bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss in older adults: The Tasmanian older adult cohort study
Authors: Ding Changhai , Cicuttini Flavia , Parameswaran Venkat , Burgess John , Quinn Steve , Jones Graeme
Published: April 2009

Objective

To determine the associations between serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss cross‐sectionally and longitudinally in older adults.

Methods

A total of 880 randomly selected subjects (mean age 61 years [range 51–79 years], 50% women) were studied at baseline, and 353 of these subjects were studied 2.9 years later. Serum levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were assessed by radioimmunoassay, and sunlight exposure was assessed by questionnaire. T1‐weighted fat‐suppressed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right knee was performed to determine knee cartilage volume and defects. Knee radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) and knee pain were also assessed.

Results

The mean 25(OH)D serum level was 52.8 nmoles/liter at baseline (range 13–119 nmoles/liter). Winter sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D level were both positively associated with medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume, and a serum 25(OH)D level <50 nmoles/liter was associated with increased medial tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (all P < 0.05). Longitudinally, baseline serum 25(OH)D level predicted change in both medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume (β = +0.04% per annum per nmole/liter for both; P < 0.05), and change in serum 25(OH)D level was positively associated with change in medial tibial cartilage volume. These associations were consistent in subjects with radiographic OA and knee pain and/or in women, but not in men or in subjects without radiographic OA or knee pain.

Conclusion

Sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D levels are both associated with decreased knee cartilage loss (assessed by radiograph or MRI). This is best observed using the whole range of 25(OH)D levels rather than predefined cut points and implies that achieving vitamin D sufficiency may prevent and/or retard cartilage loss in knee OA.
Google book search: Citation analysis for social science and the humanities
Authors: Kousha Kayvan , Thelwall Mike
Published: April 2009

In both the social sciences and the humanities, books and monographs play significant roles in research communication. The absence of citations from most books and monographs from the Thomson Reuters/Institute for Scientific Information databases (ISI) has been criticized, but attempts to include citations from or to books in the research evaluation of the social sciences and humanities have not led to widespread adoption. This article assesses whether Google Book Search (GBS) can partially fill this gap by comparing citations from books with citations from journal articles to journal articles in 10 science, social science, and humanities disciplines. Book citations were 31% to 212% of ISI citations and, hence, numerous enough to supplement ISI citations in the social sciences and humanities covered, but not in the sciences (3%–5%), except for computing (46%), due to numerous published conference proceedings. A case study was also made of all 1,923 articles in the 51 information science and library science ISI‐indexed journals published in 2003. Within this set, highly book‐cited articles tended to receive many ISI citations, indicating a significant relationship between the two types of citation data, but with important exceptions that point to the additional information provided by book citations. In summary, GBS is clearly a valuable new source of citation data for the social sciences and humanities. One practical implication is that book‐oriented scholars should consult it for additional citations to their work when applying for promotion and tenure.
Application in stochastic volatility models of nonlinear regression with stochastic design
Authors: Chen Ping , Wang Jinde
Published: April 2009

In regression model with stochastic design, the observations have been primarily treated as a simple random sample from a bivariate distribution. It is of enormous practical significance to generalize the situation to stochastic processes. In this paper, estimation and hypothesis testing problems in stochastic volatility model are considered, when the volatility depends on a nonlinear function of the state variable of other stochastic process, but the correlation coefficient |ρ|≠±1. The methods are applied to estimate the volatility of stock returns from Shanghai stock exchange. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mitochondrial bioenergetics as a major motive force of speciation
Authors: Gershoni Moran , Templeton Alan R. , Mishmar Dan
Published: April 2009

Mitochondrial bioenergetics plays a key role in multiple basic cellular processes, such as energy production, nucleotide biosynthesis, and iron metabolism. It is an essential system for animals' life and death (apoptosis) and it is required for embryo development. This, in conjunction with its being subjected to adaptive processes in multiple species and its gene products being involved in the formation of reproductive barriers in animals, raises the possibility that mitochondrial bioenergetics could be a candidate genetic mechanism of speciation. Here, we discuss genetic and biochemical evidence for the possible involvement of this unique system, encoded by two genomes (the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes), that differ by an order of magnitude in their mutation rates in processes leading to speciation events.
Randomized clinical trial of efficacy and costs of three dissection devices in liver resection
Authors: Richter S , Kollmar O , Schuld J , Moussavian M R , Igna D , Schilling M K
Published: April 2009

Background

In recent decades a variety of instruments for liver dissection has become available. This randomized controlled trial analysed the efficacy and costs of three different liver dissection devices.

Methods

Ninety-six patients without cirrhosis undergoing liver resection were randomized to either ultrasonic dissection, waterjet dissection or dissecting sealer (32 in each group). Patients were unaware of the device used. The primary endpoint was dissection speed. Secondary endpoints were intraoperative blood loss, morbidity and mortality, and costs of dissection devices, staplers and haemostatic agents.

