bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture for Pain and Dysfunction After Neck Dissection: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Pfister David G. , Cassileth Barrie R. , Deng Gary E. , Yeung K. Simon , Lee Jennifer S. , Garrity Donald , Cronin Angel , Lee Nancy , Kraus Dennis , Shaha Ashok R. , Shah Jatin , Vickers Andrew J. 
Published: April 2010

Purpose To determine whether acupuncture reduces pain and dysfunction in patients with cancer with a history of neck dissection. The secondary objective is to determine whether acupuncture relieves dry mouth in this population. Patients and Methods Patients at a tertiary cancer center with chronic pain or dysfunction attributed to neck dissection were randomly assigned to weekly acupuncture versus usual care (eg, physical therapy, analgesia, and/or anti-inflammatory drugs, per patient preference or physician recommendation) for 4 weeks. The Constant-Murley score, a composite measure of pain, function, and activities of daily living, was the primary outcome measure. Xerostomia, a secondary end point, was assessed using the Xerostomia Inventory. Results Fifty-eight evaluable patients were accrued and randomly assigned from 2004 to 2007 (28 and 30 patients on acupuncture and control arms, respectively). Constant-Murley scores improved more in the acupuncture group (adjusted difference between groups = 11.2; 95% CI, 3.0 to 19.3; P = .008). Acupuncture produced greater improvement in reported xerostomia (adjusted difference in Xerostomia Inventory = –5.8; 95% CI, –0.9 to –10.7; P = .02). Conclusion Significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and xerostomia were observed in patients receiving acupuncture versus usual care. Although further study is needed, these data support the potential role of acupuncture in addressing post–neck dissection pain and dysfunction, as well as xerostomia.
Oxaliplatin-Mediated Increase in Spleen Size As a Biomarker for the Development of Hepatic Sinusoidal Injury
Authors: Overman Michael J. , Maru Dipen M. , Charnsangavej Chusilp , Loyer Evelyn M. , Wang Huamin , Pathak Priyanka , Eng Cathy , Hoff Paulo M. , Vauthey Jean-Nicolas , Wolff Robert A. , Kopetz Scott 
Published: April 2010

Purpose Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy can cause hepatic sinusoidal injury, with resultant sinusoidal damage and portal hypertension. We sought to explore the relationship between oxaliplatin induced hepatic sinusoidal injury, increases in spleen size, and the subsequent development of thrombocytopenia. Patients and Methods We retrospectively assessed the relationship between chemotherapy exposure, changes in spleen size (determined by volumetric measurements), and platelet counts in 136 patients treated with adjuvant fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or fluoropyrimidine for stage II or III colorectal adenocarcinoma. Hepatic sinusoidal injury and changes in spleen size were graded in a separate population of 63 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin before liver resection. Results Spleen size increased in 86% of patients treated with adjuvant FOLFOX (P < .001), with a ≥ 50% increase in 24% of patients. Spleen size did not significantly increase in patients treated with adjuvant fluoropyrimidine. Increases in spleen size correlated with cumulative oxaliplatin dose (P = .003). Patients with splenic enlargement ≥ 50% had higher rates of thrombocytopenia in the first year after completion of chemotherapy (27% v 5%; P = .003). In patients with hepatic metastases treated with preoperative fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin, increases in spleen size was a predictor of higher histologic grades of sinusoidal injury in both univariate (P = .03) and multivariate (P = .02) analyses. Conclusion Increases in spleen size correlate with increasing grade of hepatic sinusoidal injury and can serve as a simple method for identifying patients at risk for this toxicity. Oxaliplatin-induced increases in spleen size should be recognized as a potential etiology of persistent thrombocytopenia after oxaliplatin treatment.
Anemia in Hodgkin's Lymphoma: The Role of Interleukin-6 and Hepcidin
Authors: Hohaus Stefan , Massini Giuseppina , Giachelia Manuela , Vannata Barbara , Bozzoli Valentina , Cuccaro Annarosa , D'Alo' Francesco , Larocca Luigi Maria , Raymakers Reinier A.P. , Swinkels Dorine W. , Voso Maria Teresa , Leone Giuseppe 
Published: April 2010

