bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aberrant expression and potency as a cancer immunotherapy target of alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme A racemase in prostate cancer
Authors: Honma Ichiya , Torigoe Toshihiko , Hirohashi Yoshihiko , Kitamura Hiroshi , Sato Eiji , Masumori Naoya , Tamura Yasuaki , Tsukamoto Taiji , Sato Noriyuki
Published: December 2009

Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) is an enzyme playing an important role in the beta-oxidation of branched-chain fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives. High expression levels of AMACR have been described in various cancers, including prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and kidney cancer. Because of its cancer-specific and frequent expression, AMACR could be an attractive target for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL)-based immunotherapy for cancer. In the present study, we examined the induction of AMACR-specific CTLs from prostate cancer patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and determined HLA-A24-restricted CTL epitopes.

RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AMACR was strongly expressed in prostate cancer cell lines and tissues as compared with benign or normal prostate tissues. Four AMACR-derived peptides carrying the HLA-A24-binding motif were synthesized from the amino acid sequence of this protein and analyzed to determine their binding affinities to HLA-A24. By stimulating patient's PBMCs with the peptides, specific CTLs were successfully induced in 6 of 11 patients. The peptide-specific CTLs exerted significant cytotoxic activity against AMACR-expressing prostate cancer cells in the context of HLA-A24. Our study demonstrates that AMACR could become a target antigen for prostate cancer immunotherapy, and that the AMACR-derived peptides might be good peptide vaccine candidates for HLA-A24-positive AMACR-expressing cancer patients.
In silico analysis of chimeric espA, eae and tir fragments of Escherichia coli O157:H7 for oral immunogenic applications
Authors: Amani Jafar , Mousavi S Latif , Rafati Sima , Salmanian Ali H
Published: December 2009

Background

In silico techniques are highly suited for both the discovery of new and development of existing vaccines. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) exhibits a pattern of localized adherence to host cells, with the formation of microcolonies, and induces a specific histopathological lesion (attaching/effacing). The genes encoding the products responsible for this phenotype are clustered on a 35-kb pathogenicity island. Among these proteins, Intimin, Tir, and EspA, which are expressed by attaching-effacing genes, are responsible for the attachment to epithelial cell that leads to lesions.

Results

We designed synthetic genes encoding the carboxy-terminal fragment of Intimin, the middle region of Tir and the carboxy-terminal part of EspA. These multi genes were synthesized with codon optimization for a plant host and were fused together by the application of four repeats of five hydrophobic amino acids as linkers. The structure of the synthetic construct gene, its mRNA and deduced protein and their stabilities were analyzed by bioinformatic software. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of this multimeric recombinant protein consisting of three different domains was predicted.

Conclusion

a structural model for a chimeric gene from LEE antigenic determinants of EHEC is presented. It may define accessibility, solubility and immunogenecity.
Interaction of influenza virus NS1 protein with growth arrest-specific protein 8
Authors: Zhao Lixia , Xu Long , Zhou Xiaowei , Zhu Qingyu , Yang Zhixin , Zhang Chuanfu , Zhu Xudong , Yu Mengbin , Zhang Yingying , Zhao Xinghui , Huang Peitang
Published: December 2009

NS1 protein is the only non-structural protein encoded by the influenza A virus, and it contributes significantly to disease pathogenesis by modulating many virus and host cell processes. A two-hybrid screen for proteins that interact with NS1 from influenza A yielded growth arrest-specific protein 8. Gas8 associated with NS1 in vitro and in vivo. Deletion analysis revealed that the N-terminal 260 amino acids of Gas8 were able to interact with NS1, and neither the RNA-binding domain nor the effector domain of NS1 was sufficient for the NS1 interaction. We also found that actin, myosin, and drebrin interact with Gas8. NS1 and β-actin proteins could be co-immunoprecipitated from extracts of transfected cells. Furthermore, actin and Gas8 co-localized at the plasma membrane. These results are discussed in relation to the possible functions of Gas8 protein and their relevance in influenza virus release.
Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a case report
Authors: Aldousari Saad , Sircar Kanishka , Kassouf Wassim
Published: December 2009

Plasmacytoid bladder cancer is a rare variant of transitional cell carcinoma. A 57-year-old man was referred to our institution for management of invasive transitional cell carcinoma diagnosed at a peripheral hospital. His complaints were of vague lower abdominal pain with associated urgency and frequency requiring oxybutynin. Metastatic workup was negative and was subsequently scheduled for a radical cystectomy. Routine colonoscopy 3 weeks prior to surgery was negative. Intraoperatively, he was found to have metastatic urothelial cancer involving the cecum and multiple metastatic deposits within the mesentery of the small intestines. He underwent a palliative cystectomy with ileal conduit formation. Final pathology revealed metastatic plasmacytoid variant of urothelial cancer. Histology and immunohistochemistry were compatible with plasmacytoid variant of urothelial cancer. Here we present our case of this rare variant of urothelial cancer with a review of its characteristics.
HVEM/LIGHT/BTLA/CD160 cosignaling pathways as targets for immune regulation
Authors: del Rio M L , Lucas C L , Buhler L , Rayat G , Rodriguez-Barbosa J I
Published: December 2009

This review highlights how the blockade of the co-stimulatory HVEM/LIGHT interaction or agonist signaling through the inhibitory BTLA and CD160 receptors could contribute to the control of deleterious immune responses.

