bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Description of Shock Attenuation for Children Running
Authors: Mercer John A. , Dufek Janet S. , Mangus Brent C. , Rubley Mack D. , Bhanot Kunal , Aldridge Jennifer M.
Published: May 2010

Context:

A growing number of children are participating in organized sport activities, resulting in a concomitant increase in lower extremity injuries. Little is known about the impact generated when children are running or how this impact is attenuated in child runners.

Objective:

To describe shock attenuation characteristics for children running at different speeds on a treadmill and at a single speed over ground.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

Biomechanics laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants:

Eleven boys (age  =  10.5 ± 0.9 years, height  =  143.7 ± 8.3 cm, mass  =  39.4 ± 10.9 kg) and 7 girls (age  =  9.9 ± 1.1 years, height  =  136.2 ± 7.7 cm, mass  =  35.1 ± 9.6 kg) participated.

Intervention(s):

Participants completed 4 running conditions, including 3 treadmill (TM) running speeds (preferred, fast [0.5 m/s more than preferred], and slow [0.5 m/s less than preferred]) and 1 overground (OG) running speed.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

We measured leg peak impact acceleration (LgPk), head peak impact acceleration (HdPk), and shock attenuation (ratio of LgPk to HdPk).

Results:

Shock attenuation (F2,16  =  4.80, P  =  .01) was influenced by the interaction of speed and sex. Shock attenuation increased across speeds (slow, preferred, fast) for boys (P < .05) but not for girls (P > .05). Both LgPk (F1,16  =  5.04, P  =  .04) and HdPk (F1,16  =  6.04, P  =  .03) were different across speeds, and both were greater for girls than for boys. None of the dependent variables were influenced by the interaction of setting (TM, OG) and sex (P ≥ .05). Shock attenuation (F1,16  =  33.51, P < .001) and LgPk (F1,16  =  31.54, P < .001) were different between TM and OG, and each was greater when running OG than on the TM, regardless of sex.

Conclusions:

Shock attenuation was between 66% and 76% for children running under a variety of conditions. Girls had greater peak impact accelerations at the leg and head levels than boys but achieved similar shock attenuation. We do not know how these shock attenuation characteristics are related to overuse injuries.
Investigation of Baseline Self-Report Concussion Symptom Scores
Authors: Piland Scott G. , Ferrara Michael S. , Macciocchi Stephen N. , Broglio Steven P. , Gould Trenton E.
Published: May 2010

Context:

Self-reported symptoms (SRS) scales comprise one aspect of a multifaceted assessment of sport-related concussion. Obtaining SRS assessments before a concussion occurs assists in determining when the injury is resolved. However, athletes may present with concussion-related symptoms at baseline. Thus, it is important to evaluate such reports to determine if the variables that are common to many athletic environments are influencing them.

Objective:

To evaluate the influence of a history of concussion, sex, acute fatigue, physical illness, and orthopaedic injury on baseline responses to 2 summative symptom scales; to investigate the psychometric properties of all responses; and to assess the factorial validity of responses to both scales in the absence of influential variables.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Athletic training facilities of 6 National Collegiate Athletic Association institutions.

Patients or Other Participants:

The sample of 1065 was predominately male (n  =  805) collegiate athletes with a mean age of 19.81 ± 1.53 years.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Participants completed baseline measures for duration and severity of concussion-related SRS and a brief health questionnaire.

Results:

At baseline, respondents reporting a previous concussion had higher composite scores on both scales (P ≤ .01), but no sex differences were found for concussion-related symptoms. Acute fatigue, physical illness, and orthopaedic injury increased composite SRS scores on both duration and severity measures (P ≤ .01). Responses to both scales were stable and internally consistent. Confirmatory factor analysis provided strong evidence for the factorial validity of the responses of participants reporting no fatigue, physical illness, or orthopaedic injury on each instrument.

Conclusions:

A history of concussion, acute fatigue, physical illness, and orthopaedic injury increased baseline SRS scores. These conditions need to be thoroughly investigated and controlled by clinicians before baseline SRS measures are collected.
Retention and Attrition Factors for Female Certified Athletic Trainers in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Setting
Authors: Goodman Ashley , Mensch James M. , Jay Michelle , French Karen E. , Mitchell Murray F. , Fritz Stacy L.
Published: May 2010

Context:

Organizational effectiveness and the continuity of patient care can be affected by certain levels of attrition. However, little is known about the retention and attrition of female certified athletic trainers (ATs) in certain settings.

Objective:

To gain insight and understanding into the factors and circumstances affecting female ATs' decisions to persist in or leave the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (NCAA D-I FBS) setting.

Design:

Qualitative study.

Setting:

The 12 NCAA D-I FBS institutions within the Southeastern Conference.

Patients or Other Participants:

A total of 23 women who were current full-time ATs (n  =  12) or former full-time ATs (n  =  11) at Southeastern Conference institutions participated.

Data Collection and Analysis:

Data were collected via in-depth, semistructured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed via a grounded theory approach. Peer review and member checking methods were performed to establish trustworthiness.

