bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
P‐cadherin as a prognostic indicator and a modulator of migratory behaviour in bladder carcinoma cells
Authors: Mandeville Jessica A. , Neto Brasil Silva , Vanni Alex J. , Smith Gjanje L. , Rieger‐Christ Kimberly M. , Zeheb Ron , Loda Massimo , Libertino John A. , Summerhayes Ian C. 
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVETo identify changes associated with P‐cadherin expression in bladder cancer and evaluate the potential role of such events in determining the clinical outcome and cell behaviour, as the function of P‐cadherin in normal epithelium is unknown, as is its potential role in neoplastic progression in different cancers.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn all, 536 bladder tumour specimensfrom 408 patients were assembled in seven tissue microarrays. Paraffin sections from each array were processed for immunohistochemistry to assess the expression of P‐cadherin. The expression of P‐cadherin was forced using lipofectin, followed by an assessment of migration and invasion potential using standard in vitro assays.RESULTSThe absence of P‐cadherin staining was associated with muscle‐invasive disease, grade 3 (P < 0.001) and nodal disease (P = 0.009). Similar results were obtained when considering cytoplasmic and unrestricted localization of P‐cadherin (P < 0.001), except for nodal involvement. The group with cytoplasmic location of P‐cadherin showed a shorter cancer‐specific survival than the group with membrane location of P‐cadherin (P = 0.03). Forced expression of P‐cadherin in EJ and UM‐UC‐3 cells, that constitutively lack P‐cadherin expression, resulted in modulation of catenin expression and enhanced migration of EJ and UM‐UC‐3/P‐cadherin transfectants (>200%).CONCLUSIONSThese results showed that loss of expression, cytoplasmic relocation or unrestricted tissue location of P‐cadherin was associated with a poor clinical outcome and prognosis in bladder cancer. From the in vitro work it is evident that P‐cadherin plays a role in regulating the migration potential of bladder carcinoma cells.
Prostate cancer screening in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian cancer screening trial: update on findings from the initial four rounds of screening in a randomized trial
Authors: Grubb Robert L. , Pinsky Paul F. , Greenlee Robert T. , Izmirlian Grant , Miller Anthony B. , Hickey Thomas P. , Riley Thomas L. , Mabie Jerome E. , Levin David L. , Chia David , Kramer Barnett S. , Reding Douglas J. , Church Timothy R. , Yokochi Lance A. , Kvale Paul A. , Weissfeld Joel L. , Urban Donald A. , Buys Saundra S. , Gelmann Edward P. , Ragard Lawrence R. , Crawford E. David , Prorok Philip C. , Gohagan John K. , Berg Christine D. , Andriole Gerald L. 
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVETo describe the results of the first four rounds (T0‐T3) of prostate cancer screening in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial (designed to determine the value of screening in the four cancers), that for prostate cancer is evaluating whether annual screening with prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal examination (DRE) reduces prostate cancer‐specific mortality.SUBJECTS AND METHODSIn all, 38 349 men aged 55–74 years were randomized to undergo annual screening with PSA (abnormal >4.0 ng/mL) and a DRE. The follow‐up of abnormal screening results was at the discretion of subjects’ physicians. PLCO staff obtained records related to diagnostic follow‐up of positive screen results.RESULTSCompliance with screening decreased slightly from 89% at baseline to 85% at T3. Both PSA positivity rates (range 7.7–8.8% at T0‐T3) and DRE positivity rates (range 6.8–7.6% at T0‐T3) were relatively constant over time. The positive predictive value (PPV) of a PSA level of >4.0 ng/mL decreased from 17.9% at T0 to 10.4–12.3% at T1‐T3; the PPV for DRE (in the absence of a positive PSA test) was constant over time (2.9–3.6%). Cancer was diagnosed in 1902 men (4.9%). Screen‐detected cancers at T0 (549) were more likely to be clinical stage III/IV (5.8%) and to have a Gleason score of 7–10 (34%) than screen‐detected cancers at T1‐T3 (1.5–4.2% stage III/IV and 24–27% Gleason score 7–10 among 1054 cases).CONCLUSIONThe present findings on serial prostate screening are similar to those reported from other multi‐round screening studies. Determining the effect of PSA screening on prostate cancer mortality awaits further follow‐up.
