bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Neutral-Cushioned Running Shoes on Plantar Pressure Loading and Comfort in Athletes with Cavus Feet
Authors: Wegener Caleb , Burns Joshua , Penkala Stefania , Sc Grad Dip Ex Spr 
Published: June 2008

Background High injury rates observed in athletes with cavus feet are thought to be associated with elevated plantar pressure loading. Neutral-cushioned running shoes are often recommended to manage and prevent such injuries. Purpose To investigate in-shoe plantar pressure loading and comfort during running in 2 popular neutral-cushioned running shoes recommended for athletes with cavus feet. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Plantar pressures were collected using the in-shoe Novel Pedar-X system during overground running in 22 athletes with cavus feet in 2 neutral-cushioned running shoes (Asics Nimbus 6 and Brooks Glycerin 3) and a control condition (Dunlop Volley). Comfort was measured using a validated visual analog scale. Results Compared with the control, both neutral-cushioned running shoes significantly reduced peak pressure and pressure-time integrals by 17% to 33% ( P < .001). The Brooks Glycerin most effectively reduced pressure beneath the whole foot and forefoot ( P < .01), and the Asics Nimbus most effectively reduced rearfoot pressure ( P < .01). Both neutral-cushioned running shoes reduced force at the forefoot by 6% and increased it at the midfoot by 12% to 17% ( P < .05). Contact time and area increased in both neutral-cushioned running shoes ( P < .01). The Asics Nimbus was the most comfortable, although both neutral-cushioned running shoes were significantly more comfortable than the control ( P < .001). Conclusion Two popular types of neutral-cushioned running shoes were effective at reducing plantar pressures in athletes with cavus feet. Clinical Relevance Regional differences in pressure reduction suggest neutral-cushioned running shoe recommendation should shift from being categorical in nature to being based on location of injury or elevated plantar pressure.
Disruption foreclosed: older women's cancer narratives
Authors: Sinding Chris , Wiernikowski Jennifer 
Published: June 2008

