bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons from the deep study of rare tumours
Authors: Thomas David M
Published: May 2011

Next‐generation sequencing technologies are having an enormous impact on mapping mutations in cancer. However, it is unclear to what extent mutations in genes are shared between cancer types, and to what extent these are unique to different cancers. While the mapping of mutations is almost saturated in common cancer types, the study of rare tumours offers surprising insights into pathways that are deranged in cancer. The paper by Amary et al. in this issue of the Journal of Pathology illustrates the value of studying uncommon cancer types. The authors report on a startlingly high incidence of IDH1/2 mutations in cartilaginous tumours. This finding not only represent a major step forward in mapping the molecular pathogenesis of these tumours, but provides further evidence of the intriguing roles of metabolic pathways in carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Orthotopic xenografts of RCC retain histological, immunophenotypic and genetic features of tumours in patients
Authors: Grisanzio Chiara , Seeley Apryle , Chang Michelle , Collins Michael , Di Napoli Arianna , Cheng Su‐Chun , Percy Andrew , Beroukhim Rameen , Signoretti Sabina
Published: May 2011

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited responsiveness to existing treatments. In vivo models of human cancer, including RCC, are critical for developing more effective therapies. Unfortunately, current RCC models do not accurately represent relevant properties of the human disease. The goal of this study was to develop clinically relevant animal models of RCC for preclinical investigations. We transplanted intact human tumour tissue fragments orthotopically in immunodeficient mice. The xenografts were validated by comparing the morphological, phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the kidney tumour tissues before and after implantation. Twenty kidney tumours were transplanted into mice. Successful tumour growth was detected in 19 cases (95%). The histopathological and immunophenotypic features of the xenografts and those of the original tumours largely overlapped in all cases. Evaluation of genetic alterations in a subset of 10 cases demonstrated that the grafts largely retained the genetic features of the pre‐implantation RCC tissues. Indeed, primary tumours and corresponding grafts displayed identical VHL mutations. Moreover, an identical pattern of DNA copy amplification or loss was observed in 6/10 cases (60%). In summary, orthotopic engrafting of RCC tissue fragments can be successfully used to generate animal models that closely resemble RCC in patients. These models will be invaluable for in vivo preclinical drug testing and for deeper understanding of kidney carcinogenesis. The raw data of the SNP array analysis has been submitted to the GEO database (Accession No. GSE29062). Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deregulated miR‐155 promotes Fas‐mediated apoptosis in human intervertebral disc degeneration by targeting FADD and caspase‐3
Authors: Wang Hai‐Qiang , Yu Xiao‐Dong , Liu Zhi‐Heng , Cheng Xin , Samartzis Dino , Jia Lin‐Tao , Wu Sheng‐Xi , Huang Jing , Chen Jing , Luo Zhuo‐Jing
Published: May 2011

The role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) remains enigmatic. Accumulating evidence has shown that the apoptotic machinery is regulated by miRNAs. We hypothesized that miRNAs might contribute to apoptosis in IDD. We have found that 29 miRNAs were differentially expressed and miR‐155 was down‐regulated in degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP). The deregulation of miR‐155 was further verified using real‐time PCR (0.56 fold, p < 0.05). Bioinformatics target prediction identified FADD and caspase‐3 as putative targets of miR‐155. Furthermore, miR‐155 inhibited FADD and caspase‐3 expression by directly targeting their 3′‐UTRs, which was abolished by mutation of the miR‐155 binding sites. In vitro up‐regulation of miR‐155 in human NP cells by transfection with lentiviral pre‐miR‐155 resulted in repression of FADD and caspase‐3; whereas knockdown of miR‐155 with lentiviral antigomiR‐155 led to over‐expression of FADD and caspase‐3. Also, Fas‐mediated apoptosis was increased when antagonizing miR‐155 and decreased when using pre‐miR‐155 in human NP cells. In addition, we presented direct evidence of NP cells undergoing apoptosis in IDD tissues using transmission electron microscopy analysis. Moreover, a combination of in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed that miR‐155 expressed in the cytoplasm of human NP cells with reverse correlation with FADD and caspase‐3. In summary, this is the first study addressing the underlying mechanisms of IDD in terms of apoptosis and miRNAs. Furthermore, caspase‐3 is identified as a novel target of miR‐155. Our results suggest that deregulated miR‐155 promotes Fas‐mediated apoptosis in human IDD by targeting FADD and caspase‐3, implicating an aetiological and therapeutic role of miR‐155 in IDD. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Substrate effect and application of the elastic foundation model to evaluate atomic force microscope nanoindentations of thin polymeric films
Authors: Tranchida Davide , Lilge Inga , Schönherr Holger
Published: May 2011

The analysis of the mechanical properties of thin films by nanoindentation has been recently subject of numerous theoretical and phenomenological studies as well as numerical simulations. In this work, we report on the application of the Winkler elastic foundation theory to analyze atomic force microscope nanoindentations of poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) films with thicknesses of 90, 196, and 485 nm. The elastic moduli of the samples were found to be 1.13 ± 0.43 GPa, 1.34 ± 0.32 GPa and 1.23 ± 0.24 GPa, respectively, after indentations of at least 50% of the film thickness. These data rely on the independent determination of the mechanical properties of 485‐nm thick films, using Sneddon's model at low penetration depth (yielding 1.27 ± 0.37 GPa). Our data show that the substrate effects begins to be noticeable only after indenting to a depth of more than 40% of the film thickness. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effect of processing and density on morphology and creep behavior of linear low‐density polyethylene
Authors: Unigovski Yakov B. , Bobovitch Arthur L. , Gutman Emmanuel M. , Mogilansky Dmitry
Published: May 2011

