bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant Activities of Caralluma tuberculata on Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Poodineh Jafar , Khazaei Feizabad Abdurrashid , Nakhaee Alireza
Published: January 2015

Preclinical Research

The aim of this study was to elucidate the antioxidant effects of Caralluma tuberculata (C. tuberculata) in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats with an intraperitoneal injection of STZ at dose of 60 mg/kg body weight. Three days after diabetes induction, powdered aerial part of plant at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight were gavaged orally for a period of 45 days. The diabetes significantly decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and level of total thiol in liver, kidney, and heart of animals (P < 0.05). In contrast, a significant increase in the levels of protein carbonyl was observed in diabetic rats compared with control animals (P < 0.05). Oral treatment of diabetic rats with C. tuberculata showed ameliorative effects on blood glucose and markers of oxidative stress in a dose‐dependent manner. Altered levels of all oxidative stress parameters in tissues of diabetic rats reverted back to those normal animals after the treatment with dose of 200  mg/kg /day of plant materials. It seems that the appropriate dose of C. tuberculata has both antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activities in STZ‐induced diabetic rats. Therefore, it can have preventive properties on oxidative stress‐induced diabetic complications. Drug Dev Res 76 : 40–47, 2015
Dalbergia odorifera Extract Ameliorates UVB‐Induced Wrinkle Formation by Modulating Expression of Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Authors: Ham Sun Ah , Kang Eun Sil , Yoo Taesik , Lim Hyun Ho , Lee Won Jin , Hwang Jung Seok , Paek Kyung Shin , Seo Han Geuk
Published: January 2015

Preclinical Research

Emerging evidence suggests that Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (Leguminosae), an indigenous medicinal herb, has therapeutic potential. This study examined the antiwrinkle effects of ethanol extracts of D. odorifera in UVB‐irradiated human skin cells. Ethanol extracts of D. odorifera and thier constituents, dalbergin and sativanone, induced expression of collagen type I and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 in human dermal fibroblasts. In HR‐1 hairless mice exposed to UVB, the ethanol extract reduced wrinkle formation and skin thickness. This inhibitory effect of ethanol extract was associated with the restoration of collagen type I, TGF‐β1, and elastin to levels approaching those in skin tissues not exposed to UVB, which was accompanied by the reduction of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and upregulation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)‐2 and TIMP‐3 in skin tissue exposed to UVB. These results suggest that the ethanol extracts prevent some effects of photoaging and maintain skin integrity by regulating the degradation of the extracellular matrix proteins. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Drug Dev Res 76 : 48–56, 2015
Cross‐fostering differentially affects ADHD‐related behaviors in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Gauthier Angela C. , DeAngeli Nicole E. , Bucci David J.
Published: February 2015

Although both genetic and non‐genetic factors are known to contribute to the occurrence of Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity/Disorder (ADHD), little is known about how they impact specific symptoms. We used a cross‐fostering approach with an established animal model of ADHD, the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat strain (SHR), to test the influence of genotype and maternal behavior on ADHD‐related behaviors. SHRs and their normo‐active genetic relative, Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), were cross‐fostered to an unfamiliar dam of either the same or different strain. Behavioral testing took place when the rats reached adulthood. Locomotor hyperactivity was completely dependent on the strain of the offspring. In contrast, social behavior was primarily determined by the strain of the mother, while attentional orienting behavior was influenced by both the strain of the offspring and the strain of the dam. Anxiety‐related behavior was influenced by an interaction between offspring and dam strain. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 226–236, 2015.
Differentiation of acute from chronic hepatitis C virus infection by nonstructural 5B deep sequencing: A population‐level tool for incidence estimation
Authors: Montoya Vincent , Olmstead Andrea D. , Janjua Naveed Z. , Tang Patrick , Grebely Jason , Cook Darrel , Richard Harrigan P. , Krajden Mel
Published: February 2015

