bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of patients with TEL‐AML1‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia with single or multiple fusions
Authors: Al‐Sweedan Suleimman A. , Neglia Joseph P. , Steiner Marie E. , Bostrom Bruce C. , Casey Timothy , Hirsch Betsy A.
Published: June 2006

Background

The TEL‐AML1 fusion in precursor‐B ALL is generated by a cryptic 12;21 translocation that is detectable by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). It is generally considered a favorable prognostic indicator. Some TEL‐AML1+ ALL patients present at diagnosis with extra copies of the fusion, enumerated by FISH. The aim of the study was to determine whether additional copies of TEL‐AML1 have clinical significance.

Procedure

Charts of all TEL‐AML1+ ALL patients at the UM and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota between 1996 and 2004 were reviewed.

Results

Eight patients (7 males/1 female, mean age 46 months) with two or more TEL‐AML1 fusion signals and 24 with single TEL‐AML1 fusion signals (18 males/6 females, mean age 52 months) were identified. There was no statistically significant difference in age or gender between the two groups. Patients with double TEL‐AML1+ had a higher frequency of myeloid markers CD13 (P = 0.04) or CD33 (P = 0.003) than single TEL‐AML1+ patients. Single TEL‐AML1+ patients had higher WBC (P = 0.04) than double TEL‐AML1+ patients. A trend toward slower therapy response was seen in double TEL‐AML1+ patients versus single, (1 of 7 [14%] <5% marrow blasts on Day 7 vs. 13 of 23 [56%], P = 0.09). Double TEL‐AML1+ patients had a higher relapse rate (P = 0.09) than single TEL‐AML1+ patients.

Conclusions

Utilizing FISH to distinguish subgroups of TEL‐AML1 fusion patients may have important prognostic implications. The presence of an extra fusion may portend poorer prognosis. A larger and longer‐term follow‐up study will be required to verify the possible clinical significance of the presence of multiple TEL‐AML1 fusions. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:510–514. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chitosan and N‐carboxymethylchitosan: I. The role of N‐carboxymethylation of chitosan in the thermal stability and dynamic mechanical properties of its films
Authors: Miranda Maria Enoi Santos , Marcolla Catiana , Rodrígues Clóvis Antonio , Wilhelm Helena Maria , Sierakowski Maria Rita , Bresolin Tania Mari Bellé , de Freitas Rilton Alves
Published: June 2006

Chitosan (degree of deacetylation of 90.2%) and N‐carboxymethylchitosan (N‐CMCh) (degree of substitution of 18.5%) were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis in order to determine their thermal stability. Also, their films were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mechanical and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Both polymers showed a thermal degradation peak at Tm ∼ 250 °C, with Tonset and weight loss of 175 °C and 62% and 190 °C and 35% for chitosan and N‐CMCh, respectively. N‐CMCh showed a second thermal degradation peak at Tm = 600 °C, with an additional weight loss of 25%. Kinetic thermal analysis showed a slower process of degradation at 100 °C for N‐CMCh compared with chitosan, and an activation energy 13 times higher for the former, confirming the higher stability of N‐CMCh. Analysis of chitosan and N‐CMCh films showed that the latter support a high tension, with lower elasticity, and, as revealed by DMA, N‐CMCh has a more compact film structure, with a crossing arrangement of N‐CMCh fibers, as compared with the chitosan films which were determined from SEM analysis to have fibers in one direction only. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Preparation of a Novel Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) Material using Ethylenebisformamide as the Plasticizer
Authors: Yang Jin‐hui , Yu Jiu‐gao , Ma Xiao‐fei
Published: June 2006

In this paper, ethylenebisformamide was synthesized and used as a novel plasticizer for corn starch to prepare thermoplastic starch (EPTPS). FT‐IR spectra showed that the absorption bands of the C‐O groups of the starch molecules were shifted to lower wavenumbers, which indicated that a strong and stable hydrogen bond had been formed between ethylenebisformamide and starch. By scanning electron microscope (SEM) native individual corn starch granules were proved to transfer to a continuous phase. The crystallinity of native corn starch, GPTPS (glycerol plasticized corn starch) and EPTPS was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Water resistance of EPTPS was better than that of GPTPS. It decreased from 50.2% for GPTPS to 37.8% for EPTPS. The mechanical analysis showed that elongation at break increased markedly, being 260% for the EPTPS containing 35% (w/w) ethylenebisformamide. Thermal stability of GPTPSs and EPTPSs was also determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The glass transition temperature Tg, as measured by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), of EPTPS was higher than that of GPTPS.
Effects of forage composition and growing season on methane emission from sheep in the Inner Mongolia steppe of China
Authors: Wang Chengjie , Wang Shiping , Zhou He , Glindemann Thomas
Published: June 2006

