bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prostate‐specific antigen ‘bounce’ after permanent 125I‐implant brachytherapy in Japanese men: a multi‐institutional pooled analysis
Authors: Satoh Takefumi , Ishiyama Hiromichi , Matsumoto Kazumasa , Tsumura Hideyasu , Kitano Masashi , Hayakawa Kazushige , Ebara Shin , Nasu Yasutomo , Kumon Hiromi , Kanazawa Susumu , Miki Kenta , Egawa Shin , Aoki Manabu , Toya Kazuhito , Yorozu Atsushi , Nagata Hirohiko , Saito Shiro , Baba Shiro 
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVETo examine the incidence, timing, and magnitude of the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level ‘bounce’ after permanent prostate brachytherapy (BT) and correlate the PSA bounce with clinical and dosimetric factors in Japanese patients with prostate cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSA multi‐institutional pooled analysis was carried out in 388 consecutive patients with T1–T2N0M0 prostate cancer treated with 125I‐seed implant BT with no hormonal therapy or external beam radiotherapy. All patients had ≥1 year of follow‐up and at least three follow‐up PSA level measurements. Three definitions of PSA bounce were used: definition A, a PSA level rise of 0.1 ng/mL; definition B, a PSA level rise of 0.4 ng/mL; and definition C, a PSA level rise of 35% over the previous value, followed by a subsequent fall.RESULTSThe actuarial likelihood of having PSA bounce at 24 months was 50.8% for definition A, 23.5% for definition B, and 19.4% for definition C. The median time to develop PSA bounce was 12 months for definition A, 18 months for definition B, and 18 months for definition C. There was a PSA bounce magnitude of 2 ng/mL in 5.3% of patients, and 95.3% of PSA bounce occurred within 24 months after 125I‐BT. Among the before and after 125I‐BT factors, clinical stage, initial PSA level, and Gleason score did not predict for PSA bounce using any definition; only being younger predicted for PSA bounce on multivariate analysis (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSPSA bounce is a common phenomenon after 125I‐BT and occurred at a rate of 19–51% in the Japanese men who underwent 125I‐BT, depending on the definition used. It is more common in younger patients, and early PSA bounce should be considered when assessing a patient with a rising PSA level after 125I‐BT, before implementing salvage interventions. Furthermore, PSA bounce magnitude might be lower in Japanese than in Caucasian patients.
Nucleocytoplasmic transit of human α1‐antichymotrypsin in tobacco leaf epidermal cells†
Authors: Benchabane Meriem , Saint‐Jore‐Dupas Claude , Faye Loïc , Gomord Véronique , Michaud Dominique 
Published: November 2008

SummaryRecently, we have observed a nuclear localization for human α1‐antichymotrypsin (AACT) expressed in the cytosol of transgenic Bright Yellow‐2 (BY‐2) tobacco cultured cells (see accompanying paper:Benchabane, M., Saint‐Jore‐Dupas, C., Bardor, M., Faye, L., Michaud, D. and Gomord, V. (2008a)Targeting and post‐translational processing of human α1‐antichymotrypsin in BY‐2 tobacco cultured cells.Plant Biotechnol. J. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‐7652.2008.00382.x). In the present article, we assess whether the intrinsic DNA‐binding activity of AACT can explain its nuclear localization, and whether this same activity has an impact on its protease inhibitory potency and stabilityin planta. An engineered form of AACT with no DNA‐binding activity, rAACTΔK, was compared with the wild‐type polypeptide, rAACT, in terms of chymotrypsin inhibitory potency, stabilityin plantaand distribution in tobacco cells. In accordance with available data reporting distinct sites for protease inhibition and DNA binding, rAACT and rAACTΔK showed similar antichymotrypsin activity, similar to the activity of native AACT purified from human plasma. As observed for AACT in BY‐2 tobacco cells, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐AACT fusion transiently expressed in the cytosol of tobacco leaf epidermal cells was detected mainly in the nucleus by confocal laser microscopy. By contrast, rAACTΔK expressed as a GFP fusion showed a balanced distribution between the cytosol and the nucleus, similar to the distribution pattern of free GFP exhibiting no DNA‐binding affinity. In line with immunodetection data showing higher accumulation levels for GFP‐AACT in tobacco leaf cells, rAACTΔK was more susceptible than rAACT to tryptic digestion in the presence of DNA. Overall, these observations suggest the following: (i) a retention effect of DNA on AACT in the nucleus; and (ii) a stabilizing effect of the AACT–DNA interaction on rAACT challenged with non‐target proteases, which, possibly, may be useful in protecting this protein in plant expression platforms.
