bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement in the routine screening performance of cytotechnologists over time
Authors: Brimo Fadi , Renshaw Andrew A. , Deschenes Majorie , Charbonneau Michele , Auger Manon
Published: August 2009

BACKGROUND:

Documenting the performance of gynecologic screening in actual practice settings is difficult to achieve. In the current study, the screening performance of 11 individual cytotechnologists as well as that of the overall laboratory over 2 consecutive time periods was examined using the rapid prescreening (RPS) method.

METHODS:

RPS was performed by all cytotechnologists in a single laboratory over 2 separate 8‐month periods. The sensitivity of screening for individual and groups of cytotechnologists was examined. For purposes of comparison, cytotechnologists were divided into 2 groups: screeners with an overall routine sensitivity ≥95% and screeners with an overall sensitivity <95%.

RESULTS:

Atypical squamous cells (ASC) were used as a threshold, and routine screening sensitivity was found to vary from 68.3% to 96.8%. The overall sensitivity of the laboratory for RPS and routine screening was 43.6% and 88.4%, respectively. Over time, the overall laboratory sensitivity of routine screening improved from 85.3% to 91.3% (P = .01). During this same time frame, the sensitivity of the screeners with an overall sensitivity <95% improved from 79.3% to 91.2% (P < .001), whereas the sensitivity of screeners with an overall routine sensitivity ≥95% remained the same (96.1% to 96.4%; P = .6).

CONCLUSIONS:

In addition to improved overall performance of the laboratory by detecting and correcting errors, the results of the current study indicate that using RPS consistently over time might play a role leading to improved performance of cytotechnologists with an overall routine sensitivity <95% but not of cytotechnologists with an overall routine sensitivity ≥95%. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Flow cytometry antibody screening using pooled red cells
Authors: Won Dong Il , Jung Ok‐Ju , Lee Yun Soo , Kim Sang Geol , Suh Jang Soo
Published: August 2009

Background:

For red cell alloantibody screening, the column agglutination technique (CAT) is used extensively, and flow cytometry (FC) screening has recently been demonstrated to be accurate, rapid, and cost effective. We attempted to determine whether the high sensitivity of FC allows pooling of screening red cells, which is generally not an acceptable technique in CAT.

Methods:

For FC screening, a commercial two‐cell screening panel was utilized for the preparation of individual cells (CSi), as well as pooled cells diluted 1 in 2 (CSp), and 1 in 3 (CS1/3). Another panel was pooled from 120 randomly selected group O donors (RSp).

Results:

Comparing the endpoint titrations of serial dilutions, CS1/3 was found to be one dilution, on the average, less sensitive than CSi. In 33 CAT‐positive patient samples, the sensitivities of CSi and CSp did not differ significantly without polyethylene glycol (PEG) (30/33, 26/33, respectively, P = 0.125), although they did differ significantly with PEG (32/33, 25/33, respectively, P = 0.016). The percentages of reactive cells among the total cells from RSp were roughly proportional to the relevant antigen frequencies of the local donors.

Conclusions:

A trend toward reduced sensitivity was observed using pooled red cells, even via FC. Pooled cells from randomly selected group O donors may be employed as another method by which the characteristics of known antibodies might be assessed. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society
Adult BM generates CD5+ B1 cells containing abundant N‐region additions
Authors: Holodick Nichol E. , Repetny Karen , Zhong Xuemei , Rothstein Thomas L.
Published: August 2009

The self‐renewing capacity of B1 cells infers homeostatic regulation; however, previous work suggests the low level of N‐region addition characterizing B1 cells early in life increases with age, which implies that the B1‐cell population is not a closed system. To explore this, we evaluated N‐region addition in CD5+ B1 cells generated from adult BM. Adult BM cells were marked with GFP introduced by mouse stem cell virus transduction, and were then adoptively transferred into lethally irradiated recipients. Within 2–3 months, we found GFP‐marked CD5+ B cells in the peritoneal cavities of recipients, which we demonstrate here meet a variety of criteria for B1‐cell traits including Mac‐1 surface expression; annexin, elfin, and Pax‐5 gene expression; mitogenic responsiveness to phorbol ester; and spontaneous immunoglobulin secretion. Notably, we found by single‐cell PCR that this population of BM‐derived CD5+ B1 cells expressed immunoglobulin with abundant N‐region addition (and little VH11/VH12 skewing), unlike CD5+ B1 cells obtained from unmanipulated animals but reminiscent of B2 cells. Further, we confirmed that native CD5+ B1 cells from older mice contain more N‐region additions than native CD5+ B1 cells from younger mice. These results suggest that adult BM progenitors contribute to the peritoneal CD5+ B1‐cell pool over time.
The factor structure of a Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale‐SF: use with alone elderly Chinese in Shanghai, China
Authors: Lai Daniel , Tong Hongmei , Zeng Qun , Xu Wenyan
Published: August 2009

Objective

This study aimed to examine the factor structure of a Chinese version of the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a sample of community dwelling elderly Chinese living alone in Shanghai, China.

Method

Data were obtained between August and October 2008 through face‐to‐face interviews, using a structured survey questionnaire, from a random sample of 228 Chinese who were 60 years and older and living alone in one of the aging communities in Shanghai, China. Depressive symptoms were measured by a 15‐item Chinese version Geriatric Depression Scale. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to examine the factor structure of the GDS.

