bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Toward a systems‐level understanding of the Hedgehog signaling pathway: defining the complex, robust, and fragile
Authors: Tran Pamela V. , Lachke Salil A. , Stottmann Rolf W. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThe Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a fundamental role in development and tissue homeostasis, governing cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as cell fate. Hh signaling is mediated by an intricate network of proteins that have positive and negative roles that work in concert to fine‐tune signaling output. Using feedback loops, redundancy and subcellular compartmentalization, the temporal and spatial dynamics of Hh signaling have evolved to be complex and robust. Yet developmental defects and cancers that arise from perturbation of the Hh pathway reflect specific pathway fragilities. Importantly, these fragile nodes and edges present opportunities for the design of targeted therapies. Despite these significant advances, unconnected molecular links within the Hh pathway still remain, many of which revolve around the dependence of Hh signaling on the primary cilium, an antenna‐like sensory organelle. A systems‐level understanding of Hh signaling and of ciliary biology will comprehensively define all nodes and edges of the Hh signaling network and will help identify precise therapeutic targets. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:83–100. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1193This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling
Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease
Impact of hybrid techniques on laparoscopic major hepatectomies
Authors: Nitta Hiroyuki , Sasaki Akira , Otsuka Yuichiro , Tsuchiya Masaru , Kaneko Hironori , Wakabayashi Go 
Published: October 2012

AbstractPurposeTo assess the types of liver resection, surgical approaches, and surgical outcomes, a questionnaire survey was undertaken at 32 member hospitals of the Japanese Endoscopic Liver Study Group.Methods/resultsLaparoscopic liver resections were performed on 837 patients. Major hepatectomy, including trisectionectomy, hemihepatectomy, and sectionectomy, constituted 106 of the cases. Laparoscopic major hepatectomy (LMH) was performed as totally laparoscopic (n = 8) (7.5 %), hand‐assisted (n = 4) (3.8 %), or laparoscopy‐assisted (n = 94) (88.7 %). None of the 106 patients were converted to open surgery. Complications occurred in 18 (17.0 %) of the 106 patients. One patient (0.9 %) had bleeding, two (1.9 %) had liver failure, six (5.7 %) had bile leakage, two (1.9 %) had pleural effusion, five (4.7 %) had surgical site infection, one (0.9 %) had pneumonia, and one (0.9 %) had acute respiratory distress syndrome. There were no perioperative deaths or gas embolisms.ConclusionIn conclusion, a major hepatectomy using a hybrid technique is safe and feasible.
Dysfonction érectile: profil épidémiologique dans une population de sujets retraités au Sénégal
Authors: Diallo Y. , Coume M. , Ondo C. Ze , Diao B. , Sylla C. 
Published: October 2012

Résumé

Introduction
La dysfonction érectile (DE) constitue une pathologie qui revêt un aspect particulier chez le sujet retraité. Le but de cette étude est de rapporter les aspects épidémiologiques et d’analyser les facteurs de risque de la DE dans une population de retraités au Sénégal.

Méthodes
Il s’agissait d’une étude prospective réalisée sur une période de 12 mois, au niveau du Centre médico-social de l’Institution de prévoyance retraite du Sénégal (IPRES). Cette étude était basée sur un questionnaire auto-administré à des sujets retraités âgés d’au moins 55 ans. Sur 552 fiches distribuées, 537 ont été retenues.

Résultats
Sur l’ensemble de la population étudiée, 60,7 % des patients (n= 326) ont présenté une DE. L’âge moyen des sujets était de 68 ± 6,7 ans dans le groupe DE contre 65 ± 6,2 ans dans le groupe non DE. La durée moyenne d’intoxication tabagique était de 24,3 ± 14,4 ans. La duréemoyenne de consommation d’alcools était de 28,6 ± 15,5 ans avec des extrêmes de 3 et 63 ans. Le diabète était rapporté dans 67 cas (12,5 %) dont 18 (3,3 %) de découverte fortuite lors de l’enquête. La durée moyenne d’évolution des troubles érectiles était de 4,2 ± 4 ans avec des extrêmes de six mois et 20 ans.

