bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase I-II Trial of Weekly Bicalutamide in Men with Elevated Prostate-Specific Antigen and Negative Prostate Biopsies
Authors: Zanardi Silvia , Puntoni Matteo , Maffezzini Massimo , Bandelloni Roberto , Mori Marco , Argusti Alessandra , Campodonico Fabio , Turbino Laura , Branchi Daniela , Montironi Rodolfo , Decensi Andrea 
Published: April 2009

AbstractBackground: Men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and negative prostate biopsies are at risk for prostate cancer. The antiandrogen bicalutamide has a prolonged half-life, thus potentially allowing an intermittent administration to retain activity while reducing toxicity. We conducted a phase I-II trial of weekly bicalutamide in men with PSA &gt;4 ng/mL and negative biopsies.Methods: Eighty subjects were nonrandomly assigned to a three-arm trial to either bicalutamide 50 mg/wk (n = 26) or 100 mg/wk (n = 28) or no treatment (n = 26) for 6 months. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 3, and 6 months, and prostate biopsies were repeated after 6 months. The outcome measures were 6-month changes of tissue Ki-67 (primary end point), high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PIN), proliferative inflammatory atrophy, circulating PSA, and sex hormones.Results: Ki-67 expression was higher in HG-PIN than in normal tissue (10% versus 3%; P &lt; 0.01) but was not modulated by bicalutamide in normal luminal cells. A trend toward an improvement of HG-PIN status was found in treated subjects (26% improved, 60% had no change, 15% worsened) as compared with the no-treatment arm (4% improved, 83% had no change, 13% worsened; P = 0.07). Proliferative inflammatory atrophy prevalence was not reduced by bicalutamide. Bicalutamide reduced PSA by 50% in both arms and raised testosterone and estradiol levels. Asymptomatic breast swelling was noted in 40% of the treated cases.Conclusions: A weekly administration of bicalutamide seems to be reasonably safe and shows an encouraging signal of activity on HG-PIN prevalence, supporting further studies of this schedule in men at high risk despite the negative primary end-point findings on Ki-67.
Liposomal Encapsulation of Deguelin: Evidence for Enhanced Antitumor Activity in Tobacco Carcinogen–Induced and Oncogenic K-ras–Induced Lung Tumorigenesis
Authors: Woo Jong K. , Choi Dong Soon , Tran Hai T. , Gilbert Brian E. , Hong Waun Ki , Lee Ho-Young 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Deguelin has shown promising chemopreventive and therapeutic activities in diverse types of cancers. However, the potential side effect of deguelin over a certain dose could be the substantial hurdle in the practical application of the drug. One of the successful strategies for the use of deguelin in clinical trials could be lung-specific delivery of the drug. The present study evaluates the efficacy of liposome-encapsulated deguelin with a dose of 0.4 mg/kg, which is 10 times less than the dose (4 mg/kg) for preventive and therapeutic activities validated in previous in vivo studies. Liposomal deguelin revealed cytotoxic activity in vitro in premalignant and malignant human bronchial epithelial cells and non–small cell lung cancer cells through the same mechanistic pathway previously reported for deguelin (i.e., suppression of the heat shock protein 90 chaperone function and induction of apoptosis). Delivery of liposomal deguelin at a dose of 0.4 mg/kg by intranasal instillation resulted in markedly increased drug partitioning to the lungs compared with that of 4 mg/kg deguelin or 0.4 mg/kg liposomal deguelin administered by oral gavage. Lung-specific delivery of deguelin (0.4 mg/kg) via nasal or intratracheal instillation in a liposomal formulation also showed significant chemopreventive and therapeutic activities in 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone/benzo(a)pyrene–treated A/J mice and K-rasLAC57Bl6/129/sv F1 mice with no detectable toxicity. Our findings support the potential use of deguelin in a liposomal formulation via lung-specific delivery to improve efficacy and to reduce the potential side effects of the agent.
