Authors: Waters A. M. , Bradley B. P. , Mogg K. 
Published: April 2013

BackgroundStructural models of emotional disorders propose that anxiety disorders can be classified into fear and distress disorders. Sources of evidence for this distinction come from genetic, self-report and neurophysiological data from adults. The present study examined whether this distinction relates to cognitive processes, indexed by attention bias towards threat, which is thought to cause and maintain anxiety disorders.MethodDiagnostic and attention bias data were analysed from 435 children between 5 and 13 years of age; 158 had principal fear disorder (specific phobia, social phobia or separation anxiety disorder), 75 had principal distress disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, GAD) and 202 had no psychiatric disorder. Anxious children were a clinic-based treatment-seeking sample. Attention bias was assessed on a visual-probe task with angry, neutral and happy faces.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, children with principal distress disorder (GAD) showed a significant bias towards threat relative to neutral faces whereas children with principal fear disorder showed an attention bias away from threat relative to neutral faces. Overall, children displayed an attention bias towards happy faces, irrespective of diagnostic group.ConclusionsOur findings support the distinction between fear and distress disorders, and extend empirically derived structural models of emotional disorders to threat processing in childhood, when many anxiety disorders begin and predict lifetime impairment.
Neuropsychological Deficits Associated with Destruction of the Right Nigrostriatal Pathway
Authors: Sáez-Zea Carmen , Escamilla-Sevilla Francisco , Martínez-Simón Josefina , Arnedo Marisa , Mínguez-Castellanos Adolfo 
Published: April 2013

AbstractHemiparkinsonism secondary to a vascular mesencephalic lesion is infrequent; these patients offer an exceptional opportunity to study neuropsychological alterations attributable to unilateral dopaminergic denervation, shedding light on the pathophysiology of cognitive disorders in early-stage idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). From the investigation of our case, we conclude that destruction of the right nigrostriatal pathway is accompanied by deficits in executive functioning and verbal/visual memory similar to those observed in many patients with early-stage idiopathic PD. The more complex neuropsychological dysfunction developed by other PD patients must therefore be related to the additional involvement of other brain structures. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–6)
Trends in the Use of Perfumes and Incense in the Near East after the Muslim Conquests
Authors: ZOHAR AMAR , LEV EFRAIM 
Published: April 2013

AbstractPerfumes have been known as utilizable but exclusive products since antiquity. Use of aromatic substances was first mentioned in archaic sources of the ancient world. The origin of such fragrant substances was mainly vegetable and animal. Throughout history, the use of subtle perfumes increased and some of the exotic materials became expensive and valuable commodities. They were the source of wealth for cultures and rulers. The contribution of the Arabs to the distribution of new crops, knowledge, industrial techniques and substances is a well-known phenomenon. In our article we intend to focus on the new perfumes that were distributed throughout the world thanks to the Arab conquests and the knowledge of their other uses, mainly medicinal, that was handed down along with the products themselves. About 20 common perfumes are known to have been used in the medieval world, though half of them were not mentioned in earlier sources.These phenomena will be dealt with and presented in a profile we built up for four perfumes: agarwood, camphor, musk and ambergris. The theoretical and practical uses of these perfumes that are presented in detail (based on various sources including traders’ documents, medical literature and practical Genizah fragments, dealing mainly with medicine) will serve as case studies for the understanding of new trends in the uses of perfumes after the Muslim conquest. Arab perfumes can be divided into three groups, according to their level of importance:A. New perfumes, mainly from the vast region named “India”; most of which (such as camphor, ambergris and sandalwood and a compound made out of them known as nadd and ghāliya) were not known in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region until the Muslim conquests.B. Perfumes that kept their popularity including: a variety of cinnamon, costus, spikenard, frankincense, saffron and rose.C. Perfumes that lost their worth like balsam and myrrh.It seems that camphor was the best and most cherished perfume that substituted balsam. Like balsam, the importance of myrrh that was imported from Arabia and East Africa also declined and it seems that its substitute was musk. Transformations in perfume fashion were in fact only part of a wider revolution of the Arabic material culture which the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and even many European countries experienced due to the Arab conquests.
Basic Concepts in Population Modeling, Simulation, and Model‐Based Drug Development—Part 2: Introduction to Pharmacokinetic Modeling Methods
Authors: Mould DR , Upton RN 
Published: April 2013

