bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression of human Biot2 and its potential function on carcinogenesis in endometrial cancer
Authors: YANGMEI SHEN , YANGMEI SHEN , XIANG HE , HONGXIN DENG , HANSHUO YANG , FENG PENG , YUPING XIE , YUQUAN WEI , XIA ZHAO 
Published: November 2007

AbstractBackground. Rat Biot2 is a novel gene first reported and named by our laboratory. We wanted to study the expression profile and reveal the function of its human homologous gene (human Biot2, hBiot2) on carcinogenesis in endometrial cancer. Methods. Using RT‐PCR, we tested hBiot2 expression profile in normal human tissues from infants and adults. Using real‐time RT‐PCR, we tested different expression quantities of hBiot2 between an endometrial cancer group and a normal endometrium group, between different histological grading groups in endometrial cancer, and between different stage groups during the menstrual cycle. RNA‐RNA ISH tested the expression location of hBiot2 in normal and cancer tissues. Results. Three kinds of novel shearings of hBiot2 in different normal tissues were obtained. Normal organs expressing hBiot2 in infants, did not express hBiot2 in adults. hBiot2 expression was higher in endometrial cancer tissue compared to normal endometrium tissue. hBiot2 expression was higher in the Grade 2–3 group with endometrial cancer compared to the Grade 1 group, and it was higher in the proliferative phase than in the secretory phase of a normal endometrium. hBiot2 was expressed mainly in the parenchymal cells. Conclusions. Three shearings of hBiot2 may suggest that it has different functions in different organs. The expression difference of hBiot2 between infants and adults, cancerous and normal tissues, different histological gradings in endometrial cancer, different stages during the menstrual cycle in the normal endometrium suggests that hBiot2 may have the potential to induce carcinogenesis in endometrial cancer.
Impact of recent studies on attitudes and use of hormone therapy among Scandinavian gynaecologists
Authors: TØNNES PEDERSEN ANETTE , IVERSEN OLE‐ERIK , LØKKEGAARD ELLEN , MATTSSON LARS‐ÅKE , MILSOM IAN , TORE NILSEN STEIN , OTTESEN BENT , HAASE MOEN METTE 
Published: November 2007

AbstractBackground. Climacteric medicine has been in focus during the last 2 decades, and an intensive debate has been ongoing regarding the positive and negative aspects of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT). Recent randomised controlled studies have been unable to confirm data from observational studies of primary or secondary preventive effects of HT on coronary heart disease, and other studies have indicated an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke and venous thromboembolism among HT users. In 2001, we reported on knowledge, attitudes, management strategies and use of HT among Scandinavian gynaecologists. The aim of the present study was to re‐assess the same parameters concerning HT among Scandinavian gynaecologists in 2002–2003, and compare the results with the data collected in 1995–1997. Methods. All practicing gynaecologists in Denmark, Sweden and Norway were invited by letter to complete and return a questionnaire regarding their knowledge, attitudes and management strategies concerning HT. Female gynaecologists were questioned if they were currently using HT, and the same question was posed concerning spouses of male gynaecologists. Results. The questionnaire was completed and returned by 60, 76 and 72%, respectively of gynaecologists in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Of the 1,591 physicians who responded, 13% thought that all women should be offered HT provided there were no contraindications, while 86% recommended HT only to selected women after considering the individual advantages and disadvantages of the treatment. Of the gynaecologists, 37% considered HT to be without relevance in the primary prevention of osteoporosis in healthy women. As for duration of the treatment, 40% of the gynaecologists would recommend HT for <5 years for the treatment of climacteric complaints, and only 8% would recommend HT for >10 years. The prevalence of HT use among the menopausal female gynaecologists varied between 71 and 74%. Among the menopausal spouses of male gynaecologists, 68–72% were current users of HT. Conclusion. During the last years of ongoing debate, gynaecologists from Denmark, Sweden and Norway have become more modest in their recommendations of postmenopausal HT. Scandinavian specialists are more cautious in prescribing hormones for women with symptomatic CVD or previously treated for breast cancer, however, their personal use of HT has not changed dramatically and still reflects a positive attitude.
Updating on primary fallopian tube carcinoma
Authors: RISKA ANNIKA , LEMINEN ARTO 
Published: November 2007

AbstractPrimary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is rare, constituting about 1% of female genital tract malignancies, and little is known about its etiological, protective, risk or prognostic factors. Earlier, such factors were thought to be similar to those seen in ovarian cancer. The incidence of PFTC has been rising during the last decades, especially in higher social classes and among women in certain occupations. Parity is a strong protective factor for PFTC, with a lower incidence associated with an increasing number of deliveries. Previous sterilisation seems to offer some protection. Earlier suggestions of previous genital infections as risk factors appear not to hold. Previous cancers are frequent among PFTC patients, especially breast cancer. Second primary cancers after PFTC are also frequent, especially non‐lymphoid leukemia, colorectal, breast, bladder and lung cancer. Only 4% of primary fallopian carcinomas are correctly diagnosed before operation. Treatment consists of aggressive cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with a platinum‐taxane combination. A high preoperative serum hCGß is a strong prognostic factor for worse prognosis. The 5‐year survival rates vary between 22 and 57%.
