bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gingival Cell Proliferation Induced by Use of a Sonic Toothbrush With Warmed Silicone Rubber Bristles
Authors: Tomofuji Takaaki , Kusano Hiroki , Azuma Tetsuji , Ekuni Daisuke , Yamamoto Tatsuo , Watanabe Tatsuo , Kishimoto Takashi
Published: February 2005

Background: Toothbrushing promotes gingival cell proliferation, which may occur as the result of the physical stimulation of the gingiva. The present study evaluated the effects of temperature and silicone rubber bristles of a sonic toothbrush on gingival cell proliferation in dogs.

Methods: During the 5‐week experimental period, one quadrant in each of eight dogs received a different toothbrushing regimen: a manual toothbrush or a sonic toothbrush with 1) nylon, 2) silicone rubber, or 3) warmed silicone rubber bristles. The proliferative activity of gingival cells was evaluated based on expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).

Results: Use of the sonic toothbrushes produced a higher density of PCNA‐positive and total fibroblasts than did use of a manual toothbrush. The warm silicone rubber bristles resulted in a higher density of PCNA‐positive fibroblasts compared with the cooler silicone rubber bristle. The number of PCNA‐positive basal cells in the junctional epithelium also increased following electric toothbrushing with warmed silicone rubber bristles.

Conclusions: The sonic toothbrush with silicone rubber bristles induced gingival fibroblast proliferation to a greater degree than a manual toothbrush. Warming the silicone rubber bristles increased their stimulatory effects on the proliferative activity of gingival cells. J Periodontol 2004;75:1636‐1639.
Therapeutic Versus Prophylactic Plus Therapeutic Administration of Omega‐3 Fatty Acid on Endotoxin‐Induced Periodontitis in Rats
Authors: Vardar Saynur , Buduneli Eralp , Türkog͠lu Oya , Berdeli Afig Hüseyinov , Baylas Haluk , Başkesen Aykut , Atilla Gül
Published: February 2005

Background: The aim of the present study was 1) to evaluate the possible effects of therapeutic usage of omega‐3 fatty acid on the gingival tissue levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), platelet activating factor (PAF), and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in endotoxin‐induced periodontitis in rats and 2) to investigate whether prophylactic usage provides any additional benefits to therapeutic doses of omega‐3 fatty acid.

Methods: Experimental periodontitis was induced by repeated injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thirty‐six adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into four study groups: 1) saline controls; 2) LPS; 3) therapeutic omega‐3 fatty acid (TO3); and 4) prophylactic plus therapeutic omega‐3 fatty acid (P + TO3) groups. In TO3 group, omega‐3 fatty acid was given for 15 days following induction of experimental periodontitis. In P + TO3 group, omega‐3 fatty acid was started 15 days before baseline, and then periodontitis was induced at baseline and omega‐3 fatty acid was continued for 15 days after baseline. On day 15 after baseline, all rats were anesthetized and sacrificed. PGE2, PGF2α, and LTB4 levels in gingival tissue samples were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay and PAF levels were analyzed by radioimmonoassay. Data were evaluated statistically by using parametric tests.

Results: LPS injection resulted in significant amount of bone loss (P <0.05). Neither therapeutic nor prophylactic plus therapeutic administration of omega‐3 fatty acid with the doses and duration of therapy used in the present study was effective in preventing endotoxin‐induced alveolar bone loss. TO3 group exhibited significant decreases in the gingival tissue levels of PGE2, PGF2α, LTB4, and PAF compared to the LPS group (P <0.05). PGE2 and PGF2α levels in TO3 group were similar to those of the saline group (P >0.05), while LTB4 and PAF levels were statistically higher than the saline group (P <0.05). Prophylactic plus therapeutic usage of omega‐3 fatty acid provided similar levels of all these mediators to those of the saline controls (P >0.05).

Conclusions: Therapeutic omega‐3 fatty acid significantly reduced the gingival tissue levels of PGE2, PGF2α, LTB4, and PAF in experimental periodontitis. Furthermore, prophylactic usage of omega‐3 fatty acid provided additional beneficial effects to the therapeutic administration by decreasing the gingival tissue levels of these mediators to levels of healthy tissue. These findings should be verified by longitudinal clinical trials investigating clinical and biochemical periodontal parameters to better define the possible role of omega‐3 fatty acids in periodontal treatment. J Periodontol 2004;75:1640‐1646.
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Lipopolysaccharide Activates Matrix Metalloproteinase‐2 and Increases Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor‐κB Ligand Expression in Human Periodontal Ligament Cells
Authors: Tiranathanagul Siriluck , Yongchaitrakul Tussanee , Pattamapun Kassara , Pavasant Prasit
Published: February 2005

Background: The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of A. actinomycetemcomitans is one of the major pathogenic factors in periodontal disease. It induces secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and is involved in alveolar bone destruction. We hypothesized that the LPS of A. actinomycetemcomitans could affect the activation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin in human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells leading to the destruction of periodontium.

Methods: HPDL cells were cultured in serum‐free medium with or without the LPS of A. actinomycetemcomitans for 36 hours. The activation of MMP‐2 was analyzed by zymography. Changes of the expression of RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were examined by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and supported by Western blot analysis.

