bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of fixed‐time method for the determination of isoxsuprine hydrochloride in commercial dosages forms
Authors: Rahman Nafisur , Afaq Nasheed
Published: September 2010

The main aim of this work was to develop a kinetic spectrophotometric method for the quantitative analysis of isoxsuprine hydrochloride in commercial tablets. The method is based on the reaction of isoxsuprine hydrochloride (ISx) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate in sulphuric acid medium at room temperature which resulted in the formation of yellow‐coloured product peaking at 380 nm. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance as a function of time. Fixed time method (ΔA = A4–A2, where A2 and A4 refer to absorbance measurements taken at 2 and 4 min, respectively) was adopted for constructing the calibration curve which was found to be linear over the concentration range of 30–80 µgmL−1 with molar absorptivity of 5.95 × 103 L mol−1 cm−1. The method has been applied successfully to the determination of isoxsuprine hydrochloride in tablets. Statistical comparison (point and interval hypothesis tests) of the results showed that there is no significant difference between the proposed method and reference method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of chlordiazepoxide and clidinium using multivariate calibration techniques
Authors: Khoshayand Mohammad Reza , Abdollahi Hamid , Moeini Ali , Shamsaie Ali , Ghaffari Alireza , Abbasian Sepideh
Published: September 2010

Three multivariate modelling approaches including partial least squares regression (PLS), genetic algorithm‐partial least squares regression (GA‐PLS), and principal components‐artificial neural network (PC‐ANN) analysis were investigated for their application to the simultaneous determination of chlordiazepoxide and clidinium levels in pharmaceuticals. A set of synthetic mixtures of drugs in ethanol and 0.1 M HCL was made, and the prediction abilities of the aforementioned methods were examined using RSE% (relative standard error of the prediction). The PLS and PC‐ANN methods were found to be comparable, and GA‐PLS produced slightly better results. The predictive models that we built were successfully applied to simultaneously determine the levels of chlordiazepoxide and clidinium in coated tablets. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Molecular Structure of Symmetrical 1,8‐Diarylnaphthalenes
Authors: Pieters Grégory , Terrasson Vincent , Gaucher Anne , Prim Damien , Marrot Jerôme
Published: September 2010

The synthesis of substituted 1,8‐diarylnaphthalenes is reported. A bis‐Suzuki coupling strategy starting from 1,8‐dibromonaphthalene provides a useful and general route to the 1,8‐diarylnaphthalene scaffold. In this context, N‐heterocyclic benzhydrylamine ligands, in combination with PdCl2, were found to form especially efficient catalytic systems. The syn/anti ratios were determined in solution from their 1H NMR spectra. Analysis of the molecular structure in the solid state for six new targets focused on deformation of the naphthalene core. The observed lack of planarity occurs as a result of several parameters, such as the nature and number of substituents, the substitution pattern as well as steric congestion and π‐stacking between cofacial rings.
Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Polysubstituted 4‐Quinolones from Deprotonated α‐Aminonitriles
Authors: Romek Alexandra , Opatz Till
Published: September 2010

The α‐alkylation of deprotonated N‐aryl‐α‐aminonitriles with α‐bromoesters furnishes intermediates that can be cyclized to 4‐quinolones upon microwave irradiation. Alternatively, base‐induced dehydrocyanation of the alkylation products furnishes enaminoesters, which can, for example, be converted into quinoline‐3‐carboxylates.
Concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in human blood from twelve cities in China
Authors: Pan Yuanyuan , Shi Yali , Wang Jieming , Cai Yaqi , Wu Yongning
Published: September 2010

We detected nine perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in 233 human whole-blood samples collected from 12 cities (from 12 provinces and districts) in China. Perfluorinated compounds could be detected in all blood samples, with perfluorooctane sulfonate (C8, PFOS) as the most prominent PFC. Mean PFOS concentrations were measured at 3.06 to 34.0 µg/L, accounting for the majority of the total perfluorinated compounds (ΣPFCs) (54–87%) in blood samples, except those from Kunming. Perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorohexane sulfonate (C6, PFHxS) concentrations were positively correlated in blood samples (p < 0.01). Significant relations among perfluorooctanoate (C8, PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (C9, PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (C10, PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (C11, PFUnDA) (p < 0.05) were also observed in the present study, indicating that they may come from a similar exposure pathway in China. In general, gender-related differences were found for PFHxS and ΣPFCs concentrations, which were significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.05). In the 20- to 29-year age group, gender influence was also found for PFHxS and PFOS concentrations. The mean blood concentration of PFOS (10.6 µg/L) in the present study was comparable with results from other countries, while PFOA and PFHxS (1.39 µg/L and 0.57 µg/L, respectively) were often lower. This can probably be attributed to a different exposure pathway of the general population in China as compared to other countries. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2695–2701. © 2010 SETAC
Modeling and predicting competitive sorption of organic compounds in soil
Authors: Faria Isabel R. , Young Thomas M.
Published: September 2010

