bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term outcomes and clinicopathologic differences of African‐American versus white patients treated with breast conservation therapy for early‐stage breast cancer
Authors: Moran Meena S. , Yang Qifeng , Harris Lyndsay N. , Jones Beth , Tuck David P. , Haffty Bruce G.
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND.

African–American (AA) and white patients with early–stage disease who were treated with breast conservation therapy (BCT) were examined to detect differences in clinicopathologic features and outcomes as a function of race.

METHODS.

Clinical data from the charts of 2164 white and 207 AA patients treated with BCT, and p53 expression status on 444 patients (from an existing tissue database), were analyzed to detect differences between the 2 cohorts.

RESULTS.

The median follow‐up was 7 years. There were no differences in the method of tumor detection, lymph nodes excised, surgical margin status, or chemotherapy/radiotherapy delivered, reflecting similar screening and treatment policies for AA women in the study community. Despite this, AA patient presented at a younger age, with higher T and N classifications, and more estrogen and progesterone negative and “triple negative” tumors (all P values <.016). Tumors in AA patients were p53 positive more often than tumors in white patients (P = .0003). At 10 years, AA patients had a higher rate of distant metastasis (20% vs 17%; P = .042), lymph node recurrence (6% vs 2%; P = .004), and breast recurrence (17% vs 13%; P = .036). There was no difference in overall survival between the 2 groups. On multivariate analysis, only lymph node recurrence (risk ratio of 3.140; 95% confidence interval, 1.396‐7.063 [P = .0057]) remained significantly higher among AA women.

CONCLUSIONS.

In this cohort of uniformly treated patients, the authors found the expected clinicopathologic differences, but race was not found to be an independent predictor of local recurrence for AA patients when other confounding variables were taken into account in the multivariate model. These findings suggest that BCT is a reasonable option for appropriately selected AA patients. To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest study addressing outcomes after BCT for AA women published to date. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Defining potency: A comparison of the International Index of Erectile Function short version and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite
Authors: Schroeck Florian R. , Donatucci Craig F. , Smathers Emily C. , Sun Leon , Albala David M. , Polascik Thomas J. , Moul Judd W. , Krupski Tracey L.
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND.

Both the 5‐item short version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5) and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) have been used to assess erectile function. In this study, the authors compared various definitions of potency according to the IIEF‐5 and the EPIC.

METHODS.

Patients with prostate cancer who had completed the IIEF‐5 and the EPIC within 7 days of each other were included. The Spearman correlation coefficient (rho) was calculated to assess the relation between IIEF‐5 and EPIC sexual domain scores. Concordance of potency rates by IIEF‐5 and EPIC was assessed in cross‐tabulations. By calculating the area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC), the authors ascertained the discriminative ability of the IIEF‐5 score to identify potent men as defined by the EPIC.

RESULTS.

Analyzing 102 questionnaire pairs, IIEF‐5 and EPIC domain scores were found to be highly correlated (rho = 0.776). EPIC sexual domain scores ≥60 had high concordance with IIEF‐5 scores ≥17 (98%) and with nearly all single‐item definitions of potency (≥71%). However, an EPIC sexual domain score ≥80 was a very strict definition of potency, and only 54% of patients with IIEF‐5 scores ≥22 met this threshold. On the basis of ROC analysis (AUC = 0.90), an IIEF‐5 score ≥20 was identified as the ideal cutoff for defining potency and corresponded with an EPIC sexual domain score ≥60.

CONCLUSIONS.

IIEF‐5 and EPIC scores were highly correlated, but potency rates varied widely, depending on the definition of potency. The current results help with the interpretation of sexual function outcomes data in patients with prostate cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Epithelial and pseudoepithelial differentiation in glioblastoma and gliosarcoma
Authors: Rodriguez Fausto J. , Scheithauer Bernd W. , Giannini Caterina , Bryant Sandra C. , Jenkins Robert B.
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND.

Glioblastomas exhibit a remarkable tendency toward morphologic diversity. Although rare, pseudoepithelial components (adenoid or epithelioid) or true epithelial differentiation may occur, posing a significant diagnostic challenge.

METHODS.

Hematoxylin and eosin–stained slides were reviewed, and immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed.

RESULTS.

The patients included 38 men and 20 women. The median age at diagnosis was 57 years (interquartile range [IQR], 50 years‐67 years), and the median overall survival was 7 months (IQR, 4 months‐11 months). “Adenoid” glioblastomas (A‐GBM) predominated (48%). True epithelial glioblastomas (TE‐GBM) were next most frequent based on morphology and immunohistochemistry (35%), followed by epithelioid glioblastomas (E‐GBM) (17%). Overall, 25 (43%) tumors featured a sarcomatous component. Molecular cytogenetic abnormalities identified by fluorescent in situ hybridization in A‐GBM, E‐GBM, and TE‐GBM, respectively, included p16 deletion/‐9 (60%, 71%, 64%); chromosome 10 loss (40%, 63%, 57%), chromosome 7 gain without EGFR amplification (70%, 38%, 40%), EGFR amplification (10%, 50%, 27%), PTEN deletion (10%, 25%, 29%), PDGFRA amplification (10%, 25%, 0%), and RB1 deletion/−13q (50%, 0%, 14%). Abnormalities identified by immunohistochemistry included p21 immunonegativity (60%, 25%, 93%), which was most frequent in TE‐GBM (P = .008), strong nuclear p53 staining (29%, 29%, 41%), strong membranous staining for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (21%, 63%, 19%), which was most frequent in E‐GBM (P = .03), and an increased frequency of p27 immunonegativity in gliosarcomas (15% negative, 85% focal) compared with tumors without sarcoma (38% strongly positive) (P = .009).