A challenge has emerged to Bury's (1982) conceptualization of chronic illness as biographical disruption. The idea that certain life circumstances — notably older age or the presence of significant health and social problems — render the experience of chronic illness biographically `continuous' or `reinforcing' has gained currency in the social study of chronic illness. This article draws from a qualitative study with women diagnosed with cancer in their 70s or 80s. Respondents' narratives suggest that a long life, especially a life characterized by struggle, does provide a context for the assessment of cancer as non-disruptive. However, the study offers evidence that a long life characterized by sufficiency may also be associated with an assessment of cancer as non-disruptive, and that older age and hardship sometimes render chronic illness especially problematic. Centrally, the article examines respondents' oft-cited commitment to avoid `dwelling' on illness, highlighting how broad cultural and moral discourses, patterns of social interaction and structures of power combine to foreclose older women's accounts of disruption.
Relative value of ZAP-70, CD38, and immunoglobulin mutation status in predicting aggressive disease in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Rassenti Laura Z. , Jain Sonia , Keating Michael J. , Wierda William G. , Grever Michael R. , Byrd John C. , Kay Neil E. , Brown Jennifer R. , Gribben John G. , Neuberg Donna S. , He Feng , Greaves Andrew W. , Rai Kanti R. , Kipps Thomas J. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractLeukemia-cell expression of ZAP-70, CD38, or unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region genes (U-IGHV) each is associated with aggressive disease in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To assess the relative strength of each marker, we defined thresholds for designating a case as positive for CD38 or ZAP-70 in a test cohort of 307 patients and used these data-defined criteria to stratify patients in an independent cohort of 705 patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that ZAP-70 was the strongest risk factor. Knowledge of the IGHV mutation status or CD38 did not improve our ability to predict the time to first treatment except for ZAP-70–negative cases, which could be segregated into 2 groups of intermediate-risk or low-risk disease based on whether they expressed unmutated or mutated IGHV. ZAP-70 maintained its high relative prognostic value for the subset of patients with early-stage, asymptomatic disease, including patients evaluated within 1 year of diagnosis. Although it is premature to recommend therapy based on these risk factors, patients with ZAP-70–positive CLL cells should be monitored closely for disease progression as they have a median time from diagnosis to requiring initial therapy by standard criteria of approximately 3 years.
STAT3- and STAT5-dependent pathways competitively regulate the pan-differentiation of CD34pos cells into tumor-competent dendritic cells
Authors: Cohen Peter A. , Koski Gary K. , Czerniecki Brian J. , Bunting Kevin D. , Fu Xin-Yuan , Wang Zhengqi , Zhang Wen-Jun , Carter Charles S. , Awad Mohamed , Distel Christopher A. , Nagem Hassan , Paustian Christopher C. , Johnson Terrence D. , Tisdale John F. , Shu Suyu 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe clinical outcomes of dendritic cell (DC)–based immunotherapy remain disappointing, with DCs often displaying a tenuous capacity to complete maturation and DC1 polarization in the tumor host. Surprisingly, we observed that the capacity for successful DC1 polarization, including robust IL12p70 production, could be regulated by STAT-dependent events even prior to DC differentiation. Exposure of CD34pos cells to single-agent granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) induced multilineage, STAT5-dependent differentiation, including DCs that failed to mature in the absence of further exogenous signals. In contrast, Flt3L induced nearly global differentiation of CD34pos cells into spontaneously maturing DCs. IL-6 synergized with Flt3L to produce explosive, STAT3-dependent proliferation of phenotypically undifferentiated cells that nevertheless functioned as committed DC1 precursors. Such precursors not only resisted many tumor-associated immunosuppressants, but also responded to tumor contact or TGFβ with facilitated DC maturation and IL12p70 production, and displayed a superior capacity to reverse tumor-induced T-cell tolerance. GMCSF preempted Flt3L or Flt3L plus IL-6 licensing by blocking STAT3 activation and promoting STAT5-dependent differentiation. Paradoxically, following overt DC differentiation, STAT5 enhanced whereas STAT3 inhibited DC1 polarization. Therefore, nonoverlapping, sequential activation of STAT3 and STAT5, achievable by sequenced exposure to Flt3L plus IL-6, then GMCSF, selects for multilog expansion, programming, and DC1 polarization of tumor-competent DCs from CD34pos cells.
