bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Toscana Virus Central Nervous System Infections in Southern Italy
Authors: Di Nicuolo Giuseppe , Pagliano Pasquale , Battisti Sonia , Starace Maria , Mininni Vera , Attanasio Vittorio , Faella Francesco Saverio 
Published: December 2005

ABSTRACT
Toscana virus was detected by reverse transcription-nested PCR in 5.6% of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with meningitis and encephalitis during the summer in southern Italy. The central nervous system infections were associated with young adults and with a substantially benign clinical course. Presenting features and CSF findings are also discussed in the present report.
NAD(P)H Oxidase and Multidrug Resistance Protein Genetic Polymorphisms Are Associated With Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Wojnowski Leszek , Kulle Bettina , Schirmer Markus , Schlüter Gregor , Schmidt Albrecht , Rosenberger Albert , Vonhof Stefan , Bickeböller Heike , Toliat Mohammad Reza , Suk Eun-Kyung , Tzvetkov Mladen , Kruger Anke , Seifert Silvia , Kloess Marita , Hahn Heidi , Loeffler Markus , Nürnberg Peter , Pfreundschuh Michael , Trümper Lorenz , Brockmöller Jürgen , Hasenfuss Gerd 
Published: December 2005

Background—A significant number of patients treated with anthracyclines develop cardiotoxicity (anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity [ACT]), mainly presenting as arrhythmias (acute ACT) or congestive heart failure (chronic ACT). There are no data on pharmacogenomic predictors of ACT.Methods and Results—We genotyped participants of the German non-Hodgkin lymphoma study (NHL-B) who were followed up for the development of heart failure for a median of >3 years. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from 82 genes with conceivable relevance to ACT. Of 1697 patients, 55 developed acute and 54 developed chronic ACT (cumulative incidence of either form, 3.2%). We detected 5 significant associations with polymorphisms of the NAD(P)H oxidase and doxorubicin efflux transporters. Chronic ACT was associated with a variant of the NAD(P)H oxidase subunit NCF4 (rs1883112, −212A→G; symbols with right-pointing arrows, as edited?‘ odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3 to 5.0). Acute ACT was associated with the His72Tyr polymorphism in the p22phox subunit (rs4673; OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.9) and with the variant 7508T→A (rs13058338; OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 5.1) of the RAC2 subunit of the same enzyme. In agreement with these results, mice deficient in NAD(P)H oxidase activity, unlike wild-type mice, were resistant to chronic doxorubicin treatment. In addition, acute ACT was associated with the Gly671Val variant of the doxorubicin efflux transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.6 to 8.4) and with the Val1188Glu-Cys1515Tyr (rs8187694-rs8187710) haplotype of the functionally similar MRP2 (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.4). Polymorphisms in adrenergic receptors previously demonstrated to be predictive of heart failure were not associated with ACT.Conclusions—Genetic variants in doxorubicin transport and free radical metabolism may modulate the individual risk to develop ACT.
Fas costimulation of naïve CD4 T cells is controlled by NF-κB signaling and caspase activity
Authors: Maksimow Mikael , Söderström Thomas S , Jalkanen Sirpa , Eriksson John E , Hänninen Arno 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
Fas ligation induces apoptosis of activated T cells via the caspase cascade but can also mediate costimulatory signals to naïve T cells at the time of activation. We have previously shown that Fas ligation of naïve CD4 T cells activated by dendritic cells induces death or accelerates their proliferation and increases interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. To understand this costimulation, we investigated the roles of caspases and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in survival and proliferation of responding T cells. Fas ligation increased caspase-3 and -8 activities during T cell activation, irrespective of cell fate. The accelerated proliferation induced by Fas ligation could be reduced by selective inhibition of both caspases. Inhibition of NF-κB simultaneously with Fas ligation inhibited the increased IFN-γ production and caused uniform death of all responding T cells. Thus, Fas-mediated costimulation of naïve CD4 T cells is driven by active caspases, and NF-κB acts as a dominant survival-supporting factor of Fas-costimulated cells containing high levels of activated caspase-8 and -3.
Role of PKC isoforms in the FcγR-mediated inhibition of LPS-stimulated IL-12 secretion by macrophages
Authors: Fronhofer Van , Lennartz Michelle R , Loegering Daniel J 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
Ligation of Fc receptors for immunoglobulin G (FcγRs) inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated secretion of interleukin (IL)-12 by macrophages. FcγR activation of protein kinase C (PKC) contributes to several functions of this receptor including phagocytosis, activation of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and secretion of certain cytokines. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that PKC mediates the FcγR inhibition of IL-12 secretion by macrophages. In murine macrophages, FcγR ligation augmented LPS-stimulated activation of PKC-α and PKC-δ but reduced IL-12p40 secretion. Similarly, activation of PKC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) depressed LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion, and depletion of PKC augmented LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion. Antisense down-regulation of PKC-δ increased LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion and fully prevented the effects of FcγR ligation or PMA on IL-12p40 secretion. In contrast, down-regulation of PKC-ε blocked LPS-stimulated secretion of IL-12p40. Down-regulation of PKC-α had no effect on LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion. The results suggest a negative role for PKC-δ and a positive role for PKC-ε in the regulation of LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion.
Randomized Phase III Trial of Whole-Abdominal Irradiation Versus Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Chemotherapy in Advanced Endometrial Carcinoma: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study
Authors: Randall Marcus E. , Filiaci Virginia L. , Muss Hyman , Spirtos Nick M. , Mannel Robert S. , Fowler Jeffrey , Thigpen J. Tate , Benda Jo Ann 
Published: December 2005