Results:

The decision to persist involved 4 main factors: (1) increased autonomy, (2) increased social support, (3) enjoyment of job/fitting the NCAA D-I mold, and (4) kinship responsibility. Two subfactors of persistence, the NCAA D-I atmosphere and positive athlete dynamics, emerged under the main factor of enjoyment of job/fitting the NCAA D-I mold. The decision to leave included 3 main factors: (1) life balance issues, (2) role conflict and role overload, and (3) kinship responsibility. Two subfactors of leaving, supervisory/coach conflict and decreased autonomy, emerged under the main factor of role conflict and role overload.

Conclusions:

A female AT's decision to persist in or leave the NCAA D-I FBS setting can involve several factors. In order to retain capable ATs long term in the NCAA D-I setting, an individual's attributes and obligations, the setting's cultural issues, and an organization's social support paradigm should be considered.
Adherence to Drug-Dispensation and Drug-Administration Laws and Guidelines in Collegiate Athletic Training Rooms: A 5-Year Review
Authors: Kahanov Leamor , Roberts Jeff , Wughalter Emily M.
Published: May 2010

Context:

To both ensure athletes' safety and avoid legal penalties, athletic trainers' (ATs') handling of medications in the athletic training room should conform with federal and state statutes.

Objective:

To revisit drug dispensation and administration in collegiate athletic training rooms 5 years after the initial study.

Design:

Survey study.

Setting:

College and university athletic training rooms.

Patients or Other Participants:

All 4627 certified ATs employed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I, II, and III and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics institutions, as listed by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, were surveyed.

Data Collection and Analysis:

The survey was created for the 2001 study based on federal laws. We used analyses of variance to study compliance by division (I, II, or III) and sex and by sex and employment status (head or assistant AT).

Results:

A total of 2330 ATs (N  =  4627, 50%) provided 1535 usable responses. For comparison with the 2001 data, only head ATs' responses were included (n  =  670). In general, drug distribution compliance scores among head ATs were low (mean  =  6.37 ± 0.15, range  =  0–25 points). The ATs were less compliant when handling over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Only 55.5% of ATs stored medications in a locked cabinet, compared with 67.1% in 2001. A large number of ATs administered OTC drugs in any amount necessary (n  =  689, 44%), and 3.6% (n  =  55) allowed athletes access without any consultation, compared with 53.8% and 4.9%, respectively, in 2001. However, prescription medication practices improved since the first study. Also, we noted a main effect of employment status (F1,934  =  5.57, P < .05): head ATs were less compliant than assistant ATs.

Conclusions:

Compared with 5 years ago, ATs appear to be more compliant with federal statutes regarding prescription drug regulation. A thorough understanding of appropriate OTC medication administration practices still appears to be lacking.
Radiation doses during chest examinations using dose modulation techniques in multislice CT scanner
Authors: Livingstone Roshan S , Pradip Joe , Dinakran Paul M , Srikanth B
Published: May 2010

Objective: To evaluate the radiation dose and image quality using a manual protocol and dose modulation techniques in a 6-slice CT scanner. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and twenty-one patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT of the chest were included in the study. For the manual protocol settings, constant tube potential (kV) and tube current-time product (mAs) of 140 kV and 120 mAs, respectively, were used. The angular and z-axis dose modulation techniques utilized a constant tube potential of 140 kV; mAs values were automatically selected by the machine. Effective doses were calculated using dose-length product (DLP) values and the image quality was assessed using the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio values. Results: Mean effective doses using manual protocol for patients of weights 40-60 kg, 61-80 kg, and 81 kg and above were 8.58 mSv, 8.54 mSv, and 9.07 mSv, respectively. Mean effective doses using z-axis dose modulation for patients of weights 40-60 kg, 61-80 kg, and 81 kg and above were 4.95 mSv, 6.87 mSv, and 10.24 mSv, respectively. The SNR at the region of the liver for patients of body weight of 40-60 kg was 5.1 H, 6.2 H, and 8.8 H for manual, angular, and z-axis dose modulation, respectively. Conclusion: Dose reduction of up to 15% was achieved using angular dose modulation and of up to 42% using z-axis dose modulation, with acceptable diagnostic image quality compared to the manual protocol.
Objective structured clinical examination in radiology
Authors: Agarwal Anurag , Batra Bipin , Sood AK , Ramakantan Ravi , Bhargava Satish K , Chidambaranathan N , Indrajit IK
Published: May 2010

There is a growing need for introducing objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) as a part of radiology practical examinations in India. OSCE is an established, reliable, and effective multistation test for the assessment of practical professional skills in an objective and a transparent manner. In India, it has been successfully initiated and implemented in specialties like pediatrics, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology. Each OSCE station needs to have a pre-agreed "key-list" that contains a list of objective steps prepared for uniformly assessing the tasks given to students. Broadly, OSCE stations are classified as "manned" or "unmanned" stations. These stations may include procedure or pictorial or theory stations with clinical oriented contents. This article is one of a series of measures to initiate OSCE in radiology; it analyzes the attributes of OSCE stations and outlines the steps for implementing OSCE. Furthermore, important issues like the advantages of OSCE, its limitations, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, and the timing of introduction of OSCE in radiology are also covered. The OSCE format in radiology and its stations needs to be validated, certified, and finalized before its use in examinations. This will need active participation and contribution from the academic radiology fraternity and inputs from faculty members of leading teaching institutions. Many workshops/meetings need to be conducted. Indeed, these collaborative measures will effectively sensitize universities, examiners, organizers, faculty, and students across India to OSCE and help successfully usher in this new format in radiology practical examinations.
Accreditation standards for medical imaging services
Authors: Zaidi Zainab
Published: May 2010

