Showing papers by "Tulane University published in 2004"
TL;DR: It is shown, in detailed studies of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells in 104 individuals affected with ovarian carcinoma, that human tumor T Reg cells suppress tumor-specific T cell immunity and contribute to growth of human tumors in vivo.
Abstract: Regulatory T (T(reg)) cells mediate homeostatic peripheral tolerance by suppressing autoreactive T cells. Failure of host antitumor immunity may be caused by exaggerated suppression of tumor-associated antigen-reactive lymphocytes mediated by T(reg) cells; however, definitive evidence that T(reg) cells have an immunopathological role in human cancer is lacking. Here we show, in detailed studies of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) T(reg) cells in 104 individuals affected with ovarian carcinoma, that human tumor T(reg) cells suppress tumor-specific T cell immunity and contribute to growth of human tumors in vivo. We also show that tumor T(reg) cells are associated with a high death hazard and reduced survival. Human T(reg) cells preferentially move to and accumulate in tumors and ascites, but rarely enter draining lymph nodes in later cancer stages. Tumor cells and microenvironmental macrophages produce the chemokine CCL22, which mediates trafficking of T(reg) cells to the tumor. This specific recruitment of T(reg) cells represents a mechanism by which tumors may foster immune privilege. Thus, blocking T(reg) cell migration or function may help to defeat human cancer.
4,795 citations
TL;DR: A sensitive method for the recovery and semiquantification of ARS in a stained monolayer by acetic acid extraction and neutralization with ammonium hydroxide followed by colorimetric detection at 405 nm is described.
1,396 citations
TL;DR: The association between the metabolic syndrome and risk for chronic kidney disease and microalbuminuria in a large representative sample of U.S. adults who participated in the NHANES III was examined.
Abstract: The metabolic syndrome is defined as 3 or more of the following: hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, high triglyceride level, and abdominal obesity. The gr...
1,280 citations
TL;DR: Hpertension is an important public health challenge in both economically developing and developed countries and measures are required at a population level to prevent the development of hypertension and to improve awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the community.
Abstract: PurposeTo examine the prevalence and the level of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in different world regions.Study selectionA literature search of the MEDLINE database, using the Medical Subject Headings prevalence, hypertension, blood pressure and cross-sectional studies, was condu
1,189 citations
TL;DR: A protocol that provides rapidly expanding MSCs from 5 strains of inbred mice with differences in their media requirements for optimal growth, rates of propagation, and presence of the surface epitopes CD34, stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1).
1,023 citations
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University1, National University of Singapore2, University of Buenos Aires3, University of California, San Francisco4, University of Miami5, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine6, University of Western Ontario7, Mayo Clinic8, Johns Hopkins University9, Duke University10, Karolinska University Hospital11, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki12, Tulane University13, Erasmus University Rotterdam14, London Bridge Hospital15, Istanbul University16, Rush University Medical Center17, Georgia Regents University18, University of Florence19, Deakin University20, Cleveland Clinic21, University of Milan22, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center23, Concordia University Wisconsin24, Valparaiso University25, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey26, Maimonides Medical Center27, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich28, Rambam Health Care Campus29, Emory University30
TL;DR: Specific evaluation, treatment guidelines, and algorithms were developed for every sexual dysfunction in men, including erectile dysfunction; disorders of libido, orgasm, and ejaculation; Peyronie's disease; and priapism.
993 citations
TL;DR: The link between fast food restaurants and black and low-income neighborhoods may contribute to the understanding of environmental causes of the obesity epidemic in these populations.
893 citations
TL;DR: Blood pressure has increased over the past decade among children and adolescents, partially attributable to an increased prevalence of overweight.
