bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extensional development of the Fundy rift basin, southeastern Canada
Authors: Withjack Martha O. , Schlische Roy W. , Baum Mark S.
Published: October 2009

The Fundy rift basin of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada, is part of the Eastern North American rift system that formed during the breakup of Pangaea. Integrated seismic‐reflection, field, digital‐elevation and aeromagnetic data indicate that the Fundy rift basin underwent two phases of deformation: syn‐rift extension followed by post‐rift basin inversion. Inversion significantly modified the geometries of the basin and its rift‐related structures. In this paper, we remove the effects of inversion to examine the basin's extensional development. The basin consists of three structural subbasins: the Fundy and Chignecto subbasins are bounded by low‐angle, NE‐striking faults; the Minas subbasin is bounded by E‐ to ENE‐striking faults that are steeply dipping at the surface and gently dipping at depth. Together, these linked faults form the border–fault system of the Fundy rift basin. Most major faults within the border–fault system originated as Palaeozoic contractional structures. All syn‐rift units imaged on seismic profiles thicken towards the border–fault system, reflecting extensional movement from Middle Triassic (and possibly Permian) through Early Jurassic time. Intra‐rift unconformities, observed on seismic profiles and in the field, indicate that uplift and erosion occurred, at least locally, during rifting. Based on seismic data alone, the displacement direction of the hanging wall of the border–fault system of the Fundy rift basin ranged from SW to SE during rifting. Field data (i.e. NE‐striking igneous dykes, sediment‐filled fissures and normal faults) indicate NW–SE extension during Early Jurassic time, supporting a SE‐displacement direction. With a SE‐displacement direction, the NE‐striking border–fault zones of the Fundy and Chignecto subbasins had predominantly normal dip slip during rifting, whereas the E‐striking border–fault zone of the Minas subbasin had oblique slip with left‐lateral and normal components. Sequential restorations of seismic‐reflection profiles (coupled with projections from onshore geology) show that the Fundy rift basin underwent 10–20 km of extension, most of which was accommodated by the border–fault system, and was considerably wider and deeper prior to basin inversion. Post‐rift deformation tilted the eastern side of the basin to the northwest/north, producing significant uplift and erosion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Of mentors, mentoring, and extracellular matrix #
Authors: Bissell Montgomery D.
Published: October 2009

D. Montgomery Bissell briefly describes the way he came to a career in academic medicine, how he found mentors, initial projects, and finally a focus on matrix biology and hepatic fibrosis. He draws some lessons from the experience, which should have relevance for physician-scientist trainees, those considering that path, anyone with responsibility for training the next generation, institutional leaders, and the National Institutes of Health. (Hepatology 2009;50:1330–1338.)
An orthotopic implantation mouse model of human malignant pleural mesothelioma for in vivo photon counting analysis and evaluation of the effect of S‐1 therapy
Authors: Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Tsumuraya Masaru , Takigahira Misato , Mihara Keichiro , Kubo Takanori , Ohuchi Kazuo , Seyama Toshio
Published: October 2009

Human malignant pleural mesothelioma (HMPM) is an aggressive neoplasm that is highly resistant to conventional therapies. We established 3 HMPM cell lines (TCC‐MESO‐1, TCC‐MESO‐2 and TCC‐MESO‐3) from Japanese patients; the first 2 from the primary and metastatic tumors of a patient with the epithelioid type of HMPM, and the third from a patient with biphasic characteristics of the tumor (epithelioid and sarcomatous phenotypes). The 3 cell lines resembled the original HMPMs in their morphological and biological features, including the genetic alterations such as lack of p16 expression and mutation of p53. Their tumorigenicity was determined in SCID mice by orthotopic implantation (20–46%). The tumorigenicity of the HMPM cell lines, which was relatively low, was enhanced by repeated subcultures and orthotopic implantations, and 3 competent tumorigenic sublines were produced (Me1Tu, Me2Tu and Me3Tu sublines from the TCC‐MESO‐1, TCC‐MESO‐2 and TCC‐MESO‐3 cell lines, respectively). The resultant HMPM sublines efficiently generated tumors in the SCID mice (100%) following orthotopic implantation. SCID mice implanted with the competent sublines, into one of which the luciferase gene was introduced, displayed quantitative fluctuation of the bioluminescence for the tumor volume in vivo. Oral administration of S‐1, an anticancer agent, suppressed the proliferation of the luciferase gene‐expressing Me1Tu subline in the mouse models in vivo, with a treated‐to‐control ratio of the mean tumor volume of 0.2. The orthotopic implantation mouse model proved to be useful for quantitative evaluation of the efficacy of novel anticancer drugs and also for studying the biology of HMPMs in vivo.
All 4 di‐leucine motifs in the first hydrophobic domain of the E5 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus type 16 are essential for surface MHC class I downregulation activity and E5 endomembrane localization
Authors: Cortese Marc S. , Ashrafi G. Hossein , Campo M. Saveria
Published: October 2009

