bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hypoxia Induces Myocardial Regeneration in Zebrafish
Authors: Jopling Chris , Suñé Guillermo , Faucherre Adèle , Fabregat Carme , Izpisua Belmonte Juan Carlos 
Published: November 2012

Background—
Hypoxia plays an important role in many biological/pathological processes. In particular, hypoxia is associated with cardiac ischemia. which, although initially inducing a protective response, will ultimately lead to the death of cardiomyocytes and loss of tissue, severely affecting cardiac functionality. Although myocardial damage/loss remains an insurmountable problem for adult mammals, the same is not true for adult zebrafish, which are able to completely regenerate their heart after extensive injury. Myocardial regeneration in zebrafish involves the dedifferentiation and proliferation of cardiomyocytes to replace the damaged/missing tissue; at present, however, little is known about what factors regulate this process.

Methods and Results—

We surmised that ventricular amputation would lead to hypoxia induction in the myocardium of zebrafish and that this may play a role in regulating the regeneration of the missing cardiac tissue. Using a combination of O
2
perturbation, conditional transgenics, in vitro cell culture, and microarray analysis, we found that hypoxia induces cardiomyocytes to dedifferentiate and proliferate during heart regeneration in zebrafish and have identified a number of genes that could play a role in this process.

Conclusion—
These results indicate that hypoxia plays a positive role during heart regeneration, which should be taken into account in future strategies aimed at inducing heart regeneration in humans.
Increased Risk of Left Heart Valve Regurgitation Associated With Benfluorex Use in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Tribouilloy Christophe , Rusinaru Dan , Maréchaux Sylvestre , Jeu Antoine , Ederhy Stéphane , Donal Erwan , Réant Patricia , Arnalsteen Elise , Boulanger Jacques , Ennezat Pierre-Vladimir , Garban Thierry , Jobic Yannick 
Published: November 2012

Background—
Benfluorex was withdrawn from European markets in June 2010 after reports of an association with heart valve lesions. The link between benfluorex and valve regurgitations was based on small observational studies and retrospective estimations. We therefore designed an echocardiography-based multicenter study to compare the frequency of left heart valve regurgitations in diabetic patients exposed to benfluorex for at least 3 months and in diabetic control subjects never exposed to the drug.

Methods and Results—
This reader-blinded, controlled study conducted in 10 centers in France between February 2010 and September 2011 prospectively included 376 diabetic subjects previously exposed to benfluorex who were referred by primary care physicians for echocardiography and 376 diabetic control subjects. Through the use of propensity scores, 293 patients and 293 control subjects were matched for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The main outcome measure was the frequency of mild or greater left heart valve regurgitations. In the matched sample, the frequency and relative risk (odds ratio) of mild or greater left heart valve regurgitations were significantly increased in benfluorex patients compared with control subjects: 31.0% versus 12.9% (odds ratio, 3.55; 95% confidence interval, 2.03–6.21) for aortic and/or mitral regurgitation, 19.8% versus 4.7% (odds ratio, 5.29; 95% confidence interval, 2.46–11.4) for aortic regurgitation, and 19.4% versus 9.6% (odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.27–4.45) for mitral regurgitation.

