bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of SSR primers using ISSR–PCR in Diospyros kaki Thunb.
Authors: GUO D. L. , LUO Z. R. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractNine polymorphic single sequence repeat (SSR) primers were developed in Japanese persimmon using inter‐SSR (ISSR) suppression polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These primers were tested on 30 individuals from Japan and China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 20. Expected (HE) and observed (HO) heterozygosities at each locus ranged from 0.42 to 0.77 and 0.27 to 0.59, respectively. The SSR primers developed herein could be applied to cultivar identification, estimation of genetic diversity and divergence in Diospyros spp.
Isolation and characterization of eight microsatellite loci for white hake (Urophycis tenuis)
Authors: SEIBERT J. , RUZZANTE D. E. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractEight tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were characterized for white hake, Urophycis tenuis, a commercially exploited demersal gadoid fish distributed in the Northwest Atlantic. The eight loci are polymorphic with number of alleles and observed heterozygosities ranging from seven to 40 and from 0.544 to 0.978, respectively, in samples of between 39 and 47 individuals collected from throughout the species range. These loci were developed for population genetic studies.
Isolation of six microsatellite markers from apterous grasshopper Podisma kanoi (Orthoptera: Podisminae)
Authors: YAO IZUMI , TATSUTA HARUKI , AKIMOTO SHIN‐ICHI 
Published: July 2006

AbstractUsing the magnetic particles method, we isolated six polymorphic microsatellite loci from an apterous grasshopper, Podisma kanoi Strozhenko, which shows conspicuous structural variation in chromosomes. The isolated loci were polymorphic, with three to 10 alleles among 20 individuals. Expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.23 to 0.90. These loci can be used to examine the history of population fragmentation and the establishment of chromosomal variation.
hw‐quickcheck: an easy‐to‐use computer program for checking genotypes for agreement with Hardy–Weinberg expectations
Authors: KALINOWSKI STEVEN T. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractDeviations from Hardy–Weinberg expectations are frequently a sign of genotyping error. hw‐quickcheck is an easy‐to‐use computer program for detecting departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. hw‐quickcheck uses exact tests for all of its calculations. These tests include a global test for heterozygote excess/deficiency and genotype‐specific tests.
Development of highly conserved primers for 12 new polymorphic microsatellite loci for the genus Rorippa Scop. (Brassicaceae), yellow‐cress
Authors: STIFT MARC , KUPERUS PETER , VAN TIENDEREN PETER H. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe isolated 12 highly conserved polymorphic microsatellite loci for the yellow‐cress species Rorippa amphibia and Rorippa sylvestris. We used a partial genomic library enriched for several repeat motifs. Obtained sequences containing repetitive elements were blasted and aligned with the Arabidopsis thaliana sequence. We evaluated the cross‐species compatibility of primers designed from sequences either aligning strongly or weakly with A. thaliana. The former proved much more efficient in obtaining primers that worked in both species. The developed conserved primers for microsatellite loci provide excellent markers for studying segregation, gene flow and hybridization in the genus Rorippa.
Immigrants and Employer‐Sponsored Health Insurance
Authors: Buchmueller Thomas C. , Lo Sasso Anthony T. , Lurie Ithai , Dolfin Sarah 
Published: July 2006

Objective. To investigate the factors underlying the lower rate of employer‐sponsored health insurance coverage for foreign‐born workers.Data Sources. 2001 Survey of Income and Program Participation.Study Design. We estimate probit regressions to determine the effect of immigrant status on employer‐sponsored health insurance coverage, including the probabilities of working for a firm that offers coverage, being eligible for coverage, and taking up coverage.Data Extraction Methods. We identified native born citizens, naturalized citizens, and noncitizen residents between the ages of 18 and 65, in the year 2002.Principal Findings. First, we find that the large difference in coverage rates for immigrants and native‐born Americans is driven by the very low rates of coverage for noncitizen immigrants. Differences between native‐born and naturalized citizens are quite small and for some outcomes are statistically insignificant when we control for observable characteristics. Second, our results indicate that the gap between natives and noncitizens is explained mainly by differences in the probability of working for a firm that offers insurance. Conditional on working for such a firm, noncitizens are only slightly less likely to be eligible for coverage and, when eligible, are only slightly less likely to take up coverage. Third, roughly two‐thirds of the native/noncitizen gap in coverage overall and in the probability of working for an insurance‐providing employer is explained by characteristics of the individual and differences in the types of jobs they hold.Conclusions. The substantially higher rate of uninsurance among immigrants is driven by the lower rate of health insurance offers by the employers of immigrants.
Identifying Affordable Sources of Medical Care among Uninsured Persons
Authors: Cunningham Peter J. , Hadley Jack , Kenney Genevieve , Davidoff Amy J. 
Published: July 2006