The rapid changes in the healthcare system, with revolutionary advancements in imaging, along with the lack of any existing imaging standards in our country, have raised the need for an accreditation structure. The Quality Council of India (QCI) has therefore introduced standards for medical imaging services, focusing on the control of services, personnel, imaging processes and procedures, facility and environment, equipment, and documentation, as well as risk control and safety. This article deals briefly with the standards structured by the QCI for accreditation of imaging services.
Isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection
Authors: Lalitha Palle , Reddy Balaji
Published: May 2010

Isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection without involvement of the aorta and the SMA origin is unusual. We present a case of an elderly gentleman who had chronic abdominal pain, worse after meals. CT angiography, performed on a 64-slice CT scanner, revealed SMA dissection with a thrombus. A large artery of Drummond was also seen. The patient was managed conservatively.
Retrorectal hamartoma: A ′tail′ of two cysts!
Authors: Peter Prasant , George Uttam , Peacock Mark
Published: May 2010

Retrorectal hamartomas or tail gut cysts are rare congenital anomalies most commonly seen in a retrorectal location; most common in middle aged women. This article describes the radiological appearance in two cases of tail gut cysts in males, one a child with a visible perianal swelling since birth and the other, a 72-year-old man with symptoms for one week. In both, the tailgut cysts were in a right perirectal location. Presentation in such a location in males, at extremes of age, is unusual for tailgut cysts.
Elemental mercury poisoning caused by subcutaneous and intravenous injection: An unusual self-injury
Authors: Wale Jaywant , Yadav Pankaj K , Garg Shairy
Published: May 2010

Elemental mercury poisoning most commonly occurs through vapor inhalation as mercury is well absorbed through the lungs. Administering subcutaneous and intravenous elemental mercury is very uncommon but with only a few isolated case reports in the literature. We present an unusual case of elemental mercury poisoning in a 20-year-old young male who presented with chest pain, fever, and hemoptysis. He had injected himself subcutaneously with elemental mercury obtained from a sphygmomanometer. The typical radiographic findings in the chest, forearm, and abdomen are discussed, with a review of the literature.
Impact of brown and clear carbon on light absorption enhancement, single scatter albedo and absorption wavelength dependence of black carbon
Authors: Lack D. A. , Cappa C. D.
Published: May 2010

Abstract. The presence of clear coatings on atmospheric black carbon (BC) particles is known to enhance the magnitude of light absorption by the BC cores. Based on calculations using core/shell Mie theory, we demonstrate that the enhancement of light absorption (EAbs) by atmospheric black carbon (BC) when it is coated in mildly absorbing material (CBrown) is reduced relative to the enhancement induced by non-absorbing coatings (CClear). This reduction, sensitive to both the CBrown coating thickness and imaginary refractive index (RI), can be up to 50% for 400 nm radiation and 25% averaged across the visible radiation spectrum for reasonable core/shell diameters. The enhanced direct radiative forcing possible due to the enhancement effect of CClear is therefore reduced if the coating is absorbing. Additionally, the need to explicitly treat BC as an internal, as opposed to external, mixture with CBrown is shown to be important to the calculated single scatter albedo only when models treat BC as large spherical cores (>50 nm). For smaller BC cores (or fractal agglomerates) consideration of the BC and CBrown as an external mixture leads to relatively small errors in the particle single scatter albedo of <0.03. It has often been assumed that observation of an absorption Angström exponent (AAE)>1 indicates absorption by a non-BC aerosol. Here, it is shown that BC cores coated in CClear can reasonably have an AAE of up to 1.6, a result that complicates the attribution of observed light absorption to CBrown within ambient particles. However, an AAE<1.6 does not exclude the possibility of CBrown; rather CBrown cannot be confidently assigned unless AAE>1.6. Comparison of these model results to various ambient AAE measurements demonstrates that large-scale attribution of CBrown is a challenging task using current in-situ measurement methods. We suggest that coincident measurements of particle core and shell sizes along with the AAE may be necessary to distinguish absorbing and non-absorbing OC.
Quantifying pollution inflow and outflow over East Asia in spring with regional and global models
Authors: Lin M. , Holloway T. , Carmichael G. R. , Fiore A. M.
Published: May 2010

