bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loss of a single allele for Ku80 leads to progenitor dysfunction and accelerated aging in skeletal muscle
Authors: Didier Nathalie , Hourdé Christophe , Amthor Helge , Marazzi Giovanna , Sassoon David
Published: August 2012

Muscle wasting is a major cause of morbidity in the elderly. Ku80 is required for DNA double strand repair and is implicated in telomere maintenance. Complete loss‐of‐function leads to reduced post‐natal growth and severe progeria in mice. We examined the role of Ku80 in age‐related skeletal muscle atrophy. While complete loss of Ku80 leads to pronounced aging in muscle as expected, accompanied by accumulation of DNA damage, loss of a single allele is sufficient to accelerate aging in skeletal muscle although post‐natal growth is normal. Ku80 heterozygous muscle shows no DNA damage accumulation but undergoes premature telomere shortening that alters stem cell self‐renewal through stress response pathways including p53. These data reveal an unexpected requirement for both Ku80 alleles for optimal progenitor function and prevention of early onset aging in muscle, as well as providing a useful model for therapeutic approaches.
Methylsulfonyl polychlorinated biphenyls in fish from an electronic waste-recycling site in South China: Levels, congener profiles, and chiral signatures
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wu Jiang-Ping , Luo Xiao-Jun , She Ya-Zhe , Mo Ling , Mai Bi-Xian
Published: August 2012

Great concerns have been raised about the fate and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other organic contaminants contained in electronic waste (e-waste) exported from industrialized countries at midlatitudes to subtropical and tropical regions. Information on the metabolites of these chemicals, for example, methylsulfonyl-PCBs (MeSO2-PCBs) in wildlife from the later regions is scarce. In the present study, 17 MeSO2-PCBs, including five chiral congeners, were detected in the muscle, liver, and brain tissues of two benthic fish species—northern snakehead and mud carp—from a small pond near an electronic waste recycling site in South China. The mean concentrations of the sum of the MeSO2-PCBs ranged from 80 to 340 ng/g lipid weight in the tissues, with relative higher levels in the liver than the muscle and brain tissues. These levels were one order of magnitude greater than the highest levels of MeSO2-PCBs previously reported in fish. The 3′-MeSO2-CB 87, 3′- and 4′-MeSO2-CB 101, 4-MeSO2-CB 110, and 4-MeSO2-CB 149 were dominant, collectively comprising more than 55% of the total MeSO2-PCBs. Except for 4-MeSO2-CB149, all of the investigated chiral MeSO2-PCBs displayed a clear, congener-specific enantiomeric enrichment in the tissues. No tissue-specific enantioselective retention of the enantiomers was observed in the investigated fish. This is the first report on chiral signatures of MeSO2-PCBs in fish tissues. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 2507–2512. © 2012 SETAC
Comparative study of implicit and subgrid‐scale model large‐eddy simulation techniques for low‐Reynolds number airfoil applications
Authors: Garmann Daniel J. , Visbal Miguel R. , Orkwis Paul D.
Published: August 2012

A computational study of a high‐fidelity, implicit large‐eddy simulation (ILES) technique with and without the use of the dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid‐scale (SGS) model is conducted to examine the contributions of the SGS model on solutions of transitional flow over the SD7003 airfoil section. ILES without an SGS model has been shown in the past to produce comparable and sometimes favorable results to traditional SGS‐based large‐eddy simulation (LES) when applied to canonical turbulent flows. This paper evaluates the necessity of the SGS model for low‐Reynolds number airfoil applications to affirm the use of ILES without SGS‐modeling for a broader class of problems such as those pertaining to micro air vehicles and low‐pressure turbines. It is determined that the addition of the dynamic Smagorinsky model does not significantly affect the time‐mean flow or statistical quantities measured around the airfoil section for the spatial resolutions and Reynolds numbers examined in this study. Additionally, the robustness and reduced computational cost of ILES without the SGS model demonstrates the attractiveness of ILES as an alternative to traditional LES. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Maté consumption and risk of oral cancer: Case‐control study in Uruguay
Authors: Deneo–Pellegrini Hugo , De Stefani Eduardo , Boffetta Paolo , Ronco Alvaro L. , Acosta Gisele , Correa Pelayo , Mendilaharsu María
Published: August 2012

Background

In the period 1990 to 2001, a case‐control study on oral cancer and maté consumption was conducted at the Cancer Institute of Uruguay.

Methods

The study included 696 newly diagnosed cases with squamous cell carcinoma and 696 controls afflicted with nonneoplastic conditions not related to tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking. The participants were matched on age and residence and the study was restricted to men.

Results

In order to control confounding for tobacco and alcohol, we fitted 2 models. According to model 1, the odds ratio (OR) for maté consumption was 1.15 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76–1.73), whereas the results for model 2 showed an OR of 3.47 (95% CI, 1.60–7.52).

Conclusions

The inclusion of a term for the interaction between maté and smoking (or drinking) was rewarding and the ORs were even higher than those observed with the crude estimates. Head Neck, 2013
A ‘Peak‐Box’ approach for supporting interpretation and verification of operational ensemble peak‐flow forecasts
Authors: Zappa Massimiliano , Fundel Felix , Jaun Simon
Published: August 2012

Uncertainty communication is an important topic within hydrological forecasting. Hydrological ensemble prediction systems are established tools for the generation of forecasts including uncertainty information. The interpretation of such forecasts requires new visualization and verification tools to help forecasters and end‐users in their decision making. While the visualization of hydrographs is important for estimating flood volumes, little support is provided for the interpretation of peak‐flow forecasts. We introduce the ‘Peak‐Box’, a novel visual support that envelops all ensemble peak timings and peak discharge, from which specific verification metrics are defined. A user‐defined metric quantifies the sharpness concerning peak timing and peak discharge and allows communicating a‐priori, if the spread of peak forecasts is acceptable.

