bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Red cell microparticle enumeration: validation of a flow cytometric approach
Authors: Xiong Z. , Oriss T. B. , Cavaretta J. P. , Rosengart M. R. , Lee J. S. 
Published: January 2012

Background and Objectives  There is growing interest in the clinical application of red blood cell (RBC) microparticle (MP) enumeration as they have been postulated to be effectors of coagulation and inflammation following transfusion and in sickle cell disease. No uniform approach in MP enumeration exists and a key limitation is the lack of an internal validation process. We present and validate a flow cytometric approach where an internal standard is utilized.Materials and Methods  Glycophorin A+ Annexin V+ events were enumerated using MPs isolated from RBC units or plasma samples obtained from volunteers. A mixture of absolute counting (7·6 μm) and calibration beads (0·5, 0·9 and 3 μm) at a fixed ratio was added to each sample.Results  RBC MPs were initially selected based upon a fluorescence threshold, and the 0·5‐ and 0·9‐μm beads defined the upper and lower light scatter distribution of MPs. The ratio of 7·6:3‐μm bead events was used as an internal standard to validate the precision of MP enumeration across samples (coefficient of variation = 2·5–7·2%) and remained constant in both platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) and platelet‐free plasma (PFP). RBC MP counts increased in both PRP and PFP obtained from whole blood stimulated with ionophore and increasing calcium concentrations, with PRP showing higher MP counts than PFP at every concentration studied.Conclusion  This method is a useful strategy to detect RBC MP counts across bio‐samples provided that the flow cytometer can reliably discriminate the size of the calibration beads.
Induced out‐of‐plane mode at the tip of blunt lateral notches and holes under in‐plane shear loading
Authors: BERTO F. , LAZZARIN P. , KOTOUSOV A. , POOK L. P. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTAs it is well known the Poisson's effect in a cracked plate subjected to anti‐symmetric plane loading leads to the generation of a coupled out‐of‐plane singular mode. Recent theoretical and numerical analyses have shown that this effect is present also in plates weakened by sharp V‐notches and might play a role in failure initiation phenomena of notched plates subjected to Mode II loading, especially in the presence of a large notch opening angle.Dealing with blunt notches with a large notch radius, and not just with sharp notches, the presence or not of an out‐of‐plane mode does not appear to have been systematically investigated in the past. The main aim of this work is to confirm the existence of the stress field associated with the out‐of‐plane mode (Mode O) and to describe its main features in the presence of a notch radius significantly different from zero. The analyses include U‐notches, as well as circular and elliptic holes. The strain energy density in a 3D control volume is utilized to identify the most critical zone (with respect to failure initiation) through the plate thickness at the notch tip.
Inputs from the basolateral amygdala to the nucleus accumbens shell control opiate reward magnitude via differential dopamine D1 or D2 receptor transmission
Authors: Lintas Alessandra , Chi Ning , Lauzon Nicole M. , Bishop Stephanie F. , Sun Ninglei , Tan Huibing , Laviolette Steven R. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe basolateral amygdala (BLA), ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (NAc) form a functionally connected neural circuit involved in the processing of opiate‐related reward and memory. Dopamine (DA) projections from the ventral tegmental area to the BLA modulate associative plasticity mechanisms within the BLA. However, the role of DA receptor signaling in the BLA and its functional outputs to the NAc during opiate reward processing is not currently understood. Using an unbiased place conditioning procedure, we measured the rewarding effects of morphine following intra‐BLA microinfusions of specific DA D1 or D2 receptor agonists in either opiate‐naive or opiate‐dependent/withdrawn rats. Activation of intra‐BLA D1 receptors strongly potentiated the behaviorally rewarding effects of opiates, only in the opiate‐naive state. However, once opiate dependence and withdrawal occurred, the intra‐BLA DA‐mediated potentiation of opiate reward salience switched to a D2 receptor‐dependent substrate. We next performed single‐unit, in‐vivo extracellular neuronal recordings in the NAc shell (NA shell), to determine if intra‐BLA D1/D2 receptor activation may modulate the NA shell neuronal response patterns to morphine. Consistent with our behavioral results, intra‐BLA D1 or D2 receptor activation potentiated NAc ‘shell’ (NA shell) neuronal responses to sub‐reward threshold opiate administration, following the same functional boundary between the opiate‐naive and opiate‐dependent/withdrawn states. Finally, blockade of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate transmission within the NA shell blocked intra‐BLA DA D1 or D2 receptor‐mediated opiate reward potentiation. Our findings demonstrate a novel and functional DA D1/D2 receptor‐mediated opiate reward memory switch within the BLA→NA shell circuit that controls opiate reward magnitude as a function of opiate exposure state.
