bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of the First‐Order Hyperpolarizability of Octupolar Merocyanine Dyes
Authors: Castet Frédéric , Blanchard‐Desce Mireille , Adamietz Frédéric , Poronik Yevgen M. , Gryko Daniel T. , Rodriguez Vincent
Published: June 2014

Hyper‐Rayleigh scattering experiments and quantum chemical calculations are combined to investigate the second‐order nonlinear optical responses of a series of three‐arm merocyanine derivatives. They exhibit an octupolar hyperpolarizability response with lower amplitude than crystal violet due to a lower extent of the photoinduced charge transfer and reduced bond length alternation. Strong effects on the second‐order optical response measured close to the two‐photon absorption level are clearly evidenced; for example, the effective measured polarization ratio deviates below the ideal octupolar value of 3/2 even at very low excitation power. These effects are attributed to two‐photon absorption resonance, which we believe modifies dynamically the population of the ground state versus that of the excited state.
Production of Colourful Pigments Consisting of Amorphous Arrays of Silica Particles
Authors: Yoshioka Shinya , Takeoka Yukikazu
Published: June 2014

It is desirable to produce colourful pigments that have anti‐fading properties and are environmentally friendly. In this Concept, we describe recently developed pigments that exhibit such characteristics. The pigments consist of amorphous arrays of submicron silica particles, and they exhibit saturated and angle‐independent structural colours. Variously coloured pigments can be produced by changing the size of the particles, and the saturation of the colour can be controlled by incorporating small amounts of black particles. We review a simple analysis that is useful for interpreting the angular independence of the structural colours and discuss the remaining tasks that must be accomplished for the realistic application of these pigments.
A Density‐Based Adaptive Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Method
Authors: Waller Mark P. , Kumbhar Sadhana , Yang Jack
Published: June 2014

We present a density‐based adaptive quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (DBA‐QM/MM) method, whereby molecules can switch layers from the QM to the MM region and vice versa. The adaptive partitioning of the molecular system ensures that the layer assignment can change during the optimization procedure, that is, on the fly. The switch from a QM molecule to a MM molecule is determined if there is an absence of noncovalent interactions to any atom of the QM core region. The presence/absence of noncovalent interactions is determined by analysis of the reduced density gradient. Therefore, the location of the QM/MM boundary is based on physical arguments, and this neatly removes some empiricism inherent in previous adaptive QM/MM partitioning schemes. The DBA‐QM/MM method is validated by using a water‐in‐water setup and an explicitly solvated L‐alanyl–L‐alanine dipeptide.
Super‐Elastic Air/Water Interfacial Films Self‐Assembled from Soluble Surfactants
Authors: Kovalenko Artem , Polavarapu Prasad , Gallani Jean‐Louis , Pourroy Geneviève , Waton Gilles , Krafft Marie Pierre
Published: June 2014

We show that water‐soluble monosodic salts of F‐alkyl phosphates CnF2n+1(CH2)2OP(O)(OH)2, with n=8 and 10 (F8H2Phos and F10H2Phos) form Gibbs films with exceptionally high dilational viscoelastic modules E that reach ∼900 mN m−1 in the condensed phases. These E values are up to one order of magnitude larger than those recorded for phospholipid, protein and polymer films commonly considered as highly viscoelastic. F8H2Phos.1Na undergoes a transition between a liquid‐expanded and a liquid‐condensed phase. In the case of F10H2Phos.1Na, a transition occurs between a gas phase of surface domains, in which the molecules are densely packed, and a liquid‐condensed phase.
Spectroscopic properties of Tm,Ho:CaYAlO4 single crystal
Authors: Di J. Q. , Zhou D. H. , Xu X. D. , Xia C. T. , Gao W. , Zheng H. R. , Sai Q. L. , Mou F. , Xu J.
Published: June 2014

A Tm,Ho:CaYAlO4 single crystal was grown using the Czochralski (CZ) method. The absorption spectra, the fluorescence spectrum around 2 μm, the upconversion spectrum and energy‐transfer (ET) schemes between Tm3+ ions and Ho3+ ions have been studied. The crystal boule was free from cracks, inclusions and scattering centers. The broad FWHM of the 797‐nm absorption band (with E//c polarization is 19 nm and with E//a polarization is 18 nm), the large emission bandwidth (about 600 nm) and the intense ET from Tm3+ ions to Ho3+ ions make Tm,Ho:CaYAlO4 a promising media for tunable and ultrashort pulses.
Exploring neutral atom microscopy
Authors: Witham P. , Sánchez E.
Published: June 2014

A new imaging method known as Neutral Atom Microscopy (NAM) or Scanning Helium Microscopy promises to open a unique window to the nature of surfaces at the first atomic layer. The thermal energy, non‐charged beam of atoms used allows exploring samples without the destructive effects of energetic particles or electric charges, in addition to having no topographic limitations due to the aspect ratio or shape of a solid probe tip, and with resolution potentially far better than conventional far‐field optical microscopes. Contrast mechanisms which produce surface composition information have long been known from atomic scattering experiments, such as by atomic diffraction from crystal surfaces or contrast due to surface roughness. These are now being explored in images for the first time.
Exploring structural similarities between crystal phases using EBSD pattern comparison
Authors: Nolze G. , Winkelmann A.
Published: June 2014

