bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highlighting nuclear membrane staining in thyroid neoplasms with emerin: Review and diagnostic utility
Authors: Kinsella Mary D. , Hinrichs Benjamin , Cohen Cynthia , Siddiqui Momin T.
Published: May 2012

Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) with emerin, an integral inner nuclear membrane protein, highlights nuclear membrane details in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). We evaluated emerin for highlighting nuclear shape, grooves, inclusions, circumferential nuclear membrane irregularities (“garlands”), deep “stellate” membrane invaginations, and crescents in 34 fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cell blocks, PTC (n = 24) and follicular neoplasms (FN) (n = 10). Tissue microarrays were also examined for 182 cases, PTC (n = 95) and non‐PTC (n = 87). Emerin IHC of PTC revealed a predominantly oval nuclear shape in the majority of cases, with FN demonstrating round nuclei and FV of PTC showing a roughly equal distribution of round and oval shapes. In addition to oval nuclear shape, the presence of emerin‐positive nuclear grooves, circumferential emerin nuclear “garlands,” nuclear crescent shapes, and chromatin clearing on cell block H&E staining were significant predictors of PTC by regression analysis. Emerin IHC of thyroid FNA and surgical specimens serves as a useful adjunct to conventional H&E staining in the diagnosis of PTC and its distinction from FN by delineating diagnostic nuclear membrane irregularities (“garlands” and crescents), nuclear grooves, and a characteristic oval nuclear shape. In diagnostically challenging cases with limited cellularity, emerin staining can help to provide a more definitive diagnosis of PTC. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pulmonary adenofibroma: Cytologic and clinicopathologic features of a rare benign primary lung lesion
Authors: Vitkovski Taisia , Zeltsman David , Esposito Michael , Morgenstern Nora
Published: May 2012

We report a case of pulmonary adenofibroma in a 29‐year‐old female found by CT scan during work‐up for midline chest pain. To our knowledge, the cytological features of this entity have not been previously reported. Cytology demonstrated bland epithelial and stromal cells of varying size without karyorrhexis, pyknosis, or necrosis and with very rare mitoses. Stromal cells were present as either naked bipolar nuclei, as spindle cells with fragile eosinophilic cytoplasm, or as rare larger carrot shaped nuclei. Epithelial cells were present as small loosely cohesive groups with smooth round nuclei and moderate amounts of cytoplasm. Histologically, this lesion consisted of a leaf‐like fibroepithelial pattern in which the clefts were lined by a single layer of cuboidal epithelium reminiscent of adenofibroma occurring in the female genital tract. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated epithelium that stained positively for pan‐cytokeratin and TTF‐1. The stroma stained positively for vimentin and desmin, and was weakly positive for SMA‐1. The lesion was confirmed to be pulmonary adenofibroma with a smooth muscle component. The differential diagnosis for this lesion includes, but is not limited to, pulmonary hamartoma, pulmonary blastoma, adenomyofibroma, synovial sarcoma, and visceral metastases. It is important for cytopathologists to be aware of this benign entity because it can be encountered on lung FNA specimens. Considering this benign lesion in the differential diagnosis may help plan for minimal lung resection. Confirmatory intraoperative frozen section is a reasonable option. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013;41:991–996. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cocaine detection by structure‐switch aptamer‐based capillary zone electrophoresis
Authors: Deng Qin‐Pei , Tie Cai , Zhou Ying‐Lin , Zhang Xin‐Xiang
Published: May 2012

Aptamers, which are nucleic acid oligonucleotides that can bind targets with high affinity and specificity, have been widely applied as affinity probes in capillary electrophoresis (CE). Due to relative weak interaction between aptamers and small molecules, the application of aptamer‐based CE is still limited in certain compounds. A new strategy that is based on the aptamer structure‐switch concept was designed for small molecule detection by a novel CE method. A carboxyfluorescein (fluorescein amidite, FAM) label DNA aptamer was first incubated with partial complementary strand (CS), and then the free aptamer and the aptamer‐CS duplex were well separated and determined by metal cation mediated CE/laser‐induced fluorescence. When the target was introduced into the incubated sample, the hybridized form was destabilized, resulting in the changes of the fluorescence intensities of the free aptamer and the aptamer‐CS duplex. The length of CS was investigated and 12 mer CS showed the best sensitivity for the detection of cocaine. The presented CE‐LIF method, which combines the separation power of CE with the specificity of interactions occurring between target, aptamer, and CS, could be a universal detection strategy for other aptamer‐specified small molecules.
Divergent dispersion behavior of ssDNA fragments during microchip electrophoresis in pDMA and LPA entangled polymer networks
Authors: Fredlake Christopher P. , Hert Daniel G. , Niedringhaus Thomas P. , Lin Jennifer S. , Barron Annelise E.
Published: May 2012

