bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Pin 1 inhibitor juglone attenuates kidney fibrogenesis via Pin 1-independent mechanisms in the unilateral ureteral occlusion model
Authors: Reese Shannon , Vidyasagar Aparna , Jacobson Lynn , Acun Zeki , Esnault Stephane , Hullett Debra , Malter James S , Djamali Arjang
Published: January 2010

Background

Pin 1 is a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase inhibitor related to cyclophilin A and FK506 binding protein (FKBP). Juglone (5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) is a natural inhibitor of Pin 1 with anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. We evaluated the role of Pin 1 in renal fibrogenesis by evaluating the effects of juglone on epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrogenesis in the rat unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model and normal rat tubular epithelial cells (NRK52E).

Results

After 2 weeks of UUO, immunoblot analyses demonstrated that juglone (0.25 and 1 mg/kg/24 h) inhibited the deposition of matrix (α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), collagen type III and vimentin) and the activation of signaling pathways involved in fibrogenesis (phospho-smad2) and stress response (phospho-heat shock protein (HSP)27). Juglone also reduced EMT (α-SMA and E-cadherin dual staining) and oxidative stress (Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and NAPDH oxidase 2 (Nox-2) dual staining) in the obstructed kidney. There was no difference in Pin 1 levels between treatment and control groups. Pin 1 activity was significantly decreased in obstructed kidneys regardless of treatment status. In vitro, juglone (1 μM) significantly decreased α-SMA and p-smad levels compared to vehicle.

Conclusions

Juglone attenuates fibrogenesis via Pin 1-independent mechanisms in the UUO model. The antifibrotic effects of juglone may result from the inhibition of smad2 and oxidative stress.
Effectiveness of group-based cognitive–behavioural therapy in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Kearns Colette , Tone Yvonne , Rush Gavin , Lucey James V.
Published: January 2010

Aims and method

To establish whether cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) with response and exposure prevention (ERP) is effective in individuals with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Twenty-four patients with OCD, divided into four groups, participated in ten sessions of group CBT. All patients completed the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Maudsley Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) pre- and post-treatment.

Results

The mean (s.d.) YBOC score post-treatment was 17.1 (5.8). This was significantly lower than the mean (s.d.) YBOC pre-treatment (24.7 (6.1); t = 8.4, d.f. = 23, P < 0.005). A significant reduction was also observed in relation to all other rating scales.

Clinical implications

Cognitive–behavioural therapy for OCD delivered in a group setting is a clinically effective and acceptable treatment for patients. The use of group-based CBT is an effective means to improve access to psychotherapy.
Community mental healthcare for people with severe personality disorder: narrative review
Authors: Koekkoek Bauke , van Meijel Berno , Hutschemaekers Giel
Published: January 2010

Aims and method

To assess the contents and the theoretical and empirical base of community mental healthcare (CMHC) for people with severe personality disorder. Medline and PsycINFO databases and handbooks were searched from 1980, as well as a recent meta-analysis and systematic review of trials in which CMHC served as the control condition.

Results

Community mental healthcare is a long-term community-based treatment within a supportive atmosphere, aimed at stability rather than change. Mostly offered by community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers, it lacks a formal structure, as well as theoretical underpinnings that guide interventions.

Clinical implications

Community mental healthcare might profit from a more systematic application of effective ingredients from other treatments.
TP53 Mutations and Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Cisplatin and Fluorouracil Chemotherapy in Resected Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Perrone Federica , Bossi Paolo , Cortelazzi Barbara , Locati Laura , Quattrone Pasquale , Pierotti Marco A. , Pilotti Silvana , Licitra Lisa
Published: January 2010

Purpose

To find out if TP53 functional status predicts response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and thus may be helpful during treatment decision making of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients.

Patients and Methods

We analyzed the predictive value of TP53 mutations and their functional status on the basis of the transactivation activity of p53 mutant proteins in 53 pretreatment biopsies of oral cavity SCC patients receiving primary cisplatin and fluorouracil chemotherapy followed by surgery.

Results

The surgical specimens showed that 15 patients (28%) achieved a pathologic complete remission (pCR) at both T and N sites, and 38 patients had residual tumor cells. Among the 53 pretreatment biopsies, 24 (45%) displayed TP53 mutations: 22 single-nucleotide substitutions and two deletions. According to functional status that could be determined only for the 22 substitutions, 21 mutations were nonfunctional and one was partially functional. TP53 mutation was found in four (27%) of 15 patients who achieved a pCR and in 20 (53%) of 38 nonresponder patients; the difference was not statistically significant (P = .12). In contrast, two (14%) of 14 cases with pCR carried a nonfunctional TP53 mutation, a frequency significantly less than that found in the nonresponders (19 [51%] of 37; P = .02). TP53 mutation predicted pCR in four (17%) of 24 patients and a nonfunctional mutation in only two (9%) of 22 patients.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the loss of function (transactivation activities) of p53 mutant proteins may predict a significant low pCR rate and suboptimal response to cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with oral cavity SCC.
Validation of a Web-Based Predictive Nomogram for Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence After Breast Conserving Therapy
Authors: Sanghani Mona , Truong Pauline T. , Raad Rita Abi , Niemierko Andrzej , Lesperance Mary , Olivotto Ivo A. , Wazer David E. , Taghian Alphonse G.
Published: January 2010

Purpose

IBTR! version 1.0 is a web-based tool that uses literature-derived relative risk ratios for seven clinicopathologic variables to predict ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after breast-conserving therapy (BCT). Preliminary testing demonstrated over-estimation in high-risk subgroups. This study uses two independent population-based datasets to create and validate a modified nomogram, IBTR! version 2.0.