We discuss the application of EBSD for the analysis of structural features of magnetite and hematite relevant in the topotactic growth of both phases. The orientation relationships of both phases are investigated using characteristically related sets of Kikuchi patterns, which were collected from topotactically intergrown hematite variants and their parent magnetite crystal grain. We address the hexagonal description of trigonal and cubic phases with respect to crystallographic relationships. The combination of locally resolved EBSD measurements and microstructural investigations thus offers a promising opportunity to evaluate orientation relationships and intergrowth between magnetite and hematite.
Radio Frequency Induced and Neoclassical Asymmetries and their Effects on Turbulent Impurity Transport in a Tokamak
Authors: Pusztai I. , Landreman M. , Mollén A. , Kazakov Ye. O. , Fülöp T.
Published: June 2014

Poloidal asymmetries in the impurity density can be generated by radio frequency heating in the core and by neoclassical effects in the edge of tokamak plasmas. In a pedestal case study, using global neoclassical simulations we find that finite orbit width effects can generate significant poloidal variation in the electrostatic potential, which varies on a small radial scale. Gyrokinetic modeling shows that these poloidal asymmetries can be strong enough to significantly modify turbulent impurity peaking. In the pedestal the E × B drift in the radial electric field can give a larger contribution to the poloidal motion of impurities than that of their parallel streaming. Under such circumstances we find that up‐down asymmetries can also affect impurity peaking. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Integrated Modelling of Nitrogen Seeded JET ILW Discharges for H‐mode and Hybrid Scenarios
Authors: Ivanova‐Stanik I. , Zagórski R. , Telesca G. , Czarnecka A. , Challis C. , Hobirk J. , JET EFDA contributors
Published: June 2014

In this paper numerical simulations with COREDIV code of JET discharges with ITER‐like wall are presented. We concentrate on the JET H‐mode and hybrid scenarios with nitrogen seeding and all simulations have been performed with the same transport model and only the discharge input parameters like auxiliary heating Paux, line average plasma density nline, confinement factor H98, nitrogen input flux ΓpuffN were changed in the calcu lations. The separatrix density nsepe is an input parameter in our model and has been kept equal to 0.4÷0.5nlinein the simulations, with the recycling coefficient adjusted accordingly. It has been shown that COREDIV is able to reproduce basic parameters of nitrogen seeded discharges for both H‐mode and hybrid scenarios. We have achieved reasonable agreement with global plasma parameters like radiations levels, Zeff and tungsten concentrations and the plasma profiles, including density, temperature and radiation are in very good agreement with experimental data. The agreement of the code results with the experimental data might be even better, if the simulations are further tuned taking into account uncertainties to the sputtering model, separatrix density or SOL transport. Simulations show that the observed Zeff level is defined mostly by the low Z impurity content, Be and N2 in the considered shots. It has been found that the tungsten radiation plays always very important role and can not be mitigated even by strong influx of nitrogen. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Modelling the Effect of the Super‐X Divertor in MAST Upgrade on Transition to Detachment and Distribution of Volumetric Power Losses
Authors: Havlíčková E. , Wischmeier M. , Fishpool G.
Published: June 2014

A density scan is performed in SOLPS5.0 for two divertor configurations of MAST Upgrade: (i) a short divertor silimiar to configurations in present‐day tokamaks, (ii) the Super‐X divertor. In the simulation, a clear roll‐over of the ion flux and plasma density at the target is observed as the plasma detaches. The separatrix density at which the transition occurs is estimated. In addition, we investigate the ability of the long‐legged divertor to reduce the target power loads and enhance the radiated power at higher collisionalities. We also study how distribution of power losses in the divertor region changes with the modification of geometry and we separately analyze neutral radiation and carbon ion line radiation. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
First EMC3‐EIRENE Simulations with Divertor Legs of LHD in Realistic Device Geometry
Authors: Kawamura G. , Feng Y. , Kobayashi M. , Shoji M. , Morisaki T. , Masuzaki S. , Tomita Y.
Published: June 2014

An extended mesh system for EMC3‐EIRENE has been developed to simulate peripheral plasma including the ergodic and the divertor leg regions of LHD. Both the open and the closed divertor configurations are available. A series of simulations for 8MW input power, five different electron densities at the LCFS (last closed flux surface) and the open/closed configurations were carried out. Approximately 10 times larger neutral pressure was observed under the dome structure compared with the open configuration, which is in good agreement with experimental measurements. In the case of the closed configuration, the leg regions have a large contribution of ionization to hydrogen recycling. In the case of high density discharges, however, electron temperature in the legs becomes low and the major contribution of ionization moves to the ergodic region. Significant influence of configurations is observed in the inboard side of LHD, where closed divertor components are installed but little influence is seen near the LCFS. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigation of Oscillations in the Plasma Sheath
Authors: Brida D. , Tskhakaya D.
Published: June 2014

In this work different plasma oscillation modes in the plasma sheath (PS) have been identified. For this pur‐pose an electron‐deuterium plasma under different conditions was considered. The plasma was simulated with the fully kinetic massively parallel Particle‐in‐Cell/Monte Carlo code BIT1 [1]. In order to exclude possible artificial boundary effects we simulated a sufficiently large area (10 ‐ 50 cm), so that the PS in the simulation develops fully self‐consistently. Our simulations show that each point in the PS oscillates with a significantly broad frequency spectrum. The largest oscillation amplitudes have the waves which are in resonance with the local plasma frequency for unmagnetized, and with the upper and lower hybrid frequencies for magnetized plasmas. In addition each point exhibits oscillations at resonance frequencies corresponding to other points in the PS. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On Ion Sound Speed in a High Recycling Plasma Edge
Authors: Eisenstecken T. , Tskhakaya D.
Published: June 2014