Results

Dissection was slower with the dissecting sealer (P = 0·004 versus waterjet dissector). The difference was more pronounced for extended resections (mean(s.e.m.) 1·62(0·36) cm2/min versus 3·42(0·53) and 3·63(0·51) cm2/min for ultrasonic and water dissectors respectively; P = 0·037). Costs were significantly higher for the dissecting sealer when atypical or segmental resections were performed. Four patients died after extended resections; postoperative complications did not differ between groups.

Conclusion

The dissecting sealer is slower than the ultrasonic dissector or water dissector. The three devices are equally safe in terms of blood loss, transfusions and postoperative complications. Ultrasonic and water dissectors might be more favourable economically than the dissecting sealer. Registration number: ISRCTN52294555 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).
Oestrogen inhibits human colonic motility by a non-genomic cell membrane receptor-dependent mechanism
Authors: Hogan A M , Kennelly R , Collins D , Baird A W , Winter D C
Published: April 2009

Background

Classical effects of oestrogen involve activation of target genes after binding nuclear receptors. Oestrogenic effects too rapid for DNA transcription (non-genomic) are known to occur. The effect of oestrogen on colonic motility is unknown despite the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in pregnant and premenopausal women.

Methods

Histologically normal colon was obtained from proximal resection margins of colorectal carcinoma specimens. Circular smooth muscle strips were microdissected and suspended in organ baths under 1 g of tension. After equilibration, they were exposed to 17β-oestradiol (n = 8) or bovine serum albumin (BSA)-conjugated 17β-oestradiol (n = 8). Fulvestrant, an oestrogen receptor antagonist, was added to some baths (n = 8). Other strips were exposed to calphostin C or cycloheximide. Carbachol was added in increasing concentrations and contractile activity was recorded isometrically.

Results

Oestrogen inhibited colonic contractility (mean difference 19·7 per cent; n = 8, P < 0·001). In keeping with non-genomic, rapid-onset steroid action, the effect was apparent within minutes and reversible. It was observed with both 17β-oestradiol and BSA-conjugated oestrogen, and was not altered by cycloheximide. Effects were inhibited by fulvestrant, suggesting receptor mediation.

Conclusion

Oestrogen decreases contractility in human colonic smooth muscle by a non-genomic mechanism involving cell membrane coupling.
What do potential jurors know about police interrogation techniques and false confessions?
Authors: Leo Richard A. , Liu Brittany
Published: April 2009

Psychological police interrogation methods in America inevitably involve some level of pressure and persuasion to achieve their goal of eliciting confessions of guilt from custodial suspects. In this article, we surveyed potential jurors about their perceptions of a range of psychological interrogation techniques, the likelihood that such techniques would elicit a true confession from guilty suspects, and the likelihood that such techniques could elicit a false confession from innocent suspects. Participants recognized that these interrogation techniques may be psychologically coercive and may elicit true confessions, but believed that psychologically coercive interrogation techniques are not likely to elicit false confessions. The findings from this survey study indicate that potential jurors believe that false confessions are both counter‐ intuitive and unlikely, even in response to psychologically coercive interrogation techniques that have been shown to lead to false confessions from the innocent. This study provides empirical support for the idea that expert witnesses may helpfully inform jurors about the social science research on psychologically coercive interrogation methods and how and why such interrogation techniques can lead to false confessions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alford pleas in the age of innocence
Authors: Redlich Allison D. , Özdoğru Asil Ali
Published: April 2009

In 1970, the Supreme Court handed down a decision in North Carolina v. Alford that has since allowed defendants who do not wish to risk their fates at trial to plead guilty while simultaneously asserting their innocence. Although “Alford pleas” have remained unexamined by researchers, the increasing number of identified wrongful convictions of those factually innocent highlights the need for an in‐depth examination of them. In the present study, using the Department of Justice 2004 State Survey of Inmates in Correctional Facilities dataset, we examined the likelihood of entering Alford pleas over traditional guilty, no contest, and not guilty pleas for those convicted of murder/manslaughter. Although we generally found few differences between the three guilty plea types, interesting differences between Alford and not guilty pleas emerged. Implications for actual innocence are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Specific PCR product primer design using memetic algorithm
Authors: Yang Cheng‐Hong , Cheng Yu‐Huei , Chuang Li‐Yeh , Chang Hsueh‐Wei
Published: April 2009

