bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Uncovering the Spatial Patterning of Crimes
Authors: Reid Andrew A. , Frank Richard , Iwanski Natalia , Dabbaghian Vahid , Brantingham Patricia 
Published: May 2013

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to see if the characteristics of offenders’ crimes exhibit spatial patterning in crime neutral areas by examining the relationship between simulated travel routes of offenders along the physical road network and the actual locations of their crimes in the same geographic space. Method: This study introduced a Criminal Movement model (CriMM) that simulates travel patterns of known offenders. Using offenders’ home locations, locations of major attractors (e.g., shopping centers), and variations of Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm we modeled the routes that offenders are likely to take when traveling from their home to an attractor. We then compare the locations of offenders’ crimes to these paths and analyze their proximity characteristics. This process was carried out using data on 7,807 property offenders from five municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) in British Columbia, Canada. Results: The results show that a great proportion of crimes tend to be located geographically proximal to the simulated travel paths with a distance decay pattern characterizing the distribution of distance measures. Conclusion: These results lend support to Crime Pattern Theory and the idea that there is an underlying pattern to crimes in crime neutral areas.
Formation of the Peripheral‐Central Transitional Zone in the Postnatal Mouse Cochlear Nerve
Authors: Hu Zhengqing 
Published: May 2013

ObjectivesDetermine the formation of peripheral and central nervous system (CNS and PNS) transitional zone (PCTZ) along the postnatal mouse cochlear nerve.Study DesignProspective, basic science.SettingResearch laboratory.Subjects and MethodsA novel cryosection model of cochlea‐cochlear nerve‐brainstem was used in this study. The sections were harvested from a total of 45 mice in 9 groups of postnatal‐day‐0 to postnatal‐day‐60 mice (n = 5). Differential interference contrast microscopy and immunofluorescence were used to study the formation of PCTZ along the cochlear nerve of the postnatal mouse.ResultsThe CNS tissue extended peripherally along the cochlear nerve from postnatal‐day‐0 to postnatal‐day‐7 and then stably located at the level of the spiral lamina of the basal cochlear turn. The PCTZ reached a mature pattern along the cochlear nerve after postnatal‐day‐7. A long segment of the CNS tissue extended along the cochlear nerve in the postnatal mouse.ConclusionIn the early postnatal days, the PCTZ extended peripherally toward the cochlea and obtains a mature pattern along the neonatal mouse cochlear nerve.
Quantitative damage-benefit evaluation of drug effects: major discrepancies between the general population, users and experts
Authors: Reynaud Michel , Luquiens Amandine , Aubin Henri-Jean , Talon Céline , Bourgain Catherine 
Published: May 2013

Aims: This study sought to quantify the perceptions of damage and benefit, for users and society, associated with five addictive substances (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine and heroin) and one addictive behavior (gambling), in a large sample representative of the French population. We compared with expert assessments and investigated the effects of substance consumption on these perceptions. Findings: The ranking of substances by the lay public is very divergent from that of experts. The public overestimates damage to users and to society and underestimates the benefit, in comparison with experts, for all substances. Alcohol is the only exception, with damage and benefit perceptions similar to those of experts. Heroin and cocaine are perceived as the two most dangerous substances. The damage of cannabis and alcohol are judged to be equivalent. The three legal substances are associated with the highest overall benefit, although cannabis has the highest perceived benefit for users. Substances with the highest perceived benefit tend to be associated with perception of lower levels of damage. Individuals with an history of substance use have a perception of the damage and the benefit for that substance which is more congruent with experts, including a similar ranking of substances. Conclusions: Prevention campaigns focused on perceptions of damage alone have reached their limits. The perception of benefit should be taken into account in early interventions with illegal substance users.
Factor VIII in the Setting of Acute Ischemic Stroke Among Patients With Suspected Hypercoagulable State
Authors: Chang Tiffany R. , Albright Karen C. , Boehme Amelia K. , Dorsey Adrianne , Sartor E. Alton , Kruse-Jarres Rebecca , Leissinger Cindy , Martin-Schild Sheryl 
Published: May 2013

