bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sizing the lung of mechanically ventilated patients
Authors: Mattingley Jennifer S , Holets Steven R , Oeckler Richard A , Stroetz Randolph W , Buck Curtis F , Hubmayr Rolf D 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Introduction
This small observational study was motivated by our belief that scaling the tidal volume in mechanically ventilated patients to the size of the injured lung is safer and more 'physiologic' than scaling it to predicted body weight, i.e. its size before it was injured. We defined Total Lung Capacity (TLC) as the thoracic gas volume at an airway pressure of 40 cm H2O and tested if TLC could be inferred from the volume of gas that enters the lungs during a brief 'recruitment' maneuver.

Methods
Lung volume at relaxed end expiration (Vrel) as well as inspiratory capacity (IC), defined as the volume of gas that enters the lung during a 5 second inflation to 40 cm H2O, were measured in 14 patients with respiratory failure. TLC was defined as the sum of IC and Vrel. The dependence of IC and Vrel on body mass index (BMI), respiratory system elastance and plateau airway pressure was assessed.

Results
TLC was reduced to 59 ± 23% of that predicted. Vrel/TLC, which averaged 0.45 ± 0.11, was no different than the 0.47 ± 0.04 predicted during health in the supine posture. The greater than expected variability in observed Vrel/TLC was largely accounted for by BMI. Vrel and IC were correlated (r = 0.76). Taking BMI into account strengthened the correlation (r = 0.92).

Conclusions
We conclude that body mass is a powerful determinant of lung volume and plateau airway pressure. Effective lung size can be easily estimated from a recruitment maneuver derived inspiratory capacity measurement and body mass index.
Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials Reporting in the Treatment of Sarcomas
Authors: Toulmonde Maud , Bellera Carine , Mathoulin-Pelissier Simone , Debled Marc , Bui Binh , Italiano Antoine 
Published: February 2011

Purpose Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represent the best evidence in oncology practice. The aim of this study was to assess the reporting quality of sarcoma RCTs and to identify significant predictors of quality. Patients and Methods Two investigators searched MEDLINE for pediatric and adult bone and soft tissue sarcoma RCTs published between January 1988 and December 2008. The quality of each report was assessed by using a 15-point overall reporting quality score based on 15 items from the revised Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement (overall quality score [OQS] range, 0 to 15 points). Concealment of allocation, appropriate blinding, and analysis according to intention-to-treat principle were assessed separately because of their crucial methodologic importance by using a 3-point key methodologic index score (MIS; range, 0 to 3). Results We retrieved 72 relevant RCTs that included 16,029 patients. The median OQS was 9.5. Allocation concealment, blinding, and analysis by intent to treat were reported only in 21 (29%), nine (12.5%), and 23 (32%) of the 72 RCTs, respectively. The median MIS was 1 with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 2. On multivariate analysis, publication after 1996 and high impact factor remained independent and significant predictors of improved OQS. The sole variable associated with improved MIS was the publication of chemotherapy-only trials. Conclusion Although the overall quality of sarcoma RCTs reporting has improved over time, reporting of key methodologic issues remains poor. This may lead to biased interpretation of sarcoma trial results.
Use of Bisphosphonates and Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Rennert Gad , Pinchev Mila , Rennert Hedy S. , Gruber Stephen B. 
Published: February 2011

Purpose Bisphosphonates are commonly used for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone metastases caused by breast cancer and were recently reported to be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, possibly acting through the mevalonate pathway, but their association with risk of other cancers is unknown. Patients and Methods The Molecular Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer study is a population-based, case-control study in northern Israel of patients with colorectal cancer and age-, sex-, clinic-, and ethnic group–matched controls. Long-term use of bisphosphonates before diagnosis was assessed in a subset of 933 pairs of postmenopausal female patients and controls, enrolled in Clalit Health Services, using computerized pharmacy records. Results The use of bisphosphonates for more than 1 year before diagnosis, but not for less than 1 year, was associated with a significantly reduced relative risk (RR) of colorectal cancer (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.71). This association remained statistically significant after adjustment in a model for vegetable consumption, sports activity, family history of colorectal cancer, body mass index, and use of low-dose aspirin, statins, vitamin D, and postmenopausal hormones (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.67). Concomitant use of bisphosphonates and statins did not further reduce the risk. Conclusion The use of oral bisphosphonates for more than 1 year was associated with a 59% relative reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, similar to the recently reported association of this drug class with reduction in breast cancer risk.
Inverse dynamics compensation via ‘simulation of feedback control systems'
Authors: Tagawa Y , Tu J-Y , Stoten D P 
Published: February 2011

