bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of p53 mutation in the effect of boron neutron capture therapy on oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Fujita Yusei , Kato Itsuro , Iwai Soichi , Ono Koji , Suzuki Minoru , Sakurai Yoshinori , Ohnishi Ken , Ohnishi Takeo , Yura Yoshiaki
Published: December 2009

Background

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a selective radiotherapy, being effective for the treatment of even advanced malignancies in head and neck regions as well as brain tumors and skin melanomas. To clarify the role of p53 gene, the effect of BNCT on oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells showing either wild- (SAS/neo) or mutant-type (SAS/mp53) p53 was examined.

Methods

Cells were exposed to neutron beams in the presence of boronophenylalanine (BPA) at Kyoto University Research Reactor. Treated cells were monitored for modulations in colony formation, proliferation, cell cycle, and expression of cell cycle-associated proteins.

Results

When SAS/neo and SAS/mp53 cells were subjected to BNCT, more suppressive effects on colony formation and cell viability were observed in SAS/neo compared with SAS/mp53 cells. Cell cycle arrest at the G1 checkpoint was observed in SAS/neo, but not in SAS/mp53. Apoptotic cells increased from 6 h after BNCT in SAS/neo and 48 h in SAS/mp53 cells. The expression of p21 was induced in SAS/neo only, but G2 arrest-associated proteins including Wee1, cdc2, and cyclin B1 were altered in both cell lines.

Conclusion

These results indicate that oral SCC cells with mutant-type are more resistant to BNCT than those with wild-type p53, and that the lack of G1 arrest and related apoptosis may contribute to the resistance. At a physical dose affecting the cell cycle, BNCT inhibits oral SCC cells in p53-dependent and -independent manners.
Lanthanum associated abnormal liver function tests in two patients on dialysis: a case report
Authors: Namagondlu Girish , Main Norman , Yates Lucy , Mooney Joanne , Sathyamurthy Sangita , Daryanani Indiver , Crowe Alex , Ledson Tom , Banerjee Anindya
Published: December 2009

Lanthanum (La) is a phosphate binder used in patients on dialysis in the UK. As it has only recently been in use, there are no long-term data about safety of this rare metal in human subjects with renal failure on renal replacement therapy. La has not been previously reported to cause any adverse reactions apart from nausea, sickness, dialysis graft occlusion and abdominal pain. We report here La induced abnormal liver function tests in a male and a female patient of 70 and 44 years old each, on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and haemodialysis (HD) respectively, the first report of such an adverse reaction to this agent.
Silicone migration to the contralateral axillary lymph nodes and breast after highly cohesive silicone gel implant failure: a case report
Authors: Kaufman Gabriel J , Sakr Rita A , Inguenault Cyrille , Sarfati Isabelle , Nos Claude , Clough Krishna B
Published: December 2009

Highly cohesive silicone gel implants are advertised for aesthetic and safety advantages. Our case is the fourth report describing early implant rupture and contralateral migration of siliconoma. Despite the greater degree of gel cohesiveness, a continued vigilance for signs and symptoms of migration is highly recommended.
Chronic slowly progressive monoarthritis tuberculosis of the hip without systemic symptoms mimicking osteoarthritis: a case report
Authors: Ramos Carina Guedes , Alves Marcelle Duarte , Santos Rodrigo Pires dos , Falci Diego , Goldani Luciano Zubaran
Published: December 2009

The authors report and discuss the clinical and radiological features of a immunocompetent patient with chronic progressive monoarthritis tuberculosis of the hip without systemic symptoms such as fever, and weight loss presenting as caseating abscess and severe destruction of the hip joint, treated with resection arthroplasty.
A welder with pneumosiderosis: a case report
Authors: Khalid Imran , Khalid Tabindeh J , Jennings Jeffrey H
Published: December 2009

Pneumosiderosis or Welder's lung is an occupational lung disease which is usually seen after chronic exposure to iron dust. We present a case of a 64-year-old welder in whom the diagnosis of pneumosiderosis was made by lung biopsies. We also briefly review the literature regarding the disease, its prognosis and association with development of lung cancer. Avoidance of iron dust exposure and implementing prevention strategies in people at risk are the mainstay of therapy.
Predictors of the first cardiovascular event in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus - a prospective cohort study
Authors: Gustafsson Johanna , Gunnarsson Iva , Börjesson Ola , Pettersson Susanne , Möller Sonia , Fei Guo-Zhong , Elvin Kerstin , Simard Julia F , Hansson Lars-Olof , Lundberg Ingrid E , Larsson Anders , Svenungsson Elisabet
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of premature mortality among Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Many studies have measured and evaluated risk factors for premature subclinical atherosclerosis, but few studies are prospective and few have evaluated risk factors for hard endpoints, i.e. clinically important cardiovascular events (CVE). We investigated the impact of traditional and lupus associated risk factors for the first ever CVE in a longitudinal cohort of SLE patients.

Methods

A total of 182 SLE patients (mean age 43.9 years) selected to be free of CVE were included. Cardiovascular and autoimmune biomarkers were measured on samples collected after overnight fasting at baseline. Clinical information was collected at baseline and at follow up. End point was the first ever CVE (ischemic heart, cerebrovascular or peripheral vascular disease or death due to CVD). Impact of baseline characteristics/biomarkers on the risk of having a first CVE was evaluated with Cox regression.

