bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A PV Perspective on the Vertical Structure of Mature Midlatitude Cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Čampa Jana , Wernli Heini 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Development of extratropical cyclones can be seen as an interplay of three positive potential vorticity anomalies: an upper-level stratospheric intrusion, low-tropospheric diabatically produced potential vorticity (PV), and a warm anomaly at the surface acting as a surrogate PV anomaly. This study, based on the interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) dataset, quantifies the amplitude of the PV anomalies of mature extratropical cyclones in different regions in the Northern Hemisphere on a climatological basis.
A tracking algorithm is applied to sea level pressure (SLP) fields to identify cyclone tracks. Surface potential temperature anomalies Δθ and vertical profiles of PV anomalies ΔPV are calculated at the time of the cyclones’ minimum SLP in a vertical cylinder around the surface cyclone center. To compare the cyclones’ characteristics they are grouped according to their location and intensity. Composite ΔPV profiles are calculated for each region and intensity class at the time of minimum SLP and during the cyclone intensification phase.
In the mature stage all three anomalies are on average larger for intense than for weak winter cyclones [e.g., 0.6 versus 0.2 potential vorticity units (PVU; 1 PVU = 10−6 K kg−1 m2 s−1) at lower levels, and 1.5 versus 0.5 PVU at upper levels]. The regional variability of the cyclones’ vertical structure and the profile evolution is prominent (cyclones in some regions are more sensitive to the amplitude of a particular anomaly than in other regions). Values of Δθ and low-level ΔPV are on average larger in the western parts of the oceans than in the eastern parts. Results for summer are qualitatively similar, except for distinctively weaker surface Δθ values.
Model Study of Intermediate-Scale Tropical Inertia–Gravity Waves and Comparison to TWP-ICE Campaign Observations
Authors: Evan Stephanie , Alexander M. Joan , Dudhia Jimy 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
A 2-day inertia–gravity wave (IGW) was observed in high-resolution radiosonde soundings of horizontal wind and temperature taken during the 2006 Tropical Warm Pool–International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) experiment in the Darwin area. The wave was observed in the stratosphere above Darwin from 28 January to 5 February. A similar wave event is observed in the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) operational data. A comparison between the characteristics of the IGW derived with the ECMWF data to the properties of the wave derived with the radiosonde data shows that the ECMWF data capture similar structure for this 2-day wave event but with a larger vertical wavelength.
A reverse ray-tracing method is used to localize the source region. Using ECMWF data to define the atmospheric background conditions and wave properties observed in the soundings, it is found that the 2-day wave event originated from deep convection in the Indonesian region around 20 January.
The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) modeling system is used to complement the ECMWF data to assess the influence of vertical resolution and initial conditions on the wave structure. The model domain is configured as a tropical channel and the ECMWF analyses provide the north/south boundaries and initial conditions. WRF is used with the same horizontal resolution (40 km) as the operational ECMWF in 2006 while using a finer vertical grid spacing than ECMWF. The model is run from 18 January to 11 February to cover the wave life cycle. Different experiments are also performed to determine the sensitivity of the wave structure to cumulus schemes, initial conditions, and vertical resolution. The 2-day wave properties resulting from the WRF experiments are compared to those retrieved from the radiosonde data and from the ECMWF analyses. It is demonstrated that higher vertical resolution would be required for ECMWF to accurately resolve the vertical structure of the wave and its effect on the middle-atmospheric circulation.
Enhancement of Sea Ice Drift due to the Dynamical Interaction between Sea Ice and a Coastal Ocean
Authors: Nakayama Yoshihiro , Ohshima Kay I. , Fukamachi Yasushi 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Wind factor, the ratio of sea ice drift speed to surface wind speed, is a key factor for the dynamics of sea ice and is generally about 2%. In some coastal oceans, however, the wind factor tends to be larger near the coast. This study proposes the enhancement mechanism of the sea ice drift caused by the dynamical coupling between sea ice and a coastal ocean. In a coastal ocean covered with sea ice, wind-forced sea ice drift excites coastal trapped waves (shelf waves) and generates fluctuating ocean current. This ocean current can enhance sea ice drift when the current direction is the same as that of the wind-driven drift. The authors consider a simplified setting where spatially uniform oscillating wind drifts sea ice parallel to the coast. When a barotropic long shelf wave is assumed for the ocean response, sea ice drifts driven by wind and ocean are obtained analytically. The ratio of ocean-driven to wind-driven sea ice drifts is used for the evaluation of the oceanic contribution to the enhancement of sea ice drift. The enhancement is mostly determined by the characteristics of the shelf waves, and sea ice drift is significantly enhanced close to the coast with lower-frequency wind forcing. Comparison with the observation off the Sakhalin coast shows that the degree of enhancement of sea ice drift and its characteristic such that larger enhancement occurs near the coast are mostly consistent with our theoretical solution, suggesting that this mechanism is present in the real ocean.
Multidecadal Sea Level and Gyre Circulation Variability in the Northwestern Tropical Pacific Ocean
Authors: Qiu Bo , Chen Shuiming 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Sea level rise with the trend &gt;10 mm yr−1 has been observed in the tropical western Pacific Ocean over the 1993–2009 period. This rate is 3 times faster than the global-mean value of the sea level rise. Analyses of the satellite altimeter data and repeat hydrographic data along 137°E reveal that this regionally enhanced sea level rise is thermosteric in nature and vertically confined to a patch in the upper ocean above the 12°C isotherm. Dynamically, this regional sea level trend is accompanied by southward migration and strengthening of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC). Using a 1½-layer reduced-gravity model forced by the ECMWF reanalysis wind stress data, the authors find that both the observed sea level rise and the NEC/NECC’s southward migrating and strengthening trends are largely attributable to the upper-ocean water mass redistribution caused by the surface wind stresses of the recently strengthened atmospheric Walker circulation. Based on the long-term model simulation, it is further found that the observed southward migrating and strengthening trends of the NEC and NECC began in the early 1990s. In the two decades prior to 1993, the NEC and NECC had weakened and migrated northward in response to a decrease in the trade winds across the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Predictors of Surgical Outcomes of Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome
Authors: Xiong Yuan Ping , Yi Hong Liang , Yin Shan Kai , Meng Li Li , Tang Xu Lan , Guan Jian , Luo Hui Ping , Zhang Wei Tian , Chen Bin 
Published: September 2011