Background: Elevation of factor VIII is associated with higher risk of large vessel arterial occlusions including stroke. Methods: Factor VIII levels were examined in consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting to a single center between July 2008 and May 2012. Factor VIII levels exceeding the laboratory reference range were considered elevated (>150%). Results: Factor VIII level was elevated in 72.4% (84 of 116) of the patients. Elevated factor VIII level was more frequent in blacks, diabetics, and patients who were anemic. Patients with elevated factor VIII had higher median baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS; 5 vs 2, P = .0295) and twice the frequency of neuroworsening (21.4% vs 9.4%), but discharge NIHSS and modified Rankin Scale were similar in the groups. Conclusions: High factor VIII level was found in the majority of tested patients with AIS. Several baseline differences were found between patients with normal and high factor VIII levels, but no differences were identified in outcome.
Pilot study to assess toxicity and pharmacokinetics of docetaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer and impaired liver function secondary to hepatic metastases
Authors: Eckmann Karen , Michaud Laura B , Rivera Edgardo , Madden Timothy L , Esparza-Guerra Laura , Kawedia Jitesh , Booser Daniel J , Green Marjorie C , Hortobagyi Gabriel N , Valero Vicente 
Published: May 2013

Background: Limited clinical data are available regarding the safety of docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer patients with liver dysfunction. Methods: Eligible patients had breast cancer with impaired liver function secondary to hepatic metastases and were candidates for docetaxel therapy. They were assigned to one of five groups on the basis of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels. All other causes of liver dysfunction were excluded, and bile duct obstruction was corrected, if possible, prior to study entry. Patients received docetaxel every three weeks. The chemotherapy dose was chosen on the basis of the patient’s level of hepatic dysfunction and escalated as tolerated. The primary outcome of this study was safety. The secondary outcomes were pharmacokinetic data and efficacy in terms of time to disease progression. Results: Twenty-three patients were enrolled. No unexpected toxicities occurred. Grade 3/4 fatigue (65%), neutropenia (30%), myalgias (26%), neutropenic fever (26%), vomiting (9%), and rash (9%) were the most common serious adverse events. The median time to progression was three months (range 1–18 months). Pharmacokinetic results indicated that patients with more severe hepatic dysfunction may have been underdosed based on our conservative dosing strategy. Conclusions: Docetaxel can be administered to patients with metastatic breast cancer and liver dysfunction after dose attenuation. However, because of a narrow therapeutic index in this clinical setting, therapy should be closely monitored with subsequent dose escalation when possible.
Isotretinoin maintenance therapy for glioblastoma: A retrospective review
Authors: Chen Sheree E , Choi Shauna S , Rogers Jane E , Lei Xiudong , De Groot John F 
Published: May 2013

Objectives The current standard treatment of glioblastoma includes maximal safe surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide. Although isotretinoin has been used for maintenance therapy to delay tumor recurrence, this approach has not been proven to be effective. The objectives of the study are to compare the overall survival, progression-free survival and tolerability of isotretinoin maintenance therapy in patients who received isotretinoin maintenance therapy to patients who did not receive this treatment. Methods This study is a retrospective review of adult patients with glioblastoma treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2004 to 2009. Patients who underwent surgical resection, radiation with concurrent temozolomide, and adjuvant treatment with temozolomide were included in the control group, and compared to similarly treated patients who received isotretinoin maintenance following adjuvant temozolomide. Results Eighteen patients who received isotretinoin maintenance therapy and 70 control patients were included in the analysis. Progression-free survival was 25.3 months with maintenance therapy versus 8.3 months for those not receiving maintenance ( p = 0.04). There was no difference in the 2-year or 3-year overall survival estimates ( p = 0.11). The common toxicities of isotretinoin included dermatologic-, metabolic-, and psychiatric-related adverse effects. Conclusions Isotretinoin maintenance therapy was associated with increased progression-free survival, but did not increase the overall survival in this retrospective review. The potential benefit of maintenance therapy should be weighed against toxicities and negative impact on quality of life in this patient population.
GCSF with or without chemotherapy compared to Plerixafor with GCSF as salvage mobilization regimen in patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: Collection effectiveness and cost effectiveness analysis
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Fawzi , Tuffaha Haitham W , Sharma Shanta , Jazar Husam Abu , Hussein Nilly , Saad Adnan , Rawi Omar Al , Hussein Ayad 
Published: May 2013

Introduction Plerixafor is a novel mobilizing agent of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM) patients whose cells mobilize poorly. Due to the substantial cost associated with its use, we aimed to compare the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Plerixafor + GCSF (PG) versus GCSF ± Chemotherapy (GC) as salvage mobilization regimens. Methods The charts of consecutive lymphoma and MM patients who had undergone at least one previous attempt of PBSCs mobilization that failed or resulted in an insufficient cell dose for transplant between 2007 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients identified received salvage mobilization with GC (prior to 2009) or PG after Plerixafor’s FDA approval. Data collected included demographics, medical histories, apheresis yields and transplant outcome. The cost effectiveness analysis was from the perspective of the Jordanian Ministry of Health. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated by dividing the difference in cost by the difference in effectiveness for the two regimens. Results Five patients received GC and twelve received PG. A minimum CD34+ cell dose of 2 × 106 cells/kg was collected from 8 patients (67%) in the PG group compared to 3 (60%) in the GC group ( p=0.79). The average costs were US$8570 and US$25,700 for the GC group and the PG group, respectively. The ICER was US$244,714 per successful stem cell collection. Conclusion Salvage Plerixafor use showed a non-significant improvement in PBSCs collection with a significant increase in cost. Prospective comparative effectiveness studies are warranted to inform the optimal salvage mobilization regimen. To our knowledge, this is the first study from the Middle East to describe the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Plerixafor.
Associations between the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and susceptibility to sarcoidosis: A meta-analysis
Authors: Song Gwan Gyu , Kim Jae-Hoon , Lee Young Ho 
Published: May 2013