Understanding the effects of dietary composition on methane (CH4) production of sheep can help us to understand grassland degradation resulting in an increase of CH4 emission from ruminant livestock and its resulting significance affecting CH4 source/sink in the grazing ecosystem. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of forage composition in the diet of sheep in July and August on CH4 production by sheep in the Inner Mongolia steppe. The four diet treatments were: (1) Leymus chinensis and Cleistogenes squarrosa (LC), (2) Leymus chinensis, Cleistogenes squarrosa and concentrate supplementation (LCC), (3) Artemisia frigida and Cleistogenes squarrosa (AC), and (4) Artemisia frigida, Cleistogenes squarrosa and concentrate supplementation (ACC). CH4 production was significantly lower in July than in August (31.4 and 36.2 g per sheep‐unit per day, respectively). The daily average CH4 production per unit of digestive dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increased by 10.9, 11.2 and 42.1% for the AC diet compared with the LC diet, respectively. Although concentrate supplementation in both the AC and LC diets increased total CH4 production per sheep per day, it improved sheep productivity and decreased CH4 production by 14.8, 12.5 and 14.8% per unit of DM, OM and NDF digested by the sheep, respectively. Our results suggested that in degraded grassland CH4 emission from sheep was increased and concentrate supplementation increased diet use efficiency. Sheep‐grazing ecosystem seems to be a source of CH4 when the stocking rate is over 0.5 sheep‐units ha−1 during the growing season in the Inner Mongolia steppe.
MCNPX benchmark for cosmic ray interactions with the Moon
Authors: McKinney G. W. , Lawrence D. J. , Prettyman T. H. , Elphic R. C. , Feldman W. C. , Hagerty J. J.
Published: June 2006

The MCNPX radiation transport code is used to simulate cosmic ray interactions within the Moon. Accurate source, geometric, and physics models are developed to successfully benchmark neutron density results with Apollo 17 measurements. The peak of the MCNPX lunar neutron density profile is shown to be within a few percent of the measured value, using a galactic cosmic rays modulation parameter that is consistent with the timeframe of the Apollo 17 mission. Sensitivity of the density profile to various input parameters and physics options is considered. Details of the simulation input are provided, along with neutron production and flux results, to facilitate additional benchmark efforts in the future.
Thickness diffusivity in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Eden Carsten
Published: June 2006

Thickness diffusivity (κ) according to the Gent and McWilliams parameterisation which accounts for eddy‐driven advection in the ocean, is estimated using output from an eddy‐resolving model of the Southern Ocean. A physically meaningful definition of rotational eddy fluxes leads almost everywhere to positive κ. Zonally averaged near surface values of κ remain smaller than 200 m2/s poleward of the polar front, increases between 60–45°S to about 600 m2/s and peak between 45–35° S at almost 3000 m2/s. κ stays high in the upper 500 m but decreases with depth and is essentially zero below 2500 m. In addition to the thickness diffusion (κ) there is eddy‐induced eastward (westward) advection of isopycnal thickness at the poleward (equatorward) flank of the ACC pointing toward strong anisotropic lateral mixing.
Membrane transporters in the relict plastid of malaria parasites
Authors: Mullin Kylie A. , Lim Liting , Ralph Stuart A. , Spurck Timothy P. , Handman Emanuela , McFadden Geoffrey I.
Published: June 2006

Malaria parasites contain a nonphotosynthetic plastid homologous to chloroplasts of plants. The parasite plastid synthesizes fatty acids, heme, iron sulfur clusters and isoprenoid precursors and is indispensable, making it an attractive target for antiparasite drugs. How parasite plastid biosynthetic pathways are fuelled in the absence of photosynthetic capture of energy and carbon was not clear. Here, we describe a pair of parasite transporter proteins, PfiTPT and PfoTPT, that are homologues of plant chloroplast innermost membrane transporters responsible for moving phosphorylated C3, C5, and C6 compounds across the plant chloroplast envelope. PfiTPT is shown to be localized in the innermost membrane of the parasite plastid courtesy of a cleavable N-terminal targeting sequence. PfoTPT lacks such a targeting sequence, but is shown to localize in the outermost parasite plastid membrane with its termini projecting into the cytosol. We have identified these membrane proteins in the parasite plastid and determined membrane orientation for PfoTPT. PfiTPT and PfoTPT are proposed to act in tandem to transport phosphorylated C3 compounds from the parasite cytosol into the plastid. Thus, the transporters could shunt glycolytic derivatives of glucose scavenged from the host into the plastid providing carbon, reducing equivalents and ATP to power the organelle.
Calcium-sensing receptor abrogates secretagogue- induced increases in intestinal net fluid secretion by enhancing cyclic nucleotide destruction
Authors: Geibel John , Sritharan Kumudesh , Geibel Rainer , Geibel Peter , Persing J. Scott , Seeger Achim , Roepke Torsten K. , Deichstetter Markus , Prinz Christian , Cheng Sam X. , Martin David , Hebert Steven C.
Published: June 2006

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) provides a fundamental mechanism for diverse cells to detect and respond to modulations in the ionic and nutrient compositions of their extracellular milieu. The roles for this receptor are largely unknown in the intestinal tract, where epithelial cells are normally exposed to large variations in extracellular solutes. Here, we show that colonic CaSR signaling stimulates the degradation of cyclic nucleotides by phosphodiesterases and describe the ability of receptor activation to reverse the fluid and electrolyte secretory actions of cAMP- and cGMP-generating secretagogues, including cholera toxin and heat stable
Escherichia coli
enterotoxin STa. Our results suggest a paradigm for regulation of intestinal fluid transport where fine tuning is accomplished by the counterbalancing effects of solute activation of the CaSR on neuronal and hormonal secretagogue actions. The reversal of cholera toxin- and STa endotoxin-induced fluid secretion by a small-molecule CaSR agonist suggests that these compounds may provide a unique therapy for secretory diarrheas.
CP110 Cooperates with Two Calcium-binding Proteins to Regulate Cytokinesis and Genome Stability
Authors: Tsang William Y. , Spektor Alexander , Luciano Daniel J. , Indjeian Vahan B. , Chen Zhihong , Salisbury Jeffery L. , Sánchez Irma , Dynlacht Brian David
Published: June 2006