Binary systems consisting of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (12DCB) + competitor were investigated over a range of concentrations of competitor in three natural sorbents with distinct characteristics. Two models, the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) and the potential theory (Polanyi-based multisolute model), widely used in the prediction of multisolute sorption equilibrium from single-solute data, were used to simulate competitive sorption in our systems. The goal was to determine which multisolute model best represented the experimentally obtained multisolute data in natural sorbents of varied properties. Results suggested that for the sorbents and sorbates studied, the IAST model provided much better results. On average, the IAST model provided lower errors (23%) than the potential model (45%). The effect of competitor structure on the degree of competition was also investigated to identify any relationships between competition and structure using molecular descriptors. The competitors chlorobenzene, naphthalene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene all showed very similar degrees of competition, while benzene, phenanthrene, and pyrene were the least effective competitors toward 12DCB across all sorbents. Different sorption sites or sorption mechanisms might be involved in the sorption of these molecules leading to a lack of competitive behavior. A significant relationship between competitor structure and the degree of competition was observed at environmentally relevant sorbed competitor concentrations for the soil containing the highest fraction of hard carbon (Forbes soil). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2676–2684. © 2010 SETAC
Relationship between polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated dibenzofuran, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in vegetation and soil on residential properties
Authors: Demond Avery , Towey Timothy , Adriaens Peter , Zhong Xiaobo , Knutson Kristine , Chen Qixuan , Hong Biling , Gillespie Brenda , Franzblau Alfred , Garabrant David , Lepkowski James , Luksemburg William , Maier Martha
Published: September 2010

The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study was undertaken to address concerns that the industrial discharge of dioxin-like compounds in the Midland, Michigan, USA area had resulted in the contamination of soil and vegetation in the Tittabawassee River floodplain and downwind of the incinerator in the City of Midland. The study included the analysis of 597 vegetation samples, predominantly grass and weeds, from residential properties selected through a multistage probabilistic sample design in the Midland area, and in Jackson and Calhoun Counties (Michigan), as a background comparison, for 29 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The mean toxic equivalent (TEQ) of the house perimeter vegetation samples ranged from 4.2 to 377 pg/g. The ratio of TEQs (vegetation to soil) was about 0.3, with a maximum of 3.5. Based on a calculation of the similarity of the congener patterns between the soil and the vegetation, it appeared that the source of the contamination on the vegetation was the surrounding soil. This conclusion was supported by linear regression analysis, which showed that the largest contributor to the R2 for the outcome variable of log10 of the vegetation concentration was log10 of the surrounding soil concentration. Models of vegetation contamination usually focus on atmospheric deposition and partitioning. The results obtained here suggest that the deposition of soil particles onto vegetation is a significant route of contamination for residential herbage. Thus, the inclusion of deposition of soil particles onto vegetation is critical to the accurate modeling of contamination residential herbage in communities impacted by historic industrial discharges of persistent organic compounds. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2660–2668. © 2010 SETAC
Seasonal and annual throughfall and stemflow in Andean temperate rainforests
Authors: Oyarzún Carlos E. , Godoy Roberto , Staelens Jeroen , Donoso Pablo J. , Verhoest Niko E. C.
Published: September 2010

The partitioning of gross rainfall into throughfall, stemflow, and interception loss and their relationships with forest structure was studied for a period of four years (October 2002–September 2006) and two years (October 2005–September 2007) in seven experimental catchments of temperate rainforest ecosystems located in the Andes of south‐central Chile (39°37′S, 600–925 m a.s.l.). The amount of throughfall, stemflow, and interception loss was correlated with forest structure characteristics such as basal area, canopy cover, mean quadratic diameter (MQD), and tree species characteristics in evergreen and deciduous forests. Annual rainfall ranged from 4061 to 5308 mm at 815 m a.s.l. and from 3453 to 4660 mm at 714 m a.s.l. Throughfall ranged from 64 to 89% of gross rainfall. Stemflow contributed 0·3–3·4% of net precipitation. Interception losses ranged from 11 to 36% of gross rainfall and depended on the amount of rainfall and characteristics as well as on forest structure, particularly the MQD. For evergreen forests, strong correlations were found between stemflow per tree and tree characteristics such as diameter at breast height (R2= 0·92,P< 0·01) and crown projection area (R2= 0·65,P< 0·01). Stemflow per tree was also significantly correlated with epiphyte cover of trunks in the old‐growth evergreen forests (R2= 0·29,P< 0·05). The difference in the proportion of throughfall and interception loss among stands was significant only during winter. The reported relationships between rainfall partitioning and forest structure and composition provide valuable information for management practices, which aimed at producing other ecosystem services in addition to timber in native rainforests of southern Chile. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast analysis of finite and curved frequency‐selective surfaces using the VSIE with MLFMA
Authors: Ding Dazhi , Tao Shifei , Chen Rushan
Published: September 2010