The E5 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus type 16 downregulates surface MHC Class I and interacts with the heavy chain of the MHC complex via the first hydrophobic domain, believed to form the first helical transmembrane region (TM1) of E5. TM1 contains 4 equally spaced di‐leucine (LL1‐LL4) motifs. Di‐leucine motifs have been implicated in protein–protein interactions and as localization signals. To see if any of the 4 di‐leucine motifs of TM1 are involved in MHC downregulation by E5, we mutated each LL pair into valine pairs (VV1‐VV4), as mutation of leucine to valine is not expected to cause major structural alterations in E5. We found that all 4 mutations disrupted the intracellular location of E5 and abrogated its MHC I downregulating activity; however VV2 and VV4 mutants were still able to interact physically with the MHC I heavy chain (HC) in vitro, while VV1 and VV3 mutants had lost this activity. We conclude that LL1 and LL3 are necessary for the interaction with HC, but LL2 and LL4 are not. However all 4 LL motifs are responsible for the proper localization of E5 in the Golgi/ER, and the displacement of E5 from this location contributes to the abrogation of MHC I downregulation. LL1 and LL3 motifs are expected to be on one face of the TM1 helix and LL2 and LL4 on the opposite face. We propose that E5 interacts with HC via LL1 and LL3 and that all 4 di‐leucine motifs act as a targeting signal.
Differential expression and phosphorylation of Pak1 and Pak2 in ovarian cancer: effects on prognosis and cell invasion
Authors: Siu Michelle K.Y. , Wong Esther S.Y. , Chan Hoi Yan , Kong Daniel S.H. , Woo Nina W.S. , Tam Kar Fai , Ngan Hextan Y.S. , Chan Queeny K.Y. , Chan Dominic C.W. , Chan Kelvin Y.K. , Cheung Annie N.Y.
Published: October 2009

Ovarian cancer is a gynecological malignancy with high mortality. Therefore, the identification of novel prognostic and therapeutic targets is important. p21‐activated kinases (Paks) are involved in cytoskeleton reorganization. This study investigated the clinical significance of total and phosphorylated (p) Pak1 and Pak2 as well as their functional roles in ovarian cancer. Expressions of Pak1, p‐Pak1 Thr212, Pak2 and p‐Pak2 Ser20 in ovarian normal and cancerous cell lines as well as in clinical samples of ovarian tumors were evaluated. The effects of Pak1 and Pak2 on ovarian cancer cell functions were determined. Pak1, p‐Pak1 and p‐Pak2 were overexpressed in ovarian cancer cell lines, and clinical samples of ovarian cancers were compared with benign ovarian lesions/inclusion cysts. Similar Pak2 expression levels were observed among normal and cancerous cell lines and clinical samples. After multiple testing correction, high Pak1 and nuclear p‐Pak1 expression in ovarian cancers was significantly associated with histological type and tumor grade, respectively. Pak1 and p‐Pak1 expression was associated with poor overall and disease‐free survival. Pak1 was an independent prognostic factor. Knockdown of Pak1 and Pak2 in ovarian cancer cell lines reduced cell migration and invasion but did not affect cell proliferation and apoptosis. Knockdown of Pak1 also reduced p38 activation and downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor. Conversely, ectopic Pak1 overexpression enhanced ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion in a kinase‐dependent manner, along with increased p38 activation. Our findings suggest that Pak1, p‐Pak1 and p‐Pak2 play important roles in ovarian carcinogenesis. Pak1 and p‐Pak1 may be potential prognostic markers and therapeutic molecular targets in ovarian cancer.
How dependent are molecular and atomic properties on the electronic structure method? Comparison of Hartree‐Fock, DFT, and MP2 on a biologically relevant set of molecules
Authors: Matta Chérif F.
Published: October 2009

This article compares molecular properties and atomic properties defined by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) obtained from three underlying levels of theory: MP2(full), density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP), and Hartree‐Fock (H‐F). The same basis set (6‐311++G(d,p)) has been used throughout the study. The calculations and comparisons were applied to a set of 30 small molecules representing common fragments of biological molecules. The molecular properties investigated are the energies and the electrostatic moments (up to and including the quadrupoles), and the atomic properties include electron populations (and atomic charge), atomic dipolar and quadrupolar polarizations, atomic volumes, and corrected and raw atomic energies. The Cartesian distance between dipole vectors and the Frobenius distance between the quadrupole tensors calculated at the three levels of theory provide a measure of their correlation (or lack thereof). With the exception of energies (atomic and molecular), it is found that both DFT and H‐F are in excellent agreement with MP2, especially with regards to the electrostatic mutipoles up to the quadrupoles, but DFT and MP2 agree better in almost all studied properties (with the exception of molecular geometries). QTAIM properties whether obtained from H‐F, DFT(B3LYP), or MP2 calculations when used in the construction of empirical correlations with experiment such as quantitative structure‐activity‐(or property)‐relationships (QSAR/QSPR) are equivalent (because the properties calculated at the three levels are very highly correlated among themselves withr2typically >0.95, and therefore preserving trends). These results suggest that the massive volume of results that were published in the older literature at the H‐F level is valid especially when used to study trends or in QSAR or QSPR studies, and, as long as our test set of molecules is representative, there is no pressing need to re‐evaluate them at other levels of theory except when inadequate basis sets were used by today's standards. Extensive tabulation of molecular and atomic properties at the three theoretical levels is available in the Supporting Information, including optimized geometries, molecular energies, virial ratios, molecular electrostatic moments up to and including hexadecapoles, atomic populations, atomic volumes, atomic electrostatic moments up to and including the quadrupoles, and atomic energies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010
MDLab: A molecular dynamics simulation prototyping environment
Authors: Cickovski Trevor , Chatterjee Santanu , Wenger Jacob , Sweet Christopher R. , Izaguirre Jesús A.
Published: October 2009