Completeness of registration of oral clefts in a medical birth registry: a population‐based study
Authors: KUBON CHRISTER , SIVERTSEN ÅSE , ANDREAS VINDENES HALLVARD , Åbyholm Frank , WILCOX ALLEN , TERJE LIE ROLV 
Published: November 2007

AbstractBackground. Epidemiological surveillance and research on birth defects require accurate diagnosis and adequate registration. In this regard, the performance of national birth registries is not well described. Methods. We linked clinical data from all 3,616 cleft cases treated in Norway between 1967 and 1998 with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, and calculated the proportion of clinically verified cases reported to the Registry, stratified by severity. Results. The cleft type most completely ascertained was cleft lip and palate (CLP), of which 94% were reported. Ascertainment was less complete for cleft lip alone (83% recorded), and cleft palate only (CPO) (57% recorded). For each of the three types of clefts, completeness of reporting depended on severity of the cleft. For example, 71% of cases with severe CPO were reported, while only 11% of cases with mild CPO were reported. Conclusions. Ascertainment was strongly related to cleft type and severity. To the degree that severity of birth defects may be related to their cause, these patterns of registration have implications for surveillance of birth defects as well as the conduct of etiologic studies. The large proportion of cleft palate cases unrecorded at birth suggests that clinical examination of the newborn palate is often inadequate.
Functional Analysis of the Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor Family in Poplar Reveals Biochemical Diversity and Multiplicity in Defense against Herbivores
Authors: Major Ian T. , Constabel C. Peter 
Published: November 2007

Abstract
We investigated the functional and biochemical variability of Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) genes of Populus trichocarpa × Populus deltoides. Phylogenetic analysis, expressed sequence tag databases, and western-blot analysis confirmed that these genes belong to a large and diverse gene family with complex expression patterns. Five wound- and herbivore-induced genes representing the diversity of the KTI gene family were selected for functional analysis and shown to produce active KTI proteins in Escherichia coli. These recombinant KTI proteins were all biochemically distinct and showed clear differences in efficacy against trypsin-, chymotrypsin-, and elastase-type proteases, suggesting functional specialization of different members of this gene family. The in vitro stability of the KTIs in the presence of reducing agents and elevated temperature also varied widely, emphasizing the biochemical differences of these proteins. Significantly, the properties of the recombinant KTI proteins were not predictable from primary amino acid sequence data. Proteases in midgut extracts of Malacosoma disstria, a lepidopteran pest of Populus, were strongly inhibited by at least two of the KTI gene products. This study suggests that the large diversity in the poplar (Populus spp.) KTI family is important for biochemical and functional specialization, which may be important in the maintenance of pest resistance in long-lived plants such as poplar.
Transcript Profiling by 3′-Untranslated Region Sequencing Resolves Expression of Gene Families
Authors: Eveland Andrea L. , McCarty Donald R. , Koch Karen E. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractDifferences in gene expression underlie central questions in plant biology extending from gene function to evolutionary mechanisms and quantitative traits. However, resolving expression of closely related genes (e.g. alleles and gene family members) is challenging on a genome-wide scale due to extensive sequence similarity and frequently incomplete genome sequence data. We present a new expression-profiling strategy that utilizes long-read, high-throughput sequencing to capture the information-rich 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Resulting sequences resolve gene-specific transcripts independent of a sequenced genome. Analysis of approximately 229,000 3′-anchored sequences from maize (Zea mays) ovaries identified 14,822 unique transcripts represented by at least two sequence reads. Total RNA from ovaries of drought-stressed wild-type and viviparous-1 mutant plants was used to construct a multiplex cDNA library. Each sample was labeled by incorporating one of 16 unique three-base key codes into the 3′-cDNA fragments, and combined samples were sequenced using a GS 20 454 instrument. Transcript abundance was quantified by frequency of sequences identifying each unique mRNA. At least 202 unique transcripts showed highly significant differences in abundance between wild-type and mutant samples. For a subset of mRNAs, quantitative differences were validated by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The 3′-UTR profile resolved 12 unique cellulose synthase (CesA) transcripts in maize ovaries and identified previously uncharacterized members of a histone H1 gene family. In addition, this method resolved nearly identical paralogs, as illustrated by two auxin-repressed, dormancy-associated (Arda) transcripts, which showed reciprocal mRNA abundance in wild-type and mutant samples. Our results demonstrate the potential of 3′-UTR profiling for resolving gene- and allele-specific transcripts.