Results

Follow up was 99.5% after a mean time of 8.3 years. Twenty-four patients (13%) had a first CVE. In age-adjusted Cox regression, any positive antiphospholipid antibody (aPL), elevated markers of endothelial activation (von Willebrand factor (vWf), soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1)) and fibrinogen predicted CVEs. Of SLE manifestations, arthritis, pleuritis and previous venous occlusion were positively associated with future CVEs while thrombocytopenia was negatively associated. Among traditional risk factors only age and smoking were significant predictors. In a multivariable Cox regression model age, any positive aPL, vWf and absence of thrombocytopenia were all predictors of the first CVE.

Conclusions

In addition to age, positive aPL, biomarkers indicating increased endothelial cell activity/damage, and absence of thrombocytopenia were independent predictors of CVEs in this prospective study. Our results indicate that activation of the endothelium and the coagulation system are important features in SLE related CVD. Furthermore, we observed that the risk of CVEs seems to differ between subgroups of SLE patients.
Intensive insulin treatment improves forearm blood flow in critically ill patients: a randomized parallel design clinical trial
Authors: Žuran Ivan , Poredoš Pavel , Skale Rafael , Voga Gorazd , Gabršček Lucija , Parežnik Roman
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Intensive insulin treatment of critically ill patients was seen as a promising method of treatment, though recent studies showed that reducing the blood glucose level below 6 mmol/l had a detrimental outcome. The mechanisms of the effects of insulin in the critically ill are not completely understood. The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that intensive insulin treatment may influence forearm blood flow independently of global hemodynamic indicators.

Methods

The study encompassed 29 patients of both sexes who were admitted to the intensive care unit due to sepsis and required artificial ventilation as the result of acute respiratory failure. 14 patients were randomly selected for intensive insulin treatment (Group 1; blood glucose concentration 4.4-6.1 mmol/l), and 15 were selected for conventional insulin treatment (Group 2; blood glucose level 7.0 mmol/l-11.0 mmol/l). At the start of the study (t0, beginning up to 48 hours after admittance and the commencement of artificial ventilation), at 2 hours (t1), 24 hours (t2), and 72 hours (t3) flow in the forearm was measured for 60 minutes using the strain-gauge plethysmography method. Student's t-test of independent samples was used for comparisons between the two groups, and Mann-Whitney's U-test where appropriate. Linear regression analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to determine the levels of correlation.

Results

The difference in 60-minute forearm flow at the start of the study (t0) was not statistically significant between groups, while at t2 and t3 significantly higher values were recorded in Group 1 (t2; Group 1: 420.6 ± 188.8 ml/100 ml tissue; Group 2: 266.1 ± 122.2 ml/100 ml tissue (95% CI 30.9-278.0, P = 0.02); t3; Group 1: 369.9 ± 150.3 ml/100 ml tissue; Group 2: 272.6 ± 85.7 ml/100 ml tissue (95% CI 5.4-190.0, P = 0.04). At t1 a trend towards significantly higher values in Group 1 was noted (P = 0.05). The level of forearm flow was related to the amount of insulin infusion (r = 0.40).

Conclusions

Compared to standard treatment, intensive insulin treatment of critically ill patients increases forearm flow. Flow increase was weakly related to the insulin dose, though not to blood glucose concentration.

Trial Registration

Trial number: ISRCTN39026810.
Pressure-dependent stress relaxation in acute respiratory distress syndrome and healthy lungs: an investigation based on a viscoelastic model
Authors: Ganzert Steven , Möller Knut , Steinmann Daniel , Schumann Stefan , Guttmann Josef
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Limiting the energy transfer between ventilator and lung is crucial for ventilatory strategy in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Part of the energy is transmitted to the viscoelastic tissue components where it is stored or dissipates. In mechanically ventilated patients, viscoelasticity can be investigated by analyzing pulmonary stress relaxation. While stress relaxation processes of the lung have been intensively investigated, non-linear interrelations have not been systematically analyzed, and such analyses have been limited to small volume or pressure ranges. In this study, stress relaxation of mechanically ventilated lungs was investigated, focusing on non-linear dependence on pressure. The range of inspiratory capacity was analyzed up to a plateau pressure of 45 cmH2O.

Methods

Twenty ARDS patients and eleven patients with normal lungs under mechanical ventilation were included. Rapid flow interruptions were repetitively applied using an automated super-syringe maneuver. Viscoelastic resistance, compliance and time constant were determined by multiple regression analysis using a lumped parameter model. This same viscoelastic model was used to investigate the frequency dependence of the respiratory system's impedance.

Results

The viscoelastic time constant was independent of pressure, and it did not differ between normal and ARDS lungs. In contrast, viscoelastic resistance increased non-linearly with pressure (normal: 8.4 (7.4-11.9) [median (lower - upper quartile)] to 35.2 (25.6-39.5) cmH2O·sec/L; ARDS: 11.9 (9.2-22.1) to 73.5 (56.8-98.7)cmH2O·sec/L), and viscoelastic compliance decreased non-linearly with pressure (normal: 130.1(116.9-151.3) to 37.4(34.7-46.3) mL/cmH2O; ARDS: 125.8(80.0-211.0) to 17.1(13.8-24.7)mL/cmH2O). The pulmonary impedance increased with pressure and decreased with respiratory frequency.