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation involves solving Newton's equations of motion for a system of atoms, by calculating forces and updating atomic positions and velocities over a timestep Δt. Despite the large amount of computing power currently available, the timescale of MD simulations is limited by both the small timestep required for propagation, and the expensive algorithm for computing pairwise forces. These issues are currently addressed through the development of efficient simulation methods, some of which make acceptable approximations and as a result can afford larger timesteps. We present MDLab, a development environment for MD simulations built with Python which facilitates prototyping, testing, and debugging of these methods. MDLab provides constructs which allow the development of propagators, force calculators, and high level sampling protocols that run several instances of molecular dynamics. For computationally demanding sampling protocols which require testing on large biomolecules, MDL includes an interface to the OpenMM libraries of Friedrichs et al. which execute on graphical processing units (GPUs) and achieve considerable speedup over execution on the CPU. As an example of an interesting high level method developed in MDLab, we present a parallel implementation of the On‐The‐Fly string method of Maragliano and Vanden‐Eijnden. MDLab is available at http://mdlab.sourceforge.net. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010
High‐pressure Raman spectra of tuite, γ‐Ca3(PO4)2
Authors: Zhai Shuangmeng , Wu Xiang , Ito Eiji
Published: October 2009

The Raman spectra of a synthetic tuite, γ‐Ca3(PO4)2, have been measured up to 23.6 GPa using a diamond‐anvil cell at room temperature. The data were collected during compression and decompression. No pressure‐induced phase transformation was observed in this pressure range. The behaviors of the phosphate modes and the external modes under high pressures were analyzed. The Raman wavenumbers of all modes increased linearly and continuously with pressure. The pressure coefficients of the phosphate modes range from 0.0034 to 0.0049 GPa−1 for ν3, 0.0044 GPa−1 for ν1, from 0.0020 to 0.0033 GPa−1 for ν4, and 0.0037 GPa−1 for ν2, whereas the pressure coefficients of the external modes range from 0.0120 to 0.0138 GPa−1. The corresponding Grüneisen parameters are 0.341–0.491, 0.441, 0.200–0.331 and 0.371 for the phosphate modes ν3, ν1, ν4 and ν2, respectively, and from 1.20 to 1.38 for the external modes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thymidine phosphorylase to dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase ratio as a predictive factor of response to preoperative chemoradiation with capecitabine in patients with advanced rectal cancer
Authors: Boskos C.S. , Liacos C. , Korkolis D. , Aygerinos K. , Lamproglou I. , Terpos E. , Stoupa E. , Baltatzis G. , Beroukas K. , Papasavvas P. , Dimopoulos M.A. , Bamias A.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

To identify if thymidine phosphorylase (TP), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and ratio TP/DPD levels in tumor tissues are potential predictive factors for response to combined preoperative chemoradiation with capecitabine, in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Methods And Patients

Between 2004 and 2006, 28 patients with LARC (cT2‐T4, N0–N2) were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Total radiation dose was 50.4 Gy and daily dose was 1.8 Gy in 5.5 weeks. Capecitabine was administrated 1,650 mg/m2/day, 7 days/week. Preoperative staging was based on combined computer tomography and endorectal ultrasound. Tissue samples, both neoplastic and normal ones, were endoscopically taken before treatment for TP and DPD measurement with ELISA. Levels of total proteins were calculated by the Bradford method.

Results

Median TP, DPD, ratio TP/DPD levels in the primary tumors were 32.85 U/mg, 18.73 U/mg, and 1.64 respectively. Median ratio TP/DPD of patients with proven pathological “response” (downstaging of the disease) was higher than the “no response” group, 4.40 and 1.42, respectively (P = 0.0001). Levels of TP and DPD in tumor tissue did not reveal any statistically important difference between the two groups.

Conclusions

TP/DPD ratio is a possible predictive factor for tumor response after concomitant preoperative chemoradiation with capecitabine in LARC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:408–412. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations of breast cancer treated with radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Motoyoshi Ai , Noguchi Masakuni , Earashi Mitsuharu , Zen Yoh , Fujii Hisatake
Published: October 2009

Background

Although RF ablation is a promising non‐surgical ablation technique for the treatment of breast cancer, assessment of the efficacy requires not only imaging of tumor necrosis but also histological confirmation.

Methods

Two series of patients were treated with RF ablation. In the first series, 17 patients underwent surgical resection immediately and 17 underwent delayed mammotome excision in the second series. The ablated tumor tissue was examined histologically with H&E staining and NADH‐diaphorase staining. Furthermore, ssDNA was immunohistochemically stained in the specimen where tumor cells were histologically detected.

Results

In the first series, mild response was histologically seen in 14 of 17 patients (82%), whereas complete response was observed in 8 of 16 patients (50%) in the second series. However, NADH‐diaphorase staining did not demonstrate any viable tumor tissues in any patient in either the first or the second series. ssDNA staining was positive (non‐viable) in 13 of 16 cases in the first series, but it was positive in all 8 cases tested in the second series.