Population pharmacokinetic models are used to describe the time course of drug exposure in patients and to investigate sources of variability in patient exposure. They can be used to simulate alternative dose regimens, allowing for informed assessment of dose regimens before study conduct. This paper is the second in a three‐part series, providing an introduction into methods for developing and evaluating population pharmacokinetic models. Example model files are available in the Supplementary Data online.CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e38; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.14; advance online publication 17 April 2013
Elastic moduli and the aspect ratio spectrum of rock using simulated annealing
Authors: Izumotani Satoshi , Onozuka Shigenobu 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTWe propose a new method for estimating pore volume concentrations associated with inclusions with different aspect ratios and also the rock matrix and pore fluid moduli using very fast simulated annealing. We use the Kuster and Toksöz effective modulus formulations as a forward model that takes the pore shapes into consideration.In order to provide this method, we first estimated the model parameters, then calculated the P‐ and S‐wave velocities as a function of pressure in dry and saturated conditions and finally compared the calculated velocities with the measured ultrasonic velocities of sandstone, limestone and granite. The calculated velocity fitted well with the measured velocity. Furthermore, we verified the calculated bulk modulus and shear modulus of the rock matrix. As these moduli were consistent with the results from other experiments and were almost the same as those by the inversion method, we believe that this method can satisfactorily calculate the moduli.Next, we conducted optimization under several cases of moduli setting. We obtained the best results using the independent shear modulus under saturated conditions. The result indicates that the shear modulus varies according to the fluid in the pores in sandstone.Finally, we optimized the average aspect ratio of rock and found that the average aspect ratio may depend on the type of rock. The velocity calculated by the single aspect ratio is similar to the velocity calculated by using a spectrum of aspect ratios for the same rock.
Representation, agendas and institutions
Authors: Bevan Shaun , Jennings Will 
Published: April 2013

AbstractDynamic agenda representation can be understood through the transmission of the priorities of the public onto the policy priorities of government. The pattern of representation in policy agendas is mediated through institutions due to friction (i.e., organisational and cognitive costs imposed on change) in decision making and variation in the scarcity of policy makers' attention. This article builds on extant studies of the correspondence between public priorities and the policy activities of government, undertaking time‐series analyses using data for the United States and the United Kingdom, from 1951 to 2003, relating to executive speeches, laws and budgets in combination with data on public opinion about the ‘most important problem’. The results show that the responsiveness of policy agendas to public priorities is greater when institutions are subject to less friction (i.e., executive speeches subject to few formal rules and involving a limited number of actors) and declines as friction against policy change increases (i.e., laws and budgets subject to a greater number of veto points and political interests/coalitions).
In vitro differentiation of near‐unlimited numbers of functional mouse basophils using conditional Hoxb8
Authors: Gurzeler U. , Rabachini T. , Dahinden C. A. , Salmanidis M. , Brumatti G. , Ekert P. G. , Echeverry N. , Bachmann D. , Simon H. U. , Kaufmann T. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundBasophils constitute a rare leukocyte population known for their effector functions in inflammation and allergy, as well as more recently described immunoregulatory roles. Besides their low frequency, functional analysis of basophils is hindered by a short life span, inefficient ex vivo differentiation protocols, and lack of suitable cell models. A method to produce large quantities of basophils in vitro would facilitate basophil research and constitute a sought‐after tool for diagnostic and drug testing purposes.MethodsA method is described to massively expand bone marrow–derived basophils in vitro. Myeloid progenitors are conditionally immortalized using Hoxb8 in the presence of interleukin‐3 (IL‐3) and outgrowing cell lines selected for their potential to differentiate into basophils upon shutdown of Hoxb8 expression.ResultsIL‐3‐dependent, conditional Hoxb8‐immortalized progenitor cell lines can be expanded and maintained in culture for prolonged periods. Upon shutdown of Hoxb8 expression, near‐unlimited numbers of mature functional basophils can be differentiated in vitro within six days. The cells are end‐differentiated and short‐lived and express basophil‐specific surface markers and proteases. Upon IgE‐ as well as C5a‐mediated activation, differentiated basophils release granule enzymes and histamine and secrete Th2‐type cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐13) and leukotriene C4. IL‐3‐deprivation induces apoptosis correlating with upregulation of the BH3‐only proteins BCL‐2‐interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) and p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) and downregulation of proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 kinase (PIM‐1).ConclusionA novel method is presented to generate quantitative amounts of mouse basophils in vitro, which moreover allows genetic manipulation of conditionally immortalized progenitors. This approach may represent a useful alternative method to isolating primary basophils.
YL529, a novel, orally available multikinase inhibitor, potently inhibits angiogenesis and tumour growth in preclinical models
Authors: Xu Youzhi , Lin Hongjun , Meng Nana , Lu Wenjie , Li Guobo , Han Yuanyuan , Dai Xiaoyun , Xia Yong , Song Xiangrong , Yang Shengyong , Wei Yuquan , Yu Luoting , Zhao Yinglan 
Published: April 2013