Abstract: ContextThe prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents increased
between 1988 and 2000 The change in blood pressure among children and adolescents
over that time and the role of overweight is unknownObjectiveTo examine trends in systolic and diastolic blood pressure among children
and adolescents between 1988 and 2000Design, Setting, and PopulationTwo serially conducted cross-sectional studies using nationally representative
samples of children and adolescents, aged 8 to 17 years, from the third National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted in 1988-1994
(n = 3496) and NHANES 1999-2000 (n = 2086)Main Outcome MeasuresSystolic and diastolic blood pressure levelsResultsIn 1999-2000, the mean (SE) systolic blood pressure was 1060 (03)
mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure was 617 (05) mm Hg After adjustment
for age, mean systolic blood pressure was 16 mm Hg higher among non-Hispanic
black girls (P = 11) and 29 mm Hg higher among
non-Hispanic black boys (P<001) compared with
non-Hispanic whites Among Mexican Americans, girls' systolic blood pressure
was 10 mm Hg higher (P = 21) and boys' was 27
mm Hg higher (P<001) compared with non-Hispanic
whites (P<001) With further adjustment for body
mass index, these differences were attenuated After age, race/ethnicity,
and sex standardization, systolic blood pressure was 14 (95% confidence interval
[CI], 06-22) mm Hg higher (P<001) and diastolic
blood pressure was 33 (95% CI, 21-45) mm Hg higher in 1999-2000 (P<001) compared with 1988-1994 With further adjustment
for differences in the body mass index distribution in 1988-1994 and 1999-2000,
the increase in systolic blood pressure was reduced by 29% and diastolic blood
pressure was reduced by 12%ConclusionsBlood pressure has increased over the past decade among children and
adolescents This increase is partially attributable to an increased prevalence
of overweight
867 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a new computational method, the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method, is presented, which combines the most desirable features of the lattice Boltzman and immersed boundary methods and uses a regular Eulerian grid for the flow domain and a Lagrangian grid to follow particles contained in the flow field.
804 citations
TL;DR: Aflatoxins, a group of polyketide-derived furanocoumarins, are the most toxic and carcinogenic compounds among the known mycotoxins and there are only four major aflatoxINS, B1, B2, G1, and G2.
Abstract: Aflatoxins, a group of polyketide-derived furanocoumarins (Fig. [1][1]), are the most toxic and carcinogenic compounds among the known mycotoxins. Among the at least 16 structurally related aflatoxins characterized, however, there are only four major aflatoxins, B1, B2, G1, and G2 (AFB1, AFG1, AFB2
722 citations
TL;DR: Use of carvedilol in the presence of RAS blockade did not affect glycemic control and improved some components of the metabolic syndrome relative to metoprolol in participants with DM and hypertension.
Abstract: Contextβ-Blockers have been shown to decrease cardiovascular risk in patients
with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); however, some components
of the metabolic syndrome are worsened by some β-blockers.ObjectiveTo compare the effects of β-blockers with different pharmacological
profiles on glycemic and metabolic control in participants with DM and hypertension
receiving renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade, in the context of cardiovascular
risk factors.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial (The Glycemic Effects
in Diabetes Mellitus: Carvedilol-Metoprolol Comparison in Hypertensives [GEMINI])
conducted between June 1, 2001, and April 6, 2004, at 205 US sites that compared
the effects of carvedilol and metoprolol tartrate on glycemic control. The
1235 participants were aged 36 to 85 years with hypertension (>130/80 mm Hg)
and type 2 DM (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], 6.5%-8.5%) and
were receiving RAS blockers. Participants were followed up for 35 weeks.InterventionsParticipants were randomized to receive a 6.25- to 25-mg dose of carvedilol
(n = 498) or 50- to 200-mg dose of metoprolol tartrate (n = 737),
each twice daily. Open-label hydrochlorothiazide and a dihydropyridine calcium
antagonist were added, if needed, to achieve blood pressure target.Main Outcome MeasuresDifference between groups in mean change from baseline HbA1c following
5 months of maintenance therapy. Additional prespecified comparisons included
change from baseline HbA1c in individual treatment groups, treatment
effect on insulin sensitivity, and microalbuminuria.ResultsThe 2 groups differed in mean change in HbA1c from baseline
(0.13%; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.22% to –0.04%; P = .004; modified intention-to-treat analysis).