Abstract. Understanding the exchange processes between the atmospheric boundary layer and the free troposphere is crucial for estimating hemispheric transport of air pollution. Most studies of hemispheric air pollution transport have taken a large-scale perspective using global chemical transport models with fairly coarse spatial and temporal resolutions. In support of United Nations Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (TF HTAP; www.htap.org), this study employs two high-resolution atmospheric chemistry models (WRF-Chem and CMAQ; 36×36 km) driven with chemical boundary conditions from a global model (MOZART; 1.9×1.9°) to examine the role of fine-scale transport and chemistry processes in controlling pollution export and import over the Asian continent in spring (March 2001). Our analysis indicates the importance of rapid venting through deep convection that develops along the leading edge of frontal system convergence bands, which are not adequately resolved in either of two global models compared with TRACE-P aircraft observations during a frontal event. Both regional model simulations and observations show that frontal outflows of CO, O3 and PAN can extend to the upper troposphere (6–9 km). Pollution plumes in the global MOZART model are typically diluted and insufficiently lofted to higher altitudes where they can undergo more efficient transport in stronger winds. We use sensitivity simulations that perturb chemical boundary conditions in the CMAQ regional model to estimate that the O3 production over East Asia (EA) driven by PAN decomposition contributes 20% of the spatial averaged total O3 response to European (EU) emission perturbations in March, and occasionally contributes approximately 50% of the total O3 response in subsiding plumes at mountain observatories (at approximately 2 km altitude). The response to decomposing PAN of EU origin is strongly affected by the O3 formation chemical regimes, which vary with the model chemical mechanism and NOx/VOC emissions. Our high-resolution models demonstrate a large spatial variability (by up to a factor of 6) in the response of local O3 to 20% reductions in EU anthropogenic O3 precursor emissions. The response in the highly populated Asian megacities is 40–50% lower in our high-resolution models than the global model, suggesting that the source-receptor relationships inferred from the global coarse-resolution models likely overestimate health impacts associated with intercontinental O3 transport. Our results highlight the important roles of rapid convective transport, orographic forcing, urban photochemistry and heterogeneous boundary layer processes in controlling intercontinental transport; these processes may not be well resolved in the large-scale models.
Detection of dust aerosol by combining CALIPSO active lidar and passive IIR measurements
Authors: Chen B. , Huang J. , Minnis P. , Hu Y. , Yi Y. , Liu Z. , Zhang D. , Wang X.
Published: May 2010

Abstract. The version 2 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) dust layer detection method, which is based only on lidar measurements, misclassified about 43% dust layers (mainly dense dust layers) as cloud layers over the Taklamakan Desert. To address this problem, a new method was developed by combining the CALIPSO Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and passive Infrared Imaging Radiometer (IIR) measurements. This combined lidar and IR measurement (hereafter, CLIM) method uses the IIR tri-spectral IR brightness temperatures to discriminate between ice cloud and dense dust layers, and lidar measurements alone to detect thin dust and water cloud layers. The brightness temperature difference between 10.60 and 12.05 μm (BTD11−12) is typically negative for dense dust and generally positive for ice cloud, but it varies from negative to positive for thin dust layers, which the CALIPSO lidar correctly identifies. Results show that the CLIM method could significantly reduce misclassification rates to as low as ~7% for the active dust season of spring 2008 over the Taklamakan Desert. The CLIM method also revealed 18% more dust layers having greatly intensified backscatter between 1.8 and 4 km altitude over the source region compared to the CALIPSO version 2 data. These results allow a more accurate assessment of the effect of dust on climate.
Temperate carbonate cycling and water mass properties from intertidal to bathyal depths (Azores, N-Atlantic)
Authors: Wisshak M. , Form A. , Jakobsen J. , Freiwald A.
Published: May 2010

Abstract. The rugged submarine topography of the Azores supports a diverse heterozoan association resulting in intense biotically-controlled carbonate production and accumulation. In order to characterise this cold-water (C) factory a 2-year experiment was carried out to study the biodiversity of hardground communities and for budgeting carbonate production and degradation along a bathymetrical transect from the intertidal to bathyal 500 m depth. Seasonal temperatures peak in September (above a thermocline) and bottom in March (stratification diminishes) with a decrease in amplitude and absolute values with depth, and with tidal-driven short-term fluctuations. Measured seawater stable isotope ratios and levels of dissolved nutrients decrease with depth, as do the calcium carbonate saturation states. The photosynthetic active radiation shows a base of the euphotic zone in ~70 m and a dysphotic limit in ~150 m depth. Bioerosion, being primarily a function of light availability for phototrophic endoliths and grazers feeding upon them, is ~10 times stronger on the illuminated upside versus the shaded underside of substrates in the photic zone, with maximum rates in the intertidal (−631 g/m2/yr). Rates rapidly decline towards deeper waters where bioerosion and carbonate accretion are slow and epibenthic/endolithic communities take years to mature. Accretion rates are highest in the lower euphotic zone (955 g/m2/yr), where the substrate is less prone to hydrodynamic force. Highest rates are found – inversely to bioerosion – on downward facing substrates, suggesting that bioerosion may be a key factor governing the preferential settlement and growth of calcareous epilithobionts on downward facing substrates. In context of a latitudinal gradient, the Azores carbonate cycling rates plot between known values from the cold-temperate Swedish Kosterfjord and the tropical Bahamas, with a total range of two orders in magnitude. Carbonate budget calculations for the bathymetrical transect yield a mean 266.9 kg of epilithic carbonate production, −54.6 kg of bioerosion, and 212.3 kg of annual net carbonate production per metre of coastline in the Azores C factory.
Biomimetic Carbonate–Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystals Prepared by Vapor Diffusion
Authors: Iafisco Michele , Morales Jaime Gómez , Hernández‐Hernández María Angeles , García‐Ruiz Juan Manuel , Roveri Norberto
Published: May 2010