Eighteen months of ensemble predictions for four basins have been evaluated. A probabilistic verification which relies on the relationships between the spread and the relative operating characteristic area indicates the quality of the ensemble predictions in all basins. A sub‐sample of 485 events was used for exploring the value of the ‘Peak‐Box’. The combined spread of forecast peak time and peak discharge is higher than a tailored reference sharpness for most of the considered events. We show that, depending on the lead time of the forecasts, 30% to 55% of the observed peaks are found outside the predicted range. Most correct forecasts (hits) were obtained for forecasts having a lead time of 2 or more days. Further analyses indicate that the median of the ensemble peak forecast provides reliable estimates on either peak timing or peak discharge in more than 80% of the events evaluated. Finally, a score system was defined in order to combine different verification measures and obtain an overall assessment on the quality of both the peak discharge and peak ‐timing of the ensemble forecasts.

We demonstrate that the ‘Peak‐Box’ can be adopted in different ways in order to obtain quantitative and qualitative insights on the quality of peak forecasts. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suspended sediment causes annual acute fish mortality in the Pilcomayo River (Bolivia)
Authors: Swinkels L. H. , Van de Ven M. W. P. M. , Stassen M. J. M. , Van der Velde G. , Lenders H. J. R. , Smolders A. J. P.
Published: August 2012

Fish mortality in the middle reaches of the Pilcomayo River (Bolivia), locally called ‘borrachera’, can be observed almost every year at the onset of the rainy season. In order to study the potential causes of the ‘borrachera’, suspended sediment (SS) and selected water quality parameters have been monitored from mid‐September until mid‐December 2010. Gill samples were taken and analysed, before and during the ‘borrachera’ event on December 7th 2010. Data on river discharge were obtained from a database.

During the sampling period, the river hydrology changed dramatically. At the day of the ‘borrachera’, heavy rains in upstream reaches of the river catchment changed the river from a quiet stream into a turbulent river with extremely high concentrations of SS (> 100 g l−1). This may be caused by the inundation of the entire riverbed, which causes easily erodible material, left on the riverbanks at the end of the former rainy season, to be transported by the river during the first peak discharges.

As concentrations of heavy metals in filtered water samples did not show higher values during the ‘borrachera’, it is concluded that the ‘borrachera’ is unlikely to be caused by heavy metal toxicity. Results showed a strong association between the SS concentration and the ‘borrachera’. Gills of fish collected during the ‘borrachera’ were clogged with sediment to such an extent that oxygen uptake became virtually impossible. High SS concentrations are therefore considered to be the cause of this typical fish mortality phenomenon. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role and pharmacologic significance of cytochrome P‐450 2D6 in oxidative metabolism of toremifene and tamoxifen
Authors: Kim Juhyun , Coss Christopher C. , Barrett Christina M. , Mohler Michael L. , Bohl Casey E. , Li Chien‐Ming , He Yali , Veverka Karen A. , Dalton James T.
Published: August 2012

We investigated the in vitro metabolism and estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity of toremifene (TOR), tamoxifen (TAM) and their metabolites to better understand the potential effects of cytochrome P‐450 2D6 (CYP2D6) status on the activity of these drugs in women with breast cancer. The plasma concentrations of TOR and its N‐desmethyl (NDM) and 4‐hydroxy (4‐OH) metabolites during steady‐state dosing with TOR were also determined. Unlike TOR, TAM and its NDM metabolite were extensively oxidized to 4‐OH TAM and 4‐OH‐NDM TAM by CYP2D6, and the rate of metabolism was affected by CYP2D6 status. 4‐OH‐NDM TOR concentrations were not measurable at steady state in plasma of subjects taking 80 mg of TOR. Molecular modeling provided insight into the lack of 4‐hydroxylation of TOR by CYP2D6. The 4‐OH and 4‐OH‐NDM metabolites of TOR and TAM bound to estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes with fourfold to 30‐fold greater affinity were 35‐ to 187‐fold more efficient at antagonizing ER transactivation and had antiestrogenic potency that was up to 360‐fold greater than their parent drugs. Our findings suggest that variations in CYP2D6 metabolic capacity may cause significant differences in plasma concentrations of active TAM metabolites (i.e., 4‐OH TAM and 4‐OH‐NDM TAM) and contribute to variable pharmacologic activity. Unlike TAM, the clinical benefits in subjects taking TOR to treat metastatic breast cancer would not likely be subject to allelic variation in CYP2D6 status or affected by coadministration of CYP2D6‐inhibiting medications.
Tumor size, node status, grading, HER2 and estrogen receptor status still retain a strong value in patients with operable breast cancer diagnosed in recent years
Authors: Cortesi Laura , Marcheselli Luigi , Guarneri Valentina , Cirilli Claudia , Braghiroli Barbara , Toss Angela , Sant Milena , Ficarra Guido , Conte Pier Franco , Federico Massimo
Published: August 2012