Purpose To compare whole-abdominal irradiation (WAI) and doxorubicin-cisplatin (AP) chemotherapy in women with stage III or IV endometrial carcinoma having a maximum of 2 cm of postoperative residual disease. Patients and Methods Four hundred twenty-two patients were entered onto this trial. Of 396 assessable patients, 202 were randomly allocated to receive WAI, and 194 were allocated to receive AP. Irradiation dosage was 30 Gy in 20 fractions, with a 15-Gy boost. Chemotherapy consisted of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for seven cycles, followed by one cycle of cisplatin. Results Most patient and tumor characteristics were well balanced. The median patient age was 63 years; 50% had endometrioid tumors. Median follow-up time was 74 months. The hazard ratio for progression adjusted for stage was 0.71 favoring AP (95% CI, 0.55 to 0.91; P < .01). At 60 months, 50% of patients receiving AP were predicted to be alive and disease free when adjusting for stage compared with 38% of patients receiving WAI. The stage-adjusted death hazard ratio was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.52 to 0.89; P < .01) favoring AP. Moreover, at 60 months and adjusting for stage, 55% of AP patients were predicted to be alive compared with 42% of WAI patients. Greater acute toxicity was seen with AP. Treatment probably contributed to the deaths of eight patients (4%) on the AP arm and five patients (2%) on the WAI arm. Conclusion Chemotherapy with AP significantly improved progression-free and overall survival compared with WAI. Nevertheless, further advances in efficacy and reduction in toxicity are clearly needed.
EZH2 Expression Is Associated With High Proliferation Rate and Aggressive Tumor Subgroups in Cutaneous Melanoma and Cancers of the Endometrium, Prostate, and Breast
Authors: Bachmann Ingeborg M. , Halvorsen Ole J. , Collett Karin , Stefansson Ingunn M. , Straume Oddbjørn , Haukaas Svein A. , Salvesen Helga B. , Otte Arie P. , Akslen Lars A. 
Published: December 2005