Resolution of DNA fragments separated by electrophoresis in polymer solutions (“matrices”) is determined by both the spacing between peaks and the width of the peaks. Prior research on the development of high‐performance separation matrices has been focused primarily on optimizing DNA mobility and matrix selectivity, and gave less attention to peak broadening. Quantitative data are rare for peak broadening in systems in which high electric field strengths are used (>150 V/cm), which is surprising since capillary and microchip‐based systems commonly run at these field strengths. Here, we report results for a study of band broadening behavior for ssDNA fragments on a glass microfluidic chip, for electric field strengths up to 320 V/cm. We compare dispersion coefficients obtained in a poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) (pDMA) separation matrix that was developed for chip‐based DNA sequencing with a commercially available linear polyacrylamide (LPA) matrix commonly used in capillaries. Much larger DNA dispersion coefficients were measured in the LPA matrix as compared to the pDMA matrix, and the dependence of dispersion coefficient on DNA size and electric field strength were found to differ quite starkly in the two matrices. These observations lead us to propose that DNA migration mechanisms differ substantially in our custom pDMA matrix compared to the commercially available LPA matrix. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of developing optimal matrices for specific separation (microchip or capillary) platforms.
Isotachophoretic purification of nanoparticles: Tuning optical properties of quantum dots
Authors: Hlavacek Antonin , Skládal Petr
Published: May 2012

Synthesized nanoparticles often require fine fractionation according to shape, dimension, mass, chemical composition, charge, and other properties in order to become suitable for practical use. Quantum dots (QDs) are luminescent nanocrystals with narrow emission peaks. This property has been widely utilized for the multiplexed sensing and barcoding of microparticles. QDs with narrower emission peaks are preferred for such applications. The width of the emission peaks can be significantly reduced after purification. A newly developed preparative isotachophoretic method employs the dependence of spectral properties and electrophoretic mobility on the diameter of QDs. Separated fractions of QDs revealed narrower emission peaks (72% of the original width) and improved quantum yield (two‐fold). The usefulness of the developed isotachophoresis for purification and analysis of other nanostructures, for example, plasmonic nanoparticles and nanobioconjugates, is expected, too.
Evaluation of the suitability of archival Bouin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens to proteomic investigation
Authors: Tanca Alessandro , Addis Maria Filippa , Simula Maria Paola , Pagnozzi Daniela , Biosa Grazia , Pisanu Salvatore , Garziera Marica , Cannizzaro Renato , Canzonieri Vincenzo , De Re Valli , Uzzau Sergio
Published: May 2012

Bouin's solution has been used for over a century as a common fixative in several pathology laboratories worldwide. Therefore, a considerable number of Bouin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (BFPE) tumor samples of various origin are available in hospital repositories as a powerful information mine for clinical investigations. To date, however, such archived tissues have not been subjected to a systematic study aimed to evaluate their potential use in proteomics.

In this report, we investigated whether archival BFPE tissue specimens could be exploited for proteomic studies, upon application of protein extraction and proteomic analysis methods previously optimized for formalin‐fixed samples. As a result, gastric BFPE protein extracts exhibited poor suitability for 2D-PAGE analysis, whereas over 300 unique proteins could be successfully detected when extracts were subjected to SDS‐PAGE followed by LC‐MS/MS (GeLC‐MS/MS). Among these, several known markers for gastric cancer and normal gastric functionality were identified, indicative of biological and clinical significance of proteomic data mined from BFPE tissues. A quantitative and qualitative comparison of FFPE and BFPE tissue proteomes was also performed, and results are reported. In conclusion, we demonstrated that BFPE specimens can be analyzed by means of a proteomic approach such as GeLC‐MS/MS. Although considerable molecular biases and technical constraints exist, BFPE tissue archives can be fruitfully exploited for gathering proteomic data from particularly precious samples.
Variable stiffness smart structure systems to mitigate seismic induced building damages
Authors: Duerr K. , Tesfamariam S. , Wickramasinghe V. , Grewal A.
Published: May 2012

Upgrading noncode conforming buildings to mitigate seismic induced damages is important in moderate to high seismic hazard regions. The damage, can be mitigated by using conventional (e.g. FRP wrapping) and emerging (e.g. smart structures) retrofit techniques. A model for the structure to be retrofitted should include relevant performance indicators. This paper proposes a variable stiffness smart structure device known as the Smart Spring to be integrated on building structures to mitigate seismic induced damage. The variable stiffness capability is of importance to structures that exhibit vertical (e.g. soft storey) irregularities and to meet different performance levels under seismic excitation. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed retrofitting technique, a four‐storey steel building is modelled in MATLAB and appropriate performance indicators are chosen. Various return period seismic hazards are generated from past earthquake event records to predict the structure's performance. The performance improvement because of the retrofitting of building structures using the variable stiffness device is presented. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A simplified homology‐model builder toward highly protein‐like structures: An inspection of restraining potentials
Authors: Kim Tae‐Rae , Oh Sangho , Yang Joshua SungWoo , Lee Sanghyuk , Shin Seokmin , Lee Jinhyuk
Published: May 2012

