bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating and modelling the hydrological and erosive behaviour of an olive orchard microcatchment under no‐tillage with bare soil in Spain
Authors: Taguas E. V. , Ayuso J. L. , Peña A. , Yuan Y. , Pérez R.
Published: February 2009

Despite the high risk of erosion in olive orchards located in mountainous areas in Spain, little research has been carried out to account for the complexity and interaction of the natural processes of runoff and soil erosion on the catchment scale or small catchment scale. In this study, a microcatchment of 6·7 ha in a mountainous area under no‐tillage farming with bare soil was set up to record runoff and sediment. Soil erosion and runoff patterns were monitored over a two‐year period. Totally, 22 events were observed. The data were analysed, and then used to calibrate the AnnAGNPS model, which allowed us to complete the data period and describe the hydrological and erosive behaviour on a monthly and annual basis. A high variability in catchment responses was observed, due to differences in the storms and to the effect of the surface soil moisture content. Maximum intensities of 10 and 30 min determined the final runoff values while the total sediment loads were dependent on the rainfall depth. The impact of management on the reduction of porosity can explain the relationship between runoff and intensity in the microcatchment. However, the impact of the spatial scale meant that the transport of sediment required substantial rainfall depths to ensure a continuous flow from the hillslopes. The results of the calibration (E >0·60 andr >0·75) on the event and monthly scale confirmed the applicability of AnnAGNPS to predict runoff and erosion in the microcatchment. The predicted average runoff coefficient was 3·3% for the study period and the total average sediment loads, 1·3 Mg/ha/yr. Despite these low values, the model simulation showed that much larger runoff coefficients and soil losses can be expected for periods with several consecutive years in which the annual rainfall depth was over 500 mm. The use of cover is recommended to prevent the high levels of erosion associated with these conditions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in antigen processing machinery component ERAP1 significantly associate with clinical outcome in cervical carcinoma
Authors: Mehta Akash M. , Jordanova Ekaterina S. , Corver Willem E. , van Wezel Tom , Uh Hae‐Won , Kenter Gemma G. , Jan Fleuren Gert
Published: February 2009

Genetic variation of the antigen processing machinery (APM) components TAP2, LMP7, and ERAP1 is related to cervical carcinoma risk, although the relation with expression and clinical outcome remains unknown. We have investigated the occurrence of APM component single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cervical carcinoma. Twelve nonsynonymous, coding SNPs in the TAP1, TAP2, LMP2, LMP7, and ERAP1 genes were genotyped in 75 cervical carcinoma patients with known APM component and HLA class I expression levels. Individual genotype distributions were assessed for association with APM component expression, various histopathological parameters and survival. Genotype distributions at the ERAP1‐56 and ERAP1‐127 loci were significantly associated with overall survival (OS); haplotype construction spanning these two SNPs revealed that the combination of a major allele at ERAP1‐56 and a minor allele at ERAP1‐127 was significantly associated with survival, homozygosity for this haplotype being associated with decreased OS (5‐year survival 50% vs. 70 and 81% for complete absence or heterozygosity for this haplotype, respectively; P = 0.021). Heterozygosity for this haplotype was an independent predictor for better OS in multivariate analysis (HR = 0.219; P = 0.014). These data indicate that genetic variation in APM component genes, particularly ERAP1, is an important contributing factor in cervical carcinogenesis, progressive tumor growth and survival. The location of the ERAP1‐127 SNP in the peptidase M1 domain of the ERAP1 aminopeptidase suggests the possibility of direct functional consequences of variation at this locus. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Direct dating indicates a Mid‐Holocene Age for archaic rock engravings in arid Central Australia
Authors: Smith M. A. , Watchman A. , Ross J.
Published: February 2009

Archaic rock engravings are found widely across the arid interior of Australia and are thought to represent an early pan‐continental tradition. A late Pleistocene age is assumed because of extensive weathering, but attempts to test this by direct dating have been unsuccessful. We use AMS 14C dating of calcium oxalate skins covering archaic engravings at two rock shelter sites in Central Australia (Wanga East and Puritjarra), constrained by 14C dates of charcoal in sedimentary layers beneath the same engraved slabs, to show this rock art is mid‐Holocene in age. Despite a limited range of simple geometric designs and uniformity across the arid interior, this corpus of rock art is not associated with the initial peopling of the Australian desert, but is a later development reflecting the dynamics of established desert societies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Codex by Codex – Witnesses of the Past
Authors: Wagner Bettina
Published: February 2009

The manuscripts from the Abbey of St. Emmeram, a Benedictine monastery in Regensburg, reflect the culture and everyday life of the Middle Ages. What the monks wrote and collected long ago is now being reconstructed in painstaking archaeological detail
Vikings in the Land of Amber
Authors: Ibsen Timo
Published: February 2009

The graves of Scandinavian merchants and warriors in Wiskiauten have been known for a long time. Now, German and Russian archaeologists have discovered remains of the settlement – an important piece of evidence for past trade relations in the Baltic Region
The Financial Crisis and Academic Research
Authors: Windbichler Christine
Published: February 2009

The disaster in the financial markets is of concern not only to economists – science, in all its diversity, is challenged as well
New Help for Fidgety Philip
Authors: Warnke Andreas , Renner Tobias J. , Romanos Marcel , Lesch Klaus‐Peter
Published: February 2009