The hybrid volume‐surface integral equation approach is proposed to analyze the transmission and reflection characteristics of finite and curved frequency‐selective surfaces structures. The surface current and electric flux density are expanded by surface RWG and volume SWG basis functions, respectively. The multilevel fast multipole algorithm is applied to reduce the computational complexity. Simulated results are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some new selective stationary phases for RP‐HPLC
Authors: Jardim Isabel C. S. F. , Maldaner Liane , Lourenço Josimara , Fioravanti Livia M. A. , Collins Carol H.
Published: September 2010

At the present time, more complex analyses of apolar compounds with similar chemical structures or of polar compounds, especially basic ones, having diverse properties require more selective stationary phases having better stabilities. This paper describes several new stationary phases with directed selectivities that were prepared by immobilizing two different phenyl group‐containing siloxanes and a trifluoropropyl‐containing siloxane onto chromatographic silica and, in the case of the fluorinated siloxane, onto zirconized silica, using thermal treatment or microware radiation. The chromatographic properties and stabilities of these new phases were determined and several applications were evaluated. The phenyl‐containing phases showed excellent characteristics related to the separation of several different types of aromatic compounds while the fluorinated phases, which present a more polar character, revealed selectivity for the separation of positional isomers as well as for a mixture of basic pharmaceuticals. Stability tests indicate that immobilization of the polysiloxanes increases column lifetimes by making the stationary phases less susceptible to dissolution, while the phases immobilized with microwave radiation were somewhat more stable than those immobilized by thermal treatments.
Optimal pattern of technology adoptions under embodiment: A multi‐stage optimal control approach
Authors: Saglam Cagri
Published: September 2010

By deriving the necessary conditions for a multi‐stage optimal control problem where the endogenous switching instants appear as an argument of the state equation, we analyze the optimal pattern of technology adoptions under embodiment with a finite planning horizon. We show that the optimal pattern of technology adoptions depends crucially on how the growth rate advantage compares to the adjustment and the obsolescence costs inherent to embodiment. We obtain non‐stationary lifetimes for the adopted technologies due to finite planning horizon. We analyze numerically the effects of planning horizon, speed of adjustment to the new technology, growth rate of technology and the impatience rate on the optimal pattern. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of pleiotrophin in the prostate is androgen regulated and it functions as an autocrine regulator of mesenchyme and cancer associated fibroblasts and as a paracrine regulator of epithelia
Authors: Orr Brigid , Vanpoucke Griet , Grace O. Cathal , Smith Lee , Anderson Richard A. , Riddick Antony C.P. , Franco Omar E. , Hayward Simon W. , Thomson Axel A.
Published: September 2010

BACKGROUND

Androgens and paracrine signaling from mesenchyme/stroma regulate development and disease of the prostate, and gene profiling studies of inductive prostate mesenchyme have identified candidate molecules such as pleiotrophin (Ptn).

METHODS

Ptn transcripts and protein were localized by in situ and immunohistochemistry and Ptn mRNA was quantitated by Northern blot and qRT‐PCR. Ptn function was examined by addition of hPTN protein to rat ventral prostate organ cultures, primary human fetal prostate fibroblasts, prostate cancer associated fibroblasts, and BPH1 epithelia.

RESULTS

During development, Ptn transcripts and protein were expressed in ventral mesenchymal pad (VMP) and prostatic mesenchyme. Ptn was localized to mesenchyme surrounding ductal epithelial tips undergoing branching morphogenesis, and was located on the surface of epithelia. hPTN protein stimulated branching morphogenesis and stromal and epithelial proliferation, when added to rat VP cultures, and also stimulated growth of fetal human prostate fibroblasts, prostate cancer associated fibroblasts, and BPH1 epithelia. PTN mRNA was enriched in patient‐matched normal prostate fibroblasts versus prostate cancer associated fibroblasts. PTN also showed male enriched expression in fetal human male urethra versus female, and between wt male and ARKO male mice. Transcripts for PTN were upregulated by testosterone in fetal human prostate fibroblasts and organ cultures of female rat VMP. Ptn protein was increased by testosterone in organ cultures of female rat VMP and in rat male urethra compared to female.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that in the prostate Ptn functions as a regulator of both mesenchymal and epithelial proliferation, and that androgens regulate Ptn levels. Prostate 71:305–317, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D status on serological response to influenza vaccine in prostate cancer patients
Authors: Chadha Manpreet K. , Fakih Marwan , Muindi Josephia , Tian Lili , Mashtare Terry , Johnson Candace S. , Trump Donald
Published: September 2010

BACKGROUND

Epidemiologic data suggest that there is an association between vitamin D deficiency and influenza infection. We conducted a prospective influenza vaccination study to determine the influence of vitamin D status on serological response to influenza vaccine in prostate cancer (CaP) patients.