Enhanced triterpene saponin biosynthesis and root nodulation in transgenic barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.) expressing a novel β‐amyrin synthase (AsOXA1) gene
Authors: Confalonieri Massimo , Cammareri Maria , Biazzi Elisa , Pecchia Paola , Fevereiro Manuel Pedro Salema , Balestrazzi Alma , Tava Aldo , Conicella Clara 
Published: November 2008

SummaryTriterpene saponins are a group of bioactive compounds abundant in the genus Medicago, and have been studied extensively for their biological and pharmacological properties. In this article, we evaluated the effects of the ectopic expression of AsOXA1 cDNA from Aster sedifolius on the production of triterpene saponins in barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.). AsOXA1 cDNA encodes β‐amyrin synthase, a key enzyme involved in triterpene saponin biosynthesis. One of the four transgenic lines expressing AsOXA1 accumulated significantly larger amounts of some triterpenic compounds in leaf and root than did control plants. In particular, the leaf exhibited significantly higher levels of bayogenin, medicagenic acid and zanhic acid. The amounts of medicagenic acid and zanhic acid, which represent the core of the M. truncatula leaf saponins, were 1.7 and 2.1 times higher, respectively, than the amounts extracted from the control line. In root, the production of bayogenin, hederagenin, soyasapogenol E and 2β‐hydroxyoleanolic acid was increased significantly. The increase in the total amounts of triterpenic compounds observed in the leaves of transgenic lines correlated with the AsOXA1 expression level. Interestingly, the plants expressing AsOXA1 showed, under different growth conditions, improved nodulation when compared with the control line. Nodulation enhancement was also accompanied by a significant change in the soyasapogenol B content. Our results indicate that the ectopic expression of AsOXA1 in barrel medic leads to a greater accumulation of triterpene saponins and enhanced root nodulation.
Plant recombinant erythropoietin attenuates inflammatory kidney cell injury
Authors: Conley Andrew J. , Mohib Kanishka , Jevnikar Anthony M. , Brandle Jim E. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryHuman erythropoietin (EPO) is a pleiotropic cytokine with remarkable tissue‐protective activities in addition to its well‐established role in red blood cell production. Unfortunately, conventional mammalian cell cultures are unlikely to meet the anticipated market demands for recombinant EPO because of limited capacity and high production costs. Plant expression systems may address these limitations to enable practical, cost‐effective delivery of EPO in tissue injury prevention therapeutics. In this study, we produced human EPO in tobacco and demonstrated that plant‐derived EPO had tissue‐protective activity. Our results indicated that targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) provided the highest accumulation levels of EPO, with a yield approaching 0.05% of total soluble protein in tobacco leaves. The codon optimization of the human EPO gene for plant expression had no clear advantage; furthermore, the human EPO signal peptide performed better than a tobacco signal peptide. In addition, we found that glycosylation was essential for the stability of plant recombinant EPO, whereas the presence of an elastin‐like polypeptide fusion had a limited positive impact on the level of EPO accumulation. Confocal microscopy showed that apoplast and ER‐targeted EPO were correctly localized, and N‐glycan analysis demonstrated that complex plant glycans existed on apoplast‐targeted EPO, but not on ER‐targeted EPO. Importantly, plant‐derived EPO had enhanced receptor‐binding affinity and was able to protect kidney epithelial cells from cytokine‐induced death in vitro. These findings demonstrate that tobacco plants may be an attractive alternative for the production of large amounts of biologically active EPO.
