bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mediastinal re‐staging of non small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Khoo Kay‐Leong 
Published: December 2011

AbstractSelected patients with non small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mediastinal lymph node involvement may have a survival benefit from surgical resection, particularly if mediastinal nodal down‐staging occurs after induction therapy and complete resection is achieved with lobectomy. Accurate re‐staging of the mediastinum after induction therapy is therefore crucial in determining prognosis and subsequent treatment. Non‐invasive imaging techniques usually require a confirmatory tissue sampling method to improve the accuracy of mediastinal re‐staging. As in the initial staging of the mediastinum, minimally invasive endosonography‐guided needle sampling techniques such as endobronchial ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) and endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration show promise in re‐staging the mediastinum, though invasive surgical re‐staging remains the gold standard. Despite a lower sensitivity in the mediastinal re‐staging of NSCLC, EBUS‐TBNA with or without EUS‐FNA may still be the preferred initial mediastinal re‐staging technique.
Effectiveness of biweekly low‐dosage peginterferon treatment on the improvement of serum alanine aminotransferase and α‐fetoprotein levels
Authors: Kajiwara Eiji , Ooho Aritune , Yamashita Naoki 
Published: December 2011

Aim:  The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the effect of a biweekly low‐dosage peginterferon α‐2a treatment program on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and α‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels.Methods:  Fifty‐five patients participated in the study. The inclusion criteria included chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, liver cirrhosis, or the absence of cirrhosis in subjects 65 years old or above, and interferon therapy naivety or a lack of sustained response to therapy with interferon‐plus‐ribavirin or peginterferon‐plus‐ribavirin. Patients were divided into naïve, relapser, and non‐responder groups. The median age of the patients was 70 years, and 73% of patients had cirrhosis. All patients were treated with peginterferon α‐2a at 90 µg biweekly.Results:  The rates of normalization (≤30 IU/l) of ALT levels at week 24 in the relapser group and the ≥2 log10 HCV RNA decline group were high (74% and 68%, respectively). However, the ALT and AFP levels decreased significantly in each group, including the non‐responder group. The ALT levels decreased significantly even in patients in whom the HCV RNA levels did not decrease. Furthermore, the AFP levels decreased significantly in the patients showing no decline in the ALT and HCV RNA levels. Only three patients discontinued treatment within 48 weeks due to adverse events, and more than 70% of the patients experienced no subjective symptoms during treatment.Conclusion:  A biweekly low‐dosage peginterferon α‐2a therapy is effective for reducing the serum levels of ALT and AFP and may reduce hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with liver cirrhosis and in the elderly individuals.
Comparison of surgical outcomes in patients with colorectal liver metastases versus non‐colorectal liver metastases: A Chinese experience
Authors: Duan Xiao‐Feng , Dong Na‐Na , Zhang Ti , Li Qiang 
Published: December 2011

Aim:  To compare the surgical treatment outcomes between patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM) and non‐colorectal liver metastases (NCLM).Methods:  The study population consisted of 132 patients undergoing hepatectomy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital between January 1996 and December 2008. Survival analyses were used to assess the differences in prognosis and survival between groups.Results:  The primary tumor site was colorectal in 60 (45.5%), breast in 16 (12.1%), lung in 14 (10.6%), non‐colorectal gastrointestinal in 12 (9.1%), genitourinary in 10 (7.6%), pancreatobiliary tumor (n = 8, 6.1%) and others in 12 (9.1%). A curative liver resection was performed in all patients by pathological findings. After a median follow‐up of 32 months, the overall 3‐ and 5‐year survival rate was 44.7 and 29.5% in all patients, respectively. The 3‐ and 5‐year survival rates were 53.3 and 36.7% for liver metastases from colorectal tumors, 62.5 and 43.8% from breast, 60.0 and 40.0% from genitourinary neoplasm, 41.7 and 25.0% from non‐colorectal gastrointestinal cancer, 28.5 and 15.0% from lung, 12.5 and 0% from pancreatobiliary malignancies, and 41.7 and 8.3% from other sites, respectively.Conclusions:  Hepatic resection is an effective and safe treatment for liver metastases mainly depending on primary tumor sites. Hepatic metastases from non‐colorectal gastrointestinal cancer, pulmonary and pancreatobiliary malignancies have the worst prognosis; those from breast and genitourinary neoplasm show the best prognosis.
Hepatic veno‐occlusive disease after taking Gynura Rhizome: The value of multidetector computed tomography in diagnosing the disease and evaluating the clinical therapeutic effect
Authors: Wu Xing‐Wang , Wang Wan‐Qin , Liu Bin , Xu Jian‐Ming , Yu Yong‐Qiang , Zhang Shuai , Shen Yun 
Published: December 2011