The centrosome is an integral component of the eukaryotic cell cycle machinery, yet very few centrosomal proteins have been fully characterized to date. We have undertaken a series of biochemical and RNA interference (RNAi) studies to elucidate a role for CP110 in the centrosome cycle. Using a combination of yeast two-hybrid screens and biochemical analyses, we report that CP110 interacts with two different Ca2+-binding proteins, calmodulin (CaM) and centrin, in vivo. In vitro binding experiments reveal a direct, robust interaction between CP110 and CaM and the existence of multiple high-affinity CaM-binding domains in CP110. Native CP110 exists in large (∼300 kDa to 3 MDa) complexes that contain both centrin and CaM. We investigated a role for CP110 in CaM-mediated events using RNAi and show that its depletion leads to a failure at a late stage of cytokinesis and the formation of binucleate cells, mirroring the defects resulting from ablation of either CaM or centrin function. Importantly, expression of a CP110 mutant unable to bind CaM also promotes cytokinesis failure and binucleate cell formation. Taken together, our data demonstrate a functional role for CaM binding to CP110 and suggest that CP110 cooperates with CaM and centrin to regulate progression through cytokinesis.
‘Where are you from?’: Identifying place1
Authors: Myers Greg
Published: June 2006

Many social research projects, such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys, take local place as a given: they choose participants from a particular place, take this place as background for what the participants say, ask them about place‐related issues, and correlate responses with different places. But people can identify places in different ways, in geographical or relational terms, and in different levels of scale. This study analyses passages in focus groups in which participants say where they are from, shows that participants generally take the question and answer as routine, and then shows the ways the interaction develops when this routineness is broken, amended, or called into question. When a participant revises their statement of where they are from, they adapt to what they see as the knowledge and stance of their interlocutor, they re‐present themselves, and they create possibilities for further talk, defending, telling stories, or showing entitlement to an opinion. I argue that the ways people answer this question, interactively, can tell us about them, and us, as well as about their map of the world.
The ‘mother knows best’ principle: should soil insects be included in the preference–performance debate?
Authors: JOHNSON SCOTT N. , BIRCH A. NICHOLAS E. , GREGORY PETER J. , MURRAY PHILIP J.
Published: June 2006

Abstract 1. Few entomological studies include soil‐dwelling insects in mainstream ecological theory, for example the preference–performance debate. The preference–performance hypothesis predicts that when insect herbivores have offspring with limited capacity to relocate in relation to a host plant, there is a strong selection pressure for the adult to oviposit on plants that will maximise offspring performance.

2. This paper discusses the proposition that insect herbivores that live above ground, but have soil‐dwelling offspring, should be included in the preference–performance debate. Twelve relevant studies were reviewed to assess the potential for including soil insects in this framework, before presenting a preliminary case study using the clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) and its host plant, white clover (Trifolium repens).

3. Maternal S. lepidus preferentially oviposited on T. repens plants that had rhizobial root nodules (which enhance offspring performance) rather than T. repens plants without nodules, despite plants having similar foliar nutritional quality. This suggests that adult behaviour above ground was influenced by below‐ground host‐plant quality.

4. A conceptual model is presented to describe how information about the suitability for offspring below ground could underpin oviposition behaviour of parental insects living above ground, via plant‐ and soil‐mediated semiochemicals. These interactions between genetically related, but spatially separated, insect herbivores raise important evolutionary questions such as how induced plant responses above ground affect offspring living below ground and vice versa.
Academic performance in nursing students: influence of part‐time employment, age and ethnicity
Authors: Salamonson Yenna , Andrew Sharon
Published: June 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a study examining the influence of age, ethnicity and part‐time employment on nursing students’ academic performance for second year pathophysiology and nursing practice subjects.

Background.  Age and ethnicity are known to be significant predictors of academic achievement among nursing students. The endemic nursing shortage has increased the impetus to diversify, resulting in more mature‐age students and students from diverse ethnic and cultural groups in nursing programmes. There is increasing pressure for nursing students to participate in part‐time employment whilst undertaking higher education, and this may affect their academic performance.

Methods.  A prospective, quantitative survey design was used to collect data from a regional university in Australia over a 2‐year period from 2001 to 2002. A total of 267 nursing students were included in the study.

Findings.  More than three‐quarters (78%) of second year students were participating in paid employment, with the majority in nursing‐related jobs. Of those working, half did so more than 16 hours per week during the semester. Students who were not in paid employment had the highest academic achievements in both pathophysiology and nursing practice. Age was positively related with academic performance, but hours of part‐time employment and ethnicity were negatively associated with academic performance, with the amount of time spent in paid employment being the strongest predictor of academic performance in both pathophysiology and nursing practice.