Objective. To examine the effects of policy, health system, and sociodemographic characteristics on the likelihood that uninsured persons pay a lower price at their regular source of care, or that they are aware of lower priced providers in their community.Data Sources. The 2003 Community Tracking Study household survey, a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population and 60 randomly selected communities.Study Design. The survey asked uninsured persons if they paid full or reduced cost at their usual source of medical care, or if they were aware of providers in their community that charge less for uninsured people. We use binomial and multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the effects of various policy, health system, and sociodemographic characteristics on use and awareness of lower priced providers. We focus especially on the effects of safety‐net capacity, measured by safety‐net hospitals, community health centers, physicians' charity care, and Community Access Program (CAP) grants.Principal findings. Less than half of the uninsured (47.5 percent) reported that they used or were aware of a lower priced provider in their community. Multivariate regression analysis shows that greater safety‐net capacity is associated with a higher likelihood of having a lower priced provider as the regular source of care and greater awareness of lower priced providers. Lower incomes and racial/ethnic minorities also had a higher likelihood of having a lower priced provider, although health status did not have statistically significant effects.Conclusion. Although increased safety‐net capacity may lead to more uninsured having a lower priced provider, many uninsured who live near safety‐net providers are not aware of their presence. Greater outreach designed to increase awareness may be needed in order to increase the effectiveness of safety‐net providers in improving access to care for the uninsured.
Does Ambulatory Process of Care Predict Health‐Related Quality of Life Outcomes for Patients with Chronic Disease?
Authors: Kahn Katherine L. , Tisnado Diana M. , Adams John L. , Liu Honghu , Chen Wen‐Pin , Hu Fang Ashlee , Mangione Carol M. , Hays Ronald D. , Damberg Cheryl L. 
Published: July 2006

Objective. The validity of quality of care measurement has important implications for practicing clinicians, their patients, and all involved with health care delivery. We used empirical data from managed care patients enrolled in west coast physician organizations to test the hypothesis that observed changes in health‐related quality of life across a 2.5‐year window reflecting process of care.Data Sources/Study Setting. Patient self‐report data as well as clinically detailed medical record review regarding 963 patients with chronic disease associated with managed care from three west coast states.Study Design. Prospective cohort study of change in health‐related quality of life scores across 30 months as measured by change in SF‐12 physical component scores.Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Patient self‐report and medical record abstraction.Principal Findings. We found a positive relationship between better process scores and higher burden of illness (p<.05). After adjustment for burden of illness, using an instrumental variables approach revealed better process is associated with smaller declines in SF‐12 scores across a 30‐month observation window (p=.014). The application of the best quartile of process of care to patients currently receiving poor process is associated with a 4.24 increment in δ SF‐12‐physical component summary scores.Conclusions. The use of instrumental variables allowed us to demonstrate a significant relationship between better ambulatory process of care and better health‐related quality of life. This finding underscores the importance of efforts to improve the process of care.
Neuromodulation of the Centromedian Thalamic Nuclei in the Treatment of Generalized Seizures and the Improvement of the Quality of Life in Patients with Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome
Authors: Velasco Ana Luisa , Velasco Francisco , Jiménez Fiacro , Velasco Marcos , Castro Guillermo , Carrillo‐Ruiz José D. , Fanghänel Guillermo , Boleaga Bernardo 
Published: July 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of ESCM (electrical stimulation of the centromedian thalamic nucleus) in treatment of generalized seizures of the Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and improvement of patient disability. Methods: Thirteen patients with LGS were studied. They had severe generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTC) and atypical absences (AA). All patients had at least a 6‐month baseline before bilateral electrode implantation to the centromedian (CM) nuclei of the thalamus to undergo therapeutic ESCM. Once implanted, electrodes were temporally externalized through a retromastoid point for electrophysiologic confirmation of their placement. After target confirmation, stimulation parameters were set. Patients came for follow‐up assessment of seizures and neurophysiologic tests every 3 months during an 18‐month period of time; AED therapy was not modified. Results: The surgical procedure as well as electrical stimulation was well tolerated by all patients. No side effects occurred with the therapeutic stimulation parameters used, and patients were not aware of device activation. Two patients were explanted because of repeated and multiple skin erosions that could not be controlled by plastic surgery procedures. Overall seizure reduction was 80%. The three patients with poorest outcomes for seizure control did not improve their ability scale score. In contrast, the two patients rendered seizure free are living a normal life at present. The remaining eight patients experienced progressive improvement, from being totally disabled to becoming independent in five cases and partially dependent in two. Patients with adequate electrode placement had a seizure reduction >87%. To consider that an electrode is correctly placed, both stereotactic placement and neurophysiologic responses are taken into account. Conclusions: ESCM provides a nonlesional, neuromodulatory method with improvement in seizure outcome and in the abilities of patients with severe LGS.
Lip impressions: a new method for monitoring morphological changes in orofacial granulomatosis
Authors: Chiandussi S , Tappuni AR , Watson TF , White A , Escudier MP , Sanderson JD , Challacombe SJ 
Published: July 2006