Aim:  We conducted this study to evaluate the role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in diagnosing and differential diagnosis hepatic veno‐occlusive disease (HVOD), and as well as assessing the clinical therapeutic effects.Methods:  From 2007 to 2010, 10 inpatients with weight increasing, liver pains, ascites, jaundice and history of taking gynura rhizome before hospitalization were scanned with a 64‐MDCT. The data were reconstructed every 0.625 mm and reviewed using multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and liver CT angiography (CTA) on a GE AW4.2 workstation. Patients were re‐scanned with MDCT after medication so that the clinical therapeutic effect could be evaluated before the patients discharging from hospital.Results:  In 10 HVOD patients, the diagnoses of MDCT were coincident with clinical results. All patients had ascites and pleural fluid, hepatomegaly except the caudate lobe in MDCT. Failure to view hepatic veins in hepatic 3 phase scans, but portal veins and inferior vena cava were unobstructed. In portal‐phase, hepatic enhancements were non‐uniform. Three patients were incorrectly diagnosed before hospital admission. All patients improved significantly after hepato‐protection and supporting therapy. No ascites, hydrothorax, hepatomegaly and obstruction of hepatic veins were observed by MDCT before patients were discharged from hospital.Conclusion:  Multidetector computed tomography combined with MPR and liver CTA images are helpful in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of HVOD and in the evaluation of clinical therapeutic effects.
The Regional Supply of Venture Capital: Can Syndication Overcome Bottlenecks?
Authors: Fritsch Michael , Schilder Dirk 
Published: December 2011

abstractIn our study, we investigated whether the supply of venture capital (VC) is driven by spatial proximity between a VC company and the portfolio firm. Our analysis was based on information about VC investments in Germany between 2004 and 2009. We found that possible problems caused by the geographic distance to a portfolio firm seem to be overcome by the syndication of investments with one of the VC firms located close to the investment. The results suggest, however, that a short geographic distance between an investor and the investment has an increasing effect on the probability of syndication as well as on the number of firms that join the syndicate. Hence, local VC suppliers may assume the role of an anchor, connecting the regional economy to more distant parts of the industry.
WHAT LIARS CAN TELL US ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE NORM OF PRACTICAL REASONING
Authors: FALLIS DON 
Published: December 2011

abstractIf knowledge is the norm of practical reasoning, then we should be able to alter people's behavior by affecting their knowledge as well as by affecting their beliefs. Thus, as Roy Sorensen (2010) suggests, we should expect to find people telling lies that target knowledge rather than just lies that target beliefs. In this paper, however, I argue that Sorensen's discovery of “knowledge‐lies” does not support the claim that knowledge is the norm of practical reasoning. First, I use a Bayesian framework to show that in each of Sorensen's examples, knowledge‐lies alter people's behavior by affecting their beliefs. Second, I show that while we can imagine lies that target knowledge without targeting beliefs, they cannot alter people's behavior. In other words, knowledge‐lies actually work (i.e., manipulate behavior) by targeting beliefs or they do not work at all.
DOES THE SUPERVENIENCE ARGUMENT GENERALIZE?
Authors: BLISS SUZANNE , FERNÁNDEZ JORDI 
Published: December 2011

abstractWe evaluate the scope of Jaegwon Kim's “supervenience argument” for reduction. Does its conclusion apply only to psychology, or does it generalize to all the special sciences? The claim that the supervenience argument generalizes to all the special sciences if it goes through for psychology is often raised as an objection to the supervenience argument. We argue that this objection is ambiguous. We distinguish three readings of it and suggest that some of them make it a plausible claim, whereas other readings make it implausible. We suggest that this ambiguity is the result of picturing the world as being hierarchically organized in levels, with the domain of physics at the bottom and the domains of the social sciences at the top. The plausibility of the objection depends on how we think of this picture. This popular picture, we suggest, involves three different dimensions along which reduction may occur.
Working with despair: A phenomenological investigation
Authors: Gee Joanna , Loewenthal Del 
Published: December 2011