The myths about e‐learning in higher education
Authors: Njenga James Kariuki , Fourie Louis Cyril Henry 
Published: November 2008

AbstractProponents have marketed e‐learning by focusing on its adoption as the right thing to do while disregarding, among other things, the concerns of the potential users, the adverse effects on users and the existing research on the use of e‐learning or related innovations. In this paper, the e‐learning‐adoption proponents are referred to as thetechnopositivists. It is argued that most of thetechnopositivistsin the higher education context are driven by a personal agenda, with the aim of propagating atechnopositivist ideologyto stakeholders.The technopositivist ideologyis defined as a ‘compulsive enthusiasm’ about e‐learning in higher education that is being created, propagated and channelled repeatedly by the people who are set to gain without giving the educators the time and opportunity to explore the dangers and rewards of e‐learning on teaching and learning. Ten myths on e‐learning that thetechnopositivistshave used are presented with the aim of initiating effective and constructive dialogue, rather than merely criticising the efforts being made.
The College Wage Premium and the Expansion of Higher Education in the UK*
Authors: Walker Ian , Zhu Yu 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThis paper reports estimates of the UK “college premium” for young graduates across successive cohorts from large cross‐section datasets for the UK pooled from 1994 to 2006—a period when the higher education participation rate increased dramatically. The growth in relative labour demand suggests that graduate supply considerably outstripped demand which ought to imply a fall in the premium. We find no significant fall for men and even a large, but insignificant, rise for women. Quantile regression results reveal a fall in the premium only for men in the bottom quartile of the distribution of unobserved skills.
Compensating Wage Differentials for Schooling Risk in Denmark*
Authors: Diaz‐Serrano Luis , Hartog Joop , Nielsen Helena Skyt 
Published: November 2008

AbstractIn this paper we analyse the association between wage differentials and risk using detailed information on length and type of education as seen in Danish administrative registers. Our contribution to the literature is that we distinguish between transitory (time‐series) and permanent (cross‐sectional) income shocks, and estimate the compensation for both sorts of risk. We find that wage risk in a given education cell is associated with higher wages, while skewness is associated with lower wages. As a robustness check, we see that ad hoc risk measures based on earnings‐mobility indicators confirm these findings.
Signalling or Human Capital: Evidence from the Finnish Polytechnic School Reform
Authors: Hämäläinen Ulla , Uusitalo Roope 
Published: November 2008

AbstractWe use data from the Finnish polytechnic reform to distinguish between human capital and signalling theories of the value of education. We find that the reform increased the earnings of polytechnic graduates compared with those graduating from the same schools before the reform, as predicted by both the human capital and the signalling models. However, we also find that the relative earnings of vocational college graduates decrease after polytechnic graduates start entering the labour market. This finding is inconsistent with the pure human capital model and can be interpreted as evidence that supports the signalling model.
Education and Fertility: Evidence from a Natural Experiment*
Authors: Monstad Karin , Propper Carol , Salvanes Kjell G. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractDeclining fertility is often attributed to the increased education of women. It is difficult to establish a causal link because both fertility and education have changed secularly. In this paper we study the connection between fertility and education using educational reform as an instrument to control for selection. Our results indicate that increasing education leads to postponement of first births away from teenage motherhood and towards women having their first birth in their 20s as well as, for a smaller group, up to the age of 35–40. We find no evidence, however, that more education results in more women remaining childless or having fewer children.
Domestic Violence and the Exemption from Seeking Child Support: Providing Safety or Legitimizing Ongoing Poverty and Fear
Authors: Patrick Rebecca , Cook Kay , McKenzie Hayley 
Published: November 2008

Abstract This article examines the experience of low‐income women on welfare in Australia and the process of seeking child support from a violent ex‐partner, contrasting this with research from the United States and the United Kingdom. Women in Australia who fear ongoing or renewed abuse as a result of seeking child support are eligible for an exemption. However, the exemption policy does not necessarily provide the intended protection of women and children from ongoing abuse and poverty. The exemption policy route also produces an unintended outcome whereby the perpetrators of violence are financially rewarded as they do not have to pay child support. These outcomes are shaped by a complex interaction of personal, cultural and structural forces that make the process of seeking child support for women who have experienced violence extremely problematic. The article demonstrates how in Australia, as in the US and UK policy contexts, the needs of women and their children are compromised by the details of policy specification and the way policies are implemented within the different systems.