The ion sound speed is derived from the propagation speed of small perturbations. For this purpose, we consider particle, momentum and energy conservation equations for the ions and Ohms law for the electrons. We find out that there exist three oscillation modes: two of them correspond to the waves propagating towards the wall and one propagating away from it. One of the modes propagating towards the wall and the mode propagating away from the wall are identified as sound waves. We demonstrate that for the plasma parameters corresponding to the high recycling regime the ion sound speed propagating towards the wall exceeds significantly the commonly given isothermal, or adiabatic sound speeds. Moreover, we show that there exists a layer in front of the wall, where the second mode propagating towards the wall has a positive growth rate. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Numerical Modeling of the Thermal Force for the Kinetic Test‐Ion Transport Simulation Based on the Fokker‐Planck Collision Operator
Authors: Homma Y. , Hatayama A.
Published: June 2014

We present an extended numerical model of the thermal force based on the Fokker‐Planck collision method. Our model is designed for the use of the test particle transport simulation in a fluid‐like magnetized background plasma. By a series of systematic test simulations performed in this study, we have confirmed that our model is able to correctly simulate the thermal force which is caused not only by parallel, but also by perpendicular temperature gradient with respect to the direction of magnetic field. Effective length of collision time step for numerical calculations has also been investigated. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Numerical Scaling with the COREDIV Code of JET Discharges with the ITER‐Like Wall
Authors: Telesca G. , Ivanova‐Stanik I. , Zagörski R. , Brezinsek S. , Giroud C. , Van Ooost G. , JET EFDA contributors
Published: June 2014

After the code parameters have been fixed by the numerical modeling of a well diagnosed JET pulse, the electron density and the input power have been changed, resulting in 4 density scans (〈ne〉 in the range 3.8 – 8.2 x 1019m‐3) at Pin = 17, 22, 27, 32 MW. At any given power level, W flux decreases with increasing 〈ne〉 as a consequence of the decrease in Te at the target plates. Also the W concentration in the core (cW) decreases, but this not necessarily leads to reduced core radiation. Indeed, while at high Pin the core radiation decreases with density, at low Pin it increases. At high 〈ne〉 the increase in the input power leads to enhanced PradPrad, leaving, however, nearly unchanged the power radiated fraction frad Indeed, the increase in frad withPin is observed only at low 〈ne〉, up to a level of about frad = 0.4. These numerical results, linked to the non‐linear self‐consistent physics of W production and transport, suggest the best conditions are achieved when the level of the electron density is adapted to the level of the available Pin. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Preliminary Comparison of the Conventional and Quasi‐Snowflake Divertor Configurations with the 2D Code EDGE2D/EIRENE in the FAST Tokamak
Authors: Viola B. , Corrigan G. , Harting D. , Maddaluno G. , Mattia M. , Pericoli Ridolfini V. , Zagórski R.
Published: June 2014

The new magnetic configurations for tokamak divertors, snowflake and super‐X, proposed to mitigate the problem of the power exhaust in reactors have clearly evidenced the need for an accurate and reliable modeling of the physics governing the interaction with the plates. The initial effort undertaken jointly by ENEA and IPPLM has been focused to exploit a simple and versatile modeling tool, namely the 2D TECXY code, to obtain preliminary comparison between the conventional and snowflake configurations for the proposed new device FAST that should realize an edge plasma with properties quite close to those of a reactor. The very interesting features found for the snowflake, namely a power load mitigation much larger than expected directly from the change of the magnetic topology, has further pushed us to check these results with the more sophisticated computational tool EDGE2D coupled with the neutral code module EIRENE. After a preparatory work that has been carried out in order to adapt this code combination to deal with non‐conventional, single null equilibria and in particular with second order nulls in the poloidal field generated in the snowflake configuration, in this paper we describe the first activity to compare these codes and discuss the first results obtained for FAST. The outcome of these EDGE2D runs is in qualitative agreement with those of TECXY, confirming the potential benefit obtainable from a snowflake configuration. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Impacts of Individual and Institutional Trading on Futures Returns and Volatility: Evidence from Emerging Index Futures Markets
Authors: Kuo Wen‐Hsiu , Chung San‐Lin , Chang Chiao‐Yi
Published: June 2014

This study examines the impacts of individual and institutional futures trading on both futures returns and volatility using a unique dataset from the Taiwan Futures Exchange. Our findings reveal that trading by individual investors tends to poorly forecast returns and raise market volatility, whereas trading by institutional investors generally forecasts returns more accurately while also reducing market volatility. In particular, the effects of extremely bullish and bearish trading on returns are found to be greater than those arising from normal trading. Further analysis reveals that foreign institutional trading provides stronger and more accurate evidence on futures return predictability than that of domestic institutional investors, although the stabilizing effect of domestic institutional trades is found to be much greater than that of foreign institutional trades. Our results provide support for the argument that institutional investors are better informed, while individual investors are likely to be noise traders, thereby implying the existence of informed trading in the emerging retail‐investor‐dominated Taiwan index futures markets. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:222–244, 2015
Reduced expression of transcriptional intermediary factor 1 gamma promotes metastasis and indicates poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ding Ze-yang , Jin Guan-nan , Wang Wei , Chen Wei-xun , Wu Yan-hui , Ai Xi , Chen Lin , Zhang Wan-guang , Liang Hui-fang , Laurence Arian , Zhang Ming-zhi , Datta Pran K. , Zhang Bixiang , Chen Xiao-ping
Published: June 2014

