bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression of 5α‐reductase in apocrine carcinoma of the breast and its correlation with clinicopathological aggressiveness
Authors: Kasashima Satomi , Kawashima Atsuhiro , Ozaki Satoru , Nakanuma Yasuni 
Published: April 2012

Kasashima S, Kawashima A, Ozaki S & Nakanuma Y(2012) Histopathology 60, E51–E57Expression of 5α‐reductase in apocrine carcinoma of the breast and its correlation with clinicopathological aggressivenessAims:  Apocrine carcinomas of the breast frequently lack oestrogen and progesterone receptors and often express androgen receptor. However, little is known about the role of androgen in apocrine carcinoma. Androgen‐producing enzymes, such as 5α‐reductase (5αR), which converts testosterone locally to the potent androgen dihydrotestosterone, have recently gained attention in studies of the intratumoural actions of androgens. The goal of this study was to examine 5αR expression and its relationship to other clinicopathological factors in apocrine carcinoma.Methods and results:  Of 48 cases of infiltrating apocrine carcinoma, 30 cases (62.5%) were immunopositive for 5αR. Twenty‐seven of the 5αR‐positive cases were also positive for androgen receptor. In comparison to 5αR‐negative cases, 5αR‐positive cases showed clinicopathological aggressiveness characterized by significantly larger infiltrating tumour size (P = 0.001), higher frequency of lymphatic (P = 0.029) and vascular invasion (P = 0.009), higher histological grade (P = 0.048) and shorter recurrence‐free survival time (P = 0.047). No significant differences in nuclear grade, hormonal receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) or p53 protein were detected between two groups. All five cases of intraductal apocrine carcinoma lacked 5αR.Conclusion:  Approximately 60% of infiltrating apocrine carcinomas were immunopositive for 5αR. The 5αR‐positive apocrine carcinomas were clinicopathologically more aggressive than 5αR‐negative cases. Our findings suggest that autocrine androgen synthesis accelerates tumour aggressiveness in apocrine carcinoma.
A qualitative study of the pre‐operative preparation of children, young people and their parents’ for planned continence surgery: experiences and expectations
Authors: Bray Lucy , Callery Peter , Kirk Sue 
Published: April 2012

Aim.  The aim of this study is to explore children’s, young people’s and parents’ pre‐operative experiences of continent stoma formation.Background.  Current research investigating continent stoma surgery focuses on surgical outcomes including complication rates, adherence to management regimes, self‐management practices and levels of continence achieved. Despite reports of pre‐operative anxiety in families undergoing continent stoma surgery, there has been a lack of research exploring pre‐operative experiences, information needs or decision‐making processes in this group.Design.  A qualitative study.Methods.  Forty‐nine semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 17 children, young people and their parents. Data were collected at key points in the surgical process that aimed to represent a longitudinal perspective of continent stoma formation.Results.  The interviews suggested that children’s, young people’s and parents’ information needs in relation to the long‐term implications of surgery and for their day‐to‐day lives were not being adequately met. The preparation process was described as being positively influenced by contact with a nurse specialist, being given time to make the decision and having access to different sources of information.Conclusion.  Decisions regarding life‐long planned surgery can be challenging. The individual involvement and information needs of children, young people and their parents need to be recognised during pre‐operative preparation.Relevance to clinical practice.  Health professionals need to discuss the holistic implications of continent stoma surgery and provide families with the time and opportunity to consider surgery and access relevant sources of information pre‐operatively.
Tree cover–fire interactions promote the persistence of a fire‐sensitive conifer in a highly flammable savanna
Authors: Trauernicht Clay , Murphy Brett P. , Portner Talia E. , Bowman David M. J. S. 
Published: April 2012

Summary1. Callitris intratropica is a long‐lived, obligate‐seeding, fire‐sensitive overstorey conifer that typically occurs in small groves (<0.1 ha) of much higher tree densities than the surrounding, eucalypt‐dominated tropical savanna in northern Australia. We used C. intratropica groves of varying canopy cover to examine the role of feedbacks between fire and tree cover in the persistence of a fire‐sensitive tree species and the maintenance of habitat heterogeneity in a highly flammable savanna.2. We examined the population structure and floristic composition of C. intratropica groves and conducted controlled burns with Aboriginal landowners to test the prediction that groves of C. intratropica with closed canopies inhibit savanna fires by physically altering the fuel arrays below trees. We measured pre‐ and post‐burn fuel availability, the probability of burning and fire intensity along transects (55–75 m) spanning entire C. intratropica groves and extending into the surrounding savanna matrix.3. We found that closed‐canopy groves of C. intratropica had higher densities of seedlings and saplings than open‐canopy groves and supported a distinct plant community. Closed‐canopy groves also had a lower probability of burning and less severe fires due to a lower availability of fine fuels than the surrounding savanna.4. Synthesis. Our results suggest that the observed regeneration within closed‐canopy C. intratropica groves within frequently burnt savanna reflects a vegetation–fire feedback. A significant, negative relationship between canopy cover and the probability of burning provides strong evidence that closed‐canopy C. intratropica groves are capable of excluding low‐intensity savanna fires, thereby enabling the persistence of patches of fire‐sensitive forest or woodland amid open, highly flammable savanna vegetation. We present our findings as evidence that alternative stable state dynamics may play a role in determining savanna diversity and structure.
Does habitat specialization by seedlings contribute to the high diversity of a lowland rain forest?
Authors: Metz Margaret R. 
Published: April 2012

