bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing integration of TB services in general hospitals in two regions of China: a qualitative study
Authors: Zou Guanyang , Wei Xiaolin , Walley John D , Yin Jia , Sun Qiang 
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Background
In the majority of China, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) at the county level provides both clinical and public health care for TB cases, with hospitals and other health facilities referring suspected TB cases to the CDC. In recent years, an integrated model has emerged, where the CDC remains the basic management unit for TB control, while a general hospital is designated to provide clinical care for TB patients. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the integration of TB services in general hospitals and generate knowledge to aid the scale-up of integration of TB services in China.

Methods
This study adopted a qualitative approach using interviews from sites in East and West China. Analysis was conducted using a thematic framework approach.

Results
The more prosperous site in East China was more coordinated and thus had a better method of resource allocation and more patient-orientated service, compared with the poorer site in the West. The development of public health organizations appeared to influence how effectively integration occurred. An understanding from staff that hospitals had better capacity to treat TB patients than CDCs was a strong rationale for integration. However, the economic and political interests might act as a barrier to effective integration. Both sites shared the same challenges of attracting and retaining a skilled workforce for the TB services. The role of the health bureau was more directive in the Western site, while a more participatory and collaborative approach was adopted in the Eastern site.

Conclusion
The process of integration identifies similarities and differences between sites in more affluent East China and poorer West China. Integration of TB services in the hospitals needs to address the challenges of stakeholder motivations and resource allocation. Effective inter-organizational collaboration could help to improve the efficiency and quality of TB service. Key words: TB control, service delivery, integration, hospitals, China.
Specifically targeting ERK1 or ERK2 kills Melanoma cells
Authors: Qin Jianzhong , Xin Hong , Nickoloff Brian J 
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Background
Overcoming the notorious apoptotic resistance of melanoma cells remains a therapeutic challenge given dismal survival of patients with metastatic melanoma. However, recent clinical trials using a BRAF inhibitor revealed encouraging results for patients with advanced BRAF mutant bearing melanoma, but drug resistance accompanied by recovery of phospho-ERK (pERK) activity present challenges for this approach. While ERK1 and ERK2 are similar in amino acid composition and are frequently not distinguished in clinical reports, the possibility they regulate distinct biological functions in melanoma is largely unexplored.

Methods
Rather than indirectly inhibiting pERK by targeting upstream kinases such as BRAF or MEK, we directly (and near completely) reduced ERK1 and ERK2 using short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to achieve sustained inhibition of pERK1 and/or pERK2.

Results and discussion
Using A375 melanoma cells containing activating BRAFV600E mutation, silencing ERK1 or ERK2 revealed some differences in their biological roles, but also shared roles by reduced cell proliferation, colony formation in soft agar and induced apoptosis. By contrast, chemical mediated inhibition of mutant BRAF (PLX4032) or MEK (PD0325901) triggered less killing of melanoma cells, although they did inhibit proliferation. Death of melanoma cells by silencing ERK1 and/or ERK2 was caspase dependent and accompanied by increased levels of Bak, Bad and Bim, with reduction in p-Bad and detection of activated Bax levels and loss of mitochondrial membrane permeability. Rare treatment resistant clones accompanied silencing of either ERK1 and/or ERK2. Unexpectedly, directly targeting ERK levels also led to reduction in upstream levels of BRAF, CRAF and pMEK, thereby reinforcing the importance of silencing ERK as regards killing and bypassing drug resistance.