Breast cancer prognosis has improved greatly in recent years. Consequently, a thorough search for sensitive prognostic factors, able to help clinicians offer appropriate therapy, has become a priority in this area. In this study, we considered all new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in the Province of Modena, Italy, between 1997 and 2007, registered by the Modena Cancer Registry. The principal endpoint of this study was relapse‐free survival (RFS). A set of 11 clinic and pathological parameters was investigated. After a median follow‐up of 73 months, 494 relapses were recorded. Tumor size, node status, grading, HER2 and estrogen receptor status were retained as independent factors in a multivariate analysis. Using these variables, a prognostic model was devised to identify three groups at different risk. In the training sample, the 5‐year RFS rates resulted 96.0%, 82.9% and 63.7% in patients at low, intermediate and high risk, respectively (p< 0.0001). In the validation sample, the 5‐year RFS was 96.2%, 85.4% and 66.9%, respectively. To conclude our study demonstrates that a very simple prognostic index based on easily available clinical data may represent a useful tool for the identification of patients at different risk of relapse and may be a notable device to predict who truly benefits from medical treatment.
Androgen deprivation results in time‐dependent hypoxia in LNCaP prostate tumours: Informed scheduling of the bioreductive drug AQ4N improves treatment response
Authors: Ming Louise , Byrne Niall M. , Camac Sarah Nicole , Mitchell Christopher A. , Ward Claire , Waugh David J. , McKeown Stephanie R. , Worthington Jenny
Published: August 2012

Androgen withdrawal induces hypoxia in androgen‐sensitive tissue; this is important as in the tumour microenvironment, hypoxia is known to drive malignant progression. Our study examined the time‐dependent effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on tumour oxygenation and investigated the role of ADT‐induced hypoxia on malignant progression in prostate tumours. LNCaP xenografted tumours were treated with anti‐androgens and tumour oxygenation measured. Dorsal skin fold (DSF) chambers were used to image tumour vasculature in vivo. Quantitative PCR (QPCR) identified differential gene expression following treatment with bicalutamide. Bicalutamide‐treated and vehicle‐only‐treated tumours were re‐established in vitro, and invasion and sensitivity to docetaxel were measured. Tumour growth delay was calculated following treatment with bicalutamide combined with the bioreductive drug AQ4N. Tumour oxygenation measurements showed a precipitate decrease following initiation of ADT. A clinically relevant dose of bicalutamide (2 mg/kg/day) decreased tumour oxygenation by 45% within 24 hr, reaching a nadir of 0.09% oxygen (0.67 ± 0.06 mmHg) by Day 7; this persisted until Day 14 when it increased up to Day 28. Using DSF chambers, LNCaP tumours treated with bicalutamide showed loss of small vessels at Days 7 and 14 with revascularisation occurring by Day 21. QPCR showed changes in gene expression consistent with the vascular changes and malignant progression. Cells from bicalutamide‐treated tumours were more malignant than vehicle‐treated controls. Combining bicalutamide with AQ4N (50 mg/kg, single dose) caused greater tumour growth delay than bicalutamide alone. Our study shows that bicalutamide‐induced hypoxia selects for cells that show malignant progression; targeting hypoxic cells may provide greater clinical benefit.
Gene expression and epigenetic discovery screen reveal methylation of SFRP2 in prostate cancer
Authors: Perry Antoinette S. , O'Hurley Gillian , Raheem Omer A. , Brennan Kevin , Wong Simon , O'Grady Anthony , Kennedy Anne‐Marie , Marignol Laure , Murphy Therese M. , Sullivan Linda , Barrett Ciara , Loftus Barbara , Thornhill John , Hewitt Stephen M. , Lawler Mark , Kay Elaine , Lynch Thomas , Hollywood Donal
Published: August 2012

Aberrant activation of Wnts is common in human cancers, including prostate. Hypermethylation associated transcriptional silencing of Wnt antagonist genes SFRPs (Secreted Frizzled‐Related Proteins) is a frequent oncogenic event. The significance of this is not known in prostate cancer. The objectives of our study were to (i) profile Wnt signaling related gene expression and (ii) investigate methylation of Wnt antagonist genes in prostate cancer. Using TaqMan Low Density Arrays, we identified 15 Wnt signaling related genes with significantly altered expression in prostate cancer; the majority of which were upregulated in tumors. Notably, histologically benign tissue from men with prostate cancer appeared more similar to tumor (r = 0.76) than to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; r = 0.57, p < 0.001). Overall, the expression profile was highly similar between tumors of high (≥ 7) and low (≤ 6) Gleason scores. Pharmacological demethylation of PC‐3 cells with 5‐Aza‐CdR reactivated 39 genes (≥ 2‐fold); 40% of which inhibit Wnt signaling. Methylation frequencies in prostate cancer were 10% (2/20) (SFRP1), 64.86% (48/74) (SFRP2), 0% (0/20) (SFRP4) and 60% (12/20) (SFRP5). SFRP2 methylation was detected at significantly lower frequencies in high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN; 30%, (6/20), p = 0.0096), tumor adjacent benign areas (8.82%, (7/69), p < 0.0001) and BPH (11.43% (4/35), p < 0.0001). The quantitative level of SFRP2 methylation (normalized index of methylation) was also significantly higher in tumors (116) than in the other samples (HGPIN = 7.45, HB = 0.47, and BPH = 0.12). We show that SFRP2 hypermethylation is a common event in prostate cancer. SFRP2 methylation in combination with other epigenetic markers may be a useful biomarker of prostate cancer.
An experimental investigation of the role of perceived justice in acute pain
Authors: McParland J. , Knussen C. , Lawrie J. , Brodie E.
Published: August 2012

Background

Emerging research suggests that perceiving injustice can compound the suffering of chronic pain, while perceiving justice serves as a positive psychological resource in this context. However, little more is currently known about the function of justice beliefs, particularly in the context of acute pain. The present study undertook this investigation, using cold pressor methodology to investigate whether trusting in the fairness of the world would help someone to cope with short‐term pain.