Results

Over 30% of the elderly Chinese living alone reported having symptoms that indicated that they had mild or an above mild level of depression. Furthermore, the findings also indicated that the depression symptoms were loaded into a four‐factor model: 1) positive and negative mood; 2) energy level; 3) inferiority; and 4) disinterested, explaining over 58% of the total variance of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

The findings presented evidence of the applicability of the GDS to elderly Chinese living alone in China. This instrument would be useful for identifying potential depression concerns among elderly Chinese living alone. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transgenic expression of human wild‐type amyloid precursor protein decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus
Authors: Naumann Nicole , Alpár Alán , Ueberham Uwe , Arendt Thomas , Gärtner Ulrich
Published: August 2009

Besides its role in Alzheimer's disease, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is implicated in several physiological functions in neuronal tissue such as cell survival, neurite outgrowth, synaptic formation, and neuronal plasticity. The present study analyzed effects of human wild‐type APP (hAPP) overexpression on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in transgenic mice. Mice were housed under either standard or enriched conditions, the latter to boost neurogenetic activity. Different aspects of neurogenesis including proliferation, survival, and differentiation were assessed by employing the BrdU‐incorporation method and, in parallel, immunohistochemistry for the neuronal and glial markers NeuN and S100b, respectively. Overexpression of hAPP caused a significant decrease in cell proliferation under standard housing conditions. The relative increase in the proliferation rate following housing in enriched environment was not different to that observed in wild‐type mice. Overexpression of hAPP, on the other hand, promoted the survival of newly generated cells, but just under conditions of standard housing. Findings further suggest that overexpression of hAPP suppresses the phenotypic shift toward neuronal differentiation under conditions of enriched environment. In summary, the results reveal a dual effect of APP on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, comprising antiproliferative and prosurvival activities. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spectral analysis of electrocorticographic activity during pharmacological preconditioning and seizure induction by intrahippocampal domoic acid
Authors: Sawant P.M. , Mountfort D.O. , Kerr D.S.
Published: August 2009

Previously we have shown that low‐dose domoic acid (DA) preconditioning produces tolerance to the behavioral effects of high‐dose DA. In this study, we used electrocorticography (ECoG) to monitor subtle CNS changes during and after preconditioning. Young adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were implanted with a left cortical electrode, and acute recordings were obtained during preconditioning by contralateral intrahippocampal administration of either low‐dose DA (15 pmoles) or saline, followed by a high‐dose DA (100 pmoles) challenge. ECoG data were analyzed by fast Fourier transformation to obtain the percentage of baseline power spectral density (PSD) for delta to gamma frequencies (range: 1.25–100 Hz). Consistent with previous results, behavioral analysis confirmed that low‐dose DA preconditioning 60 min before a high‐dose DA challenge produced significant reductions in cumulative seizure scores and high level seizure behaviors. ECoG analysis revealed significant reductions in power spectral density across all frequency bands, and high‐frequency/high‐amplitude spiking in DA preconditioned animals, relative to saline controls. Significant correlations between seizure scores and ECoG power confirmed that behavioral analysis is a reliable marker for seizure analysis. The reduction ofpower in delta to gamma frequency bands in contralateral cortex does not allow a clear distinction between seizure initiation and seizure propagation, but does provide objective confirmation that pharmacological preconditioning by DA reduces network seizure activity. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preventive effects of etodolac, a selective cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitor, on cancer development in extensive metaplastic gastritis, a Helicobacter pylori‐negative precancerous lesion
Authors: Yanaoka Kimihiko , Oka Masashi , Yoshimura Noriko , Deguchi Hisanobu , Mukoubayashi Chizu , Enomoto Shotaro , Maekita Takao , Inoue Izumi , Ueda Kazuki , Utsunomiya Hirotoshi , Iguchi Mikitaka , Tamai Hideyuki , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Nakamura Yasushi , Tsukamoto Tetsuya , Inada Kenichi , Takeshita Tatsuya , Ichinose Masao
Published: August 2009

The present study investigated the preventive effects of etodolac, a selective cyclo‐oxygenase (COX)‐2 inhibitor, on metachronous cancer development after endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer. Among 267 early gastric cancer patients who underwent endoscopic resection, 47 patients with extensive metaplastic gastritis were selected based on endoscopic findings and our previously described criteria of serum pepsinogen (PG) test‐positive and Helicobacter pylori antibody‐negative conditions. Nonrandomized etodolac treatment (300 mg/day) was administered to 26 patients (Group A), while the remaining 21 patients were untreated (Group B). No significant differences in age, sex distribution, lifestyle factors or extent of metaplastic gastritis at baseline were identified between groups. Patients were followed for metachronous cancer development with endoscopy every 6–12 months for up to 5 years. Mean (standard deviation) follow‐up period was 4.2 (0.9) years. In Group B, 5 cancers developed (incidence rate = 6,266/100,000 person‐years), significantly more than the 1 cancer in Group A (incidence rate = 898/100,000 person‐years; p < 0.05). Long‐term etodolac treatment did not influence the extent of metaplastic gastritis as revealed by endoscopic findings or by serum PG levels, but effectively reduced metachronous cancer development in patients with extensive metaplastic gastritis. These results strongly suggest that chemoprevention of cancer in the metaplastic stomach is possible by controlling COX‐2 expression.
Dickkopf‐1 is overexpressed in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells and is involved in invasive growth
Authors: Takahashi Nobuyasu , Fukushima Tsuyoshi , Yorita Kenji , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Chijiiwa Kazuo , Kataoka Hiroaki
Published: August 2009