Conclusions
Selectively knocking down ERK1 and/or ERK2 killed A375 melanoma cells and also increased the ability of PLX4032 to kill A375 cells. Thus, a new therapeutic window is open for future clinical trials in which agents targeting ERK1 and ERK2 should be considered in patients with melanoma.
The structural and optical properties of GaSb/InGaAs type-II quantum dots grown on InP (100) substrate
Authors: Shuhui Zhang , Lu Wang , Zhenwu Shi , Yanxiang Cui , Haitao Tian , Huaiju Gao , Haiqiang Jia , Wenxin Wang , Hong Chen , Liancheng Zhao 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
We have investigated the structural and optical properties of type-II GaSb/InGaAs quantum dots [QDs] grown on InP (100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. Rectangular-shaped GaSb QDs were well developed and no nanodash-like structures which could be easily found in the InAs/InP QD system were formed. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra show there are two peaks centered at 0.75eV and 0.76ev. The low-energy peak blueshifted with increasing excitation power is identified as the indirect transition from the InGaAs conduction band to the GaSb hole level (type-II), and the high-energy peak is identified as the direct transition (type-I) of GaSb QDs. This material system shows a promising application on quantum-dot infrared detectors and quantum-dot field-effect transistor.
Efficacy of first-line doxorubicin and ifosfamide in myxoid liposarcoma
Authors: Katz Daniela , Boonsirikamchai Piyaporn , Choi Haeson , Lazar Alexander J , Wang Wei-Lein , Xiao Lianchun , Park Min S , Ravi Vinod , Benjamin Robert S , Araujo Dejka M 
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Background
Myxoid liposarcoma (MLS) is a soft tissue sarcoma with adipocytic differentiation characterized by a unique chromosome rearrangement, t(12;16)(q13;p11). The exact efficacy of chemotherapy in MLS has not been clearly established.

Patients and methods
We retrospectively analyzed the records of 37 histologically confirmed MLS patients who were treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2000 to December 2009 with doxorubicin 75-90 mg/m2 over 72 hours combined with ifosfamide 10 gm/m2 in the first-line setting. Response was assessed using RECIST and Choi criteria. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test was used to estimate clinical outcomes.

Results
The median follow-up period was 50.1 months. The overall response rates were 43.2% using RECIST and 86.5% using the Choi criteria. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 90% for patients with resectable tumors. Median time to progression and overall survival time for the advanced-disease group were 23 and 31.1 months, respectively.

Conclusion
Our study demonstrates that doxorubicin-ifosfamide combination therapy has a role in the treatment of MLS. The Choi criteria may be more sensitive in evaluating response to chemotherapy in MLS.
Impairment of renal function using hyperoncotic colloids in a two hit model of shock: a prospective randomized study
Authors: Simon Tim Philipp , Schuerholz Tobias , Hüter Lars , Sasse Michael , Heyder Florian , Pfister Wolfgang , Marx Gernot 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Introduction
One of the therapeutic essentials in severe sepsis and septic shock is an adequate fluid replacement to restore and maintain circulating plasma volume, improve organ perfusion and nutritive microcirculatory flow. The type of solution to be used as a fluid replacement remains under discussion. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of clinically used fluid replacement solutions on renal function and inflammatory response.

Methods
A total of 23 anesthetized and ventilated female German Landrace pigs were investigated over 19 hours using a two-hit model that combined hemorrhagic and septic shock. The septic shock was induced using an Escherichia coli laden clot placed into the abdominal cavity. Infusions of 6% hydroxyethylstarch 130/0.42 in acetate (6% HES 130), 4% gelatin in acetate (4% gelatin) and 10% hydroxyethylstarch 200/0.5 in saline (10% HES200) compared to Ringer's acetate (RAc) were used for fluid replacement to maintain a central venous pressure of 12 mmHg. Ringer's acetate was also used in the sham-treated group (SHAM).

Results
At study end the cardiac output (10% HES200 143 ± 48 ml/kgBW; 6% HES130 171 ± 47 ml/kgBW; RAc 137 ± 32 ml/kgBW; 4% gelatin 160 ± 42 ml/kgBW), as well as mean arterial pressure did not differ between groups. N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamidase was significantly higher in the hydroxyethylstarch 200 (157 ± 115 U/g creatinine; P < 0.05) group compared to hydroxyethylstarch 130 (24 ± 9 U/g creatinine), Ringer's acetate (2 ± 3 U/g creatinine) and SHAM (21 ± 15 U/g creatinine) at the study's end. Creatinine significantly increased by 87 ± 84 percent of baseline in the 10% HES200 group compared to RAc and 6% HES130. We demonstrated in the histology of the kidneys a significant increase in osmotic-nephrosis like lesions for 4% gelatin compared to RAc, 6% HES130 and SHAM. Urine output was lowest in the 10% HES200 and 4% gelatin group, however not significantly.
Interleukin(IL)-6 levels were significantly elevated in the 10% HES200 group (3,845 ± 1,472 pg/ml) two hours after sepsis induction compared to all other groups (6% HES130 1,492 ± 604 pg/ml; RAc 874 ± 363 pg/ml; 4% gelatin 1,623 ± 1,242 pg/ml).