Objectives. Psychotherapy as an appropriate treatment for clients in despair is an important area of inquiry, particularly given its problematic nature in the therapy and the resulting impact on the therapeutic relationship. This study aimed to explore how psychotherapists experience working with a client in despair through a phenomenological investigation.Design. A phenomenological epistemology and methodology was adopted as the study was focused on understanding the phenomenon in terms of the participant's meanings of the lived situation.Method. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight accredited psychotherapists who had worked with clients in despair. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the method of Empirical Phenomenological Analysis (EPA).Results. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: Psychotherapist's experience of client's despair, Evocation in the psychotherapist, Therapeutic ways of responding, and Supporting the psychotherapist.Conclusions. The phenomenological findings inform and support the idea of a client's despair as something that challenges the psychotherapist personally and professionally. With implications for practice, the findings also suggest that in order to prevent the despair from encompassing the psychotherapist, they must locate a therapeutic balance; one that allows them to be with the client's despair, whilst allowing a certain degree of distance from the despair which may enable the psychotherapist to consider hope and to see the client's situation from different perspectives.Practitioner Points

Client's despair challenges the psychotherapist personally and professionally.

In order to prevent the despair from encompassing the psychotherapist, they must locate a therapeutic balance which allows them to be with the client's despair, whilst allowing a certain degree of distance from the despair.

This balance may enable the psychotherapist to consider hope and to see the client's situation from different perspectives.
Accumulation of the Antibiotic Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid in the Rhizosphere of Dryland Cereals
Authors: Mavrodi Dmitri V. , Mavrodi Olga V. , Parejko James A. , Bonsall Robert F. , Kwak Youn-Sig , Paulitz Timothy C. , Thomashow Linda S. , Weller David M. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT

Natural antibiotics are thought to function in the defense, fitness, competitiveness, biocontrol activity, communication, and gene regulation of microorganisms. However, the scale and quantitative aspects of antibiotic production in natural settings are poorly understood. We addressed these fundamental questions by assessing the geographic distribution of indigenous phenazine-producing (Phz
+
)
Pseudomonas
spp. and the accumulation of the broad-spectrum antibiotic phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) in the rhizosphere of wheat grown in the low-precipitation zone (<350 mm) of the Columbia Plateau and in adjacent, higher-precipitation areas. Plants were collected from 61 commercial wheat fields located within an area of about 22,000 km
2
. Phz
+
Pseudomonas
spp. were detected in all sampled fields, with mean population sizes ranging from log 3.2 to log 7.1 g
−1
(fresh weight) of roots. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between annual precipitation and the proportion of plants colonized by Phz
+
Pseudomonas
spp. (
r
2
= 0.36,
P
= 0.0001). PCA was detected at up to nanomolar concentrations in the rhizosphere of plants from 26 of 29 fields that were selected for antibiotic quantitation. There was a direct relationship between the amount of PCA extracted from the rhizosphere and the population density of Phz
+
pseudomonads (
r
2
= 0.46,
P
= 0.0006). This is the first demonstration of accumulation of significant quantities of a natural antibiotic across a terrestrial ecosystem. Our results strongly suggest that natural antibiotics can transiently accumulate in the plant rhizosphere in amounts sufficient not only for inter- and intraspecies signaling but also for the direct inhibition of sensitive organisms.
Proline Utilization by Bacillus subtilis: Uptake and Catabolism
Authors: Moses Susanne , Sinner Tatjana , Zaprasis Adrienne , Stöveken Nadine , Hoffmann Tamara , Belitsky Boris R. , Sonenshein Abraham L. , Bremer Erhard 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACT

l
-Proline can be used by
Bacillus subtilis
as a sole source of carbon or nitrogen. We traced
l
-proline utilization genetically to the
putBCP
(
ycgMNO
) locus. The
putBCP
gene cluster encodes a high-affinity proline transporter (PutP) and two enzymes, the proline dehydrogenase PutB and the Δ
1
-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase PutC, which jointly catabolize
l
-proline to
l
-glutamate. Northern blotting, primer extension, and
putB-treA
reporter gene fusion analysis showed that the
putBCP
locus is transcribed as an
l
-proline-inducible operon. Its expression was mediated by a SigA-type promoter and was dependent on the proline-responsive PutR activator protein. Induction of
putBCP
expression was triggered by the presence of submillimolar concentrations of
l
-proline in the growth medium. However, the very large quantities of
l
-proline (up to several hundred millimolar) synthesized by
B. subtilis
as a stress protectant against high osmolarity did not induce
putBCP
transcription. Induction of
putBCP
transcription by external
l
-proline was not dependent on
l
-proline uptake via the substrate-inducible PutP or the osmotically inducible OpuE transporter. It was also not dependent on the chemoreceptor protein McpC required for chemotaxis toward
l
-proline. Our findings imply that
B. subtilis
can distinguish externally supplied
l
-proline from internal
l
-proline pools generated through
de novo
synthesis. The molecular basis of this regulatory phenomenon is not understood. However, it provides the
B. subtilis
cell with a means to avoid a futile cycle of
de novo
l
-proline synthesis and consumption by not triggering the expression of the
putBCP
l
-proline catabolic genes in response to the osmoadaptive production of the compatible solute
l
-proline.
PAX8 is expressed in the majority of renal epithelial neoplasms: an immunohistochemical study of 223 cases using a mouse monoclonal antibody
Authors: Hu Yingchuan , Hartmann Arndt , Stoehr Christine , Zhang Shaobo , Wang Mingsheng , Tacha David , Montironi Rodolfo , Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Cheng Liang 
Published: December 2011

AimsPAX8 is a cell lineage-specific transcription factor which plays a crucial role in the organogenesis of the kidney, thyroid gland and Müllerian duct. A previous study showed that PAX8 is a specific and sensitive marker for both renal and ovarian carcinomas. The purpose of this study is to investigate PAX8 expression using a new monoclonal PAX8 antibody in a larger number of renal epithelial neoplasms including clear cell renal cell carcinoma, papillary renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and renal oncocytoma.MethodsPAX8 immunohistochemical staining was performed on tissue microarrays containing 84 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, 66 cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, 57 cases of papillary renal cell carcinoma and 16 cases of renal oncocytoma.ResultsPAX8 expression was detected in 93% (78/84) of cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, 80% (53/66) of cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, 95% (54/57) of cases of papillary renal cell carcinoma and 94% (15/16) of cases of renal oncocytoma.ConclusionsPAX8 is expressed in the majority of renal epithelial neoplasms including renal cell carcinomas and oncocytomas and the monoclonal PAX8 antibody is more sensitive than polyclonal antibody to detect chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. These results showed that PAX8 is a valuable marker for nephric neoplasms.
Effects of predator exposure on Hsp70 expression and survival in tadpoles of the Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Authors: Sørensen Jesper Givskov , Loeschcke Volker , Merilä Juha , Laurila Anssi 
Published: December 2011