"Teder" behaviour (tenderness) – an exploration into the neural pathways of mild touch perception in mammals and birds
Authors: Dubbeldam Jacob , Kortmulder Koenraad 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
A category of teder interaction is proposed as the main source of (mutual) mild touch stimuli in higher vertebrates. The somatosensory circuits for the perception of these stimuli in mammals and birds are discussed using data from the literature. In addition to the usual somatosensory areas of the brain, in mammals mild touch signals are also conducted to the insula, which is closely connected to the limbic system. This separate processing of mild touch stimuli lends more substance to the category of teder behaviour. The comparable neuroanatomy in birds is more difficult to interpret. There are some intriguing parallels between the relevant circuits of mammals and birds, though in the telencephalic parts in particular, conclusions are limited by uncertainties as to the homologies of the mammalian and avian brains.
Spatial and temporal variability of fish communities of the Upper Mississippi River, USA
Authors: Yildirim Ayhan , Pegg Mark 
Published: April 2009

AbstractFish community structure, morphological characteristics, functional composition, and life history attributes in relation to three aquatic habitats, backwater shoreline (BWS), main channel borders (MCB), and side channel borders (SCB) in Pool 4 of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) were assessed. Fish communities were sampled annually using standardized electrofishing techniques from 1994 to 2004. We found significant differences in community composition and abundance, and the clearest pattern was that diversity and fish community structure in BWS were different from those in both MCB and SCB. We also found morphological characteristics, functional composition, and life-history differences among the habitats, with fish communities from BWS having a number of different characteristics from both MCB and SCB. Temporal changes in fish abundance, community structure, morphological, functional and life-history attributes from each habitat may reflect both human impact and environmental factors on the Upper Mississippi River System.
Serological characterization and confirmation of the taxonomic status of Montivipera albizona (Serpentes, Viperidae) with an additional new locality record and some phylogenetical comments
Authors: Göçmen Bayram , Arikan Hüseyin , Yildiz Mehmet Zülfü , Mermer Ahmet , Alpagut-Keskin Nursen 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
This is the first record of the presence of Montivipera albizona (Nilson, Andrén & Flärdh 1990), in Kahramanmaraş province, Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Here, one young male specimen was collected and is described. The present record of M. albizona extends its known distribution (Kulmac Mountain Range, Sivas) some 250 km to the south-west, where the Anatolian Diagonal exhibits a bifurcation. Our data based on the electropheoretic analysis of blood-sera, indicate that the M. xanthina populations from the western Anatolia and M. albizona distributed along the Anatolian Diagonal show significant differences, qualitatively and quantitatively. Accordingly, it is concluded that M. albizona should not be included within the polymorphic species M. xanthina which lives in western Anatolia and therefore, it should be accepted as a valid species. Moreover, the actual distributions of the related taxa in Anatolia and the geographic structure of the Anatolian Diagonal were discussed.
Hybridization behaviour between two common European cyprinid fish species – silver bream, Blicca bjoerkna and common bream, Abramis brama – in a controlled environment
Authors: Matondo Billy Nzau , Ovidio Michaël , Philippart Jean-Claude , Poncin Pascal 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
The egg release–mating comparison, heterospecific matings and mating success under two hybridization conditions – (i) mixing one sex per species and (ii) mixing both sexes from each species – were investigated to determine whether silver bream Blicca bjoerkna and common bream Abramis brama can hybridize in nature.The results revealed that non-matings in hybridization experiments of silver bream females × common bream males can be explained by territorial and aggressiveness activities observed in common bream. In common bream females × silver bream males, heterospecific matings were observed but their numbers were significantly lower than the spawning numbers, and in this experiment, a female mated with one to four heterospecific males. In mixing both sexes from both species, similar spawning – mating numbers were observed but heterospecific matings accounted for only 27% of the total matings, with 24% accounting for heterospecific matings between common bream females and silver bream males, directly or by opportunism. Mating success was characterized by the occurrence of fertilized eggs after matings.Natural hybridization occurred preferentially between common bream females and silver bream males.