Conclusions
Despite similar maintenance of macrocirculation 6% hydroxyethylstarch 130/0.42 and Ringer's acetate significantly preserve renal function and attenuate tubular damage better than 10% hydroxyethylstarch 200/0.5 in saline.
Loss of PKBβ/Akt2 predisposes mice to ovarian cyst formation and increases the severity of polycystic ovary formation in vivo
Authors: Restuccia David F. , Hynx Debby , Hemmings Brian A. 
Published: January 2012

Summary
Ovarian cysts affect women of all ages and decrease fertility. In particular, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), with multiple follicular cysts, affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age and can result in infertility. Current non-invasive treatments for PCOS can resolve cysts and restore fertility, but unresponsive patients must undergo severe ovarian wedge resection and resort to in vitro fertilization. PCOS is related to the deregulation of leutinizing hormone (LH) signaling at various levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and resultant hyper-production of androgens. As insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulemia are observed in 50-70% of PCOS patients, deregulated insulin signaling in the ovary is considered an important factor in the disease. Here we report that aged mice, specifically lacking the PKBβ/AKT2 isoform that is crucial for insulin signaling, develop increased testosterone levels and ovarian cysts also observed in insulin resistant PCOS patients. Young PKBβ/AKT2 knockout mice subjected to a mouse model of PCOS, by treatment with LH, exhibited a cyst area threefold greater than controls, but without hyperinsulemia. Thus, loss of PKBβ/AKT2 may predispose mice to ovarian cysts independent of hyperactive insulin signaling. Targeted therapeutic augmentation of specific PKBβ/AKT2 signaling may therefore provide a new avenue for the treatment and management of ovarian cysts.
Electrical conduction along porphyrin wires using the self-consistent extended-Huckel and non-equilibrium Green’s function methods
Authors: Jones G. , Elliott M. , Matthai C. C. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTIn recent years, first-principle electronic structure calculations have been carried out to investigate such diverse phenomena as charge transport in molecular wires, optical properties of quantum structures and in photonics. However, at this time the prohibitive computational cost does not allow for such calculations to be easily carried out on nano-scale device structures comprising thousands of atoms. In addition, there are issues relating to the applicability of these approaches to describing the excitations that ought to be involved in charge transport.Self-consistent extended Huckel theory (SC-EHT) has proved very effective in describing the band alignment at semiconductor interfaces, and optical properties of partially covered surfaces, as well as being employed in studying the electronic states of large molecules. We have developed a non-equilibrium Greens function (NEGF) SC-EHT code that may be applied to study charge transport through molecular wires. We study the transmission of a porphyrin molecule attached via thiol linkers to gold electrodes, compare our results with those obtained from density functional theory (DFT). We have studied the influence the thiol position on the Au substrate has on the conduction and the dependence of the electron transmission on the molecular conformation. In addition, we also report on the results of some preliminary investigations studying the influence of water on the conduction pathways.
Operating and economic conditions of cooling water control for marine steam turbine condensers
Authors: Błaszczyk Andrzej , Głuch Jerzy , Gardzilewicz Andrzej 
Published: January 2012

Operating and economic conditions of cooling water control for marine steam turbine condensers
The article presents the operational and economic analysis of controlling the cooling water flow in marine steam turbine power plants. The analysis bases on selected designs of the main condenser cooling water pumps and makes use of the results of investigations performed in inland power plants. Special attention was focused on marine aspects of the operation of those systems.
Estimation of rolling bearing life with damage curve approach
Authors: Mehdigholi H. , Rafsanjani H. , Mehdi Behzad 
Published: January 2012

