bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of anti-CD52 antibody alemtuzumab on ex-vivo culture of umbilical cord blood stem cells
Authors: Lim Che K , Sun Li , Feng Qi , Law Ping , Chua Wei T , Lim Shy N , Hwang William YK 
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Background
Excessive maturation of hematopoietic cells leads to a reduction of long-term proliferative capability during cord blood (CB) expansion. In this study, we report the effects of anit-CD52 (Alemtuzumab, Campath) on both short- and long-term ex vivo expansion of CB hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) by evaluating the potential role of Alemtuzumab in preserving the repopulating capability in CB HSC and nonlymphoid progenitors.

Methods

Ex vivo expansion experiments were carried out using freshly purified CB CD34+ cells in StemSpan™ SFEM medium in the presence of stem cell factor, Flt3-Ligand and thrombopoietin at 50 ng/ml. Alemtuzumab (10 μg/ml) was used to deplete CD52+ cells during the cultures. Flow cytometry was used to monitor CB HSC and their differentiation. Colony forming unit (CFU) assays and long term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assays were performed on cells obtained from day 0 (before culture) and day 14 after cultures. Secondary cultures was performed using CD34+ cells isolated at 35 days from primary cultures and further cultured in StemSpan™ SFEM medium for another 14 days to confirm the long term effect of alemtuzumab in liquid cultures.

Results
Compared to cytokines alone, addition of alemtuzumab resulted in a significant increase in total nucleated cells, absolute CD34+ cells, myeloid and megakaryocytic progenitors, multi-lineage and myeloid CFU and LTC-IC.

Conclusion
The results from current study suggested that the use of alemtuzumab for ex vivo expansion of CBHSC maybe advantageous. Our findings may improve current technologies for CBHSC expansion and increase the availability of CB units for transplantation. However, in vivo studies using animal models are likely needed in further studies to test the hematopoietic effects using such expanded CB products.
Dermoid cyst of the mandibula: a case report
Authors: Menditti Dardo , Laino Luigi , Ferrara Nicola , Baldi Alfonso 
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Background
Dermoid cysts are rare congenital lesions derived from pluripotential cells.

Case Presentation
We present a case of a female patient aged 30 years presenting for a lesion of the mandibula incidentally seen on a routine panoramic radiograph obtained for dental care. The instrumental, clinical and histological characteristics of the lesion are reported. Finally, a bibliographic revision of this pathology at the level of the oral cavity is reported.

Conclusion
Dermoid cysts must be considered in the differential diagnosis of mandibula's lesions.
Melanoma in-situ arising in seborrheic keratosis: a case report
Authors: Repertinger Susan , Wang Jeff , Adickes Edward , Sarma Deba P 
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Background
Seborrheic keratosis is a very common benign skin tumor in man. Melanoma is rare but is the most dreaded of all malignant skin tumors. A melanoma arising in a seborrheic keratosis is distinctly rare. We are reporting such a case occurring in an 86-year-old man.

Case presentation
An-86-year-old male with a history of multiple actinic keratoses and seborrheic keratoses of the head and trunk presented with a mid-back skin lesion. The lesion was poorly circumscribed, flat, and gray, with a pink-tan, well-circumscribed scaly nodule within it. The biopsied lesion was composed of the usual features of hyperkeratotic seborrheic keratosis, but with focal atypical melanocytic proliferation with nesting along the dermal-epidermal junction. We interpreted this lesion as a melanoma in-situ arising within a seborrheic keratosis.

Conclusion
It is not uncommon for many physicians to remove a typical seborrheic keratosis without a confirmatory microscopic confirmation. We urge that all such lesions be examined by the pathologist to avoid missing another concomitant malignant lesion such as melanoma which needs adequate resection and close follow-up.
Cowden syndrome. Managing multiple skeletal metastases of different origin: a case report
Authors: Angoules Antonios , Tsapakis Evangelia Maria , Polyzois Ioannis , Gamie Zakareya , Rankine James Julian , Tsiridis Eleftherios 
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Background
Cowden Syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant multiple hamartomatous condition, characterised by both benign and malignant tumours affecting multiple systems.