ObjectivesTo investigate predictors of surgical outcomes of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).Study DesignCase series with planned data collection.SettingA university medical center.Subjects and MethodsThirty‐nine patients with OSAHS received Z‐palatopharyngoplasty (ZPPP) or Han‐uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (H‐UPPP). All patients were evaluated within 3 months before surgery and at 6 to 12 months after surgery. Statistical analyses were conducted on preoperative parameters that could have affected surgical efficacy and outcome. Success was defined as an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) fewer than 20 times per hour and a decrease of more than 50%.ResultsThe success rate was 56.4% (22/39 patients). There were statistically significant differences in AHI, lowest oxygen saturation (L‐Sao2), time with oxygen saturation less than 90% (CT90), percentage of time with oxygen saturation less than 90% (CT90%), microarousal index (MI), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and Friedman OSA stage between the treatment success and failure groups. Higher success rate was predicted by lower severity, as indicated by lower AHI, CT90, CT90%, and MI; higher L‐Sao2; and fewer glucose and lipid metabolism abnormalities, shown by lower ApoE and FBG and higher HDL.ConclusionsDisease severity, glucose and lipid metabolism, and Friedman OSA stage may be important predictors of surgical outcome of UPPP for OSAHS.
T1‐T2 Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uvula
Authors: Espinosa Restrepo Federico , Martínez Capoccioni Gabriel , Martín Martín Carlos 
Published: September 2011