CONCLUSIONS.

Pseudoepithelial and true epithelial morphology are rare phenomena in GBM and may be associated with a similar poor prognosis. These tumors demonstrate proportions of molecular genetic abnormalities varying somewhat from conventional GBM. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Cetuximab in combination with carboplatin and docetaxel for patients with metastatic or advanced‐stage nonsmall cell lung cancer
Authors: Belani Chandra P. , Schreeder Marshall T. , Steis Ronald G. , Guidice Richard A. , Marsland Thomas A. , Butler Elizabeth H. , Ramalingam Suresh S.
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND.

Cetuximab, an immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 chimeric monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, has demonstrated evidence of activity in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). When administered in combination with carboplatin and docetaxel, a commonly used regimen for advanced NSCLC, cetuximab has exhibited synergistic interaction in preclinical studies. Therefore, a phase 2 study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of cetuximab, carboplatin, and docetaxel for the treatment of advanced NSCLC.

METHODS.

Chemotherapy‐naïve patients aged ≥18 years with stage IIIB (with effusion) or stage IV NSCLC received cetuximab (at a dose of 400 mg/m2 on Day 1 and 250 mg/m2 on Days 8 and 15) plus docetaxel (at a dose of 75 mg/m2 on Day 1) and carboplatin (area under the concentration vs time curve [AUC] = 6 on Day 1) every 21 days for up to 6 cycles (graded according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System). Thereafter, patients without evidence of disease progression were continued on single‐agent cetuximab for a maximum of 1 year or until disease progression. The primary endpoint was response rate.

RESULTS.

Eighty patients were enrolled. The median number of cycles administered was 4 (range, 1‐6 cycles). The objective response rate was 15.2%, with a median progression‐free survival of 4.6 months and a median overall survival of 10.3 months. The salient grades 3 of 4 adverse events were neutropenia (30%), hypotension (3%), hypokalemia (4%), and hypomagnesemia (3%). Twenty‐five patients received single‐agent cetuximab (median duration, 12 weeks) and this was well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS.

The results of this large, multicenter, phase 3 study indicate that the novel combination of cetuximab with docetaxel and carboplatin demonstrate modest anticancer activity for patients with advanced and metastatic NSCLC and has an acceptable toxicity profile. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Randomized trial to assess the efficacy of intraoperative steroid use in decreasing acute urinary retention after transperineal radioactive iodine‐125 implantation for prostate cancer
Authors: Mierzwa Michelle L. , Barrett William L. , Redmond Kevin , Shirazi Reza , Kastl Ali , Kumar Nitin , Buncher Ralph
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND.

Acute urinary retention is a potential complication of brachytherapy, with the literature estimating that 5% to 22% of patients require catheterization within 48 hours after implantation. In theory, postimplantation edema could be reduced by using intraoperative steroids. A prospective trial was conducted randomizing patients to a single intraoperative dose of dexamethasone versus no steroid use.

METHODS.

In all, 196 evaluable patients who received iodine‒125 (I125) interstitial brachytherapy alone as definitive treatment for low‐to‐intermediate risk prostate cancer were randomized to receive either dexamethasone at a dose of 6 mg administered intravenously intraoperatively (Arm A) or no steroids (Arm B). All patients completed the International Prostate Symptom Score before treatment. Patients were contacted by telephone 72 to 96 hours after treatment and the need for catheterization was reported.

RESULTS.

Between 2003 and 2005, 99 patients received steroids on treatment Arm A and 97 patients were treated according to control Arm B. Treatment arms were balanced with respect to pretreatment characteristics. A total of 3 patients required catheterization (2 in Arm A and 1 in Arm B). The overall rate of catheterization was 1.5%, with no statistically significant difference noted between treatment arms. The 3 patients requiring catheterization had no statistical differences from other patients with respect to pretreatment characteristics, number of seeds/needles used, or postimplantation computed tomography volume of the prostate.

CONCLUSIONS.

There was no statistically significant difference noted between treatment arms in the current study, leading the authors to conclude that intraoperative dexamethasone did not decrease the rate of catheterization required after brachytherapy. The overall rate of postimplantation catheterization in the current study was 1.5%, which is lower than reported elsewhere in the literature and in a retrospective review from the study institution. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Formation Mechanism of Mesostructured Silica in Confined Space: An In Situ GISAXS Study
Authors: Platschek Barbara , Köhn Ralf , Döblinger Markus , Bein Thomas
Published: September 2008