Methods

Cox regression modeling was performed on 7,811 patients treated with BCT at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (median follow-up, 9.4 years). Population-based hazard ratios were generated for the seven variables in the original nomogram. A modified nomogram was then tested against 664 patients from Massachusetts General Hospital (median follow-up, 9.3 years). The mean predicted and observed 10-year estimates were compared for the entire cohort and for four groups predefined by nomogram-predicted risks: group 1: less than 3%; group 2: 3% to 5%; group 3: 5% to 10%; and group 4: more than 10%.

Results

IBTR! version 2.0 predicted an overall 10-year IBTR estimate of 4.0% (95% CI, 3.8 to 4.2), while the observed estimate was 2.8% (95% CI, 1.6 to 4.7; P = .10). The predicted and observed IBTR estimates were: group 1 (n = 283): 2.2% versus 1.3%, P = .40; group 2 (n = 237): 3.8% versus 3.5%, P = .80; group 3 (n = 111): 6.7% versus 3.2%, P = .05; and group 4 (n = 33): 12.5% versus 8.7%, P = .50.

Conclusion

IBTR! version 2.0 is accurate in the majority of patients with a low to moderate risk of in-breast recurrence. The nomogram still overestimates risk in a minority of patients with higher risk features. Validation in a larger prospective data set is warranted.
Investigational Immunotherapeutics for B-Cell Malignancies
Authors: Quintás-Cardama Alfonso , Wierda William , O'Brien Susan
Published: January 2010

The use of rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy regimens has remarkably improved the response rates, long-term outcomes, and quality of life of patients with B-cell malignancies. However, a substantial number of patients exhibit either primary or acquired resistance to rituximab, which suggests that novel immunotherapeutics with distinct mechanisms of action are necessary. A series of monoclonal antibodies with specificity against different surface antigens expressed on malignant B cells (eg, CD22, CD23, CD40, CD70) and novel immunotherapeutics (eg, bispecific monoclonal antibodies, small-modular immunopharmaceuticals, T-cell engagers) are currently in clinical or final preclinical stages of development. Although these agents offer reason for optimism, considerable challenges lie ahead in establishing their real clinical value, as well as in integrating them into current therapeutic algorithms for patients with B-cell malignancies. This review describes some of the most promising investigational immunotherapeutics for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.
Exercise, Tea Consumption, and Depression Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Chen Xiaoli , Lu Wei , Zheng Ying , Gu Kai , Chen Zhi , Zheng Wei , Shu Xiao Ou
Published: January 2010

Purpose

To examine the association of lifestyle factors and supplement use with depression among breast cancer survivors.

Patients and Methods

In a population-based cohort study conducted between April 2002 and December 2006 in Shanghai, China, a total of 1,399 women who were diagnosed with stage 0 to III breast cancer completed 6-month and 18-month postdiagnosis, in-person interviews. Information on sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors were collected through the interviews and through review of medical charts at approximately 6 months postdiagnosis. A metabolic equivalent (MET) score was calculated from reported exercise activities. Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 Health Survey at 6 months postdiagnosis. Depressive symptoms were measured by using a 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale at approximately 18 months postdiagnosis.

Results

Overall, 26% of women reported depressive symptoms and 13% met the criteria of clinical depression at 18 months postdiagnosis. Women with a higher exercise level (ie, ≥ 8.3 MET h/wk) were less likely to have depression than nonexercisers; the multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 0.71 (95% CI, 0.47 to 1.07) for mild depression and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.35 to 0.88) for clinical depression in analyses controlled for sociodemographic and clinical factors and baseline QOL. Women who increased their exercise level had lower risk for depression. Regular tea consumption (ie, > 100 g dried tea leaves/mo) was inversely associated with overall depression (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.84). No associations were found for dietary intake or supplement use with depression.

Conclusion

Regular exercise participation and tea consumption may play an important role in the prevention of depression among breast cancer survivors.
Efficacy of Low-Dose Interferon α2a 18 Versus 60 Months of Treatment in Patients With Primary Melanoma of ≥ 1.5 mm Tumor Thickness: Results of a Randomized Phase III DeCOG Trial
Authors: Hauschild Axel , Weichenthal Michael , Rass Knuth , Linse Ruthild , Berking Carola , Böttjer Jörg , Vogt Thomas , Spieth Konstanze , Eigentler Thomas , Brockmeyer Norbert H. , Stein Annette , Näher Helmut , Schadendorf Dirk , Mohr Peter , Kaatz Martin , Tronnier Michael , Hein Rüdiger , Schuler Gerold , Egberts Friederike , Garbe Claus
Published: January 2010

Purpose

Low-dose (LD) interferon (IFN) alfa (LDI) has demonstrated a consistent disease-free survival benefit for patients with clinically lymph node–negative melanoma in clinical trials. However, the optimal duration of treatment is still under discussion, and no previous trial has evaluated this question specifically. A prolongation of LDI from 18 months to 60 months might be of clinical benefit for patients with intermediate or high-risk melanoma.