Immunosuppression is currently the treatment of choice to attenuate the chronic deterioration of tissue function as a result of the effector mechanisms of the immunological response in transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases. However, global immunosuppression greatly increases the risk of acquiring life-threatening infections and is associated with organ toxicity when used long-term. Thus, alternative approaches that inhibit only the unwanted immune responses and preserve general immunity are highly desirable. The receptor/ligand pairs involved in the cross-talk between DC and T cells have been the focus of intense and exciting research during the last decade. The HVEM/LIGHT/BTLA/CD160 costimulatory/coinhibitory pathway has emerged as a potential target for the development of immune therapeutic interventions. Herein, we will summarize and discuss how blockade of the costimulatory HVEM/LIGHT interaction or agonist signaling through the inhibitory BTLA and CD160 receptors could contribute to the control of deleterious immune responses.
A Multilingual Modernist: Avraham Shlonsky between Hebrew and Yiddish
Authors: BRENNER NAOMI
Published: December 2009

From the early years of his long and prolific writing career, Hebrew poet Avraham Shlonsky continually wrote and rewrote himself into the early twentieth-century cultural scene as consummate artist and ideologue. Affiliating his artistic persona with a new Zionist language, ideology, and land, Shlonsky challenged the styles and themes of his Hebrew poetic predecessors. At the same time, he experimented with the modernist forms and aesthetics that held sway in European culture in the first decades of the twentieth century, mixing aspects of Symbolism, Futurism, Expressionism, and Imaginism to create his own idiosyncratic Hebrew modernism. At the center of his modernist poetry and manifestoes is a chameleon-like lyrical “I” that dominates the text as it unfolds.

Shlonsky brilliantly used a new literary Hebrew to create himself as a revolutionary modernist poet. Like many of his fellow staunch Zionists, he argued passionately that Hebrew should be the language of the emerging national culture and that Yiddish, the language of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, should be abandoned to the Diaspora. But, strangely enough, Shlonsky's early poetry and manifestoes are infused with Yiddish influences and inflections, an implicit poetics that stands in opposition to his explicit pronouncements. Over the course of his long career, Shlonsky and his critics largely erased from his canonical image the Yiddish resonances and rhythms that surface in his early poetry, as well as the affiliations with contemporary Yiddish modernisms.

In this article, I analyze the contradictions that emerge in Shlonsky's deft self-inventions during the 1920s in the context of contemporary modernist trends and the emerging Hebrew literary center in Palestine. I read his flamboyant authorial images as a particular kind of self-fashioning in and in-between languages. Recovering the traces of Yiddish in Shlonsky's early poetic self-inventions in his poetry, manifestos, and criticism, I argue, reveals the complex negotiations of language and identity that have been largely overlooked both in Shlonsky's canonical image and Hebrew literary history. Almost despite himself, Shlonsky demonstrates a multilingualism that exists within the national canon.
Introduction: Writing the Dialectic
Authors: Abusharaf Rogaia Mustafa
Published: December 2009

In a sociopolitical and cultural context like that of Sudan, where forces of militarist, Islamist, and traditionalist politics persist with tenacity, chronicling the politics and intellectual legacy of Sudanese Marxism is a must for apprehending both its historiography and its present struggle for institutionalizing societal transformation. “What's Left of the Left?” is not a mere commemoration of the efforts to enact progressive politics in a society deeply entrenched in sectarian traditionalist loyalties. Instead, it devotes systematic attention to the patterns through which reflexivity and debate helped spawn new and essential dialogues on the cultural politics of the nation-state and national identity. Drawing inspiration from the powerful intellectual vision of the late Abdel Khaliq Mahgoub, “What's Left of the Left?” elucidates the predominant debates within the Left itself as it worked clandestinely throughout years of the institutionalized state's contraventions of fundamental rights that engulfed the people and marked the country. In so doing, “What's Left of the Left?” illuminates reflexivity and internal critique in an effort to mount feasible arguments on the promises and predicaments of localizing what conservative Sudanese condemned as imported ideology. However, the Left's relentlessness in tailoring Marxism in a society emerging from the shadows of colonialism necessitated the rise of a charismatic leader such as Mahgoub, whose life was devoted to a desire to make history and to his keen interest in challenging complacency and narrow-minded nationalism, which proved detrimental to the betterment of the lives of Sudanese people, a reality that continues even now, as we witness debates on secession, ethnic cleansing, marginality, and charges of genocide.
Season of Migration to the Right: A Response to al-Khatim Adlan
Authors: Kaballo Sidgi
Published: December 2009