The protein products of the Dickkopf (DKK) genes are antagonists of Wnt glycoproteins, which participate in tumor development and progression by binding to frizzled receptors. In this study, the expression of DKK‐1 was analyzed in a panel of 43 human cultured carcinoma cell lines. DKK‐1 expression was consistently and significantly upregulated in pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Low level of DKK‐3 expression was also seen. In contrast, the expression of DKK‐2 and ‐4 was not detectable in most pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. The overexpression of DKK‐1 was confirmed in surgically resected human pancreatic cancer tissues, in which the mRNA level was evaluated in paired samples from cancerous and noncancerous pancreatic tissues. In ductal adenocarcinomas (23 cases), DKK‐1 mRNA levels were significantly upregulated compared to corresponding noncancerous tissues in a statistically significant level. To test the biological role of DKK‐1 in pancreatic carcinoma cells, we performed a knockdown of DKK‐1 in SUIT‐2 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line and S2‐CP8, its metastatic subline, using a retroviral short hairpin RNA expression vector. DKK‐1 knockdown resulted in reduced migratory activity of SUIT‐2 in vitro. The in vitro growth rate and Matrigel invasion were also suppressed by DKK‐1 knockdown in S2‐CP8 cells. Collectively, the evidence suggests that, despite of its presumed antagonistic role in Wnt signaling, DKK‐1 may have a role in the aggressiveness of pancreatic carcinoma cells and could, therefore, serve as a novel biomarker of pancreatic cancer.
Finger vein recognition using minutia‐based alignment and local binary pattern‐based feature extraction
Authors: Lee Eui Chul , Lee Hyeon Chang , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: August 2009

With recent increases in security requirements, biometrics such as fingerprints, faces, and irises have been widely used in many recognition applications including door access control, personal authentication for computers, Internet banking, automatic teller machines, and border‐crossing controls. Finger vein recognition uses the unique patterns of finger veins to identify individuals at a high level of accuracy. This article proposes a new finger vein recognition method using minutia‐based alignment and local binary pattern (LBP)‐based feature extraction. Our study makes three novelties compared to previous works. First, we use minutia points such as bifurcation and ending points of the finger vein region for image alignment. Second, instead of using the whole finger vein region, we use several extracted minutia points and a simple affine transform for alignment, which can be performed at fast computational speed. Third, after aligning the finger vein image based on minutia points, we extract a unique finger vein code using a LBP, which reduces false rejection error and thus the equal error rate (EER) significantly. Our resulting EER was 0.081% with a total processing time of 118.6 ms. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 179–186, 2009
Detection and segmentation of cervical cell cytoplast and nucleus
Authors: Lin Chuen‐Horng , Chan Yung‐Kuan , Chen Chun‐Chieh
Published: August 2009

This article aims to develop a method for the detection and segmentation of a cytoplast and nucleus from a cervix smear image. First, the technique of equalization method with Gaussian filter is adopted to eliminate noise in the image. Second, a new edge enhancement technique is proposed to work out the coarseness of each pixel, which is later used as a determining characteristic of reinforced object images. A two‐group object enhancement technique is then used to reinforce this object according to rough pixels. Third, the proposed detector enhances the gradients of the edges of the cytoplast and nucleus while suppressing the noise gradients, and then specifies the pixels with higher gradients as possible edge pixels. Finally, it picks out the two longest closed curves constructed by part of the edge pixels. Detection and segmentation performance of the proposed method is later compared with seed region growing feature extraction and level set method using 10 cervix smear images as example. Besides comparing the contour segment of the cytoplast and nucleus obtained by using different methods, we also compare the quality of the segmentation results. Experimental results show that the proposed detector demonstrates an impressive performance. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 260–270, 2009
Secure video distribution scheme based on partial encryption
Authors: Lian Shiguo
Published: August 2009

In TV program distribution, the receiver's identification information is embedded into video data in order to trace illegal distributors, and video data are encrypted in order to protect the confidentiality against unauthorized users. In traditional method, the TV program is firstly fingerprinted, then encrypted, and finally transmitted. ForNreceivers,Ntimes of encryption, andNtimes of fingerprinting operations are required, which makes the sender of high loading. In another method, the media content is decrypted and fingerprinted simultaneously by the joint fingerprint embedding and decryption, which is difficult to obtain reasonable performances. In this article, a commutative encryption and fingerprinting scheme is proposed to reduce the sender's loading. In this scheme, the TV program is firstly encrypted, then fingerprinted, and finally transferred. When compared with the traditional method, in the proposed method, only once encryption andNtimes of fingerprinting are required, which reduces the sender's loading greatly. Based on MPEG2 videos, a commutative encryption and fingerprinting scheme is presented, whose performances including security, efficiency, robustness, and imperceptibility are evaluated. Experimental results show that the scheme obtains good performances and is suitable for TV program distribution. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 227–235, 2009
Plant leaf identification using Gabor wavelets
Authors: Casanova Dalcimar , de Mesquita Sá Junior Jarbas Joaci , Bruno Odemir Martinez
Published: August 2009