Conclusions

Viscoelastic compliance and resistance are highly non-linear with respect to pressure and differ considerably between ARDS and normal lungs. None of these characteristics can be observed for the viscoelastic time constant. From our analysis of viscoelastic properties we cautiously conclude that the energy transfer from the respirator to the lung can be reduced by application of low inspiratory plateau pressures and high respiratory frequencies. This we consider to be potentially lung protective.
Altered eosinophil profile in mice with ST6Gal-1 deficiency: an additional role for ST6Gal-1 generated by the P1 promoter in regulating allergic inflammation
Authors: Nasirikenari Mehrab , Chandrasekaran E V , Matta Khushi L , Segal Brahm H , Bogner Paul N , Lugade Amit A , Thanavala Yasmin , Lee James J , Lau Joseph T Y
Published: December 2009

ST6Gal-1 is a participant in regulating not only Th1 but also Th2 responses; ST6Gal-1 deficiency can lead to the development of more severe allergic inflammation with excessive eosinophil production.

Cumulative evidence indicates that the sialyltransferase ST6Gal-1 and the sialyl-glycans, which it constructs, are functionally pleiotropic. Expression of the ST6Gal-1 gene is mediated by six distinct promoter/regulatory regions, and we hypothesized that these promoters may be used differentially to produce ST6Gal-1 for different biologic purposes. To examine this hypothesis, we compared a mouse with a complete deficiency in ST6Gal-1 (Siat1 null) with another mouse that we have created previously with a disruption only in the P1 promoter (Siat1ΔP1). We noted previously greater neutrophilic inflammation associated with ST6Gal-1 deficiency. Here, we report that ST6Gal-1-deficient mice also have significantly elevated eosinophilic responses. Upon i.p. thioglycollate elicitation, eosinophils accounted for over 20% of the total peritoneal inflammatory cell pool in ST6Gal-1-deficient animals, which was threefold greater than in corresponding wild-type animals. A principal feature of allergic respiratory inflammation is pulmonary eosinophilia, we evaluated the role of ST6Gal-1 in allergic lung inflammation. Using OVA and ABPA experimental models of allergic airways, we showed that ST6Gal-1 deficiency led to greater airway inflammation characterized by excessive airway eosinophilia. The severity of airway inflammation was similar between Siat1ΔP1 and Siat1 null mice, indicating a role for P1-generated ST6Gal-1 in regulating eosinophilic inflammation. Colony-forming assays suggested greater IL-5-dependent eosinophil progenitor numbers in the marrow of ST6Gal-1-deficient animals. Moreover, allergen provocation of wild-type mice led to a significant reduction in P1-mediated ST6Gal-1 mRNA and accompanied decline in circulatory ST6Gal-1 levels. Taken together, the data implicate ST6Gal-1 as a participant in regulating not only Th1 but also Th2 responses, and ST6Gal-1 deficiency can lead to the development of more severe allergic inflammation with excessive eosinophil production.
Adorno'sComment C'est
Authors: ULLYOT JONATHAN
Published: December 2009

According to Theodor Adorno, the modern artwork makes the beholder shudder and reflect, purging his habit of over-conceptualizing. Furthermore, although the modern artwork may seem incomprehensible and foreign to the beholder, it expresses only a simple message: “this is how it is.” The artwork is not in itself an imposition, demand, or confrontation, though it may have all of these effects. Ontologically, the artwork is an expression: “It is thus.” To avoid the trap of conceptualization, Adorno varies the concept-name of this simple expression throughout Aesthetic Theory—from Sosein (or So-und-nicht-anders-Seins) to So ist es (with some other variations: for example, the “Here I am” or “This is what I am” of Etruscan vases), and finally to “Comment c'est,” which Adorno equates with “that's what it's like out there” (“so geht es zu, so ist es draussen”) as well as with “how it is” (“wie es ist”). This concept-name at times appears demonstrative—“It is thus”—at times general—“how it is”—and at times self-referential—“here I am.”

Although Adorno's English translator Hullot-Kentor notes that the meaning of Sosein for Adorno is equivalent to that of Beckett's “Comment c'est,” he refers to the French phrase as though it were a theoretical concept instead of the title of a prose work by Beckett published in 1961. In this essay I attempt to rectify that oversight by demonstrating that within Adorno's Aesthetic Theory Beckett's Comment c'est functions not as an artwork but as the slippage of the concept Sosein. Comment c'est remains a “comment c'est” for Adorno—not just an exemplum, or a reference, but something between a concept-name and an actual artwork: a “title” that reveals not only its own essence but also the essence of modern art. My analysis thus moves between reading Comment c'est as, on the one hand, a literalization of Adorno's ideas in Aesthetic Theory (in other words, as a kind of meta-text) and, on the other, as an exemplum of his views on the new, on unity and meaning, and on mimesis and expression. In doing so, I hope to deepen our understanding of the special place that Beckett occupies within Adorno's philosophy.
The House That Matriarchy Built: The Sudanese Women's Union
Authors: Ibrahim Abdullahi Ali
Published: December 2009