Conclusion
La fonction érectile est un bon indicateur pertinent de qualité de vie. Cependant, les perturbations psychologiques, socio-économiques et médicales notées durant la période de mise en retraite ont une incidence notoire sur l’apparition, voire l’aggravation, de la DE.
Topoisomerase 1(TOP1) gene copy number in stage III colorectal cancer patients and its relation to prognosis
Authors: Rømer Maria Unni , Nygård Sune Boris , Christensen Ib Jarle , Nielsen Signe Lykke , Nielsen Kirsten Vang , Müller Sven , Smith David Hersi , Vainer Ben , Nielsen Hans Jørgen , Brünner Nils 
Published: October 2012

PurposeA Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) poison is frequently included in the treatment regimens for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, no predictive biomarkers for Top1 poisons are available. We here report a study on the TOP1 gene copy number in CRC patients and its association with patient prognosis and tumor cell proliferation.Experimental designThe study included TOP1 and CEN‐20 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses on formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections from 154 stage III CRC chemonaïve patients. The frequencies of aberration in the TOP1 gene copy number, the CEN‐20 copy number and the TOP1/CEN‐20 ratio were analyzed and associated with overall survival (OS), time to recurrence (TTR) and in a subgroup analysis of rectal cancer patients only with time to local recurrence (LR in RC). Moreover, the TOP1 and CEN‐20 copy numbers were correlated with the tumor Ki67 proliferation index.Results35.7% of the tumors had an increased TOP1 copy number above 4n gene copies per cell and 28.6% and 9.7% had a TOP1/CEN‐20 ratio ≥1.5 or ≥2.0, respectively. The TOP1 copy number and the TOP1/CEN‐20 ratios were separately added into multivariate analyses as continuous variables, in which also age, gender, primary tumor location and Ki67 status were added as covariates. In contrast to the TOP1/CEN‐20 ratio, the TOP1 copy number was significantly associated with OS (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42–0.90; p = 0.01). Neither the TOP1 copy number nor the ratio was significantly associated with TTR and only the TOP1/CEN‐20 ratio was significantly associated with LR in RC (HR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.08–0.83; p = 0.02). No significant correlation was found between the TOP1 copy number and proliferation, while a weak and inverse correlation between the CEN‐20 copy number and proliferation was observed.ConclusionsThis study showed that increased TOP1 gene copy numbers are frequent findings in cancer cells in stage III CRC tumors but unrelated to the proliferative status of the tumors. The association with prognosis is important to consider when planning and analyzing future studies investigating TOP1 as a potential predictive biomarker for Top1 poisons.
Multiply charged ion emission from laser produced tungsten plasma
Authors: Ilyas B. , Dogar A.H. , Ullah S. , Mahmood N. , Qayyum A. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractPlasma was generated by focusing 10 ns Nd:YAG (λ = 1064 nm) laser pulse on the thick tungsten target. The laser fluence at the target was varied in the range of 3.57–10.97 J/cm2. The ion emission from the expanding tungsten plasma was analyzed with the help of an ion collector and time-of-flight electrostatic ion energy analyzer. About 44 times rise in the ion charge per laser shot was observed in the investigated laser fluence range. The measured threshold fluence for onset of the tungsten plasma was 3.27 J/cm2. The estimated plume expansion coefficient Zinf/Xinf = 2.5 ± 0.2 was in agreement with the previous experimental studies and the predictions of self-similar plume expansion model. The electrostatic ion energy analyzer study showed that charge state of the W ions increases with the laser fluence and maximum ion charge state was 5+. It was observed that threshold fluence for appearance of a specific charge state can be measured. A clear correlation between the relative abundances of W(n−1)+, Wn+, and W(n+1)+ indicates that higher order charge states are most probably produced by stepwise ionization process.
‘A regular state of beautiful confusion’: governing by numbers and the contradictions of calculable space in New York City
Authors: ROSE-REDWOOD REUBEN 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACT:Historical scholarship on the spatial organization of cities has largely ignored the crucial role that house numbering has played as a political technology of spatial calculation since the eighteenth century. This article examines the spatial history of house numbering in Manhattan to illustrate how the numbering of buildings was a key strategy employed to reconfigure the city as a space of calculability. From the very outset, however, such calculable spaces of ‘number’ were riddled with contradictions, resulting in several rounds of spatial rationalization over the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. More than a mere technical concern alone, the history of house numbering in New York City exemplifies the spatial politics and temporal instabilities that have shaped the spaces of calculation in the modern city.
Translation and validation of the Persian version of the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy—Spiritual well-being scale (FACIT-Sp) among Muslim Iranians in treatment for cancer
Authors: Jafari Najmeh , Zamani Ahmadreza , Lazenby Mark , Farajzadegan Ziba , Emami Hamid , Loghmani Amir 
Published: October 2012