In many applications within the fields of science, engineering, mathematics, and socio-economics, the ‘inverse problem' (i.e. the problem of determining a system's input from its output) is commonplace. The current paper presents a new concept for solving the inverse problem, which the authors call inverse dynamics compensation via ‘simulation of feedback control systems' (IDCS). IDCS is a numerical method that obtains an approximate inverse dynamic solution via a feedback control simulation, using only the forward dynamic model of the linear or non-linear system. Simulations are ideal environments for feedback control, in the sense that they can be completely noise-free and precisely known, so that the IDCS method can be tuned for the best possible performance. It is seen that IDCS can use the advantages of such ideal control simulation performance in the real world of physical implementations. This paper first introduces the basic idea of IDCS. Then, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated via three illustrative examples, in which the systems to be controlled have continuous and discontinuous non-linearities. IDCS performance is also investigated via physical experimentation on a non-linear servohydraulic test rig. Finally, extensions of the basic IDCS formulation are introduced which are potentially useful for the solution of additional practical problems.
“I Think You Think I Think You're Lying”: The Interactive Epistemology of Trust in Social Networks
Authors: Moldoveanu Mihnea C. , Baum Joel A. C. 
Published: February 2011

We investigate the epistemology of trust in social networks. We posit trust as a special epistemic state that depends on actors' beliefs about each others' beliefs as well as about states of the world. It offers new ideas and tools for representing the core elements of trust both within dyads and larger groups and presents an approach that makes trust measurable in a noncircular and predictive, rather than merely postdictive, fashion. After advancing arguments for the importance of interactive belief systems to the successful coordination of behavior, we tune our investigation of trust by focusing on beliefs that are important to mobilization and coordination and show how trust functions to influence social capital arising from network structure. We present empirical evidence corroborating the importance of higher-order beliefs to understanding trust and the interactive analysis of trust to the likelihood of successful coordination. This paper was accepted by Jesper Sørensen, organizations and social networks.
Evaluation of the accuracy of serum human epididymis protein 4 in combination with CA125 for detecting ovarian cancer: a prospective case-control study in a Korean population
Authors: Kim Yong Man , Whang Dong Hee , Park Joonseok , Kim Sung Hoon , Lee Shin Wha , Park Hyun Ah , Ha Mina , Choi Kyung-Hwa 
Published: February 2011

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the serum concentrations of CA125 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in patients with ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers for differentiating between patients with benign gynecological disease and those with ovarian cancer, when used alone and in combination in a Korean population.

Methods: We consecutively recruited 159 women with an adnexal mass, including 78 women with ovarian cancer. A total of 224 healthy women served as controls. The serum concentrations of HE4 and CA125 were analyzed using immunochemiluminescence assays. The concentrations of the markers were compared among the different subgroups, and the diagnostic accuracy of each marker and the combination of the two markers was assessed by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In addition, the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA) was utilized to categorize patients into low- and high-risk groups for epithelial ovarian cancer.

Results: Serum HE4 and CA125 concentrations were significantly higher in the ovarian cancer patients compared with those seen in patients with benign disease or in the healthy controls (p<0.0001 in both). In patients with an adnexal mass, the area under the ROC curve was higher when the combination of the markers was used compared with use of CA125 only. Using ROMA, patients could be successfully classified into high- and low-risk group, with 87.5% sensitivity at a specificity of 93.8%.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that measuring serum HE4 concentrations along with CA125 concentrations may provide higher accuracy for detecting ovarian cancer.
Quantification of HER2 autoantibodies in the amplification phenomenon of HER2 in breast cancer
Authors: Lauterlein Jens-Jacob L. , Petersen Eva R.B. , Olsen Dorte Aa. , Østergaard Birthe , Brandslund Ivan 
Published: February 2011