The mean (SD) HbA1c increased with metoprolol (0.15% [0.04%]; P<.001) but not carvedilol (0.02% [0.04%]; P = .65). Insulin sensitivity improved with carvedilol
(–9.1%; P = .004) but not metoprolol
(–2.0%; P = .48); the between-group
difference was –7.2% (95% CI, –13.8% to –0.2%; P = .004). Blood pressure was similar between groups. Progression
to microalbuminuria was less frequent with carvedilol than with metoprolol
(6.4% vs 10.3%; odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.36-0.97; P = .04).ConclusionsBoth β-blockers were well tolerated; use of carvedilol in the presence
of RAS blockade did not affect glycemic control and improved some components
of the metabolic syndrome relative to metoprolol in participants with DM and
hypertension. The effects of the 2 β-blockers on clinical outcomes need
to be compared in long-term clinical trials.
TL;DR: It is shown that the reproductive success of a long‐distance migratory bird is influenced by the quality of habitat located thousands of kilometres away on tropical wintering grounds, which affected key variables associated with reproduction, including the number of young fledged.
Abstract: Identifying the factors that control population dynamics in migratory animals has been constrained by our inability to track individuals throughout the annual cycle. Using stable carbon isotopes, w...
TL;DR: Environmental factors are importantly related to dietary choice in a nationally representative sample of low-income households, reinforcing the importance of including such factors in interventions that seek to effect dietary improvements.
Abstract: Objective Recent research on access to food among low-income populations in industrialised countries has begun to focus on neighbourhood food availability as a key determinant of dietary behaviour. This study examined the relationship between various measures of food store access and household fruit and vegetable use among participants in the Food Stamp Program, America's largest domestic food assistance programme. Design A secondary data analysis was conducted using the 1996-97 National Food Stamp Program Survey. The survey employed a 1-week food inventory method, including two at-home interviews, to determine household food use. Separate linear regression models were developed to analyse fruit and vegetable use. Independent variables included distance to store, travel time to store, ownership of a car and difficulty of supermarket access. All models controlled for a full set of socio-economic variables. Subjects A nationally representative sample of participants (n=963) in the Food Stamp Program. Results After controlling for confounding variables, easy access to supermarket shopping was associated with increased household use of fruits (84 grams per adult equivalent per day; 95% confidence interval 5, 162). Distance from home to food store was inversely associated with fruit use by households. Similar patterns were seen with vegetable use, though associations were not significant. Conclusions Environmental factors are importantly related to dietary choice in a nationally representative sample of low-income households, reinforcing the importance of including such factors in interventions that seek to effect dietary improvements.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used market valuations to assess the impact of security breaches on the market value of breached firms and found that the security developers in the sample realized an average abnormal return of 1.36 percent during the two-day period after the announcement.
Abstract: Assessing the value of information technology (IT) security is challenging because of the difficulty of measuring the cost of security breaches. An event-study analysis, using market valuations, was used to assess the impact of security breaches on the market value of breached firms. The information-transfer effect of security breaches (i.e., their effect on the market value of firms that develop security technology) was also studied. The results show that announcing an Internet security breach is negatively associated with the market value of the announcing firm. The breached firms in the sample lost, on average, 2.1 percent of their market value within two days of the announcement--an average loss in market capitalization of $1.65 billion per breach. Firm type, firm size, and the year the breach occurred help explain the cross-sectional variations in abnormal returns produced by security breaches. The effects of security breaches are not restricted to the breached firms. The market value of security developers is positively associated with the disclosure of security breaches by other firms. The security developers in the sample realized an average abnormal return of 1.36 percent during the two-day period after the announcement--an average gain of $1.06 billion in two days. The study suggests that the cost of poor security is very high for investors. rity, information technology security management, Internet security, security breach an-
TL;DR: In this paper, a new cohomology ring for almost complex orbifolds is constructed based on the string theory model in physics, and the key theorem is the associativity of this new ring.
