bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shifting patterns of inhaled antibiotic use in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Moskowitz Samuel M. , Silva Stefanie J. , Mayer‐Hamblett Nicole , Pasta David J. , Mink David R. , Mabie Jenny A. , Konstan Michael W. , Wagener Jeffrey S. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractRationale:Antibiotic inhalation has become widely accepted as a standard treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF) airway infection. We assessed the prevalence and context of inhaled antibiotic use in the North American CF population. Our working hypothesis was that a shift from acute to chronic use of inhaled antibiotics has coincided with increased prevalence of use among CF patients.Methods:Descriptive statistics were collected for 30,833 patients enrolled in the Epidemiologic Study of CF (ESCF) during 1996 through 2005. A multivariate analysis was performed on data from a subgroup of 18,021 patients enrolled in ESCF during 2003 through 2005.Results:The prevalence of inhaled antibiotic use in the North American CF population increased during 1996 through 2005 due to increased chronic use, while acute use to treat pulmonary exacerbations decreased. In 2005, 50% of CF patients used inhaled tobramycin and 9% used inhaled colistin chronically; most of the latter used both agents concurrently. Airway obstruction severity and airway infection status were predictors of inhaled antibiotic use.Conclusions:Increased chronic use and decreased acute use of inhaled antibiotics presumably reflect a shift toward more proactive management of airway infections in the North American CF population. The effects of these usage patterns on long‐term clinical outcomes and emergence of antibiotic‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains warrant further study. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:874–881. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relative impact of respiratory muscle activity on tidal flow and end expiratory volume in healthy neonates
Authors: Hutten Gerard J. , van Eykern Leo A. , Latzin Philipp , Kyburz Manuela , van Aalderen Wim M. , Frey Urs 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIntroduction:It has been suggested that infants dynamically regulate their tidal flow and end‐expiratory volume level. The interaction between muscle activity, flow and lung volume in spontaneously sleeping neonates is poorly studied, since it requires the assessment of transcutaneous electromyography of respiratory muscles (rEMG) in matched comparison to lung function measurements.Methods:After determining feasibility and repeatability of rEMG in 20 spontaneously sleeping healthy neonates, we measured the relative impact of intercostal and diaphragmatic EMG activity in direct comparison to the resulting tidal flow and FRC.Results:We found good feasibility, repeatability and correlation of timing indices between rEMG activity and flow. The rEMG amplitude was significantly dependent on the resistive load of the face mask. Diaphragm and intercostal muscle activity commenced prior to the onset of flow and remained active during the expiratory cycle. The relative contribution of intercostal and diaphragmatic activity to flow was variable and changed dynamically.Conclusion:Using matched rEMG, air flow and lung volume measurements, we have found good feasibility and repeatability of intercostal and diaphragm rEMG measurements and provide the first quantitative measures of the temporal relationship between muscle activity and flow in spontaneously sleeping healthy neonates. Lung mechanical function is dynamically regulated and adapts on a breath to breath basis. So, non‐invasive rEMG measurements alone or in combination with lung function might provide a more comprehensive picture of pulmonary mechanics in future studies. The data describing the timing of EMG and flow may be important for future studies of EMG triggered mechanical ventilation. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:882–891. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Using differential solubilization and 2‐D gel electrophoresis to visualize increased numbers of proteins in the human cortex and caudate nucleus and putamen
Authors: Dean Brian , Pavey Geoffrey , Smith A. Ian 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine if differential solubilization of human CNS proteins would increase the total number of proteins that could be visualized using 2‐D gel electrophoresis. Hence, proteins were solubilized into Tris, CHAPS and SB3‐10 before separation across a pH 4–7 IEF gradient and a 12–14% SDS polyacrylamide gel, which could be achieved with a run‐to‐run variation of 35% in spot intensity. Because Western blot analyses suggested proteins could be in more than one detergent fraction, we completed a conservative analyses of our 2‐D gels assuming spots that appeared on multiple gels at the same molecular weight and pI were the same protein. These analyses show that we had visualized over 3000 unique protein spots across three 2‐D gels generated from each sample of human frontal cortex and caudate‐putamen. This represented, at worst, a significant increase in the number of spots visualized in the acidic protein spectrum compared to what has been reported in other studies of human CNS. This study, therefore, supports the proposal that the analysis of the human CNS proteome using 2‐D gel electrophoresis, combined with appropriate sample preparation, can be used to expand the studies on the pathologies of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Nonhuman primates as models for studies of prostate specific antigen and prostatic diseases
