bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of nasal bridles in avoiding percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement
Authors: Webb Gwilym , Gupta Prakash , Fitchett Jo , Simmons Jon , De Silva Aminda 
Published: March 2012

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to report the use of nasogastric tube bridles to avoid dislodging of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes. Specifically it was intended to see if they reduced feeding time, medical input and costs.Designand setting This was a cohort study in a district hospital setting.Patients164 patients admitted with conditions causing acutely impaired swallowing.Interventions140 of 164 patients referred received a NGT bridle.ResultsOf these, 49 (35%) died by 28 days and 68 (48.6%) at 1 year; 73 (52.1%) had regained adequate oral intake at 28 days and 27 (19.2%) had proceeded to PEG. Of those not bridled, nine (37.5%) died by 28 days and 10 (41.7%) at 1 year with the remainder eating. There was no significant difference in mortality between groups. There were no complications attributed to bridles.ConclusionWe conclude that nasogastric bridles are safe and represent an appropriate method to maintain nutrition while seeing if the underlying disease process will stabilise in these critically ill patients. They have the benefits of avoiding unnecessary PEG and the associated complications and cost.
The neurofibromin 1 type I isoform predominance characterises female population affected by sporadic breast cancer: preliminary data
Authors: Marrero Daniel , Peralta Raúl , Valdivia Alejandra , De la Mora Antonio , Romero Pablo , Parra Miriam , Mendoza Nayeli , Mendoza Monica , Rodriguez Dalila , Camacho Ernesto , Duarte Armando , Castelazo German , Vanegas Enrique , Garcia Israel , Vargas Claudia , Arenas Diego , Jimenez Florinda , Salcedo Mauricio 
Published: March 2012

AimsNeurofibromin 1 (NF1) as a tumour suppressor gene can give rise to several transcripts by an alternative splicing event, generated at least for CELF cofactors. At present, the NF1 isoforms and CELF splicing transcripts in sporadic breast cancer are unknown. The aim of the authors was to detect NF1 gene expression, the NF1 isoform ratio and the CELF transcripts present in sporadic breast cancer.MethodsNeurofibromin and RAS expression were analysed on tissue microarrays containing sporadic breast cancer (n=22), benign lesions (n=18, including six fibroadenomas, six fibrocystic changes and six ductal hyperplasias) and normal breast tissue (n=6) by immunohistochemistry assay. NF1 and CELF 3–6 RNA expression was performed by end point reverse transcription-PCR in the breast samples.ResultsNF1 and RAS expression in breast tissues showed no differential expression by immunohistochemistry results. Interestingly, the authors observed a shift transition in the isoform transcripts, from type II in normal breast tissue to type I isoform in breast carcinomas. CELF cofactor expression failed to be related with the shift transition of NF1 in breast tissues.ConclusionsThese data suggest that there is a tendency for an NF1 expression shift transition from type II to type I isoform, which could comprise a significant event in the development and progression of sporadic breast cancer. This shift transition may not be related with CELF cofactors.
PARTIAL TRANSPOSITION OF RANDOM STATES AND NON-CENTERED SEMICIRCULAR DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: AUBRUN GUILLAUME 
Published: March 2012

Let W be a Wishart random matrix of size d2 × d2, considered as a block matrix with d × d blocks. Let Y be the matrix obtained by transposing each block of W. We prove that the empirical eigenvalue distribution of Y approaches a non-centered semicircular distribution when d → ∞. We also show the convergence of extreme eigenvalues towards the edge of the expected spectrum. The proofs are based on the moments method. This matrix model is relevant to Quantum Information Theory and corresponds to the partial transposition of a random induced state. A natural question is: "When does a random state have a positive partial transpose (PPT)?". We answer this question and exhibit a strong threshold when the parameter from the Wishart distribution equals 4. When d gets large, a random state on Cd ⊗ Cd obtained after partial tracing a random pure state over some ancilla of dimension αd2 is typically PPT when α > 4 and typically non-PPT when α < 4.
Fluid analysis of energy consumption using rewards in massively parallel Markov models (abstracts only)
Authors: Stefanek Anton , Hayden Richard A. , Bradley Jeremy T. 
Published: March 2012