Summary1. One of the earliest hypotheses to explain high tropical forest diversity proposes that species are differentially specialized in their germination or growth and survival to particular habitats.2. I examined evidence for habitat associations in seedling density and demography in 9 years of seedling dynamics data from Yasuní National Park, Ecuador, a lowland rain forest where previous studies have demonstrated habitat preferences among adult trees. I included 136 species or morphospecies from multiple annual seedling cohorts with known age of recruitment.3. Approximately 90% of the species examined demonstrated negative or positive associations with one or more topographic habitats in their recruitment, growth and/or mortality at some point in the study, and approximately 60% of species had significant associations in at least half of the census periods studied. The survival of newly recruited seedlings varied among seedlings in response to topographic gradients, indicating the potential for species to partition habitat niches at a young stage.4. There was significant inter‐annual variation in seedling habitat associations, indicating the characteristics of the topographic niche important to seedling performance change through time. This variability alone can contribute to the maintenance of species diversity through storage effects. While associations may also be weak or ephemeral, the seedling dynamics for many species supported the possibility that associations seen in adult populations develop through differential mortality across habitats as seedlings.5. Synthesis. That species’ seedlings perform differently among topographic habitats and that these differences are detectable very early on in a plant’s life indicate the potential for the abiotic environment to mediate or exaggerate the roles of other mechanisms in influencing the composition of the understorey seedling assemblage.
‘We just stick together’: how disabled teens negotiate stigma to create lasting friendship
Authors: Salmon N. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground  Friendship is a crucial relationship offering practical support, enjoyment and improved health. When disability is added into the mix, the permutations of friendship shift. Despite the presence of inclusive social policies many disabled teens continue to experience stigma and social isolation, yet some teens are able to establish long‐term friendships.Methods  A nuanced understanding about how disabled teens navigate stigma to create lasting friendships was constructed through this qualitative study. Seven boys and seven girls between the ages 15 to 20 years who experienced disability engaged in research interviews and participant observation sessions. Nine adults were also interviewed. A critical approach to data analysis was complimented by coding in Atlas.ti.Results  This article describes the strategies used by these disabled teens to make and keep friends: disrupting norms about friendship, coming out as disabled, connecting through stigma and choosing self‐exclusion.Conclusion  Disabled teens in this study felt a greater sense of belonging when with peers who shared the disability experience, thus self‐exclusion was a viable strategy for creating sustainable friendships in the context of oppression. Social policy informed by the experiences of disabled youth in the current study will more effectively promote social inclusion by first acknowledging and then disrupting ableism.
Quality of services and quality of life from service providers' perspectives: analysis with focus groups
Authors: Jenaro C. , Vega V. , Flores N. , Cruz M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground  Concepts such as support, quality of life and quality of services are customary in services for people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of the different ways of conceiving, prioritising and implementing these concepts by service providers can help to drive changes to achieve better personal outcomes for this population. The current study aims to identify service providers' perceptions regarding the quality of life of their clients and the quality of services they provide. It also aims to identify similarities and differences of appraisals among professionals, and to identify associations between supports, quality of life and quality of services.Method  Data were collected from 22 service providers who attended three focus groups (professionals, direct support staff, and managers) from whom 424 comments were analysed. Service providers were asked about the required support for users, the meaning of quality of life for those users, and about features that should characterise quality services. Thematic analysis was employed and transcripts of the sessions were coded according to the dimensions of models on supports, quality of life and quality of services. Chi‐squared tests were utilised to test for potential differences among groups.Results  Each professional group has its own priorities concerning required supports. Among the organisation different and potentially conflicting perceptions regarding the meaning of experiencing quality of life coexist. Concerning quality of services, only managers mentioned personal outcomes. Finally, institutionalisation has a negative impact on supports, quality of life and quality of services.Conclusions  It is necessary to move beyond a shared awareness of the negative impact of institutionalisation towards the transformation of services in search of personal quality outcomes.
The Controllability Beliefs Scale used with carers of people with intellectual disabilities: psychometric properties
Authors: Dagnan D. , Hull A. , McDonnell A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground  Beliefs about the controllability of behaviour have been consistently shown to be important in understanding the responses of carers to the challenging behaviour of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). This paper reports the reliability and validity of the Controllability Beliefs Scale (CBS), a 15‐item measure of beliefs regarding the controllability of challenging behaviour when used with carers of people with IDs.Methods  Two hundred and sixty‐four carers of people with IDs completed the CBS, 74 people also completed the Modified Attributional Style Questionnaire and the Self‐Injury Behavioural Understanding Questionnaire scale to determine concurrent and convergent validity and 34 people completed the scale twice within a 2‐ to 4‐week period to determine test–retest reliability.Results  The scale has a two‐factor structure and has adequate internal reliable. The scale is significantly correlated with the controllability, internality and stability items from the Modified Attributional Style Questionnaire, showed expected associations with behavioural and internal emotional understanding items from the Self‐Injury Behavioural Understanding Questionnaire. The scale has good test–retest reliability.Conclusions  The data support use of the CBS in clinical practice and research to assess carers' beliefs regarding challenging behaviour of people with IDs.
Effect of lipopolysaccharide, cytokines, and catecholamines on brain natriuretic peptide release from human myocardium
Authors: VALETTE X. , LEMOINE S. , ALLOUCHE S. , GÉRARD J.‐L. , HANOUZ J.‐L. 
Published: April 2012