Biomimetic carbonate–hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals have been synthesized by using the sitting drop vapor diffusion technique, for the first time. The method consists of diffusing vapors of an aqueous solution of NH4HCO3 through drops containing an aqueous mixture of (CH3COO)2Ca and (NH4)2HPO4 in order to increase slowly their pH. This synthesis has been performed in a crystallization mushroom, a glass device developed for protein and small molecules crystallization. The concentrations of the reagents, the final pH and the crystallization time have been optimized to produce pure carbonate–HA as a single phase. X‐Ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy have been utilized to characterize the synthesized carbonated substituted HA crystals which display nanometric dimensions, plate‐like morphology, and low crystallinity degree, closely resembling the inorganic phase of bones, teeth, and many pathological calcifications. This novel method may prove to be suitable for the study of the interactions and/or the co‐crystallization of hydroxyapatite with minute amounts of biomolecules, polymers, or drugs.
Diet traditions in wild orangutans
Authors: Bastian Meredith L. , Zweifel Nicole , Vogel Erin R. , Wich Serge A. , van Schaik Carel P.
Published: May 2010

This study explores diet differences between two populations of wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) to assess whether a signal of social learning can be detected in the observed patterns. The populations live in close proximity and in similar habitats but are separated by a river barrier that is impassable to orangutans in the study region. We found a 60% between‐site difference in diet at the level of plant food items (plant species–organ combinations). We also found that individuals at the same site were more likely to eat the same food items than expected by chance. These results suggest the presence of diet (food selection) traditions. Detailed tests of three predictions of three models of diet acquisition allowed us to reject a model based on exclusive social learning but could not clearly distinguish between the remaining two models: one positing individual exploration and learning of food item selection and the other one positing preferential social learning followed by individual fine tuning. We know that maturing orangutans acquire their initial diet through social learning and then supplement it by years of low‐level, individual sampling. We, therefore, conclude that the preferential social learning model produces the best fit to the geographic patterns observed in this study. However, the very same taxa that socially acquire their diets as infants and show evidence for innovation‐based traditions in the wild paradoxically may have diets that are not easily distinguished from those acquired exclusively through individual learning. Am J Phys Anthropol 143:175–187, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nitrophenoxy groups containing polybenzimidazoles as polymer electrolytes for fuel cells: Synthesis and characterization
Authors: Kulkarni Mahesh , Potrekar Ravindra , Kulkarni R.A. , Vernekar S. P.
Published: May 2010

Polybenzimidazoles containing different contents of pendant nitrophenoxy groups were prepared by condensation of 3,3′‐diamino‐benzidine with a mixture of 3,5‐dicarboxyl‐4′‐nitro diphenyl ether and isophthalic acid (IPA) in different ratios in polyphosphoric acid. The polymers are soluble in polar aprotic solvents, they have inherent viscosities in the range of 0.75–1.10 dL g−1 and they form tough and transparent films on solution casting. They have good thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature ranging from 380 to 416°C in nitrogen, good tensile strength ranging from 56 to 65 MPa and reasonably good oxidative stability. Phosphoric acid uptake of these polymers is low compared with PBI and membranes doped with phosphoric acid exhibit good proton conductivity in the range of 6.6× 10−3 to 1.9× 10−2 S/cm at 25°C and 1.2× 10−2 to 4.9× 10−2 S/cm at 175°C, compared with 3.9× 10−3 S/cm at 25°C and 3.2× 10−2 S/cm at 175°C for PBI. These membranes are suitable for applications as polymer electrolyte for fuel cell and presumably for gas separation at high temperature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Close temporal relationship between onset of cancer and scleroderma in patients with RNA polymerase I/III antibodies
Authors: Shah Ami A. , Rosen Antony , Hummers Laura , Wigley Fredrick , Casciola‐Rosen Livia
Published: May 2010

Objective

This study was undertaken to examine the temporal relationship between scleroderma development and malignancy, and to evaluate whether this differs by autoantibody status among affected patients.

Methods

Study participants had a diagnosis of scleroderma, a diagnosis of cancer, cancer, an available serum sample, and a cancer pathology specimen. Sera were tested for autoantibodies against topoisomerase I, centromere, and RNA polymerase I/III by immunoprecipitation and/or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared across autoantibody categories. Expression of RNA polymerases I and III was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using cancerous tissue from patients with anti–RNA polymerase antibodies.

Results

Twenty‐three patients were enrolled. Six patients tested positive for anti–RNA polymerase I/III, 5 for anti–topoisomerase I, and 8 for anticentromere, and 4 were not positive for any of these antigens. The median duration of scleroderma at cancer diagnosis differed significantly between groups (−1.2 years in the anti–RNA polymerase I/III group, +13.4 years in the anti–topoisomerase I group, +11.1 years in the anticentromere group, and +2.3 years in the group that was negative for all antigens tested) (P = 0.027). RNA polymerase III demonstrated a robust nucleolar staining pattern in 4 of 5 available tumors from patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III. In contrast, nucleolar RNA polymerase III staining was not detected in any of 4 examined tumors from the RNA polymerase antibody–negative group (P = 0.048).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that there is a close temporal relationship between the onset of cancer and scleroderma in patients with antibodies to RNA polymerase I/III, which is distinct from scleroderma patients with other autoantibody specificities. In this study, autoantibody response and tumor antigen expression are associated. We propose that malignancy may initiate the scleroderma‐specific immune response and drive disease in a subset of scleroderma patients.
Prevention of cartilage degeneration and restoration of chondroprotection by lubricin tribosupplementation in the rat following anterior cruciate ligament transection
Authors: Jay Gregory D. , Fleming Braden C. , Watkins Bryn A. , McHugh Karen A. , Anderson Scott C. , Zhang Ling X. , Teeple Erin , Waller Kimberly A. , Elsaid Khaled A.
Published: May 2010