Hyperactive and distracted: Over 650,000 children and adolescents in Germany suffer from ADHD. Researchers are investigating causes – and seeking new forms of therapy
The Digital Pentagon
Authors: Caston Philip S. C.
Published: February 2009

For centuries massive ramparts have protected Fortress Rosenberg in Upper Franconia. Now building archaeologists are reconstructing the history of the baroque walls. They are also deciphering mysterious symbols hewn in the stones by the masons. The final result is a virtual model
Focussing on Fatty Acids
Authors: Steinhart Hans
Published: February 2009

Nearly everyone is familiar with the term “polyunsaturated fatty acids”, but very few consumers and researchers have heard of minor fatty acids. Food chemists are currently undertaking complex studies of their occurrence and importance in the diet
Liposome encapsulation of curcumin and resveratrol in combination reduces prostate cancer incidence in PTEN knockout mice
Authors: Narayanan Narayanan K. , Nargi Dominick , Randolph Carla , Narayanan Bhagavathi A.
Published: February 2009

Increasing interest in the use of phytochemicals to reduce prostate cancer led us to investigate 2 potential agents, curcumin and resveratrol as preventive agents. However, there is concern about the bioavailability of these agents pertinent to the poor absorption and thereby limiting its clinical use. With the view to improve their bioavailability, we used the liposome encapsulated curcumin, and resveratrol individually and in combination in male B6C3F1/J mice. Further, we examined the chemopreventive effect of liposome encapsulated curcumin and resveratrol in combination in prostate‐specific PTEN knockout mice. In vitro assays using PTEN‐CaP8 cancer cells were performed to investigate the combined effects curcumin with resveratrol on (i) cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle (ii) impact on activated p‐Akt, cyclin D1, m‐TOR and androgen receptor (AR) proteins involved in tumor progression. HPLC analysis of serum and prostate tissues showed a significant increase in curcumin level when liposome encapsulated curcumin coadministered with liposomal resveratrol (p < 0.001). Combination of liposomal forms of curcumin and resveratrol significantly decreased prostatic adenocarcinoma in vivo (p < 0.001). In vitro studies revealed that curcumin plus resveratrol effectively inhibit cell growth and induced apoptosis. Molecular targets activated due to the loss of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) including p‐Akt, cyclin D1, mammalian target of rapamycin and AR were downregulated by these agents in combination. Findings from this study for the first time provide evidence on phytochemicals in combination to enhance chemopreventive efficacy in prostate cancer. These findings clearly suggest that phytochemicals in combination may reduce prostate cancer incidence due to the loss of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN. © 2009 UICC
Implications of incomplete registration of deaths on long‐term survival estimates from population‐based cancer registries
Authors: Brenner Hermann , Hakulinen Timo
Published: February 2009

International comparison of population‐based cancer survival is a key component of monitoring progress against cancer. Its validity depends to an unknown degree on completeness of ascertainment of deaths in the cancer registries involved which may vary according to legal and administrative circumstances. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of incomplete registration of deaths through various mechanisms on the validity of long‐term absolute and relative survival estimates. For that purpose, we simulated underascertainment of deaths through linkage failure of registry data with death certificates with probabilities between 0.1 and 5%, and underascertainment of deaths by unregistered annual emigration with probabilities between 0.05 and 2%, using data from the Finnish Cancer Registry. The expected impact on estimates of 5‐, 10‐ and 15‐year absolute and relative survival was assessed. We demonstrate that even modest levels of under‐registration of deaths may lead to severe overestimation of long‐term survival estimates, ranging from 0 to 31 percent units in the scenarios assessed. In general, relative survival is much more affected than absolute survival, and potential problems are much larger for relative survival estimates in older compared with younger patients. Potential overestimation strongly increases with length of follow‐up, and this increase is particularly pronounced for under‐registration of deaths because of unrecorded emigration. Every effort should be made in cancer registry based survival analyses to ascertain deaths with close to 100% completeness. When such completeness cannot be achieved, long‐term relative survival estimates and their comparison across populations must be interpreted with much caution. © 2009 UICC
A new pulsed electric field therapy for melanoma disrupts the tumor's blood supply and causes complete remission without recurrence
Authors: Nuccitelli Richard , Chen Xinhua , Pakhomov Andrei G. , Baldwin Wallace H. , Sheikh Saleh , Pomicter Jennifer L. , Ren Wei , Osgood Christopher , Swanson R. James , Kolb Juergen F. , Beebe Stephen J. , Schoenbach Karl H.
Published: February 2009