Results: The activation of MMP‐2 could be induced by the LPS of A. actinomycetemcomitans in HPDL cells and could be inhibited by a serine protease inhibitor. This result suggested that the LPS might activate MMP‐2 through a serine protease‐dependent pathway. This activation was also blocked by NF‐κB inhibitor, which indicated the involvement of NF‐κB. The upregulation of RANKL but not OPG by the LPS was found in both transcription and translation and could be reduced by indomethacin. In addition, serine protease inhibitor also inhibited the upregulation of RANKL, suggesting the activity of serine protease.

Conclusions: The effect of the LPS of A. actinomycetemcomitans on HPDL cells is serum‐independent and the induction of the activation of MMP‐2 and the expression of RANKL are serine protease‐dependent pathways. The results suggest the role of HPDL cells in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. J Periodontol 2004;75:1647‐1654.
Immunohistochemical Study of Cyclosporin‐Induced Gingival Overgrowth in Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Bulut Ömer Engin , Sökmensüer Lale Karakoç , Bulut Şule , Tasman Fügen , Müftüog͠lu Sevda
Published: February 2005

Background: Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressant widely used to treat transplant patients and various systemic diseases with immunological components. Gingival overgrowth (GO) is a common side effect of CsA administration; however, the pathogenesis of drug‐induced GO is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Ki‐67, activation molecules (CD71, CD98), leukocytes activation antigens (CD45, CD45RA, CD50, CD11a, CD162, CD227, CD231), neurothelin (CD147), and novel endothelial cell antigens (B‐F45, SCF87, BD46, B‐C44, VJ1/6) in gingival tissue in renal transplant recipients treated with CsA.

Methods: Tissues from 15 renal transplant patients with significant GO and 10 systemically healthy control subjects with gingivitis were studied. Frozen‐section biopsies were stained with monoclonal antibodies specific for the above‐mentioned antigens using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique.

Results: Comparison of the CsA‐treated and control groups revealed no significant differences with respect to expression of Ki‐67; CD50; activation molecules; neurothelin; or novel endothelial cell antigens B‐D46, B‐C44, and VJ1/6. However, expression patterns of CD45, CD45RA, CD11a, CD162, CD227, CD231, B‐F45, and SCF87 were significantly different in CsA and control groups.

Conclusion: Leukocyte activation antigens play an important role in CsA‐induced gingival overgrowth. J Periodontol 2004;75:1655‐1662.
Treatment of Intrabony Defects With Bovine‐Derived Xenograft Alone and in Combination With Platelet‐Rich Plasma: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hanna Raouf , Trejo Pedro M. , Weltman Robin L.
Published: February 2005

Background: In the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects, the benefits of adding platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) to a bone replacement grafting material have not been tested. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes obtained by the combination of PRP and a bovine derived xenograft (BDX) to those obtained from the use of the bone replacement graft alone.

Methods: Thirteen patients were enrolled in a randomized, split mouth, double‐masked clinical trial. Bilateral defects were matched according to their intrasurgical measurements. Qualifying defects had loss of attachment of ≥6 mm, a radiographically detectable defect of ≥4 mm, at least two remaining osseous walls, and not primarily related to a furcation involvement. After the hygienic phase, at the baseline examination, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and recession (REC) were measured. During open flap debridement, the defects were randomly assigned to receive either BDX mixed with PRP or BDX alone. Baseline osseous intrasurgical measurements were obtained. Post‐surgical follow‐up and maintenance were performed and PD, CAL, and REC were remeasured at 6 months. The mean baseline and 6‐month PD, CAL, and REC of the deepest buccal and lingual measurements related to the defect for each group were computed. The change from baseline to 6 months for each parameter measured was calculated. Pre‐ and postoperative comparisons were made between treatment groups at 6 months.

Results: Randomization of the defects resulted in comparable groups (P ≥0.05). At 6 months, paired t test comparisons within groups showed statistically significant benefits with both treatment modalities (P ≤0.05). The mean changes (Δ) at 6 months for the test and the control groups at the deepest sites were: PD reduction: 3.54 and 2.53 mm; CAL gain: 3.15 and 2.31 mm; and REC: –0.38 and –0.23 mm, respectively. Paired t test comparisons yielded significant differences between treatments for PD and CAL (P ≤0.05).

Conclusion: In this 6‐month clinical trial, the addition of a high concentration of autologous platelets to a bovine derived xenograft to treat intrabony defects significantly improved their clinical periodontal response. J Periodontol 2004;75:1668‐1677.
A Comparative Study of Root Coverage With Connective Tissue and Platelet Concentrate Grafts: 8‐Month Results
Authors: Cheung Wai S. , Griffin Terrence J.
Published: February 2005

Background: Gingival recession presents destruction of both soft and hard tissues. The objectives of this randomized clinical trial were to assess the clinical efficacy of platelet concentrate grafts (PCG) in the treatment of Miller Class I or II buccal gingival defects and to compare their soft tissue healing with those of subepithelial connective tissue grafts (SCTG).

Methods: Seventeen arches in 15 patients with bilateral gingival recessions were treated with SCTG and PCG covered by coronally advanced flaps. Vertical recession depth (VRD), clinical attachment level (CAL), clinical probing depth (PD), and width of keratinized tissue (KTW) were measured preoperatively and 8 months postsurgery. Surveys on post‐surgical discomfort level (PSDL) and manual platelet count were also performed. Esthetic outcomes were also evaluated. Paired t test, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi‐square and signed‐rank tests were used to access statistical significance (α = 0.05).