Objective

To investigate whether cartilage degeneration is prevented or minimized following intraarticular injections of lubricin derived from human synoviocytes in culture, recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4), or human synovial fluid (SF) in a rat model of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Methods

Unilateral ACL transection (ACLT) was performed in Lewis rats (n = 45). Nine animals were left untreated. The remaining rats were given intraarticular injections (50 μl/injection) of either phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (n = 9), human synoviocyte lubricin (200 μg/ml; n = 9), rhPRG4 (200 μg/ml; n = 9), or human SF lubricin (200 μg/ml; n = 9) twice weekly beginning on day 7 after injury. Joints were harvested on day 32 after injury. Histologic analysis was performed using Safranin O–fast green staining, and articular cartilage degeneration was graded using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)–modified Mankin criteria. Histologic specimens were immunoprobed for lubricin and sulfated glycosaminoglycans. A 24‐hour urine collection was performed on days 17 and 29 postinjury, and urinary C‐terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX‐II) levels were measured.

Results

Treatment with human synoviocyte lubricin resulted in significantly lower OARSI scores for cartilage degeneration compared with no treatment or PBS treatment (P < 0.05). Increased immunostaining for lubricin in the superficial zone chondrocytes and on the surface of cartilage was observed in lubricin‐treated, but not untreated or PBS‐treated, joints. On day 17, urinary CTX‐II levels in human synoviocyte lubricin– and human SF lubricin–treated animals were significantly lower than those in untreated animals (P = 0.005 and P = 0.002, respectively) and in PBS‐treated animals (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

After treatment with any of the 3 types of lubricin evaluated in this study, a reduction in cartilage damage following ACLT was evident, combined with a reduction in type II collagen degradation. Our findings indicate that intraarticular lubricin injection following an ACL injury may be beneficial in retarding the degeneration of cartilage and the development of posttraumatic OA.
Risk factors for severe infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab in the autoimmunity and rituximab registry
Authors: Gottenberg J.‐E. , Ravaud P. , Bardin T. , Cacoub P. , Cantagrel A. , Combe B. , Dougados M. , Flipo R. M. , Godeau B. , Guillevin L. , Loët X. Le , Hachulla E. , Schaeverbeke T. , Sibilia J. , Baron G. , Mariette X.
Published: May 2010

Objective

The risk of severe infection is a crucial factor in the assessment of the short‐term risk:benefit ratio of biologic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is no increase in severe infections in RA patients treated with rituximab (RTX) in controlled trials, but this has not yet been assessed in daily practice. We undertook this study to investigate the occurrence of and risk factors for severe infections in off‐trial patients using data from the AutoImmunity and Rituximab (AIR) registry.

Methods

The AIR registry was set up by the French Society of Rheumatology. The charts of patients with severe infections were reviewed.

Results

Of the enrolled patients, 1,303 had at least 1 followup visit at 3 months or later, with a mean ± SD followup period of 1.2 ± 0.8 years (1,629 patient‐years). Eighty‐two severe infections occurred in 78 patients (5.0 severe infections per 100 patient‐years), half of them in the 3 months following the last RTX infusion. Multivariate analysis showed that chronic lung disease and/or cardiac insufficiency (odds ratio 3.0 [95% confidence interval 1.3–7.3], P = 0.01), extraarticular involvement (odds ratio 2.9 [95% confidence interval 1.3–6.7], P = 0.009), and low IgG level (<6 gm/liter) before initiation of RTX treatment (odds ratio 4.9 [95% confidence interval 1.6–15.2], P = 0.005) were significantly associated with increased risk of a severe infection.

Conclusion

The rate of severe infections in current practice is similar to that reported in clinical trials. The risk factors for severe infections include chronic lung and/or cardiac disease, extraarticular involvement, and low IgG before RTX treatment. This suggests that serum IgG should be checked and the risk:benefit ratio of RTX discussed for patients found to have low levels of IgG.
Determination of trace amounts of dopamine by flow‐injection analysis coupled with luminol–Ag(III) complex chemiluminescence detection
Authors: Xu Xiangdong , Shi Hongmei , Ma Li , Kang Weijun , Li Shan
Published: May 2010

A novel flow injection analysis‐direct chemiluminescence (FI‐CL) method has been developed for determination of trace amounts of dopamine (DA) based on the enhancing effect of DA on the CL reaction of luminol with an Ag(III) complex in alkaline solution. Under optimum conditions, CL intensities are proportional to the concentration of DA in the range of 1.0 × 10−10 to 4.0 × 10−8 mol L−1. The detection limit is 3.0 × 10−11 mol L−1 for DA (3s), with a relative standard deviation (n = 13) of 2.3% for 1.0 × 10−8 mol L−1 DA. This method has also been applied for the determination of DA in commercial pharmaceutical injection samples. On the basis of the CL spectra and the results of the free‐radical trapping experiment of this work, a reaction mechanism for this CL reaction is proposed and discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The validation of a simple LC/MS/MS method for determining the level of mevalonic acid in human plasma
Authors: Kindt Erick , Szekely‐Klepser Gabriella , Fountain Scott T.
Published: May 2010