Methods

Sixty‐five men and 65 women completed measures of personal and general just world beliefs and state anxiety before pain induction and measures of the intensity and quality of pain, in addition to state anxiety following pain induction.

Results

The personal and general beliefs in a just world were negatively correlated with pre‐task anxiety but not with measures of pain induction (threshold, tolerance and sensitivity) or measures of post‐task pain. Gender had a moderating role, whereby men with a stronger general just world belief reported lower post‐task state anxiety and men who had a stronger personal just world belief reported lower pain intensity. However, unexpectedly, women with a stronger personal just world belief reported higher pain intensity.

Conclusion

The observed gender differences may be attributed to gender variations in cognitive appraisals of the task. Overall, while perceived injustice may be undesirable and a potential target for intervention, perceived justice is not necessarily a desired cognition in pain. Research is needed to replicate and extend this emerging research.
A QTAIM‐based energy partitioning for understanding the physical origin of conformational preferences: Application to the Z effect in O=C‐X‐R and related units
Authors: Ferro‐Costas David , Otero Nicolás , Graña Ana M. , Mosquera Ricardo A.
Published: August 2012

A quantum theory of atoms in molecules‐based energy partitioning was carried out forZandEconformers of a series of O=C‐X‐R containing compounds. The results obtained for the simplest compound (formic acid) indicate that the attraction of the electron density within carbonyl oxygen by the nucleus of the acid hydrogen is the most important energy term forZpreference. This conclusion can be extended (mutatis mutandis) to larger carboxylic acids, esters, sulfur derivatives, secondary amides, and carbonyl isocyanates, and even explains the sequence of relative conformational energies in the HCXOH series (X = O, S, Se). In contrast, although the hyperconjugative model has been traditionally employed to explain this preference, we observe it is incompatible with: (i) relative values of diverse QTAIM atomic populations for theZ/Econformational equilibrium; (ii) conformational energies in the HCXOH series. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of atomic charge, solvation, entropy, and ligand protonation state on MM‐PB(GB)SA binding energies of HIV protease
Authors: Oehme Daniel P. , Brownlee Robert T. C. , Wilson David J. D.
Published: August 2012

The molecular mechanics‐Poisson‐Boltzmann surface area (MM‐PBSA) and MM‐generalized‐Born surface area (MM‐GBSA) approaches are commonly used in molecular modeling and drug design. Four critical aspects of these approaches have been investigated for their effect on calculated binding energies: (1) the atomic partial charge method used to parameterize the ligand force field, (2) the method used to calculate the solvation free energy, (3) inclusion of entropy estimates, and (4) the protonation state of the ligand. HIV protease has been used as a test case with six structurally different inhibitors covering a broad range of binding strength to assess the effect of these four parameters. Atomic charge methods are demonstrated to effect both the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and MM‐PB(GB)SA binding energy calculation, with a greater effect on the MD simulation. Coefficients of determination and Spearman rank coefficients were used to quantify the performance of the MM‐PB(GB)SA methods relative to the experimental data. In general, better performance was achieved using (i) atomic charge models that produced smaller mean absolute atomic charges (Gasteiger, HF/STO‐3G and B3LYP/cc‐pVTZ), (ii) the MM‐GBSA approach over MM‐PBSA, while (iii) inclusion of entropy had a slightly positive effect on correlations with experiment. Accurate representation of the ligand protonation state was found to be important. It is demonstrated that these approaches can distinguish ligands according to binding strength, underlining the usefulness of these approaches in computer‐aided drug design. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficient One‐pot Synthesis of Alkyl 3‐(alkyl)‐4‐methyl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydrothiazole‐5‐carboxylates in a Multi Component Reaction
Authors: Iravani Nasir , Albadi Jalal , Varnaseri Somaieh , Jaberi Zahra , Karami Nahid , Khadamati Marzieh
Published: August 2012

A simple and efficient one‐pot synthesis of alkyl 2‐(alkyl)‐4‐methyl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydrothiazole‐5‐carboxylates from the reaction of primary alkylamines and carbon disulfide in the presence of 2‐chloro‐1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds is described. This new protocol has several advantages such as lack of necessity of the catalyst, good yields, mild conditions and short times for reaction.
Improved fat water separation with water selective inversion pulse for inversion recovery imaging in cardiac MRI
Authors: Havla Lukas , Basha Tamer , Rayatzadeh Hussein , Shaw Jaime L. , Manning Warren J. , Reeder Scott B. , Kozerke Sebastian , Nezafat Reza
Published: August 2012

Purpose:

To develop an improved chemical shift‐based water‐fat separation sequence using a water‐selective inversion pulse for inversion recovery 3D contrast‐enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and Methods:

In inversion recovery sequences the fat signal is substantially reduced due to the application of a nonselective inversion pulse. Therefore, for simultaneous visualization of water, fat, and myocardial enhancement in inversion recovery‐based sequences such as late gadolinium enhancement imaging, two separate scans are used. To overcome this, the nonselective inversion pulse is replaced with a water‐selective inversion pulse. Imaging was performed in phantoms, nine healthy subjects, and nine patients with suspected arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy plus one patient for tumor/mass imaging. In patients, images with conventional turbo‐spin echo (TSE) with and without fat saturation were acquired prior to contrast injection for fat assessment. Subjective image scores (1 = poor, 4 = excellent) were used for image assessment.