Purpose Cytokines play a pivotal role in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Because interleukin-6 (IL-6) induces expression of hepcidin, one of the principal regulators of iron metabolism, we studied the contribution of hepcidin in anemia in HL at diagnosis. Patients and Methods Plasma samples from 65 patients with HL were analyzed for hepcidin levels using a combination of weak cation exchange chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry; cytokine levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and parameters of iron metabolism and acute-phase reaction. Results Hepcidin plasma levels were significantly higher in HL patients when compared with controls, independent of the presence of anemia (P = .001). In the subset of patients with anemia, hepcidin levels inversely correlated with hemoglobin levels (P = .01). Analyzing parameters of iron metabolism, hepcidin levels showed a positive correlation with ferritin (P < .001) and an inverse correlation to iron and iron-binding capacity. Hepcidin strongly correlated to IL-6 levels (P < .001) but not to IL-10 or thymus and activation-regulated cytokine (TARC)/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17) levels. In a multivariate regression analysis, IL-6 and fibrinogen levels were independently associated with hepcidin. Higher hepcidin levels were observed in patients with more aggressive disease characteristics: stage IV disease (P = .01), presence of B symptoms (P = .03), and International Prognostic Score > 2 (P = .005). Conclusion Our findings suggest that in HL, hepcidin is upregulated by IL-6. Elevated hepcidin levels result in iron restriction and signs of anemia of chronic inflammation, although hepcidin-independent mechanisms contribute to development of anemia in HL.
Validity of estimating non-sex hormone-binding globulin bound testosterone and oestradiol from total hormone measurements in boys and girls
Authors: Egleston Brian L , Chandler D Walt , Dorgan Joanne F 
Published: April 2010

Background Circulating levels of bioavailable oestradiol and testosterone are often desirable for clinical practice or investigational studies of children. However, assays to measure circulating hormone levels might not always be accessible. We sought to validate the empirical calculation of circulating bioavailable testosterone and oestradiol in children. Methods Six hundred and sixty-three eight- to 10-year olds were recruited to the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC). DISC was a randomized clinical trial designed to test efficacy of a dietary intervention to reduce serum cholesterol (LDL-C) in children with elevated cholesterol. Assay measures of oestradiol, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin concentration (SHBG) and albumin concentration in girls as well as dihydrotestosterone in boys were measured for up to 10 y. We calculated measures of circulating non-SHBG bound oestradiol and testosterone from total hormone levels using the law of mass action. We compared proportional differences in assay measured minus calculated non-SHBG bound hormone levels versus their averages using generalized estimating equations-estimated linear regressions. Results On average, calculated values overestimated assay measured values (−11.7% for non-SHBG bound oestradiol in girls and −2.6% for non-SHBG bound testosterone in boys). The intercept and slope of the regression for non-SHBG bound oestradiol in girls were −0.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.14 to −0.12) and 0.005 (95% CI 0.003–0.007), respectively. The intercept and slope for non-SHBG bound testosterone in boys were −0.16 (95% CI −0.17 to −0.14) and 0.0006 (95% CI 0.0005–0.0006). Conclusion While calculated values might be useful for research purposes, they are generally not close enough for clinical purposes.
Laboratory testing during critical care transport: point-of-care testing in air ambulances
Authors: Di Serio Francesca , Petronelli Maria Antonia , Sammartino Eugenio 
Published: April 2010