A simple plasma extraction method coupled with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) detection was developed and validated for the analysis of endogenous mevalonic acid (MVA), a biomarker indicative of the rate of cholesterol biosynthesis, in human plasma samples. The analyte was extracted from the plasma matrix using a straightforward liquid–liquid sample preparation procedure. The extract supernatants were evaporated, reconstituted in aqueous solvent and injected into the LC/MS/MS system without further processing. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography column. The accuracy and precision of the method was determined over the concentration range 0.25–25 ng/mL MVA from human plasma extracts in three validation batch runs. Inter‐assay precision (%CV) and accuracy (%RE) of the quality control samples were ≤7.00% (at lower limit quality control) and ≤6.10%, respectively. The sensitivity and throughput of this assay was significantly improved relative to previously published methods, resulting in smaller sample requirements and shorter analysis time. Assay results from a clinical study following the oral administration of an exploratory statin demonstrate that this procedure could potentially be used in the investigation of therapies associated with hypercholesterolemia. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrogenolysis of 1,2‐Propanediol for the Production of Biopropanols from Glycerol
Authors: Amada Yasushi , Koso Shuichi , Nakagawa Yoshinao , Tomishige Keiichi
Published: May 2010

Production of propanols from glycerol, which are known as biopropanols, requires catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of 1,2‐propanediol, which has been easily derived from glycerol. It is found that the Rh/SiO2 catalysts modified with ReOx species exhibited high activity and selectivity in the hydrogenolysis of 1,2‐propanediol to propanols with low selectivity to degradation products and high stability. The optimized RhReOx/SiO2 (Re/Rh=0.5) catalyst gave high yields of 1‐propanol (66 %) and propanols (1‐propanol +2‐propanol) (85 %) in the hydrogenolysis of 1,2‐propanediol. In addition, the catalyst was applicable to the one‐pot conversion of glycerol to propanols. The structure of Rh metal particles with attached ReOx clusters is suggested from the catalyst characterization. It is proposed that 1,2‐propanediol hydrogenolysis proceeds by the hydrogenolysis of the alkoxide species on Re with hydrogen species on the Rh metal surface.
Fine‐needle aspiration of renal cell carcinoma: Is accurate Fuhrman grading possible on cytologic material?
Authors: Bishop Justin A. , Hosler Gregory A. , Kulesza Piotr , Erozan Yener S. , Ali Syed Z.
Published: May 2010

The Fuhrman grading system of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) consists of four grades based on nuclear size/contour and nucleolar conspicuousness. Fuhrman grading of histpathologic material is an independent prognostic parameter for RCC. Although widely used in surgical pathology, Fuhrman grading is not routinely performed on cytologic material. Thirty‐three cases of renal fine needle aspirations (FNAs) with histologically proven RCC were retrieved from the cytopathology archives at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Fuhrman grade was determined independently and blindly by three faculty cytopathologists and compared with the Fuhrman grade of the subsequent surgical pathology specimen. The 33 resection specimens had the following Fuhrman grades: 0/33, grade I; 24/33 (73%), grade II; 9/33 (27%), grade III; and 0/33, grade IV. After Fuhrman grading was applied to the FNA material, diagnostic sensitivity was 83% for grade II versus 44% for grade III. The specificity and accuracy were 50 and 75%, respectively, for grade II versus 100% and 84% for grade III. Diagnostic sensitivity for grade II tumors ranged from 38 to 83%, grade III 44–62%. Diagnostic specificity for grade II tumors ranged from 50 to 78%, grade III 80–100%. Accuracy ranged from 48 to 75% for grade II and 75–87% for grade III. Using a two‐tier grading model, accuracy improved to 84.2%. In our experience, Fuhrman grading of FNA specimens yielded variable results. There was only moderate agreement between cytopathologists, with an overall tendency to undergrade the tumor when compared with the resection specimen. Averaging the participants' grading and using a two‐tier instead of four‐tier system improved overall performance. Diagn. Cytopathol.2011;39:168–171. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 expression in lung cancer cells evaluated by immunocytochemistry
Authors: Koch Andrea , Gustafsson Bertil , Fohlin Helena , Sörenson Sverre
Published: May 2010

Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression may be a prognostic factor in lung cancer. In previous studies, COX‐2 expression has almost exclusively been evaluated with immunohistochemical methods performed on histology sections of tissue biopsies. However, in clinical practice, lung cancer is often diagnosed with cytological techniques only. We present methodology and results from analysis of COX‐2 expression with immunochemistry on cytological material in 53 patients with lung cancer. Preparation and staining with the method established at our laboratory were easy to perform and resulted in good quality slides. The percentage COX‐2‐stained cells and the intensity of staining varied widely between and within the different cases. The proportion of positively stained tumor cells was as follows: <1% in 20 patients, 1–10% in 7 patients, 11–50% in 17 patients, and more than 50% in 9 patients. In 17 cases, groups of cells with different intensity of COX‐2 staining were found in the same slide. In conclusion, immunocytochemical analysis of COX‐2 expression is technically easy to perform with routine diagnostic procedures. There is a great variation in the proportion of COX‐2‐positive cells among patients and in the intensity of staining among individual cells in many single cases. Diagn. Cytopathol.2011;39:188–193. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Paramagnetic (1,3‐Diborolyl)ruthenium Triple‐Decker Complexes and Transformation into Diamagnetic Complexes Having Bridging 1,3‐Diborafulvene Ligands
Authors: Mutseneck Elena V. , Wadepohl Hubert , Enders Markus , Kudinov Alexander R. , Siebert Walter
Published: May 2010