Creep behavior of 40‐ and 80‐μm‐thick films of linear low‐density polyethylene with four different densities produced by blowing and casting processes was investigated at room temperature (RT) and 70°C. As a criterion for ductile creep failure, strain‐to‐failure was chosen, which amounts to the maximum elongation characterized by necking of the whole sample. At RT under the stress of 8 MPa, strain‐to‐failure increases by one order of magnitude (from 0.08 to 0.80) with a decrease in density from 0.930 to 0.902 g/cm3. Processing effects creep deformation much less significantly in comparison with density. It is found that under loading at RT, some amount of orthorhombic phase in films with the densities of 0.902 and 0.912 g/cm3 transforms into the monocline phase. The intensity of a peak of this phase near the angle 2θ of 19.5° does not depend on the test duration. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Digital holographic interferometry: Optomechanical properties of fibers
Authors: Yassien Khaled , Agour Mostafa
Published: May 2011

Studying polymer fiber's mechanical properties leads to an increased understanding of the behavior of polymeric structures. This will support the design of new synthetic fibers with improved properties. Thus, there is great interest in the exact knowledge of these properties. In this work, phase‐shifting digital holographic interferometry is used to investigate the variation of the optical properties of drawn polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fiber. The study shows that the refractive index for light which is polarized in parallel direction to the fiber axis increases as the draw ratio increases. This implicates that the molecules become more oriented in this direction. However, the decrease in the values of the refractive index for light polarized perpendicular to the drawing direction reflects the reduced orientation of the molecules in this direction. This has been confirmed by studying the variation of the molecular orientation versus birefringence of the drawn PVDF fiber. Holograms and their relationship with the optomechanical parameters obtained are given for illustration. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Analysis of polyelectrolyte complexes formed with jicama pectic polysaccharide and water‐soluble chitosan
Authors: Ramos‐de‐la‐Peña Ana M , Rangel‐Rodríguez Adriana M , Casas‐González Mayela R , Balagurusamy Nagamani , Sañudo‐Barajas J Adriana , Carrillo‐Castillo Amanda , Contreras‐Esquivel Juan Carlos
Published: May 2011

Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus L.) is a root‐based legume that has been cultivated in Mexico for centuries. Pectic polysaccharide from de‐starched jicama pomace was extracted using an autoclave‐assisted process and physicochemically characterized. The extracted polysaccharide (1.0 g L−1) was used for the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) with water‐soluble chitosan (WSCh; 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g L−1). The extraction yield of jicama pectic polysaccharide was 22.8 wt% (dry basis) and infrared spectroscopic analysis showed that it was methoxylated to a small degree. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that this biopolymer was very stable, its weight loss being 51.2% after heating at 479 °C. Anion‐exchange chromatography showed it to have a wide and heterogeneous charge density. The yield of the PECs was dependent on the concentration of WSCh used, it being 13.3, 26.7 and 18.3% with WSCh at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g L−1, respectively. The PECs had higher thermostability compared with WSCh and this confirmed the complex formation between WSCh and jicama polysaccharide. WSCh is a promising polycation able to interact with low‐methoxylated pectic polysaccharide from jicama to produce PECs with uses in a wide variety of specialized applications such as food technology and medicine. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Two‐step synthesis and properties of a magnetic‐field‐sensitive modified maltodextrin‐based hydrogel
Authors: Paulino Alexandre T , Fajardo André R , Junior Andrea P , Muniz Edvani C , Tambourgi Elias B
Published: May 2011

A magnetic‐field‐sensitive modified maltodextrin‐based hydrogel (ferrogel) was synthesized. Fourier transform infrared and 13C‐CP/MAS NMR spectral analyses confirmed the efficiency of the gelling process. X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed the appearance of new crystalline planes in the hydrogel diffractograms after embedding of magnetite nanoparticles. Magnetization curves and Mössbauer analysis revealed that the magnetic hydrogel has a high lattice strain due to bonded iron atom covalence. Moreover, some magnetite molecules embedded in the hydrogel ensure a degree of paramagnetism and iron atoms exhibiting oxidation states alternating between 2 and 3 in the final material. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis revealed that no phase separation occurred between the magnetite nanoparticles and crosslinked hydrogel, indicating excellent dispersion throughout the hydrogel. Moreover, the average pore sizes decreased on increasing the amount of magnetite inside the polymer network. The results of compression stress versus strain revealed that the elasticity of the magnetic hydrogel was increased on increasing the amount of magnetite nanoparticles. Finally, kinetic studies revealed that the diffusion mechanism of water in the hydrogel is driven by anomalous release with a tendency towards the occurrence of macromolecular relaxation. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Eingeseift vom falschen Modell. Physik der Öl‐Wasser‐Emulsionen
Authors: Scheu Rüdiger , Roke Sylvie
Published: May 2011