Transcriptional intermediary factor 1 gamma (TIF1γ) may play either a potential tumor-suppressor or -promoter role in cancer. Here we report on a critical role of TIF1γ in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Reduced expression of TIF1γ was detected in HCC, especially in advanced HCC tissues, compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues. HCC patients with low TIF1γ expression had shorter overall survival times and higher recurrence rates than those with high TIF1γ expression. Reduced TIF1γ expression was an independent and significant risk factor for recurrence and survival after curative resection. In HCC cells, TIF1γ played a dual role: It promoted tumor growth in early-stage HCC, but not in advanced-stage HCC, whereas it inhibited invasion and metastasis in both early- and advanced-stage HCC. Mechanistically, we confirmed that TIF1γ inhibited transforming growth factor-β/

Drosophila

mothers against decapentaplegic protein (TGF-β/Smad) signaling through monoubiquitination of Smad4 and suppressed the formation of Smad2/3/4 complex in HCC cells. TGF-β-inducing cytostasis and metastasis were both inhibited by TIF1γ in HCC. We further proved that TIF1γ suppressed cyotstasis-related TGF-β/Smad downstream c-myc down-regulation, as well as p21/cip1 and p15/ink4b up-regulation in early-stage HCC. Meanwhile, TGF-β inducible epithelial-mesenchymal transition and TGF-β/Smad downstream metastatic cascades, including phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten down-regulation, chemokine (CXC motif) receptor 4 and matrix metalloproteinase 1 induction, and epidermal growth factor receptor– and protein kinase B–signaling transactivation, were inhibited by TIF1γ. In addition, we found that the down-regulation of TIF1γ in HCC was caused by hypermethylation of CpG islands in the TIF1γ promoter, and demonstrated that the combination of TIF1γ and phosphorylated Smad2 was a more powerful predictor of poor prognosis.

Conclusion

: TIF1γ regulates tumor growth and metastasis through inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signaling and may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker in HCC. (Hepatology 2014;60:1620–1636)
Improved overall survival after contralateral risk‐reducing mastectomy in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with a history of unilateral breast cancer: A prospective analysis
Authors: Heemskerk‐Gerritsen Bernadette A.M. , Rookus Matti A. , Aalfs Cora M. , Ausems Margreet G.E.M. , Collée Johanna M. , Jansen Liesbeth , Kets C. Marleen , Keymeulen Kristien B.M.I. , Koppert Linetta B. , Meijers‐Heijboer Hanne E.J. , Mooij Thea M. , Tollenaar Rob A.E.M. , Vasen Hans F.A. , HEBON  , Hooning Maartje J. , Seynaeve Caroline
Published: June 2014

Data on survival of BRCA1/2‐associated primary breast cancer (PBC) patients who opt for subsequent contralateral risk‐reducing mastectomy (CRRM) are scarce and inconsistent. We examined the efficacy of CRRM on overall survival in mutation carriers with a history of PBC. From a Dutch multicentre cohort, we selected 583 BRCA‐associated PBC patients, being diagnosed between 1980 and 2011. Over time, 242 patients (42%) underwent CRRM and 341 patients (58%) remained under surveillance. Survival analyses were performed using Cox models, with CRRM as a time‐dependent covariate. The median follow‐up after PBC diagnosis was 11.4 years. In the CRRM group, four patients developed contralateral breast cancer (2%), against 64 patients (19%) in the surveillance group (p < 0.001). The mortality was lower in the CRRM group than in the surveillance group (9.6 and 21.6 per 1000 person‐years of observation, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio 0.49, 95% confidence interval 0.29–0.82). Survival benefit was especially seen in young PBC patients (<40 years), in patients having a PBC with differentiation grade 1/2 and/or no triple‐negative phenotype, and in patients not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. We conclude that CRRM is associated with improved overall survival in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with a history of PBC. Further research is warranted to develop a model based on age at diagnosis and tumour and treatment characteristics that can predict survival benefit for specific subgroups of patients, aiming at further personalized counselling and improved decision making.
IL‐6 enriched lung cancer stem‐like cell population by inhibition of cell cycle regulators via DNMT1 upregulation
Authors: Liu Chen‐Chi , Lin Jiun‐Han , Hsu Tien‐Wei , Su Kelly , Li Anna Fen‐Yau , Hsu Han‐Shui , Hung Shih‐Chieh
Published: June 2014