Capturing energy consumption directly from a stochastic behavioural model is a computationally expensive process. Using a so-called fluid analysis technique we are able to access accumulated reward measures in much larger scale stochastic systems than has been previously possible.These accumulated rewards are ideal for deriving energy and power consumption from stochastic process models. In previous work, it has been shown how to derive a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) whose solutions approximate the moments of component counts in a continuous-time Markov chain(CTMC) described in a stochastic process algebra. In this paper, we show how to extend the method to provide rapid access to moments of accumulated rewards in CTMCs. In addition to measuring the amount of energy used by a system, we are also interested in the time taken to reach a particular level of energy consumption. In reward terms, this is a so-called completion time. In this paper, we are able to use higher moments of rewards to give us access to completion time distributions.
We demonstrate the technique on a model of energy consumption in a client-server system with server failure and hibernation. Moreover, we are able to use these new and rapid techniques to capture the trade-off between energy consumption and service level agreement (SLA) compliance. We use a standard optimisation approach to find the precise configuration of the system which minimises the energy consumption while satisfying an operational response-time quantile.
A new business model for massively multiplayer online games (abstracts only)
Authors: Nae Vlad , Prodan Radu , Iosup Alexandru , Fahringer Thomas 
Published: March 2012

Today, highly successfulMassivelyMultiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) have millions of registered users and hundreds of thousands of active concurrent players. To sustain their highly variable load, game operators over-provision a large static infrastructure capable of sustaining the game peak load, even though a large portion of the resources is unused most of the time. This inefficient resource utilisation has negative economic impacts by preventing any but the largest hosting centres from joining the market and dramatically increases prices.
In this paper, we propose a new business model of hosting and operating MMOGs based on Cloud computing principles involving four actors: resource provider, game operator, game provider, and client. Our model efficiently provisions on-demand virtualised resources to game sessions based on their dynamic client load, which dramatically decreases prices and gives small and medium enterprises the opportunity of joining the market through zero initial investment.
We validate our new model and its underlying business relationships through trace-based simulations utilising six months worth of monitoring data from a real-life MMOG using emulated resources from 16 of the largest Cloud resource providers currently on the market. We demonstrate that our model can operate state-of-the-art MMOGs with an average monthly gross profit of nearly $6 million excluding game purchase prices, overheads and taxation, while being able to maintain and control the QoS offered to all clients. Finally, we show how our approach is capable of operating next generation very highly interactive MMOGs with a small increase of 5.8% in the subscription price.
Virt-LM
Authors: Huang Dawei , Ye Deshi , He Qinming , Chen Jianhai , Ye Kejiang 
Published: March 2012