“Season of Migration to the Right” presents three important critiques of al-Khatim Adlan's call for the dissolution of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP). Dissecting the main constructs on which this call was built, Sidgi Kaballo sets out to bring to light the shortcomings of Adlan's arguments around the working class and democratic centralism. Adlan's discounting of the SCP's individuality and his ideas on Marxist-Leninist thought are critiqued by Kaballo as major flaws. To this day, the SCP is solidifying its indefatigable efforts to institutionalize democracy as a major political principle among the workers, the youth, and women among all segments of Sudanese society. The SCP's strong presence politically is testimony to its enduring appeal. This appeal is proof of the weakness of Adlan's argument for the SCP's dissolution, which would hold the Sudanese people hostage to right-wing politics and conservatism.
By Virtue of Marxism, Your Honor
Authors: Mahgoub Abdel Khaliq
Published: December 2009

Allegations of engagement in disruptive activity and blasphemy that were widely disseminated in the Sudanese press and subsequent incidents against Sudanese Marxists led the formidable Abdel Khaliq Mahgoub to stand trial before a military court that was hurriedly put together by the administration of General Ibrahim Abboud and in which he opted to take the stand in defending himself.

This testimony is Mahgoub's explication of why and how he became a Marxist. The statement also powerfully reflects Mahgoub's frustration with the utter bankruptcy of the nationalist discourse, which he saw as unable to produce systematic visions on political transformation. While never losing sight of imperialism, Mahgoub rejected the idea of the struggle as a mere fight against colonizers, an idea that he rejected as not only reductive but intrinsically incapable of coming to terms with the meanings of national liberation. This text draws attention to the importance of the independent application of Marxism as an approach to development, rather than as a fixed or absolute text, and speaks poignantly to colonialism and post-independence politics and decadence and the major stumbling blocks on the path to emancipatory politics. The testimony was formulated around philosophical and practical elements in Mahgoub's thought. Political theory, democratic rights, Marxism's consistency, Islam, and tradition are all addressed.
Barbelo, on Dogs and Children
Authors: Srbljanović Biljana
Published: December 2009

Translated by Alice Copple-Tošić

© 2006 Barbelo, O Psima I Deci [original Serbian title] by Biljana Srbljanović. English translation © 2006 by Alice Copple-Tox̌ić. All rights reserved. No part of this play may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, and information storage and retrieval systems, without permission from the author.

caution: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that, being fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, including the Dominion of Canada, and all other countries of the Copyright Union, this play is subject to royalty. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved. Particular emphasis is laid on the questions of readings, permission for which must be secured from the author's agent: Peter Hagan, Gersh Agency, 41 Madison Avenue, 33rd floor, New York, NY 10010.
Debt Maturity and the International Financial Architecture
Authors: Jeanne Olivier
Published: December 2009

This paper presents a theory of the maturity of international sovereign debt, and derives its implications for the reform of the international financial architecture. The analysis is based on a model in which the need to roll over external debt disciplines the policies of debtor countries, but makes them vulnerable to unwarranted debt crises due to bad shocks. The paper presents a welfare analysis of several measures that have been discussed in recent debates, such as international lending-in-last-resort or the establishment of a mechanism for suspending payments on the external debt of crisis countries. (JEL F34, O19)
A Comment on the Economics of Labor Adjustment: Mind the Gap: Evidence from a Monte Carlo Experiment: Reply
Authors: Cooper Russell , Willis Jonathan L.
Published: December 2009

This note responds to Christian Bayer (2009). Cooper and Willis (2004), hereafter CW, find the aggregate nonlinearities reported in Ricardo Caballero and Eduardo Engel (1993) and Caballero, Engel, and John Haltiwanger (1997) reflect mismeasurement of the employment gap, not nonlinearities in plant-level adjustment. Bayer concludes the CW result is not robust to alternative aggregate shock processes. We concur, but argue that the nonlinearity created by mismeasurement does not disappear. Instead, it is directly related to the level of the aggregate shock. The CW findings are robust for the natural case of unobserved gaps. (JEL E24, J23)
The impact of pathways: a significant decrease in mortality
Authors: Panella Massimiliano
Published: December 2009

This study was undertaken to determine how care pathways (CPs) in the hospital treatment of heart failure (HF) affected in-hospital mortality, and outcomes at discharge. A two-arm, cluster randomized trial was conducted. Fourteen community hospitals were randomized either to arm 1 (CPs) or to arm 2 (no intervention, usual care). A sample size of 424 patients (212 in each group) was used in order to have 80% of power at the 5% significance level (two-sided). The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were also evaluated. In-hospital mortality was 5.6% in the experimental arm and 15.4% in the controls ( P = 0.001). In CP and usual care groups, the mean rates of unscheduled readmissions were 7.9% and 13.9%, respectively. Adjusting for age, smoking, New York Heart Association (NYHA) score, hypertension and source of referral, patients in the CP group, as compared with controls, had a significantly lower risk of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR] = 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07–0.46) and unscheduled readmissions (OR = 0.42; CI = 0.20–0.87). No differences were found between CP and control with respect to the appropriateness of the stay, costs and patient's satisfaction. This paper examines the evaluation of a complex intervention and adds evidence to previous knowledge, indicating that CP should be used to improve the quality of hospital treatment of HF.
Do we need electronic support for pathways: the Spanish experience
Authors: Rosique Ricard
Published: December 2009

Care pathways are excellent tools for quality management in health care concerning the standardization of care processes, as they promote organized and efficient patient care established on evidence-based practice.