Cerebellar long‐term depression requires dephosphorylation of TARP in Purkinje cells
Authors: Nomura Toshihiro , Kakegawa Wataru , Matsuda Shinji , Kohda Kazuhisa , Nishiyama Jun , Takahashi Takao , Yuzaki Michisuke 
Published: January 2012

AbstractCerebellar long‐term depression (LTD) at parallel fiber (PF)–Purkinje cell synapses is thought to play an essential role in certain forms of motor learning. Like hippocampal LTD, cerebellar LTD is mediated by the endocytosis of AMPA (α‐amino‐3‐hydroxyl‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole‐propionate) receptors at postsynaptic sites. However, similar sets of kinases and phosphatases have opposite regulatory effects on hippocampal and cerebellar LTD, although the mechanisms responsible for this difference remain largely unclear. Activity‐dependent dephosphorylation of stargazin (an AMPA receptor auxiliary protein) by calcineurin regulates hippocampal LTD, but whether and how stargazin is involved in cerebellar LTD is unknown. In this study, we showed that stargazin is highly phosphorylated at basal states and is dephosphorylated by the application of high KCl plus glutamate (K‐glu) or of a metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist, (S)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), both of which chemically induced LTD in cerebellar slices. This chemically induced dephosphorylation of stargazin was specifically blocked by a calcineurin inhibitor. Indeed, inclusion of the calcineurin auto‐inhibitory peptide in the patch pipette solution completely inhibited the LTD induced by the conjunctive stimulation of PFs and Purkinje cells. Furthermore, in Purkinje cells expressing stargazin‐9D, in which all nine serine residues are mutated to aspartate, neither conjunctive stimulus nor DHPG treatment induced LTD. Finally, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that neither K‐glu nor DHPG induced the endocytosis of AMPA receptors in Purkinje cells expressing stargazin‐9D. Together, these results indicate that hippocampal and cerebellar LTD share a common pathway, namely dephosphorylation of stargazin by calcineurin.
4D Brachytherapy, a novel real‐time prostate brachytherapy technique using stranded and loose seeds
Authors: Langley Stephen E. M. , Laing Robert W. 
Published: January 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?There are a number of techniques used successfully to perform brachytherapy, including 2‐stage procedures and realtime techniques using loose seeds.This study demonstrates a one‐stage realtime brachytherapy technique using stranded seeds with improved time efficiency and clinical outcome: 4D Brachytherapy.This paper reviews the development of a new one‐stage prostate brachytherapy technique (4D Brachytherapy) using a combination of stranded and loose seeds. This novel technique utilizes a nomogram constructed from over 1000 procedures to calculate the seed requirement in advance of the implant. This allows stranded seeds to be pre‐ordered and loaded prior to the procedure rather than per‐operatively, resulting in a more efficient use of operating room time. The use of both stranded and loose seeds may reduce the risk of migration from peripherally placed seeds via the venous plexus, whilst maintaining the flexibility to optimize the dose within the prostate and especially at the apex of the gland. Prospectively collected data show significantly improved dosimetry: median D90 143 and 153 Gy (P < 0.005) and median V100 88% and 93% (P < 0.005) for the Seattle technique and 4D Brachytherapy implant technique, respectively. Also there was a reduced short‐term urinary morbidity as assessed by the change in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at 3 months and 1 year compared with the Seattle technique. Mean (sd) change in IPSS from baseline at 1 year was 2.73 (5.92) and 0.97 (5.10) for the Seattle and 4D Brachytherapy series, respectively (P < 0.049).