We have discovered a new, ultrafast therapy for treating skin cancer that is extremely effective with a total electric field exposure time of only 180 μsec. The application of 300 high‐voltage (40 kV/cm), ultrashort (300 nsec) electrical pulses to murine melanomas in vivo triggers both necrosis and apoptosis, resulting in complete tumor remission within an average of 47 days in the 17 animals treated. None of these melanomas recurred during a 4‐month period after the initial melanoma had disappeared. These pulses generate small, long‐lasting, rectifying nanopores in the plasma membrane of exposed cells, resulting in increased membrane permeability to small molecules and ions, as well as an increase in intracellular Ca2+, DNA fragmentation, disruption of the tumor's blood supply and the initiation of apoptosis. Apoptosis was indicated by a 3‐fold increase in Bad labeling and a 72% decrease in Bcl‐2 labeling. In addition, microvessel density within the treated tumors fell by 93%. This new therapy utilizing nanosecond pulsed electric fields has the advantages of highly localized targeting of tumor cells and a total exposure time of only 180 μsec. These pulses penetrate into the interior of every tumor cell and initiate DNA fragmentation and apoptosis while at the same time reducing blood flow to the tumor. This new physical tumor therapy is drug free, highly localized, uses low energy, has no significant side effects and results in very little scarring. © 2009 UICC
Copy number gain and oncogenic activity of YWHAZ/14‐3‐3ζ in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Lin Mauting , Morrison Carl D. , Jones Susie , Mohamed Nehad , Bacher Jason , Plass Christoph
Published: February 2009

Gene amplification, a common mechanism for oncogene activation in cancers, has been used in the discovery of novel oncogenes. Low‐level copy number gains are frequently observed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) where numerous amplification events and potential oncogenes have already been reported. Recently, we applied restriction landmark genome scanning to study gene amplifications in HNSCC and located novel and uncharacterized regions in primary tumor samples. Gain on chromosome 8q22.3, the location of YWHAZ (14‐3‐3ζ), is found in 30–40% HNSCC cases. Data obtained from fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on HNSCC tissue microarrays confirmed frequent low‐level YWHAZ copy number gain and protein overexpression. YWHAZ mRNA was frequently upregulated in patients' tumor tissues. Furthermore, YWHAZ RNAi significantly suppressed the growth rate of HNSCC cell lines, and overexpression of YWHAZ in HaCaT immortalized human skin keratinocytes promotes overgrowth, as well as morphological changes. Reduced YWHAZ levels increased the G1/G0‐phase proportion, decreased the S‐phase proportion and the rate of DNA synthesis. Based on this evidence, we suggest that YWHAZ is a candidate proto‐oncogene and deserves further investigation into its role in HNSCC carcinogenesis. © 2009 UICC
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation and overexpression upregulated fibroblast growth factor‐9 in human lung adenocarcinomas
Authors: Wang Chien‐Kai , Chang Han , Chen Po‐Hung , Chang Jinghua Tsai , Kuo Yu‐Chun , Ko Jiunn‐Liang , Lin Pinpin
Published: February 2009

We had previously reported that aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) are overexpressed in lung adenocarcinomas. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), an AhR agonist, increased FGF‐9 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Similarly, several AhR agonists increased FGF‐9 mRNA levels, and BaP‐induced FGF‐9 expression was prevented by cotreatment with AhR antagonist in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, AhR agonists increased transcriptional activity of FGF‐9 promoter. Modulation of AhR expressionviaRNA interference or transient overexpression respectively reduced or increased both constitutive and BaP‐induced FGF‐9 expression in human lung cells. These results suggested that AhR activation and overexpression increased FGF‐9 expression in lung cells. FGF‐9 increased growth of lung fibroblasts but not that of lung adenocarcinoma cells. However, conditioned media collected from FGF‐9‐treated fibroblasts increased cell growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, lung adenocarcinoma cells expressed FGF receptor 2 and cotreatment with anti‐FGF receptor 2 prevented the interaction between fibroblasts and tumor cells. It is likely that FGF‐9‐stimulated fibroblasts secreted unknown factors, which activated FGF receptor 2 and subsequently promoted growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells. We further compared AhR and FGF‐9 expression in 146 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases by immunohistochemistry. FGF‐9 expression was more common in adenocarcinomas than in squamous cell carcinomas. Furthermore, FGF‐9 and AhR expression were well correlated in lung adenocarcinomas. These results suggest that AhR expression correlated positively with FGF‐9 expression in lung adenocarcinomas, which might promote tumor growth by modulating communication between tumor cells and fibroblasts. Preventing AhR overexpression or disturbing FGF‐9 function may reduce the development of lung adenocarcinomas. © 2009 UICC
Methoxychlor‐induced alteration in the levels of HSP70 and clusterin is accompanied with oxidative stress in adult rat testis
Authors: Vaithinathan S. , Saradha B. , Mathur P. P.
Published: February 2009

Methoxychlor, an organochlorine pesticide, has been reported to induce abnormalities in male reproductive tract. However, the insight into the mechanisms of gonadal toxicity induced by methoxychlor is not well known. We investigated whether treatment with methoxychlor would alter the levels of stress proteins, heat shock proteins (HSP), and clusterin (CLU), and oxidative stress‐related parameters in the testis of adult male rats. Animals were exposed to a single dose of methoxychlor (50 mg/kg body weight) orally and were terminated at various time points (0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 72 h) using anesthetic ether. The levels of HSP70, CLU, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and lipid peroxidation levels were evaluated in a 10% testis homogenate. A sequential reduction in the activities of catalase and SOD with concomitant increase in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) was observed. These changes elicited by methoxychlor were very significant between 6–12 h of posttreatment. Immunoblot analysis of HSP revealed the expression of HSP72, an inducible form of HSP, at certain time points (3–24 h) following exposure to methoxychlor. Similarly, the levels of secretory CLU (sCLU) were also found to be elevated between 3–24 h of treatment. The present data demonstrate methoxychlor‐elicited increase in the levels of inducible HSP72 and sCLU, which could be a part of protective mechanism mounted to reduce cellular oxidative damage. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 23:29–35, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20262
Molecular mechanism of diallyl disulfide in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HCT‐116 colon cancer cells
Authors: Song Ju‐Dong , Lee Sang Kwon , Kim Kang Mi , Park Si Eun , Park Sung‐Joo , Kim Koan Hoi , Ahn Soon Cheol , Park Young Chul
Published: February 2009