The familial Mediterranean fever protein, pyrin, is cleaved by caspase-1 and activates NF-κB through its N-terminal fragment
Authors: Chae Jae Jin , Wood Geryl , Richard Katharina , Jaffe Howard , Colburn Nona T. , Masters Seth L. , Gumucio Deborah L. , Shoham Nitza G. , Kastner Daniel L. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractFamilial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in MEFV, which encodes a 781–amino acid protein denoted pyrin. We have previously shown that pyrin regulates caspase-1 activation and IL-1β production through interaction of its N-terminal PYD motif with the ASC adapter protein, and also modulates IL-1β production by interaction of its C-terminal B30.2 domain with the catalytic domains of caspase-1. We now asked whether pyrin might itself be a caspase-1 substrate, and found that pyrin is cleaved by caspase-1 at Asp330, a site remote from the B30.2 domain. Pyrin variants harboring FMF-associated B30.2 mutations were cleaved more efficiently than wild-type pyrin. The N-terminal cleaved fragment interacted with the p65 subunit of NF-κB and with IκB-α through its 15-aa bZIP basic domain and adjacent sequences, respectively, and translocated to the nucleus. The interaction of the N-terminal fragment with p65 enhanced entrance of p65 into the nucleus. The interaction of N-terminal pyrin with IκB-α induced calpain-mediated degradation of IκB-α, thus potentiating NF-κB activation. Absolute and relative quantities of cleaved pyrin and IκB-α degradation products were substantially increased in leukocytes from FMF patients compared with healthy controls. Our data support a new pyrin/caspase-1 pathway for NF-κB activation.
Hydroxychloroquine directly reduces the binding of antiphospholipid antibody–β2-glycoprotein I complexes to phospholipid bilayers
Authors: Rand Jacob H. , Wu Xiao-Xuan , Quinn Anthony S. , Chen Pojen P. , Hathcock James J. , Taatjes Douglas J. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractTreatment with the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been associated with reduced risk of thrombosis in the antiphospholipid (aPL) syndrome (APS) and, in an animal model of APS, with reduction of experimentally induced thrombosis. Recognition of β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) by aPL antibodies appears to play a major role in the disease process. We therefore used the techniques of ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate whether HCQ directly affects the formation of aPL IgG–β2GPI complexes on phospholipid bilayers. HCQ, at concentrations of 1 μg/mL and greater, significantly reduced the binding of aPL-β2GPI complexes to phospholipid surfaces and THP-1 (human acute monocytic leukemia cell line) monocytes. The drug also reduced the binding of the individual proteins to bilayers. This HCQ-mediated reduction of binding was completely reversed when the HCQ-protein solutions were dialyzed against buffer. HCQ also caused modest, but statistically significant, reductions of clinical antiphospholipid assays. In conclusion, HCQ reduces the formation of aPL-β2GPI complexes to phospholipid bilayers and cells. This effect appears to be due to reversible interactions between HCQ and the proteins and may contribute to the observed reduction of thrombosis in human and experimental APS. These results support the possibility that HCQ, or analogous molecules, may offer novel nonanticoagulant therapeutic strategies for treating APS.
GATA4/FOG2 transcriptional complex regulates Lhx9 gene expression in murine heart development
Authors: Smagulova Fatima O , Manuylov Nikolay L , Leach Lyndsay L , Tevosian Sergei G 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Background
GATA4 and FOG2 proteins are required for normal cardiac development in mice. It has been proposed that GATA4/FOG2 transcription complex exercises its function through gene activation as well as repression; however, targets of GATA4/FOG2 action in the heart remain elusive.