Abstract: Based on the orbifold string theory model in physics, we construct a new cohomology ring for any almost complex orbifold. The key theorem is the associativity of this new ring. Some examples are computed.
TL;DR: Mortality from all causes is increased in asymptomatic patients with diabetes in proportion to the screening CCS, Nonetheless, subjects without coronary artery calcium have a low short-term risk of death even in the presence of diabetes mellitus.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors found that dexrazoxane decreases doxorubicin-associated injury of cardiomyocytes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) but also injures myocardial cells.
Abstract: Background Doxorubicin chemotherapy is very effective in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) but also injures myocardial cells. Dexrazoxane, a free-radical scavenger, may protect the heart from doxorubicin-associated damage. Methods To determine whether dexrazoxane decreases doxorubicin-associated injury of cardiomyocytes, we randomly assigned 101 children with ALL to receive doxorubicin alone (30 mg per square meter of body-surface area every three weeks for 10 doses) and 105 to receive dexrazoxane (300 mg per square meter) followed immediately by doxorubicin. Serial measurements of serum cardiac troponin T were obtained in 76 of 101 patients in the doxorubicin group and 82 of 105 patients in the group given dexrazoxane and doxorubicin. A total of 2377 serum samples (mean, 15.1 samples per patient) were obtained before, during, and after treatment with doxorubicin. Troponin T levels were evaluated in a blinded fashion to determine whether they were elevated (>0.01 ng per milliliter) — the pr...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used remotely sensed images to provide synoptic maps of suspended particulate matter in coastal waters, which directly effect or govern numerous water column and benthic processes.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors re-examine the profitability of relative strength or momentum trading strategies (buying past strong performers and selling past weak performers) and find that standard relative strength strategies require frequent trading in disproportionately high cost securities such that trading costs prevent profitable strategy execution.
TL;DR: Ex vivo growth conditions for hMSCs are presented that reduce the FCS proteins to less than 100 ng per 100 million h MSCs, approximately a 100,000-fold reduction, which maintains their proliferative capacity and sustain their ability for multilineage differentiation.
TL;DR: In this article, a generalized approach for estimating season-specific diurnal profiles of anthropogenic heating for cities is presented, which consists of heat released from three components: building sector, transportation sector, and metabolism.
TL;DR: The use of BMI and waist circumference for the prediction of risk factor clustering among children and adolescents has significant clinical utility and race and gender differences in the optimal thresholds were minimal.
Abstract: Objective. To derive optimal body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference thresholds for children and adolescents, to predict risk factor clustering. Design. Cross-sectional receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Setting. The Bogalusa Heart Study, a community-based study of cardiovascular disease risk factors in early life. Participants. A total of 2597 black and white children and adolescents, 5 to 18 years of age, who were examined between 1992 and 1994. Main Outcome Measures. The presence or absence of ≥3 age-adjusted risk factors (low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high triglyceride level, high glucose level, high insulin level, and high blood pressure) was predicted from age-adjusted BMI and waist circumference values. Results. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were significantly different from 0.5 for both BMI and waist circumference for all gender/race groups, ranging from 0.73 to 0.82. The optimal BMI thresholds were at the 53rd and 50th percentiles for white and black male subjects, respectively, and at the 57th and 51st percentiles for white and black female subjects, respectively. Similarly, the optimal waist circumference thresholds were at the 56th and 50th percentiles for white and black male subjects, respectively, and at the 57th and 52nd percentiles for white and black female subjects, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity at the thresholds were similar for all gender/race groups, ranging from 67% to 75%. Conclusions. The use of BMI and waist circumference for the prediction of risk factor clustering among children and adolescents has significant clinical utility. In this sample, race and gender differences in the optimal thresholds were minimal.