Authors: Mubiru James N. , Hubbard Gene B. , Dick Edward J. , Furman Jaime , Troyer Dean A. , Rogers Jeffrey 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUNDBecause prostate specific antigen (PSA) is released at increased levels into the blood early in the development of prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, it is widely used as a marker for these diseases. However, PSA has clinical limitations as a screen for prostatic diseases due to its low sensitivity and specificity. There is a strong need to better understand the biology of PSA and factors affecting its serum levels.METHODSWe evaluated cynomolgus macaques, rhesus macaques, baboons, and marmosets for their suitability as models for the study of PSA biology and prostatic diseases.RESULTSProstates of several nonhuman primates are anatomically similar to the human counterpart. Anti‐human PSA antibody detected PSA antigens in all the Old World monkeys (cynomolgus macaques, rhesus macaques, and baboons) but not in marmosets. Of the Old World monkeys, cynomolgus macaques have the highest serum PSA levels; baboons have the lowest. Serum PSA levels from macaques includes a number of outlier samples with unusually high values. We also report two cases of abnormal pathologies in macaques accompanied by high serum PSA levels. One case consisted of prostatic hyperplasia involving both glandular and basal cells in a cynomolgus macaque and another of glandular hyperplasia and atrophy in a rhesus macaque. The finding that pathological changes in the prostate of macaques may lead to increases in serum PSA is worthy of further exploration.CONCLUSIONCynomolgus macaques and rhesus macaques are promising animal models for PSA biology studies. Prostate 68: 1546–1554, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Rational design of novel antiandrogens for neutralizing androgen receptor function in hormone refractory prostate cancer
Authors: Singh Pratap , Hallur Gurulingappa , Anchoori Ravi K. , Bakare Oladapo , Kageyama Yukio , Khan Saeed R. , Isaacs John T. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe standard hormonal therapy with currently available antiandrogens and the leutinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs is not effective in the hormone‐refractory stage of prostate cancer due to changes in androgen receptor (AR) signaling axis. In this refractory stage, AR continues to play a significant role in the growth of cancer cells even though the cancer cells are no longer dependent on the level of circulating androgens.METHODSA series of 11β‐Δ9‐19 nortestosterone compounds were designed through structure‐based rationale and tested for their binding affinity against AR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) using fluorescence polarization assays, their agonistic ability to induce AR dependent transcription using PSA‐driven report gene assays, and their growth inhibitory affects against a series of AR positive (LAPC4, LNCap, and CWR22R) and negative human prostate cancer cell lines (PC3) using MTT cell proliferation assays.RESULTSThis study proposes the design of novel bifunctional antiandrogens based on the conjugation of 11β and/or 7α‐Δ9‐19 nortestosterone class of steroidal compounds to the synthetic ligand for FK506‐binding proteins. As a critical step towards the development of bifunctional antiandrogens, highly potent and AR‐specific lead compounds were identified using in vitro data. The lead compounds identified in this study possessed low binding affinity for GR, indicating the absence of undesirable antiglucocorticoid activity.CONCLUSIONSThe results of this study validate our drug discovery rationale based on the structural biology of AR and pave the pay for future development of bifunctional compounds in order to block AR function in hormone refractory stage of prostate cancer. Prostate 68: 1570–1581, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combination of vitamin E and selenium causes an induction of apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells by enhancing Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio
Authors: Reagan‐Shaw Shannon , Nihal Minakshi , Ahsan Haseeb , Mukhtar Hasan , Ahmad Nihal 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe Selenium and Vitamin E Chemoprevention Trial (SELECT) is aimed at determining the usefulness of a combination of vitamin E and selenium for Prostate cancer (PCa) prevention in humans. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and mechanistic basis of this combination.METHODSWe determined the effect of vitamin E (+‐α‐tocopheryl succinate, VES) and selenium (methylselenic acid, MSA), alone and in combination, on the proliferation of LNCaP, DU145, and PC‐3 cells as well as normal prostate PrEC cells. We also determined the involvement of Bcl‐2 family proteins as a mechanism of the biological effects of vitamin E and selenium combination.RESULTSVES or MSA alone led to a modest inhibition in the viability and growth of PCa cells. However, a combination of these two agents resulted in a dramatic increase in growth inhibition of PCa cells. Interestingly, VES and/or MSA were not found to have any effect on the growth or viability of normal PrEC cells. VES and MSA treatment to human PCa cells resulted in (i) induction of apoptosis, (ii) increase in Bax, Bak, and Bid proteins, and (iii) decrease in Bcl‐2 protein. Furthermore, Bax knockdown via shRNA and Bcl‐2 overexpression via Bcl‐2 plasmid resulted in a rescue of PCa cells from apoptosis.CONCLUSIONSOur study suggested that vitamin E and selenium combination may be more effective than either of these agents alone. Further, our data demonstrated a causal connection between Bax and Bcl‐2 modulation and induction of apoptosis by VES and MSA combination. Prostate 68: 1624–1634, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Radiation modulation of MicroRNA in prostate cancer cell lines