The structural evolution of periodic mesoporous material within the channels of anodic alumina membranes (AAMs) by evaporation‐induced self‐assembly (EISA) is investigated by a combination of in situ grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS) with parallel detection of solvent evaporation and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Kinetically controlled and equilibrium‐controlled structural evolution can be distinguished for these EISA processes. A new mechanism for formation of mesostructures in the confined environment of AAMs is proposed. Data are presented for samples synthesized with nonionic surfactants at various surfactant:silica ratios and relative humidities. The formation of and transformations between circular or columnar 2D hexagonal and tubular lamellar structures are observed. The circular hexagonal phase is kinetically favored over the columnar hexagonal orientation. The TEM images provide evidence that phase transformations, depending on their type, either start preferentially at the channel wall or in the center of the mesostructured fibers.
Comparative Photostability Studies of BODIPY and Fluorescein Dyes by Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
Authors: Hinkeldey Babette , Schmitt Alexander , Jung Gregor
Published: September 2008

In single‐molecule applications, the photostability of fluorescent molecules is a key parameter. We apply fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to compare the photostability of four fluorescein and four borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes of similar structure but different triplet yields. The latter class of dyes are more stable. In the kinetic analysis the, diffusion and photobleaching are treated as competitive processes. Corrections, which account for saturation and for experimental artefacts, are achieved solely by using experimental data. Photobleaching is found to occur mainly through the first excited singlet state S1, in contrast to previous findings.
Concerted and Stepwise Proton‐Coupled Electron Transfers in Aquo/Hydroxo Complex Couples in Water: Oxidative Electrochemistry of [OsII(bpy)2(py)(OH2)]2+
Authors: Costentin Cyrille , Robert Marc , Savéant Jean‐Michel , Teillout Anne‐Lucie
Published: September 2008

Successive oxidation of transition metal(II) aqua complexes (MIIOH2 to MIIIOH) is a domain in which proton‐coupled electron transfer reactions are extremely common. The mechanism of these PCET reactions—concerted or stepwise—is an important issue in the understanding and design of natural or artificial systems catalyzing the formation of dioxygen by four‐electron oxidation of water. Concerted proton‐coupled electron transfer from an aqua metal(II) to a hydroxo metal(III) complex requires the close proximity of a proton‐accepting group with a pK value between those of the aqua complexes. Otherwise, stepwise electron–proton or proton–electron pathways involving high‐energy intermediates are followed. Concerted proton–electron pathways involving water as proton‐acceptor or proton‐donor group are inefficient. Cyclic voltammetry of the title complex in buffered aqueous solution and re‐examination of previous results for the same complex attached to an electrode surface are used to establish these conclusions, which provide a starting point on the route to higher degrees of oxidation, such as those involved in the catalysis of water oxidation.
Hopfield neural‐network‐based dynamic resource allocation scheme for non‐real‐time traffic in wireless networks
Authors: Monserrat José F. , Calabuig Daniel , Rubio Lorenzo , Cardona Narcís
Published: September 2008

Dynamic resource allocation (DRA) plays a fundamental role in current and future wireless networks, including 3G systems. In this paper, a scheduling DRA scheme for non‐real‐time (NRT) packet services in wireless system is proposed based on the use of Hopfield neural networks (HNN). The scheme exploits the fast response time of HNN for solving NP optimization problems and has been particularized for the downlink transmission in a UMTS system, although it could be easily extended to any other radio access technology. The new DRA scheme follows a delay‐centric approach, since it maximizes the overall system resource utilization while minimizing the packet delay. Simulation results confirm that the proposed HNN‐based DRA scheme is effective in supporting different types of NRT services, while achieving efficient utilization of radio resources. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Architecture design, performance analysis and VLSI implementation of a reconfigurable shared buffer for high‐speed switch/router
Authors: Wu Ling , Li Cheng
Published: September 2008

Modern switches and routers require massive storage space to buffer packets. This becomes more significant as link speed increases and switch size grows. From the memory technology perspective, while DRAM is a good choice to meet capacity requirement, the access time causes problems for high‐speed applications. On the other hand, though SRAM is faster, it is more costly and does not have high storage density. The SRAM/DRAM hybrid architecture provides a good solution to meet both capacity and speed requirements. From the switch design and network traffic perspective, to minimize packet loss, the buffering space allocated for each switch port is normally based on the worst‐case scenario, which is usually huge. However, under normal traffic load conditions, the buffer utilization for such configuration is very low. Therefore, we propose a reconfigurable buffer‐sharing scheme that can dynamically adjust the buffering space for each port according to the traffic patterns and buffer saturation status. The target is to achieve high performance and improve buffer utilization, while not posing much constraint on the buffer speed. In this paper, we study the performance of the proposed buffer‐sharing scheme by both a numerical model and extensive simulations under uniform and non‐uniform traffic conditions. We also present the architecture design and VLSI implementation of the proposed reconfigurable shared buffer using the 0.18 µmCMOStechnology. Our results manifest that the proposed architecture can always achieve high performance and provide much flexibility for the high‐speed packet switches to adapt to various traffic patterns. Furthermore, it can be easily integrated into the functionality of port controllers of modern switches and routers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diverse roles of E‐cadherin in the morphogenesis of the submandibular gland: Insights into the formation of acinar and ductal structures
Authors: Walker Janice L. , Menko A. Sue , Khalil Sheede , Rebustini Ivan , Hoffman Matthew P. , Kreidberg Jordan A. , Kukuruzinska Maria A.
Published: September 2008