Results:

Phantom experiments showed a fat signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) increase between 1.7 to 5.9 times for inversion times of 150 and 300 msec, respectively. The water‐selective inversion pulse retains the fat signal in contrast‐enhanced cardiac MR, allowing improved visualization of fat in the water‐fat separated images of healthy subjects with a score of 3.7 ± 0.6. Patient images acquired with the proposed sequence were scored higher when compared with a TSE sequence (3.5 ± 0.7 vs. 2.2 ± 0.5, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The water‐selective inversion pulse retains the fat signal in inversion recovery‐based contrast‐enhanced cardiac MR, allowing simultaneous visualization of water and fat. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:484–490. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Automated truncation method for myocardial T2* measurement in thalassemia
Authors: He Taigang , Zhang Jun , Carpenter John‐Paul , Feng Yanqiu , Smith Gillian C. , Pennell Dudley J. , Firmin David N.
Published: August 2012

Purpose:

To propose an automated truncation method for myocardial T2* measurement and evaluate this method on a large population of patients with iron loading in the heart and scanned at multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) centers.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 550 thalassemia patients were scanned at 20 international centers using a variety of MR scanners (Siemens, Philips, or GE). A single mid‐ventricular short axis slice was imaged. All patient data were anonymized before the T2* were measured by expert observers using standard techniques. These same datasets were then retrospectively processed using the proposed automated truncation method by another independent observer and the resulting T2* measurements were compared with those of expert readings.

Results:

The T2* measurements using the automated method showed good agreement with those measured by expert observers using standard techniques (P = 0.95) with a low coefficient of variation (1.6%).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates feasibility and good reproducibility of a new automated truncation method for myocardial T2* measurement. This approach simplifies the overall analysis and can be easily incorporated into T2* analysis software to facilitate further development of a fully automated myocardial tissue iron quantification. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:479–483. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A direct method to quadrature rules for a certain class of singular integrals with logarithmic, Cauchy, or Hadamard‐type singularities
Authors: Tsalamengas John L.
Published: August 2012

Singular integrals of the form with logarithmic, Cauchy, or Hadamard‐type singularities in addition to endpoint algebraic singularities w(τ) = (1 − τ2)± 1/2 are frequently encountered in integral equation formulations of potential problems. Some of the existing quadratures for the evaluation of such integrals only apply to preassigned values of the external variable t. Other fairly general rules suffer from loss of accuracy when t is close to any of the nodes of the quadrature. Finally, derivation of the rules is in general multistage, and thus, considerable analytical preprocessing is required. In this paper, a straightforward direct method is presented, which demonstrates the derivation of numerical quadrature rules for Cauchy‐type and Hadamard‐type integrals from corresponding quadratures pertinent to logarithmically singular integrals. The proposed rules share the following characteristics: (1) their derivation, based on first principles, is remarkably simple; (2) the external variable t may be arbitrarily selected; and (3) in their framework, the loss of accuracy referred to earlier is fully remedied. Numerical examples and case studies illustrate the simplicity, flexibility, and high accuracy of the algorithms. Application to the solution of an integral equation associated with wave diffraction by a perfectly conducting strip is exemplified. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biodegradation of phenol by using free and immobilized cells of Acinetobacter sp. BS8Y
Authors: Jiang Lichun , Ruan Qiping , Li Rulan , Li Tiandong
Published: August 2012

Strain BS8Y with high biodegradation activity and high tolerance of phenol was isolated from activated sludge in an insulating material plant of China. This strain was capable of removing 99.2% of the initial 600 mg/l phenol in liquid minimal medium within 24 h and tolerating phenol at concentrations of up to 1200 mg/ml. DNA sequencing and homologous analysis of the 16S rRNA gene identified that the strain BS8Y belonged to an Acinetobacter species. Polyvinyl alcohol was used as gel matrix to immobilize the strain BS8Y. The factors affecting the phenol degradation by immobilized cells and the phenol removal efficiency of free and immobilized cells were investigated; the stability of the immobilized cells is also reported. The results show that the immobilized cells could tolerate a higher phenol level and protected the bacteria much more effectively against changes in temperature and pH. The phenol degradation efficiency was high at up to 96% within 30 h, with an initial concentration of 800 mg/l phenol, and the immobilized cells showed better performance than the suspended cells. Reusability tests revealed that the immobilized cells were stable enough even after reuse for ten times or storing at 4°C for 35 d. These results demonstrate that immobilized Acinetobacter sp. BS8Y possesses a good application potential in the treatment of phenol‐containing wastewater.
Decomposition of Microcystis blooms: Implications for the structure of the sediment bacterial community, as assessed by a mesocosm experiment in Lake Taihu, China
Authors: Shao Keqiang , Gao Guang , Chi Kexu , Qin Boqiang , Tang Xiangming , Yao Xin , Dai Jiangyu
Published: August 2012

