bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
International assistance for victims of use of nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical weapons: time for a reality check?
Authors: Coupland Robin , Loye Dominique 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe risks of the use of nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical (NRBC) weapons are heterogeneous. Each risk has its own implications for developing and deploying any capacity to assist victims of an NRBC event and, in parallel, for the health and security of the people bringing this assistance. At an international level, there are no plans for assisting the victims of an NRBC event which are both adequate and safe. Recognizing the realities of the contexts associated with each risk throws up numerous challenges; such recognition is also a prerequisite for addressing these challenges. The realities that have to be considered relate to:
1.developing, acquiring, training for and planning an NRBC response capacity;2.deploying a response capacity in an NRBC event;3.the mandates and policies of international organizations pertaining to NRBC events.The challenges that will pose the greatest difficulty for a humanitarian organization are those for which the solutions are ‘non-buyable’ and which involve making extremely difficult decisions. Attempting to assist victims of an NRBC event without a reality-based approach might generate ineffective and unacceptably dangerous situations for those involved.
AR-C155858 is a potent inhibitor of monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT2 that binds to an intracellular site involving transmembrane helices 7–10
Authors: Ovens Matthew J. , Davies Andrew J. , Wilson Marieangela C. , Murray Clare M. , Halestrap Andrew P. 
Published: November 2009

In the present study we characterize the properties of the potent MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter 1) inhibitor AR-C155858. Inhibitor titrations of L-lactate transport by MCT1 in rat erythrocytes were used to determine the Ki value and number of AR-C155858-binding sites (Et) on MCT1 and the turnover number of the transporter (kcat). Derived values were 2.3±1.4 nM, 1.29±0.09 nmol per ml of packed cells and 12.2±1.1 s−1 respectively. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, MCT1 and MCT2 were potently inhibited by AR-C155858, whereas MCT4 was not. Inhibition of MCT1 was shown to be time-dependent, and the compound was also active when microinjected, suggesting that AR-C155858 probably enters the cell before binding to an intracellular site on MCT1. Measurement of the inhibitor sensitivity of several chimaeric transporters combining different domains of MCT1 and MCT4 revealed that the binding site for AR-C155858 is contained within the C-terminal half of MCT1, and involves TM (transmembrane) domains 7–10. This is consistent with previous data identifying Phe360 (in TM10) and Asp302 plus Arg306 (TM8) as key residues in substrate binding and translocation by MCT1. Measurement of the Km values of the chimaeras for L-lactate and pyruvate demonstrate that both the C- and N-terminal halves of the molecule influence transport kinetics consistent with our proposed molecular model of MCT1 and its translocation mechanism that requires Lys38 in TM1 in addition to Asp302 and Arg306 in TM8 [Wilson, Meredith, Bunnun, Sessions and Halestrap (2009) J. Biol. Chem. 284, 20011–20021].
An asymptotic mean value characterization for 𝑝-harmonic functions
Authors: Manfredi Juan , Parviainen Mikko , Rossi Julio 
Published: November 2009

We characterize

p
p

-harmonic functions in terms of an asymptotic mean value property. A

p
p

-harmonic function

u
u

is a viscosity solution to

Δ
p

u
=

div

(

|

∇
u

|

p
−
2

∇
u
)
=
0

\Delta _p u = \mbox {div} ( |\nabla u|^{p-2} \nabla u)=0

with

1
>
p
≤
∞

1> p \leq \infty

in a domain

Ω
\Omega

if and only if the expansion
\[

u
(
x
)
=

α
2

{

max

B
ε

(
x
)

¯

u
+

min

B
ε

(
x
)

¯

u
}

+

β

|

B
ε

(
x
)

|

∫

B
ε

(
x
)

u

d
y
+
o
(

ε
2

)

u(x) = \frac {\alpha }{2} \left \{ \max _{\overline {B_\varepsilon (x)}} u + \min _{\overline {B_\varepsilon (x)}} u \right \} + \frac {\beta }{|B_\varepsilon (x)|} \int _{B_\varepsilon (x)} u \,d y + o (\varepsilon ^2)