The implementation of a care pathway project at any health-care setting means a change of the organizational culture. E-pathways (electronic pathways) are strategic resources in order to get the successful implementation of a care pathway project.

The concept of e-pathway is recent enough and there are some different experiences worldwide. In 2000, the first electronic pathways were implemented at Hospital de Mataró, in Barcelona, Spain. The benefits of using e-pathways (Eira Healthcare Server) are very clear at Hospital de Mataró: immediate records with no transcriptions, information in the palm of your hand, no prints, and rigour and reliability. Another recent and interesting experience is the development and introduction of e-pathways at Hospital General de l'Hospitalet, in Barcelona, Spain, using an SAP integrated health-care solution.

The strategy planning of hospital managers should take into account the need and priority of any pathway project linked to e-pathways. Some experiences in Spain have proven that we do really need electronic support for pathways. Electronic pathways are a basic support and should not be postponed when implementing care pathways.
Is there a future for pathways? Five pieces of the puzzle
Authors: Vanhaecht Kris , Panella Massimiliano , Van Zelm Ruben , Sermeus Walter
Published: December 2009

In this discussion and opinion paper, the Bureau members of the European Pathway Association present five challenges for the future of care pathways. Pathways will have to be based on the latest available evidence and international databases, and tools will have to be available. If pathways have a future, the organisations should focus on disease-specific oriented care. Evidence-based pathways, which are organised in a disease-specific oriented organisation, can lead to improvement of quality and efficiency but only if we invest in real teamwork. As a fourth challenge, the need for technical support of pathways is presented. The last piece of the future pathway puzzle is the need for patient involvement. Pathways will only lead to continuous improvement if we finally see patients as real partners in care organisation.
A Note on the Optimality Proof of the Kise-Ibaraki-Mine Algorithm
Authors: Li Shanlin , Chen Zhi-Long , Tang Guochun
Published: December 2009

We give a counterexample to show that the optimality proof by Kise et al. (1978) for an algorithm for a scheduling problem is incorrect.
Multiship Crane Sequencing with Yard Congestion Constraints
Authors: Choo Shawn , Klabjan Diego , Simchi-Levi David
Published: December 2009

Crane sequencing in container terminals determines the order of ship discharging and loading jobs that quay cranes (QCs) perform, so that the duration of a vessel's stay is minimized. The ship's load profile, berthing time, number of available bays, and QCs are considered. More important, clearance and yard congestion constraints need to be included, which, respectively, ensure that a minimum distance between adjacent QCs is observed and yard storage blocks are not overly accessed at any point in time. In sequencing for a single ship, a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is proposed, and a heuristic approach based on the model is developed that produces good solutions. The model is then reformulated as a generalized set covering problem and solved exactly by branch and price (B&P). For multiship sequencing, the yard congestion constraints are relaxed in the spirit of Lagrangian relaxation, so that the problem decomposes by vessel into smaller subproblems solved by B&P. An efficient primal heuristic is also designed. Computational experiments reveal that large-scale problems can be solved in a reasonable computational time.
Calibrating Steady-State Traffic Stream and Car-Following Models Using Loop Detector Data
Authors: Rakha Hesham , Arafeh Mazen
Published: December 2009

The research reported in this paper develops a heuristic automated tool (SPD_CAL) for calibrating steady-state traffic stream and car-following models using loop detector data. The performance of the automated procedure is then compared to off-the-shelf optimization software parameter estimates, including the MINOS and Branch and Reduce Optimization Navigator (BARON) solvers. The model structure and optimization procedure is shown to fit data from different roadway types and traffic regimes (uncongested and congested conditions) with a high quality of fit (within 1% of the optimum objective function). Furthermore, the selected functional form is consistent with multiregime models, without the need to deal with the complexities associated with the selection of regime breakpoints. The heuristic SPD_CAL solver, which is available for free, is demonstrated to perform better than the MINOS and BARON solvers in terms of execution time (at least 10 times faster), computational efficiency (better match to field data), and algorithm robustness (always produces a valid and reasonable solution).
Protein-Based Multiplex Assays: Mock Presubmissions to the US Food and Drug Administration
Authors: Regnier Fred E , Skates Steven J , Mesri Mehdi , Rodriguez Henry , Težak Živana , Kondratovich Marina V , Alterman Michail A , Levin Joshua D , Roscoe Donna , Reilly Eugene , Callaghan James , Kelm Kellie , Brown David , Philip Reena , Carr Steven A , Liebler Daniel C , Fisher Susan J , Tempst Paul , Hiltke Tara , Kessler Larry G , Kinsinger Christopher R , Ransohoff David F , Mansfield Elizabeth , Anderson N Leigh
Published: December 2009