This article presents a novel method of plant classification using Gabor wavelet filters to extract texture filters in a foliar surface. The aim of this promising method is to add to the results obtained by other leaf attributes (such as shape, contour, color, among others), increasing, therefore, the percentage of classification of plant species. To corroborate the efficiency of the technique, an experiment using 20 species from Brazilian flora was done and discussed. The results are also compared with texture Fourier descriptors and cooccurrence matrices. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 236–243, 2009
MUC1 is a substrate for γ‐secretase
Authors: Julian JoAnne , Dharmaraj Neeraja , Carson Daniel D.
Published: August 2009

Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which a normal cell avoids the oncogenic potential of MUC1 signaling requires further definition of the pathways by which the MUC1 cytoplasmic tail is processed in both normal and tumor‐derived cells. In the present study we describe the processing pathway initiated by TACE/ADAM17 cleavage of MUC1. Utilizing the human uterine epithelial cell line, HES, derived from normal endometrium, we show that endogenous full length MUC1 undergoes regulated intramembranous proteolysis mediated by presenillin‐dependent γ‐secretase. Cytokine‐stimulated HES cells exposed to γ‐secretase inhibitors accumulated a membrane‐associated 15 kDa fragment of the MUC1 C‐terminal subunit (CTF15). Inhibitors of TACE/ADAM17‐mediated shedding inhibited accumulation of MUC1‐CTF15 and MUC1 ectodomain release to a similar extent consistent with MUC1‐CTF15 being a product of TACE/ADAM17 action. Reduction of catalytically active γ‐secretase complex by nicastrin siRNA treatment also resulted in CTF15 accumulation. Furthermore, mature nicastrin, the substrate receptor for γ‐secretase, co‐immunoprecipitated with CTF15 in the presence of γ‐secretase inhibitors indicating the formation of CTF15: nicastrin complexes. MUC1‐CTF15 accumulation in response to γ‐secretase inhibition was demonstrated in both normal and tumor‐derived cells from humans and mice indicating that this processing pathway exists in many cell contexts. We did not detect products of MUC1 cleavage by γ‐secretase in the presence of various proteasomal inhibitors indicating that subsequent degradation is either non‐proteasomal or extremely efficient. We suggest that this efficient pathway attenuates potential signaling mediated by cytoplasmic tail fragments. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 802–815, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The influence of innate and pre‐existing immunity on adenovirus therapy
Authors: Zaiss Anne K. , Machado Hidevaldo B. , Herschman Harvey R.
Published: August 2009

Recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors have been studied extensively in preclinical gene therapy models and in a range of clinical trials. However, innate immune responses to adenovirus vectors limit effectiveness of Ad5 based therapies. Moreover, extensive pre‐existing Ad5 immunity in human populations will likely limit the clinical utility of adenovirus vectors, unless methods to circumvent neutralizing antibodies that bind virus and block target cell transduction can be developed. Furthermore, memory T cell and humoral responses to Ad5 are associated with increased toxicity, raising safety concerns for therapeutic adenovirus vectors in immunized hosts. Most preclinical studies have been performed in naïve animals; although pre‐existing immunity is among the greatest hurdles for adenovirus therapies, it is also one of the most neglected experimentally. Here we summarize findings using adenovirus vectors in naïve animals, in Ad‐immunized animals and in clinical trials, and review strategies proposed to overcome innate immune responses and pre‐existing immunity. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 778–790, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Critical role of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 in modulating the mode of cell death caused by continuous oxidative stress
Authors: Son Young‐Ok , Kook Sung‐Ho , Jang Yong‐Suk , Shi Xianglin , Lee Jeong‐Chae
Published: August 2009

Continuously generated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) inhibits typical apoptosis and instead initiates a caspase‐independent, apoptosis‐inducing factor (AIF)‐mediated pyknotic cell death. This may be related to H2O2‐mediated DNA damage and subsequent ATP depletion, although the exact mechanisms by which the mode of cell death is decided after H2O2exposure are still unclear. Accumulated evidence and our previous data led us to hypothesize that continuously generated H2O2, not an H2O2bolus, induces severe DNA damage, signaling poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1) activation, ATP depletion, and eventually caspase‐independent cell death. Results from the present study support that H2O2generated continuously by glucose oxidase causes excessive DNA damage and PARP‐1 activation. Blockage of PARP‐1 by a siRNA transfection or by pharmacological inhibitor resulted in the significant inhibition of ATP depletion, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, nuclear translocation of AIF and endonuclease G, and eventually conversion to caspase‐dependent apoptosis. Overall, the current study demonstrates the different roles of PARP‐1 inhibition in modulation of cell death according to the method of H2O2exposure, that is, continuous generation versus a direct addition. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 989–997, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of patients discharged from inpatient treatment for burnout: use of psychological characteristics to identify aftercare needs
Authors: Haberthür Annina K. , Elkuch Florina M. , Grosse Holtforth Martin , Hochstrasser Barbara , Soyka Michael
Published: August 2009