Diallyl disulfide (DADS) is the most prevalent oil‐soluble sulfur compound in garlic and inhibits cell proliferation in many cancer cell lines. Here we examined DADS cytotoxicity in a redox‐mediated process, involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In the present study, p53‐independent cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase was observed with DADS treatment, along with time‐dependent increase of cyclin B1. In addition, apoptosis was also observed upon 24‐h DADS treatment accompanied by activation of p53. In HCT‐116 cells, DADS application induced a dose‐dependent increase and time‐dependent changes in ROS production. Scavenging of DADS‐induced ROS by N‐acetyl cysteine or reduced glutathione inhibited cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and p53 activation by DADS. These results suggest that ROS trigger the DADS‐induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and that ROS are involved in stress‐induced signaling upstream of p53 activation. Transfection of p53 small interfering RNA prevents the accumulation of cleaved poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase and sub‐G1 cell population by 65% and 35%, respectively. Moreover, DADS‐induced apoptosis was also prevented by treatment with oligomycin, which is known to prevent p53‐dependent apoptosis by reducing ROS levels in mitochondria. These results suggest that mitochondrial ROS may serve as second messengers in DADS‐induced apoptosis, which requires activation of p53. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 23:71–79, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20266
The intracellular distribution of the ES cell totipotent markers OCT4 and Sox2 in adult stem cells differs dramatically according to commercial antibody used
Authors: Zuk Patricia A.
Published: February 2009

To characterize ES cells, researchers have at their disposal a list of pluripotent markers, such as OCT4. In their quest to determine if adult stem cell populations, such as MSCs and ASCs, are pluripotent, several groups have begun to report the expression of these markers in these cells. Consistent with this, human ASCs (hASCs) are shown in this study to express a plethora of ES pluripotent markers at the gene and protein level, including OCT4, Sox2, and Nanog. When intracellular distribution is examined in hASCs, both OCT4 and Sox2 are expressed within the nuclei of hASCs, consistent with their expression patterns in ES cells. However, a significant amount of expression can be noted within the hASC cytoplasm and a complete absence of nuclear expression is observed for Nanog. Recent descriptions of OCT4 transcript variants may explain the cytoplasmic expression of OCT4 in hASCs and consistent with this, hASCs do express both the OCT4A and 4B transcript variants at the gene level. However, discrepancies arise when these three pluripotent markers are studied at the protein level. Specifically, distinct differences in intracellular expression patterns were noted for OCT4, Sox2, and Nanog from commercial antibody to commercial antibody. These antibody discrepancies persisted when hMSCs and rat ASCs and MSCs were examined. Therefore, confirming the expression of OCT4, Sox2, and Nanog in adult stem cells with today's commercial antibodies must be carefully considered before the designation of pluripotent can be granted. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 867–877, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The reaction of (chlorocarbonyl)phenyl ketene with enaminones: A novel synthesis of some 5‐acyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐(1H)‐pyridinones and 7‐hydroxy‐5‐oxo‐1,4‐diazepin derivative
Authors: Abaszadeh Mehdi , Sheibani Hassan , Saidi Kazem
Published: February 2009

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A series of substituted 5‐acyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐(1H)‐pyridinone derivatives has been prepared in a one‐step procedure from condensation of (chlorocarbonyl)phenyl ketene with some enaminones which were prepared from 1,3‐diketones, such as 2,4‐pentanedione, 1‐phenyl‐1,3‐butanedione, and ethyl acetoacetate in boiling toluene as a solvent. A mechanism is presented to account for the formation of the products. The overall sequence provides a simple and efficient route to prepare 3,4,5,6‐tetrasubstituted 2‐(1H)‐pyridinone in good to excellent yields and in a short experimental time. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2009).
Efficient and convenient method for the synthesis of isoxazoles in ionic liquid
Authors: Valizadeh Hassan , Amiri Mohammad , Gholipur Hamid
Published: February 2009

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An efficient one‐pot synthesis of 3,5‐disubstitueted isoxazoles from β‐diketones in room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) is described. Compared with the classical reaction conditions, this new synthetic method is environmentally friendly and has the advantages of recyclability of IL and very good to excellent yields. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2009).
Avoiding Disulfides: Improvement of Initiation and End‐Capping Reactions in the Synthesis of Polysulfide Block Copolymers
Authors: Wang Lei , Kilcher Giona , Tirelli Nicola
Published: February 2009

In episulfide polymerisation, the exchange between thiols and disulfides results in a chain transfer, which may compromise the control over molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. Self‐assemblable polysulfide structures have found promising applications as bionanomaterials (responsive nanoparticles or vesicles, surface films, etc.), but the necessary precise molecular control may indeed be jeopardised by the presence of disulfides. We here discuss in depth the role of disulfides as chain transfer agents and present some robust solutions, aiming at minimising the presence of disulfides and optimising synthetic procedures.