METHODS

During the 2006–2007 influenza season, CaP patients treated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute were offered vaccination with the trivalent influenza vaccine (Fluzone®, 2006–2007) and sera collected for hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay titers before and 3 months after vaccination. Response to vaccination was defined as ≥1:40 titer ratio or a fourfold increase in titer at 3 months, against any of the three strains. Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25‐D3) levels were measured using DiaSorin 125I radioimmunoassay kits.

RESULTS

Thirty‐five patients with CaP participated in the study. Median baseline 25‐D3 level was 44.88 ng/ml (range: 9.16–71.98 ng/ml) Serological response against any of the three strains was noted in 80%. There was a significant effect of baseline 25‐D3 level when tested as a continuous variable in relation to serological response (P = 0.0446). All patients in the upper quartile of 25‐D3 level responded by mounting a serological response (P = 0.0344). None of the other baseline variables (age, race, chemotherapy status, or white cell count) had an effect on serological response.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study in CaP patients, a replete vitamin D status was associated with more frequent serological response to influenza vaccine. Prostate 77:368–372, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tumor cell group via phospholipase A2 is involved in prostate cancer development
Authors: Li Hui , Zhang Hong , Wei Gang , Cai Qingchun , Yan Libo , Xu Yan
Published: September 2010

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies among men in the United States. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying PCa tumorigenic development is critical for advancing treatment strategies for PCa. The role of Group VIA phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β) in cancers has recently emerged. However, the biological functions of iPLA2β in PCa development have been minimally investigated and only in vitro studies have been reported.

METHODS

We tested the role of iPLA2β in host cells using an iPLA2β deficient mouse model and the role of iPLA2β in tumor cells by comparing the proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

iPLA2β deficiency did not affect tumor development in C57BL/6 mice injected with syngeneic PCa cell line TRAMP‐C1P3 in any of three models (subcutaneous, orthotopic, or intratibia injection) tested, suggesting that host cell iPLA2β is not required for PCa tumorigenesis and metastasis. In contrast, when iPLA2β was down‐regulated in TRAMP‐C1P3 cells, cell proliferation was reduced in vitro and tumor growth was suppressed in vivo compared to control cells. In particular, iPLA2β was required for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)‐induced migration and invasion in TRAMP‐C1P3 cells. We compared human and mouse PCa cells and showed that they shared high similarities in LPA‐stimulated effects and signaling pathways. LPA stimulated cell migration and/or invasion via a PI3K‐dependent pathway. Together, our results suggest that the tumor cell iPLA2β–LPA axis may represent a novel target for PCa. Prostate 77:373–384, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Different correlations among physiological and morphological properties at single glutamatergic synapses in the rat hippocampus and the cerebellum
Authors: Miyawaki Hiroyuki , Hirano Tomoo
Published: September 2010

Synapses in the mammalian central nervous system show substantial diversity in their physiological and morphological properties. However, the correlations among them have remained elusive. Here, we tried to clarify the correlations by establishing a method to record excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) at individual synapses and also to observe the morphology at the same time. A pair of pre‐ and postsynaptic neurons were labeled with different fluorescent dyes, and a presynaptic varicosity was selectively stimulated with a θ‐tube glass electrode under conditions in which action potential generation was suppressed. Two representative types of excitatory glutamatergic synapses, one on hippocampal pyramidal neurons and the other on cerebellar Purkinje neurons, were studied. The correlations between the properties of quantal EPSCs (qEPSCs) and those of synaptic morphology were analyzed in rat primary culture preparations. The amplitude and the decay time of qEPSC were correlated with the size of the postsynaptic spine only at hippocampal synapses. In contrast, the size of the presynaptic varicosity was correlated with the size of the postsynaptic spine and the quantal content of evoked EPSCs only at granule neuron–Purkinje neuron synapses in the cerebellum. These results suggest that the interaction between pre‐ and postsynaptic structures and the coupling of postsynaptic responsiveness and the spine morphology differ between cerebellar and hippocampal glutamatergic synapses. Synapse, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Organic–Inorganic Nanostructure Architecture via Directly Capping Fullerenes onto Quantum Dots
Authors: Lee Jae Kwan , Kim Jonggi , Yang Changduk
Published: September 2010

A new form of fullerene-capped CdSe nanoparticles (PCBA-capped CdSe NPs), using carboxylate ligands with [60]fullerene capping groups that provides an effective synthetic methodology to attach fullerenes noncovalently to CdSe, is presented for usage in nanotechnology and photoelectric fields. Interestingly, either the internal charge transfer or the energy transfer in the hybrid material contributes to photoluminescence (PL) quenching of the CdSe moieties.
Fabrication of Nickel Nanostructure Arrays Via a Modified Nanosphere Lithography
Authors: Wei Xueyong , Chen Xianzhong , Jiang Kyle
Published: September 2010