Conclusion.  Working more than 16 hours per week had a detrimental impact on the academic performance of nursing students. More importantly, this study shows that nursing‐related employment is not advantageous to students’ academic performance, even for a nursing practice‐based subject. If the current practice of employing nursing students in clinical settings is to continue, this experience needs to be aligned to the academic curriculum if it is to be beneficial to students’ knowledge and skill acquisition.
Transition: a literature review
Authors: Kralik Debbie , Visentin Kate , Van Loon Antonia
Published: June 2006

Aim.  This paper reports a comprehensive literature review exploring how the term ‘transition’ has been used in the health literature.

Background.  The meaning of transition has varied with the context in which the term has been used. The last 3 decades have seen altered understandings in the concept of transition in the social science and health disciplines, with nurses contributing to more recent understandings of the transition process as it relates to life and health.

Method.  The CINAHL, Medline, Sociofile and Psychlit databases were accessed and papers published between 1994 and 2004 were retrieved to answer the questions ‘How is the word transition used?’ and ‘What is the concept of transition informing?’ Transition theoretical frameworks were also explored.

Findings.  Widespread use of the word ‘transition’ suggests that it is an important concept. Transitional definitions alter according to the disciplinary focus, but most agree that transition involves people's responses during a passage of change. Transition occurs over time and entails change and adaptation, for example developmental, personal, relational, situational, societal or environmental change, but not all change engages transition. Reconstruction of a valued self‐identity is essential to transition. Time is an essential element in transition and therefore longitudinal studies are required to explore the initial phase, midcourse experience and outcome of the transition experience.

Conclusion.  Transition is the way people respond to change over time. People undergo transition when they need to adapt to new situations or circumstances in order to incorporate the change event into their lives. Transition is a concept that is important to nursing; however, to further develop understandings, research must extend beyond single events or single responses. Longitudinal comparative and longitudinal cross‐sectional inquiries are required to further develop the concept.
Towards a nursing minimum data set for Ireland: making Irish nursing visible
Authors: Butler Michelle , Treacy Margaret , Scott Anne , Hyde Abbey , Mac Neela Pádraig , Irving Kate , Byrne Anne , Drennan Jonathan
Published: June 2006

Aim. The aim of this study was to identify patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes to be included in a nursing minimum data set for Ireland.

Background. In 2002, a research programme funded by the Irish Health Research Board, was established to develop and test a nursing minimum data set to capture the nursing contribution to patient care in Ireland. A nursing minimum data set is comprised of the smallest number of information items required to capture the range of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes recorded by nurses on a regular basis. Nursing minimum data sets have been developed in several countries for a range of applications such as workforce planning, financing nursing care, examining patient profiles and forecasting trends in nursing diagnoses.

Method. Eleven focus groups were conducted with 59 registered general nurses to explore their conceptualizations of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes. In addition, data relating to nurses’ recordings of patient problems, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes were collected from a sample of 45 sets nursing records. The research took place between January 2003 and April 2004.

Findings. A range of patient problems, nursing interventions and outcomes were identified that were similar to those found in existing nursing minimum data sets. However, several new items and categories of items were also identified, justifying the empirical approach taken to generate the initial list of items. Data from nursing records supported several points raised in focus groups and also highlighted some inconsistencies between nurses’ perceptions and recordings of what they do.

Conclusion. Our research identified several new types of indirect interventions and managing/organizing activities in addition to items found in existing nursing minimum data sets. The importance of these aspects of the nursing contribution to patient care will be tested further in the development of the Irish nursing minimum data set.
Do written education materials that use content and design principles improve older people's knowledge?
Authors: McKenna Kryss , Scott Judy
Published: June 2006

Background/Aim:  Information may inform and empower clients to engage in their health care. Information can be provided in written form, but it is only effective if it can be read and understood by clients. This study examined whether the knowledge acquisition of participants aged 65 years and older improved more after reading leaflets revised according to content and design principles compared to the leaflets in their original form.

Methods:  Seven participant pairs (mean age was 74 years, 79% were women), matched according to reading ability, read either the original or the revised versions of four leaflets used by occupational therapists with older clients. Knowledge before and after reading the leaflets was measured using true/false tests developed for each leaflet.

Results:  After adjusting for differences in baseline knowledge scores, participants who read the revised leaflets acquired 55.3% more knowledge than those who read the original leaflets. All but one participant preferred the revised versions of the leaflets.

Conclusions:  Simply written and clearly presented written education materials may improve clients’ understanding of the content. Further research is needed to determine if one or a combination of the content and design principles used to revise the leaflets is effective in increasing clients’ knowledge.
Urodynamic studies in the evaluation of young men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: TOH KHAI‐LEE , NG CHEE‐KWAN
Published: June 2006

Aim:  To evaluate the usefulness of urodynamic study in young men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods:  We reviewed the charts of 50 men with LUTS aged 50 years and below. Those with neurological diseases, urethral trauma or strictures were excluded. All underwent multichannel urodynamic studies (UDS). The pre‐ and post‐UDS diagnoses and treatment modalities were compared.