Results
Here we report identification of the Lhx9 gene as a direct target of the GATA4/FOG2 complex. We demonstrate that the developing mouse heart normally expresses truncated isoforms of Lhx9 – Lhx9α and Lhx9β, and not the Lhx9-HD isoform that encodes a protein with an intact homeodomain. At E9.5 Lhx9α/β expression is prominent in the epicardial primordium, septum transversum while Lhx9-HD is absent from this tissue; in the E11.5 heart LHX9α/β-positive cells are restricted to the epicardial mesothelium. Thereafter in the control hearts Lhx9α/β epicardial expression is promptly down-regulated; in contrast, mouse mutants with Fog2 gene loss fail to repress Lhx9α/β expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation from the E11.5 hearts demonstrated that Lhx9 is a direct target for GATA4 and FOG2. In transient transfection studies the expression driven by the cis-regulatory regions of Lhx9 was repressed by FOG2 in the presence of intact GATA4, but not the GATA4ki mutant that is impaired in its ability to bind FOG2.

Conclusion
In summary, the Lhx9 gene represents the first direct target of the GATA4/FOG2 repressor complex in cardiac development.
Early vertebrate chromosome duplications and the evolution of the neuropeptide Y receptor gene regions
Authors: Larsson Tomas A , Olsson Frida , Sundstrom Gorel , Lundin Lars-Gustav , Brenner Sydney , Venkatesh Byrappa , Larhammar Dan 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackgroundOne of the many gene families that expanded in early vertebrate evolution is the neuropeptide (NPY) receptor family of G-protein coupled receptors. Earlier work by our lab suggested that several of the NPY receptor genes found in extant vertebrates resulted from two genome duplications before the origin of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) and one additional genome duplication in the actinopterygian lineage, based on their location on chromosomes sharing several gene families. In this study we have investigated, in five vertebrate genomes, 45 gene families with members close to the NPY receptor genes in the compact genomes of the teleost fishesTetraodon nigroviridisandTakifugu rubripes. These correspond toHomo sapienschromosomes 4, 5, 8 and 10.ResultsChromosome regions with conserved synteny were identified and confirmed by phylogenetic analyses inH. sapiens, M. musculus, D. rerio, T. rubripesandT. nigroviridis. 26 gene families, including the NPY receptor genes, (plus 3 described recently by other labs) showed a tree topology consistent with duplications in early vertebrate evolution and in the actinopterygian lineage, thereby supporting expansion through block duplications. Eight gene families had complications that precluded analysis (such as short sequence length or variable number of repeated domains) and another eight families did not support block duplications (because the paralogs in these families seem to have originated in another time window than the proposed genome duplication events). RT-PCR carried out with several tissues inT. rubripesrevealed that all five NPY receptors were expressed in the brain and subtypes Y2, Y4 and Y8 were also expressed in peripheral organs.ConclusionWe conclude that the phylogenetic analyses and chromosomal locations of these gene families support duplications of large blocks of genes or even entire chromosomes. Thus, these results are consistent with two early vertebrate tetraploidizations forming a paralogon comprising human chromosomes 4, 5, 8 and 10 and one teleost tetraploidization. The combination of positional and phylogenetic data further strengthens the identification of orthologs and paralogs in the NPY receptor family.
Performance comparison of two microarray platforms to assess differential gene expression in human monocyte and macrophage cells
Authors: Maouche Seraya , Poirier Odette , Godefroy Tiphaine , Olaso Robert , Gut Ivo , Collet Jean-Phillipe , Montalescot Gilles , Cambien François 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBackgroundIn this study we assessed the respective ability of Affymetrix and Illumina microarray methodologies to answer a relevant biological question, namely the change in gene expression between resting monocytes and macrophages derived from these monocytes. Five RNA samples for each type of cell were hybridized to the two platforms in parallel. In addition, a reference list of differentially expressed genes (DEG) was generated from a larger number of hybridizations (mRNA from 86 individuals) using the RNG/MRC two-color platform.ResultsOur results show an important overlap of the Illumina and Affymetrix DEG lists. In addition, more than 70% of the genes in these lists were also present in the reference list. Overall the two platforms had very similar performance in terms of biological significance, evaluated by the presence in the DEG lists of an excess of genes belonging to Gene Ontology (GO) categories relevant for the biology of monocytes and macrophages. Our results support the conclusion of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project that the criteria used to constitute the DEG lists strongly influence the degree of concordance among platforms. However the importance of prioritizing genes by magnitude of effect (fold change) rather than statistical significance (p-value) to enhance cross-platform reproducibility recommended by the MAQC authors was not supported by our data.ConclusionFunctional analysis based on GO enrichment demonstrates that the 2 compared technologies delivered very similar results and identified most of the relevant GO categories enriched in the reference list.
Proteomic profile of dormant Trichophyton Rubrum conidia
Authors: Leng Wenchuan , Liu Tao , Li Rui , Yang Jian , Wei Candong , Zhang Wenliang , Jin Qi 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Background

Trichophyton rubrum is the most common dermatophyte causing fungal skin infections in humans. Asexual sporulation is an important means of propagation for T. rubrum, and conidia produced by this way are thought to be the primary cause of human infections. Despite their importance in pathogenesis, the conidia of T. rubrum remain understudied. We intend to intensively investigate the proteome of dormant T. rubrum conidia to characterize its molecular and cellular features and to enhance the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Results
The proteome of T. rubrum conidia was analyzed by combining shotgun proteomics with sample prefractionation and multiple enzyme digestion. In total, 1026 proteins were identified. All identified proteins were compared to those in the NCBI non-redundant protein database, the eukaryotic orthologous groups database, and the gene ontology database to obtain functional annotation information. Functional classification revealed that the identified proteins covered nearly all major biological processes. Some proteins were spore specific and related to the survival and dispersal of T. rubrum conidia, and many proteins were important to conidial germination and response to environmental conditions.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that the proteome of T. rubrum conidia is considerably complex, and that the maintenance of conidial dormancy is an intricate and elaborate process. This data set provides the first global framework for the dormant T. rubrum conidia proteome and is a stepping stone on the way to further study of the molecular mechanisms of T. rubrum conidial germination and the maintenance of conidial dormancy.
Health services research in the public healthcare system in Hong Kong: An analysis of over 1 million antihypertensive prescriptions between 2004–2007 as an example of the potential and pitfalls of using routinely collected electronic patient data
Authors: Wong Martin CS , Jiang Johnny Y , Tang Jin-ling , Lam Augustine , Fung Hong , Mercer Stewart W 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Background
Increasing use is being made of routinely collected electronic patient data in health services research. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of a comprehensive database used routinely in the public healthcare system in Hong Kong, using antihypertensive drug prescriptions in primary care as an example.