Aim:  To develop and evaluate an objective method for assessing lip size and treatment‐related morphological changes in orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) patients.Materials and methods:  Patients with swollen lips because of OFG (n = 21) were enrolled. A light‐body polyvinylsiloxane material was used to take lip impressions before and after treatment (n = 10), or during treatment (n = 11). Plaster models were cast from the impressions and the lips were measured using callipers. The intra‐examiner and inter‐examiner reproducibility of the technique were assessed.Results:  OFG patients had significantly larger lips than controls (P < 0.0001). The coefficient of variation on repeated measurements of the same impression was 1.6% and for duplicate impressions was 2.6%. Significant reduction in lip size was shown in all 10 patients after diet restriction (P < 0.002). Seven of 11 patients whose impressions were taken at least 3 months after the initiation of cinnamon‐ and benzoate‐free diet also showed reduction in lip size during follow up (P < 0.002).Conclusions:  Serial lip impressions appear to be reliable for routine quantification of morphological changes of the lips in OFG patients. We present a new reproducible and sensitive method for assessing changes in lip size in response to treatment in OFG.
Moors, Race, and the Study of English Renaissance Literature: A Brief Retrospective
Authors: Floyd‐Wilson Mary 
Published: July 2006

AbstractIn thirty years the study of race in early modern literature has moved from the margins of scholarship to occupy its now central role in the analysis of English Renaissance culture. Narrow typological interpretations of blackness dominated Renaissance racial studies in the past. Feminist criticism in the late 80s opened up the field in its examination of how gender and class inform constructions of racial differences – both black and white. In the past fifteen years, scholars have recognized the necessity of tracing the emergence of racial differences in a wider range of disciplines and contexts, including scientific discourse, geography, religious identity, and trade relations.
Unexpected Abundance of HLA Class II Presented Peptides in Primary Renal Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Dengjel Jörn , Nastke Maria-Dorothea , Gouttefangeas Cécile , Gitsioudis Gitsios , Schoor Oliver , Altenberend Florian , Müller Margret , Krämer Björn , Missiou Anna , Sauter Martina , Hennenlotter Jörg , Wernet Dorothee , Stenzl Arnulf , Rammensee Hans-Georg , Klingel Karin , Stevanović Stefan 
Published: July 2006

AbstractPurpose: To elicit a long-lasting antitumor immune response, CD8+ and CD4+ T cells should be activated. We attempted to isolate HLA-DR–presented peptides directly from dissected solid tumors, in particular from renal cell carcinoma, to identify MHC class II ligands from tumor-associated antigens (TAA) for their use in peptide-based immunotherapy.Experimental Design: Tumor specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for their HLA class II expression. HLA class II peptides were subsequently isolated and identified by mass spectrometry. Gene expression analysis was done to detect genes overexpressed in tumor tissue. Peptides from identified TAAs were used to induce peptide-specific CD4+ T-cell responses in healthy donors and in tumor patients.Results: In the absence of inflammation, expression of MHC class II molecules is mainly restricted to cells of the immune system. To our surprise, we were able to isolate and characterize hundreds of class II peptides directly from primary dissected solid tumors, especially from renal cell carcinomas, and from colorectal carcinomas and transitional cell carcinomas. Infiltrating leukocytes expressed MHC class II molecules and tumor cells, very likely under the influence of IFNγ. Our list of identified peptides contains ligands from several TAAs, including insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 7. The latter bound promiscuously to HLA-DR molecules and were able to elicit CD4+ T-cell responses.Conclusions: Thus, our direct approach will rapidly expand the limited number of T-helper epitopes from TAAs for their use in clinical vaccination protocols.
MUC4 Is a Novel Prognostic Factor of Extrahepatic Bile Duct Carcinoma
Authors: Tamada Shugo , Shibahara Hiroaki , Higashi Michiyo , Goto Masamichi , Batra Surinder K. , Imai Kohzoh , Yonezawa Suguru 
Published: July 2006

