bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum granulysin level as a novel prognostic marker in patients with gastric carcinoma
Authors: Saigusa Susumu , Ichikura Takashi , Tsujimoto Hironori , Sugasawa Hidekazu , Majima Takashi , Kawarabayashi Nobuaki , Chochi Kentaro , Ono Satoshi , Kinoshita Manabu , Seki Shuhji , Ogawa Kazuyuki , Mochizuki Hidetaka 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground:  Granulysin is a cytolytic molecule present in human cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cell granules, and plays a key role in the cell‐mediated immunity against tumor and infection. However, few studies have estimated serum granulysin concentrations in patients with solid or hematological malignancies.Methods:  Peripheral blood samples were taken from patients with gastric carcinoma preoperatively and from healthy volunteers. Serum and tumor tissue granulysin concentrations were measured using a granulysin‐specific ELISA kit in order to assess its prognostic value.Results:  Both serum and tumor tissue granulysin concentrations were higher in patients with stage II or III gastric cancer and lower in patients with stage IV disease as compared to healthy controls. The low preoperative granulysin levels were associated with more frequent hepatic and peritoneal metastases, and with a poor outcome of the curative gastrectomy.Conclusions:  Preoperative serum granulysin levels reflect the status of cell‐mediated immunity in patients with gastric carcinoma. It has significance as a prognostic determinant following a curative resection.
Effect of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists in a mouse model of colorectal cancer liver metastases
Authors: Neo Jaclyn H , Malcontenti‐Wilson Cathy , Muralidharan Vijayaragavan , Christophi Christopher 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground and Aims: Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE‐I) and angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) antagonists are commonly used as a treatment for hypertension. Recent experimental and population studies have suggested that these agents may exert an inhibitory effect on malignancy, possibly through anti‐angiogenic pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an ACE‐I (captopril) and an AT1R antagonist (irbesartan) in colorectal cancer liver metastases.Methods: The effect of captopril and irbesartan on tumor growth was investigated in a mouse model using quantitative stereological and histological analysis. Tumor microcirculation was assessed by microvascular resin casting. A survival study was also carried out.Results: Both captopril and irbesartan markedly decreased tumor growth when compared to control (P = 0.003 andP = 0.004, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in survival or tumor necrosis for either of the drugs. Tumor microvasculature exhibited a reduction in central microvascular density, with constriction and tapering of vessels.Conclusion: Captopril and irbesartan caused a marked reduction in volume of colorectal cancer liver metastases and caused changes in tumor microvasculature. However, there was no difference in percentage tumor necrosis or improvements in survival. Further investigation is needed to identify the mode of action of these agents.
Factors that predict cecal insertion time during sedated colonoscopy: The role of waist circumference
Authors: Hsieh Yu‐Hsi , Kuo Chin‐Sung , Tseng Kuo‐Chih , Lin Hwai‐Jeng 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Various factors have been closely linked to the cecal insertion time. These factors include age, sex, body mass index, quality of bowel preparation, doctor's technique, a history of prior hysterectomy, diverticulosis, and constipation. Waist circumference is better than body mass index in assessing abdominal obesity and therefore may be better than body mass index in predicting cecal insertion time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors influencing cecal insertion time and the impact of waist circumference.Methods:  This prospective study was conducted between August 2004 and June 2005 in Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital. Asymptomatic patients admitted to our physical check‐up department were enrolled. A single endoscopist performed all colonoscopies under sedation with a single‐handed method. Age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, history of hysterectomy, constipation, bowel cleansing status, and diverticulosis were analyzed.Results:  A total of 1022 patients were enrolled. Among them, 996 (97.5%) completed the colonoscopic examinations (472 men and 524 women). The mean ± SD insertion time was 307 ± 166 s for men and 403 ± 195 s for women (P < 0.01). Female sex, poor bowel preparation, smaller waist circumference, lower body mass index and older age were associated with longer insertion time. Waist circumference was better than body mass index in predicting cecal insertion time.Conclusion:  Female sex, poor bowel preparation, smaller waist circumference, lower body mass index and older age were associated with a longer insertion time. Waist circumference was a better predictor than body mass index in assessing cecal insertion time.