Abstract
Air and ground transport are used for prehospital transport of patients in acute life-threatening situations, and increasingly, critically ill patients undergo interhospital transportation. Results from clinical studies suggest that critical tests performed during the transport of critically ill patients presents a potential opportunity to improve patient care. Our project was to identify, according to the recommendations published at this time, a model of point-of-care testing (POCT) (arterial blood gases analysis and glucose, sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, hematocrit/hemoglobin measurements) in air ambulances. In order to identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieving our objective, an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT analysis) was incorporated into our planning model prior to starting the project. To allow the entire POCT process (pre-, intra-, and post-analytic steps) to be under the control of the reference laboratory, an experimental model of information technology was applied. Real-time results during transport of critically ill patients must be considered to be an integral part of the patient care process and excellent channels of communication are needed between the intensive care units, emergency medical services and laboratories. With technological and computer advances, POCT during critical care transport will certainly increase in the future: this will be a challenge from a laboratory and clinical context.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:955–61.
PATHFAST™ NT-proBNP (N-terminal-pro B type natriuretic peptide): a multicenter evaluation of a new point-of-care assay
Authors: Zaninotto Martina , Mion Monica Maria , Di Serio Francesca , Caputo Marco , Ottomano Cosimo , Plebani Mario 
Published: April 2010

Abstract

Background: The biochemical determination of cardiac natriuretic peptides, primarily brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the amino-terminal fragment of its pro-hormone proBNP (NT-proBNP), are reliable tools for diagnosing cardiac disease, establishing prognosis and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment. These biomarkers have proven to be of particular value in the management of chronic and acute heart failure patients, and in the outpatient and the emergency setting.

Methods: A multicenter evaluation was performed to assess the practicability, and the analytical and clinical performance of a new point-of-care testing (POCT) PATHFAST™ NT-proBNP assay. This is an immunochemiluminescent assay using two polyclonal antibodies in a sandwich test format, and performed with a PATHFAST™ automated analyzer.

Results: The limit of detection (mean+3 SD of the signal of 20 replicates of the zero calibrator obtained in one run) was 0.535 ng/L. An imprecision study, performed in accordance with the CLSI protocol, showed coefficients of variation of 4.0%–6.4% (within-run imprecision), 0.0%–3.4% (between-run imprecision), 5.5%–7.2% (between-day imprecision), 7.6%–8.9% (total imprecision). The method was linear to 28,755 ng/L. Slopes and intercepts ranged from 0.89 to 0.90 and from 10.96 to 22.85, respectively when lithium-heparin plasma samples (n=100) were used to compare the assay under evaluation with the routine laboratory methods (Dimension RxL®, Stratus® CS). When testing matched samples (n=52), a significant difference was found between the 50th percentile NT-proBNP concentration in K2EDTA whole blood, K2EDTA plasma, lithium-heparin plasma and serum. No significant interference was observed for NT-proBNP in lipemic (tryglicerides up to 28.54 mmol/L), icteric (total and conjugated bilirubin up to 513 and 13 μmol/L, respectively) or hemolyzed (hemoglobin up to 13.50 g/L) samples. The NT-proBNP concentration in a group of 180 healthy donors was significantly influenced by age and gender. In a selected population of patients (n=56) with acute dyspnea admitted to the emergency department, a marked reduction in cardiac natriuretic peptide concentrations was observed in hospitalized patients suffering from heart failure who had a better prognosis compared with those with a poorer prognosis (NT-proBNP mean Δ change, % from –22 to –71 vs. +9 to –11).

Conclusions: The satisfactory analytical and clinical performance of the PATHFAST™ NT-proBNP assay, together with its excellent practicability, suggests that it would be a reliable tool in clinical practice, in the emergency setting for point-of-care testing, as well as in the central laboratory.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1029–34.
Peeling the onion: Outcomes to origins in retrograde narrative
Authors: Ireland Ken 
Published: April 2010

Abstract
Relatively uncommon in fiction as a whole, the procedure of telling-in-reverse offers a range of unexpected and unconventional perspectives. By commencing at a terminal juncture, the fictional trajectory is directed towards past rather than future. Stressing how and why rather than what, retrograde narrative engages readers by supplying results before causes, sustaining curiosity when the later stages of events are known, but exploiting the characters' relative ignorance of what lies ahead of them, and forcing readers to confront their own processes of response and memory, to make sense of material already presented. Illustrations from fiction by Sarah Waters, Martin Amis, John Banville, and Elizabeth Jane Howard are supplemented by examples from drama and film, to demonstrate the wider implications of this sequential strategy.
Building the stages of drama: Towards a Text World Theory account of dramatic play-texts
Authors: Cruickshank Tracy , Lahey Ernestine 
Published: April 2010