The effect of decomposition of Microcystis blooms on the sediment bacterial communities was investigated in a 14‐day mesocosm experiments under dark and anoxic condition with three differing levels of Microcystis spp. biomass (from 20 to 2000 µg L−1) as measured by chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) concentration in the water column. Sediment samples were collected on days 0 and 14 for bacterial community composition (BCC) analysis, based on rapid decreases in the Chl‐a concentration of water column. The BCC was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing of predominant bands. The results showed that after Microcystis decomposition (day 14), the bacterial phylotype diversity in the sediment increased in enclosures with added Microcystis, and the relative abundance of bacteria affiliated with Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia strongly increased. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that organic matter and Chl‐a contributed significantly to the changes in sediment bacterial communities during Microcystis decomposition. The present results demonstrate Microcystis decomposition may directly and indirectly influence the BCC of the sediment.
Biosorption of aluminum, cobalt, and copper ions by Providencia rettgeri isolated from wastewater
Authors: Abo‐Amer Aly E. , Ramadan Abou Bakr , Abo‐State Mervat , Abu‐Gharbia Magdy A. , Ahmed Hamdy E.
Published: August 2012

Twenty‐three bacterial isolates from polluted water and soil were screened for heavy metals resistance (i.e., Al3+, Co2+, and Cu2+). The most potent isolate was identified by morphological characteristics, biochemical tests and confirmed by API20E kits as Providencia rettgeri MAM‐4. Removal of Al3+ from aqueous solution by P. rettgeri is more efficient (∼fourfold) than that by B. cereus ATCC 11778 (a comparison strain) at concentration of 200 mg L−1 Al3+. P. rettgeri was able to remove Co2+ more than B. cereus ATCC 11778 at concentration of 50 mg L−1 Co2+. Inoculation of P. rettgeri into clay enhanced significantly the removal of Al3+, Co2+, and Cu2+. P. rettegri MI (mutant strain) was able to tolerate more Al3+ than that of the parent strain. P. rettgeri was resistant to 7 out of 15 antibiotics tested. P. rettgeri MAM‐4 isolated from wastewater had ability to remove Al3+, Co2+, and Cu2+ efficiently from aqueous media; and enhanced significantly metal biosporption by clay. This study has revealed that P. rettgeri could be employed as an effective and economic technology for the removal such metal elements from polluted environment.
Purification and characterization of an extracellular chitinase from antagonistic Streptomyces violaceusniger
Authors: Nagpure Anand , Gupta Rajinder K.
Published: August 2012

The actinomycetes Streptomyces violaceusniger showed strong antagonistic activity against various tested wood rotting fungi. An extracellular chitinase, produced by antagonistic S. violaceusniger MTCC 3959, was purified as follows: ammonium sulfate precipitation, chitin affinity and chromatographic separation of Q Sepharose. The molecular mass of the purified chitinase was estimated as 56.5 kDa by SDS‐PAGE. Chitinase was optimally active at pH of 5.0 and 50 °C. It retained almost 100% activity at pH 5.0 and also had high thermal tolerance at 50 °C. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg2+ and Ag+ cations, but was neither substantially inhibited by K+ cation nor by chelating agent EDTA. The apparent Km and Vmax at 37 °C were 0.1426 mM and 6.6 U/mg, respectively using pNP‐(GlcNAc)2 as substrate. The 56.5 kDa chitinase of strain MTCC 3959 represented an exo‐type activity. The purified chitinase was further identified by MALDI‐TOF. The results of peptide mass fingerprinting showed that 10 tryptic peptides of the chitinase were identical to the chitinase C from Streptomyces albus J1074 (GenBank Accession No. gi|239982330). The sequence of N‐terminal amino acid (AA) of the chitinase was determined to be G‐D‐G‐T‐G‐P‐G‐P‐G‐P.
Screening and identification of a Bacillus thuringiensis strain S1/4 with large and efficient insecticidal activities
Authors: Sellami Sameh , Zghal Taheni , Cherif Maroua , Zalila‐Kolsi Imen , Jaoua Samir , Jamoussi Kaïs
Published: August 2012

The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis was recognized for its entomopathogenic activities related to Cry and Cyt proteins forming the δ‐endotoxins and some extracellular activities like the vegetative insecticidal proteins (VIP) and Cry1I. These activities may act specifically against diverse organisms and some of them typically characterize each strain. Here, we screened a set of 212 B. thuringiensis strains to search the higher insecticidal activities. These strains had bipyramidal and cubic crystal morphologies and 30% of them showed PCR amplification of vip3 internal region, from which five isolates (S1/4, S17, S122, S123, and S144) showed plasmid profile variability. These five strains contained the cry1I, cry1Aa and/or cry1Ac, cry1Ab and cry2 genes, and S1/4 harbored in addition the cry1C, vip1, and vip2 genes. They produced from 25 to 46 µg δ‐endotoxin per 107 spores. Their δ‐endotoxins displayed distinct lethal concentrations 50% against either Spodoptera littoralis or Ephestia kuehniella larvae with the lowest one for S1/4, which was also active against Tuta absoluta. Fortunately, the analysis of the culture supernatants revealed that S1/4 had the higher toxicity towards these lepidopteron but it did not show any toxicity against the Tribolium castaneum coleopteran larvae; additionally, S1/4 displayed an antibacterial activity. S1/4 is a good candidate for agricultural pest control, as it is more efficient than the reference strain HD1.
Biodegradation of BTEX mixture by Pseudomonas putidaYNS1 isolated from oil‐contaminated soil
Authors: You Youngnam , Shim Jaehong , Cho Choa‐Hyoung , Ryu Moon‐Hee , Shea Patrick J. , Kamala‐Kannan Seralathan , Chae Jong‐Chan , Oh Byung‐Taek
Published: August 2012