Conclusion

Although NADH‐diaphorase staining is essential to evaluate tumor cell viability immediately after RF ablation, ssDNA may be useful for the assessment of cell viability after some interval following RF ablation. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:385–391. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Use of gemini surfactants as semipermanent capillary coatings in aqueous‐organic solvents for capillary electrophoretic separation of inorganic anions
Authors: Liu Qian , Li Yanqing , Yao Lihua , Yao Shouzhuo
Published: October 2009

This paper proposes a new method for CE separation of inorganic anions based on the use of gemini surfactants as capillary coatings in mixed aqueous‐organic solvents. The semipermanent gemini surfactant coatings were facilely prepared by rinsing the capillary with 18‐s‐18 solutions; they can keep be stable during the electrophoretic runs without surfactants in buffer. The coatings showed a good tolerance of methanol (MeOH) or ACN, e.g. at pH 8.0 and with 40% v/v MeOH or ACN, the EOF magnitude after 60 min of continuous electrokinetic rinsing only decreased by 2.9 or 6.0%, respectively. The coatings were successfully applied to the separation of inorganic anions. Adding organic solvents in buffer can effectively improve the resolution and efficiencies; however, it remarkably prolonged the analysis time due to the suppression of EOF. Interestingly, varying the spacer length of the gemini surfactants can also modulate (improve) the resolution but without any sacrifice of analysis time. This benefit was resulted from the unique chemical structures of gemini surfactants because it introduced a new variable, i.e. the spacer length, to the separation mechanism.
Tourists' information search: the differential impact of risk and uncertainty avoidance
Authors: Quintal Vanessa Ann , Lee Julie Anne , Soutar Geoffrey N.
Published: October 2009

While studies in and out of tourism contexts have explored risk and/or uncertainty avoidance's impact on information search, few have clarified whether the two constructs impact differentially on information search. To examine this issue, data were collected from large online panels in Australia, China and Japan. The risk and uncertainty avoidance scales were reliable, had convergent and discriminant validity and were invariant across the three country samples. As expected, uncertainty avoidance was positively related to the extent of information search in all three country samples, whereas risk avoidance was not. This suggests that the constructs are distinct and may impact at different stages of decision‐making. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chronic vocal fold scar restoration with hepatocyte growth factor hydrogel
Authors: Kishimoto Yo , Hirano Shigeru , Kitani Yoshiharu , Suehiro Atsushi , Umeda Hiroo , Tateya Ichiro , Kanemaru Shin‐ichi , Tabata Yasuhiko , Ito Juichi
Published: October 2009

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Therapeutic challenges exist in the management of vocal fold scarring. We have previously demonstrated the therapeutic potential of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the management of acute phase vocal fold scarring using a novel hydrogel‐based HGF drug delivery system (DDS). However, the effect of HGF on matured vocal fold scarring remains unclear. The current study aims to investigate the effect of HGF‐DDS on chronic vocal fold scarring using a canine model.

Study Design:

Animal model.

Methods:

Vocal folds from eight beagles were unilaterally scarred by stripping the entire layer of the lamina propria; contralateral vocal folds were kept intact as normal controls. Six months after the procedures, hydrogels (0.5 mL) containing 1 μg of HGF were injected into the scarred vocal folds of four dogs (HGF‐treated group). Hydrogels containing saline solution were injected into the other four dogs (sham group). Histological and vibratory examinations on excised larynges were completed for each group 9 months after the initial surgery.

Results:

Experiments conducted on excised larynges demonstrated significantly better vibrations in the HGF‐treated group in terms of mucosal wave amplitude. Although phonation threshold pressure was significantly lower in the HGF‐treated group compared with the sham group, no significant differences were observed in the normalized glottal gap between HGF‐treated and sham groups. Histological examinations of the HGF‐treated vocal folds showed reduced collagen deposition and less tissue contraction with favorable restoration of hyaluronic acid.

Conclusions:

Results suggest that administration of HGF may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of chronic vocal fold scarring. Laryngoscope, 2010
Trends in the management of vestibular schwannomas at Johns Hopkins 1997–2007
Authors: Tan Marietta , Myrie Oluwaseun A. , Lin Frank R. , Niparko John K. , Minor Lloyd B. , Tamargo Rafael J. , Francis Howard W.
Published: October 2009

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To assess trends in the management of unilateral vestibular schwannomas over an 11‐year period and to identify disease‐ and provider‐related influences.

Study Design:

Retrospective chart review.

Methods:

Subjects presented to the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Neurosurgery for management of unilateral vestibular schwannoma from 1997 through 2007, with at least two visits within the first year of presentation. The proportion of patients for whom initial management consisted of observation, surgical resection, or radiation therapy was determined, and the relative influence of study year, patient age, hearing status, and tumor size was analyzed.