Case presentation
We present a 47-year-old female patient with thigh pain that was diagnosed with Cowden syndrome 20 years ago and developed multiple and different skeletal metastases which became resistant to radio-chemotherapy. A percutaneous plate fixation of the distal femur with an intralesional excision and cementoplasty of the metastasis was performed initially. This was combined with a cemented total hip arthroplasty using an Exeter long revision stem and a cementoplasty of the femoral canal for the proximal lesions.

Conclusion
A meticulous approach to her complex metastatic disease resulted in successful palliative prophylactic reconstructive surgery that improved her quality of life, allowing her independent pain free walking for 12 months.
Novel image analysis approach for quantifying expression of nuclear proteins assessed by immunohistochemistry: application to measurement of oestrogen and progesterone receptor levels in breast cancer
Authors: Rexhepaj Elton , Brennan Donal J , Holloway Peter , Kay Elaine W , McCann Amanda H , Landberg Goran , Duffy Michael J , Jirstrom Karin , Gallagher William M 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Introduction
Manual interpretation of immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a subjective, time-consuming and variable process, with an inherent intra-observer and inter-observer variability. Automated image analysis approaches offer the possibility of developing rapid, uniform indicators of IHC staining. In the present article we describe the development of a novel approach for automatically quantifying oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) protein expression assessed by IHC in primary breast cancer.

Methods
Two cohorts of breast cancer patients (n = 743) were used in the study. Digital images of breast cancer tissue microarrays were captured using the Aperio ScanScope XT slide scanner (Aperio Technologies, Vista, CA, USA). Image analysis algorithms were developed using MatLab 7 (MathWorks, Apple Hill Drive, MA, USA). A fully automated nuclear algorithm was developed to discriminate tumour from normal tissue and to quantify ER and PR expression in both cohorts. Random forest clustering was employed to identify optimum thresholds for survival analysis.

Results
The accuracy of the nuclear algorithm was initially confirmed by a histopathologist, who validated the output in 18 representative images. In these 18 samples, an excellent correlation was evident between the results obtained by manual and automated analysis (Spearman's ρ = 0.9, P < 0.001). Optimum thresholds for survival analysis were identified using random forest clustering. This revealed 7% positive tumour cells as the optimum threshold for the ER and 5% positive tumour cells for the PR. Moreover, a 7% cutoff level for the ER predicted a better response to tamoxifen than the currently used 10% threshold. Finally, linear regression was employed to demonstrate a more homogeneous pattern of expression for the ER (R = 0.860) than for the PR (R = 0.681).

Conclusions
In summary, we present data on the automated quantification of the ER and the PR in 743 primary breast tumours using a novel unsupervised image analysis algorithm. This novel approach provides a useful tool for the quantification of biomarkers on tissue specimens, as well as for objective identification of appropriate cutoff thresholds for biomarker positivity. It also offers the potential to identify proteins with a homogeneous pattern of expression.
Comparative phosphoproteomics reveals evolutionary and functional conservation of phosphorylation across eukaryotes
Authors: Boekhorst Jos , van Breukelen Bas , Heck Albert JR , Snel Berend 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Background
Reversible phosphorylation of proteins is involved in a wide range of processes, ranging from signaling cascades to regulation of protein complex assembly. Little is known about the structure and evolution of phosphorylation networks. Recent high-throughput phosphoproteomics studies have resulted in the rapid accumulation of phosphopeptide datasets for many model organisms. Here, we exploit these novel data for the comparative analysis of phosphorylation events between different species of eukaryotes.

Results
Comparison of phosphoproteomics datasets of six eukaryotes yields an overlap ranging from approximately 700 sites for human and mouse (two large datasets of closely related species) to a single site for fish and yeast (distantly related as well as two of the smallest datasets). Some conserved events appear surprisingly old; those shared by plant and animals suggest conservation over the time scale of a billion years. In spite of the hypothesized incomprehensive nature of phosphoproteomics datasets and differences in experimental procedures, we show that the overlap between phosphoproteomes is greater than expected by chance and indicates increased functional relevance. Despite the dynamic nature of the evolution of phosphorylation, the relative overlap between the different datasets is identical to the phylogeny of the species studied.