Emulsionen bestehen aus zwei nicht mischbaren Phasen, zum Beispiel feinen Öltröpfchen in wässriger Umgebung. Detergenzien wirken auf die Tröpfchenoberflächen stabilisierend, etwa Tenside in Seifen. Nach der gängigen Modellvorstellung, die von planaren Grenzflächen abgeleitet ist, ordnen sich die Tenside relativ eng nebeneinander an. Sie stecken ihren fettlöslichen “Schwanz” in die ölige, ihren wasserlöslichen “Kopf” in die wässrige Phase und setzen so Oberflächenspannung herab. Nichtlineare Lichtstreuung macht nun die Grenzflächen nanoskopischer Öltröpfchen in Emulsionen erstmals der Spektroskopie zugänglich. Sie zeigt, dass die Tenside viel weniger dicht auf den Oberflächen vorliegen als nach dem Lehrbuchwissen zu erwarten. Zudem sind die Tensidketten viel weniger geordnet und scheinen eher auf den Tröpfchenoberflächen zu liegen.
Das kartesische Oval in der Optik. Das Fermat‐Prinzip
Authors: Erb Roger
Published: May 2011

Eine Beschreibung der Bildentstehung mit dem Fermat‐Prinzip eröffnet einen anschaulichen Einblick in die Formgebung von reflektierenden und brechenden Flächen. Die in der Tabellenkalkulation verwendete, einfache Berechnungsweise ergibt dabei die kartesischen Ovale, die erforderlich sind, um einen Objektpunkt in einen Bildpunkt abzubilden. Zwar kann wegen der groben Berechnung hieraus nicht die genaue Form abgelesen werden, aber der didaktische Vorteil ist groß: Es wird ein andersartiges Verständnis der Entstehung reeller und auch virtueller Bilder möglich. Das liegt auch daran, dass das Prinzip der Simulation einfach nachgeprüft und nachvollzogen werden kann, weil es in Form einer White‐box‐Konstruktion offen vorliegt.
High Speed – Slow Motion. Technik digitaler Hochgeschwindigkeitskameras
Authors: Vollmer Michael , Möllmann Klaus‐Peter
Published: May 2011

Moderne Hochgeschwindigkeitskameras arbeiten digital. Ihre CMOS‐ oder CCD‐Sensoren ermöglichen hohe Bildwiederholraten. Bei professionelleren Systemen lässt sich dabei die Integrationszeit, also die Belichtungszeit der Einzelbilder, unabhängig von der Bildwiederholrate einstellen. Für die hohe Aufnahmegeschwindigkeit sorgt ein zweistufiger Prozess. Ein sehr schneller interner Speicher nimmt die Bilddaten zuerst auf, dann schreibt eine Ausleseelektronik diese in einen externen Speicher. Neben teuren Profisystemen wächst inzwischen das Segment an preiswerten Amateurkameras mit High‐Speed‐Option.
Tropfen auf Wanderschaft
Authors: Linke Heiner
Published: May 2011

Flüssige Tröpfchen auf einer heißen, strukturierten Oberfläche können spontan beschleunigen und sich sogar bergauf bewegen. Jetzt wurde entdeckt, dass auch Festkörper sich so verhalten können. Sicher verstanden ist der Effekt noch nicht.
Sanfter Rückprall des zerbrechlichsten aller Moleküle
Authors: Zhao Bum Suk , Meijer Gerard , Schöllkopf Wieland
Published: May 2011

Das Heliumdimer He2 ist das im Grundzustand am schwächsten gebundene, bekannte Molekül. Dass es ohne zu zerbrechen von einer Wand zurückprallt, widerspricht den Gesetzen der klassischen Physik. Ein Experiment am Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft hat nun gezeigt, dass Heliumdimere durchaus zerstörungsfrei zurückgestreut werden können. Die Erklärung liegt in der Quantenreflexion, die bereits vor der Oberfläche stattfindet.
Ein Verfechter des Äthers
Authors: Loos Andreas
Published: May 2011

Manche Physiker unternehmen gern einmal Ausflüge in neue Wissenschaftsbereiche – insbesondere mit steigendem Alter. So auch der Gesuchte. Im Alter von 54 Jahren schreibt er “zur Erholung inmitten ernsthafterer Arbeit” einen Aufsatz über die “Analyse der Formen.” Dem voraus gegangen war eine Untersuchung von Schmetterlingen, Schnecken, Muscheln und Kieselalgen, wobei er vor allem nach Symmetrien suchte. Doch wenig später kehrt er wieder zu jenen Versuchen zurück, für die er berühmt werden sollte.
Proteomic analysis reveals the strategies of Bacillus thuringiensis YBT‐1520 for survival under long‐term heat stress
Authors: Wu Dandan , He Jin , Gong Yuhua , Chen Deju , Zhu Xiaoli , Qiu Ning , Sun Ming , Li Mingshun , Yu Ziniu
Published: May 2011

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been widely used for 50 years as a safe biopesticide for controlling agricultural and sanitary insect pests because of its insecticidal crystal proteins. In this study a proteomic approach was used to investigate the responses and survival strategies of Bt YBT‐1520 under a long‐term heat stress condition (42°C). Heat stress mainly influenced the characteristics of YBT‐1520 on four aspects: (i) the abilities to synthesise insecticidal crystal proteins and other potential pathogenic factors were almost lost, (ii) cell adhesion and motility were also lost, (iii) cell did not sporulate, (iv) cell kept accumulating poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). Proteomic analyses to the physiological changes of the strain revealed three strategies of YBT‐1520 for survival under long‐term heat stress. The first strategy is to up‐regulate enzymes (BDH1, GuaB and PepA) for long‐term heat stress tolerance. The second one is to down‐regulate metabolic enzymes to reduce metabolic burden. The third strategy is to increase the synthesis and accumulation of PHB. Under heat stress condition, the bacterium adjusted its metabolism by up‐/down‐regulation and continuous accumulation of PHB. These strategies would help cells to gain more tolerance to heat stress.
Comparative evaluation of label‐free SINQ normalized spectral index quantitation in the central proteomics facilities pipeline
Authors: Trudgian David C. , Ridlova Gabriela , Fischer Roman , Mackeen Mukram M. , Ternette Nicola , Acuto Oreste , Kessler Benedikt M. , Thomas Benjamin
Published: May 2011