Patients and Methods

Eight hundred fifty patients with resected cutaneous melanoma of at least 1.5 mm tumor thickness were included in this prospective randomized, multicenter trial in Germany and Austria. Patients had to be clinically lymph node–negative, and sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) was performed in a majority of cases. They were randomly assigned to receive 3 MU IFNα2a three times a week subcutaneously for either 18 months (arm A) or 60 months (arm B).

Results

Of 850 randomly assigned patients, 840 were eligible for evaluation after a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Tumor thickness and other relevant prognostic factors were well balanced between both groups. SLNB was performed in 635 patients (75.6%), with a positivity rate of 18.0% in arm A and 17.5% in arm B. Neither relapse-free survival (arm A, 75.6% v arm B, 72.6%; P = .72; hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.39) nor distant-metastasis–free survival (81.9% v 79.7%; P = .56; HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.52) or overall survival (85.9% v 84.9%; P = .86; HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.71 to 1.50) showed significant differences.

Conclusion

A prolongation of conventional LDI therapy from 18 to 60 months showed no clinical benefit in patients with intermediate and high-risk primary melanoma.
Randomized Study of Intensified Anthracycline Doses for Induction and Recombinant Interleukin-2 for Maintenance in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Age 50 to 70 Years: Results of the ALFA-9801 Study
Authors: Pautas Cecile , Merabet Fatiha , Thomas Xavier , Raffoux Emmanuel , Gardin Claude , Corm Selim , Bourhis Jean-Henri , Reman Oumedaly , Turlure Pascal , Contentin Nathalie , de Revel Thierry , Rousselot Philippe , Preudhomme Claude , Bordessoule Dominique , Fenaux Pierre , Terré Christine , Michallet Mauricette , Dombret Hervé , Chevret Sylvie , Castaigne Sylvie
Published: January 2010

Purpose

In patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), induction chemotherapy is based on standard doses of anthracyclines and cytarabine. High doses of cytarabine have been reported as being too toxic for patients older than age 50 years, but few studies have evaluated intensified doses of anthracyclines.

Patients and Methods

In this randomized Acute Leukemia French Association 9801 (ALFA-9801) study, high doses of daunorubicin (DNR; 80 mg/m2/d × 3 days) or idarubicin (IDA4; 12 mg/m2/d × 4 days) were compared with standard doses of idarubicin (IDA3; 12 mg/m2/d × 3 days) for remission induction in patients age 50 to 70 years, with an event-free survival (EFS) end point. After two consolidation courses based on intermediate doses of cytarabine, patients in continuous remission were randomly assigned to receive or not receive maintenance therapy with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2; 5 × 106U/m2× 5 days each month) for a total duration of 12 months. A total of 468 patients entered the study (median age, 60 years).

Results

Overall complete remission rate was 77% with significant differences among the three randomization arms (83%, 78%, and 70% in the IDA3, IDA4, and DNR arms, respectively; P = .04). However, no significant differences were observed in relapse incidence, EFS, or overall survival among the three arms. In the 161 patients randomly assigned for maintenance therapy, no difference in outcome was observed between the rIL-2 and the no further treatment arms.

Conclusion

Neither intensification of anthracycline doses nor maintenance with rIL-2 showed a significant impact on AML course, at least as scheduled in this trial.
Alternating Systemic and Hepatic Artery Infusion Therapy for Resected Liver Metastases From Colorectal Cancer: A North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG)/ National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Phase II Intergroup Trial, N9945/CI-66
Authors: Alberts Steven R. , Roh Mark S. , Mahoney Michelle R. , O'Connell Michael J. , Nagorney David M. , Wagman Lawrence , Smyrk Thomas C. , Weiland Timothy L. , Lai Lily Lau , Schwarz Roderich E. , Molina Roy , Dentchev Todor , Bolton John S.
Published: January 2010

Purpose

Prior trials have shown that surgery followed by hepatic artery infusion (HAI) of floxuridine (FUDR) alternating with systemic fluorouracil improves survival rates. Oxaliplatin combined with capecitabine has demonstrated activity in advanced colorectal cancer. Based on this observation a trial was conducted to assess the potential benefit of systemic oxaliplatin and capecitabine alternating with HAI of FUDR. The primary end point was 2-year survival.

Patients and Methods

Patients with liver-only metastases from colorectal cancer amenable to resection or cryoablation were eligible. HAI and systemic therapy was initiated after metastasectomy. Alternating courses of HAI consisted of 0.2 mg/m2/d FUDR and dexamethasone, day 1 through 14 weeks 1 and 2. Systemic therapy included oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 day 1 with capecitabine at 1,000 mg/m2 twice daily, days 1 through 14, weeks 4 and 5. Two additional 3-week courses of systemic therapy were given. Capecitabine was reduced to 850 mg/m2 twice daily after interim review of toxicity.

Results

Fifty-five of 76 eligible patients were able to initiate protocol-directed therapy and completed median of six cycles (range, one to six). Three postoperative or treatment-related deaths were reported. Overall, 88% of evaluable patients were alive at 2 years. With a median follow-up of 4.8 years, a total of 30 patients have had disease recurrence, 11 involving the liver. Median disease-free survival was 32.7 months.