\]
holds as

ε
→
0

\varepsilon \to 0

for

x
∈
Ω

x\in \Omega

in a weak sense, which we call the viscosity sense. Here the coefficients

α
,
β

\alpha , \beta

are determined by

α
+
β
=
1

\alpha + \beta =1

and

α

/

β
=
(
p
−
2
)

/

(
N
+
2
)

\alpha /\beta = (p-2)/(N+2)

.
MIRAGAA—a methodology for finding coordinated effects of microRNA expression changes and genome aberrations in cancer
Authors: Gaire Raj K. , Bailey James , Bearfoot Jennifer , Campbell Ian G. , Stuckey Peter J. , Haviv Izhak 
Published: November 2009

AbstractMotivation: Cancer evolves through microevolution where random lesions that provide the biggest advantage to cancer stand out in their frequent occurrence in multiple samples. At the same time, a gene function can be changed by aberration of the corresponding gene or modification of microRNA (miRNA) expression, which attenuates the gene. In a large number of cancer samples, these two mechanisms might be distributed in a coordinated and almost mutually exclusive manner. Understanding this coordination may assist in identifying changes which significantly produce the same functional impact on cancer phenotype, and further identify genes that are universally required for cancer. Present methodologies for finding aberrations usually analyze single datasets, which cannot identify such pairs of coordinating genes and miRNAs.Results: We have developed MIRAGAA, a statistical approach, to assess the coordinated changes of genome copy numbers and miRNA expression. We have evaluated MIRAGAA on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Glioblastoma Multiforme datasets. In these datasets, a number of genome regions coordinating with different miRNAs are identified. Although well known for their biological significance, these genes and miRNAs would be left undetected for being less significant if the two datasets were analyzed individually.Availability and Implementation: The source code, implemented in R and java, is available from our project web site at http://www.csse.unimelb.edu.au/∼rgaire/MIRAGAA/index.htmlContact: rgaire@csse.unimelb.edu.auSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Scale loss and mortality in angled-and-released eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis)
Authors: Butcher Paul A. , Broadhurst Matt K. , Hall Karina C. , Cullis Brian R. , Nicoll Robert G. 
Published: November 2009

Abstract
Butcher, P. A., Broadhurst, M. K., Hall, K. C., Cullis, B. R., and Nicoll, R. G. 2010. Scale loss and mortality in angled-and-released eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 522–529. The eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis) is an endemic Australian marine teleost that is angled in large numbers throughout its distribution. Most fish are retained, although some are released, mainly because of size-grading in response to bag limits. Owing to their fragility, there are concerns that few released fish survive. To investigate this assumption, 185 angled and 90 control eastern sea garfish were released in groups of five into holding cages, then monitored for up to 24 h. One control and 93 angled fish died, providing an adjusted angled mortality rate of 49.2%. All fish that ingested their hooks (n=7) subsequently died. Generalized linear mixed models for the remaining mouth-hooked garfish revealed that mortalities were mainly caused by scale loss (p<0.01) and air exposure (p<0.05). Further analyses revealed that scale loss most likely occurred when fish were held with dry bare hands (p<0.05), dropped (p<0.05) and exposed to air (p<0.01), or confined in 20-l buckets (p<0.05) for long periods. Air exposure was not significantly affected by any of the variables. Magnetic resonance imaging of 10 live and 5 dead angled-and-released fish revealed no significant differences in dermal damage, although the fatalities typically had greater abrasions than the survivors. The results demonstrate that the fate of eastern sea garfish can be improved significantly if they are released quickly, without physical contact. This protocol could have similar utility among other released species with deciduous scales.
Clinical Outcomes after Hybrid Coronary Revascularization versus Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass
Authors: Vassiliades Thomas A. , Kilgo Patrick D. , Douglas John S. , Babaliaros Vasilis C. , Block Peter C. , Samady Habib , Cates Christopher U. , Rab S. Tanveer , Morris Douglas C 
Published: November 2009

