bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Understanding the information and resource needs of UK health and social care placement students
Authors: Callaghan Lynne , Doherty Alan , Lea Susan J. , Webster Daniel 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground:  Students on health and social care degree programmes spend 50% of their time on practice placements. Because of the diversity of settings and the need to evidence their work, it is vital to understand the information and resource needs of placement students.Objectives:  The aim of this investigation was to understand the needs of placement students in terms of accessing resources whilst they are in the field in order to inform a guide to meet these needs.Methods:  Focus groups were conducted with students on midwifery, social work and post‐registration health professions degree programmes on three different sites across the region. Data were analysed using Thematic Content Analysis.Results:  Three themes emerged from the data: inequality, user education needs and students’ solutions and strategies.Conclusions:  It is essential to speak to placement students in order to understand their needs in terms of accessing and using library resources. The timing and content of information skills training is key to meeting student needs while on placement.
From UHSL to UHMLG: the evolution of a group for health librarians in higher education
Authors: Wakeham Maurice 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground:  In 2007 the University Health Sciences Librarians Group (UHSL) merged with the University Medical Schools Librarians Group (UMSLG) to form the University Health and Medical Librarians Group (UHMLG). This paper traces the course of health librarianship in the UK which led to this event, from the perspective of the UHSL.Methods:  The narrative has been developed from the Executive Committee minutes, newsletters and reports of events organized by the UHSL.Summary:  The UHSL evolved from the Council of Polytechnic Librarians (COPOL) Health Sciences Group and the Standing Conference of National and University Librarians (SCONUL) Health Sciences Group. It sought to represent the views of health librarians working in the university sector. It also provided, through newsletters and study days, information, networking opportunities and professional development. UHSL collaborated with other relevant organizations to further its aims.Conclusion:  The structure of professional support groups within health librarianship reflects the evolving nature of the health service, higher education and the social changes driven by technological developments.
Interlending and document supply trends in NHS North West health libraries 2003/2004 to 2006/2007
Authors: Glover Steven William , Addison John , Gleghorn Colette , Aalai Elham , Annis Shan 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground:  The Library and Information for Health Network North West (LIHNN) represents health libraries in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside and Wirral. LIHNN members take part in a regional co‐operative network supporting interlending and document supply.Methods:  Data were analysed over a 4‐year period to identify trends and patterns. In addition, a literature review was conducted to compare trends seen in NHS libraries to those trends seen in other sectors and in other countries.Results/trends:  Between 2003/2004 and 2006/2007 there was a significant drop in document supply activity reported by NHS North West libraries from 59 321 to 37 134 copies, representing a fall of 37.4%. During the same period, lending between libraries stayed constant.Discussion:  The NHS supplies a significant number of documents to its users and it is investigating a number of options to increase efficiencies. The observed fall in document supply activity has been reported in several sectors and has been attributed to a number of cofactors. Although the fall in document supply activity is expected to continue, a critical mass of information is likely to remain behind subscription barriers and this, in turn, will necessitate supply from external sources.
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Iron Stores: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Muhsen Khitam , Cohen Dani 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground and Aims:  We carried out a systematic literature review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the existing evidence on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron stores.Methods:  Twelve case reports and case series, 19 observational epidemiologic studies and six intervention trials were included in the review.Results:  Although only few studies controlled for multiple potential confounders, most studies reported a positive association, linking between H. pylori and decreased body iron stores in symptomatic and asymptomatic H. pylori‐infected subjects. H. pylori infection may be regarded as a risk factor for reduction in body iron stores and also for iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia, especially in high‐risk groups. The results of the meta‐analysis of thoroughly designed and analyzed studies revealed an increased risk for iron deficiency anemia; pooled odds ratio (OR) 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9, 4.2) and also for iron deficiency; pooled OR 1.38 (95%CI 1.16–1.65) among H. pylori‐infected subjects. The biologic mechanism by which H. pylori induces the alteration in the iron stores is not fully understood, but it seems to involve several pathways, including gastrointestinal blood loss, decrease in the absorption of dietary iron, and enhanced uptake of the iron by the bacterium.Conclusions:  H. pylori is associated with reduced iron stores. Future research is needed to determine whether this relationship is a causal association and to better understand its biologic mechanism. The impact of anti‐H. pylori therapy on improvement of iron stores needs to be further evaluated in large and well‐controlled trials.