Conclusion

Alternating HAI of FUDR and systemic capecitabine and oxaliplatin met the prespecified end point of higher than 85% survival at 2 years and was clinically tolerable. However, the merits of this approach need to be established with a phase III trial.
E-cadherin-mediated survival of androgen-receptor-expressing secretory prostate epithelial cells derived from a stratified in vitro differentiation model
Authors: Lamb Laura E. , Knudsen Beatrice S. , Miranti Cindy K.
Published: January 2010

The androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in differentiated secretory prostate epithelial cells in vivo. However, in the human prostate, it is unclear whether androgens directly promote the survival of secretory cells, or whether secretory cells survive through androgen-dependent signals from the prostate stroma. Biochemical and mechanistic studies have been hampered by inadequate cell-culture models. In particular, large-scale differentiation of prostate epithelial cells in culture has been difficult to achieve. Here, we describe the development of a differentiation system that is amenable to functional and biochemical analysis and its application to deciphering the survival pathways in differentiated AR-expressing epithelial cells. Confluent prostate epithelial cell cultures were treated with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and dihydrotestosterone. After 2 weeks, a suprabasal cell layer was formed in which cells no longer expressed α2, α3, α6, αv, β1 or β4 integrins or p63, K5, K14, EGFR, FGFR2IIIb or Bcl-2, but instead expressed AR and androgen-induced differentiation markers, including K18, K19, TMPRSS2, Nkx3.1, PMSA, KLK2 and secreted prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Differentiated prostate cell survival depended on E-cadherin and PI3K, but not KGF, androgen, AR or MAPK. Thus survival of differentiated prostate epithelial cells is mediated by cell-cell adhesion, and not through androgen activity or prostate stroma-derived KGF.
Functional interplay between LIS1, NDE1 and NDEL1 in dynein-dependent organelle positioning
Authors: Lam Connie , Vergnolle Maïlys A. S. , Thorpe Lisa , Woodman Philip G. , Allan Victoria J.
Published: January 2010

LIS1, NDE1 and NDEL1 modulate cytoplasmic dynein function in several cellular contexts. However, evidence that they regulate dynein-dependent organelle positioning is limited. Here, we show that depletion of NDE1 or NDEL1 alone profoundly affected the organisation of the Golgi complex but did not cause it to disperse, and slightly affected the position of endocytic compartments. However, striking dispersal of organelles was observed when both NDE1 and NDEL1 were depleted. A substantial portion of NDE1 and NDEL1 is membrane associated, and depletion of these proteins led to complete loss of dynein from membranes. Knockdown of LIS1 also caused the Golgi complex to fragment and disperse throughout the cell, and caused endocytic compartments to relocalise to the periphery. Depletion of LIS1, which is primarily cytosolic, led to partial loss of membrane-associated dynein, without affecting NDE1 and NDEL1. These data suggest that NDE1 and NDEL1 act upstream of LIS1 in dynein recruitment, and/or activation, on the membrane. Consistent with this hypothesis, expression of exogenous NDE1 or NDEL1 rescued the effects of LIS1 depletion on Golgi organisation, whereas LIS1 was only partially effective at rescuing the loss of NDE1 and NDEL1.
Post-transcriptional regulation of miR-27 in murine cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Buck Amy H. , Perot Jonathan , Chisholm Michael A. , Kumar Diwakar S. , Tuddenham Lee , Cognat Valérie , Marcinowski Lisa , Dölken Lars , Pfeffer Sébastien
Published: January 2010

In mammals, microRNAs (miRNAs) can play diverse roles in viral infection through their capacity to regulate both host and viral genes. Recent reports have demonstrated that specific miRNAs change in expression level upon infection and can impact viral production and infectivity. It is clear that miRNAs are an integral component of viral–host interactions, and it is likely that both host and virus contain mechanisms to regulate miRNA expression and/or activity. To date, little is known about the mechanisms by which miRNAs are regulated in viral infection. Here we report the rapid down-regulation of miR-27a in multiple mouse cell lines as well as primary macrophages upon infection with the murine cytomegalovirus. Down-regulation of miR-27a occurs independently from two other miRNAs, miR-23a and miR-24, located within the same genomic cluster, and analysis of pri-miRNA levels suggest that regulation occurs post-transcriptionally. miR-27b, a close homolog of miR-27a (20/21 nucleotide identity), also decreases upon infection, and we demonstrate that both miR-27a and miR-27b exert an antiviral function upon over-expression. Drug sensitivity experiments suggest that virus entry is not sufficient to induce the down-regulation of miR-27 and that the mechanism requires synthesis of RNA. Altogether, our findings indicate that miR-27a and miR-27b have antiviral activity against MCMV, and that either the virus or the host encodes molecule(s) for regulating miR-27 accumulation, most likely by inducing the rapid decay of the mature species.
Latino Disparities in Prescription Drug Use and Expenditures: A Nationally Representative Analysis
Authors: Chen Jie , Fang Hai , Vargas-Bustamante Arturo , Rizzo John A , Ortega Alexander N
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND

Latinos are disproportionately affected by the lack of affordable prescription drugs. Within the Latino population, there are significant heterogeneities in the patterns of prescription drug expenditures and use. However, studies have traditionally treated them as a single, monolithic group.

OBJECTIVES

gTo identify and quantify factors associated with disparities in drug use and expenditures between non-Latino whites and Latino subgroups.