A homology model builder using simple restraining potentials based on spline‐interpolated quadratic functions is developed and interfaced with CHARMM package. The continuity and stability of the potential function were validated, and the parameters were optimized using the CASP7 targets. The performance of the model builder was benchmarked to the Modeller program using the template‐based modeling targets in CASP9. The benchmark results show that, while our builder yields the structures with slightly lower packing, backbone, and template modeling scores, our models show much better protein‐like scores in terms of normalized discrete optimized protein energy, dipolar distance‐scaled finite‐ideal gas reference, Molprobity clash, Ramachandran appearance Z‐score, and rotamer Z‐score. As our model builder is interfaced with CHARMM, it is advantageous to directly use other CHARMM functionality and energy functions to refine the model structures or to use the models for other computational studies using CHARMM. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) Among Community‐Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Marty Meghan A. , Segal Daniel L. , Coolidge Frederick L. , Klebe Kelli J.
Published: May 2012

Objectives

This study evaluated the structure and validity of the use of the 18‐item Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ‐18), a measure of thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB), among older adults.

Method

Community‐dwelling older adults (N = 284; mean age = 73 years; age range = 64–96 years; 56% women) anonymously completed a questionnaire packet.

Results

Principal axis factor analysis indicated that two factors should be retained. Items in the first factor reflected the concept of TB, whereas items in the second factor were consistent with the concept of PB. Both factors had medium‐to‐large positive correlations with hopelessness, depression, suicide ideation, and low meaning in life, providing evidence for convergent validity.

Conclusions

Findings from this study support the use of the INQ‐18 among community‐dwelling older adults.
Leadership development in selected leading Thai companies
Authors: Virakul Busaya , McLean Gary N.
Published: May 2012

This research examined leadership development (LD) and leadership development programs (LDPs) in three selected Thai businesses. The research purpose was to identify and explore the features, leaders' competencies, activities and programs, key elements, and critical issues of LDP in these organizations. A case‐study approach was employed as the research method. The data were collected through company documents, questionnaires, and interviews of managers who were directly responsible for leadership development in their organization. Three levels of LDPs were commonly found among the studied companies: those organized for supervisors, managers, and executives. Leaders' competencies were derived from the companies' vision, mission, and values, business drivers, and top management judgment. Development activities included formal training, development activities, and self‐initiative undertakings. Common key elements of LDPs were support from top management, adherence to human resource development (HRD) and business strategic plans, and emphasis on coaching and mentoring. The critical issues included top management trust in employees' abilities; competence and independence of local internal staff; evaluation of LDP effectiveness; level of engagement by potential company leaders; and costs of building, executing, and evaluating LDP.
Attitudes of police managers to different leadership roles in their jobs: An empirical study in Norway
Authors: Gottschalk Petter , Glomseth Rune
Published: May 2012

The background for this study is the increased complexity in policing that has become more knowledge‐based and more professional in the past decade. The aim of this article is to present empirical results from a study of attitudes of police managers to different leadership roles in their jobs in two police districts in Norway. A questionnaire was developed and administered among police managers in two police districts in Norway. Participants in leadership programs were selected for this survey research. The Follo police district and Hedmark police district had a total of 130 participants in these programs, with 60 managers from Follo and 70 managers from Hedmark. The research was carried out in March and April 2010. The personnel leader role was found to be most important, followed by the resource allocator role. Responding police managers reported that they felt least competent in the liaison role.
Introduction
Authors: Andenoro Anthony C.
Published: May 2012

This symposium addresses the challenge of educating global leaders through a collection of scholarly perspectives and practices that focus the development of global leadership and intercultural competency, specifically through immersive international contexts. Through this symposium, we addressed the cognitive, behavioral, and affective competencies that aspiring leaders need to be successful in global contexts. It focuses on the importance, issues, and methods of developing global competence as part of leadership education.

Although this symposium is timely, global and intercultural competence is not new. Scholars of 19th‐century Europe shaped the original thoughts of global competence. Their focus was internationalization through colonial conquering, and the ultimate goal was to “learn from the West” (Baumgratz, 1995). This globalization piece did not gain much attention on an international scale. In fact, many managers in the 1960s and 1970s did not consider the international piece of business to be of much importance, often with very small specialized operational departments as the sole contributor to globalization within organizations (Morrison, 2000). However, a rapid shift of perspective occurred in the 1980s when the rise of Japanese businesses began to bring to focus the importance of global leadership.

The climate of this theoretical foundation has shifted again recently as leadership educators are faced with preparing students to meet the needs of a dynamic and complicated organizational landscape. Expanding these challenges globally comprises a new level of preparedness for aspiring leaders. Globalization, and the technology that increasingly bridges countries and cultures, requires fresh paradigms and new leadership competencies (Bueno & Tubbs, 2004). Global managers will be expected to master an ever‐expanding range of knowledge and skills that will allow them to be successful in international contexts (DiStefano & Maznevski, 2003). Cultural competency development and a globalized curriculum are perhaps paramount to this charge as educators embark upon the challenging journey of providing the next generation of global leaders.