The ability to classify acute versus chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections at the time of diagnosis is desirable to improve the quality of surveillance information. The aim of this study was to differentiate acute from chronic HCV infections utilizing deep sequencing. HCV nonstructural 5B (NS5B) amplicons (n = 94) were generated from 77 individuals (13 acute and 64 chronic HCV infections) in British Columbia, Canada, with documented seroconversion time frames. Amplicons were deep sequenced and HCV genomic diversity was measured by Shannon entropy (SE) and a single nucleotide variant (SNV) analysis. The relationship between each diversity measure and the estimated days since infection was assessed using linear mixed models, and the ability of each diversity measure to differentiate acute from chronic infections was assessed using generalized estimating equations. Both SE and the SNV diversity measures were significantly different for acute versus chronic infections (P < 0.009). NS5B nucleotide diversity continued to increase for at least 3 years postinfection. Among individuals with the least uncertainty with regard to duration of infection (n = 39), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was high (0.96 for SE; 0.98 for SNV). Although the AUROCs were lower (0.86 for SE; 0.80 for SNV) when data for all individuals were included, they remain sufficiently high for epidemiological purposes. Synonymous mutations were the primary discriminatory variable accounting for over 78% of the measured genetic diversity. Conclusions: NS5B sequence diversity assessed by deep sequencing can differentiate acute from chronic HCV infections and, with further validation, could become a powerful population‐level surveillance tool for incidence estimation. (Hepatology 2015;61:1842–1850)
Understanding the Determinants of Who Gets Laid Off: Does Affective Organizational Commitment Matter?
Authors: Zatzick Christopher D. , Deery Stephen J. , Iverson Roderick D.
Published: January 2015

Whereas prior research has focused on structural, demographic, and human capital factors to predict who gets laid off, the current study examines affective organizational commitment as an additional attribute related to an employee's layoff chances. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between affective organizational commitment and an individual's layoff chances, as well as whether this relationship differs between high and low performers. Event history analysis is conducted using survey data with matched personnel records from 3,057 employees across 563 Australian bank branches. After controlling for numerous predictors of layoffs, the results demonstrate that affective organizational commitment decreases the likelihood of an employee being laid off. Further, the effects of affective organizational commitment on an individual's layoff chances are greater for lower performers than higher performers. We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gender‐Biased Breastfeeding in Egypt: Examining the Fertility Preference Hypotheses of Jayachandran and Kuziemko (2011)
Authors: Chakravarty Abhishek
Published: February 2015

Jayachandran and Kuziemko (Why do mothers breastfeed girls less than boys? Evidence and implications for child health in India. Quarterly Journal of Economics 2011; 126(3): 1485–1538) develop and empirically validate a theory showing son preference in India generates ‘passive’ parental bias against girls in breastfeeding due to gender‐differentiated birth spacing and fertility stopping. I scientifically replicate their empirical exercises to test the validity of the theory in Egypt, where there is also high prevailing son preference, but little research on its implications for child health investments. I additionally examine whether using the exclusive breastfeeding rate as an alternative outcome yields supportive evidence for the theory. I find the theory is strongly supported by empirical results from Egyptian data, bolstering its policy relevance for developing countries besides India. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temperature‐related changes of bioapatite based on hypermineralized dolphin's bulla
Authors: Li Zhen , Wu Shipeng , Ye Chenglong
Published: February 2015

The central region of the hypermineralized dolphin's bulla (ear bone), contains >95 wt% mineral with ~10 wt% structurally incorporated carbonate. The mineral‐bioapatite undergoes phase changes during heating. However, the step‐by‐step changes with increasing temperature are still unclear. Raman spectroscopy is proved to be a powerful technique in analyzing crystallographic transformation of bioapatite. The bulla was heated stepwise from 100 °C to 900 °C for the Raman analyses. Both positions and widths of Raman peaks were studied. Crystals of the bioapatite are stable up to 200 °C. From 300 °C to 600 °C, the decrystallization is a gradual process with delicate changes rather than a sharp transformation. Carbonate is depleted at ~500 °C, and then decrystallization is terminated. At temperature over 600 °C, bioapatite re‐crystallizes and is transformed to OHAp at 700 °C. The crystallinity is then gradually improved while the temperature increased to 900 °C. No phases of β‐tricalcium phosphate or calcium pyrophosphate were detected in this study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of α‐tocopherol by reversed‐phase HPLC in feed and animal‐derived foods without saponification
Authors: Claeys Erik , Vossen Els , De Smet Stefaan
Published: February 2015

BACKGROUND

The analysis of α‐tocopherol in feed and animal‐derived foods usually involves a saponification step. However, since saponification often leads to losses of α‐tocopherol, a method for the determination of α‐tocopherol in feed and in animal‐derived foods was developed without a saponification step.