In this paper, we present a modified nanosphere lithographic scheme that is based on the self-assembly and electroforming techniques. The scheme was demonstrated to fabricate a nickel template of ordered nanobowl arrays together with a nickel nanostructure array-patterned glass substrate. The hemispherical nanobowls exhibit uniform sizes and smooth interior surfaces, and the shallow nanobowls with a flat bottom on the glass substrate are interconnected as a net structure with uniform thickness. A multiphysics model based on the level set method (LSM) was built up to understand this fabricating process by tracking the interface between the growing nickel and the electrolyte. The fabricated nickel nanobowl template can be used as a mold of long lifetime in soft lithography due to the high strength of nickel. The nanostructure–patterned glass substrate can be used in optical and magnetic devices due to their shape effects. This fabrication scheme can also be extended to a wide range of metals and alloys.
Lysophosphatidic acid stimulates gastric cancer cell proliferation via ERK1‐dependent upregulation of sphingosine kinase 1 transcription
Authors: Ramachandran Subramaniam , Shida Dai , Nagahashi Masayuki , Fang Xianjun , Milstien Sheldon , Takabe Kazuaki , Spiegel Sarah
Published: September 2010

In MKN1 gastric cancer cells, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) upregulates expression of sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and its downregulation or inhibition suppresses LPA mediated proliferation. Although LPA activates numerous signaling pathways downstream of its receptors, including extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase 1/2, p38, JNK, and Akt, and the transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, pharmacological and molecular approaches demonstrated that only activation of ERK1, in addition to the CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β transcription factor, is involved in transcriptional upregulation of SphK1 by LPA. Our data implicate ERK1 as an important mediator of LPA signaling leading to upregulation of SphK1 and point to SphK1 and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate production as potential therapeutic targets in gastric cancer.
Activation of human monocytes by a formyl peptide receptor 2‐derived pepducin
Authors: Lee Ha Young , Kim Sang Doo , Shim Jae Woong , Kim Hak Jung , Kwon Jae Young , Kim Jong-Min , Baek Suk-Hwan , Park Joon Seong , Bae Yoe-Sik
Published: September 2010

We synthesized and investigated the effect of formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2)‐derived pepducins in human monocytes. The FPR2‐based cell‐penetrating lipopeptide, “pepducin” (F2pal‐16), stimulated intracellular calcium increase in human monocytes via pertussis toxin (PTX)‐sensitive G‐protein and phospholipase C (PLC) activity. From a functional aspect, we showed that F2pal‐16 stimulated monocyte chemotaxis. F2pal‐16 also stimulated the generation of superoxide anion in human monocytes. Moreover, F2pal‐16 dramatically increased the production of several kinds of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (CXCL8, CCL2, IL‐1β and TNF‐α) in human monocytes via NF‐κB activation. Since FPR2 plays an important role in immune responses, F2pal‐16 can serve as a useful reagent for the study of FPR2‐mediated immune modulation.
Cerebral atrophy, apolipoprotein E ɛ4, and rate of decline in everyday function among patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Okonkwo Ozioma C. , Alosco Michael L. , Jerskey Beth A. , Sweet Lawrence H. , Ott Brian R. , Tremont Geoffrey ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: September 2010

Background

Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) demonstrate decline in everyday function. In this study, we investigated whether whole brain atrophy and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype are associated with the rate of functional decline in MCI.

Methods

Participants were 164 healthy controls, 258 MCI patients, and 103 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. They underwent brain MRI scans, APOE genotyping, and completed up to six biannual Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) assessments. Random effects regressions were used to examine trajectories of decline in FAQ across diagnostic groups, and to test the effects of ventricle‐to‐brain ratio (VBR) and APOE genotype on FAQ decline among MCI patients.

Results

Rate of decline in FAQ among MCI patients was intermediate between that of controls and mild AD patients. Patients with MCI who converted to mild AD declined faster than those who remained stable. Among MCI patients, increased VBR and possession of any APOE ɛ4 allele were associated with faster rate of decline in FAQ. In addition, there was a significant VBR by APOE ɛ4 interaction such that patients who were APOE ɛ4 positive and had increased atrophy experienced the fastest decline in FAQ.

Conclusions

Functional decline occurs in MCI, particularly among patients who progress to mild AD. Brain atrophy and APOE ɛ4 positivity are associated with such declines, and patients who have elevated brain atrophy and are APOE ɛ4 positive are at greatest risk of functional degradation. These findings highlight the value of genetic and volumetric MRI information as predictors of functional decline, and thus disease progression, in MCI.
Plasma ceramides are altered in mild cognitive impairment and predict cognitive decline and hippocampal volume loss
Authors: Mielke Michelle M. , Haughey Norman J. , Bandaru Veera Venkata Ratnam , Schech Steven , Carrick Richard , Carlson Michelle C. , Mori Susumu , Miller Michael I. , Ceritoglu Can , Brown Timothy , Albert Marilyn , Lyketsos Constantine G.
Published: September 2010

Background

A blood‐based biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD) would be superior to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuroimaging measures in terms of cost, invasiveness, and feasibility for repeated measures. We previously reported that blood ceramides varied in relation to timing of memory impairment in a population‐based study. The present objective was to examine whether plasma ceramides varied by AD severity in a well‐characterized clinic sample and were associated with cognitive decline and hippocampal volume loss over 1 year.