Normalized spectral index quantification was recently presented as an accurate method of label‐free quantitation, which improved spectral counting by incorporating the intensities of peptide MS/MS fragment ions into the calculation of protein abundance. We present SINQ, a tool implementing this method within the framework of existing analysis software, our freely available central proteomics facilities pipeline (CPFP). We demonstrate, using data sets of protein standards acquired on a variety of mass spectrometers, that SINQ can rapidly provide useful estimates of the absolute quantity of proteins present in a medium‐complexity sample. In addition, relative quantitation of standard proteins spiked into a complex lysate background and run without pre‐fractionation produces accurate results at amounts above 1 fmol on column. We compare quantitation performance to various precursor intensity‐ and identification‐based methods, including the normalized spectral abundance factor (NSAF), exponentially modified protein abundance index (emPAI), MaxQuant, and Progenesis LC‐MS. We anticipate that the SINQ tool will be a useful asset for core facilities and individual laboratories that wish to produce quantitative MS data, but lack the necessary manpower to routinely support more complicated software workflows. SINQ is freely available to obtain and use as part of the central proteomics facilities pipeline, which is released under an open‐source license.
Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of copolymers based on bithiophene and bithiazole
Authors: Zhang Maojie , Fan Haijun , Guo Xia , Yang Yang , Wang Shanshan , Zhang Zhi‐Guo , Zhang Jing , Zhan Xiaowei , Li Yongfang
Published: May 2011

Three simple structured D‐A copolymers, PBTBTz‐1, PBTBTz‐2, and PBTBTz‐3, containing bithiophene (BT) donor unit and bithiazole (BTz) acceptor unit with different alkyl chain length were synthesized by the Pd‐catalyzed Stille‐coupling method. The copolymers were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, UV–vis absorption, electrochemical cyclic voltammetry, and photovoltaic measurements. The results indicate that the introduction of BTz unit to the polythiophene main chain effectively decreases highest occupied molecular orbital levels of the copolymers and increases the open circuit voltage (Voc) of polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on the copolymers as donor, and the alkyl chain length influences the photovoltaic properties of the polymers significantly. The PSCs based on PBTBTz‐2 and PBTBTz‐3 show higher Voc up to 0.77 and 0.81 V, respectively. The power conversion efficiency of the PSC based on PBTBTz‐2:PC70BM = 1:1(w/w) reached 2.58% with short circuit current of 8.70 mA/cm2, under the illumination of AM1.5, 100 mW/cm2. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
SET–LRP of N‐isopropylacrylamide in the presence of chain transfer agent
Authors: Turan Eylem , Caykara Tuncer
Published: May 2011

In this study, single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET–LRP) of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in the presence of 2‐mercaptoethylamine chain transfer agent (CTA) was carried out by Cu(0) generated in situ from the disproportionation of CuBr/2,2′‐bipyridine (2,2′‐bpy) in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) at 90 °C. Analysis of polymerization kinetics in the presence of CTA showed that the premature termination of growing polymer chains leads to retardation. The apparent rate constant of polymerization (k) decreased from 4.49 × 10−4 to 2.59 × 10−4 min−1 with increasing CTA concentration. The initiator efficiency (Ieff) and the chain transfer constant (Cs) were found to be 0.524 and 0.286, respectively. The molecular weights of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) [poly(NIPAM)] produced were significantly higher than the predicted values, and the polydispersities were less than 1.22. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Alternating copolymerization of bis(hexafluoroisopropyl) fumarate with styrene and vinyl pentafluorobenzoate: Transparent and low refractive index polymers
Authors: Teng Hongxiang , Liu Weihong , Koike Yasuhiro , Okamoto Yoshiyuki
Published: May 2011

Bis(hexafluoroisopropyl) fumarate (BHFIPF) did not homopolymerize with free radical initiators. However, BHFIPF yielded alternating copolymers with styrene in bulk with Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a radical initiator. The monomer reactivity ratios of BHFIPF (M1) and styrene (M2) were calculated as r1 = 0.00 and r2 = 0.02. BHFIPF also copolymerized with vinyl pentafluorobenzoate (VPFB) in bulk and in pentafluoroisopropanol solution to produce an alternating copolymer. The reactivity ratios of BHFIPF (M1) with VPFB (M2) were r1 = 0.00 and r2 = 0.05 in bulk and r1 = 0.01 and r2 = 0.11 in pentafluoroisopropanol, respectively. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the BHFIPF‐styrene and BHFIPF‐VPFB copolymers were 107 and 86 °C, respectively. The BHFIPF‐styrene copolymer was thermally stable, and the thermal degradation temperature (Td) was 400 °C, whereas the Td of BHFIPF‐VPFB copolymer was 240 °C. The films obtained by casting from tetrahydrofuran (THF) solutions of these copolymers were flexible and transparent. Their refractive indices were 1.4048 for the BHFIPF‐styrene copolymer, and 1.3980 for the BHFIPF‐VPFB copolymer at 633 nm, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
The influence of electron deficient unit and interdigitated packing shape of new polythiophene derivatives on organic thin‐film transistors and photovoltaic cells
Authors: Kong Hoyoul , Cho Shinuk , Lee Dong Hoon , Cho Nam Sung , Park Moo‐Jin , Jung In Hwan , Park Jong‐Hwa , Park Chan Eon , Shim Hong‐Ku
Published: May 2011