METHODS

We examined trends in prescription drug use, total prescription drug expenditures, and the proportion of out-of-pocket (OOP) payment to total drug expenditures for whites and Latino subgroups using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1999 to 2006. Multivariate regressions were used to adjust for confounding factors that may also affect drug use and expenditures.

RESULTS

Latinos were significantly less likely to use drugs compared to whites. Mexicans had significantly lower prescription drug costs and a higher proportion of OOP expenditures compared to whites after socioeconomic and demographic factors were controlled. Usual source of care, health insurance, and limited English proficiency were the most important factors associated with these disparities. Among the Latino subgroups, Puerto Ricans had drug expenditures and use patterns most similar to those of whites.

CONCLUSIONS

Substantive disparities in prescription drug expenditures and use existed between whites and specific Latinos groups, with Mexicans faring the worst. Future health studies should examine Latino subgroups separately, rather than treating Latinos as a homogeneous group. Policies aimed at expanding insurance coverage and access to a usual source of care, as well as addressing language barriers, should substantially reduce these disparities.
The Four Ariya-saccas as ‘True Realities for the Spiritually Ennobled’- the Painful, its Origin, its Cessation, and the Way Going to This – Rather than ‘Noble Truths’ Concerning These.
Authors: Harvey Peter
Published: January 2010

This paper critiques the standard translation of ariya-sacca as ‘Noble Truth’ and argues that the term refers to four saccas as ‘true realities’, rather than as verbalised ‘truths’ about these realities; the teachings about them are not, as such what the term ariya-sacca refers to. Moreover, only one of the ariya-saccas (the fourth) is itself ever described in the suttas as ‘noble’. The four are ‘true realities for the spiritually ennobled’: the fundamental, basic, most significant genuine realities that the Buddha and other noble ones see in the flow of experience of themselves and/or others. The first of them is not best translated as ‘suffering’ but as ‘pain’ – in all its many senses – or indeed ‘the painful’: the up?d?na-kkhandhas as ‘bundles of grasping-fuel’ which are described, adjectivally, as ‘painful’. The paper includes a new translation of the Dhamma-cakka-ppavattana Sutta in line with this analysis
Western Buddhist Perceptions of Monasticism
Authors: Schedneck Brooke
Published: January 2010

This paper explores the contemporary encounter between Western cultures and the Buddhist tradition of monasticism. I have investigated attitudes towards this institution in the forms of contemporary Buddhist memoirs, blog websites, interviews, and dharma talks. This article argues that the institution in general is not ideal for some Western Buddhists— it is seen by some as too restricting or anti-modern. Others find value in monasticism; they are aware of those who critique the institution, and offer instead a model that removes anti-modern elements that they see as problematic. As an extension of these attitudes, this article also draws on the issue of female monasticism. Western Buddhists argue that all women should have the choice to be ordained because this shows that Buddhism is modern. I conclude that Western Buddhists are interested in creating a modern, universal tradition, and this can be seen by analyzing conceptions about monastic life.
Theoretical diversity of the marine biosphere
Authors: Kowalewski Michał , Finnegan Seth
Published: January 2010

In considering the history of biodiversity paleontologists have focused on exploratory investigations of empirical data derived from the fossil record. Starting with the pioneering work of Philips (1860), and continuing at an increasing pace through today, this inductive approach has dominated diversity research. In contrast, deductive theoretical considerations that focus on the expected history of biodiversity, and develop independently of empirical knowledge, have remained under-explored. Appreciating the need for a nomothetic paleobiology (Gould 1980), we here reconsider the history of biodiversity, using deductive models constrained by a few, self-evident parameters. This analysis centers on the marine fossil record, the primary target of most previous empirical studies on the geological history of global biodiversity (e.g., Valentine 1969; Raup 1972, 1976; Sepkoski et al. 1981; Alroy et al. 2008).
Climate-averaging of terrestrial faunas: an example from the Plio-Pleistocene of South Africa
Authors: Hopley Philip J. , Maslin Mark A.
Published: January 2010

Fundamental to the interpretation of bone-bearing faunal deposits is an understanding of the taphonomic processes that have modified the once living fossil community. An often neglected source of bias is that of climate-averaging, which occurs when the duration of bone accumulation exceeds the duration of an individual climatic episode. Tropical and subtropical climate change is dominated by precessional cyclicity (~21,000 year cycle), which controls monsoon rainfall intensity and thus plant communities over time. Under a climate-averaging scenario, the paleoecological characteristics of a faunal deposit represent an amalgamation of more than one phase of the precessional cycle. We investigate the degree of climate-averaging in Plio-Pleistocene bone breccias from South Africa by comparing stable isotope measurements of fossil enamel with the evidence from high-resolution speleothem paleoclimate proxies. We conclude that each of the four faunal assemblages studied are climate-averaged, having formed over a time period in excess of one-third of a precessional cycle (~7000 years). This has implications for the reconstruction of hominin paleoenvironments and estimates of Plio-Pleistocene biodiversity. We hypothesize that climate-averaging may be a common feature of tropical terrestrial vertebrate assemblages throughout the Cenozoic and Mesozoic.
The completeness of the continental fossil record and its impact on patterns of diversification
Authors: Kalmar Attila , Currie David J.
Published: January 2010