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A Highly Active Iron‐Based Catalyst System for the AGET ATRP of Styrene
Authors: Zhang Lifen , Cheng Zhenping , Lü Yueting , Zhu Xiulin
Published: February 2009

The atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene using activators generated by electron transfer (AGET ATRP) has been carried out in bulk in a limited amount of air at 110 °C, using 1,3,5‐(2′‐bromo‐2′‐methylpropionato)benzene (BMPB) as an initiator and FeCl3 · 6H2O/tris(3,6‐dioxaheptyl) amine (TDA‐1)/ascorbic acid (VC) as a novel FeIII‐mediated catalyst system. The results of the polymerizations demonstrate the features of ‘living’/controlled free‐radical polymerization, such as the number‐average molecular weights being close to their corresponding theoretical values and increasing linearly with monomer conversion, and narrow molecular weight distributions ($\overline M _{\rm w} /\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 1.18–1.26). The end functionality of the obtained polymers was confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR spectra as well as a chain‐extension reaction.

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Preparation of Polar Ethylene–Norbornene Copolymers by Metallocene Terpolymerization with Triisobutylaluminium‐Protected But‐3‐en‐1‐ol
Authors: Liu Shaojie , Yao Zhen , Cao Kun , Li Bogeng , Zhu Shiping
Published: February 2009

But‐3‐en‐1‐ol has been pre‐protected by triisobutylaluminium and terpolymerized with ethylene and norbornene by rac‐[Et(Ind)2]ZrCl2/MAO catalysts. The strong polarity of diisobutyl(but‐3‐en‐1‐oxy)aluminum causes a slight reduction in the catalyst activity and yields a small fraction of crystallinity. The but‐3‐en‐1‐ol content in the terpolymer is as high as 3.2% and can be readily adjusted by varying the reaction conditions. When the norbornene/ethylene ratio is over 10, the norbornene incorporation efficiency is not affected by the polar monomer and is close to that of the copolymerization. Similar to the ethylene/norbornene copolymers, the thermal properties of the obtained terpolymers are mainly determined by their norbornene contents.

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Chemical Crosslinking of PVA and Prediction of Material Properties by Means of Fully Atomistic MD Simulations
Authors: Bermejo Javier Sacristan , Ugarte Carmen Mijangos
Published: February 2009

A method has been developed for building fully atomistic models of chemically crosslinked PVA. It combines a dynamic crosslinking approach followed by a high‐temperature annealing procedure. The crosslinking procedure allows to control both crosslinking density and the amount of free crosslinking sites. It also takes into account some network defects, such as dangling tails and wasted loops, which have been experimentally observed on chemically crosslinked polymer networks. This procedure is applied to PVA which is chemically crosslinked with two different linear polyols. Several material properties such as glass transition temperature, Young's, shear and bulk modulus were predicted from the equilibrated structures and found to agree well with available experimental data.

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Distinct patterns of regional cerebral glucose metabolism in Parkinson's disease with and without mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Hosokai Yoshiyuki , Nishio Yoshiyuki , Hirayama Kazumi , Takeda Atsushi , Ishioka Toshiyuki , Sawada Yoichi , Suzuki Kyoko , Itoyama Yasuto , Takahashi Shoki , Fukuda Hiroshi , Mori Etsuro
Published: February 2009

There is no consensus with regard to the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of prodromal dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). To delineate functional neuroimaging features of PD with mild cognitive impairment (PDMCI) and with no cognitive impairment (PDNC), we compared regional cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglc) amongst 13 patients with PDMCI, 27 with PDNC, and 13 healthy controls. The PDNC patients had limited areas of hypometabolism in the frontal and occipital cortices. In the PDMCI patients, there were extensive areas of hypometabolism in the posterior cortical regions, including the temporo‐parieto‐occipital junction, medial parietal, and inferior temporal cortices. The present results suggest that posterior cortical dysfunction is the primary neuroimaging feature of PD patients at risk for dementia. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Lie group transformations for self‐similar shocks in a gas with dust particles
Authors: Jena J.
Published: February 2009

In this paper, Lie group of transformation method is used to investigate the self‐similar solutions for the system of partial differential equations describing one‐dimensional unsteady plane flow of an inviscid gas with large number of small dust particles. The forms of the drag force D and the heat transfer rate Q experienced by the particle not in equilibrium with the gas have been derived for which the system of equations admits self‐similar solutions. A particular solution to the problem in one case have been found out and is used to study the effect of the dust particles on the similarity exponent. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Free and bound fumonisins in gluten‐free food products
Authors: Dall'Asta Chiara , Galaverna Gianni , Mangia Mattia , Sforza Stefano , Dossena Arnaldo , Marchelli Rosangela
Published: February 2009