Estimation of rolling bearing life with damage curve approach
The ability to determine the bearing life time is one of the main purposes in maintenance of rotating machineries. Because of reliability, cost and productivity, the bearing life time prognostic is important. In this paper, a stiffness-based prognostic model for bearing systems is discussed. According to presumed model of bearing and fundamental of damage mechanics, damage curve approach is used to relate stiffness of vibratory system and bearing running life. Furthermore, using the relation between acceleration amplitude at natural frequency and stiffness, final relation between acceleration amplitude at natural frequency and running life time according to damage curve approach can be established and the final running time is predicted. Experiments have been performed on self alignment bearing under failures on inner race and outer race to calibrate and to validate the proposed model. The comparison between model-calculated data and experimental results indicates that this model can be used effectively to predict the failure lifetime and the remaining life of a bearing system.
Affect in Sporting Activities: a Preliminary Validation of the Worcester Affect Scale
Authors: Rhoden Clare , West Julia 
Published: January 2012

Affect in Sporting Activities: a Preliminary Validation of the Worcester Affect Scale
The overly long psychometric measures available for affect may have caused difficulty measuring this construct during physical activity (Barkoff & Heiby, 2005; Wilhelm & Schoebi, 2007). This paper aims to create a two-item affect scale to measure feeling states during physical activity. In study 1 ninety-four participants completed the PANAS (Watson et al., 1988) and the newly designed Worcester Affect Scale (WAS) measuring positive and negative affect. In study 2, seven participants completed two 20km cycle time trials in the laboratory. PANAS and WAS were administered prior to and after the trials and WAS was reported at frequent regular intervals during each time trial. Preliminary validation of the WAS was confirmed with significant correlations between the WAS and PANAS. The WAS scale is quick and easy to administer and was sensitive in measuring fluctuations in affect within a 20km cycle time trial. Future work is needed to examine the fluctuations in affect and clarify the relationship between positivity and negativity.
Examining Biomechanical and Anthropometrical Factors as Contributors to Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome
Authors: Bauer Jeffrey , Duke Lara 
Published: January 2012

Examining Biomechanical and Anthropometrical Factors as Contributors to Iliotibial Band Friction SyndromeThis study was conducted in an attempt to determine if the biomechanical parameters thought to predict iliotibial band injury could accurately differentiate between iliotibial band (IT band) injured and healthy runners. 20 injured and 20 healthy runners were tested. Injured subjects were randomly assigned into groups of ten (INJ-1 or INJ-2). Ten healthy runners acted as controls (CON) and ten healthy (EXP) subjects trained for 1 week with a 1.27 cm felt heal pad in the shoe of their longer leg. All subjects completed a runner's questionnaire, and 13 lower extremity anatomical measurements, four clinical lower extremity assessments, and 2D kinematics from the sagittal and frontal planes during treadmill running were recorded. Comparison of kinematic values between INJ-1 vs. CON and INJ-2 vs. EXP indicated the INJ-1 group had a greater knee flexion angle than the CON group. No other direct comparisons revealed statistically significant differences between groups, nor did a discriminant function based on nine anatomical measurements or analysis of the running questionnaire responses. It was not possible to clearly distinguish between the healthy and injured runners of this study based on the biomechanical factors most commonly thought to predispose individuals to iliotibial band injury.
The effects of racial categorization activation: an investigation in soccer academies
Authors: Laurin Raphaël , Lacassagne Marie-Françoise 
Published: January 2012

The effects of racial categorization activation: an investigation in soccer academies
The aim of this research is to test the effect of racial categorization activation on the sport satisfaction of newcomers' trainees of soccer academies. One hundred and four participants from four French soccer academies were enrolled - two with an unbalanced racial group composition and two with a balanced composition. Results show that in soccer academies with a balanced racial composition, the sports satisfaction of the black trainees remains relatively stable over time and it decreases among the white students, whereas the evolution of the scores for blacks and whites does not differ significantly in the unbalanced racial composition. The impact of the effects of racial categorization on the sport satisfaction of black and white trainees of soccer academies is discussed.
Comparative Analysis of Barefoot and Shod Running
Authors: Utz-Meagher Colin , Nulty John , Holt Lisa 
Published: January 2012