Objective Hybrid coronary revascularization is offered as an alternative strategy for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD). We present our experience and provide a comparative analysis to off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). Methods Ninety-one patients with multivessel CAD underwent minimally invasive left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending grafting in combination with percutaneous coronary intervention of nonleft anterior descending targets (HYBRID). The primary end point of this study was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as death, stroke, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. MACCE in the HYBRID group were compared with 4175 contemporaneously performed OPCAB operations by logistic (30-day outcomes) and Cox proportional hazards (long-term survival) regression methods. Propensity scoring was used to adjust for potential selection bias. Results The 30-day MACCE (death/stroke/nonfatal myocardial infarction) rate was 1.1% for the HYBRID group (0%/0%/1.1%) and 3.0% for the OPCAB group (1.8%/1.1%/0.5%) (odds ratio = 0.47, P = 0.48). Angiographic left internal mammary artery evaluation was obtained in 95.6% of patients (87 of 91) revealing FitzGibbon A patency in 98.0% (96 of 98). The reintervention rate at 1 year for the HYBRID group was 5.5% (5 of 91) and was limited to repeat percutaneous coronary intervention. Three-year survival was statistically similar for the two groups (hazard ratio = 0.44, P = 0.18, see Kaplan-Meier figure). Conclusions Hybrid coronary revascularization may be noninferior to OPCAB with respect to early MACCE and 3-year survival in the treatment of multivessel CAD.
Tactile Mapping System
Authors: Oie Tomonori , Suzuki Hisato , Fukuda Toru , Murayama Yoshinobu , Omata Sadao , Kanda Keiichi , Nakayama Yasuhide 
Published: November 2009

Objective We demonstrated that the tactile mapping system (TMS) has a high degree of spatial precision in the distribution mapping of surface elasticity of tissues or organs. Methods Samples used were a circumferential section of a small-caliber porcine artery (diameter: ~3 mm) and an elasticity test pattern with a line and space configuration for the distribution mapping of elasticity, prepared by regional micropatterning of a 14-μm thick gelatin hydrogel coating on a polyurethane sheet. Surface topography and elasticity in normal saline were simultaneously investigated by TMS using a probe with a diameter of 5 or 12 μm, a spatial interval of 1 to 5 μm, and an indentation depth of 4 μm. Results In the test pattern, a spatial resolution in TMS of <5 μm was acquired under water with a minimal probe diameter and spatial interval of the probe movement. TMS was used for the distribution mapping of surface elasticity in a flat, circumferential section (thickness: ~0.5 mm) of a porcine artery, and the concentric layers of the vascular wall, including the collagen-rich and elastin-rich layers, could be clearly differentiated in terms of surface elasticity at the spatial resolution of <2 μm. Conclusions TMS is a simple and inexpensive technique for the distribution mapping of the surface elasticity in vascular tissues at the spatial resolution <2 μm. TMS has the ability to analyze a complex structure of the tissue samples under normal saline.
Robotic Right Gastroepiploic Artery Harvesting
Authors: Hirano Yasumitsu , Ishikawa Norihiko , Watanabe Go 
Published: November 2009

Objective Robotic surgery promises to extend the capabilities of the minimally invasive surgeon, and many surgical specialties are applying this new technology. However, there is no report of robotic harvesting of the right gastroepiploic artery (rGEA). We evaluated the possibility of video-endoscopic dissection of the rGEA using the da Vinci surgical system for use in minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery. Methods The procedure was performed on a porcine rGEA harvesting model using the Tuebingen MIS-Trainer and a pig model. In the pig model, a pneumoperitoneum (maximal pressure, 12 mm Hg) was established after the insertion of a 12-mm trocar (camera) using the open method. The surgical cart was positioned at the head of the pig. A 30-degree three-dimensional camera, using two parallel-arranged three-chip cameras, was inserted and mounted on the middle 12-mm trocar. Under direct visualization, the two lateral surgical arm trocars were then placed at both sides of the camera port. We mounted a permanent cautery hook and Cadiere forceps on the right and left surgical arm, respectively. Results We performed harvesting of the rGEA with the permanent cautery hook and Cadiere forceps mounted on the surgical arms. The rGEA were easily visualized and dissection with complete mobilization was achieved without injury in both models. The bleeding from the branch of the rGEA was prevented by use of the permanent cautery hook in the pig model. Conclusions We have preliminarily established, in pig, the feasibility of robotic rGEA harvesting without laparotomy, avoiding the risks of abdominal complications and expanding its use for all patients. However, further studies need to be undertaken to prove its practical feasibility in humans using the da Vinci surgical system to make it an effective operation.
Impact of Previous PCI on Hospital Mortality after Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Diabetic Patients with Multivessel Disease
Authors: Kinoshita Takeshi , Asai Tohru , Murakami Yoshitaka , Takashima Noriyuki , Hosoba Soh , Nishimura Osamu , Ikegami Hirohisa , Hiramatsu Norihiko , Suzuki Tomoaki , Kambara Atsushi , Matsubayashi Keiji 
Published: November 2009

