bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decreased expression of zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma associates with poor prognosis
Authors: Huang Yan , Li Lin-Zi , Zhang Chris Zhi-Yi , Yi Chun , Liu Li-Li , Zhou Xuan , Xie Guo-Bing , Cai Mu-Yan , Li Yan , Yun Jing-Ping 
Published: June 2012

Abstract

Background
Zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein (AZGP1, ZAG) was recently demonstrated to be an important factor in tumor carcinogenesis. However, AZGP1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its significance remain largely unknown.

Methods
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to determine mRNA level of AZGP1 in 20 paired fresh HCC tissues. Clinical and pathological data of 246 HCC patients were collected. Tissue-microarray-based immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to examine AZGP1 expression in HCC samples. Relationship between AZGP1 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results
AZGP1 expression was significantly lower in 80.0% (16/20) of tumorous tissues than that in the corresponding adjacent nontumorous liver tissues (P < 0.001). Consistently, IHC data revealed that decreased expression of AZGP1 was present in 80.1% (197/246) of HCC patient tissues (P < 0.001). Furthermore, AZGP1 expression in HCC significantly associated with several clinicopathological parameters, including serum AFP level (P = 0.013), liver cirrhosis (P = 0.002) and tumor differentiation (P = 0.025). Moreover, HCC patients with high AZGP1 expression survived longer, with better overall survival (P = 0.006) and disease-free survival (P = 0.025). In addition, low AZGP1 expression associated with worse relapse-free survival (P = 0.046) and distant metastatic progression-free survival (P = 0.036).

Conclusion
AZGP1 was downregulated in HCC and could be served as a promising prognostic marker for HCC patients.
How type I interferons shape myeloid cell function in CNS autoimmunity
Authors: Brendecke Stefanie M , Prinz Marco 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Review of the distinct spatial and cell-type specific type I interferon effects on myeloid cells in innate and adaptive immune responses during autoimmune CNS inflammation.
The precise mechanisms underlying the effects of IFN-I in CNS autoimmunity remain poorly understood despite the long-standing use of these cytokines as first-line disease-modifying drugs in the treatment of RRMS, a chronic demyelinating CNS autoimmune disease. Systemic use of IFN-I results in pleiotropic immunomodulation linking the innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent research has demonstrated that in the setting of CNS autoimmunity, IFNs-I have multiple effects on myeloid cell subsets, such as circulating monocytes, granulocytes, DCs, and tissue macrophages, such as microglia. These diverse effects include changes in cell activation, maturation, antigen presentation, and cytokine production, thus influencing T cell differentiation and expansion, as well as the regulation of executive functions, such as apoptosis and phagocytosis. Moreover, current data suggest that the engagement of the IFNAR on myeloid cells changes the activation status of the inflammasome in a cell type-specific manner. Whereas most reports support primarily immune-suppressive effects of IFN-I on myeloid cells, endogenously produced, exogenously induced, and peripherally administered IFNs-I exert complex differential spatial effects during CNS autoimmune inflammation. Clearly characterizing the molecular and cellular basis of these effects promises to yield viable targets for a more directed, localized, cell type-specific IFN-I-based therapeutic approach. This kind of approach would allow for replacing the current treatment strategy in MS of broadly and unselectively altering all immune responses, regardless of their beneficial or detrimental nature.
Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine/Cisplatin Plus Bevacizumab or Placebo in Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma
Authors: Kindler Hedy L. , Karrison Theodore G. , Gandara David R. , Lu Charles , Krug Lee M. , Stevenson James P. , Jänne Pasi A. , Quinn David I. , Koczywas Marianna N. , Brahmer Julie R. , Albain Kathy S. , Taber David A. , Armato Samuel G. , Vogelzang Nicholas J. , Chen Helen X. , Stadler Walter M. , Vokes Everett E. 
Published: June 2012

PurposeGemcitabine plus cisplatin is active in malignant mesothelioma (MM), although single-arm phase II trials have reported variable outcomes. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors have activity against MM in preclinical models. We added the anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab to gemcitabine/cisplatin in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized phase II trial in patients with previously untreated, unresectable MM.Patients and MethodsEligible patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 1 and no thrombosis, bleeding, or major blood vessel invasion. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Patients were stratified by ECOG performance status (0 v 1) and histologic subtype (epithelial v other). Patients received gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2on days 1 and 8 every 21 days, cisplatin 75 mg/m2every 21 days, and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg or placebo every 21 days for six cycles, and then bevacizumab or placebo every 21 days until progression.ResultsOne hundred fifteen patients were enrolled at 11 sites; 108 patients were evaluable. Median PFS time was 6.9 months for the bevacizumab arm and 6.0 months for the placebo arm (P = .88). Median overall survival (OS) times were 15.6 and 14.7 months in the bevacizumab and placebo arms, respectively (P = .91). Partial response rates were similar (24.5% for bevacizumab v 21.8% for placebo; P = .74). A higher pretreatment plasma VEGF concentration (n = 56) was associated with shorter PFS (P = .02) and OS (P = .0066), independent of treatment arm. There were no statistically significant differences in toxicity of grade 3 or greater.ConclusionThe addition of bevacizumab to gemcitabine/cisplatin in this trial did not significantly improve PFS or OS in patients with advanced MM.
3D reconstruction and analysis of wing deformation in free-flying dragonflies
Authors: Koehler Christopher , Liang Zongxian , Gaston Zachary , Wan Hui , Dong Haibo 
Published: June 2012