Global Pharma in the Land of Snows: Tibetan Medicines, SARS, and Identity Politics Across Nations
Authors: Adams Vincanne , Craig Sienna 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis article takes as its starting point the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in 2002–2003 in the People's Republic of China (PRC) to ask pertinent questions about the politics of identity in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and to connect these issues to the circulation of, as well as the social and economic value placed on, Tibetan medicines within China and abroad. We aim to connect the global pharmaceutical industry—including the ways it shapes science, disseminates knowledge, increases market demand, and influences clinical and social practice—to the production of Tibetan identities. We discuss dramatic increases in the production and sale of Tibetan medicinal products, specifically protective amulets, 'precious pills', and incense, during a particularly traumatic and widely publicised public health crisis in the PRC. These products clearly demand that we rethink the category 'medicine'. The popularity of these products during the SARS epidemic also points to the complicated positions of Tibetans and Tibetan cultural forms within contemporary China. What was it about these products that gave rise to the perception among Chinese and Tibetans alike they could 'save' or 'protect' people from contracting SARS. In more general terms, we ask if this exponential growth of the Tibetan medical industry in China—heightened during the SARS epidemic, but continuing apace since then—is allowing for cultural expression that highlights Tibetan uniqueness difference within otherwise contested social and political arenas. Or, is the global pharmaceutical industry in China in the process of encompassing and reformulating Tibetan medicine? Finally, we explore connections and distinctions between the rise in highly marketed Tibetan medicinals in China and their availability and appeal in the West.
Nourishing Life, Cultivation and Material Culture in the Late Ming: Some Thoughts on Zunsheng bajian (Eight Discourses on Respecting Life, 1591)
Authors: Hsiu-fen Chen 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis article sets out to explore the ideas and practices of yangsheng (nourishing life or health preservation) in the late Ming, i.e. late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century China. Yangsheng had long played a key role in the traditions of Chinese medicine, religions and court societies. Initially restricted to certain social classes and milieux, knowledge of yangsheng began to spread much more widely from the Song dynasty (960–1279) onwards, mostly owing to rapid social and economic change. In this context, the theories and practices of yangsheng attracted the attention and curiosity of many scholars. The popularisation of yangsheng peaked in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Numerous literary works, essay collections and household encyclopaedias for everyday use have passages and sections on yangsheng. They describe various ideas and techniques of yangsheng by means of regulating the body in daily life, involving sleeping, exercising, washing, eating, drinking, etc. Through a survey of the most famous late Ming work on yangsheng, Zunsheng bajian (1591), this article attempts to highlight how yangsheng came to dominate the scholarly lifestyle. It will give a clear picture of the ideas of a late Ming literatus on prolonging life and replenishing the body, while showing how these practices were inspired by the flourishing material culture of the late Ming as a whole.
Spatial Variation of the Regional Wind Field with Land–Sea Contrasts and Complex Topography
Authors: Ha Kyung-Ja , Shin Sun-Hee , Mahrt Larry 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis study examines the spatial variation of the wind field observed in the coastal zone of southeast Korea with its complex terrain, using measurements from a regional network 75 km across and centered about Busan. Results are compared with observations from an inland regional network centered around Daegu, Korea, with less dramatic, but still significant, surface heterogeneity. The coherency between stations is examined in terms of the between-station correlations of the wind components for all pairs of stations as a function of separation distance between stations. A mesovelocity scale is defined as a measure of the spatial variability of the wind field within the network. This variability is related to wind speed and cloud cover for the two contrasting regional networks. Additional comparisons are made with a homogenous rural network in Iowa. The results underscore the complexity of flow with topography, urban areas, and land–sea contrasts and demonstrate the inadequacy of existing network strategies.