To provide feasible primer sets for performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiment, many primer design methods have been proposed. However, the majority of these methods require a relatively long time to obtain an optimal solution since large quantities of template DNA need to be analyzed. Furthermore, the designed primer sets usually do not provide a specific PCR product size. In recent years, evolutionary computation has been applied to PCR primer design and yielded promising results. In this article, a memetic algorithm (MA) is proposed to solve primer design problems associated with providing a specific product size for PCR experiments. The MA is compared with a genetic algorithm (GA) using an accuracy formula to estimate the quality of the primer design and test the running time. Overall, 50 accession nucleotide sequences were sampled for the comparison of the accuracy of the GA and MA for primer design. Five hundred runs of the GA and MA primer design were performed with PCR product lengths of 150–300 bps and 500–800 bps, and two different methods of calculating Tm for each accession nucleotide sequence were tested. A comparison of the accuracy results for the GA and MA primer design showed that the MA primer design yielded better results than the GA primer design. The results further indicate that the proposed method finds optimal or near‐optimal primer sets and effective PCR products in a dry dock experiment. Related materials are available online at http://bio.kuas.edu.tw/ma‐pd/. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009
Synthesis of a Graphite‐Polyaniline Nanocomposite and Evaluation of Its Electrochemical Properties
Authors: Nikzad L. , Alibeigi S. , Vaezi M. R. , Yazdani B. , Rahimipour M. R.
Published: April 2009

In this study, exfoliated graphite and a polyaniline (PANI)‐graphite nanocomposite were developed from in situ polymerization of aniline. Graphite nanosheets were synthesized from expandable graphite. The PANI‐graphite nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the electrochemical measurements, such as cyclic voltammetric curves, showed that the conductivity of the obtained nanocomposite increased. Therefore, the supercapacitor behavior of PANI improves with adding graphite.
Data exploration on standard asphalt mix analyses
Authors: Tušar Marjan , Novič Marjana
Published: April 2009

The purpose of our study was the evaluation of the most important factors that affect the volumetric and conventional mechanical properties of produced asphalt mix and the volumetric properties of built‐in asphalt layer. Asphalt mix design follows the standard procedure (Marshall procedure). We were interested not only in the quantity of bitumen specified by the Marshall procedure, but also in the quantity of stone aggregate fractions, temperatures of production and properties of bitumen that is used. The influence of these factors was investigated with several models. For the building of models we used 444 asphalt samples, analysed by one laboratory. To select the most important factors, several multiple linear regression (MLR) models, partial least squares (PLS) regression models and counterpropagation neural network models were made. Obtained models were tested with leave‐one‐out (LOO) and leave‐10%‐out cross‐validation procedures. The results of MLR and PLS models show that the independent variables are closely related. Among 21 variables there is only one found as less important. MLR and PLS models show better predictive ability than counterpropagation neural network models. The best MLR models will be employed for the preparation of the asphalt mix design (recipe) with some unknown material. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymmetric catalysis of homo‐coupling of 3‐substituted naphthylamine and hetero‐coupling with 3‐substituted naphthol leading to 3,3′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐diaminobinaphthyl and ‐2‐amino‐2′‐hydroxybinaphthyl
Authors: Yusa Yukinori , Kaito Isao , Akiyama Katsuhiro , Mikami Koichi
Published: April 2009

Optically active 3,3′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐diamino‐1,1′‐binaphthyl (DM‐DABN) and 3,3′‐dimethyl‐2‐amino‐2′‐hydroxybinaphthyl (DM‐NOBIN) derivatives were synthesized by Cu‐(−)‐sparteine complex‐catalyzed enantioselective homo‐ and hetero‐coupling of 2‐naphthylamine, respectively. The difference in enantioselectivity was observed by changing the concentration of oxygen. Chirality, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ECD cotton effect approximated by the Gaussian curve and other methods
Authors: Stephens Philip J. , Harada Nobuyuki
Published: April 2009

To determine the absolute configuration of chiral compounds, theoretical calculations of ECD spectra have been extensively carried out, where the shape of component CD Cotton effects was approximated by the Gaussian distribution curve. However, in some articles, errors are found in the equations of Gaussian curve expressing CD Cotton effects. In this short review, the correct and general forms of the Gaussian equation and the approximation of the CD curve by other methods are described. Chirality, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Absolute configuration determination and conformational analysis of (−)‐(3S,6S)‐3α,6β‐diacetoxytropane using vibrational circular dichroism and DFT techniques
Authors: Muñoz Marcelo A. , Muñoz Orlando , Joseph‐Nathan Pedro
Published: April 2009

The absolute configuration of semisynthetic (−)‐3α,6β‐acetoxytropane 1, prepared from (−)‐6β‐hydroxyhyoscyamine 2, has been determined using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy. The vibrational spectra (IR and VCD) were calculated using DFT at the B3LYP/DGDZVP level of theory for the eight more stable conformers which account for 99.97% of the total relative abundance in the first 10 kcal/mol range. The calculated VCD spectra of all considered conformations showed two distinctive spectral ranges, one between 1300 and 1200 cm−1, and the other one in the 1150–950 cm−1 region. When compared with the experimental VCD spectrum, the first spectral region confirmed the calculated conformational preferences, whereas the second region showed little change with conformation, thus allowing the determination of the absolute configuration of 1 as (3S,6S)‐3α,6β‐diacetoxytropane. Also, the bands in the second region showed similarities between 1 and 2 in both the experimental and calculated VCD spectra, suggesting that these bands are mainly related to the absolute configuration of the rigid tropane ring system, since they show conformational independency, no variations with the nature of the substituent, and are composed by closely related vibrational modes. Chirality, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optical, photocatalytic properties of novel CuS nanoplate‐based architectures synthesised by a solvothermal route
Authors: Li Fei , Bi Wentuan , Kong Tao , Qin Qinghua
Published: April 2009