Results: Mean VRD statistically significantly decreased from 2.43 mm presurgery to 0.48 mm with PCG (80% root coverage) and from 2.48 mm to 0.17 mm with SCTG (95% root coverage). No statistically significant differences between the treatments were found for VRD, CAL, and KTW, while mean PD was significantly shallower in the PCG group (1.05 mm) than that in the SCTG group (1.79 mm). Complete coverage was achieved in 60% of the PCG group and in 65.5% of the SCTG group. PSDL was significantly lower in the PCG group 1 month post‐surgery. Platelet counts demonstrated a five‐fold increase in PC. Soft tissue in the PCG group demonstrated superior contour and texture matching when compared to the SCTG group.

Conclusions: The platelet concentrate graft may be an alternative graft material for treating gingival recession. Treatment with this graft may result in better esthetic appearance. J Periodontol 2004;75:1678‐1687.
Malignant Melanoma of the Maxillary Gingiva: A Case Report
Authors: Perrotti Vittoria , Piattelli Adriano , Rubini Corrado , Fioroni Massimiliano , Petrone Giovanna
Published: February 2005

Background: Mucosal malignant melanoma of the of the head and neck is a rare neoplasm, accounting for about 0.2% of all melanomas. We present the clinopathological findings of a case.

Methods: An 83‐year‐old woman presented with a dark reddish pigmented lesion which had appeared 3 years previously.

Results: Clinical examination revealed a sessile lesion, 1.5 cm in diameter, located on the vestibular maxillary gingiva next to the first molar area. Microscopic analysis of the neoplasm showed epithelioid cells with prominent nucleoli aggregated in solid nests. Cytoplasmic melanin pigmentation was present. The neoplastic cells were positive for HMB‐45 and S100 protein. The final histologic diagnosis was primary malignant melanoma of the gingiva. Physical examination and a computerized tomography scan of the neck, liver, and lungs ruled out the possibility of occult melanoma lesions elsewhere in the body.

Conclusion: The prognosis for patients with oral malignant melanoma is extremely poor. Earlier recognition of this condition simplifies treatment and greatly improves the prognosis for these patients. J Periodontol 2004;75:1724‐1727.
A functional glutathioneS‐transferase P1 gene polymorphism is associated with methamphetamine‐induced psychosis in Japanese population
Authors: Hashimoto Tasuku , Hashimoto Kenji , Matsuzawa Daisuke , Shimizu Eiji , Sekine Yoshimoto , Inada Toshiya , Ozaki Norio , Iwata Nakao , Harano Mutsuo , Komiyama Tokutaro , Yamada Mitsuhiko , Sora Ichiro , Ujike Hiroshi , Iyo Masaomi
Published: February 2005

Several lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress plays a role in the mechanisms of action of methamphetamine (MAP) in the human brain. Given the role of glutathioneS‐transferases (GSTs) in the protection against oxidative stress, genes encoding the GSTs have been considered as candidates for association studies of MAP abuse. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of the functional polymorphism ofGSTP1gene exon 5 (Ile105Val) in the pathogenesis of MAP abuse. Genotyping forGSTP1gene polymorphism exon 5 (Ile105Val) in 189 MAP abusers and 199 normal controls was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Association betweenGSTP1gene polymorphism and clinical features (prognosis of psychosis (transient‐type and prolonged‐type), spontaneous relapse (positive and negative), and poly‐substance abuse) of MAP abusers was evaluated. Significant differences in the frequency of both alleles (P = 0.026, odds ratio: 1.70, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.06–2.72) and genotypes (P = 0.029) between MAP abusers and controls were detected. In particular, a significant difference in both genotype frequency (P = 0.013) and allele frequency (P = 0.014, odds ratio: 1.84, 95% CI 1.13–2.97) between MAP abusers with psychosis (transient‐type and prolonged‐type) and controls was detected. Our findings suggest that the polymorphism (Ile105Val) on exon 5 of theGSTP1gene may contribute to a vulnerability to psychosis associated with MAP abuse in Japanese population. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Accelerated electron effects on EVA based compound
Authors: Budrugeac P. , Zaharescu T. , Marcuta M. , Marin Gh.
Published: February 2005

The major effects induced by accelerated electron irradiation on EVA based polymeric compound were evaluated for various doses up to 240 kGy. Some main characteristics (gel fraction, density, elongation at break, and tensile strength) were investigated. Oxygen uptake and thermal analysis methods (TG, DTG, and DTA) were applied for determination of oxidation resistance of radiation processed EVA samples. It was established that a 30 kGy exposure dose promotes maximum crosslinking. At this dose the density and tensile strength reach maximum values, which are maintained for higher doses up to 240 kGy. On the other hand, the thermooxidative stability exhibits a sharp decrease as the absorbed dose rises from 0 to 30 kGy and has a constant value for the absorbed dose range 30–240 kGy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 613–617, 2005
Chemical polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of ketone–formaldehyde resins
Authors: Kızılcan Nilgün , Ustamehmetoğlu Belkıs
Published: February 2005