Abstract
In this article we apply the cognitive theory of discourse known as Text World Theory to the study of one play – Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildernstern are Dead. The result of this application is twofold. First, it extends the capabilities of Text World Theory by introducing two new world types to the framework which are necessary to enable the theory to account better for dramatic texts. Following Richard Hosley's separation of stage directions into theatrical and fictional signals, we suggest ways in which these signals may prompt readers to toggle between “staged worlds” and “fictional worlds”. Second, our paper enlarges the stylistic toolkit for the analysis of dramatic play-texts, offering a cognitively-oriented alternative to the more traditional discourse-analytical approaches to the genre.
Complete Switchgrass Genetic Maps Reveal Subgenome Collinearity, Preferential Pairing and Multilocus Interactions
Authors: Okada Miki , Lanzatella Christina , Saha Malay C , Bouton Joe , Wu Rongling , Tobias Christian M 
Published: April 2010

Abstract
Polyploidy is an important aspect of the evolution of flowering plants. The potential of gene copies to diverge and evolve new functions is influenced by meiotic behavior of chromosomes leading to segregation as a single locus or duplicated loci. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) linkage maps were constructed using a full-sib population of 238 plants and SSR and STS markers to access the degree of preferential pairing and the structure of the tetraploid genome and as a step toward identification of loci underlying biomass feedstock quality and yield. The male and female framework map lengths were 1645 and 1376 cM with 97% of the genome estimated to be within 10 cM of a mapped marker in both maps. Each map coalesced into 18 linkage groups arranged into nine homeologous pairs. Comparative analysis of each homology group to the diploid sorghum genome identified clear syntenic relationships and collinear tracts. The number of markers with PCR amplicons that mapped across subgenomes was significantly fewer than expected, suggesting substantial subgenome divergence, while both the ratio of coupling to repulsion phase linkages and pattern of marker segregation indicated complete or near complete disomic inheritance. The proportion of transmission ratio distorted markers was relatively low, but the male map was more extensively affected by distorted transmission ratios and multilocus interactions, associated with spurious linkages.
Searching for Footprints of Positive Selection in Whole-Genome SNP Data From Nonequilibrium Populations
Authors: Pavlidis Pavlos , Jensen Jeffrey D , Stephan Wolfgang 
Published: April 2010

AbstractA major goal of population genomics is to reconstruct the history of natural populations and to infer the neutral and selective scenarios that can explain the present-day polymorphism patterns. However, the separation between neutral and selective hypotheses has proven hard, mainly because both may predict similar patterns in the genome. This study focuses on the development of methods that can be used to distinguish neutral from selective hypotheses in equilibrium and nonequilibrium populations. These methods utilize a combination of statistics on the basis of the site frequency spectrum (SFS) and linkage disequilibrium (LD). We investigate the patterns of genetic variation along recombining chromosomes using a multitude of comparisons between neutral and selective hypotheses, such as selection or neutrality in equilibrium and nonequilibrium populations and recurrent selection models. We perform hypothesis testing using the classical P-value approach, but we also introduce methods from the machine-learning field. We demonstrate that the combination of SFS- and LD-based statistics increases the power to detect recent positive selection in populations that have experienced past demographic changes.
Identity-by-Descent Matrix Decomposition Using Latent Ancestral Allele Models
Authors: Braak Cajo J F ter , Boer Martin P , Totir L Radu , Winkler Christopher R , Smith Oscar S , Bink Marco C A M 
Published: April 2010