CuS architectures were successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal route without any surfactant, in which copper nitrate trihydrate and element sulfur were used as reactants. The products were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties of CuS architectres were investigated by Raman spectrometer, ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The results showed that the CuS architectures were hexagonal‐structured phase and composed of intersectional nanoplates. UV‐Vis absorption peaks of CuS architectures showed large blue shifts and PL spectrum exhibited a strong blue emission and a weak green emission. Photocatalytic activity of the CuS architectures was evaluated by measuring the decomposition rate of methylene blue solution under solar light. The CuS architectures show good photocatalytic activity. The effects of the molar ratio of Cu:S and the growth time on the synthesis of CuS crystalline were discussed and the growth mechanism of CuS nanoplate‐based architectures was also proposed. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Atomistic study of elastic constants and thermodynamic properties of zinc – blende CuBr
Authors: Ahmad S. , Wahab M. A.
Published: April 2009

Elastic constants and thermodynamic properties of zinc blende CuBr are calculated using a molecular dynamics simulation based on Tersoff empirical interatomic potential. We find that the elastic modulus C11 is bigger than the other theoretical and experimental data, while C12 is somewhat small. The elastic modulus C44 is in good agreement with the theoretical calculations and experiment. Thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat capacity at constant volume and thermal conductivity are in very well agreement with experimental data. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Analysis of the profile curves of the menisci for the sapphire tubes growth by EFG (Stepanov) technique
Authors: Rossolenko S. N. , Kurlov V. N. , Asrian A. A.
Published: April 2009

This paper deals with investigation of the behavior of the profile curves of the melt menisci for the case of the sapphire crystal growth by EFG (Stepanov) technique. The cases of external and internal circular menisci of the crystal tube are considered. The cases of the positive and negative angles of the contact of the profile curve with the working surface of the shaper are considered. Features of the profile curves are used in the automated control systems of the crystal growth using of the weight sensor. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Analysis of the profile curves of the menisci for the sapphire capillaries and fibers growth by EFG (Stepanov) technique
Authors: Rossolenko S. N. , Kurlov V. N. , Asrian A. A.
Published: April 2009

Profile curves of the small liquid menisci are investigated on the base of numerical solution of the Young – Laplace equation. There are considered menisci for the growth of crystal capillaries and fibers by the EFG (Stepanov) technique. Differences in the shapes of the small and “large” menisci were found. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Kinetically controlled synthesis of hollow Cu2O nanocubes under solvothermal condition
Authors: Xu Shuling , Sun Sixiu , Chen Guozhu , You Ting , Song Xinyu
Published: April 2009

Hollow Cu2O nanocubes have been fabricated under solvothermal condition using N,N ‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent at 120 °C for 12 h. The products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Series of experiment confirmed that the amount of water, the reaction time and temperature played important roles in the morphology evolution of hollow Cu2O nanocubes. DMF is a relatively weak alkali solvent and could release a certain amount of OH– under the given conditions. As the release speed of OH– from DMF became substantially slow, the nucleation and growth of Cu2O nanocubes turned into kinetically controlled process. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Growth of spinel crystals in vanadium slag and their characterization
Authors: Diao Jiang , Xie Bing , Ji Chengqing , Guo Xu , Wang Yonghong , Li Xiaojun
Published: April 2009

Morphology of vanadium slags were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mineralogical phases were characterized by energy disperse X‐ray spectrometry (EDS) and powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The obtained results show that spinels and silicates are the major phases in the vanadium slag, and V is concentrated in FexV3‐xO4 and Mgx(V, Ti)3‐xO4. Both the spinel grain size and volume fraction in the slag with higher V2O3 content are much larger than that with lower V2O3 content. (Fe, Mn)2SiO4 and (Fe, Mn)SiO3 have a higher proportion in the slag with lower V2O3 and higher SiO2 content. The relation among cooling conditions and grain size and volume fraction of spinels is also discussed. It is found that low cooling rate and long holding time benefit spinel crystal growth, especially for the interval of 1200‐1250 °C. Both mean diameter and volume fraction of spinels could achieve or exceed the industry vanadium slag when holding more than 45 min. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Peculiarities of inversion walls and singular points in oriented textures of nematic mesophase
Authors: Nesrullajev A.
Published: April 2009

In this work the nature and peculiarities of the inversion walls and singular points, which can spontaneously arise or can be stimulated in the homeotropic and planar oriented textures of the thermotropic nematogens, have been investigated for large temperature interval. The interaction force and mean approach velocity of the singular points, having opposite optical sign, have been calculated. The optical mappings and sketches of the inversion walls and singularities, taking place in the oriented textures of the nematogens, are presented. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Low‐temperature urea‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Bi2S3 nanostructures with different morphologies
Authors: Zhu Gangqiang , Liu Peng
Published: April 2009