Authors: Josson Sajni , Sung Shian‐Ying , Lao Kaiqin , Chung Leland W.K. , Johnstone Peter A.S. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBACKGROUNDMicroRNAs (miRNA) are gene regulators and play an important role in response to cellular stress.METHODSUsing multiplexed quantitative real‐time PCR we performed global miRNA screening of prostate cancer cells in response to radiation treatment.RESULTSSeveral miRNA were significantly altered in response to radiation treatment. Significant changes were observed in miR‐521 and miR‐34c. To determine the role of miR‐521 in radiation response we transiently overexpressed miR‐521 using miR‐521 mimic. The miR‐521 mimic significantly sensitized prostate cancer cells to radiation treatment. Conversely, ectopic inhibition of miR‐521 resulted in radiation resistance of prostate cancer cells. To determine the mechanism by which miR‐521 modulates radiation sensitivity we measured the expression levels of one of its predicted target protein, Cockayne syndrome protein A (CSA). CSA is a DNA repair protein, and its levels correlated inversely with the levels of miR‐521. Radiation treatment downregulated the levels of miR‐521 and upregulated CSA protein. Similarly, ectopic inhibition of miR‐521 resulted in increased CSA protein levels. Therefore by altering the levels of CSA protein, miR‐521 sensitized prostate cancer cells to radiation treatment.CONCLUSIONmiR‐521 modulates the expression levels of DNA repair protein, CSA and plays an important role, in the radio‐sensitivity of prostate cancer cell lines. Thus miR‐521 can be a potential target for enhancing the effect of radiation treatment on prostate cancer cells. Prostate 68: 1599–1606, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reliability estimation based on operational data of manufacturing systems
Authors: Li Lin , Ni Jun 
Published: August 2008

AbstractMaintenance management has a direct influence on equipment reliability and safety. However, a large portion of traditional maintenance models and reliability analysis methods usually assumes that only perfect maintenance is performed on the system and the system will restore to as good as new regardless of the kind of preventive maintenance work‐order that is performed. This is not practical in reality and may result in an inaccurate parametric estimation. The research objective of this paper is to develop a maximum likelihood estimation method to obtain more accurately estimated parameters based on the operational data of manufacturing systems, taking into consideration the difference between perfect and imperfect maintenance work‐orders. Weibull distribution is specifically studied for this purpose. A practical case study based on industrial operational data from an automotive assembly line is performed to illustrate the implementation and efficiency of the proposed reliability estimation method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modified QFD and problem‐solving techniques integrated approach implementing corrective actions: a case study in an Italian manufacturing plant
Authors: Carmignani Gionata 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe ISO 9001:2000 and Total Quality Management models impose that organizations adopt structured procedures to implement corrective and preventive actions. In this paper, a structured framework to solve a non‐conformity in a product or in a process, selecting the best corrective actions, is proposed. Some problem‐solving techniques are applied in a structural method (i) to find the problem (product or process non‐conform), (ii) setting the problem (using data‐collecting instruments), (iii) analyzing the problem (with techniques such as Pareto charts, histograms, stratification analysis) and (iv) searching possible alternative solutions. Then, a modified quality function deployment technique is applied to evaluate and to classify the alternative solutions with respect to three different parameters (benefit, cost and impact). The framework has been developed to select and implement corrective actions in an Italian manufacturing plant. The case study is presented in this paper. However, the proposed approach is applicable in many other contexts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Globalization of social entrepreneurship opportunities
Authors: Zahra Shaker A. , Rawhouser Hans N. , Bhawe Nachiket , Neubaum Donald O. , Hayton James C. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractSocial entrepreneurship has emerged as an important research topic in the literature. This interest stems from social entrepreneurs' role in addressing serious social problems on a worldwide scale while enhancing social wealth, often without regard for profits. In this article, we explain the forces contributing to the formation and rapid internationalization of social ventures. We use the behavioral theory of the firm to distill key attributes of social opportunities and show how these attributes influence the timing and geographic scope of social ventures' international operations. Copyright © 2008 Strategic Management Society.
Values and judgment under uncertainty: evidence from venture capitalist assessments of founders
Authors: Matusik Sharon F. , George Jennifer M. , Heeley Michael B. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe examine how judgments in the context of uncertainty vary, depending on the values of those making these judgments. We test these ideas in the context of venture capitalists' (VCs') evaluations of founders. Drawing on theoretical and empirical research on the role of values in judgment and decision making and on Schwartz's (1992, 1996) conceptualization of the basic motivational dimensions underlying human values, we hypothesize and find that decision makers' process values (i.e., values governing the types of means to an end that an individual values) influence the perceived worth of founders' human capital. We discuss implications of these findings for judgment and decision‐making research, as well as practical implications for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Copyright © 2008 Strategic Management Society.