The presence of mixed contaminants, such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers) can affect the biodegradation, fate and environmental impacts of each compound. To understand the influence of interactions among BTEX compounds on their biodegradation, four bacteria were isolated from oil‐contaminated soil and assayed for BTEX biodegradation in vitro. The isolate exhibiting maximum biodegradation was identified as Pseudomonas putida based on the 16S rDNA sequence. The biodegradation of the BTEX compounds was greatly influenced by pH, temperature, and salinity. Substrate mixture studies (binary, tertiary and quaternary) revealed that the presence of toluene increased the biodegradation rate of benzene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.
Larger variability, better predictability?
Authors: Sun Bo , Wang Huijun
Published: August 2012

The statistical relationship between observed interannual variability and the corresponding predictability of June–July–August mean precipitation is computed and discussed, using hindcasts from the Development of a European Multimodel Ensemble System for Seasonal to Interanuual Prediction (DEMETER) project and reanalysis datasets of the Global Precipitation Climatology Project and Climatic Research Unit. It is found that there exists a globally positive correlation between the variability and predictability, being prominent in the low latitudes and less evident in the high latitudes. Although this correlation varies with modulated verification datasets, multi‐model ensembles and temporal periods, all of which are artificial factors, a significant positive correlation is found over East Asia, Australia, South America, Europe and Africa, while a negative correlation for North America, under most circumstances. Moreover, it is also found that different dynamical processes in the climate system seem to have made different contributions to building this ‘larger variability–better predictability’ relationship, possibly through enhancing the predictability over domains where there is a larger contribution to variability by the climate signals, while making an uncertain contribution to the predictability over domains that are less influenced by the signals.
SC‐1, a sorafenib derivative, shows anti‐tumor effects in osteogenic sarcoma cells
Authors: Wang Chen‐Ti , Lin Chen‐Si , Shiau Chung‐Wai , Chu Pei‐Yi , Hsiao Chung‐Ching , Chiang Yi‐Lun , Tai Wei‐Tien , Chen Kuen‐Feng
Published: August 2012

Despite significant advances in the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS), overall survival rate of OS patients has remained relatively constant for over two decades and novel approaches are needed to further improve prognosis. Here, we report the anti‐tumor effect of SC‐1, a novel sorafenib derivative that closely resembles sorafenib structurally but is devoid of kinase inhibitory activity, on OS cells through mediation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). SC‐1 showed similar effects to sorafenib on growth inhibition and apoptosis, and downregulated phospho‐STAT3 (p‐STAT3) at tyrosine 705 in all tested OS cell lines (U2OS, HOS, and 143B). Expression of STAT3‐driven genes, including cylcin D1 and c‐myc, were also repressed by SC‐1. Ectopic expression of STAT3 in 143B cells abolished apoptosis in SC‐1‐treated cells. Inhibition of SHP‐1 decreased SC‐1‐induced apoptosis. SC‐1 upregulated the activity of SHP‐1 in tested OS cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner. Finally, SC‐1 reduced 143B tumor growth significantly in vivo, which was associated with downregulation of p‐STAT3 and upregulation of SHP‐1 activity. These data demonstrate that SC‐1 has clinical potential for the treatment of OS patients. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 335–342, 2013
Differential expression of basement membrane type IV collagen α2 and α6 chains as a prognostic factor in patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma
Authors: Hirashima Kotaro , Iyama Ken‐Ichi , Baba Yoshifumi , Honda Yumi , Sado Yoshikazu , Ninomiya Yoshifumi , Watanabe Masayuki , Takamori Hiroshi , Beppu Toru , Baba Hideo
Published: August 2012

Background

The destruction of the basement membrane (BM) is the first step in cancer invasion and metastasis. Type IV collagen is a major component of the BM, and is composed of six genetically distinct α(IV) chains; α1(IV) to α6(IV). The loss of α5(IV) and α6(IV) chains from the epithelial BM at the early stage of cancer invasion has been reported in several types of cancers. However, the expression of α5(IV) and α6(IV) chains in extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (EBDC) remains unclear.

Methods

We examined the expression of α(IV) chains by immunohistochemistry using 71 resected EBDC specimens. Prognostic significance of α(IV) chains was examined by Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier analyses.

Results

In the invasive cancer, the expression of α6(IV) chain in the BM was lost partially or completely preceded by the loss of α2(IV) chain. The loss of α6(IV) chain in the BM of the invasive cancer was related to the tumor classification, TNM stages, and the expression of α2(IV) chain. The patients with α2(IV)‐negative and α6(IV)‐negative chains had significantly poorer prognosis than those with α2(IV)‐positive and α6(IV)‐positive/negative chains (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

The loss of α2(IV) and α6(IV) chains might be a useful prognostic factor in patients with EBDC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:402–407. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Learning curve for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in peritoneal surface malignancies: Analysis of two centres
Authors: Kusamura Shigeki , Baratti Dario , Virzì Salvatore , Bonomi Serena , Iusco Domenico Rosario , Grassi Antonio , Hutanu Ionut , Deraco Marcello
Published: August 2012

Background

We assessed the learning curve (LC) of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in treating peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM) in two centers and evaluated in which extent surgical tutoring could abbreviate the learning process.