Results:  Mean age was 38.1 years (17–49). The main pre‐UDS diagnoses included prostatitis in seven (14%), overactive bladder in seventeen (34%) and benign prostatic hyperplasia in nine (18%). Pre‐UDS management ranged from anticholingeric agents for thirteen (26%), α‐adrenergic antagonists for nine (18%), antibiotics for six (12%). Abnormal UDS were noted in 36 (72%), including detrusor overactivity in 9 (18%), detrusor underactivity/acontractility in 5 (10%) and bladder outlet obstruction in 21 (42%). Fourteen (28%) had primary bladder neck dysfunction and five (10%) had benign prostatic hyperplasia. Post‐UDS management included anticholingeric agents for ten (26%), α‐adrenergic antagonists for seventeen (34%), catheterization for four (10%), behavioral therapy for three (6%), surgery for three (6%). None were prescribed antibiotics.

Following UDS, the diagnosis had to be updated in 40 (80%) and concomitant change in management was required in 34 (68%).

Conclusion:  Young men presenting with LUTS have different underlying etiologies. Clinical diagnosis and treatment are often empiric and inaccurate. Urodynamic study is useful in the evaluation of this group of patients as it aids in arriving at an accurate diagnosis and guides treatment therapy.
Perforating ocular injury by Taser
Authors: Chen Sandy L , Richard Christen K , Murthy Raghu C , Lauer Andreas K
Published: June 2006

Abstract

This report describes the features, treatment and outcome of globe perforation by a Taser dart electrode in a 21‐year‐old man. The Taser electrode caused mechanical iris, lens and retinal injury and consequent retinal detachment as result of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The effect of electrical stimulation on ocular tissues is unknown. After the scleral and corneal wounds, traumatic cataract and retinal tear were repaired, the patient regained a visual acuity of 6/18. Nine months later a retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy was discovered. The Taser may cause globe perforation and posterior segment injury. Understanding the barbed configuration of the dart electrode is important when extricating this device. Visual recovery is possible despite electric discharge of the Taser and suggests that the mechanism of ocular injury is largely mechanical.
Genetic variation in platelet integrin αIIbβ3 (GPIIb/IIIa) and the metastatic potential of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: KALLIO JUKKA P. , MIKKELSSON JUSSI , TAMMELA TEUVO L.J. , KARHUNEN PEKKA J. , KELLOKUMPU‐LEHTINEN PIRKKO
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether genetic polymorphisms in platelet receptors known to be associated with platelet activity have any association with haematogenous metastases in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as platelets and their fibrinogen receptors may be central to haematogenous cancer spread, in addition to various adhesive proteins on both platelets and tumour cells on themselves.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The glycoprotein αIIbβ3 (GPIIb/IIIa) is the main fibrinogen receptor on platelets, with GPIb‐IX‐V and GPIa/IIa being the von Willebrand Factor and collagen receptors, respectively. In a cross‐sectional survey of 128 men treated for RCC (55 with disseminated disease and 73 with a local disease), they were genotyped using DNA extracted from freshly drawn blood, and central clinical data were recorded.

RESULTS

The frequency of possessing the GPIIIaPlA2 allele among patients with metastatic RCC was 43.6%, and with local disease was 24.7% (P = 0.024). The frequencies of the different alleles of the GIB‐IX‐V, C3550T and GPIa/IIa C807T polymorphisms did not differ between the groups. In a stepwise logistic regression (metastatic vs local RCC) the PlA2 allele remained a significant risk factor, with an odds ratio of 2.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.1–6.5; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

The prothrombotic PlA2 allele of platelet fibrinogen receptor GPIIb/IIIa increased the risk of metastases in RCC in men.
Pathological changes of high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer after monotherapy with bicalutamide 150 mg
Authors: SCATTONI VINCENZO , MONTIRONI RODOLFO , MAZZUCCHELLI ROBERTA , FRESCHI MASSIMO , NAVA LUCIANO , LOSA ANDREA , TERRONE CARLO , SCARPA ROBERTO M. , MONTORSI FRANCESCO , PAPPAGALLO GIOVANNI , RIGATTI PATRIZIO
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the morphological changes induced by a 3‐month course of neoadjuvant bicalutamide 150 mg/day before radical prostatectomy (RP) on prostatic adenocarcinoma and high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 90 patients with cT1–T2 prostate cancer and HGPIN on prostatic biopsy were randomized to receive bicalutamide (150 mg/day for 3 months) before RP, or to have immediate surgery. Surgical specimens were assessed for the histopathological features of cancer, HGPIN and benign epithelium in a blinded manner. The volumes of prostate cancer and HGPIN were evaluated using a stereological (i.e. grid) method.