How private enterprises respond to government bureaucracy in emerging economies: the effects of entrepreneurial type and governance
Authors: Luo Yadong , Junkunc Marc 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis study examines how private enterprises in emerging economies politically respond to government bureaucracy they face. With an emphasis on two political responses, engagement and influence, we propose that private enterprises react to bureaucracy differently, depending on their entrepreneurial traits, and this leads to different susceptibilities to bureaucracy. Our analysis of 9,123 private enterprises in 72 emerging economies suggests that political engagement and influence are positively associated with bureaucracy for all firms, but the levels of political engagement and influence vary according to a firm's entrepreneurial type (new vs. established venture; venture of entrepreneurial origin vs. other private) and governance (family vs. nonfamily; with vs. without government or foreign ownership). Firms in different groups of emerging economies also display some different propensities to political engagement and influence. Copyright © 2008 Strategic Management Society.
The ethics of governance projects: ethics in personal and public lives
Authors: van Gigch Jean‐Pierre 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNo governance project is complete unless it includes a concern for the ethics of the proposed actions and a concern for the way that recipients of the proposed actions will be treated. These concerns apply in particular to projects involving underprivileged groups such as immigrants, asylum seekers, Indigenous population and people displaced in disaster situations. This paper illustrates the ethical concerns of the people displaced by the hurricane Katrina which took place in the US in August 2005 and which, to this day, plays havoc with the lives of those affected. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reconsidering relationships across self, others, the environment and technology
Authors: McIntyre‐Mills Janet J. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe paper stresses the importance of understanding the connections across self, others (including sentient beings), the environment and technological applications, in order to ensure sustainable futures. It makes a case for ethical dialogue as a process to engage and co‐create shared meanings, in order to enhance democracy and rescue the enlightenment from its failings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systemic ethics: social, economic and environmental implications of eating our yellow cake in South Australia
Authors: Mcintyre‐Mills Janet. J. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAn exploration of the ethical implications of mining uranium in South Australia by weighing up the impact on future generations in social, economic and environmental terms. In South Australia, we have ‘a knot of problems’ in the sense used by Bateson that can be described in a case study that illustrates the complexities for planners and policy makers. The paper suggests that one of the greatest challenges for policy makers is to match the right kind of knowledge to an issue. This requires ‘phronesis’ or a process of matching based on dialogue (see Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics translated by Irwin). A score card needs to be developed to support ethical, sustainable governance. It is based on the assumption that we can create our own futures. This behooves us to develop sustainable approaches with future generations in mind. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A score card for ethical decision making
Authors: Parra‐Luna Francisco 
Published: July 2008

AbstractGeneral Systems Theory has not tackled the problem of a generally applicable model of human needs, although mention must be made of the works of Terleckyi, van Gigh, Hall, Buchanan and others, who have come closest to it. However, the sociosystemic approach as a whole, which could have been expected to focus on the theoretical and ultimately empirical teleology of social systems (the description and measurement of their goals and therefore their progression/regression as a core task) has not adopted necessarily a ‘sociologising’ point of view, that is to say, it does not contemplate the system from the point of view of the man in the street. This has led to forgetting the central and ultimate aim of Sociology as a science which has to account for collective as opposed to individual efficiency. With a view to merely suggesting an ethical reflection along these lines, I present an axiological approach for calculating the concept of Organizational Efficiency. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The ethics of emergence
Authors: Bausch Ken 
Published: July 2008

AbstractLawandpublic ethicsare derived by socialization processes and democratic processes of judgment formulation.Private ethics, in the direction of norms, which go beyond the minimum requirements of expected responsibility, derive not only from socialization processes but from innate desires that stem from our evolutionary history. By following those innate desires that have led to evolutionary emergence, we maximize growth and fulfilment for ourselves and our social circles.Emergencerefers to the process of self‐organization and evolution in which systems transcend previous limitations by creatively coupling with their environments. Living, psychic and social systems exist as patterns of relationships in physical substrates that are constantly shifting; they maintain their existence in time by continually reproducing those patterns in different materials. Theethics of emergencerefers to the strategies of successful emergence, which have brought us to where we are now in the evolutionary scheme of things and which can guide us into the future. The generic instruction for such ethical behaviour is to combine self‐preservation with openness to environmental influences. In the realm of human interaction, process leads to a progressionfrom morality(behaviour that is consistent with individual and ethnocentric standards)to ethics(behaviour that is consistent with standards democratically achieved through social interaction) by setting minimal standards of behaviour. By the same token, individuals and groups are freed to pursue their growth potential by internalizing elements of the ethics of emergence. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.