Conclusion
This analysis provides a framework for the generation of biological insights by comparative analysis of high-throughput phosphoproteomics datasets. We expect the rapidly growing body of data from high-throughput mass spectrometry analysis to make comparative phosphoproteomics a powerful tool for elucidating the evolutionary and functional dynamics of reversible phosphorylation.
Chlamydia trachomatisdiversity viewed as a tissue-specific coevolutionary arms race
Authors: Nunes Alexandra , Nogueira Paulo J , Borrego Maria J , Gomes João P 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Background
The genomes of pathogens are thought to have evolved under selective pressure provided by the host in a coevolutionary arms race (the 'Red Queen's Hypothesis'). Traditionally, adaptation by pathogens is thought to rely not on whole chromosome dynamics but on gain/loss of specific genes, yielding differential abilities to infect distinct tissues. Thus, it is not known whether distinct host organs differently shape the genome of the same pathogen. We tested this hypothesis using Chlamydia trachomatis as model species, looking at 15 serovars that infect different organs: eyes, genitalia and lymph nodes.

Results
We analyzed over 51,000 base pairs from all serovars using various phylogenetic approaches and a non-phylogenetic indel-based algorithm to study the evolution of individual and concatenated loci. This survey comprised about 33% of all single nucleotide polymorphisms in C. trachomatis chromosomes. We present a model in which genome evolution indeed correlates with the cell type (epithelial versus lymph cells) and organ (eyes versus genitalia) that a serovar infects, illustrating an adaptation to physiologically distinct niches, and discarding genetic drift as the dominant evolutionary driving force. We show that radiation of serovars occurred primarily by accumulation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in intergenomic regions, housekeeping genes, and genes encoding hypothetical and cell envelope proteins. Furthermore, serovar evolution also correlates with ecological success, as the two most successful serovars showed a parallel evolution.

Conclusion
We identified a single nucleotide polymorphism-based tissue-specific arms race for strains in the same species, reflecting global chromosomal dynamics. Studying such tissue-specific arms race scenarios is crucial for understanding pathogen-host interactions during the course of infectious diseases, in order to dissect pathogen biology and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies.
TWEAK is expressed at the cell surface of monocytes during multiple sclerosis
Authors: Desplat-Jégo Sophie , Feuillet Lionel , Creidy Rita , Malikova Irina , Rance Roselyne , Khrestchatisky Michel , Hahm Kyungmin , Burkly Linda C , Pelletier Jean , Boucraut José 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe TNF superfamily ligand, TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), regulates cellular responses ranging from proliferation to cell death in a manner highly dependent on the cell type and the microenvironmental context. We have shown previously that treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice after the priming phase with neutralizing anti-TWEAK antibodies results in a reduction in the severity of the disease and leukocyte infiltration. To further characterize TWEAK/fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14-kDa protein (Fn14) involvement during multiple sclerosis (MS), we evaluated in MS patients and controls: TWEAK and Fn14 expression on PBMC and soluble TWEAK concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Thirty-six consecutive patients were enrolled, including 11 patients with relapsing-remitting MS, 11 with a clinical isolated syndrome suggestive of MS (CISSMS), and 14 controls with non-MS diseases. Intracellular TWEAK could be observed in lymphocytes and/or monocytes in all groups of patients. None of the 36 patients displayed TWEAK expression at the cell surface of lymphocytes. In contrast, 12 out of the 36 patients were positive for membrane TWEAK expression on their monocytes. Among these patients, eight were from the CISSMS group. Fn14 was not detected in PBMC. The soluble form of TWEAK is detectable in serum and CSF of patients, and TWEAK concentrations were not statistically different between the disease groups. We demonstrated for the first time that TWEAK is expressed at the cell surface of monocytes during MS, especially in the CISSMS group. Our results support the proposal that TWEAK could be a target for antibody therapy in MS.
Mechanisms of SHP-1 P2 promoter regulation in hematopoietic cells and its silencing in HTLV-1-transformed T cells
Authors: Nakase Koichi , Cheng Jihua , Zhu Quan , Marasco Wayne A 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe Src homology-2-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1), is a negative regulator of cell signaling. It is also considered a tumor suppressor gene because of its ability to antagonize the action of tyrosine kinases. Although SHP-1 is expressed strongly in hematopoietic cells, decreased expression has been observed in various hematological malignancies, which suggests a central involvement of SHP-1 in leukemogenesis. We have shown previously that human T cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) Tax-induced promoter silencing (TIPS) is an early event causing down-regulation of SHP-1 expression, which is dependent on NF-κB. In this study, DNase I footprinting and EMSA also revealed binding of transcription factors, specificity protein 1 (Sp1) and octamer-binding transcription factor 1 (Oct-1) to the P2 promoter, and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that these factors contribute to the basal P2 promoter activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assays showed that Sp1, Oct-1, NF-κB, CREB-1, and RNA polymerase II interacted with the core SHP-1 P2 promoter in CD4+ T cells and Jurkat cells but not in HTLV-1-transformed MT-2 and HUT102 cells when HTLV-1 Tax is present. Furthermore, bisulfite sequencing of the SHP-1 P2 core region revealed heavy CpG methylation in HTLV-1-transformed cells compared with freshly isolated CD4+ T cells and HTLV-1-noninfected T cell lines. A significant inverse correlation between degree of CpG methylation and expression of SHP-1 mRNA or protein was observed. Taken together, our data support the notion that in HTLV-1-transformed CD4+ T cells, TIPS causes dissociation of transcription factors from the core SHP-1 P2 promoter, which in turn leads to subsequent DNA methylation, an important early step for leukemogenesis.
Using suitability profiles to better inform consumers' choice of commonly used over-the-counter analgesics
Authors: Clarke Geoffrey D , Adams Ian M , Dunagan Fiona M 
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Objective
To quantify the impact of labelled contraindications, precautions and warnings for use on the population that may take commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics.