The emerging view in the scholarship about the Sudanese Women's Union (SWU) is that it was basically the creation of the patriarchal Sudanese Communist Party (SCP). On the contrary, this essay will argue that it was the product of the party's women's cadre. To this effect, the essay revisits a debate about gender and Marxism that took place in the party after the October Revolution of 1964, which led to the enfranchisement of women as full-fledged citizens. This debate pitted Abdel Khaliq Mahgoub, secretary of the SCP, and Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, a member of the Political Bureau of the SCP and president of the SWU. In this debate, Ibrahim was critical of the reform of the SWU proposed by Mahgoub. The reform revolved around two issues. First, the SWU should engage the gender issue by addressing the relation of men and women in society. Second, the SWU should reorganize itself. This restructuring initiative was intended to better serve women's grassroots organizations. Ibrahim dismissed the gender part of Mahgoub's initiative as premature and secondary to engaging women in national politics at large. Worse, she rejected the restructuring of the union as a liquidationist idea. The reform was eventually forgotten because the party was pressed by political contingencies that led to its downfall in 1971.
Ibrahim El Salahi's “Prison Notebook”: A Visual Memoir
Authors: Hassan Salah M.
Published: December 2009

The last two decades have marked the publication of a number of prison memoirs and testimonials written by former leftist political prisoners in Sudan. Unlike reports issued by international human rights organizations, these publications foreground a much more personal and autobiographical element to the legacy of political incarceration in Sudan. Yet, most of these memoirs tend to be in written form, and rarely have they been combined with visual representation or a stand-alone visual artistic work. The essay focuses on one such conspicuous exception, by zeroing in on a series of pen-and-ink drawings by Ibrahim El Salahi, the pioneer Sudanese modernist painter who was imprisoned in the mid-1970s during the regime of military dictator Gaafar Nimeiri (1969–85). The essay provides a critical reading of these drawings in light of El Salahi's own unpublished memoir detailing the day-to-day routine in the infamous Kober (Cooper) Prison in Khartoum, Sudan. It also provides a stylistic and aesthetic analysis of the same drawings in the context of El Salahi's oeuvre and its evolution.
After Postdramatic Theater
Authors: Stegemann Bernd
Published: December 2009

Ten years after the original German-language publication of Hans-Thies Lehmann's Postdramatic Theater—a book that altered the critical discourse about contemporary theater practice—Bernd Stegemann weighs the ramifications of Lehmann's book as European theater artists struggle for funding and support to express new visions. He argues that Lehmann's aesthetic analysis has taken a prescriptive turn in the theater world and hinders artists from using the theater's most engaging forms: characters and narrative fictions.
Erlotinib resistance in mouse models of epidermal growth factor receptor-induced lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Politi Katerina , Fan Pang-Dian , Shen Ronglai , Zakowski Maureen , Varmus Harold
Published: December 2009

Seventy-five percent of lung adenocarcinomas with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations respond to treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) gefitinib and erlotinib; however, drug-resistant tumors eventually emerge. In 60% of cases, resistant tumors carry a secondary mutation in EGFR (T790M), amplification of MET, or both. Here, we describe the establishment of erlotinib resistance in lung tumors, which were induced by mutant EGFR, in transgenic mice after multiple cycles of drug treatment; we detect the T790M mutation in five out of 24 tumors or Met amplification in one out of 11 tumors in these mice. This preclinical mouse model, therefore, recapitulates the molecular changes responsible for resistance to TKIs in human tumors and holds promise for the discovery of additional mechanisms of drug resistance in lung cancer.
Cavitation and contrast: The use of bubbles in ultrasound imaging and therapy
Authors: Stride E P , Coussios C C
Published: December 2009

Microbubbles and cavitation are playing an increasingly significant role in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of ultrasound. Microbubble ultrasound contrast agents have been in clinical use now for more than two decades, stimulating the development of a range of new contrast-specific imaging techniques which offer substantial benefits in echocardiography, microcirculatory imaging, and more recently, quantitative and molecular imaging. In drug delivery and gene therapy, microbubbles are being investigated/developed as vehicles which can be loaded with the required therapeutic agent, traced to the target site using diagnostic ultrasound, and then destroyed with ultrasound of higher intensity energy burst to release the material locally, thus avoiding side effects associated with systemic administration, e.g. of toxic chemotherapy. It has moreover been shown that the motion of the microbubbles increases the permeability of both individual cell membranes and the endothelium, thus enhancing therapeutic uptake, and can locally increase the activity of drugs by enhancing their transport across biologically inaccessible interfaces such as blood clots or solid tumours. In high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery and lithotripsy, controlled cavitation is being investigated as a means of increasing the speed and efficacy of the treatment. The aim of this paper is both to describe the key features of the physical behaviour of acoustically driven bubbles which underlie their effectiveness in biomedical applications and to review the current state of the art.
The effect of cortex thickness on intact femur biomechanics: A comparison of finite element analysis with synthetic femurs
Authors: Zdero R , Bougherara H , Dubov A , Shah S , Zalzal P , Mahfud A , Schemitsch E H
Published: December 2009