The following questions provide educators with opportunities for reflection and discussion as we attempt to develop global competencies in the students we serve.
Transforming the international learning experience for students: Moving beyond the principle of accompaniment
Authors: Andenoro Anthony C. , Bletscher Caitlin G.
Published: May 2012

Evidence exists that international learning experiences provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to develop intercultural competence and global perspectives. This development is grounded in the idea of accompaniment that is prevalent in study abroad programs and international service experiences at the higher education level. Accompaniment is firmly planted in the idea of mutual relationships and sharing culture. However, it only creates a superficial understanding of the community and fails to address and implement systems of sustainable practice. This theoretical supposition challenges educators to go beyond the foundation of accompaniment and explore innovative practice that can benefit the development of intercultural competence in students and promote sustainability in the international contexts that these academic‐based international service programs work with. The authors detail suggestions that educators can use as a framework for transforming international service experiences, their students, and the communities they serve.
High resolution navigated three‐dimensional T1‐weighted hepatobiliary MRI using gadoxetic acid optimized for 1.5 tesla
Authors: Nagle Scott K. , Busse Reed F. , Brau Anja C. , Brittain Jean H. , Frydrychowicz Alex , Iwadate Yuji , Reeder Scott B.
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

To determine optimal delay times and flip angles for T1‐weighted hepatobiliary imaging at 1.5 Tesla (T) with gadoxetic acid and to demonstrate the feasibility of using a high‐resolution navigated optimized T1‐weighted pulse sequence to evaluate biliary disease.

Materials and Methods:

Eight healthy volunteers were scanned at 1.5T using a T1‐weighted three‐dimensional (3D)‐SPGR pulse sequence following the administration of 0.05 mmol/kg of gadoxetic acid. Navigator‐gating enabled acquisition of high spatial resolution (1.2 × 1.4 × 1.8 mm3, interpolated to 0.7 × 0.7 × 0.9 mm3) images in approximately 5 min of free‐breathing. Multiple breath‐held acquisitions were performed at flip angles between 15° and 45° to optimize T1 weighting. To evaluate the performance of this optimized sequence in the setting of biliary disease, the image quality and biliary excretion of 51 consecutive clinical scans performed to assess primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were evaluated.

Results:

Optimal hepatobiliary imaging occurs at 15–25 min, using a 40° flip angle. The image quality and visualization of biliary excretion in the PSC scans were excellent, despite the decreased liver function in some patients. Visualization of reduced excretion often provided diagnostic information that was unavailable by conventional magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).

Conclusion:

High‐resolution navigated 3D‐SPGR hepatobiliary imaging using gadoxetic acid and optimized scan parameters is technically feasible and can be clinically useful, even in patients with decreased hepatobiliary function. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:890–899. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Siberian High: teleconnections, extremes and association with the Icelandic Low
Authors: Tubi Amit , Dayan Uri
Published: May 2012

A 60 year minimum temperature record of 11 stations in inner Eurasia enabled the characterization of the Siberian High (SH) intensity. The decline in the SH intensity is observed in tandem with the positive mode of the Arctic Oscillation (AO), both increasing in recent years. The coldest 1968–1969 winter in the 60 year period corresponds with the lowest AO annual index value. Spatial correlation analyses indicate that enhanced cyclogenetic conditions over the eastern flank of the Icelandic Low (IL) are associated with a milder SH. Seasonal composite analyses of the circulation pattern during the coldest 1968–1969 winter are characterized by a retreat of the IL, allowing a westward expansion of the SH cold core. A robust methodology, assuring an adequate representation of extremely cold spells in both their extent and duration, was developed. This methodology yielded three exceptional events, the most severe one lasting 10 days and affecting all stations in the SH domain. Analysing this event on a fine temporal resolution enabled the detection of short‐term synoptic scale processes, such as the polar air mass penetration, resulting in a mean minimum temperature of − 40 °C over the whole domain. This short‐term polar air incursion and its termination featuring this spell, as modulated by the location of the IL, point at its important role in modifying the SH. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Influences of two types of ENSO on South American precipitation
Authors: Tedeschi Renata G. , Cavalcanti Iracema F. A. , Grimm Alice M.
Published: May 2012

Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Pacific Ocean during El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episodes exhibit different spatial patterns from year to year. In most ENSO studies, SST anomalies have been analysed in the 3.4 or 3.0 El Niño regions. Recent analyses have considered different SST anomalies areas in the Pacific, such as ENSO Modoki, which takes into account anomalies in the central Pacific which are bounded by opposite anomalies in the eastern and western Pacific. In order to analyse the influence of different Pacific spatial patterns on South American precipitation and on the Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation, composites obtained from Canonical ENSO were compared with those from ENSO Modoki in cases when strong anomalies were present in the Central Pacific. During the Canonical El Niño (La Niña), there tends to be a precipitation increase (decrease) in the La Plata Basin (LPB, 45°W–65°W, 15°S–35°S) and a decrease (increase) over northern South America during all seasons. In ENSO Modoki exhibiting strong anomalies in the Central Pacific, these typical patterns are not observed, and in some regions the anomalies even show opposite signs. Precipitation anomaly differences or similarities over South America between the two cases occur in different areas and different seasons. In both cases, differences in tropical South American precipitation during both ENSO types are related to differences in the Walker circulation. In extra‐tropical South America, the precipitation differences are due to differences in the Pacific wavetrains and differences in moisture flux intensity over the continent. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
SST–convection relation over tropical oceans
Authors: Sabin T. P. , Babu C. A. , Joseph P. V.
Published: May 2012