Brachytherapy for the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy
Authors: Gomez‐Veiga Francisco , Mariño Alfonso , Alvarez Luis , Rodriguez Ignacio , Fernandez Carlos , Pertega Sonia , Candal Arturo 
Published: January 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?The curative treatment of prostate cancer includes surgery, external beam radiation or interstitial radiation. However, a high percentage of patients may develop recurrent disease, which is often localised. The possibilities of treatment in these cases, including surgery or adjuvant radiotherapy, are not well defined.Brachytherapy is a well established first‐line treatment option. We review and update the use of brachytherapy in the treatment of recurrences post‐radiotherapy, brachytherapy or radical prostatectomy as an alternative to surgery and radiotherapy, with a focus on functional and oncological outcomes.Salvage therapeutic options following radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy for patients with local relapse of prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy or cryotherapy. Salvage radical prostatectomy following radiotherapy failure is associated with a 5‐year PSA relapse‐free rate of 30–40%. Biochemical relapse‐free survival rates after salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy failure range from 10% to 77% after a follow‐up of 22–60 months. A number of studies have evaluated salvage brachytherapy for radiotherapy failure and 5‐year biochemical disease‐free survival (bDFS) rate results reported are of the order of 20–87%; one study reported a 10‐year bDFS rate of 54%. Fewer studies in small numbers of patients and with shorter follow‐up have been conducted on brachytherapy for radical prostatectomy failure and bDFS rates reported include 25.8% at a median of 29 months to 70% at a median of 20 months. The side‐effects were as expected for brachytherapy. A newer initiative conducted in Spain in a larger series of 42 patients with failure following radical prostatectomy involves brachytherapy with RAPID Strand™125I seeds and real‐time placement. The 5‐year bDFS rate was 88.6% and cancer‐specific survival was 97%; complication rates were low. Optimization of salvage brachytherapy is under way and involves accurate placement of seeds, dose optimization and optimal patient selection.
THE CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY: A SURVEY
Authors: Papoutsi Georgia S. , Drichoutis Andreas C. , Nayga Rodolfo M. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractChildhood obesity rates are rapidly rising in many countries. Because it is highly likely that obesity will persist into adulthood, current rates undermine the health and future of people in developed as well as developing countries. This public health epidemic carries significant economic, social as well as individual‐level consequences and has become a research topic of significant interest in various disciplines including economics. We survey the literature in economics and related disciplines associated with the causes of childhood obesity and synthesize the results to provide a better understanding of the explanations for the rising childhood obesity rates. This is an important step in crafting effective policies to combat global childhood obesity trends.
Development of de novo prolapse in untreated vaginal compartments after prolapse repair with and without mesh: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Withagen MI , Milani AL , de Leeuw JW , Vierhout ME 
Published: January 2012

Please cite this paper as: Withagen M, Milani A, de Leeuw J, Vierhout M. Development of de novo prolapse in untreated vaginal compartments after prolapse repair with and without mesh: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. BJOG 2012;119:354–360.Objective  To compare the de novo prolapse rate in the untreated vaginal compartments following conventional vaginal prolapse repair and tension‐free vaginal mesh repair.Design  Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.Setting  Thirteen centres in the Netherlands.Population  Women with recurrent pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher.Methods  Random assignment to either conventional vaginal native tissue repair or vaginal mesh insertion.Main outcome measures  Primary outcome: de novo pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher in the untreated vaginal compartments at 12 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes: de novo pelvic organ prolapse at and beyond the hymen, de novo prolapse beyond the hymen and prolapse domain scores of the Urogenital Distress Inventory.Results  At 12 months ten of 59 women (17%) in the conventional group versus 29 of 62 women (47%) in the mesh group were diagnosed with a de novo pelvic organ prolapse stage II or higher in the untreated compartment (P < 0.001, odds ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.9–10.0). Additional apical support to a mesh‐augmented anterior repair significantly reduced the de novo prolapse rate. Women with a de novo prolapse in the mesh‐treated group demonstrated significantly higher mean bother scores on the domain genital prolapse of the Urogenital Distress Inventory score (13.1 ± 24.2) compared with those without de novo prolapse (2.9 ± 13.9) (P = 0.03).Conclusion  Mesh‐augmented prolapse repair in only one vaginal compartment is associated with a higher de novo prolapse rate in the untreated compartments compared with conventional vaginal native tissue repair in women with recurrent pelvic organ prolapse.