The paramagnetic triple‐decker complexes [(Cp*Ru)2{μ‐(CMe)3(BCl)(BMe)}] (3b) and [(Cp*Ru)2{μ‐(CMe)3(BCl)2}] (3c) are formed by refluxing a mixture of [Cp*RuCl]4 and pentamethyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1,3‐diborole in thf. In CH2Cl2 under air complex 3b slowly looses a hydrogen atom with formation of the diamagnetic triple‐decker [(Cp*Ru)2{μ‐η5:η6‐(CMe)3(BCl)(BCH2)}] (4b) with the unsymmetrical dihydrodiborafulvene derivative in a bridging position. The analogous complex [(Cp*Ru)2{μ‐η5:η6‐(CMe)3(BMe)‐(BCH2)}] (4a) is obtained by interaction of HCl with the triple‐decker [(Cp*Ru)2{μ‐(CMe)3(BMe)2}] (3a). According to calculations, complexes 4a and 4b have an almost non‐distorted triple‐decker arrangement with a strong bending of the B=CH2 group toward one of the Ru atoms. For the formation of 3b and 3c the chloro‐containing sandwich complexes [Cp*Ru{η5‐(CMe)3(BCl)(BR1)}] (2b,c; R1 = Me, Cl) are proposed as intermediates. The constitutions of the complexes are derived from NMR, MS and DFT data, and the molecular structure of 3b is confirmed by an X‐ray diffraction analysis.
Diselenide‐ and Disulfide‐Mediated Synthesis of Isocoumarins
Authors: Shahzad Sohail A. , Venin Claire , Wirth Thomas
Published: May 2010

Cyclizations of stilbenecarboxylic acids to the corresponding isocoumarin derivatives using diselenide or disulfide reagents have been developed. By employing bis(triflouroacetoxy)iodobenzene as oxidant for the 6‐endo‐trig cyclizations a variety of dihydroisocoumarins have been prepared in good yields. This method is capable of forming isocoumarins and dihydroisocoumarin derivatives by a cyclization–elimination route.
Comparison of different approaches and computer programs for progress curve analysis of enzyme kinetics
Authors: Zavrel Michael , Kochanowski Karl , Spiess Antje C.
Published: May 2010

For the analysis of enzyme kinetics, a variety of programs exists. These programs apply either algebraic or dynamic parameter estimation, requiring different approaches for data fitting. The choice of approach and computer program is usually subjective, and it is generally assumed that this choice has no influence on the obtained parameter estimates. However, this assumption has not yet been verified comprehensively. Therefore, in this study, five computer programs for progress curve analysis were compared with respect to accuracy and minimum data amount required to obtain accurate parameter estimates. While two of these five computer programs (MS‐Excel, Origin) use algebraic parameter estimation, three computer programs (Encora, ModelMaker, gPROMS) are able to perform dynamic parameter estimation. For this comparison, the industrially important enzyme penicillin amidase (EC 3.5.1.11) was studied, and both experimental and in silico data were used. It was shown that significant differences in the estimated parameter values arise by using different computer programs, especially if the number of data points is low. Therefore, deviations between parameter values reported in the literature could simply be caused by the use of different computer programs.
A catchment scale evaluation of the SIBERIA and CAESAR landscape evolution models
Authors: Hancock GR , Lowry JBC , Coulthard TJ , Evans KG , Moliere DR
Published: May 2010

Landscape evolution models provide a way to determine erosion rates and landscape stability over times scales from tens to thousands of years. The SIBERIA and CAESAR landscape evolution models both have the capability to simulate catchment–wide erosion and deposition over these time scales. They are both cellular, operate over a digital elevation model of the landscape, and represent fluvial and slope processes. However, they were initially developed to solve research questions at different time and space scales and subsequently the perspective, detail and process representation vary considerably between the models. Notably, CAESAR simulates individual events with a greater emphasis on fluvial processes whereas SIBERIA averages erosion rates across annual time scales. This paper describes how both models are applied to Tin Camp Creek, Northern Territory, Australia, where soil erosion rates have been closely monitored over the last 10 years. Results simulating 10 000 years of erosion are similar, yet also pick up subtle differences that indicate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two models. The results from both the SIBERIA and CAESAR models compare well with independent field data determined for the site over different time scales. Representative hillslope cross‐sections are very similar between the models. Geomorphologically there was little difference between the modelled catchments after 1000 years but significant differences were revealed at longer simulation times. Importantly, both models show that they are sensitive to input parameters and that hydrology and erosion parameter derivation has long‐term implications for sediment transport prediction. Therefore selection of input parameters is critical. This study also provides a good example of how different models may be better suited to different applications or research questions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Commonwealth of Australia