Predator-induced changes in prey behavior and morphology are widespread, but little is known about physiological and cellular-level responses in prey in response to predation risk. We investigated whether predator (larvae of the dragonfly Aeshna Fabricius, 1775) presence elevated the expression level of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70)—a commonly found response to stress—in tadpoles of the Common Frog ( Rana temporaria L., 1758). In another experiment, we tested the survival of tadpoles in the presence of a free-ranging predator. Prior to this encounter, the tadpoles were exposed to either an Hsp-inducing environmental stress in the form of heat (31 °C) or to predator cues from a caged predator. We found no evidence for increased Hsp70 expression in tadpoles either in the presence of fed or starved predators. We did not find any effects of prior exposure to neither heat nor predator presence on survival at the end of experiment. Our results do not point to either Hsp70-mediated effect of predator-induced responses or to beneficial effects of the stress response on survival under predation risk.
DNA Methylation of Phosphatase and Actin Regulator 3 Detects Colorectal Cancer in Stool and Complements FIT
Authors: Bosch Linda J.W. , Oort Frank A. , Neerincx Maarten , Khalid-de Bakker Carolina A.J. , sive Droste Jochim S. Terhaar , Melotte Veerle , Jonkers Daisy M.A.E. , Masclee Ad A.M. , Mongera Sandra , Grooteclaes Madeleine , Louwagie Joost , van Criekinge Wim , Coupé Veerle M.H. , Mulder Chris J. , van Engeland Manon , Carvalho Beatriz , Meijer Gerrit A. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Using a bioinformatics-based strategy, we set out to identify hypermethylated genes that could serve as biomarkers for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) in stool. In addition, the complementary value to a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) was evaluated. Candidate genes were selected by applying cluster alignment and computational analysis of promoter regions to microarray-expression data of colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. DNA methylation was measured by quantitative methylation-specific PCR on 34 normal colon mucosa, 71 advanced adenoma, and 64 CRC tissues. The performance as biomarker was tested in whole stool samples from in total 193 subjects, including 19 with advanced adenoma and 66 with CRC. For a large proportion of these series, methylation data for GATA4 and OSMR were available for comparison. The complementary value to FIT was measured in stool subsamples from 92 subjects including 44 with advanced adenoma or CRC. Phosphatase and Actin Regulator 3 (PHACTR3) was identified as a novel hypermethylated gene showing more than 70-fold increased DNA methylation levels in advanced neoplasia compared with normal colon mucosa. In a stool training set, PHACTR3 methylation showed a sensitivity of 55% (95% CI: 33–75) for CRC and a specificity of 95% (95% CI: 87–98). In a stool validation set, sensitivity reached 66% (95% CI: 50–79) for CRC and 32% (95% CI: 14–57) for advanced adenomas at a specificity of 100% (95% CI: 86–100). Adding PHACTR3 methylation to FIT increased sensitivity for CRC up to 15%. PHACTR3 is a new hypermethylated gene in CRC with a good performance in stool DNA testing and has complementary value to FIT. Cancer Prev Res; 5(3); 464–72. ©2011 AACR.
Oral Contraceptives Decrease the Prevalence of Ovarian Cancer in the Hen
Authors: Treviño Lindsey S. , Buckles Elizabeth L. , Johnson Patricia A. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractOvarian cancer is the leading cause of reproductive cancer death in U.S. women. This high mortality rate is due to the lack of early detection methods and ineffectiveness of therapy for advanced disease. Until more effective screening methods and therapies are developed, chemoprevention strategies are warranted. The hen has a high spontaneous prevalence of ovarian cancer and has been used as a model for studying ovarian cancer chemoprevention. In this study, we used the hen to determine the effect of progestin alone, estrogen alone, or progestin and estrogen in combination (as found in oral contraceptives) on ovarian cancer prevalence. We found that treatment with progestin alone and in combination with estrogen decreased the prevalence of ovarian cancer. A significant risk reduction of 91% was observed in the group treated with progestin alone (risk ratio = 0.0909; 95% CI: 0.0117–0.704) and an 81% reduction was observed in the group treated with progestin plus estrogen (risk ratio = 0.1916; 95% CI = 0.043–0.864). Egg production was also significantly reduced in these treatment groups compared with control. We found no effect of progestin, either alone or in combination with estrogen, on apoptosis or proliferation in the ovary, indicating that this is not the likely mechanism responsible for the protective effect of progestin in the hen. Our results support the use of oral contraceptives to prevent ovarian cancer and suggest that ovulation is related to the risk of ovarian cancer in hens and that other factors, such as hormones, more than likely modify this risk. Cancer Prev Res; 5(2); 343–9. ©2011 AACR.
Scribes et enquêteurs Note sur le personnel judiciaire en Égypte aux quatre premiers siècles de l’hégire
Authors: Tillier Mathieu 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThis article undertakes first a reconstruction of lists of legal scribes (kātibs) and investigators (ṣāḥibsal-masāʾil) active in Fusṭāṭ between the 1st/early 8th and the 4th/10th century. Identification of these people allows a better understanding of the recruitment of Egyptian judiciary staff. Their reputations as scholars, as well as their ethnical, geographical and tribal origins, show that legal careers were limited by social barriers for a long time. Up until the 3rd/9th century, the office of scribe was mostly held bymawālī—high-ranking clients could possibly aspire to the office of investigator—, whereasqāḍīs were recruited among Arabs. The partitioning of the judiciary reveals a complex social hierarchy beyond the mere distinction between Arabs and non-Arabs. The results of this study also allow a re-evaluation of the Abbasid revolution’s impact on Egyptian society.