Methods

Six hundred and forty‐one cases submitted to CRS using peritonectomy procedures and HIPEC were considered. After having overcome its own LC, the NCI of Milan has provided technical assistance to Bentivoglio's centre for the development of a new PSM program since 2003. The risk‐adjusted sequential probability ratio test (RA‐SPRT) was employed to assess the LC of the two centers. Outcomes were incomplete cytoreduction, G3‐5 morbidity (NCI‐CTCAE.v3) and procedure‐related mortality (PRM).

Results

Rates of incomplete cytoreduction, G3‐5 morbidity, and PRM were 8.4%, 30.1%, and 3.9%, respectively, in the entire series. The breaking points of the LC concerning incomplete cytoreduction, G3‐5 morbidity, and PRM were achieved at 141, 158, and 144 cases, in the Milan's experience, and at 126, 134, and 60 cases in the Bentivoglio's experience.

Conclusions

Surgical tutoring could substantially shorten the steep LC associated with CRS and HIPEC. Our data should be confirmed by further studies on LC focusing oncological outcomes. Other factors that could influence the length of learning process should be identified. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:312–319. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Macrophage inflammatory protein‐3 alpha (MIP‐3a) Is a novel serum prognostic marker in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Iwata Takashi , Tanaka Koji , Inoue Yasuhiro , Toiyama Yuji , Hiro Junichiro , Fujikawa Hiroyuki , Okugawa Yoshinaga , Uchida Keiichi , Mohri Yasuhiko , Kusunoki Masato
Published: August 2012

Background and Objectives

A significant prognostic difference exists among metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients despite of any treatments. We identify the specific cytokines related to prognosis of metastatic CRC and assess their prognostic significance.

Methods

Stage IV CRC patients were divided into two groups according to their prognosis. Difference in serum cytokine level between these groups was determined by the cytokine array. Among the specific cytokines, macrophage inflammatory protein‐3 alpha (MIP‐3a) was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of 242 CRC patients.

Results

Several cytokines related to prognostic difference in stage IV CRC were identified. The median MIP‐3a level (28.2 pg/ml) was used as a cut‐off value. Increased MIP‐3a was significantly associated with synchronous liver metastases and age. In univariate analysis, high MIP‐3a was correlated with poor prognosis (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high MIP‐3a was an independent prognostic factor in all CRC patients (P < 0.001). In subgroup analysis, high MIP‐3a was significantly associated with poor survival in patients with stage II, II/III, and IV CRC, respectively.

Conclusions

Serum MIP‐3a is not only an independent prognostic factor, but also an independent predictive factor for liver metastasis, which may guide the decision making of metastatic CRC patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:160–166. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognostic significance of tetraspanin CD151 in newly diagnosed glioblastomas
Authors: Lee Dakeun , Suh Yeon‐Lim , Park Tae‐In , Do In‐Gu , Seol Ho Jun , Nam Do‐Hyun , Kim Sung Tae
Published: August 2012

Background

Tetraspanin CD151 is a positive effector of cancer invasion and metastasis.

Methods

We investigated the expression of CD151 by immunohistochemistry in 211 cases of grade I to IV gliomas. Additionally, we performed O6‐methylguanin‐DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation analysis using real‐time methylation‐specific PCR in 36 patients with glioblastoma, and the prognostic significance of these biomarkers in glioblastomas was evaluated.

Results

Overexpression of CD151 was observed in a significant proportion (55.6%) of glioblastomas, while CD151 was rarely overexpressed in most of grade I to III glial tumors. CD151 overexpression was closely associated with MGMT methylation (P = 0.014), and it was a prognostic factor for predicting worse overall survival (OS; P = 0.002) and progression‐free survival (PFS; P = 0.043). We also found that combination of CD151 overexpression and MGMT methylation better stratified the patients' OS (P = 0.001) and PFS (P = 0.009). In multivariate analysis, CD151 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS over MGMT methylation (P = 0.012).

Conclusions

CD151 seems to have a critical role for high‐grade progression in astroglial tumors. Furthermore, CD151 is a good tissue marker that can be used easily in a daily practice for predicting worse prognosis in patients with glioblastoma. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:646–652. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Estimating past and future male loss in three Zambian lion populations
Authors: Becker Matthew S. , Watson Fred G.R. , Droge Egil , Leigh Kellie , Carlson Ron S. , Carlson Anne A.
Published: August 2012

African lions (Panthera leo) are declining continent‐wide, with protected area populations subject to a variety of anthropogenic effects. Zambia contains viable lion populations of considerable importance for photographic and hunting tourism, but long‐term lion demographic data do not exist to guide recent management directives and population projections under different strategies. We described population size, as well as age and sex structure of lions in 3 Zambian national park populations bordering hunting areas, and found them to be male‐depleted relative to other systems. We then estimated rates of adult male loss leading to male depletion in these populations and the effect of different future hunting management options on population characteristics. Predictions from matrix population models constructed within a Bayesian framework confirmed that the observed population structure was likely due to high rates of adult male loss and that instituting age limits on male harvests with quota reductions would reduce male depletion, improve tourism by providing older and more abundant males, and slightly increase population size. Reducing male mortality from wire snare poaching would also result in similar demographic impacts, and in concert with changes in hunting regulations would substantially improve the quality and quantity of adult male lions. However, model results varied depending on whether we assumed historical population stability. Predictions assuming negative historical growth rate indicated that substantially more conservative lion harvest management is warranted. We discuss the relevance of these findings for maintaining viable lion populations in and around protected areas in Zambia. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.