In this work a multiresidual LC‐ESI‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of free and bound fumonisins is described, which allowed for a very low LOD and a very good recovery for all the analytes. The method was applied to the determination of free and bound fumonisins in several gluten‐free products from the Italian market. Free fumonisins were found to occur in 90% of the samples: the overall median value was below the EU legal limit for foods for human consumption (800 μg/kg). Nonetheless, fumonisins occurred in several samples at concentrations above the legal limit, reaching also very strong contamination levels (maximum concentration level: 3310 μg/kg). Anyway, considering the limited diet of people suffering of the celiac disease or allergic to other wheat proteins, the incidence of fumonisin contamination may be envisaged as problematic. Furthermore, bound fumonisins were found to be present in all the analysed samples at similar or even higher amounts than the free forms. In many cases the sum of free and bound fumonisins exceeded the EU legal limit for total fumonisins also for those samples characterized by a low contamination of free fumonisins, thus opening a new important task to be addressed for the risk assessment in this field.
Phenolic acids in black raspberry and in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs following ingestion of black raspberry
Authors: Wu Xianli , Pittman III Hoy E. , Hager Tiffany , Hager Aaron , Howard Luke , Prior Ronald L.
Published: February 2009

Black raspberries (BRB) contain high levels of polyphenols and have been demonstrated to be chemopreventive. In order to investigate the underlying mechanism and study the metabolism of anthocyanins, pigs were fed freeze‐dried BRB powder or purified diet (control) and three segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (small intestine, cecum, and colon; 4 h after feeding) were collected for analysis of phenolic acids. Protocatechuic acid was the major phenolic acid (8.35 mg/100 g, dry weight (DW)) in BRB, followed by p‐coumaric acid (1.63 mg/100 g, DW), caffeic acid (1.34 mg/100 g, DW), ferulic acid (0.24 mg/100 g, DW), and 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid (0.20 mg/100 g, DW). Recoveries of these five phenolic acids in the whole GI tract were 199.9 ± 54.0%, 7.0 ± 3.0%, 37.0 ± 9.7%, 56.6 ± 31.3%, and 916.8 ± 642.3% (mean ± SEM, n = 5), respectively, and quantities in contents of the GI tract ranged from 0.13 ± 0.05 μmol (p‐coumaric acid) to 23.47 ± 6.09 μmol (protocatechuic acid) (mean ± SEM, n = 5). Six other phenolic acids were detected primarily in the cecum and/or colon which were not in BRB, with total contents in the GI tract ranging from 0.18 ± 0.18 μmol (homovanillic acid) to 8.49 ± 4.31 μmol (homoprotocatechuic acid). Total phenolic acids in the GI tract were 49.32 ± 16.37 μmol (mean ± SEM, n = 5). Phenolic acids measured in the GI tract accounted for only 6.31% of the degraded anthocyanins.
Towards DSM‐V: considering other withdrawal‐like symptoms of pathological gambling disorder
Authors: Cunningham‐Williams Renee M. , Gattis Maurice N. , Dore Peter M. , Shi Peichang , Spitznagel Edward L.
Published: February 2009

Despite clinical reports of other withdrawal‐like symptoms, the DSM‐IV considers only restlessness/irritability as a withdrawal‐like criterion comprising pathological gambling disorder (PGD). We explored whether this criterion should be broadened to include other gambling withdrawal‐like symptoms.

Community‐recruited adult gamblers (n = 312) participated in telephone interviews about gambling and related behaviors as a part of a larger psychometric study. Frequency and chi‐square analyses described the association of gambling withdrawal‐like symptoms by gambling disorder status. Multinomial forward selection logistic regression obtained a multivariate model describing the simultaneous relationship between these symptoms and gambling disorder status.

One‐quarter of the sample experienced the DSM‐IV PGD criterion of restlessness/irritability. However, 41% experienced additional gambling withdrawal‐like symptoms when attempting to quit or control gambling. A model including restlessness/irritability and three additional non‐DSM‐IV withdrawal‐like symptoms (i.e. feelings of anger, guilt, and disappointment) is a stronger model of gambling disorder (χ2 = 217.488; df = 8, p < 0.0001; R2 = 0.5428; p < 0.0001) than restlessness/irritability alone (χ2 = 151.278; df = 2, p < 0.0001; R2 = 0.4133). The overlap of gambling withdrawal‐like symptoms with substance use withdrawal (11%) and depressive symptoms (34%) failed to fully account for these associations with gambling disorder status.

Future PGD conceptualization and potential criteria revisions for DSM‐V may warrant a broader inclusion of gambling withdrawal‐like symptoms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dicer is required for female reproductive tract development and fertility in the mouse
Authors: Gonzalez Gabriel , Behringer Richard R.
Published: February 2009

Dicer encodes a riboendonuclease required for microRNA biosynthesis. Dicer was inactivated in Müllerian duct mesenchyme‐derived tissues of the reproductive tract of the mouse, using an Amhr2‐Cre allele. Although Amhr2‐Cre; Dicer conditional mutant males appeared normal and were fertile, mutant females were infertile. In adult mutant females, there was a reduction in the size of the oviducts and uterine horns. The oviducts were less coiled compared to controls and cysts formed at the isthmus near the uterotubal junction. Unfertilized, degenerate oocytes were commonly found within these cysts, indicating a defect in embryo transit. Beads transferred into the mutant oviduct failed to migrate into the uterus. In addition, blastocysts transferred directly into the mutant uterus did not result in pregnancy. Histological analysis demonstrated that the mutant uterus contained less glandular tissue and often the few glands that remained were found within the myometrium, an abnormal condition known as adenomyosis. In adult mutants, there was ectopic expression of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in the luminal epithelium (LE) and glandular epithelium (GE) of the uterus, and Wnt11 was ectopically expressed in GE. These results demonstrate that Dicer is necessary for postnatal differentiation of Müllerian duct mesenchyme‐derived tissues of the female reproductive tract, suggesting that microRNAs are important regulators of female reproductive tract development and fertility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 678–688, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Perceived behavioral atypicality as a predictor of social rejection and peer victimization: Implications for emotional adjustment and academic achievement
Authors: DeRosier Melissa E. , Mercer Sterett H.
Published: February 2009