Purpose EZH2 is a member of the polycomb group of genes and important in cell cycle regulation. Increased expression of EZH2 has been associated previously with invasive growth and aggressive clinical behavior in prostate and breast cancer, but the relationship with tumor cell proliferation has not been examined in human tumors. The purpose of this study was to validate previous findings in a population-based setting, also including tumors that have not been studied previously. Patients and Methods In our study of nearly 700 patients, we examined EZH2 expression and its association with tumor cell proliferation and other tumor markers, clinical features, and prognosis in cutaneous melanoma and cancers of the endometrium, prostate, and breast. Results Strong EZH2 expression was associated with increased tumor cell proliferation in all four cancer types. Associations were also found between EZH2 and important clinicopathologic variables. EZH2 expression showed significant prognostic impact in melanoma, prostate, and endometrial carcinoma in univariate survival analyses, and revealed independent prognostic importance in carcinoma of the endometrium and prostate. Conclusion Our findings point at EZH2 as a novel and independent prognostic marker in endometrial cancer, and validate previous findings on prostate and breast cancer. Further, EZH2 expression was associated with features of aggressive cutaneous melanoma. The fact that EZH2 might identify increased tumor cell proliferation and aggressive subgroups in several cancers may be of practical interest because the polycomb group proteins have been suggested as candidates for targeted therapy. EZH2 expression should, therefore, be further examined as a possible predictive factor.
Activity of SU11248, a Multitargeted Inhibitor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor, in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Motzer Robert J. , Michaelson M. Dror , Redman Bruce G. , Hudes Gary R. , Wilding George , Figlin Robert A. , Ginsberg Michelle S. , Kim Sindy T. , Baum Charles M. , DePrimo Samuel E. , Li Jim Z. , Bello Carlo L. , Theuer Charles P. , George Daniel J. , Rini Brian I. 
Published: December 2005

Purpose Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by loss of von Hippel Lindau tumor suppressor gene activity, resulting in high expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). SU11248 (sunitinib malate), a small molecule inhibitor with high binding affinity for VEGF and PDGF receptors, was tested for clinical activity in patients with metastatic RCC. Patients and Methods Patients with metastatic RCC and progression on first-line cytokine therapy were enrolled onto a multicenter phase II trial. SU11248 monotherapy was administered in repeated 6-week cycles of daily oral therapy for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off. Overall response rate was the primary end point, and time to progression and safety were secondary end points. Results Twenty-five (40%) of 63 patients treated with SU11248 achieved partial responses; 17 additional patients (27%) demonstrated stable disease lasting ≥ 3 months. Median time to progression in the 63 patients was 8.7 months. Dosing was generally tolerated with manageable toxicities. Conclusion SU11248, a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGF and PDGF receptors, demonstrates antitumor activity in metastatic RCC as second-line therapy, a setting where no effective systemic therapy is presently recognized. The genetics of RCC and these promising clinical results support the hypothesis that VEGF and PDGF receptor-mediated signaling is an effective therapeutic target in RCC.
The Rhetoric of National Character: A Programmatic Survey
Authors: Leerssen Joep 
Published: December 2005

This article studies the notion of “national character” as it is formulated in literature and as it influences literary praxis. Starting from the insights of image studies or “imagology” (a comparatist specialism developed over the last five decades, mainly in France and Germany), national thought, as one of the most pervasive and enduring cultural ideologies, should be critically and systematically studied in its literary manifestation. In order to propose an agenda for such a study, I survey the existing constructivist and structuralist literary practice, drawing two general conclusions: (1) It is possible to make an analytical distinction,based on cogent textual observation, between the discursive registers of factual reporting and stereotyping. That distinction revolves not only around the commonplace nature and intertextual dissemination of certain characterizations but also around the individual text's strategies of characterization: the quasi-psychological (“character”-based)motivation that a given text may adduce for cultural patterns, and the way a text constructs salient features concerning a given nation as“typical” or “characteristic.” (2) “Deep structures” in national stereotyping, involving the construction of binaries around oppositional pairs such as North/South, strong/weak, and central/peripheral, should be addressed diachronically and historically. The end result of such (historically variable but unfalsifiable) stereotypical oppositions is that most imputed national characteristics will exhibit a binary nature, capable of attributing strongly contradictory characteristics to any given national group (“is a nation of contrasts”). I propose that national stereotyping be studied at a more fundamental level as a pattern of Janus-faced “imagemes,” stereotypical schemata characterized by their inherent temperamental ambivalence and capable of being triggered into different actual manifestations.On the basis of these insights, it must be possible to move from textual analysis and intertextual inventory to a pragmatic/rhetorical study of national characterization and national stereotyping, taking into account a text's audience function. This ambition (i.e., to address the dynamics of national stereotyping as a historical, audience-oriented praxis rather than as a textual feature) raises a challenge of its own, largely revolving around the hermeneutic and/or historical distance between a text's provenance and its audience; but some possible ways to address that challenge are also indicated.
Physicians' Conflicts of Interest in Japan and the United States: Lessons for the United States
Authors: Rodwin Marc A. , Okamoto AtoZ (Etsuji) 
Published: December 2005