RESULTS

In this method, α‐tocopherol is extracted with hot ethanol and the co‐extracted fat is removed by centrifugation. Removal of the fat fraction is made possible by the addition of water, to achieve an ethanol:water ratio of 40:7, followed by cooling on ice before centrifugation. This procedure allows removal of the fat fraction, while α‐tocopherol is retained. Matrices differing in gross composition and α‐tocopherol content were analyzed: fresh pork, cooked ham, subcutaneous fat, liver, egg yolk, milk and a compound pig feed. Higher α‐tocopherol concentrations were found for this novel method compared to a conventional method with saponification, particularly for subcutaneous fat (P < 0.05). Recoveries were higher (P < 0.05) for the novel method (82–103%), compared to the saponification method (66–90%; for subcutaneous fat < 25%).

CONCLUSION

Determining α‐tocopherol in feed and animal‐derived foods using pure ethanol without saponification results in higher extraction yields and recoveries compared to the saponification method. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparative analysis of resistance gene analogues encoding NBS‐LRR domains in cotton
Authors: Khan Abdul Manan , Khan Asif Ali , Azhar Muhammad Tehseen , Amrao Luqman , Cheema Hafiza Masooma Naseer
Published: February 2015

BACKGROUND

Plant production is severely affected by biotic and abiotic stresses R‐genes exhibit resistance against a range of diseases and pathogens in plants. The nucleotide binding site and leucine rich repeat (NBS‐LRR) class of R‐genes is the most comprehensively studied in terms of sequence evolution and genome distribution. The differential response for resistance against biotic and abiotic stress has been observed in cultivated and wild relatives of the genus Gossypium.

RESULTS

Efforts have been made to address the recent evolution of NBS‐LRR sequences within Gossypium hirsutum and resistance gene analogue (RGA) sequences derived from G. arboreum and G. raimondii. The % identity and phylogenetic analysis of NBS‐LRR‐encoded RGAs from tetraploid New World cotton and its diploid ancestors G. raimondii and G. arboreum suggest that the evolution of NBS‐LRR‐encoding sequences in G. hirsutum occurred by gradual accumulation of mutants that led to positive selection and a slow rate of divergence within distinct R‐gene families.

CONCLUSION

The allotetraploid genome of cotton, after separating from its diploid parents, experienced polyploidisation, natural and artificial selection, hybrid necrosis, duplication and recombination which became the reason to shed off and evolve new genes for its survival. These driving forces influenced the development of genomic architecture that make it susceptible to diseases and pathogens as compared to donor parents. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Surgical resection versus transarterial chemoembolization for BCLC stage C hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Po‐Hong , Hsia Cheng‐Yuan , Lee Yun‐Hsuan , Hsu Chia‐Yang , Huang Yi‐Hsiang , Su Chien‐Wei , Lee Rheun‐Chuan , Lin Han‐Chieh , Huo Teh‐Ia
Published: February 2015

Background

Sorafenib is the only recommended treatment for patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to compare surgical resection (SR) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for advanced (BCLC stage C) HCC patients.

Methods

A total of 264 and 389 advanced HCC patients received SR and TACE, respectively. Among them, 163 matched pairs of patients were identified from each treatment arm by propensity score matching analysis to compare long‐term survival.

Results

Of all patients, the SR group had better liver functional reserve than the TACE group. In the matched propensity model, the baseline characteristics were similar between patients receiving SR and TACE. SR provided significantly better long‐term survival than TACE in all patients and in patients selected in the propensity model (both P < 0.001). In the Cox proportional hazards model, patients receiving TACE had a 2.393‐fold increased risk of mortality compared with patients receiving SR (95% confidence interval: 1.610–3.556, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

SR provides significantly better long‐term survival than TACE in patients with BCLC stage C HCC, and should be an integral part in the management of advanced HCC. Multidisciplinary approaches for these patients and further amendment to the BCLC classification scheme are required. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:404–409. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
EYA4 Acts as a New Tumor Suppressor Gene in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Kim Sung‐Jin , Tae Chung Hyun , Hong Sung Noh , Min Byung‐Hoon , Chang Dong Kyung , Rhee Poong‐Lyul , Kim Jae J. , Kim Hee Cheol , Kim Duk‐Hwan , Kim Young‐Ho
Published: January 2015