AbstractObjective:The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) scale is a valid and reliable instrument to provide an inclusive measure of spirituality in research and clinical practice. The aim of this study was to translate and investigate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the FACIT-Sp.Method:The 12 item spiritual well-being subscale of the FACIT-Sp Version 4 was translated into the Persian language, Farsi, using the FACIT translation methodology. The questionnaire was administered to a diverse sample of 153 patients in treatment for cancer. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to assess construct validity, and regression analysis was used to assess the predictor role of the FACIT-Sp in health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Results:Cronbach's α reliability coefficient for the FACIT-Sp subscales ranged from 0.72 to 0.90. The CFA generally replicated the original conceptualization of the three subscales of the FACIT-Sp12 (Peace, Meaning, and Faith). All three subscales significant predicted HRQOL.Significance of results:The Persian version of the FACIT-Sp scale is a reliable and valid tool for the clinical assessment of, and research into, the spiritual well-being of Muslim Iranian and Farsi-speaking patients in other regions of the world who are in treatment for cancer.
Dating small fresh lunar craters with Mini‐RF radar observations of ejecta blankets
Authors: Bell Samuel W. , Thomson Bradley J. , Dyar M. Darby , Neish Catherine D. , Cahill Joshua T. S. , Bussey D. B. J. 
Published: October 2012

The ages of large impact craters on the Moon can be estimated by measuring the size‐frequency distribution of smaller craters superimposed on their ejecta, but applying this method to individual craters under ∼3 km in diameter remains difficult due to their limited areal extent. The ejecta blankets of fresh lunar impact craters are expressed as halos of optical and radar bright material that gradually fade with time. Although compositional differences make inferring crater ages from optical albedo problematic, radar is less sensitive to composition and thus may provide a more reliable means of estimating age. In this work, we use radar data from the Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini‐RF) instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to characterize the radar backscatter of large numbers of ejecta blankets. By analyzing the size‐frequency distribution of these craters, we show that the lifetime of the radar‐bright discontinuous ejecta blanket varies with crater diameter in a predictable way for craters with diameters between 0.45 and 5 km. Absolute ages of individual craters can then be estimated by combining this empirically derived model with estimates of the relative degradation state of each individual crater. The lifetimes of radar‐bright discontinuous ejecta blankets are significantly shorter in the highlands than the maria, although this is likely due to local topography, creating difficulties in applying the method to the highlands. The cosmic ray exposure age of South Ray Crater, a fresh crater visited by Apollo 16, provides confirmation of these results. This method therefore provides a new way to accurately date small, fresh craters using the Mini‐RF data set.
Seasonal and diurnal variation of geomagnetic activity: Russell‐McPherron effect during different IMF polarity and/or extreme solar wind conditions
Authors: Zhao H. , Zong Q.‐G. 
Published: October 2012

The Russell‐McPherron (R‐M) effect is one of the most prevailing hypotheses accounting for semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity. To validate the R‐M effect and investigate the difference of geomagnetic activity variation under different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) polarity and during extreme solar wind conditions (interplanetary shock), we have analyzed 42 years interplanetary magnetic field and geomagnetic indices data and 1270 SSC (storm sudden commencement) events from the year 1968 to 2010 by defining the R‐M effect with positive/negative IMF polarity (IMF away/toward the Sun). The results obtained in this study have shown that the response of geomagnetic activity to the R‐M effect with positive/negative IMF polarity are rather profound: the geomagnetic activity is much more intense around fall equinox when the direction of IMF is away the Sun, while much more intense around spring equinox when the direction of IMF is toward the Sun. The seasonal and diurnal variation of geomagnetic activity after SSCs can be attributed to both R‐M effect and the equinoctial hypothesis; the R‐M effect explains most part of variance of southward IMF, while the equinoctial hypothesis explains similar variance of ring current injection and geomagnetic indices as the R‐M effect. However, the R‐M effect with positive/negative IMF polarity explains the difference between SSCs with positive/negative IMFByaccurately, while the equinoctial hypothesis cannot explain such difference at the spring and fall equinoxes. Thus, the R‐M effect with positive/negative IMF polarity is more reasonable to explain seasonal and diurnal variation of geomagnetic activity under extreme solar wind conditions.
TAK-242, a small-molecule inhibitor of Toll-like receptor 4 signalling, unveils similarities and differences in lipopolysaccharide- and lipidinduced inflammation and insulin resistance in muscle cells
Authors: Hussey Sophie E. , Liang Hanyu , Costford Sheila R. , Klip Amira , DeFronzo Ralph A. , Sanchez-Avila Alicia , Ely Brian , Musi Nicolas 
Published: October 2012