Japanese health policy shows that even with physician ownership and the absence of for-profit, investor-owned health care, physicians' conflicts of interest thrive. Physician dispensing of drugs and ownership of hospitals and clinics were justified in Japan as ways to avoid commercialization of medicine. Instead, they create physicians' conflicts and fuel patient overuse of services. Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) has responded by introducing per-diem payment, thereby creating incentives to decrease services in ways similar to those of American managed care organizations, but with none of their benefits, such as coordination of care, oversight of physicians practices, and quality assurance.Although the United States and Japanese health care systems are organized and financed differently there is convergence in the source of their physicians' conflicts and the way they are addressed. The United States is starting to integrate institutional and physician payment and align their incentives, in a traditional Japanese way. In so doing, the United States creates new physicians' conflicts and reduces the role of countervailing incentives and power, an advantage of previous policy. Japan, in turn, has combined incentives to increase and decrease services, thus moving closer to the U.S. policy.
Health Insurance Expansion through States in a Pluralistic System
Authors: Gold Marsha R. , Mittler Jessica , Aizer Anna , Lyons Barbara , Schoen Cathy 
Published: December 2005

The United States continues to stand almost alone among developed nations in its lack of universal health care coverage. In this essay, we argue that even though the debate over whether the federal government or states should lead the effort to expand health care coverage under the federal system is relevant in strategizing how to cover the uninsured; the more critical issues stem from the challenge of the mixed and fragmented mode of public-private financing of our pluralistic health care system.We base this argument on (1) an in-depth review of Oregon's and Tennessee's five years of experience with broad coverage reform in the context of the United States health care system and on (2) a more abbreviated review of other state experiences in providing health care coverage.We conclude from our review that when the will exists, states can substantially expand coverage. However, as one moves up the income scale,political support and resources are harder to come by. Further, concerns grow about the interface of public and private coverage, with issues of“crowd out” and other distributional questions dominating the discussion of coverage expansion as policy makers focus less on how to cover people than on how to make sure one kind of coverage doesn't preempt another. Concern for crowd out can then lead to policies that keep out some of the very people policy makers may want to cover. In this context the question whether states or the federal government is more likely to succeed in expanding coverage is eclipsed by the more fundamental challenges raised by pluralism. Neither federal norstate government is likely to be fully successful without first identifying ways of better coordinating public and private activities and resources to provide continuous and affordable coverage.
Sexual Events: From Clarence Thomas to Monica Lewinsky
Authors: FASSIN ERIC 
Published: December 2005