Setting
Primary care: data were collected from a general practitioner database in Australia.

Methods
Patient data were audited retrospectively (n = 107553) to determine the number of patients with contraindications, warnings or precautions to the use of OTC paracetamol and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs aspirin and ibuprofen. The primary outcome measure was the suitability rate (i.e. the proportion of patients with no contraindications, warnings or precautions) of these commonly used analgesics.

Key findings
In this Australian dataset, the proportions of patients who had no contraindications, warnings or precautions to the use of paracetamol or ibuprofen were 98.1 and 76.9%, respectively (P = 0.0001); 83.4% of patients had no contraindications, warnings or precautions to the use of aspirin (P = 0.005 compared with paracetamol).

Conclusion
Of the three OTC analgesics examined, paracetamol is suitable for use by a larger proportion of the general population without the need to seek medical advice.
Data reduction scheme for measuring G
IIc of wood in end-notched flexure (ENF) tests
Authors: de Moura Marcelo F.S.F. , Silva Manuel A.L. , Morais José J.L. , de Morais Alfredo B. , Lousada José J.L. 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Numerical and experimental studies of end-notched flexure (ENF) fracture tests were performed to obtain mode II R curves for maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) wood in the radial-longitudinal (RL) crack propagation system. Three- (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) finite element analyses were conducted to determine the mode II release rate of the critical strain energy (G
IIc). The 3D analysis revealed that a small spurious mode III component did not affect G
IIc measurements and that the 2D model was very accurate. A new scheme for data reduction based on the equivalent crack concept is proposed to overcome the difficulties related to accurate crack length measurement during propagation. This method does not require previous experimental tests to obtain the elastic modulus, which varies markedly for different wood specimens. Experimental ENF tests were performed to verify the numerical results. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the data reduction method proposed.
Modification of Fagus sylvatica L. with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU). Part 2: Pore size distribution determined by differential scanning calorimetry
Authors: Dieste Andrés , Krause Andreas , Mai Carsten , Sèbe Gilles , Grelier Stéphane , Militz Holger 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
The enthalpy of melting and the freezing point depression of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) wood modified with 0.8, 1.3, and 2.3 M 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxy ethylene urea (DMDHEU) were determined at different levels of moisture content above the fibre saturation point by differential scanning calorimetry. The results permitted estimations of the amount of water bound to the cell wall, non-freezing water (NFW), and pore size distribution. The NFW of wood modified with DMDHEU, calculated on a dry wood basis, was not significantly lower than that of the control. The ratio of bound to total water present in the sample was higher in unmodified than in DMDHEU-modified samples. The proportion of pores with a diameter ≤30 nm was 70% of the total cell wall voids for wood modified with 2.3 M DMDHEU and 18% for unmodified wood. These results indicate that DMDHEU reduced the pore size of the samples by occupying the void space present in the cell wall.
Gadolinium chloride as a contrast agent for imaging wood composite components by magnetic resonance
Authors: Eberhardt Thomas L. , So Chi-Leung , Protti Andrea , So Po-Wah 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