Tumors are influenced by a microenvironment rich in inflammatory cytokines, growth factors and chemokines, which may promote tumor growth. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a multifunctional cytokine and known as a regulator of immune and inflammation responses. IL‐6 has also been reported to be associated with tumor progression and chemoresistance in different types of cancers. In our study, we demonstrated that IL‐6 enriches the properties of lung cancer stem‐like cells in A549 lung cancer cells cultured in spheroid medium. IL‐6 also promotes sphere formation and stem‐like properties of A549 cells by enhancing cell proliferation. Methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed and revealed that IL‐6 increased methylation of p53 and p21 in A549 cancer cells. Western blot analysis and quantitative real‐time PCR demonstrated that IL‐6 increased the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in A549 cells cultured in spheroid medium, but not the expression of DNMT3a or DNMT3b. Knockdown of DNMT1 eliminated IL‐6‐mediated hypermethylation of cell cycle regulators and enrichment of lung cancer stem‐like properties. In conclusion, our study, for the first time, shows that the IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway upregulates DNMT1 and enhances cancer initiation and lung cancer stem cell (CSC) proliferation by downregulation of p53 and p21 resulting from DNA hypermethylation. Upon blockage of the IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and inhibition of DNMT1, the proliferation of lung CSCs was reduced and their formation of spheres and ability to initiate tumor growth were decreased. These data suggest that targeting of the IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and DNMT1 may become important strategies for treating lung cancer.
HLA‐A SNPs and amino acid variants are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Malaysian Chinese
Authors: Chin Yoon‐Ming , Mushiroda Taisei , Takahashi Atsushi , Kubo Michiaki , Krishnan Gopala , Yap Lee‐Fah , Teo Soo‐Hwang , Lim Paul Vey‐Hong , Yap Yoke‐Yeow , Pua Kin‐Choo , Kamatani Naoyuki , Nakamura Yusuke , Sam Choon‐Kook , Khoo Alan Soo‐Beng ,   The Malaysian NPC Study Group, Ng Ching‐Ching
Published: June 2014

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) arises from the mucosal epithelium of the nasopharynx and is constantly associated with Epstein–Barr virus type 1 (EBV‐1) infection. We carried out a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of 575,247 autosomal SNPs in 184 NPC patients and 236 healthy controls of Malaysian Chinese ethnicity. Potential association signals were replicated in a separate cohort of 260 NPC patients and 245 healthy controls. We confirmed the association of HLA‐A to NPC with the strongest signal detected in rs3869062 (p = 1.73 × 10−9). HLA‐A fine mapping revealed associations in the amino acid variants as well as its corresponding SNPs in the antigen peptide binding groove (pHLA‐A‐aa‐site‐99 = 3.79 × 10−8, prs1136697 = 3.79 × 10−8) and T‐cell receptor binding site (pHLA‐A‐aa‐site‐145 = 1.41 × 10−4, prs1059520 = 1.41 × 10−4) of the HLA‐A. We also detected strong association signals in the 5′‐UTR region with predicted active promoter states (prs41545520 = 7.91 × 10−8). SNP rs41545520 is a potential binding site for repressor ATF3, with increased binding affinity for rs41545520‐G correlated with reduced HLA‐A expression. Multivariate logistic regression diminished the effects of HLA‐A amino acid variants and SNPs, indicating a correlation with the effects of HLA‐A*11:01, and to a lesser extent HLA‐A*02:07. We report the strong genetic influence of HLA‐A on NPC susceptibility in the Malaysian Chinese.
The novel colorectal cancer biomarkers CDO1, ZSCAN18 and ZNF331 are frequently methylated across gastrointestinal cancers
Authors: Marie Vedeld Hege , Andresen Kim , Andrassy Eilertsen Ina , Nesbakken Arild , Seruca Raquel , Gladhaug Ivar P. , Thiis‐Evensen Espen , Rognum Torleiv O. , Muri Boberg Kirsten , Lind Guro E.
Published: June 2014

We have previously shown that gastrointestinal cancers display similar epigenetic aberrations. In a recent study, we identified frequently methylated genes for cholangiocarcinoma (CDO1, DCLK1, SFRP1 and ZSCAN18), where one of these genes, DCLK1, was also confirmed to be highly methylated in colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine whether these four genes, in addition to one gene found to be methylated in colon cancer cell lines (ZNF331), are commonly methylated across gastrointestinal malignancies, as well as explore their role as potential biomarkers. Quantitative methylation specific PCR (qMSP) of colorectal cancer (n = 164) and normal colorectal mucosa (n = 106) samples showed that all genes were frequently methylated in colorectal cancer (71–92%) with little or no methylation in normal mucosa (0–3%). Methylation of minimum two of these five genes identified 95% of the tumors with a specificity of 98%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.98. For gastric (n = 25) and pancreatic (n = 20) cancer, the same panel detected 92% and 90% of the tumors, respectively. Seventy‐four cancer cell lines were further analyzed by qMSP and real time RT‐PCR. In addition to the previously reported DCLK1, a high negative correlation between promoter DNA methylation and gene expression was observed for CDO1, ZNF331 and ZSCAN18. In conclusion, the high methylation frequency of these genes in colorectal‐ as well as in gastric‐, pancreatic‐ and bile duct cancer confirmed an epigenetic similarity between gastrointestinal cancer types, and simultaneously demonstrated their potential as biomarkers, particularly for colorectal cancer detection.
Reflections on Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Changes in a Beginning (Psychodynamically‐Oriented) Psychotherapist
Authors: Lyman Emily L.
Published: June 2014