Conclusions—
Our results indicate that the use of benfluorex is associated with a significant increase in the frequency of left heart valve regurgitations in diabetic patients. The natural history of benfluorex-induced valve abnormalities needs further research.
Multi-level Policy Approach in the Governance of Labour Migration: Considerations From the Philippine Experience
Authors: Battistella Graziano 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
With 40 years of experience in labour migration, the Philippines has designed a comprehensive approach for its governance that other countries of origin in Asia look up to. The objectives of the migration policy consist in facilitating the employment of Filipino workers abroad and the consequent economic benefits, while ensuring safe and decent conditions for the workers, through a variety of measures, including regulating the recruitment industry, training migrants through specific programmes, supervising the terms and conditions in the labour contract, and making available a system of redress for victimised migrants. These objectives are reached through the national migration policy. However, the national policy has inherent limitations, both in terms of design, implementation and reach, as the outreach of the Philippine government while migrants are abroad is limited to diplomatic and other services. For this reason, the Philippines has engaged both in bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This paper, after presenting the development of migration from the Philippines at the three policy levels, will briefly assess the efficacy of such policies, using indicators, such as growth of migration flows and coverage, to conclude that all three levels must be pursued, with some preference for the bilateral approach within a multilateral framework.
Bigthan and Teresh and the Reason Gentiles Hate Jews
Authors: Hacham Noah 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
The account of Bigthan’s and Teresh’s conspiracy against the king (Esth 2:21-23) was transposed in the Septuagint to Addition A, which opens the book, while an additional story regarding a conspiracy to kill the king was introduced, in its stead, at the end of chapter 2 of this translation. These moves are part of Greek Esther’s reworking of the story in order to depict Mordechai as faithful to the king, and Haman as the king’s adversary who seeks his downfall, and to suggest that this contrast explains Haman’s animosity toward Mordechai, and the Jews, who are loyal to the throne. This tendency, to accentuate the Jews’ allegiance to the gentile monarch while understating the contrasts between Jews and gentiles, is widely manifested throughout Greek Esther. Its objective is to assert that gentile hatred of the Jews derives from their loyalty and reflects, in effect, hatred of the king. The historical backdrop to Esther, reworked in this manner, is most probably Egypt at the beginning of the first century BCE, when the extent of Jewish involvement within the Ptolemaic court and military was considerable.
‘A Church in a Cinema Hall?’ Pentecostal Appropriation of Public Space in Nigeria
Authors: Adeboye Olufunke 
Published: November 2012

AbstractOver the past two decades Nigeria has become a hotbed of Pentecostal activity. It is the view of this study that Pentecostal visibility in Nigeria has been enhanced not just by Pentecostals’ aggressive utilization of media technology for proselytization as claimed by previous scholars, but also by their appropriation of public spaces for worship. This study not only focuses on the church in the cinema hall, but also on churches in nightclubs, hotels, and other such places previously demonized as ‘abode[s] of sin’ by classical Pentecostals. This paper argues that users’ perception of public spaces having rigid meanings and unchanging usage was responsible for much of the tensions experienced. It would be more useful for academic analysts and various ‘publics’ to construe such spaces as dynamic sites, at once reflecting mutations in the public sphere, responsive to local and global socio-economic processes, and amenable to periodic reinventions and negotiations.
Medical Interpreting and the Law in the European Union
Authors: Phelan Mary 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
In 2011, the Danish government announced that from June that year it would no longer cover the costs of medical interpreters for patients who had been living in Denmark for more than seven years. The Dutch Ministry of Health followed with an even more draconian approach; from 1 January 2012, the cost of translation and interpreting would no longer be covered by the state. These two announcements led to widespread concern about whether or not there is a legal foundation for interpreter provision in healthcare. This article considers United Nations treaties, conventions from the Council of Europe and European Union law. European Union member states have been slow to sign up to international agreements to protect the rights of migrant workers. The European Union itself has only recently moved into the area of discrimination and it is unclear if the Race Directive covers language. As a result, access to interpreters in healthcare, where it exists, is dependent on national anti-discrimination legislation or on positive action taken at national or local level rather than on European or international law.
The Church, Democracy and Responsible Citizenship
Authors: Le Bruyns Clint 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe quality of our democratic life is intimately bound up with the quality of our church-state relations. The aim of this article is to direct attention to the contribution that churches and other faith communities can possibly offer towards the nurturing of a responsible citizenship in political life together. It recognizes and applauds the role of the state itself in advancing the common good, but resists the tendency among many who confine this role to the state alone. Church-state relations are typically discussed simply with reference to church and state, with a blind spot for the people comprising our political community. Responsible citizenship affirms the meaningful and constructive role which ordinary people in their personal and professional capacities can fulfill towards the common good. It consequently discusses the notions of hope, power and grace as some of the concrete ways through which a more participatory democracy or active citizenship might be envisaged, embodied and practiced by the people as part and parcel of their political responsibility together. Each of these aspects bear implications for the contribution churches can provide in public life as they nurture as well as exercise this sense of responsible citizenship.
Taste, Taboo, Trash: The Story of the Ramsay Brothers
Authors: Nair Kartik 
Published: November 2012