BackgroundDuring sepsis and septic shock, elevated plasma concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been reported but may be related to several underlying mechanisms. The aim of the present experimental study was to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), interleukin 1β (IL‐1β), interleukin 6 (IL‐6), dobutamine (Dobu), epinephrine (Epi), and norepinephrine (Nor) on BNP synthesis by atrial human myocardium in vitro.MethodsAfter the approval of local ethics committee, right atrial appendages were obtained during cannulation for cardiac surgery and pinned in a isolated organ bath containing 15 ml of Tyrode's modified solution. Preparations were oxygenated, maintained at 36 ± 0.5°C and stimulated at a frequency of 1 Hz. A 60‐min equilibration period was followed by 180‐min exposure to 1 μM endothelin 1 (ET‐1; n = 9), 20,000 pg/ml TNF‐α (n = 10), 1000 pg/ml IL‐1β (n = 10), 5000 pg/ml IL‐6 (n = 10), 10,000 pg/ml LPS (n = 10), 100 μM Epi (n = 9), 100 μM Nor (n = 10), and 100 μM Dobu (n = 8). No product was added in Control group (n = 10). Two BNP dosages were performed: the first after 60 min of stabilization and the second after 180 min of stimulation. Absolute and relative changes in BNP concentration were compared between groups.ResultsExposure to ET‐1 significantly increased BNP release as compared with Control group. Dobu, Epi, Nor, and LPS significantly increased BNP concentration but not TNF‐α, IL‐1β, or IL‐6.ConclusionsIn vitro, LPS, Dobu, Epi, and Nor induced BNP synthesis by human atrial myocardium.
Aerial powdering of bees inside mobile cages and the extent of neonicotinoid cloud surrounding corn drillers
Authors: Girolami V. , Marzaro M. , Vivan L. , Mazzon L. , Giorio C. , Marton D. , Tapparo A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractSudden losses of bees have been observed in spring during maize sowing. The death of bees has been correlated with the use of neonicotinoid‐coated seed and the toxic particulates emitted by pneumatic drilling machines. The contamination of foragers in flight over the ploughed fields has been hypothesized. The airborne contamination has been proven, both with bees inside fixed cages around the field and in free flight near the driller. A new trial involving mobile cages has been established and consists of making rapid passes with single bees inside cages fixed to an aluminium bar. The bar was moved by two operators at different distances from the working drilling machine. A single pass was shown as sufficient to kill all the bees exposed to exhaust air on the emission side of the drill, when bees were subsequently held in high relative humidity. The extent of toxic cloud around driller was evaluated at the height of 0.5, 1.8 and 3.5 m and proved to be about 20 m in diameter, with an ellipsoidal shape. The shape may be influenced by working speed of the drill and environmental parameters, and is easily shown by adding talc powder to the seed in the machine hopper. A new driller equipment was evaluated consisting of two tubes inclined towards the soil that direct the exhaust air towards the ground. The survival rate of the bees was not substantially increased using the modified drill and was lower than 50%. Chemical analyses show up to 4000 ng of insecticide in single bees with an average content around 300 ng. Similar quantities were observed at increased distances from the modified or unmodified drillers. This new evaluation of bee mortality in the field is an innovative biological test to verify the hypothetical efficiency (or not) of driller modifications.
Clinical utility of micafungin: pharmacokinetics, dosing, use in special populations and drug interactions
Authors: Hope W. W. , Howard S. J. , Felton T. W. 
Published: April 2012