Emerging evidence suggests that TLR (Toll-like receptor) 4 and downstream pathways [MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases) and NF-κB (nuclear factor κB)] play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and saturated NEFA (non-esterified fatty acids) activate TLR4, and plasma concentrations of these TLR4 ligands are elevated in obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Our goals were to define the role of TLR4 on the insulin resistance caused by LPS and saturated NEFA, and to dissect the independent contribution of LPS and NEFA to the activation of TLR4-driven pathways by employing TAK-242, a specific inhibitor of TLR4. LPS caused robust activation of the MAPK and NF-κB pathways in L6 myotubes, along with impaired insulin signalling and glucose transport. TAK-242 completely prevented the inflammatory response (MAPK and NF-κB activation) caused by LPS, and, in turn, improved LPS-induced insulin resistance. Similar to LPS, stearate strongly activated MAPKs, although stimulation of the NF-κB axis was modest. As seen with LPS, the inflammatory response caused by stearate was accompanied by impaired insulin action. TAK-242 also blunted stearate-induced inflammation; yet, the protective effect conferred by TAK-242 was partial and observed only on MAPKs. Consequently, the insulin resistance caused by stearate was only partially improved by TAK-242. In summary, TAK-242 provides complete and partial protection against LPS- and NEFA-induced inflammation and insulin resistance, respectively. Thus, LPS-induced insulin resistance depends entirely on TLR4, whereas NEFA works through TLR4-dependent and -independent mechanisms to impair insulin action.
Basic leucine zipper transcription factor Hac1 binds DNA in two distinct modes as revealed by microfluidic analyses
Authors: Fordyce Polly M. , Pincus David , Kimmig Philipp , Nelson Christopher S. , El-Samad Hana , Walter Peter , DeRisi Joseph L. 
Published: October 2012