As a part of ongoing efforts of the NCI-FDA Interagency Oncology Task Force subcommittee on molecular diagnostics, members of the Clinical Proteomic Technology Assessment for Cancer program of the National Cancer Institute have submitted 2 protein-based multiplex assay descriptions to the Office of In Vitro Diagnostic Device Evaluation and Safety, US Food and Drug Administration. The objective was to evaluate the analytical measurement criteria and studies needed to validate protein-based multiplex assays. Each submission described a different protein-based platform: a multiplex immunoaffinity mass spectrometry platform for protein quantification, and an immunological array platform quantifying glycoprotein isoforms. Submissions provided a mutually beneficial way for members of the proteomics and regulatory communities to identify the analytical issues that the field should address when developing protein-based multiplex clinical assays.
Eicosanoids: essential mediators in health and disease / Eicosanoide: bedeutende Faktoren in der Homöostase und ihre Bedeutung in der Pathogenese multipler Erkrankungen
Authors: Bruegel Mathias , Ceglarek Uta , Thiery Joachim
Published: December 2009

Eicosanoids are lipid mediators that are primarily oxidized from arachidonic acid by enzymatic or non-enzymatic peroxidation. The diverse and potent biological actions of eicosanoids on almost every cell reflect the central role of these mediators in maintenance of physiological homeostasis, of cell adhesion, vasomotion and organ functions. Eicosanoids were historically considered as terminal mediators, causing symptoms such as fever, pain, edema, smooth muscle contraction and inflammation. However, recent studies using gene knockout mice models for both enzymes and receptors have revealed that they also play a fundamental role in pathological processes and disease. Imbalance of the major lipid signaling pathways contribute to disease progression and chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, allergy, cancer, atherosclerosis, metabolic and degenerative diseases. A systematic, multiparametric eicosanoid analysis in various diseases could unravel the underlying biology and disease pathology, possibly resulting in new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The aim of our review is to discuss the different eicosanoid pathways and the impact of these essential mediators in human health and disease.
Temporal Envelope of Time-Compressed Speech Represented in the Human Auditory Cortex
Authors: Nourski Kirill V. , Reale Richard A. , Oya Hiroyuki , Kawasaki Hiroto , Kovach Christopher K. , Chen Haiming , Howard Matthew A. , Brugge John F.
Published: December 2009

Speech comprehension relies on temporal cues contained in the speech envelope, and the auditory cortex has been implicated as playing a critical role in encoding this temporal information. We investigated auditory cortical responses to speech stimuli in subjects undergoing invasive electrophysiological monitoring for pharmacologically refractory epilepsy. Recordings were made from multicontact electrodes implanted in Heschl's gyrus (HG). Speech sentences, time compressed from 0.75 to 0.20 of natural speaking rate, elicited average evoked potentials (AEPs) and increases in event-related band power (ERBP) of cortical high-frequency (70–250 Hz) activity. Cortex of posteromedial HG, the presumed core of human auditory cortex, represented the envelope of speech stimuli in the AEP and ERBP. Envelope following in ERBP, but not in AEP, was evident in both language-dominant and -nondominant hemispheres for relatively high degrees of compression where speech was not comprehensible. Compared to posteromedial HG, responses from anterolateral HG—an auditory belt field—exhibited longer latencies, lower amplitudes, and little or no time locking to the speech envelope. The ability of the core auditory cortex to follow the temporal speech envelope over a wide range of speaking rates leads us to conclude that such capacity in itself is not a limiting factor for speech comprehension.
Liver support systems today
Authors: Rikker Csaba
Published: December 2009

A májelégtelenség – akár korábbi májbetegség fennállása nélkül alakult ki (akut májelégtelenség), akár krónikus májbetegség akut dekompenzációja („akut a krónikuson” májelégtelenség) következménye – magas halálozással jár. A végállapotú májbetegségek következtében kialakult májelégtelenség egyetlen kuratív megoldása ma a májtranszplantáció. Ennek fő gátját a rendelkezésre álló donorszervek hiánya képezi, emiatt sok, várólistán szereplő beteg exitál. A transzplantáció korlátai tették szükségessé olyan májtámogató rendszerek kifejlesztését, amelyek alkalmasak a beteg életben tartására a szervátültetésig vagy a máj regenerációjáig. A korai próbálkozások (hemodialízis, hemoperfúzió, cseretranszfúzió, kereszthemodialízis, keresztkeringés, plazmaferézis stb.) elégtelennek bizonyultak. Napjainkban a májpótló kezelésnek két fő iránya alakult ki: a sejtalapú, úgynevezett bioarteficiális és a nem sejtalapú, úgynevezett arteficiális rendszerek. A bioarteficiális rendszerek élő állati májsejteket vagy emberi májtumorsejteket tartalmaznak. Jellegzetességük, hogy a beteg vérét vagy szeparált plazmáját a májsejteket tartalmazó bioreaktoron áramoltatják át. Elviekben a májműködést ezek a metodikák modellezik a legtökéletesebben, mert a máj szintetizáló- és detoxikálófunkcióját egyaránt pótolják. Jelenlegi formájukban azonban még távol állnak az ideális megoldástól, alkalmazásuk számos immunológiai, infektológiai, onkológiai és financiális problémát vet fel, ezért egyelőre csak kísérleti célra állnak rendelkezésre. Az arteficiális rendszerek a klinikum számára már elérhetőek, bár széles körben még nem terjedtek el. Csak a máj detoxikálófunkcióját pótolják, a szintetikus funkció részben a hiányzó anyagok (plazmaproteinek, alvadási faktorok) szubsztitúciójával pótolható. Idetartozik a hemodiabszorpció, amely az Amerikai Egyesült Államokban terjedt el (liver dialysis unit), valamint a főleg Európában használatos albumindialízis és a legújabban kifejlesztett frakcionált plazmaszeparáció és -adszorpció (FPSA). Az albumindialízis egyszerű módszere a „single pass albumin dialysis” (SPAD), ennek továbbfejlesztett változata a „molecular adsorbent recirculating system” (MARS). Az FPSA high-flux hemodialízissel kiegészített változata a Prometheus-rendszer. Bár a felsorolt módszerek hatásosságát számos kísérleti és klinikai tanulmány támasztja alá, a konzervatív kezeléssel szemben a túlélésre kifejtett előnyös hatásuk bizonyítására még nagy esetszámot felölelő, randomizált, kontrollált vizsgálatok elvégzésére van szükség.
Distribution of Off-Flavor Compounds and Isolation of Geosmin-Producing Bacteria in a Series of Water Recirculating Systems for Rainbow Trout Culture
Authors: Schrader Kevin K , Summerfelt Steven T
Published: December 2009