Candidacy for Kidney Transplantation of Older Adults
Authors: Grams Morgan E. , Kucirka Lauren M. , Hanrahan Colleen F. , Montgomery Robert A. , Massie Allan B. , Segev Dorry L. 
Published: January 2012

OBJECTIVESTo develop a prediction model for kidney transplantation (KT) outcomes specific to older adults with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) and to use this model to estimate the number of excellent older KT candidates who lack access to KT.DESIGNSecondary analysis of data collected by the United Network for Organ Sharing and U.S. Renal Disease System.SETTINGRetrospective analysis of national registry data.PARTICIPANTSModel development: Medicare‐primary older recipients (aged ≥ 65) of a first KT between 1999 and 2006 (N = 6,988). Model application: incident Medicare‐primary older adults with ESRD between 1999 and 2006 without an absolute or relative contraindication to transplantation (N = 128,850).MEASUREMENTSComorbid conditions were extracted from U.S. Renal Disease System Form 2728 data and Medicare claims.RESULTSThe prediction model used 19 variables to estimate post‐KT outcome and showed good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow P = .44) and better prediction than previous population‐average models (P < .001). Application of the model to the population with incident ESRD identified 11,756 excellent older transplant candidates (defined as >87% predicted 3‐year post‐KT survival, corresponding to the top 20% of transplanted older adults used in model development), of whom 76.3% (n = 8,966) lacked access. It was estimated that 11% of these candidates would have identified a suitable live donor had they been referred for KT.CONCLUSIONA risk‐prediction model specific to older adults can identify excellent KT candidates. Appropriate referral could result in significantly greater rates of KT in older adults.
An Empirical Investigation of Student Evaluations of Instruction—The Relative Importance of Factors
Authors: Nargundkar Satish , Shrikhande Milind 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTWe analyzed over 100,000 student evaluations of instruction over 4 years in the college of business at a major public university. We found that the original instrument that was validated about 20 years ago is still valid, with factor analysis showing that the six underlying dimensions used in the instrument remained relatively intact. Also, we found that the relative importance of those six factors in the overall assessment of instruction changed over the past two decades, reflecting changes in the expectations of the current millennial generation of students. The results were consistent across four subgroups studied—Undergraduate Core, Undergraduate Noncore, Graduate Core, and Graduate Noncore classes, with minor differences. Student Motivation (the instructor's ability to motivate students) and grading/assignments (fairness and objectivity of grading practices) have superseded presentation ability in relative importance as indicators of overall teaching effectiveness. Our study has implications for teachers in terms of the appropriate areas to focus on for improving their teaching practices.
E‐Textbooks and Students’ Learning Experiences
Authors: Sun Jun , Flores Javier , Tanguma Jesus 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTThe contribution of the e‐textbooks can be enormous considering their additional supporting features, but adoption has not crystallized yet. This study examines the relevant experiences of college students in terms of how the use of e‐textbooks may enhance their learning. A survey study was conducted to measure the perceptions of each student on how helpful an e‐textbook is for facilitating learning (i.e., E‐book Helpfulness), how well it promotes his/her involvement in learning (i.e., Student Involvement), and how much improvement it makes on learning outcome (i.e., Learning Outcome). Results indicate that e‐textbooks are perceived as enhancers of student learning experiences in two complementing routes: (1) E‐textbook Helpfulness enhances students’ learning outcomes directly and (2) Student Involvement plays an important mediating role between E‐textbook Helpfulness and Learning Outcome if students use e‐textbooks in class. These findings suggest that the successful adoption of e‐textbooks requires schools to provide necessary resources (e.g., computer labs) and instructors to actively engage students in using e‐textbooks.