SummaryInsect wings demonstrate elaborate three-dimensional deformations and kinematics. These deformations are key to understanding many aspects of insect flight including aerodynamics, structural dynamics and control. In this paper, we propose a template-based subdivision surface reconstruction method that is capable of reconstructing the wing deformations and kinematics of free-flying insects based on the output of a high-speed camera system. The reconstruction method makes no rigid wing assumptions and allows for an arbitrary arrangement of marker points on the interior and edges of each wing. The resulting wing surfaces are projected back into image space and compared with expert segmentations to validate reconstruction accuracy. A least squares plane is then proposed as a universal reference to aid in making repeatable measurements of the reconstructed wing deformations. Using an Eastern Pondhawk, Erythimus simplicicollis dragonfly as a demonstration, we quantify and visualize the wing twist and camber in both the chord-wise and span-wise directions, and discuss the implications of the results. In particular, a detailed analysis of the subtle deformation in the dragonfly's right hindwing suggests that the muscles near the wing root could be used to induce chord-wise camber in the portion of the wing nearest the specimen's body. We conclude by proposing a novel technique for modeling wing corrugation in the reconstructed flapping wings. In this method, displacement mapping is used to combine wing surface details measured from static wings with the reconstructed flapping wings, while not requiring any additional information be tracked in the high speed camera output.
Glucosensing capacity in liver of rainbow trout displays day-night variations possibly related to melatonin action
Authors: Conde-Sieira Marta , López-Patiño Marcos A , Míguez Jesús M , Soengas José L. 
Published: June 2012

Summary
To assess whether glucosensing capacity in peripheral (liver and Brockmann bodies) and central (hypothalamus and hindbrain) locations of rainbow trout displays day-night variations in its response to changes in circulating glucose levels, we evaluated the response of parameters related to glucosensing (glucose, glycogen and glucose 6-phosphate levels, activities of GK, GSase and PK, and mRNA abundance of GK, GLUT2, Kir6.x-like, and SUR-like) in fish subjected to hyperglycemic treatment under night or day conditions. No day-night significant variations were noticed in the glucosensing capacity of hypothalamus, hindbrain and Brockmann bodies. In contrast, a clear differential response was noticed in liver where glucose levels, GK activity (and mRNA levels) or GSase activity displayed increased values during the day in hyperglycemic fish compared with controls that were lower (GK mRNA levels) or inexistent (glucose, GK and GSase activities, and Kir6.x-like mRNA levels) during the night. A similar decrease in parameters related to glucosensing in liver was observed when fish under day conditions were treated with melatonin allowing us to suggest a role for melatonin in synchronizing daily changes in glucosensing response in the same tissue
Differential physiological responses of the German cockroach to social interactions during the ovarian cycle
Authors: Uzsák Adrienn , Schal Coby 
Published: June 2012

Summary
In many animal species social interactions can influence the morphology, physiology, and behavior of individuals, including their rate of development and reproduction. Reproduction in cockroaches is regulated by juvenile hormone III (JH) and social interactions have been shown to accelerate female reproduction in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus), by stimulating JH production. However, it is not clear in this or any other insect species whether social facilitation of the reproductive rate occurs throughout the ovarian cycle or only at certain stages. We compared the effects of social interactions during the pre-oviposition period when JH production is high and during gestation when little JH is produced, as well as during the first ovarian cycle when females are virgin and the second ovarian cycle after females had mated. Social interaction with one conspecific female was sufficient to accelerate JH production and oocyte maturation, but this effect was reversed by crowding. Social interactions also accelerated the onset of sexual receptivity in virgin females. However, social interactions failed to shorten gestation, suggesting that social cues stimulate JH production only when the corpora allata (CA) are active and not when CA activity is suppressed by the central nervous system. Females were most responsive to transient social isolation and transient social interactions when 2-3 days-old, suggesting that they are particularly sensitive to social interactions when their CA become active. Overall, these results show that all JH-dependent events in the reproductive cycle of B. germanica females are under the strong influence of social interactions.
Shape and material characteristics of the trachea in the leatherback sea turtle promote progressive collapse and reinflation during dives
Authors: Murphy Colm , Kelliher Denis , Davenport John 
Published: June 2012