A previous genome‐wide methylation array for colorectal cancer (CRC) identified aberrant promoter methylation of eyes absent 4 (EYA4). However, the correlations between EYA4 methylation and gene expression, the role played by EYA4 protein in colorectal carcinogenesis, and results of the gene‐enrichment and functional annotation analysis have not yet been established. We analyzed the EYA4 methylation status and found EYA4 promoter methylation in CRC cell lines (100%), CRC tissues (93.5%) and advanced adenoma tissues (50.7%), compared with normal mucosa (32.6%). There was a significant inverse correlation between EYA4 methylation and expression. EYA4 transfection led to inhibition of cell proliferation in colony assays and xenograft studies. On performing the gene‐enrichment and functional annotation analysis, we observed that the differentially expressed genes have been associated with the Wnt and MAPK signaling pathways. Our results demonstrate that EYA4 is under epigenetic regulation in CRC. It is a candidate tumor suppressor gene that acts by inducing up‐regulation of DKK1 and inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway. In addition, EYA4 methylation may be identified in stool samples and it serves as a potential stool biomarker for detection of advanced adenoma and CRC. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The drs tumor suppressor regulates glucose metabolism via lactate dehydrogenase‐B
Authors: Tambe Yukihiro , Hasebe Masahiro , Kim Chul Jang , Yamamoto Akitsugu , Inoue Hirokazu
Published: January 2015

Previously, we showed that drs contributes to suppression of malignant tumor formation in drs‐knockout (KO) mice. In this study, we demonstrate the regulation of glucose metabolism by drs using comparisons of drs‐KO and wild‐type (WT) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Extracellular acidification, lactate concentration, and glucose consumption in drs‐KO cells were significantly greater than those in WT cells. Metabolomic analyses also confirmed enhanced glycolysis in drs‐KO cells. Among glycolysis‐regulating proteins, expression of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)‐B was upregulated at the post‐transcriptional level in drs‐KO cells and increased LDH‐B expression, LDH activity, and acidification of culture medium in drs‐KO cells were suppressed by retroviral rescue of drs, indicating that LDH‐B plays a critical role for glycolysis regulation mediated by drs. In WT cells transformed by activated K‐ras, expression of endogenous drs mRNA was markedly suppressed and LDH‐B expression was increased. In human cancer cell lines with low drs expression, LDH‐B expression was increased. Database analyses also showed the correlation between downregulation of drs and upregulation of LDH‐B in human colorectal cancer and lung adenocarcinoma tissues. Furthermore, an LDH inhibitor suppressed anchorage‐independent growth of human cancer cells and MEF cells transformed by activated K‐ras. These results indicate that drs regulates glucose metabolism via LDH‐B. Downregulating drs may contribute to the Warburg effect, which is closely associated with malignant progression of cancer cells. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase‐1C (PDE1C) drives cell proliferation, migration and invasion in glioblastoma multiforme cells in vitro
Authors: Rowther Farjana B. , Wei Weinbin , Dawson Timothy P. , Ashton Katherine , Singh Anushree , Madiesse‐Timchou Mylene P. , Thomas D.G.T. , Darling John L. , Warr Tracy
Published: January 2015

Cyclic nucleotides (cAMP & cGMP) are critical intracellular second messengers involved in the transduction of a diverse array of stimuli and their catabolism is mediated by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). We previously detected focal genomic amplification of PDE1C in >90 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells suggesting a potential as a novel therapeutic target in these cells. In this report, we show that genomic gain of PDE1C was associated with increased expression in low passage GBM‐derived cell cultures. We demonstrate that PDE1C is essential in driving cell proliferation, migration and invasion in GBM cultures since silencing of this gene significantly mitigates these functions. We also define the mechanistic basis of this functional effect through whole genome expression analysis by identifying down‐stream gene effectors of PDE1C which are involved in cell cycle and cell adhesion regulation. In addition, we also demonstrate that Vinpocetine, a general PDE1 inhibitor, can also attenuate proliferation with no effect on invasion/migration. Up‐regulation of at least one of this gene set (IL8, CXCL2, FOSB, NFE2L3, SUB1, SORBS2, WNT5A, and MMP1) in TCGA GBM cohorts is associated with worse outcome and PDE1C silencing down‐regulated their expression, thus also indicating potential to influence patient survival. Therefore we conclude that proliferation, migration, and invasion of GBM cells could also be regulated downstream of PDE1C. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Autophagy‐related prognostic signature for breast cancer
Authors: Gu Yunyan , Li Pengfei , Peng Fuduan , Zhang Mengmeng , Zhang Yuanyuan , Liang Haihai , Zhao Wenyuan , Qi Lishuang , Wang Hongwei , Wang Chenguang , Guo Zheng
Published: January 2015