Preharvest off-flavor in aquaculture products results in large economic losses to producers due to delayed harvest. The common off flavors “earthy” and “musty” are due to the presence of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), respectively. Although certain species of cyanobacteria are responsible for these problems in pond-cultured fish, the microbial sources of geosmin and MIB in recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) are still being explored. In this study, we investigated (1) the distribution of geosmin and MIB within six replicated RASs producing rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and (2) the microorganisms responsible for earthy off-flavor in the flesh of RAS-cultured trout. Water, biosolids, and fish samples were collected when fish were at maximum feed levels and before harvest. Each RAS contained a fluidized-sand biofilter, a cascade aeration column, a low-head oxygenation (LHO) unit, an LHO sump, a 5.3-m3 culture tank, a drum filter, a pump sump, and a heat exchanger. Solid phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS) was used to determine the levels of geosmin and MIB in the collected samples. Water and biosolid samples were used to inoculate media for culturing microorganisms capable of producing geosmin, MIB, or both (e.g., actinomycetes, cyanobacteria, fungi, and myxobacteria). Microbial isolates producing an earthy–musty odor were subjected to SPME–GC–MS analysis to verify geosmin and MIB production. Geosmin levels were higher and more prevalent than MIB in water, biosolids, and trout fillets. In addition, geosmin levels were higher in biosolids than in water. The earthy-odor-producing actinomycetes Nocardia cummidelens, N. fluminea, Streptomyces luridiscabiei, and Streptomyces cf. albidoflavus, were isolated from biosolids contained within the RAS drum filters and heat exchangers, and these isolates were subsequently confirmed to be geosmin producers. No other geosmin-producing microorganisms were isolated. These isolates were the likely source of the geosmin in the RAS water and contributors to the earthy off-flavor in the trout.
The Importance of Phosphorus and Copper Carryover in Pond Sediments for Juvenile Percid Survival, Growth, and Yield
Authors: Tew Kwee Siong , Conroy Joseph D , Culver David A
Published: December 2009

Over-fertilization with phosphorus and carryover copper residual in the sediment from copper sulfate treatment in double-cropped ponds were suspected as the primary causes of low larval percid survival in coolwater aquaculture ponds. Consequently, in this study, we compared saugeye (male sauger Sander canadensis × female walleye S. vitreus) survival, growth, and yield among ponds that were single-cropped with only saugeyes in the spring during the previous two consecutive years (SS ponds) and ponds that were double-cropped (with saugeye culture in the spring and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus culture in the summer) during the previous two consecutive years (DD ponds). We also compared sediment phosphorus (soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP] and total phosphorus [TP]), sediment copper concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, and zooplankton biomass. Fish survival (number harvested) and fish yield (mass harvested) were significantly lower in DD ponds than in SS ponds in 2001 but were similar in 2002 (a year of wide temperature fluctuation early in the production season). Sediment analyses revealed that DD ponds had significantly lower SRP and TP but higher copper concentrations than did SS ponds. A detailed study done in 2002 revealed that individual length and wet weight of percids were significantly higher in the SS ponds than in DD ponds; phytoplankton biomass was similar in both sets of ponds, while zooplankton biomass was significantly lower in DD ponds. These results suggest that residual materials used in double-cropped channel catfish ponds may negatively affect subsequent years' percid culture.
Genetic Variation of 17 Wild Yellow Perch Populations from the Midwest and East Coast Analyzed via Microsatellites
Authors: Grzybowski Michael , Sepulveda‐Villet Osvaldo J. , Stepien Carol A. , Rosauer Daniel , Binkowski Frederick , Klaper Rebecca , Shepherd Brian , Goetz Frederick
Published: December 2009