A series of new polythiophene derivatives containing a thiazole ring as an electron deficient unit were successfully synthesized via Stille coupling reactions. Synthesized polymers were classified into two types (H‐shape packing and A‐shape packing) based on their interdigitated packing structure induced by different side chain configurations. The thiophene derivatives that contained a thiazole unit (PT50Tz50, PTz100, and PTTz) exhibited much better thermal stability than did the full thiophene polymers (PT100 and PTT). The polymers containing the thiazole unit (PTz100 and PTTz) showed a red‐shifted absorption spectrum with clear vibronic structure. In addition, the XRD and AFM results showed that the polymers containing the thiazole unit and interdigitated H‐shape exhibited much better ordered and connected intermolecular structures than did other polymers. The improved intermolecular ordering and surface morphologies directly facilitated charge carrier transport in thin film transistor (TFT) devices, without introducing charge traps, and yielded higher solar cell performance. Among these polymers, the PTTz copolymer exhibited the best TFT performance (μ = 0.050 cm2 V−1 s−1, on/off ratio = 106, and Vth = −2 V) and solar cell performance (PCE = 1.39%, Jsc = 6.58 mA cm−2, and Voc = 0.58 V). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Quality of life of younger breast cancer survivors: persistence of problems and sense of well‐being
Authors: Bloom Joan R. , Stewart Susan L. , Oakley‐Girvan Ingrid , Banks Priscilla J. , Shema Sarah
Published: May 2011

Objective

Ten years after diagnosis, women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or younger were assessed to determine whether quality of life (QOL) problems found at five years persisted. We predicted that QOL in the physical and social domains would be poorer, but improvements would be found in the psychological domain.

Methods

We re‐interviewed 312 women, who had been interviewed at their five year anniversary and remained cancer free, on their QOL in three domains (physical, social, and psychological). Comparisons between their 5‐ and 10‐year reports were performed using paired t‐tests for numeric variables and McNemar's test for categorical variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to model change from 5 to 10 years in each QOL domain, given the level of QOL at 5 years.

Results

The women's mean age was 55, 60% were college graduates, 79% had a partner, and 27% were non‐Euro‐American. Ten years after diagnosis they reported poorer general health (p<0.0001) and physical well‐being (p = 0.001), less sexual activity (p = 0.009), and more chronic conditions (p<0.0001) than at 5 years. Relationships were found between: (1) the number of chronic conditions at 5 years and decreased physical, social, and psychological well‐being at 10 years; and (2) a smaller social network at 5 years and poorer social functioning at 10 years.

Conclusions

Certain aspects of both physical and social QOL worsened over time. The remaining question is whether these changes can be attributed to the late effects of treatment or to normal effects of aging.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deposition of Organosilicon Coatings by a Non‐Equilibrium Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet: Design, Analysis and Macroscopic Scaling Law of the Process
Authors: Pulpytel Jerome , Kumar Virendra , Peng Pu , Micheli Victor , Laidani Nadira , Arefi‐Khonsari Farzaneh
Published: May 2011

Silicon oxide based (SiOxCyHz, noted SiOx) coatings are often used in surface engineering for microelectronics, corrosion resistance, barrier to gas permeation through polymeric materials, etc… SiOx coatings can be efficiently deposited by non‐equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma processes, such as DBD or plasma jets. In the present study, the design of experiment (DoE) methodology was used to investigate the influence of process parameters on the characteristics of organosilicon coatings deposited by a non‐equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) from hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and air mixtures. The results obtained were used to create an empirical model to predict the chemical composition of coatings. Among 11 process parameters, the 3 parameters which exhibited the strongest effect on the coating composition were the torch speed, the substrate to nozzle distance and the number of scans. Auger spectroscopy revealed that the carbon content of the thin films was as low as 6 ± 1.7% and AFM analysis showed that smooth coatings (Ra ∼ 2 nm) were obtained even at high dynamic growth rates (∼1 000 nm · m · min−1). A tentative macroscopic scaling law was also formulated to correlate our results with the available literature data.

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TP53INP1 overexpression in prostate cancer correlates with poor prognostic factors and is predictive of biological cancer relapse
Authors: Giusiano Sophie , Garcia Stéphane , Andrieu Claudia , Dusetti Nelson Javier , Bastide Cyrille , Gleave Martin , Taranger‐Charpin Colette , Iovanna Juan Lucio , Rocchi Palma
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND

Tumor protein 53‐induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1) is a proapoptotic protein involved in cell stress response. Whereas there is an overexpression of TP53INP1 in numerous tissues submitted to stress agents, TP53INP1 is down‐expressed in stomach, pancreatic, and inflammation–mediated colic carcinomas. In medullary thyroid carcinomas, TP53INP1 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis. TP53INP1 expression has never been reported in Prostate Cancer (PC). Our aim was to investigate variations of TP53INP1 expression and their correlation to clinicopathological parameters in PC.