SummaryThe leatherback turtle regularly undertakes deep dives and has been recorded attaining depths in excess of 1,200 m. Its trachea is an almost solid, elliptical-section tube of uncalcified hyaline cartilage with minimal connective tissue between successive rings. The structure appears to be advantageous for diving and perfectly designed for withstanding repeated collapse and reinflation. This study applies Boyle's law to the respiratory system (lungs, trachea and larynx) and estimates the changes in tracheal volume during a dive. These changes are subsequently compared with the results predicted by a corresponding finite element (FE) structural model, itself based on laboratory studies of the trachea of an adult turtle. Boyle's law predicts that the trachea will collapse progressively with greater volume change occurring in the early stages. The FE model reproduces the changes extremely well (agreeing closely with Boyle's law estimations) and provides visual representation of the deformed tracheal luminal area. Initially, the trachea compresses both ventrally and dorsally before levelling ventrally. Bulges are subsequently formed laterally and become more pronounced at deeper depths. The geometric configuration of the tracheal structure confers both homogeneity and strength upon it, which makes it extremely suited for enduring repeated collapse and re-expansion. The structure actually promotes collapse and is an adaptation to the turtle's natural environment in which large numbers of deep dives are performed annually.
Analysis of fibre deformation processes in high-consistency refining based on Raman microscopy and X-ray diffraction
Authors: Hamad Wadood Y. , Gurnagul Norayr , Gulati Deepaksh 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Raman microscopy has been used for the first time to predict the degree of micro-compressions in pulp fibres by monitoring the shift of the 1095 cm-1 Raman sensitive band under external loading. Strain sensitivity – the rate of change of Raman shift with respect to applied strain – provided a quantifiable measure of the degree of micro-compressions in pulp fibres. A methodology was developed to relate structure-property-process relations in high consistency refining (HCR) under atmospheric and pressurised conditions (AHRC and PHCR, respectively) based on powder X-ray diffraction and Raman microscopy. The state of stress and interfibrillar deformation of the cellulosic microfibrils within the cell wall were examined rigorously. PHCR pulps have a propensity for larger crystallite size, as well as larger portions of crystalline and paracrystalline components, thereby resulting in a more stressed microfibrillar arrangement mesoscopically. The higher density of cellulose chain packing and stressing renders the microfibrils more resistant to applied strain (yielding lower strain sensitivity through the Raman measurement). At the macroscopic level, the changes in the nano- and microscale are translated into a higher degree of micro-compression, or larger concertina-like, large-scale deformations; this can be observed as a more elastic-plastic macroscopic behaviour. Examination of the resistance of fibre curl and/or kinks in PHCR pulps against applied stress, supported the hypothesis that PHCR induces more micro-compressions. This macroscopic change in PHCR pulp fibres is also manifest in better properties of hand-sheets, such as stretch and tensile energy absorption.
Routing and photodetection in subwavelength plasmonic slot waveguides
Authors: Ly-Gagnon Dany-Sebastien , Balram Krishna C. , White Justin S. , Wahl Pierre , Brongersma Mark L. , Miller David A.B. 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
The ability to manipulate light at deeply sub-wavelength scales opens a broad range of research possibilities and practical applications. In this paper, we go beyond recent demonstrations of active photonic devices coupled to planar plasmonic waveguides and demonstrate a photodetector linked to a two conductor metallic slot waveguide that supports a mode with a minute cross-sectional area of ∼λ2/100. We demonstrate propagation lengths of ∼10λ (at 850 nm), routing around 90° bends and integrated detection with a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector. We show polarization selective excitation of the slot mode and measure its propagation characteristics by studying the Fabry-Perot oscillations in the photocurrent spectra from the waveguide-coupled detector. Our results demonstrate the practicality of transferring one of the most successful microwave and RF waveguide technologies to the optical domain, opening up many opportunities in areas such as biosensing, information storage and communication.
Optical tuning and ultrafast dynamics of high-temperature superconducting terahertz metamaterials
Authors: Singh Ranjan , Xiong Jie , Azad Abul K. , Yang Hao , Trugman Stuart A. , Jia Q. X. , Taylor Antoinette J. , Chen Hou-Tong 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Through the integration of semiconductors or complex oxides into metal resonators, tunable metamaterials have been achieved by a change of environment using an external stimulus. Metals provide high conductivity to realize a strong resonant response in metamaterials; however, they contribute very little to the tunability. The complex conductivity in high-temperature superconducting films is highly sensitive to external perturbations, which provides new opportunities in achieving tunable metamaterials resulting directly from the resonant elements. Additionally, superconducting metamaterials are expected to enable strong nonlinear response and quantum effects, particularly when Josephson junctions are integrated into the metamaterial resonant elements. Here we demonstrate ultrafast dynamical tuning of resonance in the terahertz (THz) frequency range in YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) split-ring resonator (SRR) arrays excited by near infrared femtosecond laser pulses. The photoexcitation breaks the superconducting Cooper pairs to create quasiparticles. This dramatically modifies the imaginary part of the complex conductivity and consequently the metamaterial resonance on an ultrafast timescale, although the real conductivity does not change significantly. We observed resonance switching accompanied by substantial frequency tuning as a function of photoexcitation fluence, which also strongly depends on the nanoscale thickness of the superconducting films. All of our experimental results agree with calculations using an analytical model, which takes into account the contributions of the complex conductivity of the YBCO films to SRR resistance and kinetic inductance. The theoretical calculations reveal that the increasing SRR resistance upon increasing photoexcitation fluence is responsible for the reduction of resonance strength, and changes in both the resistance and kinetic inductance cause the resonance frequency shifts.
Neutrality Tests for Sequences with Missing Data
Authors: Ferretti Luca , Raineri Emanuele , Ramos-Onsins Sebastian 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Missing data are common in DNA sequences obtained through high-throughput sequencing. Furthermore, samples of low quality or problems in the experimental protocol often cause a loss of data even with traditional sequencing technologies. Here we propose modified estimators of variability and neutrality tests that can be naturally applied to sequences with missing data, without the need to remove bases or individuals from the analysis. Modified statistics include the Watterson estimator θW, Tajima’s D, Fay and Wu’s H, and HKA. We develop a general framework to take missing data into account in frequency spectrum-based neutrality tests and we derive the exact expression for the variance of these statistics under the neutral model. The neutrality tests proposed here can also be used as summary statistics to describe the information contained in other classes of data like DNA microarrays.
Dynamic Mutation–Selection Balance as an Evolutionary Attractor
Authors: Goyal Sidhartha , Balick Daniel J , Jerison Elizabeth R , Neher Richard A , Shraiman Boris I , Desai Michael M 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
The vast majority of mutations are deleterious and are eliminated by purifying selection. Yet in finite asexual populations, purifying selection cannot completely prevent the accumulation of deleterious mutations due to Muller’s ratchet: once lost by stochastic drift, the most-fit class of genotypes is lost forever. If deleterious mutations are weakly selected, Muller’s ratchet can lead to a rapid degradation of population fitness. Evidently, the long-term stability of an asexual population requires an influx of beneficial mutations that continuously compensate for the accumulation of the weakly deleterious ones. Hence any stable evolutionary state of a population in a static environment must involve a dynamic mutation–selection balance, where accumulation of deleterious mutations is on average offset by the influx of beneficial mutations. We argue that such a state can exist for any population size N and mutation rate U and calculate the fraction of beneficial mutations, ε, that maintains the balanced state. We find that a surprisingly low ε suffices to achieve stability, even in small populations in the face of high mutation rates and weak selection, maintaining a well-adapted population in spite of Muller’s ratchet. This may explain the maintenance of mitochondria and other asexual genomes.
Baby-Friendly Hospital Practices and Meeting Exclusive Breastfeeding Intention
Authors: Perrine Cria G. , Scanlon Kelley S. , Li Ruowei , Odom Erika , Grummer-Strawn Laurence M. 
Published: June 2012