Impaired prioritization of novel onset stimuli in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Keehn Brandon , Joseph Robert M. 
Published: November 2008

Background: Deficiency in the adaptive allocation of attention to relevant environmental stimuli is an associated feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent evidence suggests that individuals with ASD may be specifically impaired in attentional prioritization of novel onsets.Method: We investigated modulation of attention by novel onset stimuli in 22 children with ASD and 22 age‐ and IQ‐matched typically developing (TD) children using a preview visual search task (Donk & Theeuwes, 2003). In preview search, a subset of search stimuli (old) is presented briefly before the remaining stimuli (new) with the effect that search times for targets appearing among the new elements are typically shorter than for those appearing among the old elements.Results: Whereas the TD group exhibited faster reaction time (RT) to targets occurring as novel search elements, the ASD group performed similarly in target new and old conditions, indicating impaired attentional prioritization of novel onsets. Group differences in eye‐movement behavior, including fixation frequency and saccadic error for novel onset stimuli, were consistent with the RT findings. Attentional modulation by novel onsets varied inversely with social‐communicative symptom severity in the ASD group.Conclusions: The results provide further evidence of reduced sensitivity to novel onsets in ASD, and suggest that impaired processing of dynamic stimuli, possibly associated with abnormalities in the dorsal visual processing stream, may be implicated in the core symptoms of ASD.
Association of ADHD, tics, and anxiety with dopamine transporter (DAT1) genotype in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Gadow Kenneth D. , Roohi Jasmin , DeVincent Carla J. , Hatchwell Eli 
Published: November 2008

Background:  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with high rates of psychiatric disturbance to include attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tic disorder, and anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) functional polymorphism located in the 3’‐untranslated region of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and the severity of these symptoms as well as the association between the DAT1 DdeI polymorphism and severity of tics.Methods:  Parents (n = 62) and teachers (n = 57) completed a DSM‐IV‐referenced rating scale for 67 children with ASD.Results:  According to parent ratings, children with the 10‐10 repeat allele (versus a combined group of all other genotypes) exhibited less severe symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity as well as less severe language deficits. Teacher ratings indicated that social anxiety and tic symptoms were more severe for children with the 10‐10 genotype versus all others. Exploratory analyses provided preliminary support for the notion that heterozygosity (9–10 repeat genotype) may be a risk/protective factor. There were no associations of tic severity with the DAT1 DdeI polymorphism.Conclusion:  Collectively, these results suggest that the extraordinary variability in ASD clinical phenotypes may be explained in part by the same genes that are implicated in a host of other psychiatric disorders in non‐ASD populations. Nevertheless, replication with independent samples is necessary to confirm this preliminary finding.
Remediation of a mine soil with insoluble polyacrylate polymers enhances soil quality and plant growth
Authors: Guiwei Q. , De Varennes A. , Cunha‐Queda C. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractWe investigated the effects of different application rates of insoluble hydrophilic polyacrylate polymers on plant growth and soil quality from a Pb‐contaminated mine soil. The polymer increased the water‐holding capacity of the soil from about 250 g/kg in unamended soil to almost 1000 g/kg in soil with 0.6% polymer. However, the capacity of the polymer to retain water decreased progressively, presumably as the polymer sorbed Pb. Growth of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Amba) was stimulated in the polymer‐amended soil. The greatest accumulated biomass over four cuts was obtained in soil amended with 0.4% of polymer. After orchardgrass had been growing for 101 days, the amounts of CaCl2‐extractable Pb present in the polymer‐amended soil were 15–66% of those in the unamended soil, depending on polymer application rate. The number of bacteria culturable on agar enriched with ‘Nutrient’ and yeast extract, and the activities of dehydrogenase, phosphatase, β‐glucosidase, protease and cellulase increased following polymer application. In contrast, urease activity was impaired by polymer application, presumably due to the presence of ammonium as a counter ion. Principal component analysis was used to compare the effects of the different rates of polymer application. Overall, the application of 0.2 or 0.4% polymer resulted in closer values for the indicators of soil quality used than the treatment with 0.6% polymer.