Does the Pricing of Financial Reporting Quality Change Around Dividend Changes?
Authors: CHEN SHUPING , SHEVLIN TERRY , TONG YEN H. 
Published: December 2006

ABSTRACTWe examine whether accrual earnings quality is a priced information risk factor in a dividend change setting. We define information risk as the probability that firm‐specific financial statement information pertinent to investor pricing decisions is of low precision, and use the factor‐mimicking portfolio returns formed on theDechow‐Dichev [2002]accrual quality (AQ) metric to proxy for the information risk (IR) factor returns. We augment the Fama‐French three‐factor model with this IR factor, and find that dividend initiation and increase firms exhibit a decrease in the factor loadings on the IR factor while dividend decrease firms exhibit an increase in the corresponding factor loadings, but such changes in the factor loadings occur months prior to the dividend change announcements. The results are robust to further controls for operating risk and using an alternative measure of information risk. Further analysis on changes in information characteristics such as AQ, the probability of informed trading score (PIN), forecast dispersion, and return volatility surrounding dividend change events are consistent with the asset pricing results. Overall, we interpret our results as being consistent with investors treating the information risk associated with the precision of financial statement information as a priced risk factor, with both the precision and pricing changing in predictable directions around dividend changes. However, while we attempt to control for operating risk changes in additional tests, we cannot completely rule out changes in operating risk as a competing alternative explanation for our observed results.
Encouraging Posttreatment Self‐Help Group Involvement to Reduce Demand for Continuing Care Services: Two‐Year Clinical and Utilization Outcomes
Authors: Humphreys Keith , Moos Rudolf H. 
Published: December 2006

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that addiction and psychiatric treatment programs that actively promote self‐help group involvement can reduce their patients' health care costs in the first year after treatment, but such initially impressive effects may wane over time. This paper examines whether the positive clinical outcomes and reduced health care costs evident 1 year after treatment among substance‐dependent patients who were strongly encouraged to attend 12‐step self‐help groups were sustained at 2‐year follow‐up.Methods: A 2‐year quasi‐experimental analysis of matched samples of male substance‐dependent patients who were treated in either 12‐step–based (n=887 patients) or cognitive‐behavioral (CB, n=887 patients) treatment programs. The 12‐step–based programs placed substantially more emphasis on 12‐step concepts, had more staff members “in recovery,” had a more spiritually oriented treatment environment, and promoted self‐help group involvement much more extensively than did the CB programs. The 2‐year follow‐up assessed patients' substance use, psychiatric functioning, self‐help group affiliation, and mental health care utilization and costs.Results: As had been the case in the 1‐year follow‐up of this sample, the only difference in clinical outcomes was a substantially higher abstinence rate among patients treated in 12‐step (49.5%) versus CB (37.0%) programs. Twelve‐step treatment patients had 50 to 100% higher scores on indices of 12‐step self‐help group involvement than did patients from CB programs. In contrast, patients from CB programs relied significantly more on outpatient and inpatient mental health services, leading to 30% lower costs in the 12‐step treatment programs. This was smaller than the difference in cost identified at 1 year, but still significant ($2,440 per patient, p=0.01).Conclusions: Promoting self‐help group involvement appears to improve posttreatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self‐help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources.
Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Iron Metabolism in Mice with Hemochromatosis Mutations
Authors: Flanagan Jonathan M. , Peng HongFan , Beutler Ernest 
Published: December 2006

Background: Alcoholic liver disease is associated with increased hepatic iron accumulation. The liver‐derived peptide hepcidin is the central regulator of iron homeostasis and recent animal studies have demonstrated that exposure to alcohol reduces hepcidin expression. This down‐regulation of hepcidin in vivo implies that disturbed iron sensing may contribute to the hepatosiderosis seen in alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol intake is also a major factor in expression of the hemochromatosis phenotype in patients homozygous for the C282Y mutation of the HFE gene.Methods: To assess the effect of alcohol in mice with iron overload, alcohol was administered to mice with disrupted Hfe and IL‐6 genes and Tfr2 mutant mice and their respective 129x1/SvJ, C57BL/6J, and AKR/J wild‐type congenic strains. Iron absorption, serum iron levels, and hepcidin expression levels were then measured in these mice compared with water‐treated control mice.Results: Alcohol was shown to have a strain‐specific effect in 129x1/SvJ mice, with treated 129x1/SvJ mice showing a significant increase in iron absorption, serum iron levels, and a corresponding decrease in hepcidin expression. C57BL/6J and AKR/J strain mice showed no effect from alcohol treatment. 129x1/SvJ mice heterozygous or homozygous for the Hfe knockout had a diminished response to alcohol. All 3 strains were shown to have high blood alcohol levels.Conclusions: The effect of alcohol on iron homeostasis is dependent on the genetic background in mice. In an alcohol‐susceptible strain, mutation of the Hfe gene diminished the response of the measured iron indices to alcohol treatment. This indicates that either maximal suppression of hepcidin levels had already occurred as a result of the Hfe mutation or that Hfe was a component of the pathway utilized by EtOH in suppressing hepcidin production and increasing iron absorption.
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: a problem that will not go away
Authors: Stahl S. M. , Buckley P. F. 
Published: December 2006

Objective:  Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are a common, enduring, and debilitating component of the psychopathology of schizophrenia. Although efforts thus far to elucidate a distinct schizophrenia subtype based upon negative symptoms have yielded mixed results, there are nevertheless neurobiological correlates of the negative symptom typology.Method:  A review of nosology, typology, and assessment tools for determining core negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Results:  Negative symptoms can be difficult to evaluate objectively. Current rating scales ‘capture’ key domains of negative symptoms, in spite of considerable overlap between these domains. However, each objective assessment trades off methodological rigor and detail against brevity of assessment and ease of use.Conclusion:  The description of new methods for measuring these devastating symptoms, coupled with the ongoing development of novel antipsychotics and agents that augment antipsychotics have fuelled renewed interest in the evaluation of negative symptoms and optimism that better treatments for negative symptoms can be found.
Expression of activated Akt in benign nevi, Spitz nevi and melanomas
Authors: Kantrow Sara M , Boyd Alan S , Ellis Darrel L , Nanney Lillian B , Richmond Ann , Shyr Yu , Robbins Jason B 
Published: December 2006

Background:  Activated Akt expression (p‐Akt) is reportedly increased in many melanomas as compared with benign nevi. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare p‐Akt immunohistological staining in benign nevi, Spitz nevi and primary melanomas.Methods:  Immunostaining for phosphorylated Akt was performed in 41 melanocytic lesions previously classified as benign intradermal nevus (14 lesions), Spitz nevus (9 lesions) or melanoma (18 lesions). Lesions were graded for intensity of p‐Akt staining by two independent observers (0, no staining; 1, slightly positive; 2, moderately positive; 3, highly positive). Scores were averaged, and statistical analyses were performed.Results:  Benign nevi showed less staining (mean score 1.18) compared with Spitz nevi (mean score 2.11) and melanomas (mean score 2.19). This difference was statistically significant between benign nevi and melanomas (p = 0.0047) and benign nevi and Spitz nevi (p = 0.0271). No statistical difference was detected in staining between Spitz nevi and melanomas (p = 0.8309).Conclusions:  Activated Akt expression is increased in Spitz nevi and melanomas as compared with benign intradermal nevi, but is unlikely to prove useful in differentiating between the former.