Combined Metabolomic and Genetic Approaches Reveal a Link between the Polyamine Pathway and Albumin 2 in Developing Pea Seeds
Authors: Vigeolas Helene , Chinoy Catherine , Zuther Ellen , Blessington Bernard , Geigenberger Peter , Domoney Claire 
Published: November 2007

Abstract
Several legume seed proteins that are potentially allergenic, poorly digested by farm animals, and/or have undesirable functional properties, have been described. One of these is the albumin protein in pea (Pisum sativum) called PA2. A naturally occurring mutant line that lacks PA2 has been exploited in studies to determine the biological function of this nonstorage protein in seed development. The mutant, which has a small seed, a tall plant phenotype, and lacks most of the PA2-encoding genes, has been crossed with a standard cultivar, ‘Birte,’ which contains PA2 to give rise to a recombinant inbred (RI) population. An F3 line carrying the mutation and having a short plant phenotype has been used to generate backcross (BC) lines with ‘Birte.’ Despite having a lower albumin content, seeds from the mutant parent and RI lines lacking PA2 have an equivalent or higher seed nitrogen content. Metabolite profiling of seeds revealed major differences in amino acid composition and polyamine content in the two parent lines. This was investigated further in BC lines, where the effects of differences in seed size and plant height between the two parents were eliminated. Here, differences in polyamine synthesis were maintained as was a difference in total seed protein between the BC line lacking PA2 and ‘Birte.’ Analysis of enzyme activities in the pathways of polyamine synthesis revealed that the differences in spermidine content were attributable to changes in the overall activities of spermidine synthase and arginine decarboxylase. Although the genes encoding spermidine synthase and PA2 both localized to the pea linkage group I, the two loci were shown not to be closely linked and to have recombined in the BC lines. A distinct locus on linkage group III contains a gene that is related to PA2 but expressed predominantly in flowers. The results provide evidence for a role of PA2 in regulating polyamine metabolism, which has important functions in development, metabolism, and stress responses in plants.
Genomic Changes in ResynthesizedBrassica napusand Their Effect on Gene Expression and Phenotype
Authors: Gaeta Robert T. , Pires J. Chris , Iniguez-Luy Federico , Leon Enrique , Osborn Thomas C. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractMany previous studies have provided evidence for genome changes in polyploids, but there are little data on the overall population dynamics of genome change and whether it causes phenotypic variability. We analyzed genetic, epigenetic, gene expression, and phenotypic changes in ∼50 resynthesized Brassica napus lines independently derived by hybridizing double haploids of Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa. A previous analysis of the first generation (S0) found that genetic changes were rare, and cytosine methylation changes were frequent. Our analysis of a later generation found that most S0 methylation changes remained fixed in their S5 progeny, although there were some reversions and new methylation changes. Genetic changes were much more frequent in the S5 generation, occurring in every line with lines normally distributed for number of changes. Genetic changes were detected on 36 of the 38 chromosomes of the S5 allopolyploids and were not random across the genome. DNA fragment losses within lines often occurred at linked marker loci, and most fragment losses co-occurred with intensification of signal from homoeologous markers, indicating that the changes were due to homoeologous nonreciprocal transpositions (HNRTs). HNRTs between chromosomes A1 and C1 initiated in early generations, occurred in successive generations, and segregated, consistent with a recombination mechanism. HNRTs and deletions were correlated with qualitative changes in the expression of specific homoeologous genes and anonymous cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphisms and with phenotypic variation among S5 polyploids. Our data indicate that exchanges among homoeologous chromosomes are a major mechanism creating novel allele combinations and phenotypic variation in newly formed B. napus polyploids.
Measuring organizational responsiveness: the development of a validated survey instrument
Authors: Hoyt James , Huq Faizul , Kreiser Patrick 
Published: November 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to develop the survey utilized in this research as a data collection tool for the study of organizational responsiveness.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from the operations and strategic management literature, measurement scales were developed in order to empirically test five proposed enablers of organizational responsiveness: environmental scanning, strategic planning, flexible manufacturing infrastructures, supply chain governance mechanisms, and multi‐skilled workers.FindingsThe survey produced a total of 66 responses from 59 companies in three industries: automotive suppliers, instrumentation equipment, and semiconductor components. Three of the five enablers were found to be bi‐dimensional, which produced a survey instrument with eight separate measurement scales. Coefficient alpha was observed to be within the acceptable range for all construct scales and factor analysis confirmed unidimensionality for each construct.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey instrument presented in this paper provides a better understanding of the processes that enable organizational responsiveness. This measurement scale will serve as a tool that will allow future researchers to more accurately operationalize the enablers of organizational responsiveness.Practical implicationsThe ability of firms to quickly respond to changes in their external environment is a primary determinant of firm performance. This research provides important practical implications for firms wishing to maximize their levels of agility and flexibility in responding to changing environmental conditions.Originality/valueFew measurement scales currently exist that can be utilized to measure and predict rates of organizational responsiveness. The survey instrument developed as part of this research provides important insights into various organizational factors that enable organizational responsiveness.