Autophagy is a process that degrades intracellular constituents, such as long‐lived or damaged proteins and organelles, to buffer metabolic stress under starvation conditions. Deregulation of autophagy is involved in the progression of cancer. However, the predictive value of autophagy for breast cancer prognosis remains unclear. First, based on gene expression profiling, we found that autophagy genes were implicated in breast cancer. Then, using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, we detected autophagy prognostic signature for breast cancer in a training dataset. We identified a set of eight autophagy genes (BCL2, BIRC5, EIF4EBP1, ERO1L, FOS, GAPDH, ITPR1 and VEGFA) that were significantly associated with overall survival in breast cancer. The eight autophagy genes were assigned as a autophagy‐related prognostic signature for breast cancer. Based on the autophagy‐related signature, the training dataset GSE21653 could be classified into high‐risk and low‐risk subgroups with significantly different survival times (HR = 2.72, 95% CI = (1.91, 3.87); P = 1.37 × 10−5). Inactivation of autophagy was associated with shortened survival of breast cancer patients. The prognostic value of the autophagy‐related signature was confirmed in the testing dataset GSE3494 (HR = 2.12, 95% CI = (1.48, 3.03); P = 1.65 × 10−3) and GSE7390 (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = (1.22, 2.54); P = 9.95 × 10−4). Further analysis revealed that the prognostic value of the autophagy signature was independent of known clinical prognostic factors, including age, tumor size, grade, estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, ERBB2 status, lymph node status and TP53 mutation status. Finally, we demonstrated that the autophagy signature could also predict distant metastasis‐free survival for breast cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Duality and entropy methods for reversible reaction‐diffusion equations with degenerate diffusion
Authors: Desvillettes L. , Fellner K.
Published: February 2015

A combination of entropy and duality methods has been successfully used in the past to study the existence and smoothness of reaction–diffusion equations arising in reversible chemistry in many situations, but in general under the requirement that the diffusion is non‐degenerate (or at least that all diffusion coefficients are strictly positive a.e.). Here, we wish to describe how these methods also enable to treat reaction–diffusion systems which are strongly degenerate in the sense that one or more of the species do not diffuse at all. Copyright © 2015 JohnWiley & Sons, Ltd.
Existence and multiplicity results for the nonlinear Schrödinger–Maxwell systems
Authors: Chen Huiwen , He Zhimin
Published: February 2015

In this paper, we study the nonlinear Schrödinger–Maxwell system where the potential V and the primitive of g are allowed to be sign‐changing, and g is local superlinear. Under some simple assumptions on V,Q and g, we establish some existence criteria to guarantee that the aforementioned system has at least one nontrivial solution or infinitely many nontrivial solutions by using critical point theory. Recent results in the literature are generalized and significantly improved. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevalence and triage of first contact pelvic floor dysfunction complaints in male patients referred to a Pelvic Care Centre
Authors: Berghmans Bary , Nieman Fred , Leue C. , Weemhoff M. , Breukink S. , van Koeveringe G.
Published: January 2015

Aims

(i) To describe and analyse pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms in men referred to a Pelvic Care Centre (PCC). (ii) To describe the triage process of the same patients based on response to a first‐contact interview.

Methods

Triage started with a telephone interview using previously constructed questions, asking for six types of PF complaints during the preceding 6 months. If present, complaint severity was registered on a 0–10 scale. Next, these first‐contact complaints were used to describe patient case mix profiles using cross‐tabular analysis. Later on, at first PCC visit, an intake questionnaire regarding specific PF health problem(s) was filled out. This procedure contributed to a firm baseline characterization of the individual patient profile and a clinically valid allocation to structured, predefined assessment and treatment.

Results

From 2005 to 2013 985 first‐time patients (mean age 58.2 years (SD 15.3) have been referred to the PCC. Most frequently mentioned complaints: voiding dysfunctions (73.9%), urinary incontinence (29.5%), sexual problems (16.6%), faecal incontinence (13.9%), constipation (9.6%), and prolapse (0.3%). A first appointment to a single specialist was determined in 805 (81.7%) patients, in 137 (13.9%) consultation of >1 specialist. Data analysis revealed higher‐order interactions between PF complaints, suggesting patient profile complexity and patient population heterogeneity.