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Ramsay Brothers forged a career in the lower reaches of the Bombay film industry, creating a niche market for their cheaply produced horror films. Despite drawing committed audiences in B- and C-centers, these films were dismissed by the urban English press as clumsy counterfeit versions of American and British products, and by the late 1990s a new school of practitioners led by Ram Gopal Varma had begun producing slick and songless horror films that could translate internationally.   Little is known of the Ramsays’ production and distribution practices, their frugal discipline, their internal star system, and their markets in India’s rural territories. Using first-hand interviews and trade journals, this paper excavates the history of a cottage industry of terror that rode the same wave as Bombay’s blockbusters. It is perhaps perversely appropriate that the Ramsay Brothers rose to prominence in the 1970s, a time when the question of cinema—its politics, aesthetics, and status as “bad object”—returned to the fore in Bombay. Using essays and reviews from popular film magazines (especially Filmfare), as well as censorship documents from the CBFC archives, this paper navigates the discursive life of the Ramsay Brothers as a way to illuminate the fault-lines of taste over which cinema was popularly judged in the 1970s and 1980s.
RNA-seq and microarray complement each other in transcriptome profiling
Authors: Kogenaru Sunitha , Yan Qing , Guo Yinping , Wang Nian 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundRNA-seq and microarray are the two popular methods employed for genome-wide transcriptome profiling. Current comparison studies have shown that transcriptome quantified by these two methods correlated well. However, none of them have addressed if they complement each other, considering the strengths and the limitations inherent with them. The pivotal requirement to address this question is the knowledge of a well known data set. In this regard, HrpX regulome from pathogenic bacteria serves as an ideal choice as the target genes of HrpX transcription factor are well studied due to their central role in pathogenicity.ResultsWe compared the performance of RNA-seq and microarray in their ability to detect known HrpX target genes by profiling the transcriptome from the wild-type and thehrpXmutant strains of γ-ProteobacteriumXanthomonas citrisubsp.citri. Our comparative analysis indicated that gene expression levels quantified by RNA-seq and microarray well-correlated both at absolute as well as relative levels (Spearman correlation-coefficient, rs> 0.76). Further, the expression levels quantified by RNA-seq and microarray for the significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) also well-correlated with qRT-PCR based quantification (rs = 0.58 to 0.94). Finally, in addition to the 55 newly identified DEGs, 72% of the already known HrpX target genes were detected by both RNA-seq and microarray, while, the remaining 28% could only be detected by either one of the methods.ConclusionsThis study has significantly advanced our understanding of the regulome of the critical transcriptional factor HrpX. RNA-seq and microarray together provide a more comprehensive picture of HrpX regulome by uniquely identifying new DEGs. Our study demonstrated that RNA-seq and microarray complement each other in transcriptome profiling.
Immunohistochemical analysis based Ep-ICD subcellular localization index (ESLI) is a novel marker for metastatic papillary thyroid microcarcinoma
Authors: Kunavisarut Tada , Kak Ipshita , MacMillan Christina , Ralhan Ranju , Walfish Paul G 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Thyroid cancer is among the fastest growing malignancies; almost fifty-percent of these rapidly increasing incidence tumors are less than or equal to 1cm in size, termed papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). The management of PTMC remains a controversy due to differing natural history of these patients. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is comprised of an extracellular domain (EpEx), a single transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain (Ep-ICD). Our group reported nuclear Ep-ICD correlated with poor prognosis in thyroid cancer (Ralhan et al., BMC Cancer 2010,10:331). Here in, we hypothesized nuclear and cytoplasmic accumulation of Ep-ICD and loss of membranous EpEx may aid in distinguishing metastatic from non-metastatic PTMC, which is an important current clinical challenge. To test our hypothesis, Ep-ICD and EpEx expression levels were analyzed in PTMC and the staining was correlated with metastatic potential of these carcinomas.