Informing Debate or Fuelling Dispute? Media Communication of Reconfiguration in Scotland's Rural Maternity Care
Authors: Thomson Elizabeth , Farmer Jane , Tucker Janet , Bryers Helen 
Published: November 2008

AbstractPublic reaction to the UK's ongoing health sector reform often results in dilution of policy‐makers’ goals. Public participation in health service decision‐making is advocated in policy, but precisely how to do it and what role public opinion should have in formulating reform strategy is ambiguously described. Public opinion is formed through many influences, including media reporting. This paper examines how reconfiguration at a rural maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital in Wick, Scotland, was communicated in national and local media and considers potential implications of media communication on public participation in policy decision‐making. Content analysis of arguments for and against change revealed a high level of reporting of commentators against change in regional newspapers. Qualitative analysis identified emergent themes about how maternity service reconfiguration was portrayed. These included framing opposition between management and local people, and change drivers receiving superficial coverage. Findings suggest that media portrayal of the public role in change may promote an adversarial rather than a participative stance. More finely tuned understanding of the relationship between the reporting of change and public reaction should be attained as this could affect how planned social policy evolves into actual practice.
Hominid mandibular corpus shape variation and its utility for recognizing species diversity within fossil Homo
Authors: Lague Michael R. , Collard Nicole J. , Richmond Brian G. , Wood Bernard A. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractMandibular corpora are well represented in the hominin fossil record, yet few studies have rigorously assessed the utility of mandibular corpus morphology for species recognition, particularly with respect to the linear dimensions that are most commonly available. In this study, we explored the extent to which commonly preserved mandibular corpus morphology can be used to: (i) discriminate among extant hominid taxa and (ii) support species designations among fossil specimens assigned to the genus Homo. In the first part of the study, discriminant analysis was used to test for significant differences in mandibular corpus shape at different taxonomic levels (genus, species and subspecies) among extant hominid taxa (i.e. Homo, Pan, Gorilla, Pongo). In the second part of the study, we examined shape variation among fossil mandibles assigned to Homo (including H. habilis sensu stricto, H. rudolfensis, early African H. erectus/H. ergaster, late African H. erectus, Asian H. erectus, H. heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens). A novel randomization procedure designed for small samples (and using group ‘distinctness values’) was used to determine whether shape variation among the fossils is consistent with conventional taxonomy (or alternatively, whether a priori taxonomic groupings are completely random with respect to mandibular morphology). The randomization of ‘distinctness values’ was also used on the extant samples to assess the ability of the test to recognize known taxa. The discriminant analysis results demonstrated that, even for a relatively modest set of traditional mandibular corpus measurements, we can detect significant differences among extant hominids at the genus and species levels, and, in some cases, also at the subspecies level. Although the randomization of ‘distinctness values’ test is more conservative than discriminant analysis (based on comparisons with extant specimens), we were able to detect at least four distinct groups among the fossil specimens (i.e. H. sapiens, H. heidelbergensis, Asian H. erectus and a combined ‘African Homo’ group consisting of H. habilis sensu stricto, H. rudolfensis, early African H. erectus/H. ergaster and late African H. erectus). These four groups appear to be distinct at a level similar to, or greater than, that of modern hominid species. In addition, the mandibular corpora of H. neanderthalensis could be distinguished from those of ‘African Homo’, although not from those of H. sapiens, H. heidelbergensis, or the Asian H. erectus group. The results suggest that the features most commonly preserved on the hominin mandibular corpus have some taxonomic utility, although they are unlikely to be useful in generating a reliable alpha taxonomy for early African members of the genus Homo.