According to current knowledge, convection over the tropical oceans increases with sea surface temperature (SST) from 26 to 29 °C, and at SSTs above 29 °C, it sharply decreases. Our research shows that it is only over the summer warm pool areas of Indian and west Pacific Oceans (monsoon areas) where the zone of maximum SST is away from the equator that this kind of SST‐convection relationship exists. In these areas (1) convection is related to the SST gradient that generates low‐level moisture convergence and upward vertical motion in the atmosphere. This has modelling support. Regions of SST maxima have low SST gradients and therefore feeble convection. (2) Convection initiated by SST gradient produces strong wind fields particularly cross‐equatorial low‐level jetstreams (LLJs) on the equator‐ward side of the warm pool and both the convection and LLJ grow through a positive feedback process. Thus, large values of convection are associated with the cyclonic vorticity of the LLJ in the atmospheric boundary layer. In the inter‐tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) over the east Pacific Ocean and the south Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) over the west Pacific Ocean, low‐level winds from north and south hemisphere converge in the zone of maximum SST, which lies close to the equator producing there elongated bands of deep convection, where we find that convection increases with SST for the full range of SSTs unlike in the warm pool regions. The low‐level wind divergence computed using QuikSCAT winds has large and significant linear correlation with convection in both the warm pool and ITCZ/SPCZ areas. But the linear correlation between SST and convection is large only for the ITCZ/SPCZ. These findings have important implications for the modelling of large‐scale atmospheric circulations and the associated convective rainfall over the tropical oceans. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is an effective way of managing elderly women with advanced stage ovarian cancer (FIGO Stage IIIC and IV)
Authors: Glasgow Michelle A. , Yu Herbert , Rutherford Thomas J. , Azodi Masoud , Silasi Dan‐Arin , Santin Alessandro D. , Schwartz Peter E.
Published: May 2012

Background

To compare outcomes in women ≥ age 70 who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) followed by cytoreductive surgery with those undergoing upfront cytoreductive surgery followed by the same chemotherapy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed for women ≥ age 70 with Stage IIIC or Stage IV EOC from 1996 to 2009.

Results

Sixty‐two patients who underwent upfront cytoreductive surgery and 42 patients who received NACT were eligible for analysis. Patients receiving NACT were significantly more likely to have Stage IV disease (P = 0.004). Cytoreduction to no macroscopic disease was achieved in 71.4% of women who received NACT and 28.1% of women undergoing upfront surgery (P < 0.001). NACT patients had significantly less blood loss at surgery (P = 0.01), required fewer small bowel resections (P = 0.009), had shorter ICU stays (P = 0.02) and fewer hospital days (P = 0.04). NACT patients experienced a trend toward an improved progression‐free survival (P = 0.078); however, no statistically significant differences were found in either the progression‐free or overall survival analyses.

Conclusion

NACT is associated with reduced perioperative morbidity in elderly patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:195–200. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Liver resection for complicated hepatocellular carcinoma: Challenges but opportunity for long‐term survivals
Authors: Huang Jen‐Fu , Wu Sheng‐Mao , Wu Tsung‐Han , Lee Chen‐Fang , Wu Ting‐Jung , Yu Ming‐Chin , Chan Kun‐Ming , Lee Wei‐Chen
Published: May 2012

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed late because of the lack of pathognomonic symptoms. This study evaluated outcomes following liver resection (LR) for patients with HCC presenting with large tumor size (over 10 cm), adjacent organ invasion, or ruptured tumor, which we termed as complicated HCC (cHCC).

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 660 HCC patients who underwent LR between January 2001 and July 2005. The patients were grouped into cHCC and non‐cHCC according to the defined criteria. The clinicopathological features were analyzed and compared between the two groups.