Biomechanical studies on femur fracture fixation with orthopaedic implants are numerous in the literature. However, few studies have compared the mechanical stability of these repair constructs in osteoporotic versus normal bone. The present aim was to examine how changes in cortical wall thickness of intact femurs affect biomechanical characteristics. A three-dimensional, linear, isotropic finite element (FE) model of an intact femur was developed in order to predict the effect of bicortical wall thickness, t, relative to the femur's mid-diaphyseal outer diameter, D, over a cortex thickness ratio range of 0 ≤ t/ D ≤ 1. The FE model was subjected to loads to obtain axial, lateral, and torsional stiffness. Ten commercially available synthetic femurs were then used to mimic ‘osteoporotic’ bone with t/ D = 0.33, while ten synthetic left femurs were used to simulate ‘normal’ bone with t/ D = 0.66. Axial, lateral, and torsional stiffness were measured for all femurs. There was excellent agreement between FE analysis and experimental stiffness data for all loading modes with an aggregate average percentage difference of 8 per cent. The FE results for mechanical stiffness versus cortical thickness ratio (0 ≤ t/ D ≤ 1) demonstrated exponential trends with the following stiffness ranges: axial stiffness (0 to 2343 N/mm), lateral stiffness (0 to 62 N/mm), and torsional stiffness (0 to 198 N/mm). This is the first study to characterize mechanical stiffness over a wide range of cortical thickness values. These results may have some clinical implications with respect to appropriately differentiating between older and younger human long bones from a mechanical standpoint.
A DFT and CASSCF Study of Photocycloaddition Reactions of Biradicals from 6-Amino-2-(3-thienoyl)-1,4-benzoquinone
Authors: Sharma Gitanjali , Abraham Ignatious , Pardasani Ram T , Bharatam Prasad V , Mukherjee Tulsi
Published: December 2009

DFT-B3LYP and CASSCF calculations have been performed using a 6-31G* basis set to study photocycloaddition reactions of biradicals, generated by irradiation of 6-amino-2-(3-thienoyl)-1,4-benzoquinone, with ethylene. The calculated parameters of biradicals and transition states have also been compared with ground state parameters to completely elucidate the reaction mechanism of [2 + 2] and [3 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions. Preference for a particular cycloaddition pathway is ascertained by the relative stability between initially formed triplet biradical and another triplet biradical formed by hydrogen shift.
Local Structure around the Amino Group of Glycine Carbamate in Concentrated Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Kameda Yasuo , Amo Yuko , Usuki Takeshi
Published: December 2009

Neutron diffraction measurements were carried out on aqueous alkaline 2 mol % glycine heavy water solutions absorbing CO2. 14N/15N isotopic substitution was applied to obtain information on the molecular structure of glycine carbamate formed in the solution and the hydration structure around the nitrogen atom of the carbamate molecule. The least-squares fitting analysis of the higher-Q region of the observed first-order difference function Δ′N(Q) between 14N- and 15N-enriched sample solutions revealed that the intramolecular distances within the carbamate molecule, r(N–CC) = 1.58(1) Å and r(CC–OC) = 1.25(1) Å, where CC and OC denote the carbamate carbon and oxygen atoms, respectively. It was shown that on the average 2.1(2) D2O molecules were hydrogen-bonded to the amino-hydrogen atoms of the carbamate molecule with the intermolecular distances of r(N···OW) = 2.86(3) Å and r(N···DW) = 3.18(5) Å (OW: water oxygen, DW: water deuterium atoms), respectively.
197Au Mössbauer Spectroscopic Studies of Cyclometalated Gold Dimers Containing 2-C6F4PPh2 Ligands
Authors: Bennett Martin A , Mirzadeh Nedaossadat , Privér Steven H , Takahashi Masashi , Bhargava Suresh K
Published: December 2009

197Au Mössbauer spectra have been measured on a series of homovalent and heterovalent dinuclear gold complexes containing the 2-C6F4PPh2 ligand. The correlation plot indicates that the electron densities of the 6s and 6p orbitals of the gold atoms in these complexes are less than those of their protio and 6-methyl analogs, reflecting the electron-withdrawing property of the fluorine substituents.
Catalytic Electrosynthesis in Ionic Liquid: Performance of Nickel–(2,2′-Bipyridine) Complexes for Production of Aryl Propan-2-ones
Authors: Barhdadi Rachid , Maekawa Hirofumi , Comminges Clément , Troupel Michel
Published: December 2009

The nickel-catalyzed electroreductive coupling of a benzylic chloride with an acyl donor reagent in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate has been studied in the preparative scale to obtain aryl propan-2-ones in galvanostatic mode. Poor solubility of metallic salts prevents the use of the sacrificial anode process in an undivided cell. Moderate chemical yields are obtained within a divided cell configuration using an anionic membrane as a separator, which shows the compatibility of ionic liquids with this kind of electrochemical device. Aryl propan-2-ones were prepared with chemical yield up to 65%. Cyclic voltammetry and UV–vis spectroscopy confirm that the mechanism is the same in the ionic liquid and in a classical molecular solvent such as DMF. Nevertheless, degradation of the imidazolium cation induced by redox catalysis involving the bipyridine ligand has been observed, which explains the low faradaic yields.
Biomass Carbon Ratio of Biomass Chemicals Measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Funabashi Masahiro , Ninomiya Fumi , Kunioka Masao , Ohara Keiichi
Published: December 2009