AbstractBackground:Gene amplification ofHER2(human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is a well-known phenomenon in various cancers. However, little is known about the mechanism of the gene amplification phenomenon itself. Autoantibodies to cellular receptors have been described in several cancer types. We hypothesised that autoantibodies against HER2 might have a stimulatory capacity and could be the cause of theHER2gene amplification phenomenon. To investigate this, we developed a test for the detection of autoantibodies against HER2 in serum (S-HER2Ab).Methods:Blood and tissue samples were collected from 311 women consecutively admitted for surgical treatment of primary breast cancer. Paraffin embedded tissue sections were analysed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). HER2 protein concentrations in tissue were determined in 115 patients. Circulating extracellular domain of HER2 (S-HER2) was measured using the Advia Centaur (Siemens AG, Munich, Germany). Analysis for autoantibodies was developed on an ImmunoCAP 100 (Phadia AB, Uppsala, Sweden) with an automated Fluorescent Enzyme Immuno Assay.Results:Of 311 women, 55 (17.7%) had HER2Ab and 51 (16.4%) showed amplification of theHER2gene determined by IHC/FISH. Eleven women had detectable S-HER2Ab as well asHER2gene amplification, but no statistically significant correlation was found between the two phenomena. A significantly higher level of S-HER2Ab was found both inHER2gene-amplified and non-amplified breast cancer patients compared to an age-matched healthy control group. No statistically significant difference in presence or concentration of S-HER2Ab was found inHER2gene-amplified vs. non-amplified breast cancer.Conclusions:S-HER2Ab can be measured accurately with the ImmunoCAP 100. There is an increased prevalence and concentration of S-HER2Ab in breast cancer patients but no correlation withHER2gene amplification. We conclude that autoantibodies against HER2 do not seem to be the cause ofHER2gene amplification.
Habitat use and abundance of the woolly hare Lepus oiostolus in the Lhasa mountains, Tibet
Authors: Lu Xin 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Habitat use, abundance and population dynamics of the woolly hare (Lepus oiostolus) were investigated in an alpine shrub-covering valley near Lhasa, Tibet. Counts of fecal pellets indicated that habitats outside the valley with heavily degraded shrub vegetation supported a small hare population, compared with habitats inside the valleys where vegetation was undisturbed, agricultural and hunting were lacking, and predators and herbivore competitors rare. Three types of shrub habitats with intermediate cover levels along with alpine meadow inside the valley were equally preferred by the hares, whereas willow-rhododendron, with the densest cover, was avoided. Transect surveys showed that the hare population density in the preferred habitats was 13 ind./km2 in spring and 27 ind./km2 in autumn. Out of seven years observations from 1995 to 2004, massive spring mortality of hares occurred only in 2000, leading to a marked population decline that year.
Impact of Soil Magnetic Properties on Moisture Content Prediction Using TDR
Authors: Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen O. , Marwan Suzan S. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractIt is generally assumed that soil relative magnetic permeability is one for the prediction of soil moisture content using time domain reflectrometry (TDR) technique. However, the presence of iron and iron-bearing minerals may result in significant losses due to ferromagnetic relaxation processes. As the magnetic permeability is a multiplier in the electromagnetic wave propagation equation, ignoring it can result in significant errors of estimating travel time, propagation velocity, and dielectric permittivity of the soil medium. Attributing the velocity, attenuation, and frequency dependence to electrical properties alone will also result in incorrect estimation of soil moisture content when magnetic properties are different from free space. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the extent of soil magnetic properties variations. The results are discussed in view of their impact on the prediction of soil moisture. The results demonstrated that ignoring soil magnetic effect due to iron and iron-bearing minerals causes significant errors in calculating wave propagation parameters. Calculated errors are 21.88, 3.38, 3.16, and 3.42 % for propagation constant, wave velocity, wavelength, and intrinsic impedance, respectively. This in turn highlights the importance of including the magnetic effect of the soil in the wave propagation calculations applied in the TDR data analysis methodologies. In addition, the calculated apparent dielectric constant is less than the actual one by 7.172 % leading to reduction in the predicted moisture content by about 3.64 % in soils using TDR techniques. However, since soil moisture content is a fundamental property in predicting the pollutant migration in soils, then predicted pollutant migration front will be underestimated.
Modifier Genes for Mouse Phosphatidylinositol Transfer Protein α (vibrator) That Bypass Juvenile Lethality
Authors: Concepcion Dorothy , Johannes Frank , Lo Yuan Hung , Yao Jay , Fong Jerry , Hamilton Bruce A 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins (PITPs) mediate lipid signaling and membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. Loss-of-function mutations of the gene encoding PITPα in mice result in a range of dosage-sensitive phenotypes, including neurological dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and premature death. We have previously reported genetic suppression of a strong hypomorphic allele, vibrator, by a wild-derived variant of Nxf1, which increases the level of PITPα made from vibrator alleles and suppresses each of the neurological and survival phenotypes. Here we report discovery and genetic mapping of additional vibrator modifiers, Mvb2 and Mvb3, from a different strain background that suppresses juvenile lethality without suppressing visible phenotypes or gene expression. Genotype-specific survival analysis predicts molecular heterosis at Mvb3. These results indicate a mechanism of suppression that bypasses a quantitative requirement for PITPα function.
Gene Expression Differences Among Primates Are Associated With Changes in a Histone Epigenetic Modification
Authors: Cain Carolyn E , Blekhman Ran , Marioni John C , Gilad Yoav 
Published: February 2011