With increasing severity, burnout corresponds to a state of significant suffering with impaired social functioning, decreased quality of life, and psychosomatic complaints. The present study investigates (a) how former patients of an inpatient clinic for burnout therapy can be grouped on the basis of their psychological characteristics and (b) whether these groups correspond to different levels of residual symptoms (depression and burnout) and general mental health. Cluster analysis of psychological characteristics was used to form groups. Four specific groups could be identified (functionals, dysfunctionals, straightforward pragmatists, unhappy altruists). This grouping, with subsequent characterization according to symptom levels, provides important information indicating possible needs for aftercare and suggests areas for improvement of previous care. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1–17, 2009.
Rapid recycling of ClC‐2 chloride channels between plasma membrane and endosomes: Role of a tyrosine endocytosis motif in surface retrieval
Authors: Cornejo Isabel , Niemeyer María Isabel , Zúñiga Leandro , Yusef Yamil R. , Sepúlveda Francisco V. , Cid L. Pablo
Published: August 2009

ClC‐2 chloride channel is present in the brain and some transporting epithelia where its function is poorly understood. We have now demonstrated that the surface channels are rapidly internalised and approximately the 70% of the surface membrane protein recycles after 4‐ to 8‐min internalisation. Endocytosis of ClC‐2 was dependent upon tyrosine 179 located within an endocytic motif. Rapid recycling accompanied by an even faster internalisation could account for the abundant presence of ClC‐2 in intracellular membranous structures. At least a proportion of ClC‐2 resides in lipid rafts. Use of β‐cyclodextrin led to an increase in cell surface channel, but, surprisingly, a decrease in functionally active channels. We suggest that ClC‐2 requires residing in β‐cyclodextrin sensitive clusters with other molecules in order to remain active. Regulation of ClC‐2 trafficking to and within the membrane could be a means of modulating its activity. J. Cell. Physiol. 221: 650–657, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase type IV is a target gene of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Arrázola Macarena S. , Varela‐Nallar Lorena , Colombres Marcela , Toledo Enrique M. , Cruzat Fernando , Pavez Leonardo , Assar Rodrigo , Aravena Andrés , González Mauricio , Montecino Martín , Maass Alejandro , Martínez Servet , Inestrosa Nibaldo C.
Published: August 2009

Calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) plays a key role in the regulation of calcium‐dependent gene expression. The expression of CaMKIV and the activation of CREB regulated genes are involved in memory and neuronal survival. We report here that: (a) a bioinformatic analysis of 15,476 promoters of the human genome predicted several Wnt target genes, being CaMKIV a very interesting candidate; (b) CaMKIV promoter contains TCF/LEF transcription motifs similar to those present in Wnt target genes; (c) biochemical studies indicate that lithium and the canonical ligand Wnt‐3a induce CaMKIV mRNA and protein expression levels in rat hippocampal neurons as well as CaMKIV promoter activity; (d) treatment of hippocampal neurons with Wnt‐3a increases the binding of β‐catenin to the CaMKIV promoter: (e) In vivo activation of the Wnt signaling improve spatial memory impairment and restores the expression of CaMKIV in a mice double transgenic model for Alzheimer's disease which shows decreased levels of the kinase. We conclude that CaMKIV is regulated by the Wnt signaling pathway and that its expression could play a role in the neuroprotective function of the Wnt signaling against the Alzheimer's amyloid peptide. J. Cell. Physiol. 221: 658–667, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor protects cementoblasts from serum starvation‐induced cell death
Authors: Kajiya Mikihito , Shiba Hideki , Fujita Tsuyoshi , Takeda Katsuhiro , Uchida Yuushi , Kawaguchi Hiroyuki , Kitagawa Masae , Takata Takashi , Kurihara Hidemi
Published: August 2009

Our previous studies have shown that brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) enhances bone/cementum‐related protein gene expression through the TrkB‐c‐Raf‐ERK1/2‐Elk‐1 signaling pathway in cementoblasts, which play a critical role in the establishment of a functional periodontal ligament. To clarify how BDNF regulates survival in cementoblasts, we examined its effects on cell death induced by serum starvation in immortalized human cementoblast‐like (HCEM) cells. BDNF inhibited the death of HCEM cells. Small‐interfering RNA (siRNA) for TRKB, a high affinity receptor for BDNF, and for Bcl‐2, countered the BDNF‐induced decrease in dead cell number. In addition, LY294002, a PI3‐kinase inhibitor; SH‐6, an Akt inhibitor; and PDTC, a nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) inhibitor, but not PD98059, an ERK1/2 inhibitor, abolished the protective effect of BDNF against cell death. BDNF enhanced phosphorylated Akt levels, NF‐κB activity in the nucleus, Bcl‐2 mRNA levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential. The blocking of BDNF's actions by treatment with siRNA in all cases for TRKB and Bcl‐2, LY294002, SH‐6, and PDTC suppressed the enhancement. These findings provide the first evidence that a TrkB‐PI3‐kinase‐Akt‐NF‐κB‐Bcl‐2 signaling pathway triggered by BDNF and the subsequent protective effect of BDNF on mitochondrial membrane potential are required to rescue HCEM cells from serum starvation‐induced cell death. Furthermore, the survival and increased expression of bone/cementum‐related proteins induced by BDNF in HCEM cells occur through different signaling pathways. J. Cell. Physiol. 221: 696–706, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An asymptotic version of a conjecture by Enomoto and Ota
Authors: Magnant Colton , Martin Daniel M.
Published: August 2009