The biomass carbon ratios of various chemical products were studied. The biomass carbon ratios of chemicals such as polymers, their monomers, starches, cellulose, calcium carbonate, charcoal, ethanol, and polymer blends were estimated by the ratios of 14C to 12C measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) based on ASTM D 6866. Preparations of the gaseous and liquid samples for the AMS measurements are described, and the pretreatment for carbonate is also explained. Repeatability and accuracy of the biomass carbon ratio evaluation by AMS are discussed. It was found that a new correction factor is necessary for cellulose other than 0.93, which is regulated as the correction factor for present modern carbon newer than 1950 in ASTM D 6866. The developed sample preparations of gaseous materials and carbonate were confirmed to be applicable for the AMS measurement of the biomass carbon ratio. The repeatability and accuracy of the biomass carbon ratio evaluation by AMS were confirmed for ethanol derived from biomass (bioethanol), a polymer blend of biomass-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and petroleum-based poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). Standard deviations of the bioethanol and the blend of PLA and PBS are 0.36 and 0.84%, respectively. The biomass carbon ratio evaluation by AMS has been proposed for the International Standard (ISO).
Continuous quality improvement in care of the dying with the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient
Authors: Gambles Maureen A , McGlinchey Tamsin , Aldridge Judith , Murphy Deborah , Ellershaw John E
Published: December 2009

In order to illustrate the usefulness of a continuous quality improvement approach in care of the dying, this paper focuses on the process and outcomes of the first National Care of the Dying Audit in Hospitals in England. One hundred and eighteen individual hospitals delivering care to patients in the last hours and days of their lives using the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient participated in the audit and provided 2672 patient datasets. The results illustrate both that important information can be gained about care delivery using this method and that the opportunity to engage in formal and collaborative reflection, discussion and action planning is useful in promoting continuous quality improvement. This process is likely not only to be of interest to clinicians working in the field but also to managers and planners striving to ensure continuous quality improvement for patients and carers and to inform the process of benchmarking for the future.
An unexpected ending: Noncanonical 3′ end processing mechanisms
Authors: Wilusz Jeremy E. , Spector David L.
Published: December 2009

Proper 3′ end processing of a nascent transcript is critical for the functionality of the mature RNA. Although it has long been thought that virtually all long RNA polymerase II transcripts terminate in a poly(A) tail that is generated by endonucleolytic cleavage followed by polyadenylation, noncanonical 3′ end processing mechanisms have recently been identified at several gene loci. Unexpectedly, enzymes with well-characterized roles in other RNA processing events, such as tRNA biogenesis and pre-mRNA splicing, cleave these nascent transcripts to generate their mature 3′ ends despite the presence of nearby polyadenylation signals. In fact, the presence of multiple potential 3′ end cleavage sites is the norm at many human genes, and recent work suggests that the choice among sites is regulated during development and in response to cellular cues. It is, therefore, becoming increasing clear that the selection of a proper 3′ end cleavage site represents an important step in the regulation of gene expression and that the mature 3′ ends of RNA polymerase II transcripts can be generated via multiple mechanisms.
Shift Scheduling Problem in Same-Day Courier Industry
Authors: Ghiani Gianpaolo , Manni Emanuele , Quaranta Antonella
Published: December 2009

This paper deals with the problem of minimizing the staffing cost of a same-day courier company subject to service-level requirements. The problem has been modeled as an integer program with nonlinear probabilistic constraints. We have devised a heuristic procedure to explore the search space efficiently through an approximated neighborhood evaluation (ANE) model, relying on the estimation (via simulation) of a reduced number of parameters. Computational results show that, compared to traditional neighborhood search procedures, the ANE approach provides significant cost reductions in a typical same-day courier setting.
Analytical Validation of Protein-Based Multiplex Assays: A Workshop Report by the NCI-FDA Interagency Oncology Task Force on Molecular Diagnostics
Authors: Rodriguez Henry , Težak Živana , Mesri Mehdi , Carr Steven A , Liebler Daniel C , Fisher Susan J , Tempst Paul , Hiltke Tara , Kessler Larry G , Kinsinger Christopher R , Philip Reena , Ransohoff David F , Skates Steven J , Regnier Fred E , Anderson N Leigh , Mansfield Elizabeth ,   on behalf of the Workshop Participants
Published: December 2009

Clinical proteomics has the potential to enable the early detection of cancer through the development of multiplex assays that can inform clinical decisions. However, there has been some uncertainty among translational researchers and developers as to the specific analytical measurement criteria needed to validate protein-based multiplex assays. To begin to address the causes of this uncertainty, a day-long workshop titled “Interagency Oncology Task Force Molecular Diagnostics Workshop” was held in which members of the proteomics and regulatory communities discussed many of the analytical evaluation issues that the field should address in development of protein-based multiplex assays for clinical use. This meeting report explores the issues raised at the workshop and details the recommendations that came out of the day’s discussions, such as a workshop summary discussing the analytical evaluation issues that specific proteomic technologies should address when seeking US Food and Drug Administration approval.
Effect of inflammation induced by prolonged exercise on circulating erythroid progenitors and markers of erythropoiesis
Authors: Spiropoulos Antonia , Goussetis Evgenios , Margeli Alexandra , Premetis Evangelos , Skenderi Katerina , Graphakos Stelios , Baltopoulos Panayiotis , Tsironi Maria , Papassotiriou Ioannis
Published: December 2009

Background: Exercise in humans augments the mobilization of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34+) from the bone marrow. We investigated the effect of inflammation on erythroid marrow activity by mobilization of erythroid progenitor cells (EPs) along with soluble markers of erythropoiesis.