Results

Patients in the cHCC group required longer operative times and resulted in greater intraoperative blood loss and more severe surgical complications. The cHCC group had a higher incidence of HCC recurrence after LR, and the HCC recurrence had a tendency to be associated with extrahepatic metastasis. The 5‐year RFS (P < 0.0001) and OS (P < 0.0001) of cHCC and non‐cHCC patients were 18.5% and 28.9% versus 37.5% and 57.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

LR for cHCC can be a great challenge for liver surgeons. However, with comparable operative mortality rates and acceptable survival times, surgical resection should always be considered performing in patients with cHCC, if clinically feasible. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106: 959–965. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical outcome of central conventional chondrosarcoma
Authors: Angelini Andrea , Guerra Giovanni , Mavrogenis Andreas F. , Pala Elisa , Picci Piero , Ruggieri Pietro
Published: May 2012

Introduction

Aim of this study was to analyze (1) survival, local recurrence (LR), and metastasis rates between the three histological tumor grades; (2) whether type of treatment and tumor site influenced prognosis for each histologic grade.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 296 patients with central conventional chondrosarcomas (CS) (87 grade 1, 162 grade 2, and 47 grade 3). The femur was the most common site (91 cases), followed by the pelvis (82) and other less frequent sites. Type of surgery was related with histologic grade. Margins were wide in 222 cases, marginal in 23, and intralesional in 51 cases.

Results

At a mean of 7 years, 201 patients remained continuously NED, 33 were NED after treatment of relapse, 15 were AWD, 35 were died of disease, and 12 of other causes. Survival was 92% at 5 years and 84% at 10 years, significantly influenced by histological grading. In grade 3 CS, two factors influenced survival: type of surgery (resection vs. amputation, P = 0.051) and site (P = 0.039). The two significant factors lost their significance at multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Central conventional CS with low/intermediate grade has a good prognosis, while high‐grade tumors have poor outcome. Tumor relapses are strictly related with histologic grade. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106: 929–937. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In vitro modifications of the scala tympani environment and the cochlear implant array surface
Authors: Kontorinis Georgios , Scheper Verena , Wissel Kirsten , Stöver Timo , Lenarz Thomas , Paasche Gerrit
Published: May 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To investigate the influence of alterations of the scala tympani environment and modifications of the surface of cochlear implant electrode arrays on insertion forces in vitro.

Study Design:

Research experimental study.

Methods:

Fibroblasts producing neurotrophic factors were cultivated on the surface of Nucleus 24 Contour Advance electrodes. Forces were recorded by an Instron 5542 Force Measurement System as three modified arrays were inserted into an artificial scala tympani model filled with phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS). The recorded forces were compared to control groups including three unmodified electrodes inserted into a model filled with PBS (unmodified environment) or Healon (current practice). Fluorescence microscopy was used before and after the insertions to identify any remaining fibroblasts. Additionally, three Contour Advance electrodes were inserted into an artificial model, filled with alginate/barium chloride solution at different concentrations, while insertion forces were recorded.

Results:

Modification of the scala tympani environment with 50% to 75% alginate gel resulted in a significant decrease in the insertion forces. The fibroblast‐coated arrays also led to decreased forces comparable to those recorded with Healon. Fluorescence microscopy revealed fully cell‐covered arrays before and partially covered arrays after the insertion; the fibroblasts on the arrays' modiolar surface remained intact.

Conclusions:

Modifications of the scala tympani's environment with 50% to 75% alginate/barium chloride and of the cochlear implant electrode surface with neurotrophic factor–producing fibroblasts drastically reduce the insertion forces. As both modifications may serve future intracochlear therapies, it is expected that these might additionally reduce possible insertion trauma.
Angiomatosis of the paranasal sinuses
Authors: Adelson Robert T. , Riddle Nicole D. , Brooks John S. , Palmer James N.
Published: May 2012

Angiomatosis is a rare benign lesion of the head and neck that can be mistaken for either a vascular malformation or malignant disease as a result of its infiltrative nature. The recurrence rate of angiomatosis requiring surgery is reported to be >90%, and as such the otolaryngologist treating this condition should endeavor to remove all disease during the first operation while maintaining a high level of suspicion for recurrence during postoperative surveillance. This case represents the first report of angiomatosis involving the nose and/or paranasal sinuses, and extends the differential diagnosis of sinonasal tumors, of which the otolaryngologist must be aware. A description of the surgical care and postoperative surveillance recommendations is detailed in this first reported case of angiomatosis of the paranasal sinuses.
Assessment and incidence of salivary leak following laryngectomy
Authors: White Hilliary N. , Golden Blake , Sweeny Larissa , Carroll William R. , Magnuson Jeffery S. , Rosenthal Eben L.
Published: May 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To determine the incidence and risk factors of pharyngocutaneous fistula formation in patients undergoing either primary or salvage laryngectomies and evaluate the role of barium esophagram in these patients.

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

Medical records of 259 patients who underwent total laryngectomy between 2003 and 2009 at our institution were reviewed. Risk factors for fistula formation were analyzed, including primary treatment modality, comorbidities, and operative details, which included use of a free flap for closure, concurrent neck dissections, margin status, and preoperative tracheostomy. The length of time until leak, postoperative swallow study results, and fistula management strategies were also assessed.