RESULTS

Compared with the bicalutamide‐treated group, the ratio of stroma to epithelium, evaluated by visual microscopic assessment in the normal epithelium of the three prostate zones, was significantly lower in the control group, at 2.27 (sd 1.13), than in the treated group, at 1.87 (sd 0.72) (P = 0.048). The mean (sd) tumour volume was significantly lower in the bicalutamide‐treated than in the control group, at 0.914 (0.13) vs 1.47 (0.24) mL (P = 0.044). Similarly, the mean (sd) volume of HGPIN was significantly lower in the bicalutamide‐treated than in the control group, at 0.34 (0.06) vs 0.62 (0.07) mL (P = 0.003). At RP, specimen Gleason scores in the bicalutamide‐treated group were similar to those in the control group, and were no different from the biopsy Gleason scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Involution and epithelial shrinkage of prostate cancer and HGPIN were evident after neoadjuvant treatment with bicalutamide 150 mg. There was no evidence of the emergence of higher‐grade cancer after treatment.
The relationship of ultrasensitive measurements of prostate‐specific antigen levels to prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy
Authors: TAYLOR JOHN A. , KOFF STACEY G. , DAUSER DEBORAH A. , McLEOD DAVID G.
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate ultrasensitive (US) measurements of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level in men with prostate cancer, and to correlate the findings with currently accepted values for PSA recurrence, as PSA is widely accepted as a surrogate marker for disease recurrence after treatment for prostate cancer, and although USPSA assays can detect minute quantities of PSA, the significance of this is unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 225 patients had a radical prostatectomy (RP) and were followed with USPSA measurements. PSA recurrence was defined as two or more consecutive increasing PSA values after RP of ≥ 0.200 ng/mL. This was deemed clinically significant if it was associated with adjuvant treatment with a repeated nadir PSA level, or a PSA level that continued to increase on watchful waiting. USPSA values were compared between patients who recurred and those who did not, to determine any association with PSA recurrence and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

There was a PSA recurrence in 21 patients; all had clinical evidence of recurrence. Although the difference in mean USPSA levels was statistically significant for those patients who did and did not recur, the overlap in values invalidated any clinical utility. However, an undetectable level achieved during the follow‐up appeared to confer a favourable prognosis.

CONCLUSION

After RP patients might have PSA levels detectable by USPSA assays, i.e. <0.1 ng/mL. The amount of ‘background noise’ produced within this range precludes the ability to use this test as a clinical indicator of disease recurrence. However, undetectable levels appear to confer a favourable prognosis.
What Do Children Want to Know About Animals and Artifacts?
Authors: Greif Marissa L. , Kemler Nelson Deborah G. , Keil Frank C. , Gutierrez Franky
Published: June 2006

Children's questions may reveal a great deal about the characteristics of objects they consider to be conceptually important. Thirty-two preschool children were given opportunities to ask questions about unfamiliar artifacts and animals. The children asked ambiguous questions such as “What is it?” about artifacts and animals alike. However, they were more likely to ask about the functions of artifacts, but about category membership, food choices, and typical locations of animals. They never asked questions about either artifacts or animals that would be considered inappropriate by adults. The results indicate that children hold different expectations about the types of information important for categorizing living and artifact kinds. Young children conceive of artifacts in terms of functions, but conceive of animals in terms of biologically appropriate characteristics. Such results speak to debates about the role of function in children's biological reasoning and to accounts of children's artifact concepts.
Influence of watercourse depth and width on dam‐building behaviour by Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)
Authors: Hartman G. , Törnlöv S.
Published: June 2006

Dam‐building behaviour is a distinctive feature of beavers; yet they often occupy streams or sections of streams where they do not construct dams. This study was designed to determine how stream depth and stream width influence dam‐building behaviour. Stream depth and stream width were measured at 39 beaver lodges, which did not have dams associated with them and at 74 dams. The mean water depth at the lodges was 1.16 m (range=0.55–2.0 m), while the mean water depth at the dam sites was 0.36 m (range=0.10–0.85 m). The stream width was greater at lodge sites (mean=11.15 m, range=1.0–40 m) than at dam sites (mean=2.5 m, range=0.5–6.0 m) A discriminant analysis classified 93% of the sites correctly as either lodge or dam sites.
Genital variation within and between three closely related Euxoa moth species: testing the lock‐and‐key hypothesis
Authors: Mutanen M. , Kaitala A. , Mönkkönen M.
Published: June 2006

Genital morphology shows peculiar patterns of variation among insect species. Traditionally, genital species specificity has been assumed to serve as a mechanical isolation system between species (the lock‐and‐key hypothesis). Most recent studies suggest, however, that such variation may also be because of sexual selection. These two hypotheses give different predictions on genital variation within and between species. We tested the lock‐and‐key hypothesis by morphometrically exploring variation and allometry in male genitalia in three closely related Euxoa moth species. Single genital characteristics usually show overlap between species. As a whole, internal genitalia distinguish species better than external genitalia. The size of genitalia is generally correlated with body size, but the relationship is strongly negatively allometric so that the size of internal genitalia increases least with body size. These findings support the lock‐and‐key hypothesis. Both external and internal male genitalia show morphometric variation both within and between species, but the variation is significantly smaller in external genitalia. As internal genitalia are assumed to work as ‘keys’ in moths, this finding does not support the predictions of the lock‐and‐key hypothesis. Therefore, we cannot unambiguously support or reject this hypothesis. Our results agree well with the sexual selection hypotheses, particularly, the one‐size‐fits‐all concept of the cryptic female choice hypothesis, which suggests stabilizing selection on genital size, but at the same time allows genital shape to vary relatively considerably.
Changes in Outlet Densities Affect Violence Rates
Authors: Gruenewald Paul J. , Remer Lillian
Published: June 2006

Background: Previous assessments of empirical relationships between alcohol outlets and rates of interpersonal violence have been conducted using cross‐sectional spatial data, data collected across small geographic units such as Census Tracts and zip codes. These assessments demonstrate that the availability of alcohol, measured by the number and types of alcohol outlets, is related to violence. These analyses have examined many potential confounds of the outlets–violence connection (i.e., population and place characteristics) and statistically corrected for biases that arise in analyses of spatial data. The current study contributes the first observation of longitudinal relationships between alcohol outlets and violence.