The formation of acinar and ductal structures during epithelial tissue branching morphogenesis is not well understood. We report that in the mouse submandibular gland (SMG), acinar and ductal cell fates are determined early in embryonic morphogenesis with E‐cadherin playing pivotal roles in development. We identified two morphologically distinct cell populations at the single bud stage, destined for different functions. The outer layer of columnar cells with organized E‐cadherin junctions expressed the neonatal acinar marker B1 by E13.5, demonstrating their acinar fate. The interior cells initially lacked distinct E‐cadherin junctions, but with morphogenesis formed cytokeratin 7 (K7) ‐positive ductal structures with organized E‐cadherin junctions and F‐actin filaments. Inhibition of E‐cadherin function with either siRNA or function blocking antibody caused extensive apoptosis of ductal cells and aberrantly dilated lumens, providing the first evidence that E‐cadherin regulates ductal lumen formation during branching morphogenesis of the salivary gland. Developmental Dynamics 237:3128–3141, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential survival response of neurons to exogenous GDNF depends on the presence of skeletal muscle
Authors: Angka Heather E. , Geddes Allison J. , Kablar Boris
Published: September 2008

Glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is known as a potent survival factor for neurons in vitro and in vivo. The current study investigated the effects of a single in utero injection with GDNF in both wild‐type and Myf5−/−:MyoD−/− embryos. The embryos in the latter group, denoted double mutants (DM), do not contain skeletal muscle and associated neurotrophic factors due to lack of myogenesis and, therefore, neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system undergo excessively occurring programmed cell death (EPCD). We found that treatment with GDNF had no effect on wild type neuronal numbers in any of the anatomic locations investigated. However, GDNF rescued the neurons of the facial motor nucleus, the mesencephalic nucleus and the median motor column in the absence of skeletal muscle. The findings of the current study agree with previous reports that compromised mouse neurons have increased survival response to GDNF. Developmental Dynamics 237:3169–3178, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of the fras1/frem gene family during zebrafish development and fin morphogenesis
Authors: Gautier Philippe , Naranjo‐Golborne Cecilia , Taylor Martin S. , Jackson Ian J. , Smyth Ian
Published: September 2008

Mouse studies have highlighted the requirement of the extracellular matrix Fras and Frem proteins for embryonic epidermal adhesion. Mutations of the genes encoding some of these proteins underlie the blebs mouse mutants, whereas mutations in human FRAS1 and FREM2 cause Fraser syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by embryonic blistering and renal defects. We have cloned the zebrafish homologues of these genes and characterized their evolutionary diversification and expression during development. The fish gene complement includes fras1, frem1a, frem1b, frem2a, frem2b, and frem3, which display complex overlapping and complementary expression patterns in developing tissues including the pharyngeal arches, hypochord, musculature, and otic vesicle. Expression during fin development delineates distinct populations of epidermal cells which have previously only been described at a morphological level. We detect relatively little gene expression in epidermis or pronephros, suggesting that the essential role of these proteins in mediating their development in humans and mice is recently evolved. Developmental Dynamics 237:3295–3304, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the capability of the T‐S model in describing nonlinear systems
Authors: Kanehara Akira , Liu Kang‐Zhi
Published: September 2008

The Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) model is one of the most powerful methods in describing nonlinear systems. Because the T‐S model can be easily converted into an LPV system, Lyapunov stability analysis and controller design reduce to solving an LMI problem. However, since the constructed T‐S model is generally approximation, how to construct a T‐S model with less approximation error is important. In this paper, we propose a modeling method for T‐S model which yields no error for some class of nonlinear systems, and discuss some expansion as well as estimation of error bound for general nonlinear systems. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(1): 52–59, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20503
Experiments on charge generation in cross‐linked polyethylene and ethylene‐propylene copolymer
Authors: Sekii Yasuo , Taya Atsushi , Suzuki Hirokazu , Maeno Takashi
Published: September 2008

To study the space charge generation in cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) and ethylene propylene copolymer (EPR), space charge profiles in both materials are measured using the PEA method. The experimental results demonstrated a large difference in the detected charge profiles between XLPE and EPR. We discovered that the diffusion of charge is significantly faster in EPR than in XLPE. The authors confirmed that the negative hetero charge is generated near the positive electrode in EPR when moisture coexists with acetophenone. The effects of antioxidants on the generation of hetero space charges in XLPE and EPR are also studied using XLPE and EPR samples containing different kinds of phenolic and sulfur type antioxidants. The authors discovered that hetero charge is generated in XLPE and EPR containing sulfur‐type, or sulfur‐containing phenolic, antioxidants when acetophenone is present in the material. The hetero charge generation is inferred as being caused by the combined effect between acetophenone and the component containing sulfur atoms of the antioxidants. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(1): 1–9, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20690
A method of new filter design based on the co‐occurrence histogram
Authors: Fujiwara Takayuki , Yamaashi Kazuhiko , Koshimizu Hiroyasu
Published: September 2008

We have proposed that the co‐occurrence frequency image (CFI) based on the co‐occurrence frequency histogram of the gray value of an image can be used in a new scheme for image feature extraction. This paper proposes new enhancement filters to achieve sharpening and smoothing of images. These filters are very similar in result but quite different in process from those which have been used previously. Thus, we show the possibility of a new paradigm for basic image enhancement filters making use of the CFI. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(1): 36–42, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20699
Experimental verification for stability improvement of sensorless vector control system of induction motor using real‐time tuning of observer gain
Authors: Ohyama Kazuhiro , Hamaoka Teruo , Asher Greg , Sumner Mark
Published: September 2008