Different morphologies of single‐crystalline orthorhombic phase bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanostructures, including sub‐microtubes, nanoflowers and nanorods were synthesized by a urea‐assisted hydrothermal method at a low temperature below 120 °C for 12 h. The as‐synthesized powders were characterized by X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV‐vis spectrophotometry. The experimental results showed that the sulfur sources had a great effect on the morphology and size of the resulting powders. The formation mechanism of the Bi2S3 nanostructures with different morphologies was discussed. All Bi2S3 nanostructures showed an appearance of blue shift relative to the bulk orthorhombic Bi2S3, which might be ascribed to the quantum size effect of the final products. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Comments on papers reporting IR‐spectra and other data of alleged L‐alanine alaninium nitrate and L‐alanine sodium nitrate crystals
Authors: Fleck M. , Petrosyan A. M.
Published: April 2009

We argue that the IR‐ and Raman‐spectra of “L‐alanine alaninium nitrate” given in “Investigation on the growth, optical behaviour and factor group of an NLO crystal: L‐Alanine Alaninium nitrate” by Aravindan et al., Cryst. Res. Technol. 42, 1097 (2007), actually concern L‐Alanine. Correspondingly, the data presented in “A comparative study on the growth and characterization of nonlinear optical amino acid crystals: L‐Alanine (LA) and L‐alanine alaninium nitrate (LAAN)” by Aravindan et al., Spectrochim. Acta A 71, 297 (2008), seems to be erroneous, as is “Synthesis, Growth, and Characterization of a New Semiorganic Nonlinear Optical Crystal: L‐Alanine Sodium Nitrate (LASN)”, Sethuraman, et al., Cryst. Growth Des. 8, 1863 (2008). In these papers properties and data were reported for L‐Alanine compounds that actually are L‐Alanine crystals and, in addition, unit cell parameters were given that seem to have been copied from other papers. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Personalized Energy: The Home as a Solar Power Station and Solar Gas Station
Authors: Nocera Daniel G.
Published: April 2009

Point‐of‐use solar energy would generate the exact amount of energy any one individual needs, at the location where it is needed. Such a means of energy supply would create a revolution in society′s approach to energy use, and allow a more level playing field for all. This Viewpoint considers some of the key enablers for this technology.

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Genomic instability of micronucleated cells revealed by single‐cell comparative genomic hybridization
Authors: Imle Andrea , Polzer Bernhard , Alexander Stephanie , Klein Christoph A. , Friedl Peter
Published: April 2009

Nuclear variation in size and shape and genomic instability are hallmarks of dedifferentiated cancer cells. Although micronuclei are a typical long‐term consequence of DNA damage, their contribution to chromosomal instability and clonal diversity in cancer disease is unclear. We isolated cancer cells with or without micronuclei to perform genomic analysis. Cell suspensions of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells from either 2D culture or after isolation from 3D collagen matrix culture were stained with Hoechst 33342 and after classification for presence or absence of a micronucleus via bright‐field and epifluorescence microscopy, cells were individually aspirated with a micropipette. Subsequently, whole‐genome amplification and single‐cell comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) were applied to detect genomic aberrations. The data show a high‐fidelity isolation and genome amplification that lacks adverse effects by prior Hoechst 33342 staining. HT1080 cells showed a high degree of divergent amplifications, but neither location nor frequency of aberrations was dependent on 2D or 3D culture conditions or micronucleation. Thus, single‐cell selection of defined nuclear states is amenable to single‐cell CGH and here provides first insight into the aberration drift and genomic diversity in cancer cells with and without micronuclei. © 2009 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of metastatic eccrine porocarcinoma
Authors: Yu Limin , Olsen Stephen , Lowe Lori , Michael Claire , Jing Xin
Published: April 2009

Eccrine porocarcinoma (EP), although rare, is widely recognized as the most common malignant sweat gland tumor. EP typically grows slowly and usually is cured by surgical excision with clear margins. An elevated mortality rate, however, is observed when regional lymph nodes are involved. We herein describe cytohistologic findings in a case of metastatic EP. An 86‐year‐old man with a history of EP of the left lateral ankle and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease) of the penis presented with enlarged left inguinal lymph nodes. A superficial fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) was performed and demonstrated a hypercellular sample with discohesive clusters and/or individual tumor cells. The tumor cells were round or oval with most of the cells showing dense, refractile cytoplasm. Intracytoplasmic vacuoles were readily appreciated in some of the cells. Nuclear enlargement, high N/C ratio, nuclear hyperchromasia, bi‐ and multinucleation, and prominent nucleoli were seen. A diagnosis of metastatic eccrine porocarcinoma was rendered. Enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes were detected and CT‐guided left retroperitoneal core biopsy was performed 1 week later. The biopsy revealed features consistent with metastatic eccrine porocarcinoma. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ion‐Pairing in Organometallic Chemistry: Structure and Influence on Proton Transfer from a Computational Perspective
Authors: Clot Eric
Published: April 2009