AbstractChanges in gene regulation are thought to play an important role in speciation and adaptation, especially in primates. However, we still know relatively little about the mechanisms underlying regulatory evolution. In particular, the extent to which epigenetic modifications underlie gene expression differences between primates is not yet known. Our study focuses on an epigenetic histone modification, H3K4me3, which is thought to promote transcription. To investigate the contribution of H3K4me3 to regulatory differences between species, we collected gene expression data and identified H3K4me3-associated genomic regions in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques, using three cell lines from each species. We found strong evidence for conservation of H3K4me3 localization in primates. Moreover, regardless of species, H3K4me3 is consistently enriched near annotated transcription start sites (TSS), and highly expressed genes are more likely than lowly expressed genes to have the histone modification near their TSS. Interestingly, we observed an enrichment of interspecies differences in H3K4me3 at the TSS of genes that are differentially expressed between species. We estimate that as much as 7% of gene expression differences between the LCLs of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques may be explained, at least in part, by changes in the status of H3K4me3 histone modifications. Our results suggest a modest, yet important role for epigenetic changes in gene expression differences between primates.
Increasing VLBW Deliveries at Subspecialty Perinatal Centers via Perinatal Outreach
Authors: Binder Stephanie , Hill Kathryn , Meinzen-Derr Jareen , Greenberg James M. , Narendran Vivek 
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVES:
To test the hypothesis that the promotion of national guidelines recommending the transfer of high-risk mothers to subspecialty perinatal centers reduces mortality and morbidity through the reduction of preterm infants delivered at nontertiary maternity hospitals.

METHODS:
After implementation of hospital-based educational and communication programs emphasizing the importance of maternal transfer to subspecialty perinatal centers, we conducted a population-based cohort study of all live births delivered at maternity hospitals in greater Cincinnati from 2003 through 2007 (n = 1825). Birth weights measured between 500 and 1499 g and gestational ages were less than 32 weeks. Risk-adjusted outcomes were measured by multivariate logistic regression in 2 stages. We compared these findings with those from a similar study conducted at our institution that included infants with birth weights less than 1500 g born between September 1, 1995, and December 31, 1997 (n = 848). The primary outcome was the percentage decrease in infants born with very low birth weights at nontertiary centers compared with our previous study.

RESULTS:
The number of infants born with birth weights less than 1500 g and at less than 32 weeks' gestation delivered at hospitals without tertiary perinatal and neonatal care decreased from 25% to 11.8% between the 2 study periods. The odds of death or major morbidity for infants born with very low birth weights at nontertiary perinatal centers is 3 times that of infants born at subspecialty perinatal centers after controlling for demographic variations (odds ratio: 3.05 [95% confidence interval: 2.1–4.4]).

CONCLUSIONS:
Local promotion of national guidelines by neonatologists coincided with a significant reduction in the percentage of infants born with birth weights less than 1500 g and at less than 32 weeks' gestation who were not delivered at subspecialty perinatal centers, and, at 88.2%, this nearly achieves the Healthy People 2010 objective to deliver 90% of infants born with very low birth weights in subspecialty perinatal centers.
A New Risk-Based Screening Criterion for Treatment-Demanding Retinopathy of Prematurity in Denmark
Authors: Slidsborg Carina , Forman Julie Lyng , Rasmussen Steen , Jensen Hanne , Nissen Kamilla Rothe , Jensen Peter Koch , Bangsgaard Regitze , Fledelius Hans Callø , Greisen Gorm , la Cour Morten 
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to uncover the most effective and safe criterion to implement for retinopathy of prematurity screening in Denmark.

METHODS:
This retrospective national cohort study is based on data from 3 national registers. These registers provided on infants treated for retinopathy of prematurity, infants in need of treatment but missed by the present screening program, and the candidate neonates for advanced retinopathy of prematurity development A nonlinear logistic regression model was fitted to the data, and various screening criteria were evaluated.

RESULTS:
During the study period (2002–2006), 116 infants were treated for retinopathy of prematurity, no treatment-demanding retinopathy of prematurity infants were missed by the screening program, and 182 premature infants were candidates for developing treatment-demanding retinopathy of prematurity. Screening criteria combining gestational age at delivery and birth weight limits and new risk-based criteria were compared with regards to their effectiveness. The risk-based criteria were the most effective. Use of the 0.13% risk-based criterion to define the population to be screened resulted in the detection of all treated infants in the study period and 17.4% fewer infants to screen. The model predicted this criterion to result in 1 missed case of treatment-demanding retinopathy of prematurity every 11 years and 1 case of blindness every 18 years in Denmark.

CONCLUSIONS:
Screening criteria based on risk estimates of developing treatment-demanding retinopathy of prematurity are the most effective for retinopathy-of-prematurity screening. The risk-based criterion of 0.13% can safely be implemented for future retinopathy-of-prematurity screening in Denmark.