The chemical polymerizations of pyrrole in the presence of acetophenone and formaldehyde, cyclohexanone, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde, cyclohexanone and formaldehyde, cyclohexanone, resorcinol, and formaldehyde, cyclohexanone and lignosulfonate formaldehyde, and cyclohexanone, pyrrole, and formaldehyde were accomplished with Ce(IV) salt in acetonitrile solutions. The roles of the resin type, the addition order of the reactants, and the concentrations of the pyrrole and resin on the solubility and conductivity of the resulting products were investigated. The cyclohexanone–acetaldehyde–formaldehyde resin/polypyrrole copolymer had the highest solubility in dimethylformamide. The conductivity and solubility of the copolymers could be controlled by the Ce(IV)/pyrrole/resin molar ratio. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 618–624, 2005
Solubility of ethylene in toluene and toluene/styrene–butadiene rubber solutions
Authors: Wu Jialong , Pan Qinmin , Rempel Garry L.
Published: February 2005

The solubility of ethylene in toluene and in toluene (90 wt %)/styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR; 10 wt %) solutions was determined because the solubility data were of interest for the kinetic study of the metallocene‐catalyzed homopolymerization of ethylene and the copolymerization of ethylene with α‐olefins. The data were obtained over the temperature range of 293–343 K and the pressure range of 50–180 psi. An original Universal Functional Group Activity Coefficient (UNIFAC) model was applied for the ethylene–toluene system, and a UNIFAC‐ZM model (a modified UNIFAC model proposed by Zhong and Masuoka et al.) was applied for the ethylene–toluene/SBR ternary system. Henry's law was also used to correlate the experimental results of the two systems. A comparison was made between the UNIFAC models and Henry's law. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 645–649, 2005
Heterogeneous polyamide 66/syndiotactic polystyrene blends: Phase structure and thermal and mechanical properties
Authors: Kolařík J. , Fambri L. , Šlouf M. , Konečný D.
Published: February 2005

The structural and physical properties of polyamide 66 (PA66)/syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) blends were studied with electron microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and tensile creep, stress–strain, and impact measurements. Attention was primarily concentrated on blends with sPS weight fractions (w2) in the range of 0 < w2 ≤ 0.50. DSC and WAXS showed that the integral crystallinity of the PA66 and sPS components in the blends was virtually unaffected by the blend composition. Polymorphism of sPS was observed for blends with w2 ≥ 0.50. Blends with 0.40 ≤ w2 ≤ 0.60 consisted of partially cocontinuous components; otherwise, particles of the minority component were dispersed in the continuous majority component. The compatibilizer enhanced interfacial adhesion so that no debonding of the components in the fractured blends was observed. The compliance and creep rate of the blends at room temperature decreased proportionally to the sPS fraction; a corresponding increase in the storage modulus (E′) was observed in the 25–100°C interval. However, E′ (125°C) noticeably declined with w2 and thus showed that sPS did not improve the dimensional stability of the blends at elevated temperatures. The yield strength consistently grew with w2, whereas the yield strain dropped markedly; blends with w2 ≥ 0.60 were brittle, showing very low values of the ultimate properties. The stress at break, strain at break, and tensile energy to break displayed some local maxima at 0.25 ≤ w2 ≤ 0.30, whereas the tensile impact strength steeply decreased. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 673–684, 2005
Rheological properties of polystyrene blends with rigid ladderlike polyphenylsilsesquioxane
Authors: Li Gui Zhi , Matsuda T. , Nishioka A. , Miyata K. , Masubuchi Y. , Koyama K. , Pittman C. U.
Published: February 2005

Polystyrene (PS) blends with rigid ladderlike polyphenylsilsesquioxane (PPSQ) were prepared by solution casting followed by hot pressing. The rheological properties of these blends were studied under dynamic shear and uniaxial elongation conditions. The loss modulus (G″) and dynamic shear viscosity (η*) of the 95/5 PP/PPSQ blend were slightly lower than those of pure PS at low frequencies (≤10−2 rad/s). However, the storage modulus (G′), G″, and η* of the other blends (90/10, 85/15, and 80/20) were higher than those of pure PS and increased with PPSQ content. The ηE data demonstrated that PS/PPSQ blends exhibited slightly weaker (5% PPSQ) or much weaker (10% PPSQ) strain hardening than PS. In contrast, the 85/15 and 80/20 PP/PPSQ blends showed strain softening, and the extent of strain softening increased with PPSQ content. PS entanglements might have been reduced by the specific interactions between PS and PPSQ, which locally ordered some PS molecules in the 95/5 blend sample, because most of the PPSQ might have been well dispersed in the PS continuous phase, and only a few small PPSQ particles (∼1.3 μm) were formed because of good miscibility. However, at high PPSQ contents (≥10%), many larger hard PPSQ particles were formed, which acted as fillers during the rheological measurements. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 706–713, 2005
Lower and central tumor location correlates with lymphoscintigraphy drainage to the internal mammary lymph nodes in breast carcinoma
Authors: Shahar Karen H. , Buchholz Thomas A. , Delpassand Ebrahim , Sahin Aysegul A. , Ross Merrick I. , Ames Fredrick C. , Kuerer Henry M. , Feig Barry W. , Meric‐Bernstam Funda , Babiera Gildy V. , Singletary S. Eva , Akins Jeri S. , Mirza Nadeem Q. , Hunt Kelly K.
Published: February 2005

BACKGROUND

Radiation to the internal mammary chain (IMC) may be indicated for breast carcinoma patients with positive axillary sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and lymphoscintigraphic evidence of drainage to the IMC. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of IMC drainage in patients with positive axillary SLNs.