This study examined perceived behavioral atypicality as a predictor of children's school‐based adjustment. First, a descriptive pilot study was conducted to examine children's reasons for nominating peers as behaviorally atypical. Then, atypicality was investigated in relation to school‐based adjustment in a two‐wave panel design. Social problems, emotional adjustment, and academic achievement were assessed in the fall and spring of a school year with 1,193 third‐grade students via peer‐, teacher‐, and self‐report instruments as well as school records. In the fall, atypicality was related to higher levels of social rejection and peer victimization as well as impaired emotional adjustment and academic achievement. When examined across the school year, atypicality, as mediated by higher levels of social rejection and peer victimization, predicted impaired emotional adjustment and academic achievement. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering behavioral atypicality as a broad risk factor with implications for school‐based intervention. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Layered silicate‐polyamide‐6 nanocomposites: Influence of silicate species on morphology and properties
Authors: Tamura Kenji , Uno Hikaru , Yamada Hirohisa , Umeyama Kiyoshi
Published: February 2009

The effect of two different species of layered silicates on the morphology, mechanical properties, and methanol vapor barrier properties of polyamide‐6 (PA6) nanocomposites was examined using identical experimental conditions for both species. The layered silicate species used were natural montmorillonite (MMT) and synthetic expandable fluoro‐mica (FM), the chemical compositions of which were Na0.43(Al1.56Mg0.31Fe2+
0.09)(Si3.95Al0.05)O10(OH)2 and Na0.66Mg2.68(Si3.98Al0.02)O10F2, respectively. The layered silicates were modified with a dodecylammonium salt (DDA) using an ion‐exchange method. The resulting organically modified layered silicates were melt‐kneaded with PA6 in a twin‐screw kneader at 260 °C. By quantitative analysis of the silicate layers dispersed in the PA6, the number‐average aspect ratio was estimated to be 76 for DDAMMT‐PA6 and 85 for DDAFM‐PA6. This confirmed that the primary particle size of the initial silicate did affect the aspect ratio. The rigidity and gas barrier properties of the nanocomposites appeared to depend upon the morphology of the nanocomposite. On the other hand, the elongation at break of the nanocomposites decreased as the amount of silicate increased. This reduction in ductility was ascribed to the difference in morphology of the nanocomposites, that is, distribution of silicate nanolayers in the polymer matrix. The homogeneity of the particle fraction of exfoliated nanolayers was clearly an important factor affecting the properties of the nanocomposites. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 583–595, 2009
Synthesis of Allylamine Plasma Polymer Films: Correlation between Plasma Diagnostic and Film Characteristics
Authors: Denis Laurent , Cossement Damien , Godfroid Thomas , Renaux Fabian , Bittencourt Carla , Snyders Rony , Hecq Michel
Published: February 2009

Primary amine‐based plasma polymer films (NH2‐PPF) were synthesized using plasma polymerization of allylamine in continuous wave (CW) and pulsed radio‐frequency (RF) modes. Plasma chemistry, studied by residual gas analysis mass spectrometry, revealed that the precursor fragmentation is a function of the equivalent power (Peq) dissipated in the discharge, independently of the plasma mode used. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry suggests as the precursor fragmentation in the plasma increases: (i) a decrease of the primary amine concentration in the NH2‐PPF (%NH2) and (ii) an increase of the cross‐linking degree. For a given Peq, similar to the precursor fragmentation in the plasma, the NH2‐PPF characteristics were found to be independent of the plasma mode used. Therefore, the main advantage of using pulsed RF processes over CW ones is the possibility to work at very low Peq which enables low precursor fragmentation, optimization of %NH2, and reduction of the film cross‐linking degree. The chemical composition and the cross‐linking degree of the NH2‐PPF synthesized by allylamine plasma polymerization can thus be tailored by adjusting the equivalent RF power injected in the plasma.

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The EPR of monoclinic KY(WO4)2 single crystal doped with Sm3+ ion
Authors: Borowiec M. T. , Prokhorov A. D. , Dyakonov V. P. , Kamenev V. I. , Prokhorov A. A. , Aleshkevych P. , Zayarnyuk T. , Szymczak H.
Published: February 2009

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of Sm3+ ion in KY(WO4)2 single crystal was investigated at T = 4.2 K using an X‐band spectrometer. The observed resonance absorption represents the complex superposition of three spectra corresponding to samarium isotopes with different nuclear moment. The EPR spectrum is characterised by a strong g ‐factor anisotropy. The temperature dependences of the g ‐factor were shown to be caused by strong spin–orbital and orbital–lattice coupling. The resonance lines become broader as temperature increases due to the short spin–lattice relaxation time. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Goos–Hänchen shift in one‐dimensional photonic crystals containing uniaxial indefinite medium
Authors: Pan Tao , Xu Guoding , Zang Taocheng , Gao Lei
Published: February 2009