Methods
Thirty-six PTMC patients (tumor size 0.5 - 1cm; metastatic 8 cases and non-metastatic 28 cases) who underwent total thyroidectomy were selected. The metastatic group consisted of patients who developed lymph node or distant metastasis at diagnosis or during follow up. The patients’ tissues were stained for Ep-ICD and EpEx using domain specific antibodies by immunohistochemistry and evaluated.

Results
PTMC patients with metastasis had higher scores for nuclear and cytoplasmic Ep-ICD immunostaining than the patients without metastasis (1.96 ± 0.86 vs. 1.22 ± 0.45; p = 0.007 and 5.37 ± 0.33 vs. 4.72 ± 1.07; p = 0.016, respectively). Concomitantly, the former had lower scores for membrane EpEx than the non-metastatic group (4.64 ± 1.08 vs. 5.64 ± 1.51; p = 0.026). An index of aggressiveness, Ep-ICD subcellular localization index (ESLI), was defined as sum of the IHC scores for accumulation of nuclear and cytoplasmic Ep-ICD and loss of membranous EpEx; ESLI = [Ep − ICDnuc + Ep − ICDcyt + loss of membranous EpEx]. Notably, ESLI correlated significantly with lymph node metastasis in PTMC (p = 0.008).

Conclusion
Nuclear and cytoplasmic Ep-ICD expression and loss of membranous EpEx were found to correlate positively with metastasis in PTMC patients. In addition, ESLI had the potential to identify metastatic behavior in PTMC which could serve as a valuable tool for solving a current dilemma in clinical practice.
The role of atherectomy in the treatment of lower extremity peripheral artery disease
Authors: Franzone Anna , Ferrone Marco , Carotenuto Giuseppe , Carbone Andreina , Scudiero Laura , Serino Federica , Scudiero Fernando , Izzo Raffaele , Piccolo Raffaele , Saviano Savio , Amato Bruno , Perrino Cinzia , Trimarco Bruno , Esposito Giovanni 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (LE-PAD) continues to increase and associated morbidity remains high. Despite the significant development of percutaneous revascularization strategies, over the past decade, LE-PAD still represents a unique challenge for interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons.MethodTypical features of atherosclerosis that affects peripheral vascular bed (diffuse nature, poor distal runoff, critical limb ischemia, chronic total occlusion) contribute to the disappointing results of traditional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). New technologies have been developed in attempt to improve the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous revascularization. Among these, atherectomy, debulking and removing atherosclerotic plaque, offers the potential advantage of eliminating stretch on arterial walls and reducing rates of restenosis.ConclusionsThis review summarizes the features and the current applications of new debulking devices.
Lgr5 is a potential marker of colorectal carcinoma stem cells that correlates with patient survival
Authors: Wu Xiao-Song , Xi Hong-Qing , Chen Lin 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Lgr5 (leucine-rich-repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) has recently been identified as an intestinal stem cell marker. In order to determine whether Lgr5 is a potential marker of cancer stem cells, we investigated whether Lgr5 expression correlated with Ki-67 expression and prognosis in colorectal carcinoma.

Methods
Lgr5 and Ki-67 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 192 colorectal carcinoma specimens. Selection of side population (SP) cells was performed by staining with Hoechest 33342, and Lgr5 expression in Colo205 SP cells was then detected by immunofluorescence.

Results
Lgr5 expression was significantly higher in carcinoma than in normal mucosa (P=0.001). Lgr5 was positively correlated with histological grade (P=0.001), depth of invasion (P=0.001), lymph node metastasis (P=0.001), distant metastasis (P=0.004), pTNM stage (P=0.001), and Ki-67 (r=0.446, P=0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the effect of Lgr5 on survival was independent of Ki-67 (P=0.037). In the in vitro study, Hoechst low-staining cells were counted in 7% of the Colo205 colon cancer cell line population, and Lgr5 expression was strikingly stronger in Hoechst low-staining cells than in high-staining cells (P=0.001).