The development of NMR spectroscopic techniques such as the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) and pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) method to study ion‐pairing phenomena has increased the understanding of anion–cation interactions in organometallic chemistry and its influence on reactivity in homogeneous catalysis. These developments have greatly benefited from computational studies carried out in synergy with experimental observations. A good description of the preferred sites for anion interaction is obtained with charge analysis on the cation itself. However, depending on the nature of the anion, different geometries are likely to be observed, and only explicit calculations of the ion‐pair structures allow discrimination between the different possibilities. Such ion pairs may alter the relative energy of isomers and/or stabilize transition states associated to a given pathway, thus leading to anion control of the reactivity in some instances.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Electro‐ and Photoinduced Formation and Transformation of Oxido‐Bridged Multinuclear Mn Complexes (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 14/2009)
Authors: Collomb Marie‐Noëlle , Deronzier Alain
Published: April 2009

The cover picture shows two examples of electroinduced formation and transformation of oxido‐bridged manganese complexes with polypyridyl ligands. The first example displays interconversion between mononuclear, dinuclear and tetranuclear cores accompanied by the concomitant formation (by oxidation) or breaking (by reduction) of μ‐oxido bridges. In the second example, core interconversion between μ‐oxido and μ‐acetato bridges in dinuclear manganese complexes is depicted. The background picture shows a schematic representation of the photoinduced formation of a dinuclear di‐μ‐oxido‐bridged manganese core from a mononuclear one in a superstructured complex of ruthenium and manganese. Details are presented in the Microreview by M.‐N. Collomb and A. Deronzier on p. 2025 ff. The authors thank Dr. Damien Jouvenot for his help in designing the cover picture.
Lewis Acid Mediated Aminobenzannulation Reactions of δ‐Ketoalkynes: Synthesis of 1‐Aminocarbazoles and 9‐Aminopyrido[1,2‐a]indoles
Authors: Facoetti Diego , Abbiati Giorgio , Rossi Elisabetta
Published: April 2009

2‐Acyl‐N‐propargylindoles 1 and 2‐acyl‐3‐propargylindoles 5 undergo aminobenzannulation reactions with pyrrolidine in the presence of an appropriate Lewis acid to give 9‐aminopyrido[1,2‐a]indoles 6 and 1‐aminocarbazoles 7, respectively. The selection of the appropriate Lewis acid, TiCl4 or GaCl3 for 1 and InCl3 for 5, allows the domino process involving the initial formation of an enamine intermediate, followed by a regioselective 6‐exo‐dig intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the nucleophilic terminus of the unsaturated system (the β‐carbon of the enamino moiety) to the carbon–carbon triple bond. Moreover, several features concerning the reaction mechanism and the role of both catalysts, in connection with the electronic properties of the reacting alkynes, are reported. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
An Analysis of the Regioselectivity of 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions of Benzonitrile N‐Oxides Based on Global and Local Electrophilicity and Nucleophilicity Indices
Authors: Domingo Luis R. , Chamorro Eduardo , Pérez Patricia
Published: April 2009

The regioselectivity of the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition (13DC) reactions of benzonitrile N‐oxides (BNOs) with electrophilic and nucleophilic alkenes has been analyzed by using global and local nucleophilicity and electrophilicity reactivity indices defined within the conceptual DFT. The BNOs react with electron‐deficient and electron‐rich ethylenes, but the regioselectivities of these polar reactions are different. Whereas the reactions with electron‐rich ethylenes are completely regioselective, yielding 5‐isoxazolines, a change in the regioselectivity is observed in the reactions with electron‐deficient ethylenes, which yield a mixture of 4‐ and 5‐isoxazolines. Analysis of the energies, geometries, and electronic structures of the transition‐state structures involved in the 13DC reactions between the BNOs and two electronically activated ethylenes are in complete agreement with the analysis of the global and local electrophilicity and nucleophilicity reactivity indices.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
“A Murmur of Amazement”
Authors: Finetti Marco
Published: April 2009

How well known is the Excellence Initiative abroad, and what is its image? Following an information and advertising tour through the USA, Marco Finetti talked to Annette Schmidtmann from the DFG and Hans‐Georg Kräusslich from the cluster of excellence “Cellular Networks”
A Forum for Research Management
Authors: Dzwonnek Dorothee
Published: April 2009

From planning to personnel management, from governance to self‐evaluation: why the DFG responds to the increasing complexity of scientific work – and how it sets its own course in doing so
Science as a Pioneer
Authors: Streier Eva‐Maria
Published: April 2009

DFG Conference in Moscow on European Perspectives on German‐Russian Research Cooperation
Cosmic Intruders under Observation
Authors: Keilhauer Bianca , Blümer Johannes
Published: April 2009