Methods

Participants included 25 normal controls (NC), 17 amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and 21 early probable AD. A thorough neuropsychological battery and neuroimaging with hippocampal volume determination were conducted at baseline and 1 year later. Plasma ceramides were assayed at baseline using high performance liquid chromatography coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Although all saturated ceramides were lower in MCI compared with AD at baseline, ceramides C22:0 and C24:0 were significantly lower in the MCI group compared with both NC and AD groups (P < .01). Ceramide levels did not differ (P > .05) in AD versus NC. There were no cross‐sectional associations between ceramides C22:0 and C24:0 and either cognitive performance or hippocampal volume among any group. However, among the MCI group, higher baseline ceramide C22:0 and C24:0 levels were predictive of cognitive decline and hippocampal volume loss 1 year later.

Conclusion

Results suggest that very long‐chain plasma ceramides C22:0 and C24:0 are altered in MCI and predict memory loss and right hippocampal volume loss among subjects with MCI. These plasma ceramides may be early indicators of AD progression.
Requiring an amyloid‐β1‐42 biomarker for prodromal Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment does not lead to more efficient clinical trials
Authors: Schneider Lon S. , Kennedy Richard E. , Cutter Gary R. ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: September 2010

Background

Low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid‐β1‐42 concentration and high total‐tau/Aβ1‐42 ratio have been recommended to support the diagnosis of prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and also to select patients for clinical trials (Shaw et al, Ann Neurol 2009;65:403–13; Dubois et al, Lancet Neurol 2007;6:734–46).

Methods

We tested this recommendation with clinical trials simulations using patients from the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who fulfilled the following entry criteria: (1) aMCI, (2) aMCI with CSF Aβ1‐42 ≤192 mg/mL, (3) and aMCI with total‐tau/Aβ1‐42 >0.39. For each criterion, we randomly resampled the database obtaining samples for 1000 trials for each trial scenario, planning for 1 or 2 year trials with samples from 50 to 400 patients per treatment or placebo group, with up to 40% dropouts, outcomes after using the AD assessment scale‐cognitive subscale and clinical dementia rating scale with effect sizes ranging from 0.15 to 0.75, and calculated statistical power.

Findings

Approximately 70% to 74% of aMCI patients with CSF measures met biomarker criteria. The addition of the low Aβ1‐42 or high tau/Aβ1‐42 requirement resulted in minimal or no increase in the power of the trials compared with enrolling aMCI without requiring the biomarker criteria. Slightly larger mean differences between the placebo and treatment groups fulfilling biomarker criteria were offset by increased outcome variability within the groups.

Interpretations

Although patients with aMCI or patients with prodromal AD meeting CSF biomarkers criteria were slightly more cognitively impaired and showed greater decline than patients with aMCI diagnosed without considering the biomarkers, the requirement of biomarker‐positive patients would most likely not result in more efficient clinical trials, and trials would take longer because fewer patients would be available. A CSF Aβ1‐42 marker, however, could be useful as an explanatory variable or covariate when warranted by the action of a drug.
Chasing Progress in the Irish Republic
Authors: Jacobsen John Kurt
Published: September 2010

This book, first published in 1994, investigates the political causes and consequences of economic policy in Ireland, and addresses many key debates in political economy and development studies. As a former colony and small, economically dependent nation with durable democratic institutions, the Republic of Ireland shares many of the economic problems of the Third World, and the political structures of the First World. Like many Latin American and East Asian nations, Ireland abandoned autarky in the late 1950s in favour of free trade and 'industrialisation by innovation', but by the 1980s was seeking a new development arrangement as the costs of this strategy became apparent.
The Elements of Java™ Style
Authors: Vermeulen Allan , Ambler Scott W. , Bumgardner Greg , Metz Eldon , Misfeldt Trevor , Shur Jim
Published: September 2010

The Elements of Java Style, written by renowned author Scott Ambler, Rogue Wave Software Vice President Alan Vermeulen, and a team of programmers from Rogue Wave, is for anyone who writes Java code. While there are many books that explain the syntax and basic use of Java, this book, first published in 2000, explains not just what you can do with the syntax, but what you ought to do. Just as Strunk and White's The Elements of Style provides rules of usage for the English language, this book provides a set of rules for Java practitioners to follow. While illustrating these rules with parallel examples of correct and incorrect usage, the book provides a collection of standards, conventions, and guidelines for writing solid Java code which will be easy to understand, maintain, and enhance. Anyone who writes Java code or plans to should have this book next to their computer.
An Essay on the Modern State
Authors: Morris Christopher W.
Published: September 2010