A Note on Modeling Mixing in Stably Stratified Flows
Authors: Kantha Lakshmi , Carniel Sandro 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
In a recent paper, Canuto et al. made a crucial contribution to modeling mixing in stably stratified flows by discovering that a modification to one of the closure constants can push the critical gradient Richardson number RiCR, beyond which turbulence is extinguished, to infinity. In this note, following their approach, the Kantha model is modified to yield a value of infinity for RiCR. The results are in good agreement with both the Canuto et al. results and the data presented in their paper.
Assessing General Circulation Model Simulations of Atmospheric Teleconnection Patterns
Authors: Stoner Anne Marie K. , Hayhoe Katharine , Wuebbles Donald J. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
The ability of coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) to simulate variability in regional and global atmospheric dynamics is an important aspect of model evaluation. This is particularly true for recurring large-scale patterns known to be correlated with surface climate anomalies. Here, the authors evaluate the ability of all Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) historical Twentieth-Century Climate in Coupled Models (20C3M) AOGCM simulations for which the required output fields are available to simulate three patterns of large-scale atmospheric internal variability in the North Atlantic region: the Arctic Oscillation (AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO); and three in the North Pacific region: the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the Pacific–North American Oscillation (PNA). These patterns are evaluated in two ways: first, in terms of their characteristic temporal variability and second, in terms of their magnitude and spatial locations.
It is found that historical total-forcing simulations from many of the AOGCMs produce seasonal spatial patterns that clearly resemble the teleconnection patterns resulting from identical calculation methods applied to reanalysis and/or observed fields such as the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis, NCEP–NCAR, or Kaplan sea surface temperatures (SSTs), with the exception of the lowest-frequency pattern, AMO, which is only reproduced by a few models. AOGCM simulations also show some significant biases in both spatial and temporal characteristics of the six patterns. Many models tend to either under- or overestimate the strength of the spatial patterns and exhibit rotation about the polar region or east–west displacement. Based on spectral analysis of the time series of each index, models also appear to vary in their ability to simulate the temporal variability of the teleconnection patterns, with some models producing oscillations that are too fast and others that are too slow relative to those observed. A few models produce a signal that is too periodic, most likely because of a failure to adequately simulate the natural chaotic behavior of the atmosphere. These results have implications for the selection and use of specific AOGCMs to simulate climate over the Northern Hemisphere, with some models being clearly more successful at (i.e., displaying less bias in) simulating large-scale, low-frequency patterns of temporal and spatial variability over the North Atlantic and Pacific regions relative to others.
Ocean Frontal Effects on the Vertical Development of Clouds over the Western North Pacific: In Situ and Satellite Observations*
Authors: Tokinaga Hiroki , Tanimoto Youichi , Xie Shang-Ping , Sampe Takeaki , Tomita Hiroyuki , Ichikawa Hiroshi 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
A suite of shipboard and satellite observations are analyzed and synthesized to investigate the three-dimensional structure of clouds and influences from sea surface temperature fronts over the western North Pacific. Sharp transitions are observed across the Kuroshio Extension (KE) front in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and its clouds. The ocean’s influence appears to extend beyond the MABL, with higher cloud tops in altitude along the KE front than the surroundings.
In winter, intense turbulent heat release from the ocean takes place on the southern flank of the KE front, where the cloud top penetrates above the MABL and reaches the midtroposphere. In this band of high cloud tops, frequent lightning activity is observed. The results of this study suggest a sea level pressure mechanism for which the temperature gradient in the MABL induces strong surface wind convergence on the southern flank of the KE front, deepening the clouds there.
In early summer, sea fog frequently occurs on the northern flank of the subtropical KE and subarctic fronts under southerly warm advection that suppresses surface heat flux and stabilizes the surface atmosphere. Sea fog is infrequently observed over the KE front even under southerly conditions, as the warm ocean current weakens atmospheric stratification and promotes vertical mixing. The KE front produces a narrow band of surface wind convergence, helping support a broad band of upward motion at 700 hPa that is associated with the eastward extension of the baiu rainband from Japan in June–July.
Review Article: Experimental Chemical Carcinogenesis in Fish
Authors: Bunton Tracie E. 