TL;DR: Disease in a human caused by Rickettsia parkeri is described, an SFG rickettsia first identified >60 years ago in Gulf Coast ticks collected from the southern United States, and application of specific laboratory assays to clinical specimens obtained from patients with febrile, eschar-associated illnesses following a tick bite may identify additional cases.
Abstract: Ticks, including many that bite humans, are hosts to several obligate intracellular bacteria in the spotted fever group (SFG) of the genus Rickettsia. Only Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, has been definitively associated with disease in humans in the United States. Herein we describe disease in a human caused by Rickettsia parkeri, an SFG rickettsia first identified >60 years ago in Gulf Coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum) collected from the southern United States. Confirmation of the infection was accomplished using serological testing, immunohistochemical staining, cell culture isolation, and molecular methods. Application of specific laboratory assays to clinical specimens obtained from patients with febrile, eschar-associated illnesses following a tick bite may identify additional cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis and possibly other novel SFG rickettsioses in the United States.
TL;DR: The novel stomach hormone ghrelin, which is an endogenous agonist at the growth hormone secretagogne receptor and is the motilin‐related family of regulatory peptides, stimulates appetite and induces a positive energy balance leading to body weight gain.
Abstract: Recent progress in the field of energy homeostasis was triggered by the discovery of adipocyte hormone leptin and revealed a complex regulatory neuroendocrine network. A late addition is the novel stomach hormone ghrelin, which is an endogenous agonist at the growth hormone secretagogne receptor and is the motilin-related family of regulatory peptides. In addition to its ability to stimulate GH secretion and gastric motility, ghrelin stimulates appetite and induces a positive energy balance leading to body weight gain. Leptin and ghrelin are complementary, yet antagonistic, signals reflecting acute and chronic changes in energy balance, the effects of which are mediated by hypothalamic neuropeptides such as neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide. Endocrine and vagal afferent pathways are involved in these actions of ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a novel neuroendocrine signal possessing a wide spectrum of biological activities that illustrates the importance of the stomach in providing input into the brain. Defective ghrelin signaling from the stomach could contribute to abnormalities in energy balance, growth, and associated gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine functions.
TL;DR: In consideration of the data currently available and in light of the potentially serious consequences of environmental Cd2+ exposure to human reproduction, it is proposed that priority should be given to studies dedicated to further elucidating the mechanisms involved.
Abstract: Cadmium (Cd2+) is a common environmental pollutant and a major constituent of tobacco smoke. Exposure to this heavy metal, which has no known beneficial physiological role, has been linked to a wide range of detrimental effects on mammalian reproduction. Intriguingly, depending on the identity of the steroidogenic tissue involved and the dosage used, it has been reported to either enhance or inhibit the biosynthesis of progesterone, a hormone that is inexorably linked to both normal ovarian cyclicity and the maintenance of pregnancy. Thus, Cd2+ has been shown to exert significant effects on ovarian and reproductive tract morphology, with extremely low dosages reported to stimulate ovarian luteal progesterone biosynthesis and high dosages inhibiting it. In addition, Cd2+ exposure during human pregnancy has been linked to decreased birth weights and premature birth, with the enhanced levels of placental Cd2+ resulting from maternal exposure to industrial wastes or tobacco smoke being associated with decreas...
TL;DR: It is suggested that satisfaction of additional exact constraints on higher rungs of a ladder of density functional approximations can lead to further progress in the meta-GGA.
Abstract: Tao, Perdew, Staroverov, and Scuseria (TPSS) have constructed a nonempirical meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 146401 (2003)] for the exchange-correlation energy, imposing exact constraints relevant to the paradigm densities of condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry. Results of their extensive tests on molecules, solids, and solid surfaces are encouraging, suggesting that this density functional achieves uniform accuracy for diverse properties and systems. In the present work, this functional is explained and details of its construction are presented. In particular, the functional is constructed to yield accurate energies under uniform coordinate scaling to the low-density or strong-interaction limit. Its nonlocality is displayed by plotting the factor F(xc) that gives the enhancement relative to the local density approximation for exchange. We also discuss an apparently harmless order-of-limits problem in the meta-GGA. The performance of this functional is investigated for exchange and correlation energies and shell-removal energies of atoms and ions. Non-self-consistent molecular atomization energies and bond lengths of the TPSS meta-GGA, calculated with GGA orbitals and densities, agree well with those calculated self-consistently. We suggest that satisfaction of additional exact constraints on higher rungs of a ladder of density functional approximations can lead to further progress.