ObjectiveNo specific epidemiology data are available for carcinoma of the uvula. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcomes of carcinoma of the uvula at the authors’ institution.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingService of ENT–Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Complex of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Spain.Subjects and MethodsRetrospective epidemiological study of 21 male patients, mean age 57.52 years, diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the uvula in the CHUS between January 1990 and June 2009.ResultsMost patients presented with odynophagia and exophytic lesions microscopically consistent with moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Despite the size of the lesions (T1 and T2), more than half of the patients had lymph node metastases at diagnosis. More than 90.0% of patients with lesions larger than 1 cm presented with lymph node metastases. Although more than 70.0% of patients underwent a neck dissection in the first year after diagnosis, only 25.0% were free of metastatic disease. Recurrences occurred at a mean of 14 months from baseline in more than 50.0% of cases. Of the patients, 52.4% died, with a median survival of 38.15 months after diagnosis. The overall 5‐year survival was 39.0%. According to tumor size, 5‐year survival was 53.0% for T1 and 27.0% for T2.ConclusionAccording to the data, clinical features of carcinoma of the uvula correspond with aggressive tumors, with rapid onset and a major negative impact regardless of tumor size at diagnosis. Early stage patients benefit significantly from surgical treatments with neck dissections.
Arthroscopic Versus Open Distal Clavicle Excision
Authors: Robertson William J. , Griffith Matthew H. , Carroll Kaitlin , O’Donnell Thomas , Gill Thomas J. 
Published: September 2011

Background: While few comparative studies exist, it has been suggested that open distal clavicle excisions (DCEs) provide inferior results when compared with the all-arthroscopic technique. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the intermediate-term (5-year follow-up) results of patients undergoing arthroscopic versus open DCE for the treatment of recalcitrant acromioclavicular joint pain. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: All patients who underwent an arthroscopic or open DCE between January 1999 and September 2006 were reviewed. Forty-eight patients (49 shoulders; 32 arthroscopic, 17 open) following DCE without significant glenohumeral pathologic changes were included. The mean follow-up for group I (open) and group II (arthroscopic) was 5.3 years and 4.2 years, respectively. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, surgical time, and minimum radiographic acromioclavicular joint distance were calculated. Each patient completed a questionnaire assessing their scar satisfaction, percentage of normal shoulder function, and willingness to have the surgery again. Risk factors for poor outcomes were analyzed. Results: Arthroscopic patients had significantly less pain ( P = .035) by VAS (0.61 ± 1.02) compared with open (1.59 ± 2.15) at final follow-up. There was no significant difference between group I and group II with regard to ASES (87.5 ± 17.6 vs 94.6 ± 8.6), percentage of normal shoulder function (89.7% ± 12.5 vs 92.9% ± 8.6), average operative time (53.1 minutes vs 48 minutes), or radiographic resection distance (12.8 ± 2.1 mm vs 9.5 ± 2.9 mm). In the open group, patients with 16 of 17 shoulders were satisfied with their scar and 100% would do it again. In the arthroscopic group, patients with 31 of 32 shoulders (97%) were both satisfied and would have the surgery again. Conclusion: Open and arthroscopic DCE are both effective surgeries to treat recalcitrant acromioclavicular joint pain. At intermediate-term follow-up, they provide similarly good to excellent results with regard to patient satisfaction and shoulder function. Although both are effective treatments, less residual pain was found using the arthroscopic technique.
Attenuation of leukocyte recruitment via CXCR1/2 inhibition stops the progression of PAH in mice with genetic ablation of endothelial BMPR-II
Authors: Burton Victoria J. , Holmes Alan M. , Ciuclan Loredana I. , Robinson Alexander , Roger Jan S. , Jarai Gabor , Pearce Andrew C. , Budd David C. 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Previous studies from our group have demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein receptor-II (BMPR-II), expressed on pulmonary artery endothelial cells, imparts profound anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the release of proinflammatory cytokines and promoting barrier function by suppressing the transmigration of leukocytes into the pulmonary vessel wall. Here we demonstrate that, in mice with endothelial-specific loss of BMPR-II expression (L1Cre(+);Bmpr2f/f), reduction in barrier function and the resultant pulmonary hypertension observed in vivo are the result of increased leukocyte recruitment through increased CXCR1/2 signaling. Loss of endothelial expressed BMPR-II leads to elevated plasma levels of a wide range of soluble mediators important in regulating leukocyte migration and extravasation, including the CXCR1/2 ligand, KC. Treatment of L1Cre(+);Bmpr2f/f mice with the CXCR1/2 antagonist SCH527123 inhibits leukocyte transmigration into lung and subsequently reverses the pulmonary hypertension. Our data have uncovered a previously unrecognized regulatory function of BMPR-II, which acts to regulate the expression of CXCR2 on endothelial cells, suggesting that increased CXCR2 signaling may also be a feature of the human pathology and that CXCR1/2 pathway antagonists may represent a novel therapeutic approach for treating pulmonary hypertension because of defects in BMPR-II expression.
Tumor cell-selective apoptosis induction through targeting of KV10.1 via bifunctional TRAIL antibody
Authors: Hartung Franziska , Stühmer Walter , Pardo Luis A 
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Background
The search for strategies to target ion channels for therapeutic applications has become of increasing interest. Especially, the potassium channel KV10.1 (Ether-á-go-go) is attractive as target since this surface protein is virtually not detected in normal tissue outside the central nervous system, but is expressed in approximately 70% of tumors from different origins.