Published: April 2009

Tracie Eileen Bunton received a DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1977. After practicing small animal medicine for a year, she completed a combined Comparative Pathology residency/Ph.D. program in 1982 at the University of California at Davis. Her residency training included 3 yr at the California Regional Primate Research Center and, for her thesis, she studied the effects of glucocorticosteroids on lung development in the fetal rhesus macaque. Dr. Bunton spent 1982-1984 as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, becoming a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1983. In 1984 she joined the faculty of the Division of Comparative Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is now an Associate Professor, with adjunct faculty positions in the Department of Pathology and the Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Dr. Bunton's primary research interest is on mechanisms of toxicity and carcinogenesis in fish related to environmental contamination and on the development of alternative models.
Hodgkin lymphoma in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Authors: Clifford Gary M. , Rickenbach Martin , Lise Mauro , Dal Maso Luigino , Battegay Manuel , Bohlius Julia , Boffi El Amari Emmanuelle , Karrer Urs , Jundt Gernot , Bordoni Andrea , Ess Silvia , Franceschi Silvia ,   for the Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Published: April 2009

AbstractHodgkin lymphoma (HL) risk is elevated among persons infected with HIV (PHIV) and has been suggested to have increased in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). Among 14 606 PHIV followed more than 20 years in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS), determinants of HL were investigated using 2 different approaches, namely, a cohort and nested case-control study, estimating hazard ratios (HRs) and matched odds ratios, respectively. Forty-seven incident HL cases occurred during 84 611 person-years of SHCS follow-up. HL risk was significantly higher among men having sex with men (HR vs intravenous drug users = 2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-5.24) but did not vary by calendar period (HR for 2002-2007 vs 1995 or earlier = 0.65, 95% CI, 0.29-1.44) or cART use (HR vs nonusers = 1.02, 95% CI, 0.53-1.94). HL risk tended to increase with declining CD4+ cell counts, but these differences were not significant. A lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio at SHCS enrollment or 1 to 2 years before HL diagnosis, however, was significantly associated with increased HL risk. In conclusion, HL risk does not appear to be increasing in recent years or among PHIV using cART in Switzerland, and there was no evidence that HL risk should be increased in the setting of improved immunity.
Effects of Yearly Zoledronic Acid 5 mg on Bone Turnover Markers and Relation of PINP With Fracture Reduction in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis
Authors: Delmas Pierre D , Munoz Francoise , Black Dennis M , Cosman Felicia , Boonen Steven , Watts Nelson B , Kendler David , Eriksen Erik F , Mesenbrink Peter G , Eastell Richard 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
In patients with osteoporosis treated with antiresorptive agents, reduction in bone turnover explains much of the observed fracture risk reduction. Lower levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs) appear to be associated with a lower risk of fracture in bisphosphonate-treated patients. BTMs were measured in a subset of subjects in the HORIZON Pivotal Fracture Trial. Annual infusions of zoledronic acid 5 mg significantly reduced BTMs: median decrease of 50% for β-C-terminal telopeptides of type 1 collagen (β-CTX), 30% for bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and 56% for procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (PINP). The mean level of BTMs decreased in treated patients but remained within the premenopausal range before the next injection. The percentage of zoledronic acid–treated patients with values below the premenopausal reference range at all time points was 1.7%, 17.8%, and 19% for bone ALP, CTX, and PINP, respectively. The third injection of zoledronic acid resulted in 60% reduction of β-CTX within 9–11 days, followed by a gradual increase, indicating the persistence of osteoclastic bone resorption. The association between changes in BTMs and fracture incidence was assessed in 1132 patients who had PINP measurements at baseline and 1 yr. There was no association between low PINP levels at 1 yr and increased fracture incidence. In summary, (1) annual injections of zoledronic acid reduced BTMs in the premenopausal range, with a significant response persisting after the third infusion; and (2) low levels of PINP were not associated with increased fracture risk.