We used microsatellite loci, including seven newly developed by us, to analyze the population genetic structure of wild yellow perchPerca flavescensfrom 17 sampling areas in the upper Midwest and East Coast of the United States. Our results reveal greater genetic differentiation and finer‐scale geographic structure than were found in previous studies of yellow perch population structure. These findings show pronounced genetic divergence between Midwest and East Coast samples. Additional genetic partitioning was noted between Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound populations, between inland lakes in the upper Mississippi River system, and among sites in Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario. Further, the structuring of yellow perch populations within the Chesapeake Bay may be significantly influenced by salinity. These findings are being used to help delineate wild populations for the development of captive yellow perch broodstocks for the aquaculture industry.
Marine Distributions of Chinook Salmon from the West Coast of North America Determined by Coded Wire Tag Recoveries
Authors: Weitkamp Laurie A.
Published: December 2009

The coded wire tag (CWT) database contains detailed information on millions of Pacific salmonOncorhynchusspp. released from hatcheries or smolt traps and recovered in the north Pacific Ocean and its tributaries. I used this data set to examine the spatial and temporal variation in the marine distributions of 77 hatchery and 16 wild populations of Chinook salmonO. tshawytschabased on recoveries of an estimated 632,000 tagged salmon in coastal waters from southern California to the Bering Sea during 1979–1994 (and 1995–2004 for select hatcheries). Chinook salmon showed 12 distinct region‐specific recovery patterns. Chinook salmon originating in a common freshwater region had similar marine distributions, which were distinct from those of adjacent regions. Different run types (e.g., spring, summer, and fall runs) originating in the same region exhibited variation in their marine distributions consistent with recovery at different stages of their ocean residence period. Recovery patterns were surprisingly stable across years, despite high interannual variation in ocean conditions. By contrast, ocean age influenced recovery patterns, as older fish were recovered further from their natal stream than younger fish. Although most of the CWT data used in the analysis came from hatchery fish, recoveries of tagged wild populations indicate patterns similar to those of fish from nearby hatcheries. The consistency in these findings across broad geographic areas suggests that they apply to Chinook salmon across the entire Pacific Rim. Similar findings for tagged coho salmonO. kisutchindicate that the observed patterns may apply to Pacific salmon as a whole and provide a model for other highly migratory fishes that have not benefited from such intensive tagging programs. The results also have implications for the genetic control of migration and salmon's ability to respond to climate change.
Ninespine Stickleback Abundance in Lake Michigan Increases after Invasion of Dreissenid Mussels
Authors: Madenjian Charles P. , Bunnell David B. , Gorman Owen T.
Published: December 2009

Based on data from our annual lakewide bottom trawl survey of Lake Michigan, we determined that density of ninespine sticklebacks Pungitius pungitius increased from an average of 0.234 kg/ha during 1973–1995 to an average of 1.318 kg/ha during 1996–2007. This greater‐than‐fivefold increase in density coincided with the dreissenid mussel invasion of Lake Michigan. Intervention analysis revealed that ninespine stickleback density in Lake Michigan significantly increased between the two time periods. In contrast, based on data from our annual bottom trawl survey of U.S. waters of Lake Superior, ninespine stickleback density decreased from an average of 0.133 kg/ha during 1978–1999 to an average of only 0.026 kg/ha during 2000–2007. This greater‐than‐fivefold density decrease, which was found to be significant via intervention analysis, coincided with population recovery for both lean and fat morphotypes of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Superior. In contrast to Lake Michigan, dreissenid mussels have not invaded Lake Superior on a lakewide basis. Thus, a comparison of these two lakes indicated that the increase in ninespine stickleback abundance in Lake Michigan was most likely attributable to the dreissenid mussel invasion. In addition, based on our correlation analysis, alewives Alosa pseudoharengus did not have an adverse effect on ninespine stickleback abundance in Lake Michigan. Perhaps the recent increase in biomass of green algae Cladophora spp. associated with the dreissenid mussel invasion improved spawning habitat quality for ninespine sticklebacks and led to their stepwise abundance increase in Lake Michigan beginning in 1996.
Early Marine Survival and Behavior of Steelhead Smolts through Hood Canal and the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Authors: Moore Megan E. , Berejikian Barry A. , Tezak Eugene P.
Published: December 2009

The depressed status of Puget Sound populations of steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss contrasts with the healthier condition of those along the coast of Washington and suggests that there is substantial smolt mortality during the migration through Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. Acoustic telemetry transmitters and stationary receivers were used to investigate the survival, migration timing, and migratory behavior of 159 steelhead smolts in 2006 and 187 smolts in 2007 from four Hood Canal (part of Puget Sound) streams and one stream flowing into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The estimated population‐specific survival rates for wild and hatchery smolts from the river mouths to the northern end of Hood Canal (28.1–75.4 km) ranged from 55% to 86% in 2006 and from 62% to 84% in 2007. Survival was much lower from the northern end of Hood Canal to the Strait of Juan de Fuca (135 km) in 2006 (23–49%) and could not be reliably measured in 2007. Travel rates through Hood Canal (8–10 km/d) were significantly lower than those estimated as the fish migrated through northern Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca (26–28 km/d), while the mortality rates per unit of distance traveled were very similar in the two segments. The high daily mortality rates estimated during the early marine phase of the steelhead life cycle (2.7%/d) suggest that mortality rates decrease substantially after steelhead enter the Pacific Ocean.
Ambient pH and the Response to Chemical Alarm Cues in Juvenile Atlantic Salmon: Mechanisms of Reduced Behavioral Responses
Authors: Leduc Antoine O.H.C. , Roh Ellie , Macnaughton Camille J. , Benz Frederic , Rosenfeld Jordan , Brown Grant E.
Published: December 2009