Did organisms diversify in different ways on land and in the marine realm over the Phanerozoic, or do the different diversification curves of continental and marine organisms reflect primarily methodological artifacts? To answer this question, a quantitative assessment of the completeness of the global continental fossil record is indispensable. We used comparisons between continental and marine fossil diversity and between past and present-day patterns of continental diversity to assess the absolute and relative completeness of the continental fossil record. Collector's curves of the number of described families over the past 200 years suggest that the global continental fossil record, and even that of European and North American tetrapods, is still highly incomplete. Nevertheless, relative proportions of major continental and marine taxa, patterns of tetrapod endemism, and familial durations suggest that the family-level continental fossil record is reasonably representative. We found that, although continental fossil richness is correlated with the amount of terrestrial clastic sediment available for sampling, the exponential diversification curve of continental metazoans is unlikely to be an artifact of this rock bias. Diversification of the continental fauna appears to have been essentially exponential since the Devonian, with little evidence of major extinction events.
Middle Cambrian sponges from the Drum Mountains and House Range in western Utah
Authors: Rigby J. Keith , Church Stephen B. , Anderson Nicolle K.
Published: January 2010

A diverse assemblage of Middle Cambrian sponges, recently collected from the Wheeler and Marjum Formations of western Millard County, Utah, includes a variety of demosponges and hexactinellids. This collection includes the verongiidVauxia bellulaWalcott, 1920, and the protomonaxonidsChoia carteriandChoia ridleyiWalcott, 1920,Hamptonia bowerbankiWalcott, 1920, andHamptonia parvan. sp. Hexactinellids in the collection include the reticulosid protospongioidsDiagoniella hindeiWalcott, 1920, andDiagoniella magnan. sp.; the dierespongioid hydnodictyidValospongia?gigantusRigby, 1973; and the hintzespongioidHintzespongia bilaminaRigby and Gutschick, 1976. A specimen of the problematicSentinelia?dracoWalcott, 1920, is also documented as part of the collection.
First fossils of the isopod genus Aega Leach, 1815
Authors: Hansen Thomas , Hansen Jesper
Published: January 2010

Two abdominal molts representing a small cymothoid isopod are described from the marine late Miocene Gram Formation of southern Denmark. Abdominal molts are generally regarded as being difficult or even impossible to assign to genus or family due to overlap of morphological characters. A preliminary study supported by statistical and multivariate analysis of the genera most closely resembling the specimens reveals that although some overlap in characters do occur, the genera can to a large extent be defined by a diagnostic set of features. The Danish Miocene taxon described herein is assigned to Aega Leach, 1815 as the only known fossil of this important cosmopolitan genus.
Unusually preservedMetaconularia manni(Roy, 1935) from the Silurian of Iowa, and the systematics of the genus
Authors: John Douglas L. , Hughes Nigel C. , Galaviz Monica I. , Gunderson Gerald O. , Meyer Ronald
Published: January 2010

The Welton Member of the Scotch Grove Formation at Shaffton Quarry, near Camanche, Iowa, is about 427 Ma old and contains numerous metaconulariid specimens, many of which are preserved in apex-downward orientation. Some of these show an unusual, splayed, “Maltese cross” configuration. Apex-downward configurations suggest rapid burial, consistent with the soft part preservation known in other taxa from this locality. The abundance ofMetaconulariaat Shaffton Quarry, and of topotype specimens ofM. aspersa, the generic type species, permits evaluation of the degree of individual and intracollectional variation in peridermal ornament. Variation within and among individuals precludes reliance on ornamental differences in species differentiation in most cases. In view of these results we assign all Shaffton specimens toMetaconularia manni(Roy, 1935), and reviseMetaconulariabased on its type material from Europe and other material from Europe and North America. An exploratory phylogenetic analysis highlights aspects of character distribution within the genus, but the small number of characters states and possible taphonomic influences upon them limit confidence in the clade topology. Subgroups within the genus are characterized by larger, discoidal papillae, and by strong transverse corrugation and sinuous rows of smaller papillae. The genus itself comprises those conulariids with an external ornamentation of simple, round, small papillae, paired internal septae along the midlines, and a thin periderm that was to some degree pliable during life.
Phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of deiphonine trilobites
Authors: Congreve Curtis R. , Lieberman Bruce S.
Published: January 2010

Cladistic parsimony analysis of the subfamily Deiphoninae Raymond, 1913 was conducted to produce a hypothesis of relationship for the group. The generaDeiphonBarrande, 1850 andOnycopygeWoodward, 1880 are found to be monophyletic, while the genusSphaerocorypheAngelin, 1854, as it was previously defined, is paraphyletic. A modified Brooks Parsimony Analysis using the phylogenetic hypothesis reveals patterns of biogeography, in particular, vicariance and geodispersal, during the Ordovician-Silurian. The analysis yields three major conclusions about deiphonine biogeography: Eastern Laurentia and Baltica were close enough during the late Ordovician to exchange taxa via sea level rise and fall; chance dispersal occurred between Northwestern Laurentia and Australia; and deiphonine trilobites likely originated in Baltica or Eastern Laurentia.
Sorption of Sulfonamide Antimicrobial Agents to Humic Acid–Clay Complexes
Authors: Gao Juan , Pedersen Joel A.
Published: January 2010