Although paramagnetic contrast agents have an established track record in medical uses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), only recently has a contrast agent been used for enhancing MRI images of solid wood specimens. Expanding on this concept, wood veneers were treated with a gadolinium-based contrast agent and used in a model system comprising three-ply plywood panels fabricated from two untreated veneers and one treated veneer. The limited degree of effect imparted by the contrast agent for specimens in a water-saturated state likely resulted from contrast agent losses due to leaching during the prerequisite water saturation process. Specimens were also analyzed in the air-dry state using a non-conventional MRI sequence. This allowed what appears to be the first reported visualization of earlywood and latewood bands in MR images for air-dry wood specimens. Observation of significant signal dropout for the gadolinium-treated veneer demonstrated the first successful use of a contrast agent to manipulate the signal intensity of a wood component within a composite structure. This technique shows promise for non-destructive two- and three-dimensional assessments of wood component (e.g., veneers, flakes, particles) distributions and orientations in wood composites.
Alteration of the pore structure of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) due to thermal treatment as determined by helium pycnometry and mercury intrusion porosimetry
Authors: Pfriem Alexander , Zauer Mario , Wagenführ André 
Published: October 2008

Abstract
The pore size distribution in wood affects sorption and transport of moisture. In the present paper, the pore structure of spruce and maple was examined in untreated and thermally modified samples. The relative humidities of the specimens were 33%, 43%, 53%, and 76%. Tests were carried out by helium pycnometry and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results clearly show that thermal treatments change the apparent density, pore structure, and pore size distribution. Measurements by the mercury intrusion porosimetry indicated that the influence of various environmental conditions (humidity, temperature) on the porosity and pore size distribution is small.
The Transitivity of Race and the Challenge of the Imagination
Authors: Lee James Kyung-Jin 
Published: October 2008

While sociologists generally do not deign to assume such a rhetorical mantle, Michael Omi and Howard Winant Suffuse the first edition ofRacial Formationwith the language of prophecy that they at once fear to articulate and hope to imagine otherwise. “What does the immediate future hold?” they anxiously wonder.It is unlikely that we shall experience a period of racially based mobilization such as “the great transformation.” The conjuncture in which the 1960s racial upsurge occurred was almost certainly unique. The sophistication of the contemporary racial state and the transformed political landscape as a whole seem to thwart any short-term radical political initiative based in opposition to the racial order. (143)
Eliminating Diasporic Identities
Authors: Mersal Iman 
Published: October 2008

In The unbearable lightness of being, Milan Kundera, a writer in diaspora, puts Sabina, a painter in diaspora, in the position of the artist facing the imposition of a ready-made identity. Kundera writes:Sabina had once had an exhibit that was organized by a political organization in Germany. When she picked up the catalogue, the first thing she saw was a picture of herself with a drawing of barbed wire superimposed on it. Inside she found a biography that read like the life of a saint or martyr: she had suffered, struggled against injustice, been forced to abandon her bleeding homeland, yet was carrying on the struggle. “Her paintings are a struggle for happiness” was the final sentence.She protested, but they did not understand her.Do you mean that modern art isn't persecuted under Communism?“My enemy is kitsch, not Communism!” she replied, infuriated.(254)