Methods
We designed a single-chain antibody against an extracellular region of KV10.1 (scFv62) and fused it to the human soluble TRAIL. The KV10.1-specific scFv62 antibody -TRAIL fusion protein was expressed in CHO-K1 cells, purified by chromatography and tested for biological activity.

Results
Prostate cancer cells, either positive or negative for KV10.1 were treated with the purified construct. After sensitization with cytotoxic drugs, scFv62-TRAIL induced apoptosis only in KV10.1-positive cancer cells, but not in non-tumor cells, nor in tumor cells lacking KV10.1 expression. In co-cultures with KV10.1-positive cancer cells the fusion protein also induced apoptosis in bystander KV10.1-negative cancer cells, while normal prostate epithelial cells were not affected when present as bystander.

Conclusions
KV10.1 represents a novel therapeutic target for cancer. We could design a strategy that selectively kills tumor cells based on a KV10.1-specific antibody.
Chikungunya triggers an autophagic process which promotes viral replication
Authors: Krejbich-Trotot Pascale , Gay Bernard , Li-Pat-Yuen Ghislaine , Hoarau Jean-Jacques , Jaffar-Bandjee Marie-Christine , Briant Laurence , Gasque Philippe , Denizot Mélanie 
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Background
Chikungunya Virus (ChikV) surprised by a massive re-emerging outbreak in Indian Ocean in 2006, reaching Europe in 2007 and exhibited exceptional severe physiopathology in infants and elderly patients. In this context, it is important to analyze the innate immune host responses triggered against ChikV. Autophagy has been shown to be an important component of the innate immune response and is involved in host defense elimination of different pathogens. However, the autophagic process was recently observed to be hijacked by virus for their own replication. Here we provide the first evidence that hallmarks of autophagy are specifically found in HEK.293 infected cells and are involved in ChikV replication.

Methods
To test the capacity of ChikV to mobilize the autophagic machinery, we performed fluorescence microscopy experiments on HEK.GFP.LC3 stable cells, and followed the LC3 distribution during the time course of ChikV infection. To confirm this, we performed electron microscopy on HEK.293 infected cells. To test the effect of ChikV-induced-autophagy on viral replication, we blocked the autophagic process, either by pharmacological (3-MA) or genetic inhibition (siRNA against the transcript of Beclin 1, an autophagic protein), and analyzed the percentage of infected cells and the viral RNA load released in the supernatant. Moreover, the effect of induction of autophagy by Rapamycin on viral replication was tested.

Results
The increasing number of GFP-LC3 positive cells with a punctate staining together with the enhanced number of GFP-LC3 dots per cell showed that ChikV triggered an autophagic process in HEK.293 infected cells. Those results were confirmed by electron microscopy analysis since numerous membrane-bound vacuoles characteristic of autophagosomes were observed in infected cells. Moreover, we found that inhibition of autophagy, either by biochemical reagent and RNA interference, dramatically decreases ChikV replication.