Using Continuous Improvement to Enhance an Online Course
Authors: Aggarwal Anil K. , Lynn Susan A. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTAssessment is becoming important from many different perspectives. Universities are planning, developing, and testing various assessment models to satisfy stakeholders. Many accrediting agencies are also requiring assessment plans and their implementation from universities for reaccreditation. This article describes how assessment was used to continuously improve a database course in a Web MBA program, and combines Deming's Plan‐Do‐Check‐Act (PDCA) cycle with Bloom's taxonomy to develop rubrics for problem solving learning objectives in an online course. Results from direct and indirect measurements are used to improve the course. Specifically, two semester results are compared for course assessment. Results show some improvement; however, the course requires continuous improvement to meet benchmarks. The model presented here is generic in nature and should be useful for all educators who plan to initiate or continue the assessment and continuous improvement process. Instead of reinventing the wheel, educators can learn from our experiences and use the results as a starting point for their own assessment programs.
Collateral Consequences in the American States*
Authors: Ewald Alec C. 
Published: January 2012

ObjectiveThis article seeks to analyze varying collateral‐consequences policies—laws restricting the rights and privileges of people who have had contact with the criminal‐justice system, particularly those with conviction records—in the American states.MethodsState policies in eight areas are examined, coded, and combined into an eight‐point scale, which then serves as the dependent variable for a regression analysis. The analysis models such restrictions as products of ideological and partisan, racial, and criminal‐justice‐based predictors.ResultsNeither Democratic Party influence nor crime levels appear to influence significantly state collateral‐sanctions levels; more liberal citizen ideology predicts slightly more lenient policies, while harsher restrictions accompany rising state incarceration rates. Racial variables press in opposite directions: within the model, scores rise as a state's black population increases, but fall as the percentage of African Americans in the state legislature rises.ConclusionFormally creatures of civil rather than criminal law, these “collateral” restrictions appear to possess important affinities with other punitive policies in the United States, yet also resist unambiguous linkage to ideological, criminal‐justice, and racial predictors.
Primary drug resistance to anti‐tuberculosis drugs in major towns of Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: YIMER SOLOMON ABEBE , AGONAFIR MULUALEM , DERESE YOHANNES , SANI YUSUF , BJUNE GUNNAR A , HOLM‐HANSEN CAROL 
Published: January 2012

Yimer SA, Agonafir M, Derese Y, Sani Y, Bjune GA, Holm‐Hansen C. Primary drug resistance to anti‐tuberculosis drugs in major towns of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. APMIS 2012; 120: 503–9.Drug resistance is a major obstacle to effective TB control program performance. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of primary drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A total of 112 Mtb isolates from cases with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB were subjected to drug susceptibility testing (DST) in a cross‐sectional study. Isolates were tested for sensitivity to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and streptomycin using the MGIT 960 protocol. A total of 93 Mtb isolates yielded valid DST results and 28 (30.1%) were resistant to one or more of first line anti‐TB drugs. One isolate (1.0%) was multi‐drug resistant (MDR), five (5.4%) were classified as poly‐resistant and 22 showed single drug resistance to either streptomycin (n = 19) or isoniazid (n = 3). Isolates from HIV‐positive patients were more likely to be resistant to at least one of the four anti‐TB drugs compared with HIV‐negative individuals (odds ratio 2.76, 95% confidence interval 1.06–7.22; p = 0.03). The study showed a high prevalence of primary drug resistance. Even though the prevalence of MDR was low, conditions that can contribute to the development of MDR are increasing. Therefore, regular monitoring of drug resistance and enhanced implementation of TB/HIV collaborative activities in the study region are imperative.