AbstractPurpose: Many of the patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (EHBDC) show a poor outcome. We have reported that MUC4 is a novel prognostic factor of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of MUC4 expression in EHBDC.Experimental Design: We examined the expression profile of MUC4 in EHBDC tissues from 70 patients using immunohistochemistry. MUC4 is a membrane mucin like MUC1. In addition, MUC4 is an intramembrane ligand for receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB2 and is related with regulation of p27. We compared the MUC4 expression with MUC1, ErbB2, or p27 expression in EHBDC.Results: MUC4 was expressed in 36 of the 70 patients with EHBDC. There was no significant correlation between the MUC4 expression and MUC1, ErbB2, or p27 expression. The survival of 19 patients with high MUC4 expression (≥20% of carcinoma cells stained) was significantly worse than that of the 51 patients with low MUC4 expression (under 20% of carcinoma cells stained; P = 0.0072). The univariate analysis showed that high MUC4 expression (P = 0.0072), high MUC1 expression (P = 0.0092), histologic grading (P = 0.0029), surgical margin involvement (P = 0.0137), and nodal metastasis (P = 0.0036) were statistically significant risk factors. The backward stepwise multivariate analysis showed that high MUC4 expression (P = 0.0195) and surgical margin involvement (P = 0.0358) were statistically significant independent risk factors.Conclusions: MUC4 expression in EHBDC is a new independent factor for poor prognosis and predicts the outcome of patients with EHBDC.
Targeted Therapies in Combination with Chemotherapy in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Johnson David H. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWith rare exceptions, attempts to combine so-called targeted agents with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy in advanced non–small cell lung cancer have yielded disappointing results. The reasons underlying these spectacular failures are not always fully understood, but certainly the lack of careful patient selection is a major contributing factor. In addition, recent preclinical and clinical studies indicate that antagonism may exist between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chemotherapy primarily in tumor cells with wild-type EGFR. By contrast, tumor cells harboring somatic mutations in EGFR experience massive apoptosis when exposed to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Therefore, in theory, mutant tumor cells should exhibit enhanced cell kill when treated with concomitant chemotherapy and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors akin to what is observed with chemotherapy and trastuzumab in breast cancer. Clinical data from the recently completed TRIBUTE trial support the latter possibility. Ideally, future studies of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and other targeted drugs will use careful patient selection criteria based on well-characterized and validated predictive markers. However, in the absence of such biomarkers, clinical judgment, common sense, and innovative clinical trial design are necessary to avoid undue delay in drug development.
The Evolving Role of Cetuximab in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Lilenbaum Rogerio C. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractCetuximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the ligand binding site in the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Cetuximab is currently approved for the treatment of patients with refractory colorectal cancer. In locally advanced head and neck carcinoma, cetuximab in combination with radiotherapy significantly improved survival compared with radiotherapy alone, and this treatment awaits Food and Drug Administration approval. In previously treated non–small cell lung cancer, single-agent cetuximab produced an objective response in 3 of 66 eligible patients and a median survival of 8.1 months. Treatment was well tolerated, with skin rash as the principal toxicity. The vast majority of patients (60 of 66) expressed EGFR by immunohistochemistry but no correlation existed between response and EGFR mutations. Two single-arm phase II trials testing cetuximab in combination with a platinum-based doublet in previously untreated patients showed responses in the range of 26% to 29%, with median survival times of 10 to 11 months. A European phase II randomized trial tested cisplatin/vinorelbine with or without cetuximab as first-line therapy in 86 patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. Overall efficacy was slightly superior in the cetuximab arm and a phase III trial is currently ongoing to definitively determine the role of cetuximab in this setting.
Her2-Targeted Therapies in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Swanton Charles , Futreal Andy , Eisen Tim 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
Sensitivity to Her2-directed therapies is complex and involves expression not only of Her2 but also of other epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family members, their ligands, and molecules that influence pathway activity, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, PTEN, and p27. The EGFR experience has taught us that responses can easily be diluted in an unselected cohort of patients. To date, trials of Her2-targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab, have been insufficiently powered to determine whether patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Her2 gene amplification (rather than overexpression by immunohistochemistry) may benefit from these agents. It is unclear whether agents targeting Her2 might prove successful in future clinical trials in a highly selected patient cohort, either with Her2 amplification or Her2 gene mutations. The frequency of Her2 mutations in NSCLC may be too low to justify a prospective clinical trial in this patient group. The frequency of Her2 amplification (2-23%) in NSCLC and the widespread availability of Her2 fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis may justify a final study of trastuzumab monotherapy in this patient population. The role played by Her2 as the obligate heterodimerization partner for the other EGFR family members renders Her2 an attractive target irrespective of receptor overexpression. The most promising Her2-targeted strategy will likely prove to be combinatorial approaches using an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor together with Her2 dimerization inhibitors.