Results:

Over the study period there was an increase in the proportion of cases that were observed with follow‐up scanning (10.5% to 28.0%) and recommended for radiation (0% to 4.0%), whereas the proportion of operated cases declined (89.5% to 68.0%). There were no changes in mean age or hearing status at diagnosis, but mean tumor size declined significantly. Compared to those undergoing surgery, patients choosing observation and radiation therapy were on average 11.7 and 4.5 years older, respectively. Tumors that were surgically removed were on average 11.6 mm larger than those that were observed. The increasing frequency over time of observation relative to surgery was significant even after controlling for age, hearing status, and tumor size.

Conclusions:

Among patients managed by our center, there has been a significant shift in management of vestibular schwannomas over the last decade, with increasing tendency towards observation. This trend implies changing provider philosophy and patient expectations. Laryngoscope, 2010
Prognosis of adult patients transplanted with liver grafts < 35% of their standard liver volume1
Authors: Ikegami Toshihiko , Masuda Yuichi , Ohno Yasunari , Mita Atsushi , Kobayashi Akira , Urata Koichi , Nakazawa Yuichi , Miwa Shirou , Hashikura Yasuhiko , Miyagawa Shinichi
Published: October 2009

We have previously reported that a graft volume (GV) > 30% of the recipient's standard liver volume (SLV) can meet the recipient's metabolic demands. Here we report our experience with adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation using left side grafts < 35% of the recipient's SLV. Of 143 adult living donor liver transplants, 13 auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplants, 8 right side grafts, and 2 retransplantation cases were excluded. The resulting 120 cases were divided into 2 groups: group S consisted of 33 patients who received liver grafts < 35% of their SLV, and group L consisted of 87 patients who received liver grafts ≥ 35% of their SLV. Patient characteristics, postoperative liver function, duration of hospital stay, and recipient survival rates were compared between the 2 groups. There were no significant differences between groups in recipient or donor background characteristics. The mean GV/SLV ratio of group S was 31.8%, whereas that of group L was 42.5%. There were no significant differences in the postoperative serum total bilirubin levels, prothrombin time international normalized ratio, daily ascites volume, or duration of postoperative hospital stay between the groups. The 1- and 5-year survival rates in group S were 80.7% and 64.2%, respectively, whereas those of group L were 90.8% and 84.9%, respectively, with no significant difference between groups. In conclusion, graft size was not considered to be the only cause of so-called small-for-size graft syndrome, and left side grafting appears to be the procedure of choice for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation because of the lower risk to donors in comparison with right lobe grafting. Liver Transpl 15:1622–1630, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Incidence of abdominal wall numbness post–liver transplantation and its complications
Authors: Jain Ashokkumar , Nemitz Pauline , Sharma Rajeev , Sheikh Baber , Safadjou Saman , Vetter Marry , Brayan Leah , Batzold Pam , Kashyap Randeep , Orloff Mark
Published: October 2009

Liver transplantation (LTx) is a life-saving procedure for end-stage liver disease. However, LTx remains a major surgical procedure with a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. Several different types of post-LTx complications have been studied and reported; however, the numbness of the abdominal skin between the subcostal incision and the umbilicus and its associated complications have not been studied in a large patient population. The aim of this study was to report the incidence of numbness in the abdominal skin post-LTx and its implications in routine life. One hundred and one post-LTx patients were questioned in the clinic about numbness. There were 52 male patients and 49 female patients with a mean age of 51.9 ± 11.3 years at the time of LTx, and the mean time from transplant was 35.0 ± 29.5 months (range, 3–113 months). The implications were recorded. All 101 patients (100%) had an area of numbness between the subcostal incision and the umbilicus. Four of these patients had an area of superficial-to-deep burns from hot food (accidentally dropped on the abdomen), heating pads, or a hot cup of tea. One patient had ecchymosis from blunt trauma during gardening. Out of 36 diabetic patients, more than 24 patients were insulin-dependent and used the area for subcutaneous insulin injections. In addition, some of the 43 hepatitis C virus–positive patients used the area for subcutaneous interferon therapy. In conclusion, 100% of the patients had persistent numbness up to 9 years following LTx. Five percent of the patients developed thermal injuries or blunt trauma complications that could have been prevented with better education and awareness. More then 24% of the patients used the area for subcutaneous injections of insulin and/or interferon. Liver Transpl 15:1488–1492, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Factors influencing liver transplant length of stay at two large-volume transplant centers1
Authors: Washburn Kenneth W. , Meo Nicholas A. , Halff Glenn A. , Roberts John P. , Feng Sandy
Published: October 2009

Length of stay (LOS) is considered a reliable surrogate for liver transplant resource utilization. Little information exists about how donor and recipient variables interact to affect transplant LOS. Data for adult, non–status 1 transplants (1998–2005), including the donor risk index (DRI) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, were collected from 2 institutions (n = 745 for center A and n = 710 for center B). Cox proportional hazards models identified variables associated with LOS for the separate and combined cohorts. The cohorts differed significantly in donor, recipient, and transplant factors. DRI (1.46 for center A and 1.40 for center B, P = 0.0013) and MELD (22.4 for center A and 20.4 for center B, P = 0.046) were both higher at center A, but LOS was comparable (13.7 days for center A and 13.3 days for center B, P = 0.052). Three factors at center A (nonlocal donor, recipient age, and MELD) and 7 factors at center B (donor age and weight, recipient female gender, retransplant status, international normalized ratio, MELD, and cold ischemia time) were associated with transplant LOS. For the combined cohort, donor age, weight, nonlocal status, recipient age, female gender, retransplant status, MELD, and transplant center were LOS risk factors. In conclusion, the impact of donor and recipient variables on LOS varies by institution. However, the MELD score exerts a potent and consistent effect across institutions, emphasizing the dominant role of disease severity in liver transplant resource utilization. Liver Transpl 15:1570–1578, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Is the immediate reversal of diastolic dysfunction of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy after liver transplantation a sign of the metabolic etiology?
Authors: Fukazawa Kyota , Gologorsky Edward , Manmohansingh Vinaya , Nishida Seigo , Vigoda Michael M. , Pretto Ernesto A.
Published: October 2009