This paper proposes a method for the design of the adaptive rotor flux observer gain to improve stability at low speed and in regenerating mode. The method is based on stability analysis, which utilizes a linearized model considering all systems, including each control loop. Therefore, the proposed method considers the effects of motor constants and control circuit constants. The stability analysis using the transfer function for the rotor speed considers the arrangement of poles and zeros and the steady‐state error. The rotor flux observer gain which improves the stability for each operating condition is ascertained. This paper also proposes a real‐time tuning method for the observer gain. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed by simulation using Matlab Simulink and by experiment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(1): 67–81, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20715
Polymerase chain reaction‐based comprehensive procedure for the analysis of the mutation spectrum at the hypoxanthine‐guanine phosphoribosyltransferase locus in Chinese hamster cells
Authors: Yu Yong‐Jia , Xu Zhidong , Gibbs Richard A. , Hsie Abraham W.
Published: September 2008

We have established a comprehensive procedure based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to analyze the molecular spectrum of mutations at the hypoxanthine‐guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) locus in Chinese hamster cells. The procedure includes direct sequencing of PCR‐amplified hprt cDNA for locating point mutations in the expressed coding sequences, multiplex PCR amplification of the hprt exons for screening large deletions, and direct sequencing of PCR‐amplified hprt exons and their flanking regions for detecting intronic mutations resulting in mRNA splicing errors. Using this procedure, we have identified different types of mutations among a representative collection of spontaneous and induced HPRT‐deficient Chinese hamster cell mutants. This procedure is simple, rapid, accurate, and practical for a comprehensive study of the mutation spectrum in a large number of HPRT‐deficient Chinese hamster cell mutants.
Factors influencing mutation at the hprt locus in T‐lymphocytes: Studies in normal women and women with benign and malignant breast masses
Authors: Branda Richard F. , O'Neill J. Patrick , Jacobson‐Kram David , Albertini Richard J.
Published: September 2008

A prospective, longitudinal study was performed to test the hypothesis that environmental factors (e.g., diet or cigarette smoking) modulate genetic damage caused by treatment for breast cancer and render these women more susceptible to developing second malignancies. A total of 107 women (49 with breast cancer, 52 with benign breast masses, and 6 normal women) were enrolled. This report describes initial studies at the time of enrollment and disease presentation. Mutant frequency at the hprt locus and cloning efficiency of peripheral blood lymphocytes did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. Mutant frequency increased with age, with a history of cigarette smoking, and with the number of years that current smokers used cigarettes. There was no correlation in women with benign masses between mutant frequency and the incidence of chromosome aberrations (28 women) or sister chromatid exchanges (23 women). A maternal history of breast cancer did not influence mutant frequency. There was no significant relationship between dietary intake of vitamins A, B12, C and E, folacin, selenium, calcium, caffeine, or multivitamin pills, and mutant frequency. Serum folate levels in the deficient range were associated (P = 0.02) with elevated mutant frequencies, whereas SCE rates inversely correlated with serum vitamin B12 levels. These results confirm the importance of age and, less so, cigarette smoking as factors that influence mutant frequency and suggest that a micronutrient, folic acid, may modify genetic damage at the hprt locus. To the extent that somatic mutation contributes to carcinogenesis, these environmental factors may enhance the risk of developing malignant transformation.
Isolation by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting of cells of a human lymphoblastoid cell strain containing mutations in the lambda immunoglobulin gene
Authors: McFarland Richard D. , Vincent Jack L. , Smith Gary J.
Published: September 2008

Fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to establish clonal populations of a human lymphoblastoid cell strain that contain spontaneously occurring and N‐methyl‐N'‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine‐induced mutations in the lambda immunoglobulin gene. Multiple rounds of FACS using a monoclonal antibody specific for the membrane‐expressed human lambda immunoglobulin were used to enrich the population fraction of cells lacking a wild‐type lambda immunoglobulin on the cell surface. Approximately 20% of the clonal populations established after five rounds of FACS‐mediated enrichment did not express the lambda immunoglublin epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody used for selection. However, evaluation of the FACS‐selected mutant clonal populations with a polyclonal antilambda antibody, or a monoclonal antibody directed against a different epitope on the lambda immunoglobulin made by the T5‐1 cells, indicated that the mutant clonal populations expressed lambda immunoglobulin on their cell surfaces. Additionally, the presence of lambda mRNA and of both secreted and cytoplasmic lambda protein confirmed the transcription and translation of the lambda immunoglobulin gene. These data suggest that FACS‐mediated selection employing epitope‐specific monoclonal antibodies provides a powerful technique for isolation of cell populations that express mutations within the coding region of the lambda immunoglobulin gene.
Clastogenic effect of fenfluramine in mice bone marrow cells in vivo
Authors: Agarwal Kalpana , Mukherjee Anita , Sharma Archana , Sharma Ramesh , Bhardwaj Kuldip Raj , Sen Soumitra
Published: September 2008