Methods: Ten healthy athletes who participated in an ultradistance foot race participated in the study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, before (phase I), at the end (phase II), and at 48 h post-race (phase III). EPs were detected as burst colony forming units (BFU-e) and colonies were scored at day 14. Markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, serum amyloid-A, interleukin-6, ferritin and S100B) and bone marrow activity (erythropoietin, soluble transferrin receptor and lipocalin-2) were assessed.

Results: An approximately three-fold decrease in BFU-e number was observed at phase II. sTfR concentrations were also decreased at phase II and remained decreased at phase III. However, EPO and lipocalin-2 concentrations reached a maximum value at phase II, with a tendency to decrease at phase III.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that exercise-induced inflammation modulates bone marrow homeostasis leading to an increase in leukocyte turnover and a decrease in erythroid compartment. It appears that lipocalin-2 is the main factor that regulates the production and mobilization of EPs.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:199–203.
A novel sensitive immunoassay by nucleic acid barcode dot and its application in the detection of prostate-specific antigen
Authors: Kong Xiao-Li , Qi Hui , Zhou Han-Xin , Ren Li-Li , Deng Chong-Yan , Li Fu-Rong
Published: December 2009

Background: The sensitivity and selectivity of traditional methods limits ultramicro detection of proteins. Bio-barcode amplification detection methods based on nanotechnology enables ultramicro detection of protein. However, bio-barcode amplification detection depends on the oligonucleotides being fixed on a glass chip. It also requires specialized equipment, which limits its application. We introduce a nano-nucleic acid barcode dot detection technology to determine ultramicro concentrations of protein. The method is simple, quick and accurate.

Methods: Magnetic probe (IgG-M) and dual-labeled gold nanoparticle bio-probe (IgG-Au-DNA) were prepared. Protein was captured using a sandwich assay technique and magnetic separation was used. The DNA barcode was released with dithiothreitol (DTT) and detected directly without the requirement for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from 135 patients was detected with this method and compared with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA).

Results: Each IgG-Au-DNA could be covered with 138±47 oligonucleotides and 11±3 antibodies. The IgG-M could bind 118 μg of antibody per mg. The sensitivity of nano-nucleic acid barcode dot detection technology might allow detection of 1 fg/mL. There were no significant differences in serum PSA from 135 patients when comparing the three methods (compared with ELISA, r=0.950; and with RIA, r=0.967).

Conclusions: The nucleic acid barcode dot method does not require special equipment or complex procedures, but its detection limit is 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than ELISA.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:279–83.
Artificial intelligence for diagnostic purposes: principles, procedures and limitations
Authors: Cleophas Ton J. , Cleophas Toine F.
Published: December 2009

Background: Back propagation (BP) artificial neural networks are a distribution-free method for data analysis based on layers of artificial neurons that transduce imputed information. It has been recognized as having a number of advantages compared to traditional methods including the possibility to process imperfect data, and complex non-linear data. The objective of this study was to review the principles, procedures, and limitations of BP artificial neural networks for a non-mathematical readership.

Methods: A real data sample of weight, height and measured body surface area from 90 individuals was used as an example. SPSS 17.0 with neural network add-on was used for the analysis. The predicted body surface from a two hidden layer BP neural network was compared to the body surface calculated by the Haycock equation.

Results: Both the predicted values from the neural network and from the Haycock equation were close to the measured values. A linear regression analysis with neural network as predictor produced an r2-value of 0.983, while the Haycock equation produced an r2-value of 0.995 (r2>0.95 is a criterion for accurate diagnostic testing).

Conclusions: BP neural networks may, sometimes, predict clinical diagnoses with accuracies similar to those of other methods. However, traditional statistical procedures, such as regression analyses need to be added for testing their accuracies against alternative methods. Nonetheless, BP neural networks have great potential through their ability to learn by example instead of learning by theory.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:159–65.
Some Features of Prosodic Elements and Vowel Phonemes of the Northern Aukštaitian Dialect of Panevėžys of Lithuania
Authors: Kačiuškienė Genovaitė
Published: December 2009

This article attempts to give some features of prosodic elements and vowel phonemes of the Northern Aukštaitian (East-Aukštaitian) dialect of Panevėžys of Lithuania. It is based on widely published material of the Northern Aukštaitian dialect of Panevėžys studies. The purpose of this article is to show, on the one hand, that phonetic phenomena exist in this dialect, and, on the other hand, how these phenomena can be interpreted from a phonological point of view.
Les langues minoritaires en Méditerranée occidentale : entre régression, affirmation et mondialisation
Authors: Manzano Francis
Published: December 2009

The western Mediterranean constitutes a traditional zone of meeting of several types of languages and of dialectal profusion. The system can be easily interpreted by means of a diglossic organization between dominated poles (minority languages) and dominant poles (vehicular languages, States languages), clearly recognizable. In an historic phase where the centralist economic pressures are very strong (globalization), it is interesting to question the whole system of these languages and linguistic landscapes, notably the romance landscapes. We can then begin to understand that are appearing particular modalities of management of these different sorts of languages corresponding to three models (France, Spain and Italy). Each of these models gives us an outline of what could become the western Mediterranean in a near future.
Decreased serum TSH levels are not associated with mortality in the adult northeast German population
Authors: Ittermann Till , Haring Robin , Sauer Sybille , Wallaschofski Henri , Dörr Marcus , Nauck Matthias , Völzke Henry
Published: December 2009

Objective

Results of cohort studies on the association between decreased serum TSH levels and mortality are conflicting. Some studies demonstrated an increased mortality risk in subjects with decreased serum TSH levels, others did not. Even meta-analyses revealed contradictory results. We undertook the present study to investigate the association between decreased serum TSH levels and mortality in the large population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP).