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy currently is believed to be a multifactorial entity. This communication describes a case of immediate intraoperative recovery of diastolic function following liver transplantation. This suggests that an underlying metabolic inhibition of myocardial metabolism is an important factor in the development of cardiomyopathy in end-stage liver disease. Liver Transpl 15:1417–1419, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Characteristics and management of splenic artery aneurysms in adult living donor liver transplant recipients
Authors: Moon Deok-Bog , Lee Sung-Gyu , Hwang Shin , Kim Ki-Hun , Ahn Chul-Soo , Ha Tae-Yong , Song Gi-Won , Jung Dong-Hwan , Ko Gi-Young , Sung Kyu-Bo
Published: October 2009

Splenic artery aneurysms (SAAs), occurring in 7% to 17% of patients with cirrhosis, often result in catastrophic rupture after liver transplantation. We had experienced 3 cases of ruptured SAAs after adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), and we then performed this study to find risk factors for coexisting SAAs in liver transplant candidates with cirrhosis and to propose ideal approaches for them. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography angiograms and axial views were reviewed for 310 adult LDLT recipients who had cirrhosis from January 2004 to August 2005. The recorded variables were the preoperative diagnosis, the presence of SAA and its characteristics, the splenic artery (SA) diameter, and the presence and size of portosystemic collaterals. Devastating SAA rupture accompanied by hypovolemic shock occurred on postoperative days 6, 82, and 8, respectively, and it was treated emergently by embolization in cases 1 and 2 and by splenectomy in case 3. Cases 1 and 3 recovered well, but case 2 died of an unrelated cause with a long hospital stay. The incidence of SAA during the study period was 14.2% (44/310), and the size was 16.6 ± 5.7 mm. Most SAAs were single (70.6%, 31/44) and were located in the distal one-third of the SA (82.4%, 36/44). Large portosystemic collaterals demonstrating longstanding severe portal hypertension were significantly correlated with the occurrence of SAAs. Nine patients with SAAs were preventively treated by proximal ligation (n = 4) intraoperatively and by embolization (n = 5) 1 day before or after LDLT. No patient showed severe postembolization syndrome. In conclusion, a careful preoperative evaluation of SAAs by high-resolution 3-dimensional computed tomography in liver transplant candidates, especially in those showing large portosystemic collaterals, is merited. Preventive treatment should be encouraged regardless of the size in order to avoid severe morbidity and mortality related to SAA rupture, and methods such as radiological and surgical interventions need to be individualized according to the location and number of SAAs. Liver Transpl 15:1535–1541, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Criteria for farthest points on convex surfaces
Authors: Itoh Jin‐ichi , Vǐlcu Costin
Published: October 2009

We provide a sharp, sufficient condition to decide if a pointyon a convex surfaceSis a farthest point (i.e., is at maximal intrinsic distance from some point) onS, involving a lower boundπon the total curvatureωyaty,ωy≥π. Further consequences are obtained whenωy>π, and sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee that a convex cap contains at least one farthest point. A connection between simple closed quasigeodesicsOofS, pointsy∈S\Owithωy>π, and the set 𝔽 of all farthest points onS, is also investigated (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural theorems for quasiasymptotics of distributions at the origin
Authors: Vindas Jasson , Pilipović S.
Published: October 2009

An open question concerning the quasiasymptotic behavior of distributions at the origin is solved. The question is the following: Suppose that a tempered distribution has quasiasymptotic at the origin in S ′(ℝ), then the tempered distribution has quasiasymptotic in D ′(ℝ), does the converse implication hold? The second purpose of this article is to give complete structural theorems for quasiasymptotics at the origin. For this purpose, asymptotically homogeneous functions with respect to slowly varying functions are introduced and analyzed (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
New oxidized sterols from Aspergillus awamori and the endo‐boat conformation adopted by the cyclohexene oxide system
Authors: Gao Hao , Hong Kui , Chen Guo‐Dong , Wang Chuan‐Xi , Tang Jin‐Shan , Yu Yang , Jiang Miao‐Miao , Li Man‐Mei , Wang Nai‐Li , Yao Xin‐Sheng
Published: October 2009