Conclusions
Taken together, our results suggest that autophagy may play a promoting role in ChikV replication. Investigating in details the relationship between autophagy and viral replication will greatly improve our knowledge of the pathogenesis of ChikV and provide insight for the design of candidate antiviral therapeutics.
Challenges in clinical and laboratory diagnosis of androgen insensitivity syndrome: a case report
Authors: Melo Caroline OA , Silva Daniela M , da Cruz Aparecido D 
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Introduction
Androgen is a generic term usually applied to describe a group of sex steroid hormones. Androgens are responsible for male sex differentiation during embryogenesis at the sixth or seventh week of gestation, triggering the development of the testes and penis in male fetuses, and are directed by the testicular determining factor: the gene SRY (sex determining region on Y chromosome) located on the short arm of chromosome Y. The differentiation of male external genitalia (penis, scrotum and penile urethra) occurs between the 9th and 13th weeks of pregnancy and requires adequate concentration of testosterone and the conversion of this to another more potent androgen, dihydrotestosterone, through the action of 5α-reductase in target tissues.

Case presentation
This report describes the case of a teenage girl presenting with a male karyotype, and aims to determine the extension of the mutation that affected the AR gene. A Caucasian girl aged 15 was referred to our laboratory for genetic testing due to primary amenorrhea. Physical examination, karyotype testing and molecular analysis of the androgen receptor were critical in making the correct diagnosis of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Conclusions
Sex determination and differentiation depend on a cascade of events that begins with the establishment of chromosomal sex at fertilization and ends with sexual maturation at puberty, subsequently leading to fertility. Mutations affecting the AR gene may cause either complete or partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. The case reported here is consistent with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, misdiagnosed at birth, and consequently our patient was raised both socially and educationally as a female. It is critical that health care providers understand the importance of properly diagnosing a newborn manifesting ambiguous genitalia. Furthermore, a child with a pseudohermaphrodite phenotype should always undergo adequate endocrine and genetic testing to reach a conclusive diagnosis before gender is assigned and surgical interventions are carried out. Our results show that extreme care must be taken in selecting the genetic tools that are utilized for the diagnosis for androgen insensitivity syndrome.
The Expression and Pathophysiological Role of Osteopontin in Graves' Disease
Authors: Xu Lingyan , Ma Xinran , Wang Yanyan , Li Xiaoli , Qi Yicheng , Cui Bin , Li Xiaoying , Ning Guang , Wang Shu 
Published: September 2011

Abstract

Context:
Graves' disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. Its pathogenesis is tightly involved with aberrant proinflammatory cytokine production. Osteopontin (OPN), an extracellular matrix protein of pleiotropic properties, has recently been recognized as a potent inflammatory cytokine in several autoimmune diseases.

Objective:
This study sought to explore the pathophysiological role of OPN in GD by comparing OPN levels in initial GD patients and healthy controls.

Methods:
Seventy-six patients who met criteria for initial GD and sixty-five healthy controls were recruited. OPN and other clinical GD diagnosis parameters were measured. In addition, the coexpression of several OPN receptors as well as various nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) downstream target genes were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human subjects. The effect of OPN on NF-κB activation was determined by in vitro assays.

Results:
We demonstrated for the first time that the OPN levels are enhanced in serum from GD patients. OPN levels are strongly associated with clinical serum parameters for GD diagnosis. The coexpression of selective OPN receptors and inflammatory response genes was enhanced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from GD patients. Furthermore, serum from GD patients activated NF-κB activity in vitro, which was significantly suppressed by OPN monoclonal antibody abrogation.

Conclusion:
These data indicated a clinical correlation between serum OPN levels and GD. OPN could affect GD development through NF-κB activation and the subsequent changes in inflammatory milieu. OPN could serve as a novel biomarker for GD as well as a potential target for GD treatment.