Monocyte and Macrophage Killing of Helicobacter pylori: Relationship to Bacterial Virulence Factors
Authors: Borlace Glenn N. , Butler Ross N. , Brooks Doug A. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractBackground:  Helicobacter pylori infection is an important health problem, as it involves approximately 50% of the world's population, causes chronic inflammatory disease and increases the risk of gastric cancer development. H. pylori infection elicits a vigorous immune response, but this does not usually result in bacterial clearance. We have investigated whether the persistence of H. pylori in the host could be partly due to an inability of macrophages to kill this bacterium.Materials and Methods:  Monocytes and macrophages isolated from the peripheral blood of normal human controls were infected in vitro with five H. pylori isolates. The isolates were characterized for known H. pylori virulence factors; vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA), the cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), urease, and catalase by Western blot and polymerase chain reaction analysis. The ability of primary human monocytes and macrophages to kill each of these H. pylori strains was then defined at various time points after cellular infection.Results:  The five H. pylori strains showed contrasting patterns of the virulence factors. There were different rates of killing for the bacterial strains. Macrophages had less capacity than monocytes to kill three H. pylori strains. There appeared to be no correlation between the virulence factors studied and differential killing in monocytes.Conclusions:  Primary human monocytes had a higher capacity to kill certain strains of H. pylori when compared to macrophages. The VacA, cagPAI, urease, and catalase virulence factors were not predictive of the capacity to avoid monocyte and macrophage killing, suggesting that other factors may be important in H. pylori intracellular pathogenicity.
Immunohistochemical detection of BH3‐only proteins in ameloblastic tumors
Authors: Kumamoto H , Ooya K 
Published: August 2008

Objective:  To evaluate expression of BH3‐only proteins in odontogenic tumors, expression of Bid, Bim, Bad, Noxa, and Puma was analyzed in ameloblastic tumors as well as in tooth germs.Methods:  Nine tooth germs, 37 ameloblastomas, and five malignant ameloblastic tumors were examined immunohistochemically with antibodies against Bid, Bim, Bad, Noxa, and Puma.Results:  Immunohistochemical reactivity for Bid, Bim, Bad, Noxa, and Puma was detected in the cytoplasm of cellular components in normal and neoplastic odontogenic tissues. Expression of these BH3‐only proteins was evident in odontogenic epithelial cells near the basement membrane in tooth germs and ameloblastic tumors. Acanthomatous ameloblastomas showed no reactivity for Bid, Bim, Bad, Noxa, or Puma in keratinizing cells, whereas granular cells in granular cell ameloblastomas reacted with these BH3‐only proteins. Basal and desmoplastic ameloblastomas and ameloblastic carcinomas showed immunoreactivity for the BH3‐only proteins in most neoplastic cells.Conclusion:  Expression of Bid, Bim, Bad, Noxa, and Puma in tooth germs and ameloblastic tumors suggests that the BH3‐only proteins have a role in apoptotic cell death of normal and neoplastic odontogenic epithelium. Distinctive expression patterns of these BH3‐only proteins in ameloblastoma variants suggest that the BH3‐only proteins might be involved in tumor cell differentiation of ameloblastomas.
GENERALIZATIONS OF THE KOCH CURVE
Authors: DARST R. B. , PALAGALLO J. A. , PRICE T. E. 
Published: August 2008

We present an iterative method to define a two-parameter family of continuous functions fa,θ: I → ℂ such that f1/3,π/3 is the Koch curve. We consider the two-cases θ = π/3 and θ = π/4 of these generalized Koch curves fa,θ(I). In each case we determine the pivotal value of a, the largest value of a for which the corresponding curve is not simple. We give characterizations of the double points of the curve (points on the curve that have two inverse images). In the case where θ = π/3 double points are vertices of equilateral triangles. When θ = π/4 the double points form Cantor sets in the plane. We conclude with a more general result that proves that if the fixed set (attractor) of an iterated function system is connected, then it is a curve.
SUNSPOTS DATA ANALYSIS USING TIME SERIES
Authors: SHAIKH YUSUF H. , KHAN A. R. , IQBAL M. I. , BEHERE S. H. , BAGARE S. P. 
Published: August 2008

The record of the sunspot number visible on the sun is regularly collected over the centuries by various observatories for studying the different factors influencing the sunspot cycle and solar activity. Sunspots appear in cycles, and last several years. These cycles follow a certain pattern which is well known. We analyzed monthly and yearly averages of sunspot data observed from year 1818 to 2002 using rescaled range analysis. The Hurst exponent calculated for monthly data sets are 0.8899, 0.8800 and 0.8597 and for yearly data set is 0.7187. Fractal dimensions1calculated are 1.1100, 1.1200, 1.1403 and 1.2813. From the study of Hurst exponent and fractal dimension, we conclude that time series of sunspots show persistent behavior.The fundamental tool of signal processing is the fast Fourier transform technique (FFT). The sunspot data is also analyzed using FFT. The power spectrum of monthly and yearly averages of sunspot shows distinct peaks at 11 years confirming the well known 11-year cycle. The monthly sunspot data is also analyzed using FFT to filter the noise in the data.