Fenfluramine, an amphetamine derivative used in the treatment of obesity, has been evaluated in vivo in the bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice using two cytogenetic endpoints for assessing its genotoxic and clastogenic potentials. Concentrations of 0.75, 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg/kg b.w. were administered orally for the study of sister chromatid exchange frequencies and chromosome aberrations (CA). SCE frequencies showed a positive dose response; 1.5 mg/kg being the minimum effective concentration. Fen caused a prolongation of cell cycle at all concentrations. Except for the minimum therapeutic dose (0.75 mg), all other doses (1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg) showed a significant increase in the percentage of damaged cells over that of the vehicle control. The degree of clastogenicity was directly proportional to the dosage used and inversely related with the duration of treatment. A gradual reduction of the clastogenic potential was observed after 12 and 24 hr of exposure, indicating that the maximum effect occurs at the middle or late synthetic phase of the cell cycle. This study, probably the first detailed screening of the drug for its genotoxicity, shows that Fen is moderately clastogenic and a DNA damaging agent in vivo.
A numerical technique for laminar swirling flow at the interface between porous and homogenous fluid domains
Authors: Yu P. , Lee T. S. , Zeng Y. , Meguid S. A. , Low H. T.
Published: September 2008

There have been a few recent numerical implementations of the stress‐jump condition at the interface of conjugate flows, which couple the governing equations for flows in the porous and homogenous fluid domains. These previous demonstration cases were for two‐dimensional, planar flows with simple geometries, for example, flow over a porous layer or flow through a porous plug. The present study implements the interfacial stress‐jump condition for a non‐planar flow with three velocity components, which is more realistic in terms of practical flow applications. The steady, laminar, Newtonian flow in a stirred micro‐bioreactor with a porous scaffold inside was investigated. It is shown how to implement the interfacial jump condition on the radial, axial, and swirling velocity components. To avoid a full three‐dimensional simulation, the flow is assumed to be independent of the azimuthal direction, which makes it an axisymmetric flow with a swirling velocity. The present interface treatment is suitable for non‐flat surfaces, which is achieved by applying the finite volume method based on body‐fitted and multi‐block grids. The numerical simulations show that a vortex breakdown bubble, attached to the free surface, occurs above a certain Reynolds number. The presence of the porous scaffold delays the onset of vortex breakdown and confines it to a region above the scaffold. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐order accurate p‐multigrid discontinuous Galerkin solution of the Euler equations
Authors: Bassi F. , Ghidoni A. , Rebay S. , Tesini P.
Published: September 2008

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods have proven to be perfectly suited for the construction of very high‐order accurate numerical schemes on arbitrary unstructured and possibly nonconforming grids for a wide variety of applications, but are rather demanding in terms of computational resources. In order to improve the computational efficiency of this class of methods a p‐multigrid solution strategy has been developed, which is based on a semi‐implicit Runge–Kutta smoother for high‐order polynomial approximations and the implicit Backward Euler smoother for piecewise constant approximations. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by comparison with p‐multigrid schemes employing purely explicit smoothing operators for several 2D inviscid test cases. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust design and numerical simulation on drag reduction by a mixture film for liquid turbulence in a channel
Authors: Wu Sheng‐Ju , Ouyang Kwan , Shiah Sheau‐Wen
Published: September 2008

An important way of increasing the speed and lowering the fuel consumption of ships is by decreasing the frictional drag. One of the most promising techniques for reducing drag is the use of air bubbles. The goal of this investigation is to establish a set of optimum robust parametric levels for drag reduction by a mixture (air–water) film in turbulent channel flow. Based on the conditions laid out by the Taguchi orthogonal array method, turbulent flows, with air bubbles injected into a channel, are simulated using commercial computational fluid dynamics software. The local shear stress on the upper wall is computed to evaluate the efficiency of drag reduction. Many factors can affect drag reduction. The factors investigated in this study are the rate of air injection, bubble size, area of air injection, flow speed, and measured position of the shear stress. These factors have been investigated through the analysis of variance, which has revealed that the rate of air injection and water flow speed dominate the efficiency of drag reduction by a mixture film. According to the results, the drag can be reduced by an average of 83.4%; and when the configuration of the parametric levels is optimum the maximum drag reduction of 88.5% is achieved. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forecasting ability of GARCH vs Kalman filter method: evidence from daily UK time‐varying beta
Authors: Choudhry Taufiq , Wu Hao
Published: September 2008

This paper investigates the forecasting ability of four different GARCH models and the Kalman filter method. The four GARCH models applied are the bivariate GARCH, BEKK GARCH, GARCH‐GJR and the GARCH‐X model. The paper also compares the forecasting ability of the non‐GARCH model: the Kalman method. Forecast errors based on 20 UK company daily stock return (based on estimated time‐varying beta) forecasts are employed to evaluate out‐of‐sample forecasting ability of both GARCH models and Kalman method. Measures of forecast errors overwhelmingly support the Kalman filter approach. Among the GARCH models the GJR model appears to provide somewhat more accurate forecasts than the other bivariate GARCH models. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Why has the health inequality among infants in the US declined? Accounting for the shrinking gap
Authors: Lin Wanchuan
Published: September 2008