Results:

Fifty‐five patients developed a pharyngocutaneous fistula (overall incidence, 21%) in a median time of 12 days (range, 4–105 days). Twenty of these patients underwent laryngectomy as their initial treatment modality, and 35 had failed previous radiotherapy. Fistula formation was significantly higher in salvage surgery patients (P = .03), particularly those with hypothyroidism (P < .0002). A barium swallow performed at approximately 1 week after laryngectomy demonstrated a sensitivity of 26% with a specificity of 94%. Sixty‐two percent of the fistulas healed with conservative measures only.

Conclusions:

Our data confirmed that previous radiotherapy and hypothyroidism, particularly in salvage laryngectomy patients, are important significant predictors of postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula. The use of a postoperative barium swallow in these patients may be useful but was not found to be highly sensitive in predicting who will develop a clinically evident leak and should be used with caution.
From “Strong” to “Much Stronger”: Utilization of Green Tea Extract Dispersant for SWCNT‐Reinforced Polymer Composites
Authors: Uddin Ahmed Jalal , Watanabe Akihira , Gotoh Yasuo , Saito Takeshi , Yumura Motoo
Published: May 2012

PVA is reinforced with SWCNTs using green tea extract as a dispersant to achieve good dispersion of the SWCNTs in an organic solvent and finally high‐performance composite fibers. A combination of green tea extract/DMSO/SWCNT/PVA is found to disperse larger aggregates of SWCNTs to individual or thin bundles of a few nanotubes. Incorporation of 0.5 wt% SWCNTs into PVA fibers yields a tensile strength of 2.42 GPa, a Young's modulus of 46 GPa, toughness of 105 J · g−1 at a failure strain of 11%, and a loop strength of 245 MPa, much higher than the values of commercial PVA fibers. The incorporation of highly dispersed SWCNTs suppresses the fibrillation tendency of the PVA fibers. The applied load is effectively transferred from the matrix to the SWCNTs.

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Brain metabolite alterations and cognitive dysfunction in early Huntington's disease
Authors: Unschuld Paul G. , Edden Richard A. E. , Carass Aaron , Liu Xinyang , Shanahan Megan , Wang Xin , Oishi Kenichi , Brandt Jason , Bassett Susan S. , Redgrave Graham W. , Margolis Russell L. , van Zijl Peter C. M. , Barker Peter B. , Ross Christopher A.
Published: May 2012

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by early cognitive decline that progresses at later stages to dementia and severe movement disorder. HD is caused by a cytosine–adenine–guanine triplet‐repeat expansion mutation in the Huntingtin gene, allowing early diagnosis by genetic testing. This study aimed to identify the relationship of N‐acetylaspartate and other brain metabolites to cognitive function in HD‐mutation carriers by using high‐field‐strength magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 7 Tesla. Twelve individuals with the HD mutation in premanifest or early‐stage disease versus 12 healthy controls underwent 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (7.2 mL voxel in the posterior cingulate cortex) at 7 Tesla, and also T1‐weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging. All participants received standardized tests of cognitive functioning including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and standardized quantified neurological examination within an hour before scanning. Individuals with the HD mutation had significantly lower posterior cingulate cortex N‐acetylaspartate (−9.6%, P = .02) and glutamate (−10.1%, P = .02) levels than did controls. In contrast, in this small group, measures of brain morphology including striatal and ventricle volumes did not differ significantly. Linear regression with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores revealed significant correlations with N‐acetylaspartate (r2 = 0.50, P = .01) and glutamate (NAA) (r2 = 0.64, P = .002) in HD subjects. Our data suggest a relationship between reduced N‐acetylaspartate and glutamate levels in the posterior cingulate cortex with cognitive decline in the early stages of HD. N‐acetylaspartate and glutamate magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals of the posterior cingulate cortex region may serve as potential biomarkers of disease progression or treatment outcome in HD and other neurodegenerative disorders with early cognitive dysfunction, when structural brain changes are still minor. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Invariant formulation of phenomenological failure criteria for orthotropic sheets and optimisation of their strength
Authors: Catapano Anita , Desmorat Boris , Vannucci Paolo
Published: May 2012

The strength optimisation of orthotropic materials is an open problem. The majority of the studies conducted on strength optimisation of anisotropic materials have been performed with the help of a phenomenological failure criterion that describe the conditions to obtain a limit state identified with the ultimate strength of the material. This paper is a study concerning the bidimensional linear case. Our approach concerns the formulation of a failure criterion through tensors invariants, in order to reduce the optimisation variables to only one: the orientation of material properties of the continuum. Finally, the analytical approach is introduced in order to minimise the failure index and results obtained with the use of three different failure criteria that are compared in order to understand the role of the three formulations with respect to the strength's behaviour. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MIMO capacity for deterministic channel models: sublinear growth
Authors: Bentosela François , Cornean Horia D. , Marchetti Nicola
Published: May 2012