We study numerically the Goos–Hänchen (GH) shift of a light wave transmitted from one‐dimensional photonic crystals containing a uniaxial indefinite medium. It is found that the permittivity and permeability of the indefinite medium strongly affect the properties of the GH shift. The (positive or negative) GH shift is greatly enhanced near the band edge of photonic crystals, the sign of the GH shift in the low‐ and high‐frequency edges of the photonic bandgap can be different. In addition, the properties of the GH shift are also strongly dependent on the incident light frequency, incident angle and the orientation of the optical axis. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Determination of homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadenings of quantum‐well excitons by 2DFTS: An experiment‐theory comparison
Authors: Kuznetsova Irina , Thomas Peter , Meier Torsten , Zhang Tianhao , Cundiff Steven T.
Published: February 2009

The cover picture of this issue of Phys. Status Solidi C has been taken from the article [1] (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Survival analysis using inverse probability of treatment weighted methods based on the generalized propensity score
Authors: Sugihara Masahiro
Published: February 2009

In survival analysis, treatment effects are commonly evaluated based on survival curves and hazard ratios as causal treatment effects. In observational studies, these estimates may be biased due to confounding factors. The inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) method based on the propensity score is one of the approaches utilized to adjust for confounding factors between binary treatment groups. As a generalization of this methodology, we developed an exact formula for an IPTW log‐rank test based on the generalized propensity score for survival data. This makes it possible to compare the group differences of IPTW Kaplan–Meier estimators of survival curves using an IPTW log‐rank test for multi‐valued treatments. As causal treatment effects, the hazard ratio can be estimated using the IPTW approach. If the treatments correspond to ordered levels of a treatment, the proposed method can be easily extended to the analysis of treatment effect patterns with contrast statistics. In this paper, the proposed method is illustrated with data from the Kyushu Lipid Intervention Study (KLIS), which investigated the primary preventive effects of pravastatin on coronary heart disease (CHD). The results of the proposed method suggested that pravastatin treatment reduces the risk of CHD and that compliance to pravastatin treatment is important for the prevention of CHD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolism of methyltestosterone in the greyhound
Authors: Biddle S. T. B. , O'Donnell A. , Houghton E. , Creaser C.
Published: February 2009

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and selective derivatisation techniques have been used to identify urinary metabolites of methyltestosterone following oral administration to the greyhound. Several metabolites were identified including reduced, mono‐, di‐ and trihydroxylated steroids. The major metabolites observed were 17α‐methyl‐5β‐androstane‐3α‐17β‐diol, 17α‐methyl‐5β‐androstane‐3α,16α,17β‐triol, and a further compound tentatively identified as 17α‐methyl‐5z‐androstane‐6z,17β‐triol. The most abundant of these was the 17α‐methyl‐5β‐androstane‐3α,16α,17β‐triol. This metabolite was identified by comparison with a reference standard synthesised using a Grignard procedure and characterised using trimethylsilyl (TMS) and acetonide‐TMS derivatisation techniques. There did not appear to be any evidence for 16β‐hydroxylation as a phase I metabolic transformation in the greyhound. However, significant quantities of 16α‐hydroxy metabolites were detected. Selective enzymatic hydrolysis procedures indicated that the major metabolites identified were excreted as glucuronic acid conjugates. Metabolic transformations observed in the greyhound have been compared with those of other mammalian species and are discussed here. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Terrain Adaptive Navigation for planetary rovers
Authors: Helmick Daniel , Angelova Anelia , Matthies Larry
Published: February 2009

This paper describes the design, implementation, and experimental results of a navigation system for planetary rovers called Terrain Adaptive Navigation (TANav). This system was designed to enable greater access to and more robust operations within terrains of widely varying slippage. The system achieves this goal by using onboard stereo cameras to remotely classify surrounding terrain, predict the slippage of that terrain, and use this information in the planning of a path to the goal. This navigation system consists of several integrated techniques: goodness map generation, terrain triage, terrain classification, remote slip prediction, path planning, High‐Fidelity Traversability Analysis, and slip‐compensated path following. Results from experiments with an end‐to‐end onboard implementation of the TANav system in a Mars analog environment are shown and compared to results from experiments with a more traditional navigation system that does not account for terrain properties. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Field‐Emission Resonances at Tip/α,ω‐Mercaptoalkyl Ferrocene/Au Interfaces Studied by STM
Authors: Müller‐Meskamp Lars , Karthäuser Silvia , Zandvliet Harold J. W. , Homberger Melanie , Simon Ulrich , Waser Rainer
Published: February 2009

The electrical properties of α,ω‐mercaptoalkyl ferrocenes with different alkyl chain lengths embedded in a self‐assembled host matrix of alkanethiols on Au(111) are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Based on current–distance spectroscopy, as well as on the evaluation of Fowler–Nordheim tunneling current oscillations, the apparent barrier height of ferrocene is determined independently by two methods. The electronic coupling of the ferrocene moiety to the Au(111) substrate is shown to depend on the length of the alkane‐spacer chain. In a double tunnel junction model our experimental findings are explained, addressing the role of the different molecular moieties of the mercaptoalkyl ferrocenes.