The interaction of sulfonamide antimicrobial agents with smectite clay minerals and humic acid (HA)–clay complexes was investigated in batch experiments to assess the influence of adsorbed humic acid on sulfonamide sorption. Soil HA–clay complexes were produced at HA:clay ratios of 1:5, 1:50, and 1:100 (w/w). Vibrational and electronic spectroscopy indicated the preferential adsorption of polar and aliphatic components of HA to smectite surfaces, a phenomenon most readily discerned at the two lower HA:clay ratios (1:50 and 1:100). Humic acid adsorption to smectite clay minerals enhanced sulfamethazine [2‐(p‐aminobenzenesulfonamido)‐4,6‐dimethyl pyrimidine] sorption, especially at the highest HA:clay ratio (1:5). Sulfamethazine sorption to adsorbed HA generally increased with the abundance of carboxyl (and possibly other O‐ and N‐containing) moieties and aliphatic carbon content. Both the smectite surface and the adsorbed humic acids contributed to sulfamethazine sorption–desorption hysteresis; hysteresis in sulfamethazine sorption to the adsorbed humic acids was equal to or larger than for adsorption to the smectites. Competitive sorption with a structurally similar sulfonamide antimicrobial was apparent only at high competitor concentrations. This study indicates that sorption to organic carbon and clay mineral surfaces as well as the hysteretic sorption behavior warrant consideration in predicting the transport of these antimicrobial agents in soils and subsurface environments.
Denitrification of Nitrogen Released from Senescing Algal Biomass in Coastal Agricultural Headwater Streams
Authors: McMillan Sara K. , Piehler Michael F. , Thompson Suzanne P. , Paerl Hans W.
Published: January 2010

Assimilation of inorganic N by photoautotrophs has positive impacts on nutrient retention; however this retention is only temporary. As the biomass senesces, organic and inorganic forms of N are released back to the stream where they can be further transformed (i.e., nitrification, denitrification) or exported downstream. The purpose of this study was to assess the fate of the remineralized N, particularly the potential for removal by denitrification. Experiments were conducted on intact sediment cores from streams in an agricultural watershed. Cores were amended with varying ages of algal leachate and denitrification rates were measured with a membrane inlet mass spectrometer. Results of this study demonstrated that senescing algal biomass stimulated denitrification rates and provided a source of N and labile C to denitrifiers. Regardless of leachate age, addition of leachate to intact cores revealed a net loss of dissolved inorganic N from the water column. Denitrification rates were most strongly related to concentrations of dissolved and particulate C in the overlying water and secondarily to C quality (molar C to N ratio of total dissolved C and N) and NO3− flux. Using a mass balance approach, the proportion of N from senescing algal biomass that was denitrified accounted for as much as 10% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and up to 100% of the NO3− during a 3‐h experiment. These results suggest an important link between instream algal uptake and eventual denitrification thereby providing a pathway for permanent removal of watershed‐derived N from the stream ecosystem.
Phosphorus Runoff from Turfgrass as Affected by Phosphorus Fertilization and Clipping Management
Authors: Bierman Peter M. , Horgan Brian P. , Rosen Carl J. , Hollman Andrew B. , Pagliari Paulo H.
Published: January 2010

Phosphorus enrichment of surface water is a concern in many urban watersheds. A 3‐yr study on a silt loam soil with 5% slope and high soil test P (27 mg kg−1 Bray P1) was conducted to evaluate P fertilization and clipping management effects on P runoff from turfgrass (Poa pratensis L.) under frozen and nonfrozen conditions. Four fertilizer treatments were compared: (i) no fertilizer, (ii) nitrogen (N)+potassium (K)+0×P, (iii) N+K+1×P, and (iv) N+K+3×P. Phosphorus rates were 21.3 and 63.9 kg ha−1 yr−1 the first year and 7.1 and 21.3 kg ha−1 yr−1 the following 2 yr. Each fertilizer treatment was evaluated with clippings removed or clippings recycled back to the turf. In the first year, P runoff increased with increasing P rate and P losses were greater in runoff from frozen than nonfrozen soil. In year 2, total P runoff from the no fertilizer treatment was greater than from treatments receiving fertilizer. This was because reduced turf quality resulted in greater runoff depth from the no fertilizer treatment. In year 3, total P runoff from frozen soil and cumulative total P runoff increased with increasing P rate. Clipping management was not an important factor in any year, indicating that returning clippings does not significantly increase P runoff from turf. In the presence of N and K, P fertilization did not improve turf growth or quality in any year. Phosphorus runoff can be reduced by not applying P to high testing soils and avoiding fall applications when P is needed.
Dynamic Factor Analysis for Estimating Ground Water Arsenic Trends
Authors: Kuo Yi‐Ming , Chang Fi‐John
Published: January 2010

Drinking ground water containing high arsenic (As) concentrations has been associated with blackfoot disease and the occurrence of cancer along the southwestern coast of Taiwan. As a result, 28 ground water observation wells were installed to monitor the ground water quality in this area. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) is used to identify common trends that represent unexplained variability in ground water As concentrations of decommissioned wells and to investigate whether explanatory variables (total organic carbon [TOC], As, alkalinity, ground water elevation, and rainfall) affect the temporal variation in ground water As concentration. The results of the DFA show that rainfall dilutes As concentration in areas under aquacultural and agricultural use. Different combinations of geochemical variables (As, alkalinity, and TOC) of nearby monitoring wells affected the As concentrations of the most decommissioned wells. Model performance was acceptable for 11 wells (coefficient of efficiency >0.50), which represents 52% (11/21) of the decommissioned wells. Based on DFA results, we infer that surface water recharge may be effective for diluting the As concentration, especially in the areas that are relatively far from the coastline. We demonstrate that DFA can effectively identify the important factors and common effects representing unexplained variability common to decommissioned wells on As variation in ground water and extrapolate information from existing monitoring wells to the nearby decommissioned wells.
Phosphorus Runoff from Waste Water Treatment Biosolids and Poultry Litter Applied to Agricultural Soils
Authors: White John W. , Coale Frank J. , Sims J. Thomas , Shober Amy L.
Published: January 2010