Method: The study examined longitudinal data from 581 consistently defined zip code areas represented in the California Index Locations Database, a geographic information system that coordinates population and ecological data with spatial attributes for areas across the state. Six years of data were collected on features of local populations (e.g., household size) and places (e.g., retail markets) thought to be related to 1 measure of violence (i.e., hospital discharges related to violent assaults). Assault rates were related to changes in population and place characteristics using random effects models with controls for spatial autocorrelation (n×t= 3,486 observations). Changes in population and place characteristics of bordering (spatial lagged) areas were also considered.

Results: Lower median household income and greater percentages of minorities (African American, Hispanic, and Asian) were related to increased rates of violence. Ten percent increases in numbers of off‐premise outlets and bars were related to 1.67 and 2.06% increases in violence rates across local and lagged spatial areas. Every 6 outlets accounted for 1 additional violent assault that resulted in at least 1 overnight stay at hospital. These effects increased with larger male populations, doubling with every 3% increase in percent males.

Conclusion: Assault rates were most strongly related to median household incomes and minority populations within zip code areas. Controlling for changes in assault rates related to these measures, greater numbers of licensed alcohol retail establishments, especially bars and off‐premise outlets, were related to rates of assault. Failures to regulate the growth in numbers of bars will increase rates of violence, especially in urban areas.
Electrical Conduction Properties of LaP3O9 Glass and Glass–Ceramics
Authors: Amezawa Koji , Tomiga Takamitsu , Yamamoto Naoichi , Hanada Teiichi , Tomii Yoichi
Published: June 2006

Electrical conduction properties of undoped and 1 mol% Sr‐doped LaP3O9 glasses and glass–ceramics were investigated over the temperature range of 673–1123 K. Both the materials showed relatively low conductivities in the glassy state. However, the conductivity of the Sr‐doped LaP3O9 glass significantly increased with a heat treatment above the crystallization temperature, while the conductivity of the undoped LaP3O9 glass did not improve even after the heat treatment. It was concluded that crystallization of the Sr‐doped LaP3O9 glass induced protonic conduction and thus enhanced the conductivity. Electrical conduction properties of the Sr‐doped LaP3O9 glass–ceramic fundamentally resembled those of the sintered crystalline Sr‐doped LaP3O9.
Synthesis of MgAl2O4Spinel Powder by Combination of Sol–Gel and Precipitation Processes
Authors: Ye Guotian , Oprea George , Troczynski Tom
Published: June 2006

MgAl2O4spinel precursor was prepared by a novel method combining a sol–gel process with the “traditional” precipitation process. The thermal decomposition and phase development of the precursor were analyzed, and the degree of agglomeration of the calcined powder was assessed by determining its particle size and crystal size. The optimum calcination temperature was determined based on the variation of specific surface areas, crystal size, and particle size. Completely crystallized ultrafine spinel powder (d50=600 nm, specific surface area=105 m2/g) was obtained after calcination at 900°C.
Temperature Dependence of Diamondlike Carbon Film Tribological Characteristics
Authors: Helen Xu G. , Liang Hong , Woodford John B. , Johnson Jacqueline A.
Published: June 2006

The tribological characteristics of a diamondlike carbon (DLC) film deposited on high‐speed steel were investigated systematically by using a ball‐on‐flat reciprocating tribometer over a range of temperatures (from −40° to 20°C). The results indicated that the temperature dependence of the DLC film's tribological behavior was associated with the counterpart material. DLC presented favorable tribological behavior while sliding on itself. However, when a steel ball slides against the DLC film, there is evidence that the heat generated has a significant impact on friction and wear. Microanalysis of wear tracks on the films showed that multiple wear mechanisms took place during testing. At higher temperatures, material transfer dominated the wear behavior, while fatigue‐induced microcracking was the predominant wear mechanism at low temperatures. Raman analysis indicated that the DLC film was mechanically worn rather than removed by tribochemical interactions between the friction pairs.
Histological and Ultrastructural Analysis of White Matter Damage after Naturally‐occurring Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Smith Peter M. , Jeffery Nick D.
Published: June 2006