Effects of Lipoic Acid and Dihydrolipoic Acid on Total Erythrocytic Thiols under Conditions of Restricted Glucose in vitro†
Authors: Coleman Michael D. , Rimmer Georgina S. E. , Haenen Guido R. M. M. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  The effects of lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid were explored on total thiol maintenance in diabetic and non‐diabetic human erythrocytes in vitro over 22 hr in a 37°C incubation system with no added glucose. Over 18–22.5 hr after treatment in both non‐diabetic and diabetic cells, lipoic acid (1 mM) was associated with greater loss of cellular thiols than dihydrolipoic acid (1 mM), compared to respective control values. At 0.1 mM, in non‐diabetic cells, although lipoic acid‐treated cells’ thiol levels were significantly lower than control, there was no significant difference between dihydrolipoic acid‐treated cells and control cells regarding thiol levels. In addition, at 0.1 mM, dihydrolipoic acid‐treated diabetic cells showed a reduction in thiol levels compared to control. At 0.01 mM, lipoic acid‐treated cells had significantly lower measured thiol levels compared with diabetic cells exposed to dihydrolipoic acid, whereas in non‐diabetic cells, dihydrolipoic acid‐treated erythrocytic thiol levels were significantly greater than those treated with lipoic acid, although there were no other significant differences between the groups. At 22.5 hr, control values of methaemoglobin rose to 6.4 ± 1.1% in diabetic cells and 3.6 ± 2.1% in non‐diabetic cells. Lipoic acid (1 mM) showed greater methaemoglobin formation in diabetic rather than non‐diabetic cells (13.6 ± 1.5% versus 11.6 ± 1.5%), whereas dihydrolipoic acid‐treated diabetic and non‐diabetic cells were less potent in methaemoglobin generation (8.5 ± 2.4% and 8.4 ± 1.4%, respectively). These studies suggest that in certain circumstances such as hypoglycaemia, lipoic acid administration may actually be detrimental to cellular oxidant protection status.
PUBLIC PREFERENCES FOR REHABILITATION VERSUS INCARCERATION OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS: EVIDENCE FROM A CONTINGENT VALUATION SURVEY*
Authors: NAGIN DANIEL S. , PIQUERO ALEX R. , SCOTT ELIZABETH S. , STEINBERG LAURENCE 
Published: December 2006

Research Summary:Accurately gauging the public's support for alternative responses to juvenile offending is important, because policy makers often justify expenditures for punitive juvenile justice reforms on the basis of popular demand for tougher policies. In this study, we assess public support for both punitively and nonpunitively oriented juvenile justice policies by measuring respondents' willingness to pay for various policy proposals. We employ a methodology known as “contingent valuation” (CV) that permits the comparison of respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for competing policy alternatives. Specifically, we compare CV‐based estimates for the public's WTP for two distinctively different responses to serious juvenile crime: incarceration and rehabilitation. An additional focus of our analysis is an examination of the public's WTP for an early childhood prevention program. The analysis indicates that the public is at least as willing to pay for rehabilitation as punishment for juvenile offenders and that WTP for early childhood prevention is also substantial. Implications and future research directions are outlined.Policy Implications:The findings suggest that lawmakers should more actively consider policies grounded in rehabilitation, and, perhaps, be slower to advocate for punitive reforms in response to public concern over high‐profile juvenile crimes. Additionally, our willingness to pay findings offer encouragement to lawmakers who are uncomfortable with the recent trend toward punitive juvenile justice policies and would like to initiate more moderate reforms. Such lawmakers may be reassured that the public response to such initiatives will not be hostile. Just as importantly, reforms that emphasize leniency and rehabilitation can be justified economically as welfare‐enhancing expenditures of public funds. The evidence that the public values rehabilitation more than increased incarceration should be important information to cost‐conscious legislators considering how to allocate public funds. Cost‐conscious legislatures may become disenchanted with punitive juvenile justice policies on economic grounds and pursue policies that place greater emphasis on rehabilitation. They may be reassured, on the basis of our findings, that the public will support this move.