Impact of alum on crust prevention and aggregation of calcareous soil: laboratory studies
Authors: Eltaif N. I. , Gharaibeh M. A. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAlum was applied at rates of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% by weight to a calcareous silty clay soil in an attempt to reduce soil crusting and improve soil aggregation. Results indicated that the modulus of rupture (MR) was reduced from 176 to 60 kPa with the addition of 0.2% alum. The mean weight diameter (MWD) was doubled when the application rate of alum increased from 0 to 0.2%. Alum apparently modified the soil physical environment by making the soil fluffy which in turn reduces its MR. Gypsum was formed by the reaction of alum with calcium carbonate in proportion to the amount of alum applied, increasing from 0.2% in the control soil to 1.1% with the highest rate of alum applied. This increase may have lead to the reduction in the MR and an increase in the MWD. This research showed that alum was effective in improving soil aggregate stability and decreasing aggregate rupture stress.
Prediction of soil water retention properties after stratification by combining texture, bulk density and the type of horizon
Authors: Al Majou H. , Bruand A. , Duval O. , Le Bas C. , Vautier A. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAmong the numerous pedotransfer functions (PTFs) published, class‐PTfs have received little attention because their accuracy is often considered limited. However, recent studies show that performance of class‐PTFs can be similar to the more popular continuous‐PTFs. In this study, we compare the performance of PTFs that were derived from a set of 456 horizons collected in France grouped by combinations of texture, bulk density and type of horizon (topsoil and subsoil). The performance of these class‐PTFs was validated against water retained at −33 and −1500 kPa. Our results show that the best performance was obtained with class‐PTFs that used both texture and bulk density (texture‐structural class‐PTFs). They also showed that incorporation of horizon type into the PTF did not improve prediction performance. Comparison of performance at −33 and −1500 kPa showed very little difference, thus indicating no bias according to the value of water potential. Finally, the class‐PTFs developed are well suited for predicting water retention properties at the continental and national scales because only very basic soils data are available at these scales. A map of the available water capacity (AWC) was established for France using the 1:1 000 000 Soil Geographical Database of France and an averaged AWC of 104 mm was computed for France.
Can Managers Bank on Seed Banks When RestoringPinus taedaL. Plantations in Southwest Georgia?
Authors: Andreu Michael G. , Hedman Craig W. , Friedman Melissa H. , Andreu Anne G. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractIn the southeastern United States, private forestland managers are under increased pressure to provide wildlife habitat and biodiversity in addition to commercial products such as timber. This study used a stand classification scheme based on vegetation biodiversity fromHedman et al.to compare seed bank composition of benchmark (BM) and nonbenchmark (NBM) Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands. In theHedman et al.study, BM stands contained species associated with Longleaf pine (P. palustris)/Wiregrass (Aristida stricta) communities, whereas NBM stands contained species associated with disturbed sites. The current vegetation of the BM and NBM stands had an average cover of 7.9%/m2and an average richness of 11 species/m2. The intent for this study was to assist in understanding the potential role of the seed bank during stand development and restoration. We collected seed bank samples from six pine plantations in the winter of 2006. Seed bank samples yielded 2,885 germinants representing 56 unique species but only 4 were found in both current herbaceous vegetation plots and seed bank. The seed bank was dominated by native dicots. In BM stands, 76% of species were native, whereas in NBM stands, 69% were native. Seed bank samples from NBM stands had greater species richness (p= 0.03) and total germinants (p= 0.03) than BM stands. Although the seed bank in all stands was dominated by native species, our data suggest that the seed bank underP. taedastands should not be viewed as the sole source of native species for most restoration goals.
Comparison of Post‐Mine Rehabilitated and Natural Shrubland Communities in Southwestern Australia
Authors: Herath Dulana N. , Lamont Byron B. , Enright Neal J. , Miller Ben P. 