This is the second paper by the authors in a series concerned with the development of a deterministic model for the transfer matrix of a MIMO system. In our previous paper, we started from the Maxwell equations and described the generic structure of such a deterministic transfer matrix. In the current paper, we apply those results in order to study the (Shannon‐Foschini) capacity behavior of a MIMO system as a function of the deterministic spread function of the environment and the number of transmitting and receiving antennas. The antennas are assumed to fill in a given fixed volume. Under some generic assumptions, we prove that the capacity grows much more slowly than linearly with the number of antennas. These results reinforce previous heuristic results obtained from statistical models of the transfer matrix, which also predict a sublinear behavior. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alperujo extract, hydroxytyrosol, and 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylglycol are bioavailable and have antioxidant properties in vitamin E‐deficient rats—a proteomics and network analysis approach
Authors: Rodríguez‐Gutiérrez Guillermo , Duthie Garry G. , Wood Sharon , Morrice Phil , Nicol Fergus , Reid Martin , Cantlay Louise L. , Kelder Thomas , Horgan Graham W. , Fernández‐Bolaños Guzmán Juan , de Roos Baukje
Published: May 2012

Scope

Olive products are rich in phenolic compounds, which are natural antioxidants in vitro. We tested the in vivo effects of alperujo, an olive production by‐product, as well as hydroxytyrosol and 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG) isolated from alperujo, on indices and pathways of oxidative and metabolic stress in a vitamin E‐deficient rat model.

Methods and results

Rats were fed a vitamin E‐deficient diet for 10 weeks, followed by this diet supplemented with either 100 mg/kg diet dα‐tocopherol, alperujo extract, hydroxytyrosol, or 10 mg/kg diet DHPG, for a further 2 weeks. We detected alperujo phenolics in tissues and blood, indicating they are bioavailable. Alperujo extract partially ameliorated elevated plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and also lowered plasma cholesterol levels, whereas hydroxytyrosol increased plasma triglyceride levels. Proteomics and subsequent network analysis revealed that hepatic mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), of which protein and activity levels were regulated by dα‐tocopherol and olive phenolics, represents a novel central regulatory protein hub affected by the dietary interventions.

Conclusion

The in vivo free radical scavenging properties of olive phenolics appear relatively modest in our model. But alternative mechanisms, including regulation of ALDH2, may represent relevant antioxidant mechanisms by which dietary olive phenolics could have beneficial impact on cardiovascular health.
Proton T1 relaxation times of metabolites in human occipital white and gray matter at 7 T
Authors: Xin Lijing , Schaller Benoît , Mlynarik Vladimir , Lu Huanxiang , Gruetter Rolf
Published: May 2012

Proton T1 relaxation times of metabolites in the human brain have not previously been published at 7 T. In this study, T1 values of CH3 and CH2 group of N‐acetylaspartate and total creatine as well as nine other brain metabolites were measured in occipital white matter and gray matter at 7 T using an inversion‐recovery technique combined with a newly implemented semi‐adiabatic spin‐echo full‐intensity acquired localized spectroscopy sequence (echo time = 12 ms). The mean T1 values of metabolites in occipital white matter and gray matter ranged from 0.9 to 2.2 s. Among them, the T1 of glutathione, scyllo‐inositol, taurine, phosphorylethanolamine, and N‐acetylaspartylglutamate were determined for the first time in the human brain. Significant differences in T1 between white matter and gray matter were found for water (−28%), total choline (−14%), N‐acetylaspartylglutamate (−29%), N‐acetylaspartate (+4%), and glutamate (+8%). An increasing trend in T1 was observed when compared with previously reported values of N‐acetylaspartate (CH3), total creatine (CH3), and total choline at 3 T. However, for N‐acetylaspartate (CH3), total creatine, and total choline, no substantial differences compared to previously reported values at 9.4 T were discernible. The T1 values reported here will be useful for the quantification of metabolites and signal‐to‐noise optimization in human brain at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 69:931–936, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improving multigrid performance for unstructured mesh drift–diffusion simulations on 147,000 cores
Authors: Lin Paul T.
Published: May 2012

This study considers the scaling of three algebraic multigrid aggregation schemes for a finite element discretization of a drift–diffusion system, specifically the drift–diffusion model for semiconductor devices. The approach is more general and can be applied to other systems of partial differential equations. After discretization on unstructured meshes, a fully coupled multigrid preconditioned Newton–Krylov solution method is employed. The choice of aggregation scheme for generating coarser levels has a significant impact on the performance and scalability of the multigrid preconditioner. For the test cases considered, the uncoupled aggregation scheme, which aggregates/combines the immediate neighbors, followed by repartitioning and data redistribution for the coarser level matrices on a subset of the Message Passing Interface (MPI) processes, outperformed the two other approaches, including the baseline aggressive coarsening scheme. Scaling results are presented up to 147,456 cores on an IBM Blue Gene/P platform. A comparison of the scaling of a multigrid V‐cycle and W‐cycle is provided. Results for 65,536 cores demonstrate that a factor of 3.5 × reduction in time between the uncoupled aggregation and baseline aggressive coarsening scheme can be obtained by significantly reducing the iteration count due to the increased number of multigrid levels and the generation of better quality aggregates. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.