This important book is the first serious philosophical examination of the modern state. It inquires into the justification of this particular form of political society. It asks whether all states are 'nation-states', what are the alternative ways of organizing society, and which conditions make a state legitimate. The author concludes that, while states can be legitimate, they typically fail to have the powers (e.g sovereignty) that they claim. Many books analyze government and its functions but none focuses on the state as a distinctive form of political organization or examines critically the claims states make for themselves. In filling this lacuna Christopher Morris has written a book that will command the attention of political philosophers, political scientists, legal theorists, and specialists in international relations.
Archives of the University of Cambridge
Authors: Peek Heather E. , Hall Catherine P.
Published: September 2010

Published in 1962, this account of the University Archives at Cambridge will be of particular importance to those interested in the history of the University. The first part describes the growth of the archives from their beginnings in the thirteenth century and the changes of fortune they have undergone during that time. Part two provides a survey of the archives, placing the main groups in the context of the University. The authors show how the more important classes of archives developed and the places they occupied in the workings of the administration. There are three appendices: a brief summary of the classes mentioned and the dates they cover; a list of muniments of title to landed property; and a bibliography listing published works which have contained or incorporated records from the Archive. There are sixteen illustrations from the Archives themselves.
The Way, the Truth, the Life
Authors: Hort Fenton John Anthony
Published: September 2010

Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828–1892) gave the Cambridge Hulsean lectures in November and December of 1871. First published posthumously in 1893, with minor revisions, these lectures are built around a sustained meditation on John 14: 5–6. They represent Hort's defence of the continuing relevance of Christianity in an increasingly science-focused world where religion was no longer the sole arbitrator of 'truth'. These lectures are a direct response to the development of Historical Criticism and the aftermath of the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859). Hort argues that confidence in the 'truth' of Christianity can only lead to a championship of science and other non-theological methods of inquiry for ultimately 'all knowledge ministers to the knowledge of the highest'. Hort's lectures are a key work of Anglican theology addressing the issue, still pressing over a century later, of religion's relationship with science.
Glances Back Through Seventy Years
Authors: Vizetelly Henry
Published: September 2010

This autobiography recalls the eventful career of the nineteenth-century publisher and journalist, Henry Vizetelly (1820–1894). Born in London, Vizetelly was apprenticed to a wood engraver as a young child. He entered the printing business and helped found two successful but short-lived newspapers, the Pictorial Times and the Illustrated Times. From 1865 Vizetelly worked in Paris and later Berlin as a foreign correspondent for the Illustrated London News, and also wrote and published several books. On his return to England, he became a publisher of foreign novels and gained notoriety for his translations of Emile Zola which challenged strict Victorian laws on obscenity and led to his prosecution and imprisonment. His book is a fascinating blend of public and personal history, providing an insight into the turbulent literary world of nineteenth-century Europe. Volume 1 covers his life up to the infamous Palmer Trial in 1856.
Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar
Authors: Barbosa Duarte
Published: September 2010

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. This 1866 volume contains an English translation of a Spanish manuscript version of a document originally written in Portuguese about 1514. The supposed author, Duarte Barbosa, who may have been a relative of Magellan, is said to have spent sixteen years exploring the Indian Ocean. The complex history of this manuscript narrative is given in detail in the translator's preface, and the book has explanatory notes and an index.
Netherlands India
Authors: Furnivall J. S.
Published: September 2010

A classic study of the subject and one of the major works in English on Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, Furnivall's magisterial history was published on the brink of the Second World War when Dutch power was waning in the archipelago. This study traces the economic and social development of Netherlands India from the arrival of the Dutch to 1939. It illustrates the geographical, economic and social features of the colony, and how Dutch and native Indonesian inhabitants co-existed within a unique, now lost, society and culture. Furnivall (1878–1960) served as a British colonial administrator in Burma for many years, and went on to become Professor of Burmese Studies at Cambridge University. The breadth and scope of this book make it an often cited and influential book in southeast Asian studies to this day.
Color Atlas of Vascular Tumors and Vascular Malformations
Authors: Enjolras Odile , Wassef Michel , Chapot Rene
Published: September 2010

Hemangiomas and superficial vascular malformations are disfiguring birthmarks that can occur over 65% of a child's body. This atlas will focus on the classification, multidisciplinary approach, recognition and identification, and treatment options for this class of pathology. Vascular malformations, composed of malformed vessels, never regress and sometimes expand rapidly. They occur in any body part including viscera. They cause cosmetic problems, functional disability and can be life threatening and require radiologic imaging and pathology to recognize and perform differential diagnosis on various vascular anomalies. In addition, new techniques, including molecular biology procedures, have evolved allowing less invasive and a more effective approach to diagnosis and treatment.
Geometric Folding Algorithms
Authors: Demaine Erik D. , O'Rourke Joseph
Published: September 2010