In 2000, Enomoto and Ota [J Graph Theory 34 (2000), 163–169] stated the following conjecture. Let G be a graph of order n, and let n1, n2, …, nk be positive integers with . If σ2(G)≥n+ k−1, then for any k distinct vertices x1, x2, …, xk in G, there exist vertex disjoint paths P1, P2, …, Pk such that |Pi|=ni and xi is an endpoint of Pi for every i, 1≤i≤k. We prove an asymptotic version of this conjecture in the following sense. For every k positive real numbers γ1, …, γk with , and for every ε>0, there exists n0 such that for every graph G of order n≥n0 with σ2(G)≥n+ k−1, and for every choice of k vertices x1, …, xk∈V(G), there exist vertex disjoint paths P1, …, Pk in G such that , the vertex xi is an endpoint of the path Pi, and (γi−ε)n<|Pi|<(γi + ε)n for every i, 1≤i≤k. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 37–51, 2010
Automatic segmentation of intra‐abdominal and subcutaneous adipose tissue in 3D whole mouse MRI
Authors: Ranefall Petter , Bidar Abdel Wahad , Hockings Paul D.
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To fully automate intra‐abdominal (IAT) and total adipose tissue (TAT) segmentation in mice to replace tedious and subjective manual segmentation.

Materials and Methods

A novel transform codes each voxel with the radius of the narrowest passage on the widest possible three‐dimensional (3D) path to any voxel in the target object to select appropriate IAT seed points. Then competitive region growing is performed on a distance transform of the fat mask such that competing classes meet at narrow passages effectively segmenting the IAT and subcutaneous adipose compartments. Fully automatic segmentations were conducted on 32 3D mouse images independent to those used for algorithm development.

Results

Automatic processing worked on all 32 images and took 28 s on a 3.6 GHz Pentium computer with 2.0 GB RAM. Manual segmentation by an experienced operator typically took 1 h per 3D image. The correlation coefficients between manual and automated segmentation of TAT and IAT were 0.97 and 0.94, respectively.

Conclusion

The fully automatic method correlates well with manual segmentation and dramatically speeds up segmentation allowing MRI to be used in the anti‐obesity drug discovery pipeline. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:554–560. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved in vivo measurement of myocardial transverse relaxation with 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Cobb Jared Guthrie , Paschal Cynthia B.
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To develop practical methods at 3 Tesla (T) for measuring myocardial transverse relaxation in normal human myocardium.

Materials and Methods

Ten healthy volunteers were investigated with four multi‐echo, turbo spin‐echo (TSE) methods. Each method traded acquired phase encoding lines per image for echo‐image sample points obtained along the T2 decay curve. Four multi‐echo turbo field‐echo (TFE) methods were also tested. The TFE methods highlighted differences between achievable receiver bandwidth and echo time constraints versus the number of sample points obtained along the T decay curve.

Results

Measured transverse relaxation values were consistent in reported means across all scan methods. T2 for the ventricular septum was measured as 58.8 ± 7.7 ms (N = 10). T for the ventricular septum was 31.6 ± 5.8 ms (N = 10). The variation of mean T2 or T within an region of interest improved significantly with increases in acquired echoes. Therefore, four or more echoes may provide for clear distinctions between regions of altered tissue composition within a subject.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the 4‐echo methods are best suited for measuring variations in transverse relaxation values in the mid‐ventricular septum. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:684–689. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Visualization of external carotid artery and its branches: Non–contrast‐enhanced MR angiography using balanced steady‐state free‐precession sequence and a time‐spatial labeling inversion pulse
Authors: Satogami Naoe , Okada Tomohisa , Koyama Takashi , Gotoh Kimio , Kamae Toshikazu , Togashi Kaori
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To evaluate visibility of the external carotid artery (ECA) and its branches using three‐dimensional (3D) balanced steady‐state free‐precession (SSFP) MR angiography with a time‐spatial labeling inversion pulse (Time‐SLIP), and to provide an optimal value of the inversion time (TI).

Materials and Methods

Peripheral‐pulse‐wave‐gated 3D balanced SSFP images were obtained in 20 healthy volunteers. Images with a Time‐SLIP using four different TIs (600, 900, 1200, and 1500 ms) and without a Time‐SLIP, referred to as sequence A to E, were acquired for each subject and compared for visibility scores of ECA system and relative signal intensity (SI) of ECA.

Results

Average Friedman rank for overall visibility was 1.63, 3.01, 3.59, 3.58, and 3.20 for sequence A to E, respectively. Sequence C and D yielded significantly higher visibility than sequence A, B, and E. The mean relative SI value was 0.97, 0.87, 0.81, 0.76, and 0.67 for sequence A to E, respectively.

Conclusion

Balanced SSFP MR angiography with a Time‐SLIP is superior to that without a Time‐SLIP, showing excellent visualization of ECA system in approximately 3 min in average with sufficient background suppression including veins and salivary ducts. A TI of 1200 ms was considered to be optimal for this purpose. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:678–683. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Validation and reproducibility of aortic pulse wave velocity as assessed with velocity‐encoded MRI
Authors: Grotenhuis Heynric B. , Westenberg Jos J.M. , Steendijk Paul , van der Geest Rob J. , Ottenkamp Jaap , Bax Jeroen J. , Jukema J. Wouter , de Roos Albert
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To validate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVMRI) with PWV determined from invasive intra‐aortic pressure measurements (PWVINV) and to test the reproducibility of the measurement by MRI.