Two new oxidized sterols 1 and 2 were obtained from the active fraction of a mangrove fungus Aspergillus awamori isolated from the soils around the mangrove plant Acrostichum speciosum. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods as 22E‐7α‐methoxy‐5α,6α‐epoxyergosta‐8(14),22‐dien‐3β‐ol (1) and 22E‐3β‐hydroxy‐5α,6α,8α,14α‐diepoxyergosta‐22‐en‐7‐one (2). The NMR data and complete assignments for both DMSO‐d6 and CDCl3 were given. Their cytotoxic activity against A549 cell line was evaluated. Furthermore, the detailed conformation analysis for ring B (cyclohexene oxide system) of sterol 1 was given on the basis of NOEs. The endo‐boat conformation was considered as the preferred conformation for ring B rather than half‐chair conformation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical and electrophysiological parameters distinguishing acute‐onset chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy from acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Dionne Annie , Nicolle Michael W. , Hahn Angelika F.
Published: October 2009

Up to 16% of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) patients may present acutely. We performed a retrospective chart review on 30 acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and 15 acute‐onset CIDP (A‐CIDP) patients looking for any clinical or electrophysiological parameters that might differentiate AIDP from acutely presenting CIDP. A‐CIDP patients were significantly more likely to have prominent sensory signs. They were significantly less likely to have autonomic nervous system involvement, facial weakness, a preceding infectious illness, or need for mechanical ventilation. With regard to electrophysiological features, neither sural‐sparing pattern, sensory ratio >1, nor the presence of A‐waves was different between the two groups. This study suggests that patients presenting acutely with a demyelinating polyneuropathy and the aforementioned clinical features should be closely monitored as they may be more likely to have CIDP at follow‐up. Muscle Nerve, 2010
Coactivation at the ankle joint is not sufficient to estimate agonist and antagonist mechanical contribution
Authors: Billot Maxime , Simoneau Emilie , Van Hoecke Jacques , Martin Alain
Published: October 2009

The aim of this study was to assess, via an electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback method, the mechanical contribution of both agonist and antagonist muscles during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). We compared this original method with the MVC–EMGmax ratio and the torque/EMG relationship method, both of which are commonly used to estimate antagonist torque. The plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) MVCs were measured simultaneously with EMG activity of triceps surae (TS) and tibialis anterior in 15 young adults (mean age 23 years). Antagonist torques obtained from the torque/EMG relationship and EMG biofeedback methods appeared to be similar. TS antagonist torque had a major mechanical impact on DF MVC (∼42%). EMG coactivation is significantly different than normalized antagonist torque. TS antagonist torque is not negligible when maximal DF is assessed, and the EMG biofeedback method is a simple method to estimate antagonist torque. Muscle Nerve, 2010
Numerical simulation of the modified regularized long wave equation by He's variational iteration method
Authors: Labidi Manel , Omrani Khaled
Published: October 2009

The modified regularized long wave (MRLW) equation, with some initial conditions, is solved numerically by variational iteration method. This method is useful for obtaining numerical solutions with high degree of accuracy. The variational iteration solution for the MRLW equation converges to its exact solution. Moreover, the conservation laws properties of the MRLW equation are also studied. Finally, interaction of two and three solitary waves is shown. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2011
Childhood scurvy in a medieval burial from Mačvanska Mitrovica, Serbia
Authors: Brown Matthew , Ortner Donald J.
Published: October 2009

The type and distribution of abnormalities in the skeleton of a child 2 years of age indicates that the child likely suffered from scurvy at the time of death. The burial is from the archaeological site of Zidine, Mačvanska Mitrovica, Serbia dated to the Medieval Period. Abnormal porosity and reactive woven bone formation are present affecting both the axial and appendicular skeleton. This case of scurvy is important because archaeological evidence of scurvy in this geographical location and at this time period is unknown. It is also important because the relative completeness of the skeleton and the widespread evidence of skeletal abnormalities provide additional insight regarding the skeletal manifestations of scurvy in young children. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Site‐specific inhibition of integrin αvβ3‐vitronectin association by a ser‐asp‐val sequence through an Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐binding site of the integrin
Authors: Choi Youngjin , Kim Eungyoon , Lee Yoonsuk , Han Moon Hi , Kang In‐Cheol
Published: October 2009

A functional proteomic technology using protein chip and molecular simulation was used to demonstrate a novel biomolecular interaction between P11, a peptide containing the Ser‐Asp‐Val (SDV) sequence and integrin αvβ3. P11 (HSDVHK) is a novel antagonistic peptide of integrin αvβ3 screened from hexapeptide library through protein chip system. An in silico docking study and competitive protein chip assay revealed that the SDV sequence of P11 is able to create a stable inhibitory complex onto the vitronectin‐binding site of integrin αvβ3. The Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD)‐binding site recognition by P11 was site specific because the P11 was inactive for the complex formation of a denatured form of integrin–vitronectin. P11 showed a strong antagonism against αvβ3‐GRGDSP interaction with an IC50 value of 25.72±3.34 nM, whereas the value of GRGDSP peptide was 1968.73±444.32 nM. The binding‐free energies calculated from the docking simulations for each P11 and RGD peptide were −3.99 and −3.10 kcal/mol, respectively. The free energy difference between P11 and RGD corresponds to approximately a 4.5‐fold lower Ki value for the P11 than the RGD peptide. The binding orientation of the docked P11 was similar to the crystal structure of the RGD in αvβ3. The analyzed docked poses suggest that a divalent metal–ion coordination was a common driving force for the formation of both SDV/αvβ3 and RGD/αvβ3 complexes. This is the first report on the specific recognition of the RGD‐binding site of αvβ3 by a non‐RGD containing peptide using a computer‐assisted proteomic approach.
Native immunoblotting of blue native gels to identify conformation‐specific antibodies
Authors: Zickermann Volker , Wumaier Zibiernisha , Wrzesniewska Blanka , Hunte Carola , Schägger Hermann
Published: October 2009