METHODS

The records of 297 breast carcinoma patients with positive axillary SLNs and preoperative lymphoscintigraphy were reviewed between 1995 and 2002. Radiolabeled colloid was injected peritumorally with lymphoscintigraphy performed 30–60 minutes later. Drainage to the regional nodes of 279 patients was seen on lymphoscintigraphy. Associations among patient and tumor‐related factors and drainage to the IMC were examined.

RESULTS

Drainage to the IMC on lymphoscintigraphy was seen in 63 patients (21%). IMC drainage only occurred in 4 patients, and 59 patients had both axillary and IMC drainage. The only variable that correlated with IMC drainage was tumor location (P = 0.017). Rates of drainage to the IMC were 14.1% for upper outer quadrant (n = 128), 16.7% for upper inner quadrant (n = 30), 31.6% for lower outer quadrant (n = 19), 42.9% for lower inner quadrant (n = 14), and 28.4% for central tumors (n = 88). IMC drainage rates differed significantly between upper and lower tumors (lower 36.4% vs. central 28.4% vs. upper 14.6%, P = 0.003) but not between medial and lateral tumors (medial 25.0% vs. central 28.4% vs. lateral 16.3%, P = 0.077).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with tumors in the lower or central breast and positive axillary SLNs have increased incidence of drainage to the IMC. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy can help to define the nodal basins at risk for harboring disease. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Interobserver agreement in the interpretation of anal intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Lytwyn Alice , Salit Irving E. , Raboud Janet , Chapman William , Darragh Teresa , Winkler Barbara , Tinmouth Jill , Mahony James B. , Sano Marie
Published: February 2005

BACKGROUND

Anal carcinoma incidence is increasing, and is highest among men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who have sex with men. Anal carcinoma and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) are ascertained on tissue histology, but requires invasive procedures. Screening for AIN using anal cytology was suggested. The authors evaluated agreement on cytologic and biopsy specimens from HIV‐positive men undergoing anal carcinoma screening.

METHODS

One hundred twenty‐nine HIV‐positive men with a history of anal‐receptive intercourse underwent anal cytology, anoscopy, and biopsy. Four pathologists independently assessed cytology and biopsy specimens and reached consensus for discordant cases.

RESULTS

Each pathologist evaluated 120 cytology and 155 biopsy specimens. The weighted kappa value for overall agreement was 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49–0.59) for cytology specimens and 0.59 (95%CI, 0.55–0.63) for biopsy specimens. The median kappa values for pairwise agreement among pathologists and for agreement with consensus were, respectively, 0.69 and 0.77 for cytology and 0.66 and 0.75 for biopsy. At least 3 pathologists were in agreement for 92 (76.7%) cytology and 134 (86.5%) biopsy specimens. Reliability for the Bethesda classification system was at least moderate, except for the cytologic category of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (kappa = 0.12). Fourteen of 29 (48.3%) cytology specimens and 36 of 47 (76.6%) biopsy specimens with consensus interpretation of high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) were interpreted originally as HSIL by ≥ 3 pathologists. The kappa value for agreement with consensus distinguishing HSIL from non‐HSIL ranged from 0.55 to 0.88 for cytology specimens and from 0.76 to 0.94 for biopsy specimens.

CONCLUSIONS

Agreement for cytologic and biopsy interpretations was generally at least moderate. Nevertheless, these results supported the need for disease indicators with greater reliabililty. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Clinicopathologic and protein expression differences between cardia carcinoma and noncardia carcinoma of the stomach
Authors: Kim Min A , Lee Hye Seung , Yang Han‐Kwang , Kim Woo Ho
Published: February 2005

BACKGROUND

Although the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the stomach has decreased over the past several decades, gastric cardia carcinoma has increased over the same period.

METHODS

The clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemical staining results of 21 proteins were investigated in 165 patients with cardia carcinoma, including 74 patients with true cardia carcinoma and 91 patients with subcardia carcinoma, and the results were compared with the results from 564 patients with noncardia carcinoma.

RESULTS

In the clinicopathologic analysis, patients who had cardia carcinoma tended to have tumors with poorly differentiated histology according to the World Health Organization classification system (P = 0.012), diffuse type according to the Lauren classification system (P = 0.049), and advanced pathologic TNM stage (P < 0.001). On immunohistochemical staining, loss of the p16 (P = 0.038) and smad4 (P < 0.001) tumor suppressor genes was more frequent in cardia carcinoma than in noncardia carcinoma. Carcinoembryonic antigen and CD44 overexpression were more frequent in patients with cardia carcinoma (P < 0.05). Conversely, patients who had cardia carcinoma exhibited less frequent expression of MUC1 (P = 0.008) and MUC5AC (P = 0.006) compared with patients who had noncardia carcinoma. Epstein–Barr virus infection was more common in patients with cardia carcinoma (P < 0.001). In the survival analysis, the patients with cardia carcinoma had a poorer prognosis. In the multivariate analysis, tumor location in the cardia was confirmed as an independent, poor prognostic factor in patients with gastric carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Cardia carcinoma and noncardia carcinoma differed in their clinicopathologic characteristics and in their alterations of gene expression, as evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The current results support the hypothesis that cardia carcinoma forms a specific category of gastric carcinoma that is distinct from noncardia carcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
JavaSymphony: a new programming paradigm to control and synchronize locality, parallelism and load balancing for parallel and distributed computing
Authors: Fahringer Thomas , Jugravu Alexandru
Published: February 2005