A quantitative understanding of how transcription factors interact with genomic target sites is crucial for reconstructing transcriptional networks in vivo. Here, we use Hac1, a well-characterized basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) as a model to investigate interactions between bZIP transcription factors and their target sites. During the UPR, the accumulation of unfolded proteins leads to unconventional splicing and subsequent translation of
HAC1
mRNA, followed by transcription of UPR target genes. Initial candidate-based approaches identified a canonical
cis
-acting unfolded protein response element (UPRE-1) within target gene promoters; however, subsequent studies identified a large set of Hac1 target genes lacking this UPRE-1 and containing a different motif (UPRE-2). Using a combination of unbiased and directed microfluidic DNA binding assays, we established that Hac1 binds in two distinct modes: (
i
) to short (6–7 bp) UPRE-2-like motifs and (
ii
) to significantly longer (11–13 bp) extended UPRE-1-like motifs. Using a genetic screen, we demonstrate that a region of extended homology N-terminal to the basic DNA binding domain is required for this dual site recognition. These results establish Hac1 as the first bZIP transcription factor known to adopt more than one binding mode and unify previously conflicting and discrepant observations of Hac1 function into a cohesive model of UPR target gene activation. Our results also suggest that even structurally simple transcription factors can recognize multiple divergent target sites of very different lengths, potentially enriching their downstream target repertoire.
Optical Kerr constant of liquid crystals with gold-nanoparticle-doped alignment films
Authors: Fuh Andy Ying-Guey , Lin Ci-Yong , Li Ming-Shian , Lin Hui-Chi 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
This investigation studies the optical Kerr constant (n
2) of liquid crystals with cell substrates being treated with gold-nanoparticle-doped alignment films using the Z-scan technique. The results indicate that the doping of gold nanoparticles into polyvinyl-alcohol alignment films in a liquid crystal cell enhances the optical Kerr constant, n
2, of the liquid crystals. This enhancement is caused by the thermal effect of the absorption of light due to the localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles. The magnitude and the sign of n
2 of a sample can be modulated by a combination of the applied external electric and optical fields. Furthermore, the variation of n
2 of the sample with ambient temperature is studied.
Studies on the fabrication of self-ordered titania nanohole arrays on Si substrates
Authors: Venkatachalam S , Hayashi H , Ebina T , Nanjo H 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
Titanium (Ti) thin films were deposited with and without ion bombardment on Si substrates by ion-beam sputter deposition method. Ti thin films deposited with ion bombardment were under compressive strain. The strain in the films deposited without ion bombardment changed from compressive to tensile as the film thickness was increased from 220 to 450 nm. TiO2 nanohole arrays were prepared by electrochemical anodization method. It was observed that the electrolyte temperature and strain in the films strongly influenced the formation of nanohole arrays of the TiO2 films. Amorphous TiO2 was changed into rutile TiO2 after annealing at 450 °C for an hour. The I–V characteristic of the Au/TiO2/Si device showed the Schottky behaviour.
A study on the formation of Ag nanoparticles on the surface and catcher by ion beam irradiation of Ag thin films
Authors: Singh Udai B , Agarwal Dinesh C , Khan Saif A , Mohapatra Satyabrata , Tripathi Ambuj , Avasthi Devesh K 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
Irradiation of Ag thin films with 100 MeV Ag ions leads to the formation of Ag nanoparticles on the surface as well as on the catcher, due to electronic energy loss mediated sputtering of Ag. The experimentally determined sputter yield of Ag is found to be three orders of magnitude higher than the values expected for bulk Ag, which is explained on the basis of the inelastic thermal spike model. The confinement of energy in the nanoparticles having size smaller than the electron mean free path (λ) and higher surface coverage area results in a higher sputtering yield. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to study the size distribution of nanoparticles on the catcher. The variation of sputtered particle yield with the number of constituent atoms follows an inverse power law with the value of exponent (δ) ∼ 0.33, at a fluence of 1 × 1013 ions cm−2. With increase in fluence up to 1 × 1014 ions cm−2, an additional value of exponent of δ ≈ 1 arises. The size of Ag nanoparticles is decreased with increased fluence due to ion-induced sputtering. The irradiated sample is found to have partially embedded nanoparticles showing localized surface plasmon resonance.
Effect of Ge substitution on carrier mobilities and thermoelectric properties of sintered p-type Ba8Ga16+xSn30−x−yGey with the type-VIII clathrate structure
Authors: Kishimoto K , Yamamoto H , Akai K , Koyanagi T 
Published: October 2012

Abstract
Ge substitution for Sn in Ba8Ga16Sn30 was attempted in order to improve its thermoelectric properties. Since the melting point was raised by the substitution, the sintering temperature could be increased. The resultant sintered samples exhibited higher thermal stabilities and fewer trapping state densities at grain boundaries, which weakened grain boundary scattering for carriers. For example, the Ba8Ga16.4Sn25.0Ge4.6 and Ba8Ga16.9Sn19.8Ge9.3 samples had larger room temperature mobilities of 6.7 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 13.3 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively, than that of 2.3 cm2 V−1 s−1 of the Ba8Ga16.6Sn29.4 sample. Consequently, these Ge-substituted samples had higher figures-of-merit maxima of 0.62 at 550 K and 0.63 at 600 K, respectively, than that of 0.36 at 500 K for the Ba8Ga16.6Sn29.4 sample.
A note on positive solutions for conservation laws with singular source
Authors: Amadori D. , Coclite G. 
Published: October 2012

We consider the Cauchy problem for the scalar conservation law∂tu+∂xf(u)=1g(u),t>0, x∈R,\begin{equation*} \partial _t u+\partial _x f(u) =\displaystyle \frac {1}{g(u)},\qquad t>0,\ x\in \mathbb {R}, \end{equation*}withg∈C1(R)g\in C^1(\mathbb {R}),g(0)=0g(0)=0,g(u)>0g(u)>0foru>0u>0, and assume that the initial datumu0u_0is nonnegative.

We show the existence of entropy solutions that are positive a.e. by means of an approximation of the equation that preserves positive solutions and by passing to the limit using a monotonicity argument. The difficulty lies in handling the singularity of the right-hand side (the source term) asuupossibly vanishes at the initial time. The source term is shown to be locally integrable.

Moreover, we prove a uniqueness and stability result for the above equation.