A large repertoire of immunological methods permits monitoring the interaction of antibodies with their specific antigen. However, recognition of a protein by a conformation‐specific antibody represents a challenge because native conditions must be kept throughout the assay. Native immunoblotting of blue native gels conserves the native state by using Tween 20 instead of methanol for the obligatory destaining of the blot membrane. We validate the new technique with a set of monoclonal antibodies against respiratory NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase.
Elastic and frictional properties of graphene
Authors: Lee Changgu , Wei Xiaoding , Li Qunyang , Carpick Robert , Kysar Jeffrey W. , Hone James
Published: October 2009

We describe studies of the elastic properties and frictional characteristics of graphene samples of varying thickness using an atomic force microscope. For tensile testing, graphene is suspended over micron‐sized circular holes and indented by atomic force microscope (AFM) tips. Fitting of the force‐displacement curves yields the prestress and elastic stiffness, while comparison of the breaking force to simulation gives the ultimate strength, which is the highest measured for any material. Experiments on samples with 1–3 atomic layers yield similar values for the intrinsic stiffness and strength of a single sheet, but also reveal differences in mechanical behavior with thickness. The frictional force between an AFM tip and graphene decreases with thickness for samples from 1 to 4 layers, and does not depend on the presence of a substrate. High‐resolution friction force imaging in stick‐slip mode shows the same trend, and allows direct imaging of the crystal lattice.
Molecular dynamics simulations of picotube peapods
Authors: Rosenkranz Nils , Thomsen Christian
Published: October 2009

Carbon picotubes are a promising starting point for the specific synthesis of nanotubes. In this context the interaction between nanotubes and picotubes is of particular interest. One potentially useful configuration evolves from inserting picotubes into a nanotube in a row in analogy to fullerene peapods. We perform temperature‐dependent molecular dynamics simulations on such a system consisting of three tetramer picotubes arranged along the axis of a (9,9) nanotube. Covering a temperature range from room temperature up to 3000 K we observe two different effects: First, our studies show oscillations of the tetramer molecules inside the nanotube. These eigenmodes include axial motion of the picotubes as well as various rotational patterns. Moreover, at sufficiently high temperatures breaking and formation of new bonds results in a structural reorganization, which under suitable conditions might yield a second, inner nanotube of defined chirality.
Anti‐windup synthesis for nonlinear dynamic inversion control schemes
Authors: Herrmann G. , Menon P. P. , Turner M. C. , Bates D. G. , Postlethwaite I.
Published: October 2009

A general anti‐windup (AW) compensation scheme is provided for a class of input constrained feedback‐linearizable nonlinear systems. The controller considered is an inner‐loop nonlinear dynamic inversion controller, augmented with an outer‐loop linear controller, of arbitrary structure. For open‐loop globally exponentially stable plants, it is shown that (i) there always exists a globally stabilizing AW compensator corresponding to a nonlinear generalization of the Internal‐Model‐Control (IMC) AW solution; (ii) important operator theoretic parallels exist between the AW design scheme for linear control and the suggested AW design scheme for nonlinear affine plants and (iii) a more attractive AW compensator may be obtained by using a nonlinear state‐feedback term, which plays a role similar to the linear state‐feedback term in linear coprime factor‐based AW compensation. The results are demonstrated on a dual‐tank simulation example. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation and visualization of large‐scale three‐dimensional reconstructions from underwater robotic surveys
Authors: Johnson‐Roberson Matthew , Pizarro Oscar , Williams Stefan B. , Mahon Ian
Published: October 2009

Robust, scalable simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms support the successful deployment of robots in real‐world applications. In many cases these platforms deliver vast amounts of sensor data from large‐scale, unstructured environments. These data may be difficult to interpret by end users without further processing and suitable visualization tools. We present a robust, automated system for large‐scale three‐dimensional (3D) reconstruction and visualization that takes stereo imagery from an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and SLAM‐based vehicle poses to deliver detailed 3D models of the seafloor in the form of textured polygonal meshes. Our system must cope with thousands of images, lighting conditions that create visual seams when texturing, and possible inconsistencies between stereo meshes arising from errors in calibration, triangulation, and navigation. Our approach breaks down the problem into manageable stages by first estimating local structure and then combining these estimates to recover a composite georeferenced structure using SLAM‐based vehicle pose estimates. A texture‐mapped surface at multiple scales is then generated that is interactively presented to the user through a visualization engine. We adapt established solutions when possible, with an emphasis on quickly delivering approximate yet visually consistent reconstructions on standard computing hardware. This allows scientists on a research cruise to use our system to design follow‐up deployments of the AUV and complementary instruments. To date, this system has been tested on several research cruises in Australian waters and has been used to reliably generate and visualize reconstructions for more than 60 dives covering diverse habitats and representing hundreds of linear kilometers of survey. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.