TL;DR: Findings show a mechanism for homeostatic Treg trafficking and indicate that bone marrow is a significant reservoir for Tregs, and suggest a novel mechanism explaining reduced acute graft-versus-host disease and improvement in autoimmune diseases following G-CSF treatment.
Abstract: CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) mediate peripheral T-cell homeostasis and contribute to self-tolerance. Their homeostatic and pathologic trafficking is poorly understood. Under homeostatic conditions, we show a relatively high prevalence of functional Tregs in human bone marrow. Bone marrow strongly expresses functional stromal-derived factor (CXCL12), the ligand for CXCR4. Human Tregs traffic to and are retained in bone marrow through CXCR4/CXCL12 signals as shown in chimeric nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) reduces human bone marrow CXCL12 expression in vivo, associated with mobilization of marrow Tregs to peripheral blood in human volunteers. These findings show a mechanism for homeostatic Treg trafficking and indicate that bone marrow is a significant reservoir for Tregs. These data also suggest a novel mechanism explaining reduced acute graft-versus-host disease and improvement in autoimmune diseases following G-CSF treatment.
TL;DR: This observational study hypothesized that risk factors for cardiovascular disease are increased in patients who have chronic kidney disease before developing kidney failure, and compared levels of these factors by level of estimated GFR in a large U.S. representative sample.
Abstract: In this cross-sectional study based on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, patients with chronic kidney disease had lower levels of apolipoprotein A1 and higher levels of ho...
TL;DR: In this article, Sulfonated aromatic poly(ether ether ketones) (S-PEEKs) based membranes have been evaluated for fuel cell applications by determining the degree of sulfonation, water swelling, proton conductivity, methanol diffusivity and thermal stability.
TL;DR: While calculating ROSI seems taxing, increasing possibility and scope of IT security breaches due to increasing interconnectivity makes it imperative, as the number of security breaches increases exponentially according to the CERT, so does their cost.
Abstract: A ssessing the return on investment has always been a sticking point for technology investments. Similar to IT productivity paradox [1], Return on Security Investment (ROSI) has become a controversial topic due to immense growth of e-businesses. Defining the value of security investments is challenging. However, it is clear that “security consumers will need to understand the variables that define ROSI and endure the discomfort of assigning dollar values to quantities that currently are extremely ill-defined” [12]. While calculating ROSI seems taxing, increasing possibility and scope of IT security breaches due to increasing interconnectivity makes it imperative. As the number of security breaches increases exponentially according to the CERT (see Table 1) so does their cost. The 2003 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey revealed that 56% of respondents detected security breaches. Information Week and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP estimated that computer viruses and hacking took a $1.6 trillion toll on the worldwide economy and $266 billion in the U.S. [5]. Security breaches have a significant impact on the market values of firms too. We have estimated that compromised firms, on average, lost approximately 2.1% of their market values within two days surrounding security breaches [3]. This translates to an average loss of $1.65 billion in market capitalization per incident. Moitra and Konda [10] found that as investment in security increases the survivability of firms from security breaches increases rapidly at first and then more slowly at higher levels of investment. Undoubtedly these figures point to the importance of more studies on the economics and management of IT security investments. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) strategy has been used for years to sell investments in security [1]. However, according to Earthlink security experts Lisa Ekman and Lisa Hoyt, “Crying wolf may get the first firewall, but over the long run, you need a more well-rounded perspective” [12]. Since diverse security techA Model for Evaluating IT Security Investments