Background and PurposeTargeted chemotherapy using small‐molecule inhibitors of angiogenesis and proliferation is a promising strategy for cancer therapy.Experimental ApproachYL529 was developed via computer‐aided drug design, de novo synthesis and high‐throughput screening. The biochemical, pharmacodynamic and toxicological profiles of YL529 were investigated using kinase and cell viability assays, a mouse tumour cell‐containing alginate bead model, a zebrafish angiogenesis model and several human tumour xenograft models in athymic mice.Key ResultsIn vitro, YL529 selectively inhibited the activities of VEGFR2/VEGFR3 and serine/threonine kinase RAF kinase. YL529 inhibited VEGF165‐induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2, as well as the proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells. It also significantly blocked vascular formation and angiogenesis in the zebrafish model. Moreover, YL529 strongly attenuated the proliferation of A549 cells by disrupting the RAF/mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) or extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (Erk) kinase (MEK) kinase kinase/MAPK pathway. Oral administration of YL529 (37.5–150 mg−1·kg−1·day−1) to nude mice bearing established tumour xenografts significantly prevented the growth (60–80%) of A549, SPC‐A1, A375, OS‐RC‐2 and HCT116 tumours without detectable toxicity. YL529 markedly reduced microvessel density and increased tumour cell apoptosis in the tumours formed in mice inoculated with the lung cancer cells, SPC‐A1 and A549, and the colon carcinoma cells, HCT116.Conclusions and ImplicationsYL529, an orally active multikinase inhibitor, shows therapeutic potential for solid tumours, and warrants further investigation as a possible anticancer agent.
Delayed onset of graft-versus-host disease in immunodeficent human leucocyte antigen-DQ8 transgenic, murine major histocompatibility complex class II-deficient mice repopulated by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Authors: Büchner S M , Sliva K , Bonig H , Völker I , Waibler Z , Kirberg J , Schnierle B S 
Published: April 2013

SummaryHaematopoietic humanization of mice is used frequently to study the human immune system and its reaction upon experimental intervention. Immunocompromised non-obese diabetic (NOD)-Rag1–/– mice, additionally deficient for the common gamma chain of cytokine receptors (γc) (NOD-Rag1–/– γc–/– mice), lack B, T and natural killer (NK) cells and allow for efficient human peripheral mononuclear cell (PBMC) engraftment. However, a major experimental drawback for studies using these mice is the rapid onset of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In order to elucidate the contribution of the xenogenic murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II in this context, we generated immunodeficient mice expressing human MHC class II [human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ8] on a mouse class II-deficient background (Aβ–/–). We studied repopulation and onset of GVHD in these mouse strains following transplantation of DQ8 haplotype-matched human PBMCs. The presence of HLA class II promoted the repopulation rates significantly in these mice. Virtually all the engrafted cells were CD3+ T cells. The presence of HLA class II did not advance B cell engraftment, such that humoral immune responses were undetectable. However, the overall survival of DQ8-expressing mice was prolonged significantly compared to mice expressing mouse MHC class II molecules, and correlated with an increased time span until onset of GVHD. Our data thus demonstrate that this new mouse strain is useful to study GVHD, and the prolonged animal survival and engraftment rates make it superior for experimental intervention following PBMC engraftment.
Vertical osteoconductivity and early bone formation of titanium–zirconium and titanium implants in a subperiosteal rabbit animal model
Authors: Kämmerer Peer W. , Palarie Victor , Schiegnitz Eik , Hagmann Sebastien , Alshihri Abdulmonem , Al‐Nawas Bilal 
Published: April 2013