SummaryMicafungin is an echinocandin with broad spectrum activity against Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. This agent is extensively used to treat these opportunistic fungal pathogens in immunocompromised hosts. This review summarises the clinical pharmacology of micafungin, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and use in special populations.
Application of doubled haploids for target gene fixation in backcross programmes of maize
Authors: Lübberstedt Thomas , Frei Ursula K. 
Published: April 2012

With 2 figuresAbstractApplication of molecular markers in backcross (BC) programmes is well established. A combination of foreground and background selection is used to tag donor alleles and to accelerate BC programmes. Similarly, doubled haploid (DH) lines are increasingly used in maize and various other crops to speed up breeding programmes. The DH technology cannot accelerate the BC procedure, but it is beneficial for the final step in BC programmes. For the fixation of target gene(s), smaller population sizes are required in case of DHs compared with progeny produced by self‐pollination. The objectives of this study were to determine the usefulness of DH compared with BCnF2 populations in the final step of BC programmes in relation to (i) the number of target genes and (ii) the genetic distance of a pair of target genes, linked in repulsion phase. We found that the relative advantage of using DH compared with self‐pollinated progeny increases rapidly with the number of independently segregating target genes in BC programmes, and in particular in case of close linkage (recombination fraction r < 0.05).
Expression of Survivin, Bcl‐2 and Bax Proteins in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus) Endometrium During the Oestrus Cycle
Authors: Liman N , Alan E , Bayram GK , Gürbulak K 
Published: April 2012

ContentsApoptosis has been shown to be an important regulator of endometrium function. To clarify the regulation of apoptosis in the cat endometrium during the normal oestrus cycle, the expressions of the apoptosis‐related proteins (Bcl‐2 and Bax) and their correlation to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein Survivin were analysed using immunohistochemistry. The TUNEL technique (TdT‐mediated dUTP nick end labelling) was also used to detect DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptotic cells. The results demonstrated that TUNEL labelling is not effective for the detection of apoptosis in cat endometrium. Survivin was expressed in the luminal and glandular epithelial cells of cat endometrium during all phases of the oestrus cycle. Survivin was localized in both the cytoplasm and nuclei of superficial and deep uterine gland cells during the luteal phase, while only cytoplasmic staining was observed during the follicular and anoestrus phases. Bax immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of luminal and glandular epithelial cells as well as the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels was weak in the anoestrus phase. Compared with anoestrus, the intensity of Bax immunostaining was moderate in the follicular phase and increased dramatically in the luteal phase. Bcl‐2 immunostaining in the cytoplasm of luminal and glandular epithelial cells was moderate in the anoestrus phase. During the early follicular phase, cytoplasmic Bcl‐2 immunostaining was detected mostly in glandular epithelial cells. In the mid‐follicular phase, in glands, the amount of Bcl‐2 protein increased progressively from the superficial to the deep layer. In contrast, the expression of Bcl‐2 decreased in the secretory phase, being very low or absent in the mid‐ and late luteal phases. The overall results suggest that Survivin, Bax and Bcl‐2 proteins may cooperatively contribute to cell apoptosis and cell proliferation in the cat uterus during the oestrus cycle.
Characterization and usefulness of stool antigen tests using a monoclonal antibody to Helicobacter pylori catalase
Authors: Sato Masami , Shimoyama Tadashi , Takahashi Ryoki , Kajiyama Hirofumi , Sano Yukari , Sakaedani Naomi , Kato Azusa , Hirata Haruhisa , Fukuda Yoshihiro 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Two types of stool antigen tests have been used in the management of Helicobacter pylori infection. Testmate Pylori Antigen enzyme immunoassay (TPAg EIA) is a direct sandwich enzyme immunoassay (EIA) while Testmate Rapid Pylori Antigen (Rapid TPAg) is performed using immunochromatography. The aim of this study was to study the characterization and usefulness of these tests.Methods:  Accuracy of both tests was studied using 111 fecal samples obtained from H. pylori‐positive or ‐negative patients. Cross‐reactivity was examined with four other Helicobacter spp. and five fecal bacteria in humans. To estimate the sensitivity of both kits, we tested H. pylori clinical strains. We also examined the diagnostic performances of both tests after the storage for 12 months.Results:  The accuracy of both Testmate kits was 100% in fecal samples from 111 patients. No cross‐reactivity was observed in both Testmate kits in five fecal bacteria and four other Helicobacter spp. TPAg EIA and Rapid TPAg showed positive results in 1342 of 1344, and 483 of 485 clinical strains, respectively. Diagnostic performances was maintained for 12 months when TPAg EIA was stored at 4°C and Rapid TPAg at 30°C.Conclusions:  We examined the details of high accuracy of TPAg EIA and Rapid TPAg. The diagnostic performance of both kits was maintained after storage for up to 1 year. The two types of tests would be useful in the management of H. pylori infection.