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the insertion (I) or deletion (D) of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) polymorphism confers susceptibility to sarcoidosis. Methods: A meta-analysis on the associations between the ACE I/D polymorphism and sarcoidosis was conducted. Results: Seventeen comparison studies consisting of 1556 cases and 2381 controls were available for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed a significant association between the D allele and sarcoidosis (OR 1.206, 95% CI 1.049–1.386, p = 0.009). An ethnicity-specific meta-analysis of the DD+ID genotype showed an association with sarcoidosis in East Asians (OR 1.342, 95% CI 1.041–1.729, p = 0.023). An association was found between the DD genotype of the ACE I/D polymorphism and sarcoidosis (OR 1.251, 95% CI 1.070–1.463, p = 0.005). Furthermore, stratification by ethnicity indicated an association between the DD genotype and sarcoidosis in Europeans (OR = 1.215, 95% CI = 1.010–1.462, p = 0.039). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrates that the ACE I/D polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to sarcoidosis in European and East Asian populations.
Pioglitazone enhances the blood pressure-lowering effect of losartan via synergistic attenuation of angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction
Authors: Kong Xiang , Ma Ming-zhe , Qin Li , Zhang Yan , Li Xiao-yong , Wang Guo-dong , Su Qing , Zhang Dao-you 
Published: May 2013

Introduction: This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of synergistic antihypertensive effect produced by combination therapy of losartan and pioglitazone in metabolic syndrome (MS) rats. Materials and methods: An MS model was induced by feeding rats a high-fat, high-sodium diet and 20% sucrose solution. Losartan (20 mg/kg/day), pioglitazone (10 mg/kg/day), and their combination were orally administered for eight consecutive weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured using the tail-cuff method and carotid arterial catheterization, respectively. The aortas were isolated and in vitro vascular reactivity studies were performed. The protein expression of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunit p47phox, level of nitrotyrosine as well as activity of eNOS and NADPH oxidase in aortas of MS rats were detected. Results: After eight weeks of treatment, the SBP and MAP in the losartan (115 ± 5 and 106 ± 6 mmHg), pioglitazone (130 ± 6 and 118 ± 6 mmHg), and combination therapy (105 ± 6 and 98 ± 5 mmHg) groups were lower than those in the model group (150 ± 8 and 136 ± 9 mmHg). Combination therapy of losartan and pioglitazone reduced BP more than either monotherapy, and showed additive effects on improving endothelial dysfunction and abolishing the increased vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II. These synergistic effects were associated with further reductions in protein expression of p47phox and AT1, NADPH oxidase activity, and nitrotyrosine level. Conclusions: Our data indicate that combined treatment exerts more beneficial effects on lowering BP and improving vascular lesions.
Conditional Bureaucratic Discretion and State Welfare Diffusion under AFDC
Authors: Parinandi Srinivas 
Published: May 2013

AbstractIn this article, I evaluate whether a state's level of bureaucratic discretionary authority with respect to welfare policy makes that state more or less likely to participate in policy diffusion with other states that share similar levels of bureaucratic discretionary authority. Using data on levels of access to welfare services in the late Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) era (1976–90), I find that bureaucrats across states who are granted high-discretionary authority engage in policy diffusion with one another. Diffusion based on similarity in discretionary authority is more pronounced when bureaucrats possess high compared with no discretion and does not occur when bureaucrats possess low discretion. Moreover, diffusion between high-discretion bureaucrats operates concurrently with geographic- and economic-driven forms of diffusion that have been well documented in the policy diffusion literature. Results demonstrate that a state's choice of how much discretion to give bureaucrats can open or close channels of diffusion that are available to policymakers in that state.
Measuring State House Speakers' Formal Powers, 1981–2010
Authors: Mooney Christopher Z. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThe cross-sectional variation among state legislative leaders' formal powers provides a unique opportunity to test a variety of hypotheses of the American legislative process that involve the causes and effects of these powers. But to date, measures of these powers have been developed primarily for single years or biennia, limiting their applicability, especially for drawing causal conclusions. In this note, I develop an index of state House speakers' formal powers for each biennia from 1981 to 2010 (for even-year-election states) and from 1982 to 2009 (for odd-year-election states).
Control of post-translational modifications in antithrombin during murine post-natal development by miR-200a
Authors: Teruel Raúl , Martínez-Martínez Irene , Guerrero José A , González-Conejero Rocío , de la Morena-Barrio María E , Salloum-Asfar Salam , Arroyo Ana B , Águila Sonia , García-Barberá Nuria , Miñano Antonia , Vicente Vicente , Corral Javier , Martínez Constantino 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
Developmental haemostatic studies may help identifying new elements involved in the control of key haemostatic proteins like antithrombin, the most relevant endogenous anticoagulant.

