bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origin and fates of the proepicardium
Authors: Schlueter Jan , Brand Thomas 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe embryonic heart initially consists of only two cell layers, the endocardium and the myocardium. The epicardium, which forms an epithelial layer on the surface of the heart, is derived from a cluster of mesothelial cells developing at the base of the venous inflow tract of the early embryonic heart. This cell cluster is termed the proepicardium and gives rise not only to the epicardium but also to epicardium-derived cells. These cells populate the myocardial wall and differentiate into smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, while the contribution to the vascular endothelial lineage is uncertain. In this review we will discuss the signaling molecules involved in recruiting mesodermal cells to undergo proepicardium formation and guide these cells to the myocardial surface. Marker genes which are suitable to follow these cells during proepicardium formation and cell migration will be introduced. We will address whether the proepicardium consists of a homogenous cell population or whether different cell lineages are present. Finally the role of the epicardium as a source for cardiac stem cells and its importance in cardiac regeneration, in particular in the zebrafish and mouse model systems is discussed.
Verification of Performance Specifications of a Molecular Test: Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Testing Using the Luminex Liquid Bead Array
Authors: Lacbawan Felicitas L , Weck Karen E , Kant Jeffrey A , Feldman Gerald L , Schrijver Iris ,   for the Biological and Molecular Genetic Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists
Published: December 2011

Context.—The number of clinical laboratories introducing various molecular tests to their existing test menu is continuously increasing. Prior to offering a US Food and Drug Administration–approved test, it is necessary that performance characteristics of the test, as claimed by the company, are verified before the assay is implemented in a clinical laboratory.Objective.—To provide an example of the verification of a specific qualitative in vitro diagnostic test: cystic fibrosis carrier testing using the Luminex liquid bead array (Luminex Molecular Diagnostics, Inc, Toronto, Ontario).Design.—The approach used by an individual laboratory for verification of a US Food and Drug Administration–approved assay is described.Results.—Specific verification data are provided to highlight the stepwise verification approach undertaken by a clinical diagnostic laboratory.Conclusions.—Protocols for verification of in vitro diagnostic assays may vary between laboratories. However, all laboratories must verify several specific performance specifications prior to implementation of such assays for clinical use. We provide an example of an approach used for verifying performance of an assay for cystic fibrosis carrier screening.
Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis: Diagnostic Studies and Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Chekol Seble S , Sun Chen-Chin 
Published: December 2011

Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis is an extremely rare tumor representing 0.3% to 5% of all malignant mesotheliomas. Gross examination of testicular mesotheliomas typically reveals tumor nodules studding the thickened tunica vaginalis and, in some cases, infiltrating the testicular parenchyma, leading to diagnostic challenges. Microscopically, the tumor is characterized by epithelioid cells arising from the tunica vaginalis with papillary, tubulopapillary, or solid architectural patterns. The papillae are usually lined by a single layer of cells with relatively bland cytologic features. An epithelial cell phenotype admixed with a sarcomatoid pattern has also been described in a few cases. Immunohistochemically, the tumor is usually positive for calretinin, Wilms tumor-1, epithelial membrane antigen, D2-40, thrombomodulin, cytokeratin 7, and cytokeratin 5/6. Electron microscopic studies reveal epithelial cells joined by tight junctions, forming lumina, and displaying long microvilli with length to width ratios often greater than 10. The most important differential diagnostic considerations include florid mesothelial hyperplasia, adenomatoid tumor, carcinoma of the rete testis, and serous papillary tumors. In addition, the various types of testicular germ cell tumors should be considered, including seminomas, embryonal carcinomas, and intratubular germ cell tumors, particularly in tumors with testicular parenchymal involvement. Pleomorphic sarcomas should also be considered, particularly when dealing with the biphasic variant. The prognosis for this entity is grave, with a median survival of 23 months. Aggressive therapy with radical orchiectomy remains the mainstay of treatment.
Design and Analytical Validation of Clinical DNA Sequencing Assays
Authors: Pont-Kingdon Genevieve , Gedge Friederike , Wooderchak-Donahue Whitney , Schrijver Iris , Weck Karen E , Kant Jeffrey A , Oglesbee Devin , Bayrak-Toydemir Pinar , Lyon Elaine ,   for the Biochemical and Molecular Genetic Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists
Published: December 2011