Visualisation of human dental pulp vasculature by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent detection of CD34: A comparative study
Authors: Digka Anna , Lyroudia Kleoniki , Jirasek Tomas , Kasampalidis Ioannis N. , Karayannopoulou Georgia , Kubinova Lucie 
Published: December 2006

AbstractCD34 is considered a pan‐endothelial cell marker for paraffin‐embedded sections. In this study, both immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were applied in human dental pulp specimens of moderate thickness (10 µm) in order to observe the vasculature of this tissue using CD34. Both techniques revealed a homogenous staining pattern with capillaries and larger vessels showing complete and strong membrane staining reflecting the high capacity of the pulp for regeneration and response to different stimuli. A novel approach in the identification of the pulpal vasculature by Cy5‐conjugated anti‐CD34 is introduced in this study. By this technique the dense capillary plexus of the sub‐odontoblastic region, which is responsible for the reaction of the tissue to any physical or chemical stimuli or pathological condition, can be clearly identified, while immunohistochemistry did not reveal such a detailed staining pattern.
Enhancement of Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity in esophageal cancer cells by cisplatin
Authors: Tsai Wilson S. , Yeow Wen-Shuz , Chua Alex , Reddy Rishindra M. , Nguyen Duc M. , Schrump David S. , Nguyen Dao M. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract
Although expressing adequate levels of functional tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors DR4/DR5, significant proportion of cancer cells exhibit resistance to the cytotoxic effect of this ligand. Exposure of Apo2L/TRAIL-refractory cancer cells to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents enhances their sensitivity to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism responsible for the cisplatin-mediated enhancement of Apo2L/TRAIL sensitivity in cultured esophageal cancer cells. Exposure of cancer cells to sublethal concentrations of cisplatin resulted in profound potentiation of their susceptibility to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity as indicated by 2- to &gt;20-fold reduction in Apo2L/TRAIL IC50 values. Significant activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 was observed only in cells treated with cisplatin/Apo2L/TRAIL combination and not in those exposed to either agent alone. More importantly, activation of these key caspases was significantly abrogated by overexpression of Bcl2 or by the selective caspase-9 inhibitor. This observation strongly suggested that caspase-8 activation in cells treated with the cisplatin/Apo2L/TRAIL combination was secondary to the mitochondria-mediated amplification feedback loop and activation of the executioner caspase-3 was dependent on the recruitment of the intrinsic pathway characteristic of the type II cell. Profound combination-mediated cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis was completely suppressed either by Bcl2 overexpression or by inhibition of caspase-9 activity, which conclusively pointed to the essential role of the mitochondria-dependent death signaling cascade in this process. Cisplatin sensitizes esophageal cancer cells to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity by potentiation of the mitochondria-dependent death signaling pathway that leads to amplification of caspase activation, particularly caspase-8, by the feedback loop to efficiently induce apoptosis. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(12):2977–90]
Comparison of biochemical and biological effects of ML858 (salinosporamide A) and bortezomib
Authors: Williamson Mark J. , Blank Jonathan L. , Bruzzese Frank J. , Cao Yueying , Daniels J. Scott , Dick Lawrence R. , Labutti Jason , Mazzola Anne M. , Patil Ashok D. , Reimer Corinne L. , Solomon Marjorie S. , Stirling Matthew , Tian Yuan , Tsu Christopher A. , Weatherhead Gabriel S. , Zhang Julie X. , Rolfe Mark 
Published: December 2006

Abstract
Strains within the genus Salinospora have been shown to produce complex natural products having antibiotic and antiproliferative activities. The biochemical basis for the cytotoxic effects of salinosporamide A has been linked to its ability to inhibit the proteasome. Synthetically accessible salinosporamide A (ML858) was used to determine its biochemical and biological activities and to compare its effects with those of bortezomib. ML858 and bortezomib show time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of the proteasome in vitro. However, unlike bortezomib, which is a reversible inhibitor, ML858 covalently binds to the proteasome, resulting in the irreversible inhibition of 20S proteasome activity. ML858 was equipotent to bortezomib in cell-based reporter stabilization assays, but due to intramolecular instability is less potent in long-term assays. ML858 failed to maintain levels of proteasome inhibition necessary to achieve efficacy in tumor models responsive to bortezomib. Our results show that ML858 and bortezomib exhibit different kinetic and pharmacologic profiles and suggest that additional characterization of ML858 is warranted before its therapeutic potential can be fully appreciated. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(12):3052–61]