Materials and Methods

PWVMRI was compared with PWVINV in 18 nonconsecutive patients scheduled for catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease. Reproducibility of PWVMRI was tested in 10 healthy volunteers who underwent repeated measurement of PWVMRI at a single occasion. Velocity‐encoded MRI was performed on all participants to assess PWVMRI in the total aorta (Aototal), the proximal aorta (Aoprox), and the distal aorta (Aodist).

Results

The results are expressed as mean ± SD, Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), and intraclass correlation (ICC). Good agreement between PWVMRI and PWVINV was found for Aototal (6.5 ± 1.1 m/s vs. 6.1 ± 0.8 m/s; PCC = 0.53), Aoprox (6.5 ± 1.3 m/s vs. 6.2 ± 1.1 m/s; PCC = 0.69), and for Aodist (6.9 ± 1.1 m/s vs. 6.1 ± 1.0 m/s; PCC = 0.71). Reproducibility of PWVMRI was high for Aototal (4.3 ± 0.5 m/s vs. 4.6 ± 0.7 m/s; ICC = 0.90, P < 0.01), Aoprox (4.3 ± 0.9 m/s vs. 4.7 ± 1.0 m/s; ICC = 0.87, P < 0.01), and Aodist (4.3 ± 0.6 m/s vs. 4.4 ± 0.8 m/s; ICC = 0.92, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

MRI assessment of aortic pulse wave velocity shows good agreement with invasive pressure measurements and can be determined with high reproducibility. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:521–526. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preoperative evaluation of pancreatic cancer: Comparison of gadolinium‐enhanced dynamic MRI with MR cholangiopancreatography versus MDCT
Authors: Park Hee Sun , Lee Jeong Min , Choi Hei Kyung , Hong Sung Hyun , Han Joon Koo , Choi Byung Ihn
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including dynamic imaging using three‐dimensional gradient‐echo (3D‐GRE) sequences and MR cholangiopancreatograpy (MRCP) compared with that of multidetector row CT (MDCT) with regard to resectability in pancreas cancer.

Materials and Methods

From February 2004 to July 2008, 54 patients (32 men, 22 women: age range, 28–83 years; mean age, 63.1 years old) with surgically proven pancreatic carcinoma, who had undergone preoperative gadolinium‐enhanced 3D‐GRE MRI with MRCP and triple‐phase MDCT, were included in this retrospective study. Two, clinically experienced attending radiologists independently reviewed the two image sets. These readers evaluated the tumor conspicuity, presence of vascular invasion, choledochal and duodenal invasion, lymph node metastases, distant metastasis, and tumor resectability. The results were compared with the surgical and histopathologic findings using receiver operating characteristic analysis (Az) and kappa statistics.

Results

Curative resections were performed on 42 patients. Regarding the tumor conspicuity, MRI had a significantly higher Az value compared with MDCT according to both reviewers (P < 0.05). The accuracy of resectability was Az = 0.753 and 0.768 on MRI and Az = 0.829 and 0.762 on MDCT for each reviewer, and the difference in the accuracy of resectability was not significant between MRI and MDCT for either reviewer (P > 0.05). Two imaging sets showed a similar diagnostic performance in the evaluation of vascular involvement, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis.

Conclusion

Dynamic 3D‐GRE MRI with MRCP shows superior tumor conspicuity and similar diagnostic performance compared with MDCT in evaluating the resectability of pancreatic cancer. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:586–595. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Two‐dimensional HPLC analysis of oligostyrenes: Comprehensive and online heart‐cutting techniques
Authors: Shalliker Ross Andrew
Published: August 2009

2‐D HPLC incorporating two reversed phase (RP) environments was employed for the isolation of oligomers and their diastereomers of low molecular weight oligostyrenes. The operation of a comprehensive method of analysis was compared to a heart‐cutting approach. The comprehensive approach employed a high resolution diastereomer separation in the first dimension and a low peak capacity C18, high speed separation according to molecular weight. Because of solvent incompatibility between the dimensions in the comprehensive method, successful separation of the diastereomers of the oligomers was not possible. The heart‐cutting approach used a C18 monolith in the first dimension, which was selective only for molecular weight. Entire molecular weight fractions were then transported to the second dimension in an online heart‐cutting process for the separation of diastereomers. The heart‐cutting process was more successful in that 228 components of the 511 within the sample were recognized. This series of separations was undertaken in less than 6 h.
Suicide risk factors and mediators between childhood sexual abuse and suicide ideation among male and female suicide attempters
Authors: Spokas Megan , Wenzel Amy , Stirman Shannon Wiltsey , Brown Gregory K. , Beck Aaron T.
Published: August 2009

The current study examined the manner in which childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history relates to risk factors for suicidal behavior among recent suicide attempters (n = 166). Men who recently attempted suicide and endorsed a CSA history had higher scores on measures of hopelessness and suicide ideation than men without a CSA history. Men with a CSA history were also more likely to have made multiple suicide attempts and meet diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. In contrast, there were fewer group differences as a function of CSA history among the female suicide attempters. Hopelessness was a significant mediator between CSA history and suicide ideation in both men and women.
Making the most of patent literature
Authors: Dijkstra Albert J.
Published: August 2009