Results
In this study, we showed a significant reduction of sialic acid content in neonatal antithrombin compared with adult antithrombin in mice. mRNA levels of St3gal3 and St3gal4, two sialyltransferases potentially involved in antithrombin sialylation, were 85% lower in neonates in comparison with adults. In silico analysis of miRNAs overexpressed in neonates revealed that mir-200a might target these sialyltransferases. Moreover, in vitro studies in murine primary hepatocytes sustain this potential control.

Conclusions
These data suggest that in addition to the direct protein regulation, microRNAs may also modulate qualitative traits of selected proteins by an indirect control of post-translational processes.
Physiological stressors and invasive plant infections alter the small RNA transcriptome of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Raman Vidhyavathi , Simon Stacey A , Romag Amanda , Demirci Feray , Mathioni Sandra M , Zhai Jixian , Meyers Blake C , Donofrio Nicole M 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
The rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae is a destructive pathogen of rice and other related crops, causing significant yield losses worldwide. Endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs), including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are critical components of gene regulation in many eukaryotic organisms. Recently several new species of sRNAs have been identified in fungi. This fact along with the availability of genome sequence makes M. oryzae a compelling target for sRNA profiling. We have examined sRNA species and their biosynthetic genes in M. oryzae, and the degree to which these elements regulate fungal stress responses. To this end, we have characterized sRNAs under different physiological stress conditions, which had not yet been examined in this fungus.

Results
The resulting libraries are composed of more than 37 million total genome matched reads mapping to intergenic regions, coding sequences, retrotransposons, inverted, tandem, and other repeated regions of the genome with more than half of the small RNAs arising from intergenic regions. The 24 nucleotide (nt) size class of sRNAs was predominant. A comparison to transcriptional data of M. oryzae undergoing the same physiological stresses indicates that sRNAs play a role in transcriptional regulation for a small subset of genes. Support for this idea comes from generation and characterization of mutants putatively involved in sRNAs biogenesis; our results indicate that the deletion of Dicer-like genes and an RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase gene increases the transcriptional regulation of this subset of genes, including one involved in virulence.

Conclusions
Various physiological stressors and in planta conditions alter the small RNA profile of the rice blast fungus. Characterization of sRNA biosynthetic mutants helps to clarify the role of sRNAs in transcriptional control.
Ligation-assisted endoscopic enucleation for the diagnosis and resection of small gastrointestinal tumors originating from the muscularis propria: a preliminary study
Authors: Guo Jintao , Liu Zhijun , Sun Siyu , Wang Sheng , Ge Nan , Liu Xiang , Wang Guoxin , Yang Xianghong 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
Ligation-assisted endoscopic enucleation (EE-L) was developed for the pathological diagnosis and resection of small gastrointestinal tumors originating from the muscularis propria. The technique combines endoscopic band ligation and endoscopic enucleation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EE-L in the diagnosis and resection of gastrointestinal tumors originating from the muscularis propria.

Methods
A total of 43 patients were eligible for inclusion in this study from June 2009 to June 2011. Endoscopic ligation was first performed to force the tumor to assume a polypoid form with a pseudostalk. EE-L was then performed until the tumor was completely enucleated from the muscularis propria. Wound closure was performed using clips and adhesive tissue.

Results
All 43 tumors were completely enucleated. The mean enucleation time was 7.2 minutes (range, 5–11 minutes). No perforation, massive hemorrhage, or peritonitis requiring further endoscopic or surgical intervention occurred. Histopathology, 19 lesions were identified as gastrointestinal stromal tumors and 24 lesions were identified as leiomyomas. The mean follow-up time was 20.4 months (range, 14–38 months). No recurrence has occurred during the follow-up period.

Conclusions
EE-L appears to be a safe, effective, and relatively simple method for the histologic diagnosis and removal of small gastrointestinal tumors originating from the muscularis propria.