Conclusions

One out of seven PCC patients showed multifactorial problems, needing >1 specialist. PF complaints either turned out to stand alone or cluster with others, or even to strengthen, weaken, nullify or inverse relationships. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:487–491, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Branch‐and‐cut and Branch‐and‐cut‐and‐price algorithms for the adjacent only quadratic minimum spanning tree problem
Authors: Pereira Dilson Lucas , Gendreau Michel , Salles da Cunha Alexandre
Published: February 2015

The quadratic minimum spanning tree problem (QMSTP) consists of finding a spanning tree of a graph G such that a quadratic cost function is minimized. In its adjacent only version (AQMSTP), interaction costs only apply for edges that share an endpoint. Motivated by the weak lower bounds provided by formulations in the literature, we present a new linear integer programming formulation for AQMSTP. In addition to decision variables assigned to the edges, it also makes use of variables assigned to the stars of G. In doing so, the model is naturally linear (integer), without the need of implementing usual linearization steps, and its linear programming relaxation better estimates the interaction costs between edges. We also study a reformulation derived from the new model, obtained by projecting out the decision variables associated with the stars. Two exact solution approaches are presented: a branch‐and‐cut‐and‐price algorithm, based on the first formulation, and a branch‐and‐cut algorithm, based on its projection. Our computational results indicate that the lower bounds introduced here are much stronger than previous bounds in the literature. Being designed for the adjacent only case, our duality gaps are one order of magnitude smaller than the Gilmore–Lawler lower bounds for AQMSTP. As a result, the two exact algorithms introduced here outperform the previous exact solution approaches in the literature. In particular, the branch‐and‐cut method we propose managed to solve AQMSTP instances with as many as 50 vertices to proven optimality. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 65(4), 367–379 2015
Single‐item reformulations for a vendor managed inventory routing problem: Computational experience with benchmark instances
Authors: Avella Pasquale , Boccia Maurizio , Wolsey Laurence A.
Published: February 2015

The inventory routing problem (IRP) involves the distribution of one or more products from a supplier to a set of customers over a discrete planning horizon. The version treated here, the so‐called vendor managed IRP (VMIRP), is the IRP arising when the replenishment policy is decided a priori. We consider two replenishment policies. The first is known as order‐up (OU): if a client is visited in a period, then the amount shipped to the client must bring the stock level up to the upper bound. The latter is called maximum level (ML): the maximum stock level in each period cannot be exceeded. The objective is to find replenishment decisions minimizing the sum of the storage and distribution costs. VMIRP contains two important subproblems: a lot‐sizing problem for each customer and a classical vehicle routing problem for each time period. In this paper we present a priori reformulations of VMIRP‐OU and VMIRP‐ML derived from the single‐item lot‐sizing substructure. These reformulations take into account the special nature of the test instances—constant demand for each client over time and stock/production upper bounds that are fixed small multiples of the client's demand. In addition we introduce two new cutting plane families—the cut inequalities—deriving from the interaction between the lot‐sizing and the routing substructures. A branch‐and‐cut algorithm has been implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the single‐item reformulations. Computational results on benchmark instances with 50 customers and six periods with a single product and a single vehicle are presented. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 65(2), 129–138 2015
Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors and Psychological Status Among Arabs and Koreans in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Kim Hee Jun , Choi‐Kwon Smi , Kim Hyungjin , Park Yeon‐Hwan , Koh Chin‐Kang
Published: January 2015

Cultural variations among ethnic groups may differentially influence health and health behavior. We explored and compared health‐promoting lifestyle behaviors and psychological status, including depression, anxiety, and stress, among Korean migrants (n = 117) and Arab nationals (n = 103) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pender's Health Promotion Model guided this research. The Health‐Promoting Lifestyle Profile was used to measure health‐promoting lifestyle behaviors and Lovibond and Lovibond's Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale to measure psychological status. The data were analyzed using bivariate procedures and multiple linear regression. No group differences were found in total scores for health‐promoting lifestyle behaviors or psychological status. Both groups scored high on self‐actualization and interpersonal support; Arabs scored low on exercise, and Koreans scored low on health responsibility. Across groups, psychological status (β = −.390, p < .001), education (β = .239, p < .001), and gender (β = .238, p < .001) were significant determinants of health‐promoting lifestyle behaviors in multivariate analysis. Ethnicity and religious attendance were not significant determinants. Education level had a moderating effect; for those with a lower educational level, psychological distress had a stronger negative effect on health behavior. Findings suggest considering cultural aspects, such as different values placed on physical fitness and social/interpersonal relationships, in developing and implementing health education and/or promotion programs. Assessment of psychological status (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) should also be included in health promotion programs and related health policies for Korean migrants and Arab nationals in the UAE. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Molecular design of diene monomers containing an ester functional group for the synthesis of poly(diene sulfone)s by radical alternating copolymerization with sulfur dioxide
Authors: Matsumoto Akikazu , Lee Sungi , Okamura Haruyuki
Published: February 2015