There has been an increasing research interest in extending the use of Java towards performance‐oriented programming for distributed and concurrent applications. JavaSymphony is a Java‐based programming paradigm that allows the programmer to control parallelism, load balancing, and locality at a high level of abstraction. Objects can be explicitly distributed and migrated based on a high‐level API to static/dynamic system parameters and dynamic virtual distributed architectures, which impose a virtual hierarchy on a distributed system of physical computing nodes. In this paper we describe various extensions to the original JavaSymphony API, which includes a generalization of virtual architectures that can be used to specify and to request arbitrary heterogeneous distributed and concurrent architectures inside of a JavaSymphony program. The number of threads that execute an object's methods can be controlled dynamically through single‐ and multi‐threaded objects. Conventional Java objects can be dynamically converted to JavaSymphony objects. A (un)lock mechanism has been introduced in order to avoid inconsistent modifications of objects or virtual architectures. A sophisticated event mechanism for asynchronous communication, coordination, and interaction is provided. Several synchronization constructs including distributed barrier synchronization and synchronization for asynchronous method invocations have been included. Several experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of JavaSymphony. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Object‐oriented programming in peer‐to‐peer systems
Authors: Eugster Patrick Th. , Baehni Sebastien
Published: February 2005

Leveraged by the success of applications aiming at the ‘free’ sharing of data in the Internet, the paradigm of peer‐to‐peer (P2P) computing has had substantial consideration devoted to it recently. This paper presents a high‐level abstraction for remote object interaction in a P2P environment, called borrow/lend (BL). We present the principles underlying our BL abstraction, and illustrate how this abstraction can be used to program P2P applications in Java. We contrast our abstraction with established abstractions for distributed programming such as the remote method invocation or the tuple space, illustrating how the BL abstraction, obviously influenced by such previous abstractions, unifies flavors of these, but also how it captures the constraints specific to P2P environments. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A method‐level comparison of the Java Grande and SPEC JVM98 benchmark suites
Authors: Gregg David , Power James , Waldron John
Published: February 2005

In this paper we seek to provide a foundation for the study of the level of use of object‐oriented techniques in Java programs in general, and scientific applications in particular. Specifically, we investigate the profiles of Java programs from a number of perspectives, including the use of class library methods, the size of methods called, the mode of invoke instruction used and the polymorphicity of call sites. We also present a categorization of the nature of small methods used in Java programs. We compare the Java Grande and SPEC JVM98 benchmark suites, and note a significant difference in the nature and composition of these suites, with the programs from the Java Grande suite demonstrating a less object‐oriented approach. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implementation and performance of a particle‐in‐cell code written in Java
Authors: Markidis S. , Lapenta G. , VanderHeyden W. B. , Budimlić Z.
Published: February 2005

Plasma simulation is an important example of a high‐performance computing application where computer science issues are of great relevance. In a plasma, each particle, electron or ion, interacts with the external fields and with other particles in ways that can be readily and effectively emulated using object‐oriented programming. However, the great cost of plasma simulations has traditionally discouraged object‐oriented implementations due to their perceived inferior performance compared with classic procedural FORTRAN or C. In the present paper, we revisit this issue. We have developed a Java particle‐in‐cell code for plasma simulation, called Parsek. The paper considers different choices for the object orientation and tests their performance. We find that coarse‐grained object orientation is faster and practically immune from any degradation compared with a standard procedural implementation (with static classes). The loss in performance for a fine‐grained object orientation is a factor of about 50%, which can be almost completely eliminated using advanced Java compilation techniques. The Java code Parsek also provides an interesting realistic application of high‐performance computing to compare the performance of Java with FORTRAN. We have conducted a series of tests considering various Java implementations and various FORTRAN implementations. We have also considered different computer architectures and different Java Virtual Machines and FORTRAN compilers. The conclusion is that with Parsek, object‐oriented Java can reach CPU speed performances more or less comparable with procedural FORTRAN. This conclusion is remarkable and it is in agreement with the most recent benchmarks, but is at variance with widely held misconceptions about the alleged slowness of Java. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards enabling peer‐to‐peer Grids
Authors: Fox Geoffrey , Pallickara Shrideep , Rao Xi
Published: February 2005

In this paper we propose a peer‐to‐peer (P2P) Grid comprising resources such as relatively static clients, high‐end resources and a dynamic collection of multiple P2P subsystems. We investigate the architecture of the messaging and event service that will support such a hybrid environment. We designed a distributed publish–subscribe system NaradaBrokering for XML‐specified messages. NaradaBrokering provides support for centralized, distributed and P2P (via JXTA) interactions. Here we investigate and present our strategy for the integration of JXTA into NaradaBrokering. The resultant system naturally scales with multiple Peer Groups linked by NaradaBrokering. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SNP genotyping using microsphere‐linked PNA and flow cytometric detection
Authors: Rockenbauer Eszter , Petersen Kenneth , Vogel Ulla , Bolund Lars , Kølvraa Steen , Nielsen Kirsten Vang , Nexø Bjørn A.
Published: February 2005