AbstractGenetic linkage and association studies are empowered by proper modeling of relatedness among individuals. Such relatedness can be inferred from marker and/or pedigree information. In this study, the genetic relatedness among n inbred individuals at a particular locus is expressed as an n × n square matrix Q. The elements of Q are identity-by-descent probabilities, that is, probabilities that two individuals share an allele descended from a common ancestor. In this representation the definition of the ancestral alleles and their number remains implicit. For human inspection and further analysis, an explicit representation in terms of the ancestral allele origin and the number of alleles is desirable. To this purpose, we decompose the matrix Q by a latent class model with K classes (latent ancestral alleles). Let P be an n × K matrix with assignment probabilities of n individuals to K classes constrained such that every element is nonnegative and each row sums to 1. The problem then amounts to approximating Q by PPT, while disregarding the diagonal elements. This is not an eigenvalue problem because of the constraints on P. An efficient algorithm for calculating P is provided. We indicate the potential utility of the latent ancestral allele model. For representative locus-specific Q matrices constructed for a set of maize inbreds, the proposed model recovered the known ancestry.
Temporal validation of an estimator for successful breeding pairs of wolves Canis lupus in the U.S. northern Rocky Mountains
Authors: Mitchell Michael S. , Gude Justin A. , Ausband David E. , Sime Carolyn A. , Bangs Edward E. , Jimenez Michael D. , Mack Curt M. , Meier Thomas J. , Nadeau M. Steven , Smith Douglas W. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractModel‐based predictors derived from historical data are rarely evaluated before they are used to draw inferences. We performed a temporal validation, (i.e. assessed the performance of a predictive model using data collected from the same population after the model was developed) of a statistical predictor for the number of successful breeding pairs of wolves Canis lupus in the northern Rocky Mountains (NRM). We predicted the number of successful breeding pairs, β, in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming based on the distribution of pack sizes observed through monitoring in 2006 and 2007 (β̂), and compared these estimates to the minimum number of successful breeding pairs, βMIN, observed through intensive monitoring. βMIN was consistently included within the 95% confidence intervals of β̂ for all states in both years (except for Idaho in 2007), generally following the pattern β̂L (lower 95% prediction interval for β̂) < β̂MIN < β̂. This evaluation of β̂ estimates for 2006 and 2007 suggest it will be a robust model‐based method for predicting successful breeding pairs of NRM wolves in the future, provided influences other than those modeled in β̂ (e.g. disease outbreak, severe winter) do not have a strong effect on wolf populations. Managers can use β̂ models with added confidence as part of their post‐delisting monitoring of wolves in NRM.
A comparison of green‐winged teal Anas crecca survival and harvest between Europe and North America
Authors: Devineau Olivier , Guillemain Matthieu , Johnson Alan R. , Lebreton Jean‐Dominique 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe impact of waterfowl harvest on the dynamics of duck populations remains incompletely understood. While wide‐scale monitoring and management programs have been set up in North America, far less has been done in Europe where populations and harvest are essentially managed at country level with a sole focus on population size. Hence, comparing North American waterfowl populations with European waterfowl populations could be useful in suggesting flyway‐scale management options in Europe. In our paper, we analyse historical capture‐recapture‐recoveries data for the European tealAnas crecca creccaand we compare the computed survival and harvest rates to those obtained from a North American recovery data set for the green‐winged tealAnas crecca carolinensis, its sister taxon. During 1960‐1976, the annual probability of survival was slightly lower in Europe (average over sexes: 0.485 ± 0.101) than in North America (0.545 ± 0.010 for both sexes). Assuming a 30% ring reporting rate, our estimate of the annual harvest rate was about three times higher in Europe (average over sexes: 0.178 ± 0.051) than in North America (average over sexes: 0.071 ± 0.014). Although the European population increased over the study period and continues to do so, such a hunting pressure may potentially reduce our flexibility in managing this population due to uncertainties such as environmental changes, and have deleterious effects in the long term. We use our results to discuss waterfowl research and management in Europe. Initiating studies to estimate ring reporting rate would be an essential first step to properly evaluate the impact of harvest on the dynamics of the teal population in Europe.