Atomic nuclei, photons and neutrinos rain down continuously on the Earth from space. At the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina researchers study these high‐energy particles with unprecedented precision – and hope to uncover some of the universe's secrets
“Warning! Gypsies!”
Authors: Uerlings Herbert , Patrut Iulia‐Karin
Published: April 2009

Between fascination and destruction: Society's way of dealing with the “Travellers” has undergone many changes over the centuries. Even today, stereotypes influence our views of the Sinti and Roma
Determinants of Thailand household healthcare expenditure: the relevance of permanent resources and other correlates
Authors: Okunade Albert A. , Suraratdecha Chutima , Benson David A.
Published: April 2009

Several papers in the leading health economics journals modeled the determinants of healthcare expenditure using household survey or family budgets data of developed countries. Past work largely used self‐reported current income as the core determinant, whereas the theoretically correct concept of household resource constraint is permanent or long‐run income (á lá Milton Friedman). This paper strives to rectify the theoretical oversight of using current income by augmenting the model with household asset. Using longitudinal data, we constructed ‘wealth index’ as a distinct covariate to capture the households' tendency to liquidate assets when defraying necessary healthcare liabilities after exhausting cash incomes. (Current income and assets together capture the household expanded resource base). Using 98 632 household observations from Thailand Socio‐Economic Surveys (1994–2000 biennial data cycles) we found, using a double‐hurdle model with dependent errors, that out‐of‐pocket healthcare spending behaves as a technical necessity across income quintiles and household sizes. Pre‐1997 economic shock income elasticities are smaller than the post‐shock estimates across income quintiles for large and small households. Proximity to death, median age, and assets are also among other significant determinants. Our novel findings extend the theoretical consistency of a multi‐level decision model in household healthcare expenditure in the developing Asian country context. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospective randomized study of selective neck dissection versus observation for N0 neck of early tongue carcinoma
Authors: Yuen Anthony Po‐Wing , Ho Chiu Ming , Chow Tam Lin , Tang Lap Chiu , Cheung Wing Yung , Ng Raymond Wai‐Man , Wei William Ignace , Kong Chi Kwan , Book Kwok Shing , Yuen Wai Cheung , Lam Alfred King‐Yin , Yuen Nancy Wah‐Fun , Trendell‐Smith Nigel Jeremy , Chan Yue Wai , Wong Birgitta Yee‐Hang , Li George Kam‐Hop , Ho Ambrose Chung‐Wai , Ho Wai Kuen , Wong Sau Yan , Yao Tzy‐Jyun
Published: April 2009

Background.

There are controversies on the benefits of elective neck dissection (END) for oral tongue carcinoma.

Method.

This is a prospective randomized study of elective selective I, II, III neck dissection versus observation for N0 neck of stage I to II oral tongue carcinoma. There were 35 patients on the observation arm and 36 patients on the END arm. The main outcome assessment parameters are node‐related mortality and disease‐specific survival rate.

Results.

There were 11 patients in the observed arm and 2 patients in the END arm who developed nodal recurrence alone without associated local or distant recurrence. All 13 patients were salvaged, and no patient died of nodal recurrence. The 5‐year disease‐specific survival rate was 87% for the observation arm and was 89% for the END arm; the 2% difference was not significant.

Conclusion.

Observation may be an acceptable alternative to END if strict adherence to a cancer surveillance protocol is followed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009
Comparison of two prognostic scores for patients with parotid carcinoma
Authors: Takahama Ademar , Sanabria Álvaro , Melo Benevides Gustavo , Paes de Almeida Oslei , Paulo Kowalski Luiz
Published: April 2009

Background.

Salivary glands present a wide diversity in histopathologic types and biologic behaviors, thus complicating the search for prognostic factors.

Methods.

We compared 2 prognostic scores that were previously published for patients with parotid carcinoma in a retrospective series of 175 patients treated in a single institution.

Results.

Cox multivariate analysis indicated clinical skin invasion, facial nerve function, and perineural growth as the most significant recurrent disease‐related prognostic factors. According to the Vander Poorten score, 148 patients were divided into 4 groups, with the 5‐year disease‐free survival of 76%, 81%, 69%, and 35%, respectively. In the Carrillo's score, the patients were divided into 3 groups: low‐risk, intermediate‐risk, and high‐risk, with the 5‐year disease‐free survival of 84%, 73%, and 34%, respectively.

Conclusion.