Published: November 2008

Abstract Following mineral sand mining near Eneabba, southwestern Australia, rehabilitation managers have the difficult task of restoring shrubland communities of exceptional plant species richness. Species diversity, composition, structure, and key functional attributes in four mined sites rehabilitated 8 (R8) to 24 (R24) years ago were compared with those of typical nearby natural areas classified on the basis of substrate type (Low and High sand Dunes, shallow sand Swales, sand over Laterite, and sand over Limestone). The rehabilitated sites (except R8) had more species (about 140) than natural sites (about 100) in 40 × 40–m plots, with 12–37% species in common with natural sites. Rehabilitated sites were more similar in composition to each other than they were to the natural sites, with two strong colonizers, the fire‐killed Acacia blakelyi and the fire‐tolerant Melaleuca leuropoma, universally present. Dendrograms and ordinations based on composition and cover showed that rehabilitated sites grouped with each other before they did with the Dune and Swale sites (physically closest), and last with the Laterite and Limestone sites. Plant densities for R16 and R24 were about half those of the High Dune and Limestone, and about a quarter those of the Swale and Laterite. Fire resprouters were under‐represented in the rehabilitated sites. Growth form distribution in rehabilitated sites was most similar to those of the dunes, with some woody shrubs up to 2.5 m tall present. Total iron and soil hardness (penetrability) were the only soil factors consistently different (higher) in the rehabilitated sites.
Organized Left Atrial Tachyarrhythmia During Stepwise Linear Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: ZHENG LIHUI , YAO YAN , ZHANG SHU , CHEN WENSHENG , ZHANG KUIJUN , WANG FANGZHENG , CHEN XIN , HE DING SHENG , KADISH ALAN H. 
Published: November 2008

Introduction:
This study attempted to delineate the mechanism of organized left atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) during stepwise linear ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) using noncontact mapping.
Methods and Results:
Eighty patients in whom organized ATs developed or induced during stepwise linear ablation for AF were enrolled. Left atrial (LA) activation during ATs was mapped using noncontact mapping. Radiofrequency (RF) energy was delivered to the earliest activation site or narrowest part of the reentrant circuit of ATs. A total of 146 ATs were mapped. Four ATs were characterized as a focal mechanism (cycle length (CL): 225 ± 49 ms). A macroreentrant mechanism was confirmed in the remaining 142 ATs. LA activation time accounted for 100% of CL (205 ± 37 ms). All 142 ATs used the conduction gaps in the basic figure‐7 lesion line. There were three types of circuits classified based on the gap location. Type I (n = 68) used gaps at the ridge between left atrial appendage (LAA) and left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV). Type II (n = 50) used gaps on the LA roof. Type III (n = 24) passed through gaps in the mitral isthmus. Ablation at these gaps eliminated 130 ATs. During the follow‐up period of 16.2 ± 6.7 months, 82.5% of the 80 patients were in sinus rhythm.
Conclusion:
The majority of left ATs developed during stepwise linear ablation for AF are macroreentrant through conduction gaps in the figure‐7 lesion line, especially at the LAA–LSPV ridge. Noncontact activation mapping can identify these gaps accurately and quickly to target effective catheter ablation.
Frequency and patterns of contact with domestic poultry and potential risk of H5N1 transmission to humans living in rural Cambodia
Authors: Van Kerkhove Maria D. , Ly Sowath , Holl Davun , Guitian Javier , Mangtani Punam , Ghani Azra C. , Vong Sirenda 
Published: November 2008

Background  Since 2004, H5N1 outbreaks have been recurrent in domestic poultry and humans in Cambodia. To date, seven human cases (100% CFR) and 22 outbreaks in poultry have been confirmed. Household ownership of backyard poultry (FAO Sector 4 poultry production) in rural Cambodia is high. An understanding of the extent and frequency of poultry handing behaviors in these settings is necessary to assess the risk associated with different practices and to formulate sensible recommendations to mitigate this risk. We collected new data from six geographic regions to examine patterns of human contact with poultry among rural farmers in Cambodia and identify populations with the highest potential exposure to H5N1.Methods and Findings  A cross‐sectional survey was undertaken in which 3,600 backyard poultry owners from 115 randomly selected villages in six provinces throughout Cambodia were interviewed. Using risk assessment methods, patterns of contact with poultry as surrogate measures of exposure to H5N1 were used to generate risk indices of potential H5N1 transmission to different populations in contact with poultry. Estimates of human exposure risk for each study participant (n = 3600) were obtained by multiplying each reported practice with a transmission risk‐weighting factor and summing these over all practices reported by each individual. Exposure risk estimates were then examined stratified by age and gender. Subjects reported high contact with domestic poultry (chickens and ducks) through the daily care and food preparation practices, however contact patterns varied by gender and age. Males between the ages of 26‐40 reported practices of contact with poultry that give rise to the highest H5N1 transmission risk potential, followed closely by males between the ages of 16‐25. Overall, males had a higher exposure risk potential than females across all age groups (p < 0·001).Conclusions  Our results demonstrate that most of the population in rural Cambodia is in frequent contact with domestic poultry. About half of the population in this study carried out on a regular basis at least one of the practices considered to be high risk for the effective transmission if the bird is infected. There was however substantial variation in the frequency of different practices and thus the potential risk of transmission of H5N1 from poultry to humans is not uniform across age and gender even amongst populations living in close proximity to poultry.