Development of the human Achilles tendon enthesis organ
Authors: Shaw H. M. , Vázquez Osorio T. , McGonagle D. , Bydder G. , Santer R. M. , Benjamin M. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe attachment of the Achilles tendon is part of an ‘enthesis organ’ that reduces stress concentration at the hard–soft tissue interface. The organ also includes opposing sesamoid and periosteal fibrocartilages, a bursa and Kager's fat pad. In addition, the deep crural and plantar fasciae contribute to Achilles stress dissipation and could also be regarded as components. Here we describe the sequence in which these various tissues differentiate. Serial sections of feet from spontaneously aborted foetuses (crown rump lengths 22–322 mm) were examined. All slides formed part of an existing collection of histologically sectioned embryological material, obtained under Spanish law and housed in the Universidad Complutense, Madrid. From the earliest stages, it was evident that the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia had a mutual attachment to the calcaneal perichondrium. The first components of the enthesis organ to appear (in the 45‐mm foetus) were the retrocalcaneal bursa and the crural fascia. The former developed by cavitation within the mesenchyme that later gave rise to Kager's fat pad. The tip of the putative fat pad protruded into the developing bursa in the 110‐mm foetus and fully differentiated adipocytes were apparent in the 17‐mm foetus. All three fibrocartilages were first recognisable in the 332‐mm foetus – at which time adipogenesis had commenced in the heel fat pad. The sequence in which the various elements became apparent suggests that bursal formation and the appearance of the crural fascia may be necessary to facilitate the foot movements that subsequently lead to fibrocartilage differentiation. The later commencement of adipogenesis in the heel than in Kager's pad probably reflects the non‐weight environment in utero. The direct continuity between plantar fascia and Achilles tendon that is characteristic of the adult reflects the initial attachment of both structures to the calcaneal perichondrium rather than to the skeletal anlagen itself.
Zonal variations in cytoskeletal element organization, mRNA and protein expression in the intervertebral disc
Authors: Li Siyuan , Duance Victor C. , Blain Emma J. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe intervertebral disc is important in maintaining flexibility and dissipating loads applied to the spine. The disc comprises a heterogeneous population of cells, including those of the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus, which are diverse in phenotype, partly due to the different mechanical loads they experience. Several studies have implicated the cytoskeleton in mechanotransduction, but little characterization of the three major cytoskeletal elements – actin, tubulin and vimentin – in the intervertebral disc has been undertaken. In this study we show that there are differences in both the organization and the amounts of these cytoskeletal proteins across the regions of immature bovine intervertebral disc (nucleus pulposus and outer annulus fibrosus), which differs with skeletal maturity. These differences are likely to reflect the diverse mechanical characteristics of the disc regions, and the loads that they experience, i.e. tension in the annulus fibrosus and compression in the nucleus pulposus. Alterations to the organization and amount of cytoskeletal element proteins may change the ability of the cells to respond to mechanical signals, with a loss of tissue homeostasis, suggesting that the cytoskeleton has a potential role in intervertebral disc degeneration.
Short‐faced mice and developmental interactions between the brain and the face
Authors: Boughner Julia C. , Wat Stephen , Diewert Virginia M. , Young Nathan M. , Browder Leon W. , Hallgrímsson Benedikt 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe length of the face represents an important axis of variation in mammals and especially in primates. Mice with mutations that produce variation along this axis present an opportunity to study the developmental factors that may underlie evolutionary change in facial length. The Crf4 mutant, obtained from the C57BL/6J (wt/wt) background by chemical mutagenesis by the Baylor Mouse Mutagenesis Resource, is reported to have a short‐faced phenotype. As an initial step towards developing this model, we performed 3D geometric morphometric comparisons of Crf4 mice to C57BL/6J wild‐type mice focusing on three stages of face development and morphology – embryonic (GD 9.5–12), neonatal, and adult. Morphometric analysis of adult Crf4 mutants revealed that in addition to a shortened face, these mice exhibit a significant reduction in brain size and basicranial length. These same features also differ at the neonatal stage. During embryonic face formation, only dimensions related to brain growth were smaller, whereas the Crf4 face actually appeared advanced relative to the wild‐type at the same somite stage. These results show that aspects of the Crf4 phenotype are evident as early as embryonic face formation. Based on our anatomical findings we hypothesize that the reduction in facial growth in Crf4 mice is a secondary consequence of reduction in the growth of the brain. If correct, the Crf4 mutant will be a useful model for studying the role of epigenetic interactions between the brain and face in the evolutionary developmental biology of the mammalian craniofacial complex as well as human craniofacial dysmorphology.