In theory, the patent literature has always been a valuable source of technical information but in practice, it was difficult to get hold of the actual documents and to grasp their meaning. Nowadays, several websites make it much easier and cheaper to access the patent literature and for USA patents, a powerful search facility is also available free of charge. To take full advantage of this easier access to technical information, a better understanding of why and how patents are structured is required. The present article aims at providing this background information and thereby facilitate the use of information provided by the patent literature.
Facile Synthesis of Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes as Carriers for Conducting Polymers to be Used in Plastic Electronics
Authors: Wang Jianjun , Sun Ling , Mpoukouvalas Konstantinos , Fassbender Birgit , Bonaccurso Elmar , Brunklaus Gunther , Muehlebach Andreas , Rime François , Butt Hans‐Juergen , Wegner Gerhard
Published: August 2009

A two‐step method for the preparation of spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) has been developed. Copolymerization of styrene and divinyl benzene at the particle surface resulted in a large number of accessible vinyl groups. These vinyl groups reacted with sodium styrene sulfonate to give SPBs. The SPBs were used as carriers for conducting polymers resulting in redispersible conducting inks with good film forming properties. Direct current (DC) conductivity of the polypyrrole (PPy) loaded samples showed a percolating behavior as probed by impedance spectroscopy. Finally, device performance of organic light‐emitting diodes based on the conducting thin films assembled from the PPy loaded particles was tested.

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The Influence of Inter‐Fibre Fracture in Layered Laminates on Stiffness Degradation: A Numerical Investigation
Authors: Lambrecht L. , Michaeli W.
Published: August 2009

A detailed finite‐element analysis of possible influences on the stiffness reduction of layered laminates due to tolerable IFF has been carried out and the IFF accumulation has been calculated. It is shown that both the transverse Young modulus and the in‐plane shear modulus are degraded independently with increasing IFF density. The calculations show that the thickness of the layer affected by IFF has only a minor influence on the resulting degradation. In addition, it has been shown that the IFF accumulation can be calculated by applying the Puck criterion on the numerically calculated stresses.

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Polymeric Micelles Induced by Interpolymer Complexation
Authors: Lefèvre Nathalie , Fustin Charles‐André , Gohy Jean‐François
Published: August 2009

The self‐assembly of amphiphilic diblock copolymers in block selective solvents is well documented in the scientific literature. It gives rise to micelles in which the insoluble blocks form a core, which is surrounded by a corona that contains the soluble blocks. Another method to trigger micellization consists in introducing additional non‐covalent interactions such as electrostatic interactions or hydrogen bonding in an initially soluble block copolymer. The non‐covalent complexes that result from these interactions should be insoluble in order to induce micellization. Such insoluble complexes can be generated by mixing, in a non‐selective solvent for all the individual blocks, two block copolymers or a block copolymer and a homopolymer, that contain mutually interacting blocks. This mixing process may, therefore, lead to insoluble non‐covalent complexes, which further aggregate into micellar cores stabilized by the uncomplexed blocks. Such a strategy has been successfully implemented in both aqueous and non‐aqueous solvents to create interesting stimuli‐responsive systems, mainly using ionic interactions and hydrogen bonding. This feature article will summarize these approaches.

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A Facile Strategy for Preparation of α‐Heterobifunctional Polystyrenes with Well‐Defined Molecular Weight
Authors: Wang Yun , Lu Lu , Wang Hu , Lu Dairen , Tao Kang , Bai Ruke
Published: August 2009

A facile strategy for synthesis of α‐heterobifunctional polystyrenes is reported. The novel functional polystyrenes have been successfully synthesized via a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and chemical modification of end‐functional groups. First, ε‐caprolactone end‐capped polystyrenes with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity were prepared by ATRP of styrene using α‐bromo‐ε‐caprolactone (αBrCL) as an initiator. Then, removal of the terminal bromine atom was performed with iso‐propylbenzene in the presence of CuBr/PMDETA. Finally, ring‐opening modifications of the caprolactone group were carried out with amines, n‐butanol and H2O to produce novel polystyrenes containing two different functional groups at one end.

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A Critical Overview of Sensors for Monitoring Polymerizations
Authors: Fonseca Gabriela E. , Dubé Marc A. , Penlidis Alexander
Published: August 2009

The available on‐line and in‐line sensor technologies developed for polymerization reactors from 1990 until today are discussed and critically reviewed. About 600 references are included, which evidence the growth in sensor technology in the last two decades. Sensors for operational parameters in polymer reactors (i.e. temperature, pressure, level and flow) as well as sensors for polymer property monitoring (i.e. calorimetry, chromatography and spectroscopy, among others) are included. Complementary topics such as state estimation, multivariate statistical methods, fault diagnosis techniques and optimal sensor selection and location are briefly covered.

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A focal lesion in the falx cerebri: Harbinger of classic stage 4 neuroblastoma in an infant cured despite residual disease after minimal therapy
Authors: Kushner Brian H. , Kramer Kim , Modak Shakeel , Akhurst Timothy J. , Cheung Nai‐Kong V.
Published: August 2009

An asymptomatic 11 weeks old received no treatment after he was classified as having a suspected atypical form of MYCN‐nonamplified hyperdiploid stage 4S neuroblastoma (NB), with masses in an adrenal gland, subcutaneous tissues, and the falx cerebri. Within 2 months, however, disease progressed in dura and bone marrow. Two cycles of low‐dose chemotherapy achieved a partial response; treatment was discontinued. Complete remission was documented 24 weeks post‐cycle 2, and has continued >6 years. The falx cerebri probably does not represent an atypical site for stage 4S NB, but stage 4 NB with favorable biology is sometimes curable with minimal therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009; 53:1340–1342. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.