Carrillo's score showed more distinct survival curves, and determination of groups with a more favorable prognosis was difficult for both scores. Therefore, both scores were not totally reproducible for our group of patients. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009
The role of medial temporal lobe in retrieving spatial and nonspatial relations from episodic and semantic memory
Authors: Ryan Lee , Lin Chun‐Yu , Ketcham Katie , Nadel Lynn
Published: April 2009

This study examined the involvement of medial temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, in processing spatial and nonspatial relations using episodic and semantic versions of a relational judgment task. Participants studied object arrays and were tested on different types of relations between pairs of objects. Three prevalent views of hippocampal function were considered. Cognitive map theory (O'Keefe and Nadel (1978) The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map. USA: Oxford University Press) emphasizes hippocampal involvement in spatial relational tasks. Multiple trace theory (Nadel and Moscovitch (1997) Memory consolidation, retrograde amnesia and the hippocampal complex Curr Opin Neurobiol 7:217–227) emphasizes hippocampal involvement in episodic tasks. Eichenbaum and Cohen's ((2001) From Conditioning to Conscious Recollection: Memory Systems of the Brain. USA: Oxford University Press) relational theory predicts equivalent hippocampal involvement in all relational tasks within both semantic and episodic memory. The fMRI results provided partial support for all three theories, though none of them fit the data perfectly. We observed hippocampal activation during all relational tasks, with increased activation for spatial compared to nonspatial relations, and for episodic compared to semantic relations. The placement of activation along the anterior‐posterior axis of the hippocampus also differentiated the conditions. We suggest a view of hippocampal function in memory that incorporates aspects of all three theories. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fully‐automated, multi‐stage hippocampus mapping in very mild Alzheimer disease
Authors: Wang Lei , Khan Ali , Csernansky John G. , Fischl Bruce , Miller Michael I. , Morris John C. , Beg M. Faisal
Published: April 2009

Landmark‐based high‐dimensional diffeomorphic maps of the hippocampus (although accurate) is highly‐dependent on rater's anatomic knowledge of the hippocampus in the magnetic resonance images. It is therefore vulnerable to rater drift and errors if substantial amount of effort is not spent on quality assurance, training, and re‐training. A fully‐automated, FreeSurfer‐initialized large‐deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping procedure of small brain substructures, including the hippocampus, has been previously developed and validated in small samples. In this report, we demonstrate that this fully‐automated pipeline can be used in place of the landmark‐based procedure in a large‐sample clinical study to produce similar statistical outcomes. Some direct comparisons of the two procedures are also presented. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Romantic love. A human universal and possible honest signal
Authors: Schiefenhövel Wulf
Published: April 2009

Some forms of love have the ability to transform perfectly normal people into seemingly powerless victims. The tragic example of one of the richest women in Germany whose love to a professional gigolo has profoundly unsettled her life reminds us of the powerful mechanisms bringing about what is rightly termed “falling in love”. Most representatives of the arts and humanities are convinced that such “romantic love” can only be felt by members of modern societies and historically only came about to be a specific mind‐set when modernity started. If contemporary citizens would be asked in the street, whether a woman or man in traditional society could and would experience the kind of special states of mind and soul connected to falling and being in love, many would probably intuitively say: “That may well be possible. Why should they be so different from us in such essential aspect?” When one talks to academic colleagues, the situation is, however, different. The authoritative view of some of the great scholars of sociology and related disciplines has created the firm conviction: “Romantic love is specific for our kind of modern”, and many would add: “occidental, society”. In this essay, this concept of cultural specificity is challenged and examples from written and oral literature are presented, as well as findings of crosscultural evolutionary biology which, altogether, render this sociological concept obsolete. To conclude, romantic love has to be regarded a human universal phenomenon and may serve as honest signal of one's deep emotional involvement, thus influencing mate‐choice.
Asymmetric information, price discovery and macroeconomic announcements in FX market: do top trading banks know more?
Authors: Phylaktis Kate , Chen Long
Published: April 2009

This study investigates information asymmetry in the foreign exchange market by testing the hypothesis that top trading banks possess superior information on the macroeconomy because they process greater order flow, which, according to the micro‐structure literature, helps them aggregate the dispersed information and feel the general movements of the economy. Examining the information share of the banks in the Reuters EFX system using indicative GBP–$US data over 5 years, we find that the top 10 banks, out of 100 quoting banks in the market, have a monthly average share of over 70% of total market information, and around 80% during some US macroannouncements. These results suggest the possibility of private information over public news in the foreign exchange market. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The subspace iteration method in protein normal mode analysis
Authors: Sedeh Reza Sharifi , Bathe Mark , Bathe Klaus‐Jürgen
Published: April 2009

Normal mode analysis plays an important role in relating the conformational dynamics of proteins to their biological function. The subspace iteration method is a numerical procedure for normal mode analysis that has enjoyed widespread success in the structural mechanics community due to its numerical stability and computational efficiency in calculating the lowest normal modes of large systems. Here, we apply the subspace iteration method to proteins to demonstrate its advantageous properties in this area of computational protein science. An effective algorithm for choosing the number of iteration vectors in the method is established, offering a considerable improvement over the original implementation. In the present application, computational time scales linearly with the number of normal modes computed. Additionally, the method lends itself naturally to normal mode analyses of multiple neighboring macromolecular conformations, as demonstrated in a conformational change pathway analysis of adenylate kinase. These properties, together with its computational robustness and intrinsic scalability to multiple processors, render the subspace iteration method an effective and reliable computational approach to protein normal mode analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2010