Objective Because percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been performed excessively, many patients initially managed with PCI are being referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of previous PCI on surgical mortality after off-pump CABG in diabetic patients with multivessel disease. Methods Between January 2002 and April 2008, 595 consecutive patients (99.8% off-pump) had isolated CABG by one single surgeon. Of these, 274 patients with diabetes mellitus and multivessel disease were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with previous PCI (n = 79) were compared with patients with no previous PCI (n = 196), and risk-adjusted impact of previous PCI on surgical mortality after CABG was determined using multivariate and propensity score analyses. Results All patients underwent off-pump CABG without conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during operation. Patients with previous PCI had a significantly higher prevalence of history of myocardial infarction, renal dysfunction, and hemodialysis. Rates of surgical mortality were higher in patients with previous PCI (7.6% versus 1.0%, P = 0.008). After multivariate logistic regression analysis including all potential univariate predictors, previous PCI remained a strong predictor of surgical mortality [odds ratio (OR), 6.9; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2 to 42.1; P = 0.035]. After matching and regression adjustment by propensity score, the impact of previous PCI on surgical mortality was similar in direction (matching OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 0.8 to 55.0; P = 0.088; regression adjustment OR, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 33.6; P = 0.031). Conclusions Previous PCI increases the risk of surgical mortality after off-pump CABG in diabetic patients with multivessel disease.
Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy
Authors: Laxa Bernadette U. , Harold Kristi L. , Jaroszewski Dawn E. 
Published: November 2009