Given that wealthier people are healthier, the increase in income inequality over the past two decades has led to fears that inequalities in health have also increased. Indeed, some papers have found that health disparities have become more salient among some adult populations. Using the US Vital Statistics 1983–2000, this paper presents a new stylized fact: the infant health disparity, as measured by Apgar score, neonatal mortality and infant mortality, has been narrowing over the past two decades. This is in sharp contrast to the increasing disparities in health among adults of different educational backgrounds. Using a decomposition method, I find that the most important factor in explaining the closing gap is an increase in access to medical care. All else being equal, access to proper medical care is the most important factor in explaining the narrowing infant health gap. Demographic shifts and maternal behavior changes are also significant factors, together explaining 42.2% of the closing gap in low Apgar score, 41.4% of the closing gap in neonatal death, and 45.6% of the closing gap in infant death. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What has influenced patient health‐care expenditures in Japan?: variables of age, death, length of stay, and medical care
Authors: Sato Emi , Fushimi Kiyohide
Published: September 2008

This study considers variables related to health‐care expenditures associated with aging and long‐term hospitalization in Japan. We focused on daily per capita inpatient health‐care expenditures, and examined the impact of inpatient characteristics such as sex, age, survived or deceased, length of stay, adult disease, and type of medical care received during the duration of each stay. We analyzed data from the Survey of Medical‐Care Activities in Public Health Insurance by multinomial logistic regression analyses. Age of patient had little impact on per capita inpatient health‐care expenditures per day. As regards length of stay, inpatient stays of 8–14 days had a little impact on health‐care expenditures. This study suggested that these results might be due to the kind of medical care received. More research is needed to determine the appropriate medical services to reduce long‐term hospitalization. In the last month of care for patients who died, medical examinations had a great influence on health‐care expenditures. This study showed that increasing medical examinations in the end‐of‐life care needs further investigation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of Molecular‐Dynamics Simulation for Optimizing Protein Stability: Consensus‐Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins
Authors: Winger Moritz , van Gunsteren Wilfred F.
Published: September 2008

In earlier work, two highly homologous (87% sequence identity) ankyrin repeat (AR) proteins, E3_5 and E3_19, were studied using molecular‐dynamics (MD) simulation. Their stabilities were compared, and it was found that the C‐terminal capping unit is unstable in the protein E3_19, in agreement with CD experiments. The different stabilities of these two very similar proteins could be explained by the different charge distributions among the AR units of the two proteins. Here, another AR protein, N3C, with yet another charge distribution has been simulated using MD, and its stability was analyzed. In agreement with the experimental data, the structure of N3C was found to be less stable than that of E3_5, but, in contrast to E3_19, secondary structure was only slightly lost, while structurally N3C is closer to E3_19 than to E3_5. The results suggest that a homogeneous charge distribution over the repeat units does enhance the stability of design AR proteins in aqueous solution, which, however, may be modulated by the bulkiness of amino‐acid side chains involved in the mutations.
A Simple Multistep Conversion of 1,2‐Dihydro‐1,1‐dimethoxynaphthalen‐2‐ones to (3,4‐Dihydro‐3,4‐dioxonaphthalen‐2‐yl)acetates
Authors: Schmidt Kerstin , Margaretha Paul
Published: September 2008

On irradiation (λ=350 nm) in the presence of 1,1‐dimethoxyethene, naphthalene‐1,2‐dionemonoacetals 1 regioselectively afford 1,1,4,4‐tetramethoxycyclobuta[a]naphthalen‐3‐ones 3. Sequential deprotection of these bis‐acetals first lead to 1,1‐dimethoxycyclobuta[a]naphthalene‐3,4‐diones 4 and then to cyclobuta[a]naphthalene‐1,3,4‐triones 6, which, in turn, are converted into (3,4‐dihydro‐3,4‐dioxonaphthalen‐2‐yl)acetates 7 by treatment with SiO2/MeOH/air.
Additional Minor Phytoecdysteroids of Serratula wolffii
Authors: Simon András , Liktor‐Busa Erika , Tóth Gábor , Kele Zoltán , Groska Judit , Báthori Mária
Published: September 2008

Three new and one known ecdysteroids were identified in the MeOH extract of the roots of Serratula wolffii. The new compounds isolated were (11α)‐11‐hydroxyshidasterone (1), (2β,3α,5β,14β,22R)‐2,3,20,22,25‐pentahydroxycholest‐7‐en‐6‐one (2), and (2β,3α,5β,22R)‐2,3,20,22,25‐pentahydroxycholest‐7‐en‐6‐one (3), together with the known ponasterone A (4). This latter compound was now better characterized than earlier. The structures of compounds 1–4 were established by extensive spectroscopic techniques, including one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR methods.
Studies on the Chemistry of Tetraamminezinc(II) Dipermanganate ([Zn(NH3)4](MnO4)2): Low‐Temperature Synthesis of the Manganese Zinc Oxide (ZnMn2O4) Catalyst Precursor
Authors: Sajó István E. , Kótai László , Keresztury Gábor , Gács István , Pokol György , Kristóf János , Soptrayanov Bojan , Petrusevski Vladimir M. , Timpu Daniel , Sharma Pradeep K.
Published: September 2008