Differences in the properties of organic phosphorus (P) sources, particularly those that undergo treatment to reduce soluble P, can affect soil P solubility and P transport in surface runoff. This 2‐yr field study investigated soil P solubility and runoff P losses from two agricultural soils in the Mid‐Atlantic region after land application of biosolids derived from different waste water treatment processes and poultry litter. Phosphorus speciation in the biosolids and poultry litter differed due to treatment processes and significantly altered soil P solubility and dissolved reactive P (DRP) and bioavailable P (FeO‐P) concentrations in surface runoff. Runoff total P (TP) concentrations were closely related to sediment transport. Initial runoff DRP and FeO‐P concentrations varied among the different biosolids and poultry litter applied. Over time, as sediment transport declined and DRP concentrations became an increasingly important component of runoff FeO‐P and TP, total runoff P was more strongly influenced by the type of biosolids applied. Throughout the study, application of lime‐stabilized biosolids and poultry litter increased concentrations of soil‐soluble P, readily desorbable P, and soil P saturation, resulting in increased DRP and FeO‐P concentrations in runoff. Land application of biosolids generated from waste water treatment processes that used amendments to reduce P solubility (e.g., FeCl3) did not increase soil P saturation and reduced the potential for DRP and FeO‐P transport in surface runoff. These results illustrate the importance of waste water treatment plant process and determination of specific P source coefficients to account for differential P availability among organic P sources.
Effect of Combined Bacillus subtilis on the Sorption of Phenanthrene and 1,2,3‐Trichlorobenzene onto Mineral Surfaces
Authors: He Mengchang , Zhang Jinghuan , Wang Ying , Jin Lixia
Published: January 2010

In the natural environment, minerals are often associated with coexisting microorganisms. These interactions have profound impacts on the fate of a wide variety of contaminants. However, little information is available on the sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated benzenes, onto the composites of minerals with bacteria, and knowledge of the influence of combined bacteria on HOC sorption to minerals is limited. In our study, sorption isotherms of phenanthrene (Phen) and 1,2,3‐trichlorobenzene (TCB) onto Bacillus subtilis, minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite, and goethite), and mineral–B. subtilis composites were studied to determine the role of B. subtilis in sorption. For pure mineral systems, the order of Phen and TCB sorption affinity was montmorillonite > kaolinite > goethite. For mineral–B. subtilis composites, the trend was montmorillonite > goethite > kaolinite, consistent with that of their ability to combine with bacteria. The coating of B. subtilis with minerals enhanced the sorption due to the strong sorption of Phen and TCB onto B. subtilis cells and the increase of total organic carbon of minerals. With increasing B. subtilis concentration, sorption of Phen and TCB on pure B. subtilis cells decreased, but sorption on kaolinite surface increased. Sodium azide can greatly reduce sorption capacity but increases sorption linearity for B. subtilis and mineral–B. subtilis composites. Compared with TCB, Phen had higher sorption affinity due to its high hydrophobicity. Our results may be useful for understanding the role of bacteria in regulating the distribution and transport of HOCs in the environment.
Selecting and Applying Cesium‐137 Conversion Models to Estimate Soil Erosion Rates in Cultivated Fields
Authors: Li Sheng , Lobb David A. , Tiessen Kevin H.D. , McConkey Brian G.
Published: January 2010

The fallout radionuclide cesium‐137 (137Cs) has been successfully used in soil erosion studies worldwide. However, discrepancies often exist between the erosion rates estimated using various conversion models. As a result, there is often confusion in the use of the various models and in the interpretation of the data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test the structural and parametrical uncertainties associated with four conversion models typically used in cultivated agricultural landscapes. For the structural uncertainties, the Soil Constituent Redistribution by Erosion Model (SCREM) was developed and used to simulate the redistribution of fallout 137Cs due to tillage and water erosion along a simple two‐dimensional (horizontal and vertical) transect. The SCREM‐predicted 137Cs inventories were then imported into the conversion models to estimate the erosion rates. The structural uncertainties of the conversion models were assessed based on the comparisons between the conversion‐model‐estimated erosion rates and the erosion rates determined or used in the SCREM. For the parametrical uncertainties, test runs were conducted by varying the values of the parameters used in the model, and the parametrical uncertainties were assessed based on the responsive changes of the estimated erosion rates. Our results suggest that: (i) the performance/accuracy of the conversion models was largely dependent on the relative contributions of water vs. tillage erosion; and (ii) the estimated erosion rates were highly sensitive to the input values of the reference 137Cs level, particle size correction factors and tillage depth. Guidelines were proposed to aid researchers in selecting and applying the conversion models under various situations common to agricultural landscapes.