Objective Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) can be performed a variety of ways using different techniques for the anastomosis. End-to-end anastomosis (EEA) transoral circular staplers have traditionally been used in gastric bypass surgery with good success. An evaluation of the safety and utility of the EEA transoral circular stapler for esophageal anastomoses in MIE is reviewed. Methods A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent transthoracic MIE with EEA-stapled transoral anastomoses between January 2008 and May 2009 was performed. Patient demographics, indication for esophagectomy, perioperative treatments, intraoperative data, postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated. Results Twenty-six consecutive patients underwent MIE with EEA circular-stapled transthoracic anastomoses. Twenty-three were male with a mean age of 64 years (32–88). Indications for esophagectomy included esophageal cancer (24), high-grade dysplasia (1), and refractory stricture (1). Fifteen patients (63%) had neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. There were no conversions to open thoracotomy or laparotomy. Mean operative time was 6.0 hours. Eight patients (31%) suffered postoperative complications; including leak from the gastric conduit staple line requiring operative intervention (1), postoperative bleeding requiring multiple transfusions (1), aspiration pneumonia (1), acute respiratory distress syndrome (1), myocardial infarction (1), chylothorax (1), and anastomotic stricture (2). Median hospital length of stay was 9 days (range 6–43). There were no in-hospital mortalities. Conclusions In our series, the EEA circular stapler seems technically feasible and relatively safe for an intrathoracic anastomosis in MIE.
Unringing a bell: metazoan phylogenomics and the partition bootstrap
Authors: Siddall Mark E. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractSeveral large phylogenomic analyses have recently cast doubt on long‐held beliefs about early metazoan phylogenetic patterns. Those data sets, and the relative bootstrap support for various controversial clades, are reanalysed in the context of parsimony, yielding results that are at considerable odds with the original likelihood or Bayesian findings. Discrepancies are considered in light of the tendency of RAxML to overestimate support values by virtue (sic) of its lazy search algorithm and its autocorrelated pseudoreplication as well as the extraordinary ability for Bayesian analyses to be led astray by missing data. In addition to standard nonparametric bootstrapping as a measure of support, a new strategy involving resampling loci as units, partition bootstrap support, is introduced as a more defensible alternative to resampling nonindependent sites. © The Willi Hennig Society 2009.
Multivariate evaluation of pharmacological responses in early clinical trials – a study of rIL‐21 in the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma
Authors: Rasmussen Morten Arendt , Colding‐Jørgensen Morten , Hansen Lasse Tengbjerg , Bro Rasmus 
Published: November 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Analysis of data from clinical trials is often performed using univariate statistics.• In early phases of clinical drug development, interpretation of rare clinical events can be difficult by univariate methods.• Principal component analysis has proven successful within related scientific areas such as, for example, genomics and metabonomics, where compression of data and extraction of maximum information are of utmost importance. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • This study reveals that multivariate chemometric methods coupled with visualization gives a comprehensive overview of early clinical trial data to guide dose and regimen selection and provides additional findings overlooked by traditional univariate methods.• This method revealed novel pharmacological patterns in the treatment of metastatic melanoma with recombinant interleukin‐21.AIMS Evaluation of the utility of multivariate data analysis in early clinical drug development.METHODS A multivariate chemometric approach was developed and applied for evaluating clinical laboratory parameters and biomarkers obtained from two clinical trials investigating recombinant human interleukin‐21 (rIL‐21) in the treatment of patients with malignant melanoma. The Phase I trial was an open‐label, first‐human dose escalation safety and tolerability trial with two separate dosing regimens; six cycles of thrice weekly (3/w) vs. three cycles of daily dosing for 5 days followed by 9 days of rest (5+9) in a total of 29 patients. The Phase II trial investigated efficacy and safety of the ‘5+9’ regimen in 24 patients.RESULTS From the Phase I trial, separate pharmacological patterns were observed for each regimen, clearly reflecting distinct properties of the two regimens. Relations between individual laboratory parameters were visualized and shown to be responsive to rIL‐21 dosing. In particular, novel systematic pharmacological effects on liver function parameters as well as a bell‐shaped dose–response relationship of the overall pharmacological effects were depicted. In validation of the method, multivariate pharmacological patterns discovered in the Phase I trial could be reproduced by the dataset from the Phase II trial, but not from univariate exploration of the Phase I trial.CONCLUSIONS The new data analytical approach visualized novel correlations between laboratory parameters that points to specific pharmacological properties. This multivariate chemometric data analysis offers a novel robust, comprehensive and intuitive tool to reveal early pharmacological responses and guide selection of dose regimens.
Ribosome‐associated nucleophosmin 1: increased expression and shuttling activity distinguishes prognostic subtypes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Rees‐Unwin Karen S. , Faragher Robin , Unwin Richard D. , Adams Julie , Brown Philip J. , Buckle Ann‐Marie , Pettitt Andrew , Hutchinson Claire V. , Johnson Suzanne M. , Pulford Karen , Banham Alison H. , Whetton Anthony D. , Lucas Guy , Mason David Y. , Burthem John 
Published: November 2009

SummaryTwo distinct groups of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) are distinguished by the presence or absence of somatic hypermutation of the immunoglobulin heavy‐chain gene. CLL without somatic hypermuataion has an adverse outcome, but the precise biological differences that underlie this more aggressive clinical‐course are unclear. Using a proteomic approach, we found that the two prognostic forms of CLL were consistently distinguished according to their protein expression pattern. The most important difference observed related to the different expression of nucleophosmin 1 between the two forms of CLL. This different expression was not related to apoptosis, proliferation or gene mutation. However, co‐immunoprecipitation experiments identified an association between nucleophosmin 1 and ribosomal proteins. Using immunocytofluorescence, nucleophosmin 1 expression was identified in the nucleoli and nucleoplasm of all cells, but in a proportion of cells, nucleophosmin had been transferred from the nucleoplasm to the cytoplasm. Both the fluorescent intensity, and the frequency of cytoplasmic nucleophosmin 1 expression, was higher in CLL without somatic hypermutation. We propose therefore, that nucleophosmin 1, in association with ribosomal proteins, undergoes nucleo‐cytoplasmic shuttling in CLL. This process is most prominent in un‐mutated CLL and may signify altered protein biosynthesis.