Functional poly(diene sulfone)s are prepared by the radical alternating copolymerization of 1,3‐diene monomers containing an ester substituent with sulfur dioxide. Methyl 3,5‐hexadienoate (MH) and methyl 5,7‐octadienoate (MO) with both an alkylene spacer and a terminal diene structure are suitable to produce a high‐molecular‐weight copolymer in a high yield, while the copolymerization of 5,7‐nonadienoic acid, ethyl 2,4‐pentadienoate, and ethyl 4‐methyl‐2,4‐pentadienoate including either an alkylene spacer or a terminal diene structure lead to unsuccessful results. The 13C NMR chemical shift values of MH and MO suggest a high electron density at their reacting α‐carbon for exhibiting a high copolymerization reactivity. Fluorene‐containing diene monomers, 9‐fluorenyl 3,5‐hexadienoate (FH) and 9‐fluorenyl 5,7‐octadienoate (FO), are also prepared and copolymerized with sulfur dioxide. The thermal and optical properties of the poly(diene sulfone)s containing the methyl and fluorenyl ester substituents in the side chain are investigated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1000–1009
Nanomicellar TGX221 blocks xenograft tumor growth of prostate cancer in nude mice
Authors: Chen Ruibao , Zhao Yunqi , Huang Yan , Yang Qiuhong , Zeng Xing , Jiang Wencong , Liu Jihong , Thrasher J. Brantley , Forrest M. Laird , Li Benyi
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Combination of androgen ablation along with early detection and surgery has made prostate cancer highly treatable at the initial stage. However, this cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among American men due to castration‐resistant progression, suggesting that novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed for this life‐threatening condition. Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase p110β is a major cellular signaling molecule and has been identified as a critical factor in prostate cancer progression. In a recent report, we established a nanomicelle‐based strategy to deliver p110β‐specific inhibitor TGX221 to prostate cancer cells by conjugating the surface of nanomicelles with a RNA aptamer against prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) present in all clinical prostate cancers. In this study, we tested this nanomicellar TGX221 for its in vivo anti‐tumor effect in mouse xenograft models.

METHODS

Prostate cancer cell lines LAPC‐4, LNCaP, C4–2 and 22RV1 were used to establish subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice. Paraffin sections from xenograft tumor specimens were used in immunohistochemistry assays to detect AKT phosphorylation, cell proliferation marker Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), as well as 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Quantitative PCR assay was conducted to determine prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) gene expression in xenograft tumors.

RESULTS

Although systemic delivery of unconjugated TGX221 significantly reduced xenograft tumor growth in nude mice compared to solvent control, the nanomicellar TGX221 conjugates completely blocked tumor growth of xenografts derived from multiple prostate cancer cell lines. Further analyses revealed that AKT phosphorylation and cell proliferation indexes were dramatically reduced in xenograft tumors received nanomicellar TGX221 compared to xenograft tumors received unconjugated TGX221 treatment. There was no noticeable side effect by gross observation or at microscopic level of organ tissue section.

CONCLUSION

These data strongly suggest that prostate cancer cell‐targeted nanomicellar TGX221 is an effective anti‐cancer agent for prostate cancer. Prostate 75: 593–602, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of pomegranate fruit extract on testosterone‐induced BPH in rats
Authors: Ammar Amr E. , Esmat Ahmed , Hassona Mohammed D.H. , Tadros Mariane G. , Abdel‐Naim Ashraf B. , Guns Emma S. Tomlinson
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects many men after the age of 50 years. Inflammation and oxidative stress along with apoptotic changes are thought to play an important role in the pathology of BPH. Pomegranate contains a variety of polyphenolic compounds that have been studied in a medley of diseases for their anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory and pro‐apoptotic properties. Therefore, this study examined the effect of Pomegranate Fruit Extract (PFE) on the development of BPH using a testosterone‐induced BPH model in rats.

METHODS

A total of 48 rats were randomly divided into six groups of eight, one group served as the control, BPH was induced by testosterone 3 mg/kg S.C. daily in four groups, three of them received PFE by oral gavage daily at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg respectively, while one group received PFE at a dose of 50 mg/kg without induction of BPH.