METHODS

Quantitative measurements of immunohistochemical expression of TP53INP1 using high‐throughput densitometry, assessed on digitized microscopic tissue micro‐array images, were correlated with clinicopathological parameters in 91 human PC. Treatment of LNCaP tumor cells in vitro with cytokines and with TP53INP1 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) was also analyzed.

RESULTS

In normal prostate tissues, TP53INP1 is only expressed in prostate basal cells. There is a de novo TP53INP1 expression in prostate luminal cells in inflammatory prostate tissues, high grade PIN lesions and in PC. Stimulation of LNCaP cells with inflammatory cytokines enhances the level of TP53INP1 mRNA. In PC, TP53INP1 overexpression correlates with high Gleason grade, unfavorable D'Amico score and lymph node invasion, and is an independent factor of biological cancer relapse. Moreover, treatment of LNCaP cells with a TP53INP1 ASO down‐regulates TP53INP1 protein level, inhibits proliferation, and induces apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

TP53INP1 overexpression in PC seems to be a worse prognostic factor, particularly predictive of biological cancer relapse. Results in vitro suggest that TP53INP1 could be considered as a relevant target for potential specific therapy. Prostate 72:117–128, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of incidentally detected prostate cancer with screen‐detected prostate cancer treated by prostatectomy
Authors: Wolters Tineke , Montironi Rodolfo , Mazzucchelli Roberta , Scarpelli Marina , Roobol Monique J. , van den Bergh Roderick C.N. , van Leeuwen Pim J. , Hoedemaeker Robert F. , van Leenders Geert J.L.H. , Schröder Fritz H. , van der Kwast Theodorus H.
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND

The prostate may often harbor a prostate cancer (PC) which will not cause morbidity if left untreated. Screening for PC leads to increased detection of these insignificant cancers. Objective of this study is to compare PC detected by PSA screening at subsequent screening rounds and treated by radical prostatectomy (RP) with PC incidentally found in cystoprostatectomy specimens.

METHODS

Radical prostatectomy specimens of 617 screen‐detected PC were compared with 123 PC identified in cystoprostatectomy specimens. Surgical specimens were systematically examined and stage, grade, tumor volume were recorded. Next, we classified PC as clinically significant or insignificant (i.e., tumor volume <0.5 cm3, absence of Gleason pattern 4/5, organ confined). Pathological features of incidentally detected PC were compared with PC detected in subsequent screening rounds and with screen‐detected T1c PC.

RESULTS

Screen‐detected PC overall were more often multifocal, larger in volume, more advanced in tumor stage and of higher grade, while the frequency of insignificant PC was lower as compared to those in cystoprostatectomy specimens. This effect became more pronounced during subsequent screening rounds. Screen‐detected T1c PC were also more often multifocal (73% vs. 37%) in average fivefold larger (0.85 cm3 vs. 0.16 cm3), less often organ confined (81% vs. 94%), and less frequently clinically insignificant (33% vs. 81%).

CONCLUSIONS

: Screen‐detected (T1c) PC treated with RP shows more aggressive features than incidentally found PC. This PSA screening‐related selection seems to be mainly driven by tumor volume and—in later screening rounds—by the preferential treatment by prostatectomy of more aggressive PC. Prostate 72:108–115, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characteristics of baseline PSA and PSA velocity in young men without prostate cancer: Racial differences
Authors: Tang Ping , Du Wei , Xie Keji , Fu Jingao , Chen Hui , Yang Wenjun , Moul Judd W.
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND

Baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA) and PSA velocity used to stratify subsequent prostate cancer risk in young men may not directly applicable to all populations. We sought to compare the baseline PSA and PSA velocity among ethnic groups.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Chinese, African‐American (AA), and Caucasian‐American (CA) men aged ≤50 years old without prostate cancer were used to identify baseline PSA and PSA velocity. The differences of baseline PSA and PSA velocity between races were assessed. The important cutoffs of baseline PSA and PSA velocity were used to stratify patients among races.

RESULTS

Four thousand two hundred six Chinese, 997 AA, and 2,030 CA were included. The rates of baseline PSA of ≥1.0, ≥2.5, and ≥4.0 ng/ml was 24.4%, 4.2%, and 2.1% in Chinese, 30.7%, 5.2%, and 1.8% in AA, 29.7%, 5.3%, and 2.8% in CA, respectively. The rates of PSA velocity of ≥0.35, ≥0.75, and ≥1.0 ng/ml/year was 6.0%, 3.1%, and 2.6% in Chinese, 5.3%, 2.3%, and 1.7% in AA, 5.4%, 3.5%, and 3.3% in CA, respectively. Chinese had a lower baseline PSA and higher PSA velocity as compared to AA and CA. Baseline PSA and PSA velocity in AA had no statistical differences as compared to CA.

CONCLUSIONS

The distributions of baseline PSA and PSA velocity in young men among Chinese, AA, and CA races are different. These characteristics shall be taken into account when using these variables to stratify risk of prostate cancer in young men. Prostate 72:173–180, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risk‐adjusted incidence rates for prostate cancer in the United States
Authors: Merrill Ray M. , Sloan Arielle
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND

Risk‐adjusted incidence rates (RAIRs) are population‐based cancer incidence rates that reflect those who have never had the cancer but are at risk of developing it. This study compares RAIRS with conventionally reported incidence rates for prostate cancer.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort design was used, based on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, with focus on white and black malignant prostate cancer cases in the years 2000–2007. RAIRs use only the first primary cancer and adjust for cancer prevalence in order to obtain a better population‐based measure of cancer risk.