Virtualization technology has been widely applied in data centers and IT infrastructures, with advantages of server consolidation and live migration. Through live migration, data centers could flexibly move virtual machines among different physical machines to balance workloads, reduce energy consumption and enhance service availability. Today's data centers can grow to a huge scale. This implies that frequent live migration would be desirable for the economic use of hardware resources. Then, the performance of the live migration strategy will be an issue. So, we need a reliant evaluation method to choose the software and hardware environments that will produce the best live migration performance.
However, there is not a complete live migration benchmark available currently. In addition, the existing evaluation methodologies select different metrics, different workloads and different test means. Thus, it is difficult to compare their results.
In this paper we first survey the current research and their evaluation methods on live migration. We then summarize the critical issues for the live migration evaluation and also raise other unreported potential problems.
We propose our solutions and present an implementation in our live migration benchmark -- Virt-LM. This is a benchmark for comparing live migration performance among different software and hardware environments in a data center scenario. We detail its design and provide some experimental results to validate its effectiveness.
Obatoclax Interacts Synergistically with the Irreversible Proteasome Inhibitor Carfilzomib in GC- and ABC-DLBCL Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Dasmahapatra Girija , Lembersky Dmitry , Son Minkyeong P. , Patel Hiral , Peterson Derick , Attkisson Elisa , Fisher Richard I. , Friedberg Jonathan W. , Dent Paul , Grant Steven 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Interactions between the irreversible proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib and the pan-BH3 mimetic obatoclax were examined in germinal center (GC)- and activated B-cell–diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL) cells. Cotreatment with minimally toxic concentrations of carfilzomib (i.e., 2–6 nmol/L) and subtoxic concentrations of obatoclax (0.05–2.0 μmol/L) synergistically increased apoptosis in multiple DLBCL cell lines and increased lethality toward primary human DLBCL but not normal CD34+ cells. Synergistic interactions were associated with sharp increases in caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, p-JNK induction, upregulation of Noxa, and AKT dephosphorylation. Combined treatment also diminished carfilzomib-mediated Mcl-1 upregulation whereas immunoprecipitation analysis revealed reduced associations between Bak and Mcl-1/Bcl-xL and Bim and Mcl-1. The carfilzomib/obatoclax regimen triggered translocation, conformational change, and dimerization of Bax and activation of Bak. Genetic interruption of c-jun-NH2-kinase (JNK) and Noxa by short hairpin RNA knockdown, ectopic Mcl-1 expression, or enforced activation of AKT significantly attenuated carfilzomib/obatoclax-mediated apoptosis. Notably, coadministration of carfilzomib/obatoclax sharply increased apoptosis in multiple bortezomib-resistant DLBCL models. Finally, in vivo administration of carfilzomib and obatoclax to mice inoculated with SUDHL4 cells substantially suppressed tumor growth, activated JNK, inactivated AKT, and increased survival compared with the effects of single-agent treatment. Together, these findings argue that a strategy combining carfilzomib and obatoclax warrants attention in DLBCL. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(5); 1122–32. ©2012 AACR.
Conduction Remodeling in Human End-Stage Nonischemic Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Glukhov Alexey V. , Fedorov Vadim V. , Kalish Paul W. , Ravikumar Vinod K. , Lou Qing , Janks Deborah , Schuessler Richard B. , Moazami Nader , Efimov Igor R. 
Published: March 2012

Background—
Several arrhythmogenic mechanisms have been inferred from animal heart failure models. However, the translation of these hypotheses is difficult because of the lack of functional human data. We aimed to investigate the electrophysiological substrate for arrhythmia in human end-stage nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results—

We optically mapped the coronary-perfused left ventricular wedge preparations from human hearts with end-stage nonischemic cardiomyopathy (heart failure, n=10) and nonfailing hearts (NF, n=10). Molecular remodeling was studied with immunostaining, Western blotting, and histological analyses. Heart failure produced heterogeneous prolongation of action potential duration resulting in the decrease of transmural action potential duration dispersion (64±12 ms versus 129±15 ms in NF,
P
<0.005). In the failing hearts, transmural activation was significantly slowed from the endocardium (39±3 cm/s versus 49±2 cm/s in NF,
P
=0.008) to the epicardium (28±3 cm/s versus 40±2 cm/s in NF,
P
=0.008). Conduction slowing was likely due to connexin 43 (Cx43) downregulation, decreased colocalization of Cx43 with N-cadherin (40±2% versus 52±5% in NF,
P
=0.02), and an altered distribution of phosphorylated Cx43 isoforms by the upregulation of the dephosphorylated Cx43 in both the subendocardium and subepicardium layers. Failing hearts further demonstrated spatially discordant conduction velocity alternans which resulted in nonuniform propagation discontinuities and wave breaks conditioned by strands of increased interstitial fibrosis (fibrous tissue content in heart failure 16.4±7.7 versus 9.9±1.4% in NF,
P
=0.02).

Conclusions—
Conduction disorder resulting from the anisotropic downregulation of Cx43 expression, the reduction of Cx43 phosphorylation, and increased fibrosis is likely to be a critical component of arrhythmogenic substrate in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy.
Screening of SLC26A4, FOXI1, KCNJ10, and GJB2 in Bilateral Deafness Patients with Inner Ear Malformation
Authors: Chen Kaitian , Wang Xianren , Sun Liang , Jiang Hongyan 
Published: March 2012

