Literature survey

About: Literature survey is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 15372 publications have been published within this topic receiving 459196 citations.

Clinical significance of serum tumor markers for gastric cancer: a systematic review of literature by the Task Force of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association

Abstract: The aim of this review was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum tumor markers, particularly CEA, CA19-9, and CA72-4, in patients with gastric cancer. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE with the keywords “gastric cancer” and “tumor marker,” to select 4,925 relevant reports published before the end of November 2012. A total of 187 publications contained data for CEA and CA19-9, and 19 publications contained data related to all three tumor markers. The positive rates were 21.1 % for CEA, 27.8 % for CA19-9, and 30.0 % for CA72-4. These three markers were significantly associated with tumor stage and patient survival. Serum markers are not useful for early cancer, but they are useful for detecting recurrence and distant metastasis, predicting patient survival, and monitoring after surgery. Tumor marker monitoring may be useful for patients after surgery because the positive conversion of tumor markers usually occurs 2–3 months before imaging abnormalities. Among other tumor markers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is useful for detecting and predicting liver metastases. Moreover, CA125 and sialyl Tn antigens (STN) are useful for detecting peritoneal metastases. Although no prospective trial has yet been completed to evaluate the clinical significance of these serum markers, this literature survey suggests that combinations of CEA, CA19-9, and CA72-4 are the most effective ways for staging before surgery or chemotherapy. In particular, monitoring tumor markers that were elevated before surgery or chemotherapy could be useful for detection of recurrence or evaluation of the response.

Sex Determination in Turtles: Diverse Patterns and Some Possible Adaptive Values

Abstract: New data on the genders of young turtles from eggs incubated at controlled temperatures demonstrate temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in 17 species surveyed for the first time and corroborate TSD in another 11 species. The well-known pattern of males from cool temperatures and females from warm ones (=Pattern Ia) occurs in eight species and may occur in seven more. A pattern of cool females, intermediate males, and warm females (=Pattern II) occurs in ten species. Data on three species surveyed for the first time are compatible with genetic sex determination (GSD). Within Clemmys, C. guttata has TSD; C. insculpta, GSD. Comparisons among phylogenetic sister groups suggest at least four independent losses of TSD in turtles. Large variation in extent of sexual differentiation at hatching among TSD species vs GSD species obscures any evidence that either system provides earlier or more complete differentiation. Pattern Ia occurs mainly in species in which adult females average larger than adult males; Pattern II occurs mainly in species with females smaller than males or in which body size is not dimorphic. Among TSD reptiles generally, the smaller gender typically arises at the coolest incubation temperatures. The new data, together with a literature survey, invite four possible explanations for various aspects of sex determination in reptiles: phylogenetic inertia, temperature-dependent differential fitness, sib-avoidance, and group-structured adaptation in sex ratios. Key demographic features from the literature include a high incidence of unisexuality within clutches and a predominance of female biases in sex ratios of hatchlings but not in those of adults. Each of these explanations remains partly but not fully plausible. Explanations for the patterns of sex determination may ultimately require a combination of hypotheses.

Supply chain risk management: present and future scope

Abstract: Purpose – This paper examines supply chain risk management (SCRM) from a holistic systems thinking perspective by considering the different typologies that have evolved as a result of earlier research. The purpose of this paper is to identify important strategic changes in the field and to outline future requirements and research opportunities in SCRM.Design/methodology/approach – The systematic literature review (SLR) methodology employed by this research was used to evaluate and categorise a literature survey of quality articles published over a period of ten years (2000‐2010). Additionally, the findings from the SLR have been strengthened through cross validation against results obtained from an associated text mining activity.Findings – The SLR methodology has provided a rich, unbiased and holistic picture of the advances in the field of SCRM. Consequently, important new research areas have been identified based on a multi‐perspective descriptive and thematic data analysis. In addition, the analysis, ...