RESULTS

Conventionally reported prostate cancer incidence rates underestimate risk for white males by from 0.1% in the age group 40–49 to 20.1% in the age group 80 years and older. In black males, conventional rates underestimate risk by 0.2% in the age group 30–39 to 26.4% in the age group 80 years and older. Trends in RAIRs from 2000 to 2007 increased in the age group 30–49 (17.0% for whites and 14.8% for blacks), decreased in the age group 50–69 (−4.5% for whites and −5.9% for blacks), and decreased in the age group 70 and older (−15.8% for whites and −26.5% for blacks). Trends in RAIRs were similar or less pronounced than trends in conventional rates. The estimated number of cases in the United States in 2007 based on RAIRS was 9.0% greater for whites and 11.3% greater for blacks than when based on conventional rates.

CONCLUSION

Prostate cancer incidence rates that include second and later prostate cancer primaries and adjust for prevalence better reflect cancer burden, whereas, prostate cancer incidence rates that only include the first diagnosed case and adjust for prevalence better reflect cancer risk. Prostate 72:181–185, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lymphatic spread of nodal metastases in high‐risk prostate cancer: The ascending pathway from the pelvis to the retroperitoneum
Authors: Briganti Alberto , Suardi Nazareno , Capogrosso Paolo , Passoni Niccolò , Freschi Massimo , di Trapani Ettore , Gallina Andrea , Capitanio Umberto , Abdollah Firas , Tutolo Manuela , Bianchi Marco , Salonia Andrea , Da Pozzo Luigi Filippo , Montorsi Francesco , Rigatti Patrizio
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to map the nodal metastases distribution in patients with high‐risk prostate cancer (PCa) treated with extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (rLND) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective mapping study included 19 patients with high‐risk PCa (sharing at least two out of the three following parameters: PSA >20 ng/ml, cT3, biopsy Gleason score ≥8). All patients were treated with RP, ePLND (removal of the obturator, hypogastric, external iliac, presacral, and common iliac lymph nodes) and rLND (removal of para‐aortal/para‐caval and inter‐aorto‐caval lymph nodes) by a single surgeon. All patients signed an informed consent highlighting the absence of clinical data supporting the benefit of this surgical approach.

RESULTS

Overall, 18 out of 19 patients (94.7%) had pelvic lymph node invasion. The most commonly affected pelvic nodal landing site was obturator (88.8%), followed by external iliac (83.3%), common iliac (77%), hypogastric (44.4%), and presacral (33.3%). Moreover, 14 (77.8%) patients also had involvement of retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Only patients with positive common iliac lymph nodes having at least five positive lower pelvic lymph nodes (n = 14), also had invariably positive retroperitoneal lymph nodes. No patients with negative common iliac lymph nodes had positive retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

PCa lymphatic spread ascends from the pelvis up to the retroperitoneum invariably through common iliac lymph nodes. PCa lymphatic spread can be divided in two main levels: pelvic and common iliac plus retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Prostate 72:186–192, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Benchmark study on glyphosate‐resistant cropping systems in the United States. Part 5: Effects of glyphosate‐based weed management programs on farm‐level profitability
Authors: Weirich Jason W , Shaw David R , Owen Micheal DK , Dixon Philip M , Weller Stephen C , Young Bryan G , Wilson Robert G , Jordan David L
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND: Glyphosate‐resistant (GR) crops have changed the way growers manage weeds and implement control strategies. Since the introduction of GR crops, growers in many instances have relied on glyphosate almost exclusively to control a broad spectrum of weeds. This overreliance on glyphosate has resulted in the evolution of glyphosate resistance in some weed species. Growers and scientists are concerned about the sustainability of GR crops and glyphosate. When a grower is making decisions about weed control strategies, economic costs and benefits of the program are primary criteria for selection and implementation. Studies across six states were initiated in 2006 to compare the economics of using a weed resistance best management practice (BMP) system with a grower's standard production system.

RESULTS: Resistance BMP systems recommended by university scientists were more costly but provided similar yields and economic returns. Rotation of GR crops resulted in a higher net return (maize and soybean) compared with continuous GR crop (cotton or soybean) or rotating a GR crop with a non‐GR crop (maize).

CONCLUSION: Growers can implement weed resistance BMP systems with the confidence that their net returns will be equivalent in the short run, and, in the long term, resistance BMP systems will prevent or delay the evolution of GR weeds in their fields, resulting in substantial savings. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Gene amplification and insecticide resistance
Authors: Bass Chris , Field Linda M
Published: May 2011

Pesticide resistance in arthropods has been shown to evolve by two main mechanisms, the enhanced production of metabolic enzymes, which bind to and/or detoxify the pesticide, and mutation of the target protein, which makes it less sensitive to the pesticide. One route that leads to enhanced metabolism is the duplication or amplification of the structural gene(s) encoding the detoxifying enzyme, and this has now been described for the three main families (esterases, glutathione S‐transferases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases) implicated in resistance. More recently, a direct or indirect role for gene duplication or amplification has been described for target‐site resistance in several arthropod species. This mini‐review summarises the involvement of gene duplication/amplification in the insecticide/acaricide resistance of insect and mite pests and highlights recent developments in this area in relation to P450‐mediated and target‐site resistance. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Cross‐resistance of horseweed (Conyza canadensis) populations with three different ALS mutations
Authors: Zheng Danman , Kruger Greg R , Singh Sukhvinder , Davis Vince M , Tranel Patrick J , Weller Stephen C , Johnson William G
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND: Horseweed is a weed commonly found in agronomic crops, waste areas and roadsides. Resistance to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides in horseweed was first reported in 1993 in a population from Israel. Resistance to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides in horseweed is now widespread, but, as of now, the resistance mechanism has not been reported.