ObjectiveBilateral nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss associated with inner ear malformation is closely related to genetics. SLC26A4 is considered to be the major involved gene. Recently, FOXI1 and KCNJ10 mutations have been linked to enlarged vestibular aqueducts and GJB2 mutations linked to temporal bone malformation. The authors aimed to investigate the mutation spectrums of these genes in Chinese patients with bilateral hearing impairment associated with inner ear malformation.Study DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingAffiliated hospital of the university.Subjects and MethodsThe authors analyzed the GJB2, SLC26A4, FOXI1, and KCNJ10 gene sequences in 43 patients presenting with bilateral hearing impairment associated with inner ear malformation using pyrosequencing and direct DNA sequencing.ResultsIn total, 74.4% (32/43) of patients carried at least 1 of 14 pathogenic SLC26A4 mutations, including 6 novel mutations and 4 polymorphisms. Patients with enlarged vestibular aqueducts had a higher rate of SLC26A4 mutation than Mondini dysplasia patients. No FOXI1 or KCNJ10 potential pathogenic mutation was present, and GJB2 biallelic pathogenic mutations were uncommon (2.3%; 1/43). No significant correlation was observed between the genotype and phenotype of SLC26A4 mutations.ConclusionSLC26A4 accounts for 74.4% of inner ear malformations in our cohort, whereas FOXI1, KCNJ10, and GJB2 mutations are not common. Other possible genes or external factors may contribute to this multibranch abnormality.
Modified Adenotonsillectomy to Improve Cure Rates for Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Friedman Michael , Samuelson Christian G. , Hamilton Craig , Maley Alexander , Taylor David , Kelley Kanwar , Pearson‐Chauhan Kristine , Hoehne Colleen , LeVay Adam J. , Venkatesan T. K. 
Published: March 2012

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy (T&A) with and without pharyngoplasty (tonsillar pillar closure) in the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea‐hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Study DesignRandomized single‐blind controlled study.SettingTertiary care center.Subjects and MethodsSixty pediatric patients with a clinical diagnosis of OSAHS presenting between January 2009 and December 2010 were enrolled and randomized to undergo either standard T&A (n = 30) or T&A with pharyngoplasty (n = 30). Surgical cure was defined as apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) <5 plus OSA‐18 health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQL) score <60. Other outcomes included postsurgical AHI and minimum oxygen saturation (SpO2) improvement, changes in OSA‐18 scores at 1 month, and postsurgical days to resume normal diet and activity.ResultsThree patients from each group did not undergo surgery. Of the 54 patients treated, 8 from the pharyngoplasty group and 2 from the standard group were lost to follow‐up. Intention‐to‐treat analysis revealed no difference in cure rate between groups (standard 60%, pharyngoplasty 56.6%, P =. 793). Limiting analysis to those patients with complete data, a higher, but not significantly increased, cure rate with pharyngoplasty was noted (72% vs 89.5%, P =. 155). Greater OSA‐18 improvement (P =. 036) and greater (although nonsignificant) AHI improvement and earlier return to normal function were noted with pharyngoplasty.ConclusionThe addition of pharyngoplasty to traditional adenotonsillectomy did not significantly improve OSAHS cure rates as measured by sleep testing and HRQL, although a nonsignificant increase in cure rate was observed in those who completed the study protocol. An unexpectedly high rate of patient dropout rendered the study statistically underpowered and therefore inconclusive.
The Return Predictability and Market Efficiency of the KLSE CI Stock Index Futures Market
Authors: Ford J.L. , Pok Wee Ching , Poshakwale S. 
Published: March 2012

Numerous studies have shown that returns on stocks and futures can to some extent be predicted over time, and that for developed financial markets, the predictions are compatible with the beta-asset pricing (APT) paradigm. Increasingly, more studies have been undertaken to test the veracity of such a paradigm in emerging markets. It has been contended that the paradigm is inapplicable to those markets and will, in any event, be unable to account for predicted asset returns. In this study we consider the Stock Exchange futures market in Malaysia, which has been neglected in the literature. Our econometric findings (using GMM) indicate that the APT model can be used as a rationale for the predictability of asset returns using local information, with the betas being constant and the expected risk premia being time-varying. JEL Classification: C5, F3, G1
Dasatinib inhibits proinflammatory functions of mature human neutrophils
Authors: Futosi Krisztina , Németh Tamás , Pick Robert , Vántus Tibor , Walzog Barbara , Mócsai Attila 
Published: March 2012

AbstractDasatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. At present, little is known about how dasatinib influences nonmalignant cells. In the present study, we tested the effect of dasatinib on functional responses of normal mature human neutrophils. Dasatinib completely blocked integrin- and Fc-receptor–mediated neutrophil functions, with the lowest IC50 values below 10nM under serum-free conditions. Dasatinib caused a partial inhibition of neutrophil responses triggered by G-protein–coupled receptors and had a moderate effect on neutrophil responses triggered by microbial compounds. Whereas dasatinib inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis under static conditions in 2 dimensions, it did not affect migration under flow conditions or in 3-dimensional environments. Dasatinib did not have any major effect on phagocytosis or killing of bacteria by neutrophils. Adhesion of human neutrophils in the presence of whole serum was significantly inhibited by 50-100nM dasatinib, which corresponds to the reported serum concentrations in dasatinib-treated patients. Finally, ex vivo adhesion of mouse peripheral blood neutrophils was strongly reduced after oral administration of 5 mg/kg of dasatinib. Those results suggest that dasatinib treatment may affect the proinflammatory functions of mature neutrophils and raise the possibility that dasatinib-related compounds may provide clinical benefit in neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Vascular endothelial hyperpermeability induces the clinical symptoms of Clarkson disease (the systemic capillary leak syndrome)
Authors: Xie Zhihui , Ghosh Chandra C. , Patel Roshni , Iwaki Shoko , Gaskins Donna , Nelson Celeste , Jones Nina , Greipp Philip R. , Parikh Samir M. , Druey Kirk M. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disorder characterized by transient episodes of hypotensive shock and anasarca thought to arise from reversible microvascular barrier dysfunction. Although the high prevalence of a monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance in SCLS suggests a pathogenic contribution of endogenous immunoglobulins, the mechanisms of vascular hyperpermeability remain obscure. Herein, we report clinical and molecular findings on 23 patients, the largest SCLS case series to date. Application of episodic SCLS sera, but neither the purified immunoglobulin fraction nor sera obtained from patients during remission, to human microvascular endothelial cells caused vascular endothelial cadherin internalization, disruption of interendothelial junctions, actin stress fiber formation, and increased permeability in complementary functional assays without inducing endothelial apoptosis. Intravenous immunoglobulin, one promising therapy for SCLS, mitigated the permeability effects of episodic sera. Consistent with the presence of endogenous, nonimmunoglobulin, circulating permeability factor(s) constrained to SCLS episodes, we found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), were elevated in episodic SCLS sera but not in remission sera. Ab-based inhibition of Ang2 counteracted permeability induced by episodic SCLS sera. Comparable experiments with anti-VEGF Ab (bevacizumab) yielded less interpretable results, probably because of endothelial toxicity of VEGF withdrawal. Our results support a model of SCLS pathogenesis in which nonimmunoglobulin humoral factors such as VEGF and Ang2 contribute to transient endothelial contraction, suggesting a molecular mechanism for this highly lethal disorder.
How we choose factor VIII to treat hemophilia
Authors: Mannucci Pier Mannuccio , Mancuso Maria Elisa , Santagostino Elena 
Published: March 2012

AbstractIn high-income countries, the large availability of coagulation factors for replacement therapy of patients with hemophilia A has raised the life expectancy of these lifelong bleeders to that of males from the general population. The practicing clinician is offered a multitude of choices among several commercial brands of factor VIII extracted from human plasma or engineered from mammalian cell cultures by means of recombinant DNA technology. This article has the goal to offer our opinions on how to choose among the different products, that we consider interchangeable relevant to their clinical efficacy in the control of bleeding and safety from pathogen transmission. Hence, the main determinants of our choices are price and the risk of occurrence of factor VIII inhibitory alloantibodies. With this as background, we present the rationale underlying the choices for different categories of patients with severe hemophilia A: previously untreated patients, multiply treated patients, and patients undergoing immune tolerance induction with large doses of factor VIII to eradicate inhibitors. Mention is also made to the possible strategies that should be implemented to make available coagulation factors for replacement therapy in developing countries.