Design and methods

Data from 3651 individuals from SHIP without known thyroid disorders or thyroid treatment were analyzed. Serum TSH, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine levels were determined by immunochemiluminescent procedures. Decreased TSH was defined as serum TSH levels below 0.25 mIU/l. Cox regression was used to associate decreased TSH levels with mortality.

Results

The median duration of follow-up was 8.5 years (30 126 person years). During follow-up, 299 individuals (6.9%) died corresponding to a death rate of 9.92 deaths per 1000 person years. Survival time was shorter in subjects with decreased serum TSH levels compared to euthyroid individuals. After adjustment for age and sex, however, there was no association between decreased serum TSH levels and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.67; 1.36). Likewise, decreased serum TSH levels were neither associated with cardiovascular nor with cancer mortality.

Conclusions

There is no independent association of decreased serum TSH levels with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in the adult northeast German population. Although our study has some strengths, we cannot finally conclude on therapeutical implications in individuals with subclinical thyroid diseases.
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Upriver Migration by Sockeye Salmon Populations in the Wood River System, Bristol Bay, Alaska
Authors: Doctor K. K. , Hilborn R. , Rowse M. , Quinn T.
Published: December 2009

Knowledge of temporal segregation in migration timing among populations is critical for management of fisheries that exploit a complex of populations with an overlap in timing. We examined the potential for fishery selection on populations of sockeye salmonOncorhynchus nerkain the Wood River system, Bristol Bay, Alaska, by determining the relationship between migration timing (hence, vulnerability to fishing) and the population of origin and breeding date. We assessed migration patterns among populations with a multiyear mark–recapture study testing the hypotheses that the timing of upriver migration varies systematically with respect to spawning habitat, lake of origin, and spawning population. The results revealed organization in migration timing through the Wood River among populations spawning in the streams, beaches, and rivers of the system. The primary source of variation in migration timing among populations was spawning habitat and, to a lesser extent, the lake of origin. Stream‐spawning populations migrated before river‐spawning populations, consistent with the earlier spawning in streams than in rivers. However, beach‐spawning populations were among the earliest to migrate, yet they spawned as late as river spawners. A likelihood model revealed that spawn timing was not tightly coupled with migration timing by populations through the Wood River, and there was broad overlap in migration timing among spawning populations. Results also revealed a link between migration timing and arrival on spawning grounds within a population that was intensively sampled, indicating that early upriver migrants also tended to enter the spawning grounds before later‐migrating individuals. Fisheries that are selective with respect to timing can have strong effects on the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of the populations under such pressure, and the phenomenon of temporally biased fisheries merits further investigation.
An Evaluation of the Influence of Seasonal Base Flow and Geomorphic Stream Characteristics on Coastal Plain Stream Fish Assemblages
Authors: McCargo Jeremy W. , Peterson James T.
Published: December 2009

Water regulation and use have been identified as important limiting factors influencing stream‐dwelling fishes. To develop effective water management strategies, fisheries biologists need tools for assessing the effect of reduced streamflows on fish communities. We studied fish assemblages in the lower Flint River basin, Georgia, during two drought years with very low streamflow (2001–2002) and two postdrought years (2003–2004) with average to above‐average streamflow. Fishes were sampled and stream discharge was measured during the spring, summer, and winter of each year. Analysis of fish assemblage metrics indicated that fish species richness and total fish density were strongly and positively related to seasonal 10‐d low discharge. However, the effect of discharge varied with stream size and geomorphic channel characteristics, which suggested that a single low‐flow standard was unlikely to have the same effect across all streams in the basin. The effect of seasonal base flows also was greater in the spring and summer than in winter. Hierarchical occupancy models indicated that the fish species most sensitive to low base flows were those that were large bodied as adults, were intolerant to anthropogenic alterations, and occupied deep and fast current velocity habitats. When conducting environmental flow assessments at regional scales, managers should consider the effects of local stream reach characteristics on the response of fishes to streamflow alteration.
Efetividade do Órgão de Solução de Controvérsias da Organização Mundial do Comércio: uma análise sobre os seus doze primeiros anos de existência e das propostas para seu aperfeiçoamento
Authors: Varella Marcelo Dias
Published: December 2009

O presente artigo tem com objetivo analisar a atuação do Órgão de Solução de Controvérsias da Organização Mundial do Comércio, entre os anos de 1995 e 2007. Trata-se de um dos principais fóruns de solução internacional de conflitos, sobretudo em função da quantidade de contenciosos, de Estados envolvidos e de valores. O texto procura destacar o cumprimento dos procedimentos previstos; a originalidade dos mecanismos de estimulo à obediência das decisões: o ganho de legitimidade do sistema com o tempo e as principais sugestões de reforma em discussão.