Becoming a beginning therapist brings about a multitude of changes, both intrapersonally and interpersonally. In this article, I discuss some of these effects as they have manifested in my first (nearly) 2 years of practicing psychotherapy as a trainee. Along the intrapersonal dimension, I note the ways in which being a beginning therapist has shaped my sense of identity and values, while also heightening my sensitivity to my own wounds. With respect to the interpersonal dimension, I explore how my increased psychological mindedness has affected personal relationships as well as my own therapy. I conclude with a description of a defining case of my early career that integrates my understanding of the changes that I have undergone as a beginning therapist.
From Dodo Bird to Mindfulness: The Effect of Theoretical Orientation on Work and Self
Authors: Pruitt Nathan T.
Published: June 2014

I discuss my transformation from a confused graduate student with a common factors theoretical orientation to a licensed psychologist focused on humanistic, cognitive, and mindfulness approaches. My theoretical journey was shaped by my work with clients and my own personal development and primarily motivated by a sense of uncertainty that accompanied the lack of a specific theoretical identity. This discussion of trying to find the “right” theoretical approach is set against the well‐supported empirical findings that theoretical techniques (i.e., “specific factors”) contribute relatively little to clinical outcome, and that no single theoretical approach has distinguished itself as superior to others in the literature. I discuss the effects of my theoretical orientations on my work with colleagues, my relationship with my spouse, and being a parent.
Sonographically guided percutaneous treatment of liver abscesses in critically Ill patients
Authors: Zerem Enver , Omerovic Safet , Kunosic Suad
Published: June 2014

Background

The management of liver abscess (LA) has shifted toward intravenous broad‐spectrum antibiotics and image‐guided percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) or percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD).

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous treatment for patients with LA.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 264 patients with 354 LA treated by percutaneous management from 1989 to 2012. All patients received appropriate antibiotic therapy. Patients with LA <50 mm in diameter were initially treated by sonographic‐guided PNA and those with LA ≥50 mm were initially treated by ultrasound ultrasound‐guided PCD. Surgery was planned only when there was no clinical improvement after the initial nonsurgical treatment. Primary outcome was the conversion rate to surgery. Secondary outcomes were mortality, length of hospital stay, and the procedure‐related complications.

Results

PNA was performed initially in 116 patients (44%), with 70 of them later requiring PCD due to abscess recurrence. In 148 patients (56%), PCD was performed initially. PCD was performed twice or more in 63 patients. Percutaneous treatment was the definitive and successful treatment in 230 of 264 patients (87.1%). Twenty patients (7.7%) were converted to surgery. Twenty‐one patients (7.9%) died. The median hospital stay was 12 (range, 9–18) days, with complications occurring in 23 patients (8.7%).

Conclusions

Percutaneous management with systemic antibiotics is effective and safe and allows resolution of most LA. However, a small proportion of patients with LA still requires surgical drainage. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:527–533, 2014
Purely cystic adrenal lesion in a newborn evolving into a solid neuroblastoma
Authors: Gali Shapira , Anat Ilivitzki
Published: June 2014

Purely cystic neuroblatomas are often discovered prenatally. As the main differential diagnosis is adrenal hemorrhage, follow‐up sonography is warranted after birth. Cystic neuroblastomas are expected to evolve into lesions of mixed echogenicity with cystic and solid components. We present a rare case of a purely cystic left‐sided adrenal lesion in a newborn, suggesting an adrenal hemorrhage, which on follow‐up sonography evolved into a purely solid mass with poor vascularization, diagnosed as a cystic neuroblastoma. We suggest that even purely cystic adrenal masses in the newborn should be closely followed up with sonography, as they may represent purely cystic neuroblastomas. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 43:126–128, 2015
Finding Minors in Graphs with a Given Path Structure
Authors: Kündgen André , Pelsmajer Michael J. , Ramamurthi Radhika
Published: June 2014

Given graphs G and H with , suppose that we have a ‐path in G for each edge in H. There are obvious additional conditions that ensure that G contains H as a rooted subgraph, subdivision, or immersion; we seek conditions that ensure that G contains H as a rooted minor or minor. This naturally leads to studying sets of paths that form an H‐immersion, with the additional property that paths that contain the same vertex must have a common endpoint. We say that H is contractible if, whenever G contains such an H‐immersion, G must also contain a rooted H‐minor. We show, for example, that forests, cycles, K4, and K1, 1, 3 are contractible, but that graphs that are not 6‐colorable and graphs that contain certain subdivisions of K2, 3 are not contractible.
Synthesis of Novel Ethyl (substituted)phenyl‐4‐oxothiazolidin‐3‐yl)‐1‐ethyl‐4‐oxo‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐Carboxylates as Potential Anticancer Agents
Authors: Facchinetti Victor , Guimarães Felipe A. , de Souza Marcus Vinícius N. , Gomes Claudia Regina B. , de Souza Maria Cecília B. V. , Wardell James L. , Wardell Solange M. S. V. , Vasconcelos Thatyana R. A.
Published: June 2014

A series of ethyl (substituted)phenyl‐4‐oxothiazolidin‐3‐yl)‐1‐ethyl‐4‐oxo‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐carboxylates (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g) has been prepared from reactions between aminoquinolones 6 with arenealdehydes and mercaptoacetic acid. The critical intermediates, 6a and 6b, were obtained from appropriate amines by a sequence of steps involving (i) reaction with diethylethoxymethylenemalonate, (ii) thermal cyclization in diphenyl ether, (iii) ethylation and (iv) Pd/C catalyzed reduction. New compounds 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g were fully identified and characterized by NMR (1H and 13C) and specifically for 7d by X‐ray crystallography. Compounds 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f were found not to exhibit activity at 10 uM concentrations against gastric ascitis (AGP‐01), gastric adenocarcinoma kind intestinal (ACP‐02), colon (HCT‐116) and murine melanome (B16F10) cancer cells. However, none exhibited cytotoxicity against normal cells human fibroblast (MRC‐5), murine fibroblast (NIH3T3) and normal human melanocyte (Melan‐A).
Soybean flour induces a greater increase of the antioxidant defenses in rats fed with a normocaloric diet compared with a hypercaloric diet
Authors: Razzeto Gabriela S , Lucero López Viviana R , Giménez María S , Escudero Nora L
Published: June 2014