OBJECTIVE:
To describe mothers’ exclusive breastfeeding intentions and whether Baby-Friendly hospital practices are associated with achieving these intentions.

METHODS:
In the 2005–2007 Infant Feeding Practices Study II, women completed a prenatal questionnaire and approximately monthly questionnaires through 12 months. Mothers met their prenatal exclusive breastfeeding intention if their duration after the hospital stay (excluding hospital supplementation) equaled or exceeded their intention. Primary predictor variables included 6 Baby-Friendly hospital practices: breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, giving only breast milk, rooming in, breastfeeding on demand, no pacifiers, and information on breastfeeding support.

RESULTS:
Among women who prenatally intended to exclusively breastfeed (n = 1457), more than 85% intended to do so for 3 months or more; however, only 32.4% of mothers achieved their intended exclusive breastfeeding duration. Mothers who were married and multiparous were more likely to achieve their exclusive breastfeeding intention, whereas mothers who were obese, smoked, or had longer intended exclusive breastfeeding duration were less likely to meet their intention. Beginning breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth and not being given supplemental feedings or pacifiers were associated with achieving exclusive breastfeeding intention. After adjustment for all other hospital practices, only not receiving supplemental feedings remained significant (adjusted odds ratio = 2.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.8, 3.1).

CONCLUSIONS:
Two-thirds of mothers who intend to exclusively breastfeed are not meeting their intended duration. Increased Baby-Friendly hospital practices, particularly giving only breast milk in the hospital, may help more mothers achieve their exclusive breastfeeding intentions.