Ethnicity and decision making for internationalisation
Authors: Slater Stephanie , Paliwoda Stan , Slater Jim 
Published: November 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to review the internationalisation strategies of Japanese and Singaporean firms within the context of Dunning, Hymer and Rugman.Design/methodology/approachThe literature pertaining to culture, environment and Asian management is reviewed and the question is posed whether the management style is changing in response to global market convergence. The study used a mail questionnaire to explore the FDI factors deemed motivational for Japanese and Singapore managers.FindingsThe paper finds that managers need to consider the impact that environment and culture exerts on the decision‐making process as corporations expand their international reach.Practical implicationsOne approach to explaining the theory as to why firms expand and perform at different speeds could be to suggest that the cognitive rationale that drives management thinking is environmentally dependent. This would appear plausible given that when the way in which managers make decisions across countries of the same region are compared, differences in thinking do occur. This then exerts an effect on the internationalisation paths pursued by firms.Originality/valueThis research questions the suitability of a “one size fits all” approach to internationalisation given the cultural variables that exist between markets. This builds on the literature that examines the suitability of market convergence but at the same time enables the evaluation of the extent to which Asian managers are driven by market capitalism theory at the organisational level.
Disabling the context for knowledge work: the role of managers' behaviours
Authors: Erik Sveiby Karl 
Published: November 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse issues that prevent knowledge sharing in organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper contains content analysis of 691 free text comments about the climate for knowledge sharing provided by 848 employees, primarily knowledge workers, in 92 business units and departments.FindingsThe paper finds that two main issues that prevent knowledge sharing are the attitudes of the nearest supervisor and a lack of context‐building information. Apathetic managers, who do not actively encourage business/organisational information, and hypocritical managers, who do not “walk the talk”, are the main management behaviours that prevent knowledge sharing according to their subordinates in the sample. The study also suggests that a lack of organisational context‐building information and knowledge impacts the context negatively and makes knowledge workers less prone to share knowledge also in their work groups.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is too small to draw conclusions valid beyond the sample organisations. Respondents in the sample are primarily non‐managers in Europe and Australia. Context‐building knowledge and information have been largely ignored in the knowledge sharing literature. Also, non‐managers tend not to be targeted as respondents in studies on knowledge sharing. The study suggests that managers' apathy should be considered a disabling behaviour with regard to context.Practical implicationsThe silo walls in organisations are built of apathy. Few managers actively prevent or resist sharing of knowledge. However, knowledge sharing requires enabling management behaviours. Sharing business/organisational information not related to tasks communicates priority and provides context necessary also for sharing in the work groups.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on issues that prevent knowledge sharing in organisations.
Defining the most desirable outsourcing contract between customer and vendor
Authors: Platz Leah A. , Temponi Cecilia 
Published: November 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this work is to identify commonalities that exist within the contracts between customer and vendor companies, the nature of the problems commonly associated with these contracts, and to provide a theoretical model that exists between customer and vendor companies.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses multiple sources of previous research to isolate the key elements and form a theoretical model for the ideal outsourcing contract. The common problems identified were also derived from previous research.FindingsThe paper finds that there is a common set of key contractual elements that exist between most outsourcing contracts. The nature of the particular industry the companies exist within and the specific needs within each customer‐vendor relationship can be accommodated within the contract by tailoring these key elements to fit each scenario. A set of common problems may arise when any of the key elements are not sufficiently addressed. These problems can greatly devalue the customer‐vendor relationship and supply chain as a whole.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should examine the theoretical model presented within the context of various industries. Each of the key elements presented and its implications for the customer‐vendor relationship should also be further examined.Practical implicationsThis research may provide a better understanding of the importance of the outsourcing contract to the customer‐vendor relationship and/or the contract itself for management.Originality/valuePrevious research has not fully addressed the nature of the outsourcing contract and its associated problems. Where this research attempts to identify all key elements of the contract, previous research usually addresses a single contractual element at a time. There has also been little research that discusses the problems that commonly arise within the contractual relationship. The theoretical model within this research may be useful.