Methods
Data on antihypertensive drug prescriptions were retrieved from the electronic Clinical Management System (e-CMS) of all primary care clinics run by the Health Authority (HA) in the New Territory East (NTE) cluster of Hong Kong between January 2004 and June 2007. Information was also retrieved on patients' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, visit type (new or follow-up), and relevant diseases (International Classification of Primary Care, ICPC codes).

Results
1,096,282 visit episodes were accessed, representing 93,450 patients. Patients' demographic and socio-economic details were recorded in all cases. Prescription details for anti-hypertensive drugs were missing in only 18 patients (0.02%). However, ICPC-code was missing for 36,409 patients (39%). Significant independent predictors of whether disease codes were applied included patient age ≥ 70 years (OR 2.18), female gender (OR 1.20), district of residence (range of ORs in more rural districts; 0.32–0.41), type of clinic (OR in Family Medicine Specialist Clinics; 1.45) and type of visit (OR follow-up visit; 2.39).
In the 57,041 patients with an ICPC-code, uncomplicated hypertension (ICPC K86) was recorded in 45,859 patients (82.1%). The characteristics of these patients were very similar to those of the non-coded group, suggesting that most non-coded patients on antihypertensive drugs are likely to have uncomplicated hypertension.

Conclusion
The e-CMS database of the HA in Hong Kong varies in quality in terms of recorded information. Potential future health services research using demographic and prescription information is highly feasible but for disease-specific research dependant on ICPC codes some caution is warranted. In the case of uncomplicated hypertension, future research on pharmaco-epidemiology (such as prescription patterns) and clinical issues (such as side-effects of medications on metabolic parameters) seems feasible given the large size of the data set and the comparability of coded and non-coded patients.
Noisy: Identification of problematic columns in multiple sequence alignments
Authors: Dress Andreas WM , Flamm Christoph , Fritzsch Guido , Grünewald Stefan , Kruspe Matthias , Prohaska Sonja J , Stadler Peter F 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Motivation
Sequence-based methods for phylogenetic reconstruction from (nucleic acid) sequence data are notoriously plagued by two effects: homoplasies and alignment errors. Large evolutionary distances imply a large number of homoplastic sites. As most protein-coding genes show dramatic variations in substitution rates that are not uncorrelated across the sequence, this often leads to a patchwork pattern of (i) phylogenetically informative and (ii) effectively randomized regions. In highly variable regions, furthermore, alignment errors accumulate resulting in sometimes misleading signals in phylogenetic reconstruction.

Results
We present here a method that, based on assessing the distribution of character states along a cyclic ordering of the taxa, allows the identification of phylogenetically uninformative homoplastic sites in a multiple sequence alignment. Removal of these sites appears to improve the performance of phylogenetic reconstruction algorithms as measured by various indices of "tree quality". In particular, we obtain more stable trees due to the exclusion of phylogenetically incompatible sites that most likely represent strongly randomized characters.

Software
The computer program noisy implements this approach. It can be employed to improving phylogenetic reconstruction capability with quite a considerable success rate whenever (1) the average bootstrap support obtained from the original alignment is low, and (2) there are sufficiently many taxa in the data set – at least, say, 12 to 15 taxa. The software can be obtained under the GNU Public License from http://www.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de/Software/noisy/.
Response of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy: a case report
Authors: Long Hong-qing , Qin Qin , Xie Cong-hua 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Introduction
Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma is a rare disease with no characteristic symptoms. It is difficult to diagnose early and is frequently misdiagnosed as a pulmonary embolism.

Case presentation
Here we report a case of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma in a 54-year-old woman presenting with complaints of shortness of breath on exertion. Echocardiography and a computed tomography scan showed that the right pulmonary artery trunk was blocked by a low-density mass. The patient was diagnosed with pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma by pathology and a complete mass resection was performed. After experiencing 10 months of disease-free survival, she was re-admitted because of the recurrence and metastasis of the tumor. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were performed; however, only limited success was achieved. The patient died 15 months after the initial onset of symptoms.

Conclusion
Some patients with intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery can benefit from radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as surgery.