Even at sublethal concentrations, various anthropogenic pollutants may disrupt the transfer of chemosensory information, often inducing maladaptive behavioral responses. Recent studies of freshwater prey fishes have shown impaired abilities to respond to damage‐released chemical alarm cues from conspecifics under weakly acidic conditions (pH ∼ 6.0). Several factors acting individually or collectively may account for such chemosensory impairment. By itself, acidification may chemically disrupt the alarm cues and affect fish olfactory functions. Alternatively, differences in local environmental conditions may affect biochemical composition, quantity of chemical alarm cues produced by epidermal tissue, or both, leading to variations in alarm response. Our goal was to assess whether the ability to produce and detect conspecific chemical alarm cues is similar in individuals reared under neutral versus acidic conditions. We conducted two experiments in which we measured the behavioral response of wild juvenile Atlantic salmonSalmo salarexposed to chemical alarm cues. In particular, we looked for differences in the ability of individual fish to (1) produce alarm cues capable of eliciting consistent antipredator behavior in conspecifics and (2) detect alarm cues upon the fish's introduction into a stream with a pH differing from that of the stream of origin; the latter experiment involved reciprocal transplant of fish between neutral (pH range ∼ 7.0–7.3) and acidic (pH range ∼ 5.9–6.3) sites. Our results demonstrate that the ability to produce and respond to chemical alarm cues is maintained in Atlantic salmon reared under acidic conditions and did not differ from that of fish reared under neutral conditions. Overall, these data suggest that no permanent olfactory damage occurred under reduced pH and, likewise, no significant difference in functional alarm cue production existed between Atlantic salmon reared under neutral and acidic conditions. Short‐term reduction in olfactory sensitivity and degradation of the chemical alarm cues under acidic conditions are the likely mechanisms affecting detection of these important chemicals by prey fish.
Rapid, Efficient Growth Reduces Mercury Concentrations in Stream‐Dwelling Atlantic Salmon
Authors: Ward Darren M. , Nislow Keith H. , Chen Celia Y. , Folt Carol L.
Published: December 2009

Mercury (Hg) is a potent toxin that biomagnifies in aquatic food webs. Large fish generally have higher Hg concentrations than small fish of the same species. However, models predict that fish that grow large faster will have lower Hg concentrations than small, slow‐growing fish owing to somatic growth dilution (SGD). We examined the relationship between Hg concentration and growth rate in fish by means of a large‐scale field experiment. Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry hatched under uniform initial conditions were released at 18 sites in natural streams, collected after one growing season, and measured with respect to Hg concentration and growth. As expected for Hg accumulation from food, the Hg concentrations in the fish tracked those in their prey. Nonetheless, large, fast‐growing fish had lower Hg concentrations than small, slow‐growing ones, consistent with SGD. While the Hg concentration of the prey accounted for 59% of the explained variation in the Hg concentration in the Atlantic salmon across sites, the salmon growth rate accounted for 38%. A mass‐balance Hg accumulation model shows that such SGD occurs when fast growth is associated with high growth efficiency. Fish growth is tremendously variable and sensitive to anthropogenic impacts, so the SGD of Hg has important implications for fisheries management.
Road Crossing Designs and Their Impact on Fish Assemblages of Great Plains Streams
Authors: Bouska Wesley W. , Paukert Craig P.
Published: December 2009

A mark–recapture field study was conducted to determine fish passage at 5 concrete box culverts and 5 low‐water crossings (concrete slabs vented by culverts) as well as 10 control sites (below a natural riffle) in Flint Hills streams of northeastern Kansas. Additionally, we tested the upstream passage of four fish species native to Great Plains streams (Topeka shiner Notropis topeka, green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus, red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis, and southern redbelly dace Phoxinus erythrogaster) through three simulated crossing designs (box culverts, round corrugated culverts, and natural rock riffles) at water velocities of 0.1 to 1.1 m/s in an experimental stream. The field study indicated that cyprinids were twice as likely to move upstream of box culverts than low‐water crossings and 1.4 times as likely to move upstream of control reaches than any crossing type. The best models indicated that the proportion of cyprinids that moved upstream increased with decreased culvert slope and length, perching, and increased culvert width. Our controlled experiment indicated that fish can move through velocities up to 1.1 m/s in a 1.86‐m simulated stream and that the proportion of fish that moved upstream did not differ among crossing designs for southern redbelly dace, green sunfish, or Topeka shiner; however, natural rock riffles had lower proportional movements (mean = 0.19) than the box (0.38) or corrugated culvert designs (0.43) for red shiners. Water velocity did not affect the proportional upstream movement of any species except that of Topeka shiners, which increased with water velocity. Crossing design alone may not determine fish passage, and water velocities up to 1.1 m/s may not affect the passage of many Great Plains fishes. Barriers to fish movement may be the result of other factors (e.g., perching, slope, and crossing length). The use of properly designed and installed crossings has promise in conserving Great Plains stream fishes.