BACKGROUND

Soybeans, due to their antioxidant properties, present beneficial health effects. The objective was to evaluate if replacing casein with soy flour, modifies antioxidant defenses in rat liver, compared to animals that continued being fed with casein based diets (normocaloric and hypercaloric).

RESULTS

Four groups of rats were used: CC (control casein), CS (control soy), HC (hypercaloric casein) and HS (hypercaloric soy). Malondialdehyde, in serum and liver, did not present differences. In liver, when comparing CS vs. CC: increased superoxide dismutase 1 (P < 0.001), catalase (P < 0.01) and glutathione reductase (P < 0.05) activities, the total glutathione (P < 0.001) and reduced glutathione (P < 0.05) content and decreased oxidized glutathione content (P < 0.05). In HS vs. HC: increased carbonyl groups (P < 0.01) and superoxide dismutase 1 activity (P < 0.05), and decreased glutathione peroxidase activity (P < 0.01), total glutathione (P < 0.05) and oxidized glutathione content (P < 0.001). In HS vs. CS: decreased glutathione reductase activity (P < 0.01), total glutathione (P < 0.001) and reduced glutathione (P < 0.01) content, and increased oxidized glutathione content (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Replacing casein by soybean flour improves antioxidant defenses, mainly in normocaloric diets. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Hydrophobic Polyalanine Modified Hyperbranched Polyethylenimine as High Efficient pDNA and siRNA Carrier
Authors: Guo Zhaopei , Tian Huayu , Lin Lin , Chen Jie , He Chaoliang , Tang Zhaohui , Chen Xuesi
Published: June 2014

Successful gene therapy for cancer treatment and various human genetic diseases relies on high efficient gene carriers, and many carriers can efficiently deliver plasmid DNA to cells, while most of them are unefficient in siRNA delivery. In this study, a series of amphiphilic copolymers are synthesized for pDNA and siRNA delivery by grafting hydrophobic polyalanine to polyethylenimine (named PPAs). There are 12.5, 7.2, 12.3 and 11.3 times of gene expression more than PEI in HeLa, 293T, A549 and CHO cell lines for the optimal PPAs, and the highest luciferase knockdown efficiency in Huh7 and CT26 cells are investigated to be 90.4% and 89.0%, respectively. This meant the PPAs have the potential as efficient transfection reagents for pDNA and siRNA delivery in future gene therapy.
Star‐Shape Redox‐Responsive PEG‐Sheddable Copolymer of Disulfide‐Linked Polyethylene Glycol‐Lysine‐di‐Tocopherol Succinate for Tumor‐Triggering Intracellular Doxorubicin Rapid Release: Head‐to‐Head Comparison
Authors: Ai Xiaoyu , Sun Jin , Zhong Lu , Wu Chunnuan , Niu Handong , Xu Tao , Lian He , Han Xiaopeng , Ren Guolian , Ding Wenya , Wang Jia , Pu Xiaohui , He Zhonggui
Published: June 2014

A redox‐responsive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐sheddable copolymer of disulfide‐linked PEG 5000‐lysine‐di‐tocopherol succinate (P5kSSLV) is developed which can self‐assemble into nanomicelles in aqueous condition and trigger the rapid release of encapsulated drugs within tumor cells. The reduction‐insensitive doxorubicin (DOX)‐loaded P5kLV (P5kLV‐DOX) nanomicelles are further prepared. Then head‐to‐head comparison of P5kSSLV‐DOX, P5kLV‐DOX and DOX‐Sol is performed concerning in vitro release, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake and apoptosis. Results show that P5kSSLV‐DOX nanomicelles have a faster DOX release, a higher anti‐tumor activity and more DOX concentrating in the nucleus than P5kLV‐DOX nanomicelles. In conclusion, the redox‐responsive P5kSSLV nanomicelles might hold a great potential to improve chemotherapy by tumor‐triggering intracellular rapid release. The outcomes of this study also address the significance of such head‐to‐head comparison studies in translational research of nanomedicine.
Polymer Thermosets from Multifunctional Polyester Resins Based on Renewable Monomers
Authors: Torron Susana , Semlitsch Stefan , Martinelle Mats , Johansson Mats
Published: June 2014

The use of monomers based on natural materials as a future supply of raw materials has gained more interest in the last decade. Sources ranging from wood to plant oils and algae are exploited as alternatives to traditional fossil‐based resources for the synthesis of polymeric materials. The use of these raw materials is not only of interest because of its abundance, but also in terms of price, durability, and/or biodegradability. In the present study, a series of resins utilizing a monomer derived from birch bark is prepared. The thermoset resins are formed by reacting an epoxy‐functional ω‐hydroxy fatty acid with methacrylate monomers using enzyme catalysis to form multifunctional resins via a one‐pot synthesis. The derived oligomers are crosslinked through different polymerization routes to produce thermosets with different properties and/or functionalities. This approach allows natural‐based resins with tuned functionalities and mechanical and thermal properties to be obtained.