Context.—DNA sequencing is the method of choice for mutation detection in many genes.Objectives.—To demonstrate the analytical accuracy and reliability of DNA sequencing assays developed in clinical laboratories. Only general guidelines exist for the validation of these tests. We provide examples of assay validation strategies for DNA sequencing tests.Design.—We discuss important design and validation considerations.Results.—The validation examples include an accuracy study to evaluate concordance between results obtained by the newly designed assay and analyzed by another method or laboratory. Precision (reproducibility) studies are performed to determine the robustness of the assay. To assess the quality of sequencing assays, several sequence quality measures are available. In addition, assessing the ability of primers to specifically and robustly amplify target regions before sequencing is important.Conclusion.—Protocols for validation of laboratory-developed sequencing assays may vary between laboratories. An example summary of a validation is provided.
FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Internal Tandem Duplication and the Patterns of Its Gene Sequence in 207 Chinese Patients With De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Zhong Ling , Jia Yong Qian , Meng Wen Tong , Ni Xun 
Published: December 2011

Context.—Constitutive activation of the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) receptor tyrosine kinase by internal tandem duplication (ITD) has been researched in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Objective.—To study the patterns of FLT3-ITD in Chinese patients with AML.
Design.—A total of 207 patients with de novo AML were enrolled in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and polymerase chain reaction was performed. GeneScan was used to analyze the mutant to wild-type ratio. The sequencing of mutated genes was performed to confirm the mutation types and exclude false positives.
Results.—A total of 42 cases (20.3%) were associated with mutations. FLT3-ITD was found equally in AML subtypes M1 to M6. The level of the ITD allele was heterogeneous. GeneScan showed that the mutant to wild-type ratio ranged from 0.03 to 3.78 (median, 0.43). Patients with a high ratio had significantly lower cancer remission rates and shorter survival. They also showed distinct clinical features including higher white blood cell counts and higher CD7 and CD56 expression. The length of the duplicated fragment was 26 to 57 bp (median, 43 bp). Twenty-two cases (52%) had simple tandem duplications, while 20 other cases (48%) had an extra interval of 12 to 30 bp before the tandem duplications. A hexanucleotide consisting of GAAAAG was found exclusively in the intervals. Patients with this GAAAAG interval showed better survival. The ITD to wild-type ratio, gene pattern, and CD7 expression status appear to be independent prognostic indices for patients with AML.
Conclusion.—Detection of FLT3 mutation is fast, easy, and inexpensive. The mutant to wild-type ratio is helpful for performing detailed risk stratification. DNA sequence analysis is more precise for confirming and evaluating the mutation pattern.
Causes and Relevance of Unsatisfactory and Satisfactory but Limited Smears of Liquid-Based Compared With Conventional Cervical Cytology
Authors: Siebers Albertus G , Klinkhamer Paul JJM , Vedder Judith EM , Arbyn Marc , Bulten Johan 
Published: December 2011