Comparative Analysis of Barefoot and Shod Running
This study investigated the biomechanical difference between running barefoot and shod before and after a barefoot training program (BTP). Foot angles at contact (FA), contact time (CT), stride length (SL), initial contact force (ICF), and total peak force (TPF) in shod and unshod runners was analyzed. Fourteen collegiate runners attended 12 total sessions over a two week period. Subjects performed a baseline trial, running eight (10-20 meter) repetitions, four barefoot and four shod, at three different stations; running over a force plate, running in front of a SONY DCR-HC52 video camera (30fps) and running in front of a Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 camera (300fps). A Post-Test (PT) was conducted at the end of the BTP. A repeated measure ANOVA showed significance (p<.05) in the Test factor, BTP; lowering participants FA mean from 18.8deg+/-.9deg to 5.6deg+/-15.1deg, CT mean from .221m+/-.02m to .2m+/-.03m, and TPF mean from 1427.4N+/-312.9N to 1348.2N+/-269.4N. A repeated measure ANOVA showed significance (p<.05) in the Condition factor (shod vs. unshod); lowering participants FA mean from 23.1deg+/-12.6deg to 1.3deg+/-14.4deg, SL mean from .9m+/-.1m to .8m+/-.1m, and ICF mean from 1465.3N+/- 369.6N to 1324.7N+/-379.4N. Running barefoot and following a BTP alters running biomechanics in ways that may decrease running related injuries.
A reconstruction of annual mass balances of Austria’s glaciers from 1969 to 1998
Authors: Abermann J. , Kuhn M. , Fischer A. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractAnnual glacier mass balances are reconstructed for 96% of the Austrian glacier-covered area (451 of 470 km2) between 1969 and 1998. The volume change derived from two complete glacier inventories (1969 and 1998) serves as the boundary condition that is aimed to be reproduced. ERA-40 reanalysis data as well as a gridded precipitation dataset (HISTALP) are used to drive a positive degree-day (PDD) model. The results are verified with four independent long-term mass-balance series. The spatial and vertical distribution of the tuning parameters is altered in order to reproduce the measured mean annual surface mass balances of selected glaciers, and a strong correlation is found between the median elevation of a glacier and the degree-day factor (DDF) at this elevation. This result implies that the lower a glacier’s median elevation is, the less melt occurs at a given elevation and temperature. We attribute this to the fact that lower-altitude glaciers are generally those with more accumulation, which leads to later exposure of bare ice and a longer period of high-albedo snow cover. A further improvement of the model was achieved by making DDF a function of time as well as space. The results indicate that mean DDFs generally increase for a given date over a sequence of consecutive negative mass-balance years, which probably reflects the reduction in albedo related to that. Finally, the major drivers of the observed mass-balance evolution are investigated: summer PDD sums correlate significantly better with the observed mass-balance changes than annual PDD sums or precipitation do. This implies that annual mass balances in the study area are governed by summer temperatures.
Modeling surface-roughness/solar-ablation feedback: application to small-scale surface channels and crevasses of the Greenland ice sheet
Authors: Cathles L. Maclagan , Abbot Dorian S. , Bassis Jeremy N. , MacAyeal Douglas R. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractSurface roughness enhances the net ablation rate associated with direct solar radiation relative to smooth surfaces, because roughness allows solar energy reflected from one part of the surface to be absorbed by another part. In this study we examine the feedback between solar-radiation-driven ablation and growth of surface roughness on the Greenland ice sheet, using a numerical model of radiative transfer. Our experiments extend previous work by examining: (1) the effects of diurnal and seasonal variation of solar zenith angle and azimuth relative to incipient roughness features, (2) the evolution of roughness geometry in response to radiatively driven ablation and (3) the relative solar energy collection efficiencies of various roughness geometries and geographic locations and orientations. A notable result of this examination is that the time evolution of the aspect ratio of surface features under solar-driven ablation collapses onto a roughly universal curve that depends only on latitude, not the detailed shape of the feature. The total enhancement of surface melt relative to a smooth surface over a full ablation season varies with this ratio, and this dependence suggests a way to parameterize roughness effects in large-scale models that cannot treat individual roughness features. Overall, our model results suggest that surface roughness at the latitudes spanned by the Greenland ice sheet tends to dissipate as the ablation season progresses.