RESULTS: Two of three populations evaluated (P116 and P13) were found to be uniform for resistance (>98% of individuals survived 8.8 g AI ha−1 of cloransulam), whereas a third population, P525, contained about 85% resistant individuals. Cross‐resistance to cloransulam, chlorimuron, imazethapyr and bispyribac was observed in the P116 population. P525 and P13 were both sensitive to imazethapyr but resistant to chlorimuron, imazethapyr and bispyribac. Enzyme activity assays indicated that resistance in P13 was due to an altered target site. Southern blot analysis indicated that the ALS target site is encoded by a single copy gene. Overlapping ALS gene regions were amplified and sequenced from each population. Amino acid substitutions of Ser for Pro at position 197 (P197S) was detected from P13, Ala for Pro (P197A) was identified from P525 and substitution of Glu for Asp (D376E) at position 376 was found in P116. Molecular markers were developed to differentiate between wild‐type and resistant codons at positions 197 and 376 of horseweed ALS.

CONCLUSION: Resistance to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides in horseweed is conferred by target‐site mutations that have also been identified in other weed species. Identification of the mutations within horseweed ALS gene sequence enables molecular assays for rapid detection and resistance diagnosis. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Ultrathin metal oxidation for vacuum monitoring device applications
Authors: Mäder Sebastian , Haas Thomas , Kunze Ulrich , Doll Theodor
Published: May 2011

The oxide growth on thin metal films at room temperature has been investigated in terms of resistance change during oxidation. These data have been interpreted using the extended Cabrera–Mott theory of oxidation by Boggio. The resulting oxide thickness as well as the oxidation kinetics was found to depend on pressure. According to this dependence, oxidation of ultrathin metal films can be applied for monitoring the vacuum quality inside an evacuated environment. The performance of aluminum and copper sensing layers are compared with respect to sensor lifetime and response. Furthermore, the theoretically evaluated and resistively measured oxide thicknesses are verified by TEM studies.
Simple way of fabrication of Epoxy Novolak Resin optical waveguides on silicon substrate
Authors: Prajzler Vaclav , Lyutakov Oleksiy , Huttel Ivan , Barna Jiri , Spirkova Jarmila , Nekvindova Palva , Jerabek Vitezslav
Published: May 2011

In this paper we report about design, fabrication and properties of the polymer optical waveguides deposited on silica‐on‐silicon substrate. The design of the waveguides is based on a concept that geometric dimensions of the single mode polymer waveguide are determined by geometrical parameters of the silica layer. The design of the waveguides was schemed for 650 nm, 850 nm, 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelength. The design of the presented planar waveguides was realized on the bases of modified dispersion equation while the ridge waveguides design was proposed following the Fischbeck concept. Both designs were refined applying RSoft software using beam propagation method. Proposed shapes of the waveguides were etched by standard photolithography process into the silica layers and polymer waveguide layers were subsequently deposited into the treated substrate by spin coating. Epoxy Novolak Resin was used as the waveguide core material and polymethylmethacrylate was used as a cover protection layer. Propagation optical loss measurements were done by using the cut‐back method. The best samples had optical losses lower than 1.5 dB/cm at 650 nm and 0.5 dB/cm at 1310 nm (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Detailed study of flat bands appearing in metallic photonic crystals
Authors: Vala Ali Soltani , Sedghi Aliasghar , Hosseini Naser , Kalafi Manouchehr
Published: May 2011

It has been difficult to compute the band structures of metallic photonic crystals for H‐polarization. The existence of surface plasmon modes is the major reason for difficulty due to the localized nature of these modes. In this study, by virtue of the efficiency of the newly developed Dirichlet‐to‐Neumann map method, we are able to investigate the details of the flat bands in a two dimensional square lattice with metallic cylinders. We have obtained fine band structure for H polarization around the flat band region which has not been reported to the best of our knowledge. Our numerical results show that for the frequency around the surface plasmon, the modes are highly localized at the interface of the cylindrical metallic rods and air background and also by approaching the modes to the surface plasmon frequency the localization length decreases and the number of field's nodes increases considerably. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Polarization of optical spectra in transparent conductive oxide β‐Ga2O3
Authors: Yamaga Mitsuo , Ishikawa Tatsuya , Yoshida Masashi , Hasegawa Takamasa , Villora Encarnacion G. , Shimamura Kiyoshi
Published: May 2011

β‐Ga2O3 single crystals have the band gap energy of 4.8 eV. Luminescence spectra in β‐Ga2O3 crystals excited above the band gap energy consist of UV and blue/green broad bands. Polarization of the optical absorption and luminescence spectra and decay curves of the luminescence observed in the temperature range from 14 to 300 K can identify the luminescent centres. The UV luminescent centre with a lifetime of 1.5 μs is assigned as self‐trapped exciton, consisting of self‐trapped hole in the form of GaO4 tetrahedral complex and bound electron. As the decay curves of the blue/green luminescence bands fit a power function of t‐n (n∼0.8), the luminescence occurs through recombination of donors and acceptors in the crystal. The donor is coincident with a conduction electron trapped at single or coupled oxygen vacancies in the crystal estimated from electron‐spin resonance (ESR) (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)