Context.—Recent randomized controlled trials have shown a significant decrease in unsatisfactory rates for liquid-based cytology (LBC) compared with conventional Papanicolaou test (CP). The underlying causes and relevance of unsatisfactory results for LBC and CP have never been compared within the setting of a randomized controlled trial.Objective.—To examine differences in causes and relevance of unsatisfactory and satisfactory but limited by (SBLB) results for LBC and CP.Design.—Data from the Netherlands ThinPrep Versus Conventional Cytology (NETHCON) trial were used, involving 89 784 women. Causes and relevance of unsatisfactory and SBLB results were analyzed.Results.—The primary cause for unsatisfactory results for CP and LBC was scant cellularity. Other causes for unsatisfactory CPs were virtually eliminated with LBC. The same was true for SBLB subcategories, with the exception of SBLB absence of transformation zone component and SBLB scant cellularity. The SBLB absence of transformation zone component showed a statistically significant 22% and SBLB scant cellularity a 12% nonsignificant increase with LBC. The detection rates of abnormalities found during 18 months of follow-up of unsatisfactory test results did not differ significantly between the 2 study arms, nor did they differ from the initial test positivity rates from the NETHCON trial.Conclusions.—Liquid-based cytology shows an almost complete elimination of most causes for unsatisfactory CP, with scant cellularity remaining as the sole cause for unsatisfactory LBC. On the other hand, with LBC a significant increase of smears without a transformation zone component was noted. Women with an unsatisfactory test result are not at increased risk for cervical abnormalities either with LBC or with CP.Trial Registration.—Nederlands Trial Register, NTR1032, www.trialregister.nl.
Design and Analytic Validation of BCR-ABL1 Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Monitoring Minimal Residual Disease
Authors: Jennings Lawrence J , Smith Frederick A , Halling Kevin C , Persons Diane L , Kamel-Reid Suzanne ,   for the Molecular Oncology Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists
Published: December 2011

Context.—Monitoring minimal residual disease by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction has proven clinically useful, but as yet there are no Food and Drug Administration–approved tests. Guidelines have been published that provide important information on validation of such tests; however, no practical examples have previously been published.Objective.—To provide an example of the design and validation of a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test.Design.—To describe the approach used by an individual laboratory for development and validation of a laboratory-developed quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test for BCR-ABL1 fusion transcripts.Results.—Elements of design and analytic validation of a laboratory-developed quantitative molecular test are discussed using quantitative detection of BCR-ABL1 fusion transcripts as an example.Conclusions.—Validation of laboratory-developed quantitative molecular tests requires careful planning and execution to adequately address all required analytic performance parameters. How these are addressed depends on the potential for technical errors and confidence required for a given test result. We demonstrate how one laboratory validated and clinically implemented a quantitative BCR-ABL1 assay that can be used for the management of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Cavalry, Hellenistic
Authors: Sekunda Nicholas V. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractIn the reign of Alexander, the striking force of the army was the regiments of Companion and Thessalian cavalry, and later in the reign these were augmented by large numbers of Iranian cavalry. Cavalry continued to be used in large numbers and to decisive effect under the “Successors,” not least in their long‐range, swift‐moving campaigns switching from one continent to another.
Adrianople, battle of
Authors: Lee A. D. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe battle of Adrianople (August 9, 378ce), in which a Roman army suffered a crushing defeat by Gothic forces(seegoths) and the emperor VALENS died, was described by one contemporary as the worst Roman defeat since Cannae (Amm. Marc. 31.13.19; see cannae, battle of). It is usually seen as an important step in the hemorrhaging of Roman power during late antiquity, although there are dangers of oversimplifying its significance.
Dispersion of carbon nanotubes in organic solvents initiated by hydrogen bonding interactions
Authors: Li Lili , Feng Wei , Ji Peijun 
Published: December 2011

AbstractPhase transfer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) from an aqueous phase into an organic phase is achieved. The transfer uses the hydrogen‐bonding interactions between the disaccharide group of a sugar‐based amphiphile and oxygenated functional groups on the surface of MWNTs. The dispersion of carbon nanotubes in a wide range of organic solvents is enabled, which represents the first example of solubilization of carbon nanotubes in organic solvents via hydrogen bonding interactions. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 2997–3002, 2012
Computational and experimental studies of electrohydrodynamic atomization for pharmaceutical particle fabrication
Authors: Rezvanpour Alireza , Lim Eldin Wee Chuan , Wang Chi‐Hwa 
Published: December 2011

AbstractElectrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) is a promising method for the fabrication of micro‐ and nanosized particles with narrow‐size distribution and better morphologies in comparison to conventional methods of particle fabrication. A computational model was developed in this study to simulate the fluid and particle dynamics in an EHDA chamber, and thereby providing a means of predicting particle collection efficiencies at various operating conditions. Experiments were also conducted using a new design of the EHDA chamber. It was found that nitrogen flow rate, solution flow rate and voltage difference between the nozzle and ring can significantly affect the particle collection efficiency of the EHDA process. Electric field and electric potential profiles in the chamber were significantly affected by the combined voltages of the nozzle and ring. In general, a good qualitative agreement in particle collection efficiencies was obtained from experiments and simulations. The computational model developed in this study provided a means of understanding the various processes involved in micro‐ and nano‐sized particle fabrication using the EHDA methodology. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Safety and efficacy of total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide, and cytarabine as a conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Mori Takehiko , Aisa Yoshinobu , Kato Jun , Yamane Akiko , Nakazato Tomonori , Shigematsu Naoyuki , Okamoto Shinichiro 
Published: December 2011

AbstractDisease relapse still greatly interferes with the success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study retrospectively evaluated the long‐term safety and efficacy of a conditioning regimen consisting of total body irradiation (TBI; 12 Gy), cyclophosphamide (CY; 60 mg kg−1, two doses), and high‐dose cytarabine (Ara‐C; 2 g m−2; four doses) for patients with ALL. Fifty‐five patients (median age: 31‐years old) were evaluated. Stem cells were from human leukocyte antigen‐identical siblings in 22 patients and from alternative donors in 33. There were no cases of early death before engraftment, and 100‐day transplant‐related mortality was 7.3%. With a median follow‐up period of 9.6 years, 5‐year overall and disease‐free survival were 63.2% (95% CI: 46.5–79.9%) and 63.6% (95% CI: 47.1–80.1%) in patients with complete remission, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than the values of 27.3% (95% CI: 8.7–46.0%) and 22.7% (95% CI: 5.3–40.1%) for patients in advanced stages (P < 0.01). These results suggest that TBI and CY (TBI‐CY) plus Ara‐C could be a feasible and effective conditioning regimen for adult patients with ALL both in remission and in advanced stages, and a future study to compare this combination therapy with TBI‐CY is required. Am. J. Hematol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preparation of macro reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer copolymers and their application in pigment dispersion
Authors: Zhang Lianbing , Fang Kuanjun , Fu Shaohai , Zhang Xia , Tian Anli 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBy using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) controlled polymerization, we prepared styrene–maleic anhydride copolymers with RAFT end groups. The resulting copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights and molecular weight distributions were determined with gel permeation chromatography. The dispersing ability of the hydrolyzed macro reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (macro‐RAFT) copolymers was evaluated. An organic phthalocyanine blue pigment (P.B.15 : 3) was dispersed with the macro‐RAFT copolymers by vigorous stirring and ultrasonic processing. The properties (particle size and polydispersity index) of the pigment dispersions were measured. The results show that with prolonged ultrasonication time, the particle size and polydispersity index decreased first and increased slightly later. There were no remarkable differences in the particle size and particle size distribution between the macro‐RAFT copolymer and poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) dispersed pigment dispersions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Melt index prediction by adaptively aggregated RBF neural networks trained with novel ACO algorithm