Translated by James Swensoneric fassin is a sociologist (Professeur agrégé) in the Social Sciences Department of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Recent articles include feminist discussions of the anthropology of kinship (in L'Homme) and reproduction (in Le journal des anthropologues), and of Foucault's sexual politics of consent (in Prochoix). He coedited with Daniel Borrillo Au-delà du PaCS (puf: Paris, 1999) and is currently completing Same Sex, Different Politics: Comparative Politics of Gay Marriage, France and the United States (forthcoming, Duke University Press and Fayard, Paris).james swenson teaches French at Rutgers University. He is the author of On Jean-Jacques Rousseau Considered as One of the First Authors of the Revolution (Stanford University Press, 2000) and translator of books and articles by Etienne Balibar, Jacques Rancière, and Jacques Lacan, among others.
New and Economical Mixing Method of Cement-Admixed Clay for DMM Application
Authors: Lorenzo GA , Bergado DT , Soralump S 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
The results of unconfined compression and oedometer compression tests confirmed the existence of optimum mixing clay water content for economical and efficient mixing of cement and clay for deep mixing method (DMM) application. A concept supporting the existence of optimum mixing clay water content is presented, and a schematic diagram idealizing the clay-water-air-cement interactions is illustrated. The optimum mixing clay water content (Cw,opt) is defined as the total clay water content of the clay-water-cement mixture that would yield the highest possible improvement in strength of cured cement-admixed clay. Based on the test results presented, the Cw,opt would fall near the liquid limit of the base clay. Significantly, at this optimum mixing water content, only 10% cement by weight is needed instead of the corresponding 17 % in the conventional method of mixing, with consequent 40 % reduction of cement content and cost.
Effect on Measured Shear Strength of Wedge Shear Box Spacing
Authors: Mirata T , Filiz E 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
The prismatic wedge shear test (priswest) is a relatively new test that enables the shear strength of gravels and crushed rock to be measured rapidly, using a portable frame and other simple devices. In testing which of the different methods of analysis for the wedge shear test is the more reliable for gravels, tests had previously been performed on 5–20 mm gravel with different spacing between the two halves of the priswest box; the method giving the more consistent results was proposed as the more reliable, based on the implicit assumption that as the spacing increased, the measured strength would remain constant. The present study was aimed at checking this assumption by investigating the effect on measured strength of the box spacing. No significant effect was observed.
A Large Biaxial Shear Box for Shaking Table Test on Saturated Sand
Authors: Ueng T-S , Wang M-H , Chen M-H , Chen C-H , Peng L-H 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
A large flexible laminar shear box was developed for the study of the behavior of saturated sand, especially liquefaction, and soil-structure interactions under two-dimensional earthquake shaking on a shaking table at the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) in Taiwan. The shear box is composed of 15 layers of aluminum alloy inner and outer frames with a specimen size of 1880 by 1880 by 1520 mm. The soil at various depths inside the shear box can move, without torsion, according to the two-dimensional wave action induced by the shaking table. The sand specimen inside the shear box is prepared by the wet sedimentation method from a large pluviation device. Instruments are installed to measure the displacements, accelerations, and water pressures at various locations. Shaking table tests of the laminar shear box with and without a sand specimen were conducted. The test results showed that the performance of the biaxial laminar box and the instrumentation are satisfactory.
A Study on Properties of Foamed-Asphalt-Treated Mixes
Authors: Chiu CT , Lewis AJN 
Published: December 2005

Abstract
From both economical and ecological points of view, cold recycling is much more beneficial than hot recycling. However, due to not only the intrinsic properties of binding mechanisms but also the difficulties of process control, cold recycling did not gain common acceptance in Taiwanese paving industries. For the further development of environment-friendly paving materials and construction processes, this particular study investigated the engineering properties of foamed-asphalt-treated bases in Taiwan. Using a laboratory foaming plant, work was performed on local materials to produce foamed-asphalt-treated cold mixtures. The engineering properties of foamed-asphalt-treated mixes were tested and compared with those of hot recycled mixes. Test results show the benefits of utilizing high percentages (80%) of milled asphalt in foamed asphalt mixes. The optimum asphalt content of foamed asphalt mixes can be reduced from 3.5 to 2.0%, which is less than the mixes consisting of all new aggregate, and the moisture resistance of the mixture is enhanced. Resilience modulus and fatigue data show that foamed-asphalt-treated mixes perform as well as hot recycled mixes.