Staging of Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Setting
Authors: Jeruss Jacqueline S. , Mittendorf Elizabeth A. , Tucker Susan L. , Gonzalez-Angulo Ana M. , Buchholz Thomas A. , Sahin Aysegul A. , Cormier Janice N. , Buzdar Aman U. , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Hunt Kelly K. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has become more prevalent in the treatment of breast cancer patients. The finding of a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (no evidence of residual invasive cancer in the breast and lymph nodes at the time of surgical resection) has been shown to correlate with improved survival. The current version of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging for breast cancer has a pretreatment clinical stage designation that is determined by clinical and radiographic examination of the patient and a postoperative pathologic stage classification based on the findings in the breast and regional lymph nodes removed at surgery. Pathologic staging has not been validated for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy; thus, prognosis is determined for these patients based on the pretreatment clinical stage. We hypothesized that clinical and pathologic staging variables could be combined with biological tumor markers to provide a novel means of determining prognosis for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Two scoring systems, based on summing binary indicators for clinical and pathologic substages, negative estrogen receptor status, and grade 3 tumor pathology, were devised to predict 5-year patient outcomes. These scoring systems facilitated separation of the study population into more refined subgroups by outcome than the current AJCC staging system for breast cancer, and provide a novel means for evaluating prognosis after neoadjuvant therapy. [Cancer Res 2008;68(16):6477–81]
Mutation of Genes Affecting the RAS Pathway Is Common in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Case Marian , Matheson Elizabeth , Minto Lynne , Hassan Rosline , Harrison Christine J. , Bown Nick , Bailey Simon , Vormoor Josef , Hall Andrew G. , Irving Julie A.E. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Deregulation of the RAS-RAF-mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK)-ERK signaling cascade is often caused by somatic mutations in genes encoding proteins which influence the activity of this pathway and include NRAS, KRAS2, FLT3, PTPN11, and BRAF. We report the first comprehensive mutational screen of key exons of these genes in a large cohort of unselected acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases at diagnosis (n = 86) and in a more selected cohort at disease recurrence (n = 47) using the sensitive method of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. We show that somatic mutations that deregulate the pathway constitute one of the most common genetic aberrations in childhood ALL (cALL), being found in 35% of diagnostic and 25% of relapse samples. In matched presentation/relapse pairs, mutations predominating at relapse could be shown to be present at very low levels at diagnosis using allele-specific PCR, thus implicating the mutated clone in disease progression. Importantly, in primary samples, we show that mutations are associated with activated ERK and differential cytotoxicity to MEK-ERK inhibitors was shown for some patients. Inhibitors of the pathway, which are currently undergoing clinical trial, may be a novel therapeutic option for cALL, particularly at relapse. [Cancer Res 2008;68(16):6803–9]
CC-Chemokine Ligand 20/Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3α and CC-Chemokine Receptor 6 Are Overexpressed in Myeloma Microenvironment Related to Osteolytic Bone Lesions
Authors: Giuliani Nicola , Lisignoli Gina , Colla Simona , Lazzaretti Mirca , Storti Paola , Mancini Cristina , Bonomini Sabrina , Manferdini Cristina , Codeluppi Katia , Facchini Andrea , Rizzoli Vittorio 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe expression of the chemokine CC-chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20)/macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α and its receptor CC-chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) by multiple myeloma (MM) and microenvironment cells and their potential relationship with osteoclast (OC) formation and osteolytic bone lesions in MM patients was investigated in this study. First, we found that MM cells rarely produce CCL20/MIP-3α but up-regulate its production by bone marrow (BM) osteoprogenitor cells and osteoblasts in coculture with the involvement of soluble factors as interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor α. MM cells also stimulate both CCL20/MIP-3α and CCR6 expression by OCs in coculture. Thereafter, we showed that CCL20/MIP-3α significantly increases both the number of multinucleated tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase–positive OCs and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB–positive OC progenitor cells similar to CCL3/MIP-1α. Finally, we found that blocking anti-CCL20/MIP-3α and anti-CCR6 antibodies significantly inhibits MM-induced OC formation. In vitro data were further expanded in vivo analyzing a total number of 64 MM patients. Significantly higher CCL20/MIP-3α levels were detected in MM patients versus monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) subjects and in MM osteolytic patients versus nonosteolytic ones. Moreover, a significant increase of CCL20/MIP-3α–positive osteoblasts in osteolytic MM patients compared with nonosteolytic ones was observed. Interestingly, no significant difference in BM CCL20/MIP-3α expression and level was observed between MGUS and nonosteolytic MM patients. Our data indicate that CCL20/MIP-3α and its receptor CCR6 are up-regulated in the bone microenvironment by MM cells and contribute to OC formation and osteolytic bone lesions in MM patients. [Cancer Res 2008;68(16):6840–50]