Authors: Li Jiubao , Liu Xinggao , Jiang Huaqin , Xiao Yundu 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThree estimation models of polypropylene (PP) process to infer the melt index, an important quality indicator determining product specification, are presented. Radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN) is used to develop the models because of its capacity of fitting the complex relationship in PP process. A novel ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm is also proposed and used to solve the optimization problem of the continuous linking weights when training the RBF NN. Based on the RBF NN and the novel ACO algorithm, a single NN model is developed. However, a single network cannot always work well due to some defects (such as overfitting) of a NN. Thus, as an improvement of the single NN model, several RBF NN trained with a certain objective are combined, and the aggregated NN model is obtained. To make the aggregated NN more robust and effective, an adaptive method of assigning the combinational weight to every individual network is applied to the former aggregated NN model and finally an adaptive aggregated NN model is achieved. Further researches of the three models are carried out on the data from a real industrial plant, and the prediction result shows that the performance of the obtained prediction models is better and better with every improvement step taken as above. The adaptive aggregated NN model works best, and the satisfying prediction error it provides depicts its prediction accuracy and universality, as well as an application prospect in PP process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Properties and structures of polylactide filled with poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐coated calcium carbonate
Authors: Zhang Yu , Meng Bing , Chen Long , Tao Jian , Wu Zhihua 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)‐coated microsized calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was prepared by high‐speed hybrid mechanical coating. Polylactide (PLA) was melt‐blended with neat and modified CaCO3 particles. Phase morphology, microstructure, and thermal dynamic rheological and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry reveals that the addition of coated CaCO3 remarkably makes the cold crystallization temperature decrease but has little influence on the final degree of crystallinity of PLA. Dynamic rheological tests indicate that complex viscosity and loss modulus of modified CaCO3 system are lower than those of neat CaCO3 system. Scanning electron microscopic results show that the coated CaCO3 microparticles disperse more uniformly in the PLA matrix compared with neat particles. The smooth and round coated particles promote the dispersion of CaCO3 particles in the PLA matrix, and PCL enhances the interfacial adhesion between CaCO3 particles and the PLA matrix. From mechanical tests, it is found that toughness of the composites is greatly improved by the incorporation of PCL‐coated CaCO3 microparticles. It is glad to see that the elongation at break of the composite with 15 phr coated CaCO3 is as high as 310%. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Dynamic mechanical analysis of recycled polystyrene composites reinforced with wood flour
Authors: Poletto Matheus , Zeni Mara , Zattera Ademir J. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe dynamic mechanical properties of wood flour (WF) reinforced recycled expanded polystyrene (r‐EPS) composites were investigated as a function of the WF content and coupling agent used. With the incorporation of WF into the polystyrene the storage modulus (E′) and loss modulus (E″) were found to increase and the mechanical damping (tan δ) decreased. The use of coupling agents improved the storage modulus and reduced the damping peak values of the composites because of the improved WF/matrix interfacial adhesion. The height of the damping peaks was found to be dependent on the content of maleic anhydride groups and the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the coupling agent used. Finally, the experimental results were compared with the theoretical predictions for tan δ and the storage modulus. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Preparation and characterization of organic/inorganic hybrid epoxy networks from reactive inorganic precursors
Authors: Beneš Hynek , Galy Jocelyne , Gérard Jean‐François , Pleštil Josef , Valette Ludovic 
Published: December 2011

AbstractOrganic/inorganic hybrid networks were prepared by a novel solvent‐free two‐step synthesis method. In the first step, prehydrolyzed–condensed reactive inorganic precursors (clusters) were prepared by a sol–gel process from monomeric alkoxysilanes with amino and glycido groups. The second step comprised their addition into epoxy resin and amine hardener, followed by the reaction of all components giving the final hybrid crosslinked materials. Their structure was evaluated by small‐angle X‐ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis. The morphology of the organic/inorganic hybrid structures formed from glycidoprecursor revealed spherical silica‐rich domains forming agglomerates with diameter from 100 to 500 nm. The aminoprecursor led to large highly condensed and branched silicon‐rich structures. The organic/inorganic hybrid networks obtained from this precursor consisted of mixed silicon–organic phases covalently interconnected via epoxy–amine bonds. Such hybrid networks showed significantly improved thermomechanical properties and better resistance against thermooxidation when compared with the neat epoxy–amine network. Thin films as well as bulk materials were successfully prepared by this process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012