Background

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) represent the most frequent form of genetic variations. Some of the most sensitive methods for SNP genotyping employ synthetic oligonucleotides, such as the peptide nucleic acid (PNA). We introduce a new method combining allele‐specific hybridization, PNA technology, and flow cytometric detection. We tested the design by genotyping a Danish basal cell carcinoma cohort of 80 individuals for an A/C SNP in exon 6 of the XPD gene.

Methods

Genomic DNA was amplified by a two‐step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the presence of fluorescein‐dyed primers and fluorescein‐12‐dUTP. The allele‐specific PNA molecules were covalently coupled to carboxylated microspheres with and without rhodamine. Allele‐specific hybridization between PCR products and immobilized PNA was carried out at 60°C followed by flow cytometric detection.

Results

We present a fully functional two‐bead genotyping system based on PNA capture and flow cytometric detection used for the correct and fast regenotyping of a Danish basal cell carcinoma cohort.

Conclusions

This new assay presents a simple, rapid, and robust method for SNP genotyping for laboratories equipped with a standard flow cytometer. Moreover, this system offers potential for multiplexing and will be operational for middle‐scale genotyping. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Semaphorin/neuropilin signaling influences the positioning of migratory neural crest cells within the hindbrain region of the chick
Authors: Osborne Nicola J. , Begbie Jo , Chilton John K. , Schmidt Hannes , Eickholt Britta J.
Published: February 2005

Within the hindbrain region, neural crest cell migration is organized into three streams that follow the segmentation of the neuroepithelium into distinct rhombomeric compartments. Although the streaming of neural crest cells is known to involve signals derived from the neuroepithelium, the molecular properties underlying this process are poorly understood. Here, we have mapped the expression of the signaling component of two secreted class III Semaphorins, Semaphorin (Sema) 3A and Sema 3F, at time points that correspond to neural crest cell migration within the hindbrain region of the chick. Both Semaphorins are expressed within rhombomeres at levels adjacent to crest‐free mesenchyme and expression of the receptor components essential for Semaphorin activity by neural crest cells suggests a function in restricting neural crest cell migration. By using bead implantation and electroporation in ovo, we define a role for both Semaphorins in the maintenance of neural crest cell streams in proximity to the neural tube. Attenuation of Semaphorin signaling by expression of soluble Neuropilin‐Fc resulted in neural crest cells invading adjacent mesenchymal territories that are normally crest‐free. The loss or misguidance of specific neural crest cell populations after changes in Semaphorin signaling also affects the integration of the cranial sensory ganglia. Thus, Sema 3A and 3F, expressed and secreted by the hindbrain neuroepithelium contributes to the appropriate positioning of neural crest cells in proximity to the neural tube, a process crucial for the subsequent establishment of neuronal connectivity within the hindbrain region. Developmental Dynamics 232:939–949, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asymmetric Synthesis of γ‐Fluorinated α‐Amino Acid Derivatives
Authors: Shendage Deepak M. , Fröhlich Roland , Bergander Klaus , Haufe Günter
Published: February 2005

Asymmetric alkylation of (S)‐Boc‐BMI (1a, BMI = 2‐tert‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolidin‐4‐one) and its α‐methyl derivative 1b with 2‐fluoroallyl tosylate, subsequent mild acidic deprotection of the products 2a and 2b, and basic hydrolysis of the thus formed N‐methylamides 4a and 4b gave (S)‐2‐amino‐4‐fluoropent‐4‐enoic acid (5a) and (S)‐2‐amino‐4‐fluoro‐2‐methylpent‐4‐enoic acid (5b). Basic hydrolysis of compound 4a was accompanied by partial racemization, which was overcome by applying a new stereoconservative deamidation procedure. The alkylated cis‐configured product 2a formed under kinetic control epimerized on refluxing with 2 n NaOH to give the thermodynamically more stable trans isomer 9. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Overexploitation and continuous drought effects on groundwater yield and marine intrusion: considerations arising from the modelling of Mamora coastal aquifer, Morocco
Authors: Ben Kabbour Brahim , Zouhri Lahcen , Mania Jacky
Published: February 2005

This paper studies the effect of drought and pumping discharge on groundwater supplies and marine intrusion. The investigation concerns the Mamora coastal aquifer, northwest of Morocco. A large‐scale groundwater model was established to model (a) the amount of freshwater discharge towards the ocean and the sea water volumes flowing inland as a consequence of the inverse hydraulic gradient, (b) the impact of drought and pumping discharge on the water table level and, as a consequence, on marine water intrusion. In fact, the simulated submarine groundwater discharge (SGWD) would decrease from 864 m3/d/km in 1987 to 425 m3/d/km in 2000. The simulated volumes of sea water intruding the aquifer as a result of inverse hydraulic gradient would increase from 0·25 Mm3/y in 1987 to 0·3 Mm3/y in 2000. As a consequence of a negative rainfall gradient of −5 mm/y, the simulated SGWD would decline to 9 m3/d/km and the sea water intrusion (SWI) would increase to 0·35 Mm3/y since the year 2010. Due to insufficient data on the trend of pumping discharge, a hypothetical increase of this latter from 38·3 Mm3/y to 53·2 Mm3/y is simulated to induce an increase of marine water intrusion from 0·25 Mm3/y to 0·9 Mm3/y. Consequently, to optimally exploit this seemingly fragile coastal aquifer, a plan of future actions to implement is proposed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of flooding in urbanized ungauged basins: a case study in the Upper Tiber area, Italy
Authors: Moramarco T. , Melone F. , Singh V. P.
Published: February 2005