Detailed analysis of the structural changes that follow human clinical spinal cord injury is limited by difficulties in achieving adequate tissue fixation. This study bypasses this obstacle by examining the spinal cord from paraplegic domestic animals, enabling us to document the ultrastructural changes at different times following injury. In all but one case, injury resulted from a combination of contusion and compression. There was infarction and hemorrhage, followed by gray matter destruction and the rapid development of a variety of white matter changes including axon swelling and myelin degeneration. Axons greater than 5 µm in diameter were more susceptible to degenerative changes, whereas smaller axons, particularly those in the subpial region, were relatively well preserved. Demyelinated axons were seen within 2 weeks after injury and, at later time points, both Schwann cell and oligodendrocyte remyelination was common. More subtle white matter abnormalities were identified by examining sagittal sections, including focal accumulation of organelles in the axoplasm and partial and paranodal myelin abnormalities. These observations serve to validate observations from experimental models of spinal contusion but also highlight the complexity of naturally occurring (ie, clinical) spinal injury. They also raise the possibility that focal abnormalities such as paranodal demyelination may contribute to early axonal dysfunction and possibly to progressive tissue damage.
Merging Fields: Stem Cells in Neurogenesis, Transplantation, and Disease Modeling
Authors: Scheffler Björn , Edenhofer Frank , Brüstle Oliver
Published: June 2006

Traditionally, applied stem cell research has been segregating into strategies aiming at endogenous repair and cell transplantation. Recent advances in both fields have unraveled unexpected potential for synergy between these disparate fields. The increasing dissection of the step‐wise integration of adult‐born neurons into an established brain circuitry provides a highly informative blueprint for the functional incorporation of grafted neurons into a host brain. On the other hand, in vitro recapitulation of developmental differentiation cascades permits the de novo generation of various neural cell types from pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells. Advanced tools in stem cell engineering enable not only genetic selection and instruction of disease‐specific donor cells for neural replacement but also the exploitation of stem cells as transgenic cellular model systems for human diseases. In a comparative approach we here illuminate the functional integration of neurons derived from endogenous and transplanted stem cells, the evolving technologies for advanced stem cell engineering and the impact of cloned and mutated stem cells on disease modeling.
TOPLESS Regulates Apical Embryonic Fate in
Arabidopsis
Authors: Long Jeff A. , Ohno Carolyn , Smith Zachery R. , Meyerowitz Elliot M.
Published: June 2006

The embryos of seed plants develop with an apical shoot pole and a basal root pole. In
Arabidopsis
, the
topless-1
(
tpl-1
) mutation transforms the shoot pole into a second root pole. Here, we show that TPL resembles known transcriptional corepressors and that
tpl-1
acts as a dominant negative mutation for multiple TPL-related proteins. Mutations in the putative coactivator
HISTONE ACETYLTRANSFERASE GNAT SUPERFAMILY1
suppress the
tpl-1
phenotype. Mutations in
HISTONE DEACETYLASE19
, a putative corepressor, increase the penetrance of
tpl-1
and display similar apical defects. These data point to a transcriptional repression mechanism that prevents root formation in the shoot pole during
Arabidopsis
embryogenesis.
Regenerative Adsorption and Removal of H
2
S from Hot Fuel Gas Streams by Rare Earth Oxides
Authors: Flytzani-Stephanopoulos Maria , Sakbodin Mann , Wang Zheng
Published: June 2006

Sorbent materials that allow for high-temperature, regenerative desulfurization of fuel gas streams for the anode of a solid oxide fuel cell have been developed. Reversible adsorption of H
2
S on cerium and lanthanum oxide surfaces is demonstrated over many cycles at temperatures as high as 800°C, on both fresh or presulfided sorbents, and at very high space velocities. The adsorption and desorption processes are very fast, and removal of H
2
S to sub–parts per million levels is achieved at very short (millisecond) contact times. Any type of sulfur-free gas, including water vapor, can be used to regenerate the sorbent surface. Preferably, the anode off-gas stream is used to sweep the desorbed H
2
S to a burner.
High-Resolution Thin-Film Device to Sense Texture by Touch
Authors: Maheshwari Vivek , Saraf Ravi F.
Published: June 2006

Touch (or tactile) sensors are gaining renewed interest as the level of sophistication in the application of minimum invasive surgery and humanoid robots increases. The spatial resolution of current large-area (greater than 1 cm
2
) tactile sensor lags by more than an order of magnitude compared with the human finger. By using metal and semiconducting nanoparticles, a ∼100-nm-thick, large-area thin-film device is self-assembled such that the change in current density through the film and the electroluminescent light intensity are linearly proportional to the local stress. A stress image is obtained by pressing a copper grid and a United States 1-cent coin on the device and focusing the resulting electroluminescent light directly on the charge-coupled device. Both the lateral and height resolution of texture are comparable to the human finger at similar stress levels of ∼10 kilopascals.
ON CONTACT PROCESSES IN CONTINUUM
Authors: KONDRATIEV YURI , SKOROKHOD ANATOLI
Published: June 2006

We introduce a continuous version of the contact model which is well known and widely studied in the lattice case. Under certain general assumptions on the infection spreading characteristics, we construct the contact process as a Markov process in the configuration space of the system.
A QUANTUM APPROACH TO LAPLACE OPERATORS
Authors: ACCARDI LUIGI , BARHOUMI ABDESSATAR , OUERDIANE HABIB
Published: June 2006

In this paper, a theory of stochastic processes generated by quantum extensions of Laplacians is developed. Representations of the associated heat semigroups are discussed by means of suitable time shifts. In particular the quantum Brownian motion associated to the Lévy–Laplacian is obtained as the usual Volterra–Gross Laplacian using the Cesàro Hilbert space as initial space of our process as well as multiplicity space of the associated white noise.