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-δ Induces Cell Proliferation by a Cyclin E1–Dependent Mechanism and Is Up-regulated in Thyroid Tumors
Authors: Zeng Lingchun , Geng Yan , Tretiakova Maria , Yu Xuemei , Sicinski Peter , Kroll Todd G. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractPeroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are lipid-sensing nuclear receptors that have been implicated in multiple physiologic processes including cancer. Here, we determine that PPARδ induces cell proliferation through a novel cyclin E1–dependent mechanism and is up-regulated in many human thyroid tumors. The expression of PPARδ was induced coordinately with proliferation in primary human thyroid cells by the activation of serum, thyroid-stimulating hormone/cyclic AMP, or epidermal growth factor/mitogen-activated protein kinase mitogenic signaling pathways. Engineered overexpression of PPARδ increased thyroid cell number, the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine, and the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein by 40% to 45% in just 2 days, one usual cell population doubling. The synthetic PPARδ agonist GW501516 augmented these PPARδ proliferation effects in a dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of PPARδ increased cyclin E1 protein by 9-fold, whereas knockdown of PPARδ by small inhibitory RNA reduced both cyclin E1 protein and cell proliferation by 2-fold. Induction of proliferation by PPARδ was abrogated by knockdown of cyclin E1 by small inhibitory RNA in primary thyroid cells and by knockout of cyclin E1 in mouse embryo fibroblasts, confirming a cyclin E1 dependence for this PPARδ pathway. In addition, the mean expression of native PPARδ was increased by 2-fold to 5-fold (P &lt; 0.0001) and correlated with that of the in situ proliferation marker Ki67 (R = 0.8571; P = 0.02381) in six different classes of benign and malignant human thyroid tumors. Our experiments identify a PPARδ mechanism that induces cell proliferation through cyclin E1 and is regulated by growth factor and lipid signals. The data argue for systematic investigation of PPARδ antagonists as antineoplastic agents and implicate altered PPARδ–cyclin E1 signaling in thyroid and other carcinomas. [Cancer Res 2008;68(16):6578–86]
Large Forecast Degradations due to Synoptic Surveillance during the 2004 and 2005 Hurricane Seasons
Authors: Aberson Sim D. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Though operational tropical cyclone synoptic surveillance generally leads to smaller track forecast errors in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Forecasting System (GFS) than would occur otherwise, not every case is improved. Very large GFS forecast degradations due to surveillance are investigated. Small perturbations to model initial conditions may have a large impact locally or downstream in a short time. In these cases, the perturbations are due either to erroneous data assimilated into the models or to issues with the complex data assimilation system itself, and may have caused the forecast degradations. Investigation of forecast and observing system failures can lead to procedural changes that may eliminate some causes of future large forecast errors.
Serial Upstream-Propagating Mesoscale Convective System Events over Southeastern South America
Authors: Anabor Vagner , Stensrud David J. , de Moraes Osvaldo L. L. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Serial mesoscale convective system (MCS) events with lifetimes over 18 h and up to nearly 70 h are routinely observed over southeastern South America from infrared satellite imagery during the spring and summer. These events begin over the southern La Plata River basin, with individual convective systems generally moving eastward with the cloud-layer-mean wind. However, an important and common subset of these serial MCS events shows individual MCSs moving to the east or southeast, yet the region of convective development as a whole shifts upstream to the north or northwest. Analyses of the composite mean environments from 10 of these upstream-propagating serial MCS events using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data events indicates that the synoptic conditions resemble those found in mesoscale convective complex environments over the United States. The serial MCS events form within an environment of strong low-level warm advection and strong moisture advection between the surface and 700 hPa from the Amazon region southward. One feature that appears to particularly influence the low-level flow pattern at early times is a strong surface anticyclone located just off the coast of Brazil. At upper levels, the MCSs develop on the anticyclonic side of the entrance region to an upper-level jet. Mean soundings show that the atmosphere is moist from the surface to near 500 hPa, with values of convective available potential energy above 1200 J kg−1 at the time of system initiation. System dissipation and continued upstream propagation to the north and northwest occurs in tandem with a surface high pressure system that crosses the Andes Mountains from the west.