Investigation of the Role of Companion Animals in the Zoonotic Transmission of Cryptosporidiosis
Authors: Smith R. P. , Chalmers R. M. , Elwin K. , Clifton‐Hadley F. A. , Mueller‐Doblies D. , Watkins J. , Paiba G. A. , Giles M. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryCompanion animals owned by human patients with cryptosporidiosis (cases) and those animals owned by the wider human population (controls), were studied to determine whetherCryptosporidiumwas more likely to be excreted by case animals than controls. A total of 280 recently voided faecal samples (114 case animals and 166 control animals) were collected and tested by immunomagnetic separation and immunofluorescent microscopy. A multivariable model was also created to identify pet characteristics, contacts and management factors associated withCryptosporidiuminfection in animals, using information collected by a standardized questionnaire. The model was designed to take into account the clustering of samples at the owner level and whether the sampled animal was a case or control.
Domestic Cats Constitute a Natural Reservoir of Human Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Types
Authors: Morato E. P. , Leomil L. , Beutin L. , Krause G. , Moura R. A. , Pestana de Castro A. F. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryFeces of 70 diarrhoeic and 230 non‐diarrhoeic domestic cats from São Paulo, Brazil were investigated for enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) and enterotoxigenic (ETEC) Escherichia coli types. While ETEC and EHEC strains were not found, 15 EPEC strains were isolated from 14 cats, of which 13 were non‐diarrhoeic, and one diarrhoeic. None of 15 EPEC strains carried the bfpA gene or the EPEC adherence factor plasmid, indicating atypical EPEC types. The EPEC strains were heterogeneous with regard to intimin types, such as eae‐θ (three strains), eae‐κ (n = 3), eae‐α1 (n = 2), eae‐ι (n = 2), one eae‐α2, eae‐β1 and eae‐η each, and two were not typeable. The majority of the EPEC isolates adhered to HEp‐2 cells in a localized adherence‐like pattern and were positive for fluorescence actin staining. The EPEC strains belonged to 12 different serotypes, including O111:H25 and O125:H6, which are known to be pathogens in humans. Multi locus sequence typing revealed a close genetic similarity between the O111:H25 and O125:H6 strains from cats, dogs and humans. Our results show that domestic cats are colonized by EPEC, including serotypes previously described as human pathogens. As these EPEC strains are also isolated from humans, a cycle of mutual infection by EPEC between cats and its households cannot be ruled out, though the transmission dynamics among the reservoirs are not yet understood clearly.
Hochschild cohomology, the characteristic morphism and derived deformations
Authors: Lowen Wendy 
Published: November 2008

AbstractA notion of Hochschild cohomology HH*(𝒜) of an abelian category 𝒜 was defined by Lowen and Van den Bergh (Adv. Math. 198 (2005), 172–221). They also showed the existence of a characteristic morphism χ from the Hochschild cohomology of 𝒜 into the graded centre ℨ*(Db(𝒜)) of the bounded derived category of 𝒜. An element c∈HH2(𝒜) corresponds to a first-order deformation 𝒜c of 𝒜 (Lowen and Van den Bergh, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 358 (2006), 5441–5483). The problem of deforming an object M∈Db(𝒜) to Db(𝒜c) was treated by Lowen (Comm. Algebra 33 (2005), 3195–3223). In this paper we show that the element χ(c)M∈Ext𝒜2(M,M) is precisely the obstruction to deforming M to Db(𝒜c). Hence, this paper provides a missing link between the above works. Finally we discuss some implications of these facts in the direction of a ‘derived deformation theory’.