The reliability of a procedure for investigation of flooding into an ungauged river reach close to an urban area is investigated. The approach is based on the application of a semi‐distributed rainfall–runoff model for a gauged basin, including the flood‐prone area, and that furnishes the inlet flow conditions for a two‐dimensional hydraulic model, whose computational domain is the urban area. The flood event, which occurred in October 1998 in the Upper Tiber river basin and caused significant damage in the town of Pieve S. Stefano, was used to test the approach. The built‐up area, often inundated, is included in the gauged basin of the Montedoglio dam (275 km2), for which the rainfall–runoff model was adapted and calibrated through three flood events without over‐bank flow. With the selected set of parameters, the hydrological model was found reasonably accurate in simulating the discharge hydrograph of the three events, whereas the flood event of October 1998 was simulated poorly, with an error in peak discharge and time to peak of −58% and 20%, respectively. This discrepancy was ascribed to the combined effect of the rainfall spatial variability and a partial obstruction of the bridge located in Pieve S. Stefano. In fact, taking account of the last hypothesis, the hydraulic model reproduced with a fair accuracy the observed flooded urban area. Moreover, incorporating into the hydrological model the flow resulting from a sudden cleaning of the obstruction, which was simulated by a ‘shock‐capturing’ one‐dimensional hydraulic model, the discharge hydrograph at the basin outlet was well represented if the rainfall was supposed to have occurred in the region near the main channel. This was simulated by reducing considerably the dynamic parameter, the lag time, of the instantaneous unit hydrograph for each homogeneous element into which the basin is divided. The error in peak discharge and time to peak decreased by a few percent. A sensitivity analysis of both the flooding volume involved in the shock wave and the lag time showed that this latter parameter requires a careful evaluation. Moreover, the analysis of the hydrograph peak prediction due to error in rainfall input showed that the error in peak discharge was lower than that of the same input error quantity. Therefore, the obtained results allowed us to support the hypothesis on the causes which triggered the complex event occurring in October 1998, and pointed out that the proposed procedure can be conveniently adopted for flood risk evaluation in ungauged river basins where a built‐up area is located. The need for a more detailed analysis regarding the processes of runoff generation and flood routing is also highlighted. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time series forecasting by combining the radial basis function network and the self‐organizing map
Authors: Lin Gwo‐Fong , Chen Lu‐Hsien
Published: February 2005

Based on a combination of a radial basis function network (RBFN) and a self‐organizing map (SOM), a time‐series forecasting model is proposed. Traditionally, the positioning of the radial basis centres is a crucial problem for the RBFN. In the proposed model, an SOM is used to construct the two‐dimensional feature map from which the number of clusters (i.e. the number of hidden units in the RBFN) can be figured out directly by eye, and then the radial basis centres can be determined easily. The proposed model is examined using simulated time series data. The results demonstrate that the proposed RBFN is more competent in modelling and forecasting time series than an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. Finally, the proposed model is applied to actual groundwater head data. It is found that the proposed model can forecast more precisely than the ARIMA model. For time series forecasting, the proposed model is recommended as an alternative to the existing method, because it has a simple structure and can produce reasonable forecasts. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transcriptional activation of survivin through the NF‐κB pathway by human T‐cell leukemia virus type I tax
Authors: Kawakami Hirochika , Tomita Mariko , Matsuda Takehiro , Ohta Takao , Tanaka Yuetsu , Fujii Masahiro , Hatano Masahiko , Tokuhisa Takeshi , Mori Naoki
Published: February 2005

Survivin, a unique member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is overexpressed in many cancers and considered to play an important role in oncogenesis. We previously reported the survivin expression profile in ATL, a CD4‐positive T‐cell malignancy caused by HTLV‐I. HTLV‐I Tax is thought to play an important role in immortalization of T cells. We have shown also that the expression of Tax protected the mouse T‐cell line CTLL‐2 against apoptosis induced by deprivation of IL‐2 and converted its growth from being IL‐2 dependent to being IL‐2 independent through the NF‐κB pathway. In our study, we demonstrate that constitutive expression of survivin was associated with resistance to apoptosis after IL‐2 deprivation in Tax‐expressing CTLL‐2 cells. Transient transfection assays showed that survivin promoter was transactivated by Tax, via the activation of NF‐κB. Pharmacological NF‐κB inhibition resulted in suppression of survivin expression and caused apoptosis of Tax‐expressing CTLL‐2 cells. Our findings suggest that activated NF‐κB signaling contributes directly to malignant progression of ATL by preventing apoptosis, acting through the prosurvival protein survivin. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.