Tetraamminezinc(II) dipermanganate ([Zn(NH3)4](MnO4)2; 1) was prepared, and its structure was elucidated with XRD‐Rietveld‐refinement and vibrational‐spectroscopy methods. Compound 1 has a cubic lattice consisting of a 3D H‐bound network built from blocks formed by four MnO$\rm{ {_{4}^{-}}}$ anions and four [Zn(NH3)4]2+ cations. The other four MnO$\rm{ {_{4}^{-}}}$ anions are located in a crystallographically different environment, namely in the cavities formed by the attachment of the building blocks. A low‐temperature quasi‐intramolecular redox reaction producing NH4NO3 and amorphous ZnMn2O4 could be established occurring even at 100°. Due to H‐bonds between the [Zn(NH3)4]2+ cation and the MnO$\rm{ {_{4}^{-}}}$ anion, a redox reaction took place between the NH3 and the anion; thus, thermal deammoniation of compound 1 cannot be used to prepare [Zn(NH3)2](MnO4)2 (contrary to the behavior of the analogous perrhenate (ReO$\rm{ {_{4}^{-}}}$) complex). In solution‐phase deammoniation, a temperature‐dependent hydrolysis process leading to the formation of Zn(OH)2 and NH4MnO4 was observed. Refluxing 1 in toluene offering the heat convecting medium, followed by the removal of NH4NO3 by washing with H2O, proved to be an easy and convenient technique for the synthesis of the amorphous ZnMn2O4.
A Novel Meroterpene from Eurycorymbus cavaleriei
Authors: Cheng Lin , Song Zhi‐Hang , Zhang Peng , Zhang Min , Qu Hai‐Bin , Ma Zhong‐Jun
Published: September 2008

A novel symmetric dimeric compound, cavalerol (1), was isolated from the 95% EtOH extract of the twigs of Eurycorymbus cavaleriei. Compound 1 contains an unprecedented dimeric skeleton with two identical chiral meroterpene moieties.
Layered‐Double‐Hydroxide‐Supported Rhodium(0): An Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for the Heck‐Type Coupling of Alkenes and Arylboronic Acids
Authors: Roy Sarabindu , Roy Moumita , Trivedi Rajiv
Published: September 2008

Layered‐double‐hydroxide‐supported nanorhodium catalyst (LDHRh(0)) was employed in the Heck‐type coupling of alkenes 1 with arylboronic acids 2 to afford the corresponding substituted alkenes 3 in good to high yields (Table 1). The catalyst was separated by simple filtration and reused for five cycles with consistent activity.
Three Escin‐Like Triterpene Saponins: Assamicins VI, VII, and VIII from the Seeds of Aesculus assamicaGriff
Authors: Liu Hong‐Wei , Wang Man‐Yuan , Song Xue‐Ying , Xia Ying , Zhao Yi‐Song , Song Xiao‐Hong , Jiang Miao‐Miao , Zhang Xue , Gao Hao , Wang Nai‐Li , Yao Xin‐Sheng
Published: September 2008

Three new escin‐like triterpene saponins, assamicins VI (1), VII (2), and VIII (3), were isolated from the seeds of A. assamica, together with a known saponin, isoescin Ib (4). Their structures were established as 28‐O‐acetyl‐21‐O‐(3,4‐di‐O‐angeloyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐glucopyranosyl)‐3‐O‐{O‐β‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[β‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)]‐β‐glucopyranuronosyl}protoaescigenin (1), 21‐O‐angeloyl‐3‐O‐{O‐α‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐O‐[β‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐glucopyranuronosyl}protoaescigenin (2), and 21‐O‐angeloyl‐3‐O‐{O‐[β‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐glucopyranuronosyl}protoaescigenin (3) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis (protoaescigenin=(3β,4β,16α,21β,22α)‐olean‐12‐ene‐3,16,21,22,23,28‐hexol; angelic acid=(2Z)‐2‐methylbut‐2‐enoic acid).
Two New Eremophilane‐Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Rhizomes of Ligularia veitchiana (Hemsl.) Greenm
Authors: Wang Cai‐Fang , Zhao Yu , Liu Yan‐Ze , Zhang Zhen‐Zhong
Published: September 2008

Two new eremophilane‐type sesquiterpenoids eremophil‐6‐en‐11‐ol (1) and (7α,9α,10α)‐9,10‐epoxy‐eremophilan‐11‐ol (2), together with a known eremophilane‐type (6α,8α)‐6,8‐dihydroxyeremophil‐7(11)‐en‐12‐oic acid 12,8‐lactone (3) were isolated from the rhizomes of Ligularia veitchiana. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral analysis including 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR, HSQC, HMBC, and HR‐ESI‐MS data. The compounds 1 and 3 were assessed against lung‐cancer (A549) and stomach‐cancer (BCG823) cell lines by the MTT method. The results showed that 1 exhibited significant inhibiting activities on the growth of these cancer cells with IC50 values between 1–100 μg/ml, whereas compound 3 had no effect on the same cell lines.
A New Triterpene and New Sesquiterpenes from the Roots of Ligularia sagitta
Authors: Li Ping‐Lin , Jia Zhong‐Jian
Published: September 2008

One new triterpene and seven new eremophilane‐type sesquiterpenes were isolated from the roots of Ligularia sagitta, among them 1a, an O‐acetylated oleanane type triterpene, 2a and 3a, two 11‐nor eremophilane‐type sesquiterpenes, 4a, 5, and 6, three standard eremophilane‐type sesquiterpenes, and 7 and 8, two tri‐nor eremophilane‐type sesquiterpenes. Their structures were established by extensive spectral analyses (1D, 2D‐NMR, IR, and MS). Compound 1a showed moderate cytotoxicity against two tumor cell lines.