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the vertical osteoconductive and osteointegrative dynamics around titanium–zirconium (TiZr) implants compared to titanium (Ti) implants.Materials and methodsIn a split‐leg design, 12 TiZr‐SLActive and 12 Ti‐SLActive implants were inserted 3 mm above bone level in the proximal tibia of 12 rabbits. Full periosteal flaps were repositioned to cover the site. Specimens were obtained after 10, 20 and 30 days (each n = 4 per group). Histomorphometric measurements included percentage of linear bone fill (PLF; %), new marginal vertical bone height (VBH; mm) and vertical bone‐to‐implant contact (vBIC; %). Statistical analysis was performed with the nonparametric F1_LD_F1 model to compare the two groups at the different time points.ResultsAfter 10 days, mean PLF was 7.7% (standard deviation (SD): 5.3) for TiZr and 17.6 (SD: 8.3) for Ti. Mean VBH was 0.35 mm (SD: 0.15) and 0.78 mm (SD: 0.4) for TiZr and Ti, respectively; mean vBIC was 24.4% (SD: 41) for TiZr and 53% (SD: 28.9) for Ti samples. The differences were significant for all parameters (PLF: P = 0.021; VBH: P = 0.009; vBIC: P = 0.011). After 20 days, mean PLF was 44.3% (SD: 26.3) for TIZr and 46.2% (SD: 21.3) for Ti implants. TiZr showed a mean VBH of 1.73 mm (SD: 1) and 1.8 mm (SD: 0.6) for Ti samples. Mean vBIC had values of 48.3% (SD: 23.7) and 68.7% (SD: 35.5) for TiZr and Ti, respectively (PLF: P = 0.78; VBH: P = 0.58; vBIC: P = 0.47). At the point of 30 days, mean PLF values were 23.7% (SD: 3.8) for TiZr and 28.9% (SD: 21.7) for Ti samples; mean for VBH in TiZr samples was 0.65 mm (SD: 0.39) and 1.7 mm (SD: 1.1) for Ti ones. Finally, mean vBIC was 28.3% (SD: 19.3) and 54.4% (SD: 26.5) for TiZr and Ti samples, respectively (PLF: P = 0.1; VBH: P = 0.088; vBIC: P = 0.089).ConclusionsA significant delay in vertical osteoconductivity at the earliest time point under examination was seen for TiZr implants when compared to their Ti counterparts. For the later points, TiZr as well as Ti implants demonstrated comparable values in this animal model. The long‐term osteogenic surface properties of equally pretreated TiZr dental implants are therefore similar to those of Ti implants in vivo.
Cardiovascular safety of sulfonylureas: a meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Monami M. , Genovese S. , Mannucci E. 
Published: April 2013

AimCardiovascular safety of sulfonylurea has been questioned by some authors. This article aims at collecting all available data on this issue from randomized trials.MethodsA meta‐analysis was performed including all trials with a duration of at least 6 months, comparing a sulfonylurea with a non‐sulfonylurea agent in type 2 diabetes. Major cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality were retrieved and combined to calculate Mantel‐Haenzel odds ratio (MH‐OR).ResultsOf the 115 selected trials, 62 reported information on MACE, and 30 reported at least one event. MH‐OR for sulfonylurea was 1.08 [0.86–1.36], p = 0.52 (1.85 [1.20–2.87], p = 0.005, in the five trials vs. DPP4 inhibitors, no significant differences vs. other comparators). The MH‐OR for myocardial infarction and stroke was 0.88 [0.75–1.04], p = 0.13 and 1.28 [1.03–1.60], p = 0.026, respectively. Mortality was significantly increased with sulfonylureas (MH‐OR: 1.22 [1.01–1.49], p = 0.047).ConclusionsIn type 2 diabetes, the use of sulfonylureas is associated with increased mortality and a higher risk of stroke, whereas the overall incidence of MACE appears to be unaffected. Significant differences in cardiovascular risk could be present in direct comparisons with specific classes of glucose‐lowering agents, such as DPP4 inhibitors, but this hypothesis needs to be confirmed in long‐term cardiovascular outcomes trials. The results of this meta‐analysis need to be interpreted with caution, mainly because of limitations in trial quality and under‐reporting of information on cardiovascular events and mortality. However, the cardiovascular safety of sulfonylureas cannot be considered established unless it is evaluated in long‐term cardiovascular outcomes trials.