Did you know that any straight-line drawing on paper can be folded so that the complete drawing can be cut out with one straight scissors cut? That there is a planar linkage that can trace out any algebraic curve, or even 'sign your name'? Or that a 'Latin cross' unfolding of a cube can be refolded to 23 different convex polyhedra? Over the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in such problems, with applications ranging from robotics to protein folding. With an emphasis on algorithmic or computational aspects, this treatment gives hundreds of results and over 60 unsolved 'open problems' to inspire further research. The authors cover one-dimensional (1D) objects (linkages), 2D objects (paper), and 3D objects (polyhedra). Aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics or computer science, this lavishly illustrated book will fascinate a broad audience, from school students to researchers.
The Chemistry and Biology of Benz[a]anthracenes
Authors: Newman M. S. , Tierney B. , Veeraraghavan S.
Published: September 2010

First published in 1988, this volume surveys the chemical synthesis and biological activity of the benz[a]anthracenes. These compounds occur in smoke and mineral oils and a few have been shown to be potent carcinogens. This volume was the first to review, systematically and in depth, the organic synthesis of these compounds as well as their metablolism, interactions with nucleic acids and protein, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Such studies have important implications in determining mechanism and specificity of chemically induced carcinogenesis.
Descriptive Set Theory and the Structure of Sets of Uniqueness
Authors: Kechris Alexander S. , Louveau Alain
Published: September 2010

The study of sets of uniqueness for trigonometric series has a long history, originating in the work of Riemann, Heine, and Cantor in the mid-nineteenth century. Since then it has been a fertile ground for numerous investigations involving real analysis, classical and abstract harmonic analysis, measure theory, functional analysis and number theory. In this book are developed the intriguing and surprising connections that the subject has with descriptive set theory. These have only been discovered recently and the authors present here this novel theory which leads to many new results concerning the structure of sets of uniqueness and include solutions to some of the classical problems in this area. In order to make the material accessible to logicians, set theorists and analysts, the authors have covered in some detail large parts of the classical and modern theory of sets of uniqueness as well as the relevant parts of descriptive set theory. Thus the book is essentially self-contained and will make an excellent introduction to the subject for graduate students and research workers in set theory and analysis.
A History of the Bolivian Labour Movement 1848–1971
Authors: Lora Guillermo
Published: September 2010

This book is an abridgement and translation of Guillermo Lora's five-volume history. It deals with the strengthening and radicalisation of Bolivia's organised labour movement, which culminated in the drastic revolutionary changes of the 1950s. The first half offers a reinterpretation of Bolivian history in the century preceding the revolution, viewed from the perspective of the working class. The second half discusses in more detail the major political events and doctrinal issues of a period in which the author, as secretary of the Trotskyist Partido Obrero Revolucionario, himself frequently played an active part. Despite the radical upheaval that occurred in the fifties and the mobilisation of broad sectors of the population around such radical objectives as direct property seizures, union-nominated ministers and union, military and worker control, the labour movement was unable to maintain its conquests in the 1960s. The concluding chapters describe the period of renewed military repression and the continuing efforts of the labour movement to resist.
DietaryRRR-α-tocopherol succinate attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cytokines secretion in broiler chicks
Authors: Zhang Xuhui , Zhong Xiang , Zhou Yanmin , Wang Gaiqin , Du Haiming , Wang Tian
Published: September 2010

The anti-inflammatory effects of two esters of α-tocopherol (α-TOH),all-rac-α-TOH acetate (dl-α-TOA) andRRR-α-TOH succinate (d-α-TOS), on broilers repeatedly challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were investigated. Three hundred and twenty 1-d-old broiler chicks were allotted into four treatment groups and fed on a control diet (30 mg/kgdl-α-TOA) or diets containing 10, 30, 50 mg/kgd-α-TOS. Half of the birds from each treatment group were challenged with 0·9 % NaCl solution or LPS (250 μg/kg body weight) at 16, 18 and 20 d of age. The results indicated that the pretreatment of birds with 50 mg/kgd-α-TOS markedly reduced serum PGE2secretion and increased the concentrations of serum or hepatic α-TOH. When LPS-challenged birds were pretreated with 30 or 50 mg/kgd-α-TOS, the increases of plasma and splenic concentrations of interferon-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-10 were dramatically attenuated. Also, a significant decrease of hepatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hepatic or splenic phosphokinase C (PKC) activities was found in birds pretreated with 30 or 50 mg/kgd-α-TOS. Furthermore,d-α-TOS inhibited the activation of NF-κB by preventing the degradation of inhibitory-κBα. In conclusion, D-α-TOS is able to prevent LPS-induced inflammation responsein vivo.The beneficial effect may depend on suppressing the secretion of various plasma and splenic inflammatory mediators through inhibiting NF-κB activation and by blocking ROS signalling, in which PKC may play an assistant role.