Conclusions
These findings suggest that Lgr5 may play an important role in the progression and prognosis of colorectal carcinoma, and may be a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients. It may also be considered as a potential marker for colorectal cancer stem cells (CSCs).
Low-pressure pulsed focused ultrasound with microbubbles promotes an anticancer immunological response
Authors: Liu Hao-Li , Hsieh Han-Yi , Lu Li-An , Kang Chiao-Wen , Wu Ming-Fang , Lin Chun-Yen 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundHigh-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) has been successfully employed for thermal ablation of tumors in clinical settings. Continuous- or pulsed-mode HIFU may also induce a host antitumor immune response, mainly through expansion of antigen-presenting cells in response to increased cellular debris and through increased macrophage activation/infiltration. Here we demonstrated that another form of focused ultrasound delivery, using low-pressure, pulsed-mode exposure in the presence of microbubbles (MBs), may also trigger an antitumor immunological response and inhibit tumor growth.MethodsA total of 280 tumor-bearing animals were subjected to sonographically-guided FUS. Implanted tumors were exposed to low-pressure FUS (0.6 to 1.4 MPa) with MBs to increase the permeability of tumor microvasculature.ResultsTumor progression was suppressed by both 0.6 and 1.4-MPa MB-enhanced FUS exposures. We observed a transient increase in infiltration of non-T regulatory (non-Treg) tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and continual infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). The ratio of CD8+/Treg increased significantly and tumor growth was inhibited.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that low-pressure FUS exposure with MBs may constitute a useful tool for triggering an anticancer immune response, for potential cancer immunotherapy.
Assessing the effectiveness of rapamycin on angiomyolipoma in tuberous sclerosis: a two years trial
Authors: Cabrera-López Cristina , Martí Teresa , Catalá Violeta , Torres Ferran , Mateu Silvia , Ballarín Jose , Torra Roser 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a rare autosomal dominant systemic disease with an estimated prevalence of 1/6000. Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign tumour with high morbidity frequently present in TS. The aim of the study was to test the effect of rapamycin in reducing the volume of AML in TS.

Methods
Twenty four-month prospective open-label, single arm, unicentre Phases II andIII study. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of treatment on the reduction of at least 50% AML volume from baseline at 24 months. The secondary endpoints were: average tumour reduction, surgical complications, skin lesions and drug safety.
The study population comprised 17 patients, aged >10 years who were diagnosed with TS and had ≥1 renal AML >2 cm of diameter and had a serum creatinine < 2mg/dl and urine protein/creatinine ratio < 22.6 mg/mmol. The trial was conducted at Fundació Puigvert. Rapamycin was given to achieve stable plasma levels between 4 and 8 ng/ml. AML volume was estimated using orthogonal measurements by MRI at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months.

Results
Ten out of 17 patients were success responders for the main outcome −58.8%, 95%CI: 32.9% to 81.6%-. After 6 months of therapy, the mean volume decrease was 55.18% (5.01 standard error (SE); p<0.001) and 66.38% (4.41 SE; p<0.001) at year 1. There was no significant decrease between year 1 and 2. According to RECIST criteria, all patients achieved a partial response at year 1 and all but two had already achieved this partial response after 6 months.
The main analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat principle analysis. Tumour volume was analyzed over time by means of mixed models for repeated measurement analysis. We used the baseline tumour volume as a covariate for the absolute change and percentage change from baseline data. The analysis was performed using SAS version 9.2 software, and the level of significance was established at 0.05 (two-sided).

Conclusions
This study show that mTOR inhibitors are a relatively safe, efficacious and less aggressive alternative than currently available options in the management of AML in TS.

Trial registration
EudraCT number: 2007-005978-30, ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT0121712