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Investigating white matter perfusion using optimal sampling strategy arterial spin labeling at 7 Tesla
Authors: Gardener Alexander G. , Jezzard Peter
Published: June 2014

Purpose

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is an informative physiological marker for tissue health. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a noninvasive MRI method of measuring this parameter, but it has proven difficult to measure white matter (WM) CBF due to low intrinsic contrast‐to‐noise ratio compared with gray matter (GM). Here we combine ultra‐high field and optimal sampling strategy (OSS) ASL to investigate WM CBF in reasonable scan times.

Methods

A FAIR‐based ASL sequence at 7T was combined with a real‐time‐feedback OSS technique, to iteratively improve post‐label image acquisition times (TIs) on a tissue‐ and subject‐specific basis to obtain WM CBF quantification.

Results

It was found 77% of WM voxels gave a reasonable CBF fit. Averaged WM CBF for these voxels was found to be 16.3 ± 1.5 mL/100 g/min (discarding partial‐volumed voxels). The generated TI schedule was also significantly different when altering the OSS weighted‐tissue‐mask, favoring longer TIs in WM.

Conclusion

WM CBF could be reasonably quantified in over 75% of identified voxels, from a total preparation and scan time of 15 min. OSS results suggest longer TIs should be used versus general GM ASL settings; this may become more important in WM disease studies. Magn Reson Med 73:2243–2248, 2015. © 2014 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Giant axonal neuropathy: An updated perspective on its pathology and pathogenesis
Authors: Johnson‐Kerner Bethany L. , Roth Lisa , Greene J. Palmer , Wichterle Hynek , Sproule Douglas M.
Published: June 2014

Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease. It is best known for the “giant” axons caused by accumulations of intermediate filaments. The disease is progressive, with onset around age 3 years and death by the third decade of life. GAN results from recessive mutations in the GAN gene encoding gigaxonin, and our analysis of all reported mutations shows that they are distributed throughout the protein structure. Precisely how these mutations cause the disease remains to be determined. In addition to changes in peripheral nerves that are similar to those seen in neuropathies such as Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 2, GAN patients exhibit a wide range of central nervous system signs. These features, corroborated by degeneration of central tracts apparent from postmortem pathology, indicate that GAN is also a progressive neurodegenerative disease. To reflect this phenotype more precisely, we therefore propose that the disease should be more appropriately referred to as “giant axonal neurodegeneration.” Muscle Nerve 50: 467–476, 2014
A memory‐efficient finite volume method for advection‐diffusion‐reaction systems with nonsmooth sources
Authors: Schäfer Jonas , Huang Xuan , Kopecz Stefan , Birken Philipp , Gobbert Matthias K. , Meister Andreas
Published: June 2014

We present a parallel matrix‐free implicit finite volume scheme for the solution of unsteady three‐dimensional advection‐diffusion‐reaction equations with smooth and Dirac‐Delta source terms. The scheme is formally second order in space and a Newton–Krylov method is employed for the appearing nonlinear systems in the implicit time integration. The matrix‐vector product required is hardcoded without any approximations, obtaining a matrix‐free method that needs little storage and is well‐suited for parallel implementation. We describe the matrix‐free implementation of the method in detail and give numerical evidence of its second‐order convergence in the presence of smooth source terms. For nonsmooth source terms, the convergence order drops to one half. Furthermore, we demonstrate the method's applicability for the long‐time simulation of calcium flow in heart cells and show its parallel scaling. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq31: 143–167, 2015
Structural and thermodynamic characterization of the recognition of the S100‐binding peptides TRTK12 and p53 by calmodulin
Authors: Wafer Lucas N. , Tzul Franco O. , Pandharipande Pranav P. , McCallum Scott A. , Makhatadze George I.
Published: June 2014

Calmodulin (CaM) is a multifunctional messenger protein that activates a wide variety of signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells in a calcium‐dependent manner. CaM has been proposed to be functionally distinct from the S100 proteins, a related family of eukaryotic calcium‐binding proteins. Previously, it was demonstrated that peptides derived from the actin‐capping protein, TRTK12, and the tumor‐suppressor protein, p53, interact with multiple members of the S100 proteins. To test the specificity of these peptides, they were screened using isothermal titration calorimetry against 16 members of the human S100 protein family, as well as CaM, which served as a negative control. Interestingly, both the TRTK12 and p53 peptides were found to interact with CaM. These interactions were further confirmed by both fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. These peptides have distinct sequences from the known CaM target sequences. The TRTK12 peptide was found to independently interact with both CaM domains and bind with a stoichiometry of 2:1 and dissociations constants Kd,C‐term = 2 ± 1 µM and Kd,N‐term = 14 ± 1 µM. In contrast, the p53 peptide was found to interact only with the C‐terminal domain of CaM, Kd,C‐term =2 ± 1 µM, 25°C. Using NMR spectroscopy, the locations of the peptide binding sites were mapped onto the structure of CaM. The binding sites for both peptides were found to overlap with the binding interface for previously identified targets on both domains of CaM. This study demonstrates the plasticity of CaM in target binding and may suggest a possible overlap in target specificity between CaM and the S100 proteins.