RESULTS

PFE at a dose of 100 mg/kg was the most effective in decreasing testosterone‐induced increase in prostate weight, prostate weight/body weight ratio, and PAP levels by 30.8%, 55%, and 68% respectively and in preventing the accompanying histological changes. In the BPH model, testosterone significantly decreased GSH, SOD, and CAT to 0.45, 0.64, and 0.88 of the control group values respectively, and significantly increased MDA by >6‐fold. In combination with testosterone, PFE dosed at 100 mg/kg significantly increased GSH, SOD, and CAT to 0.83, 0.92, and 0.93 of the control group values respectively, whereas MDA was significantly decreased by 72% compared with the testosterone treated group. In addition to this, at the range of doses studied, PFE lowered COX‐II, iNOS, Ki‐67 expression, and increased apoptotic index.

CONCLUSION

The current findings elucidate the effectiveness of PFE in preventing testosterone‐induced BPH in rats. This could be attributed, at least partly, to its anti‐oxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and pro‐apoptotic properties. Prostate 75:679–692, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Racial disparities in prostate cancer incidence rates by census division in the United States, 1999–2008
Authors: Cook Michael B. , Rosenberg Philip S. , McCarty Frances A. , Wu Manxia , King Jessica , Eheman Christie , Anderson William F.
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Black men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer than white men in the U.S., but little is known whether incidence or racial differences vary geographically. Understanding these differences may assist future studies on causes of prostate cancer. To address such, we leverage the unique resource of the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) combined with Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER).

METHODS

Prostate cancer counts and population denominators by race (black, white), age, calendar year, and U.S. census division, for the period 1999–2008, were extracted from NPCR and SEER. We calculated age‐standardized incidence rates (ASR) and estimated annual percent changes (EAPC) by race and census division. We assessed black‐to‐white incidence rate ratios (BWIRR) by census division and by calendar period.

RESULTS

This analysis included 1,713,471 prostate cancer cases and 1,217 million person‐years. Black ASRs ranged from 176 per 100,000 person‐years in Mountain division to 259 in Middle Atlantic. BWIRRs ranged from 1.20 in Western divisions to 1.72 in Southeastern divisions. EAPCs indicated that prostate cancer incidence is not decreasing in East South Central, unlike all other divisions. White EAPCs displayed similar variations by census division, resulting in modest temporal changes in BWIRRs.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the U.S., there exists significant geographic variability in prostate cancer incidence rates. Although there are large geographic differences in BWIRRs, temporal trends are fairly stable. This may indicate that primary factors affecting prostate cancer incidence rates vary geographically but affect both black and white men to a similar degree. Prostate 75: 758–763, 2015. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
γ‐oryzanol reduces caveolin‐1 and PCGEM1 expression, markers of aggressiveness in prostate cancer cell lines
Authors: Hirsch Gabriela E. , Parisi Mariana M. , Martins Leo A.M. , Andrade Claudia M.B. , Barbé‐Tuana Florencia M. , Guma Fátima T.C.R.
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death among men due to the limited number of treatment strategies available for advanced disease. γ‐oryzanol is a component of rice bran, rich in phytosterols, known for its antioxidant, anti‐carcinogenic and endocrinological effects. It is known that γ‐oryzanol may affect prostate cancer cells through the down regulation of the antioxidant genes and that phytosterols have anti‐proliferative and apoptotic effects. There are evidences showing that some of the components of γ‐oryzanol can modulate genes involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer, as caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) and prostate specific androgen‐regulated gene (PCGEM1).

METHODS

To determine the effects of γ‐oryzanol on prostate cancer cell survival we evaluated the cell viability and biomass by MTT and sulforhodamine B assays, respectively. Cell death, cell cycle and pERK1/2 activity were assessed by flow cytometry. The changes in gene expression involved in the survival and progression of prostate cancer cav‐1 and PCGEM1 genes were evaluated by quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and cav‐1 protein by immunofluorescence followed by confocal microscopy analysis.

RESULTS

We found that γ‐oryzanol decreases cell viability and culture biomass by apoptosis and/or necrosis death in androgen unresponsive (PC3 and DU145) and responsive (LNCaP) cell lines, and signals through pERK1/2 in LNCaP and DU145 cells. γ‐oryzanol also appears to block cell cycle progression at the G2/M in PC3 and LNCaP cells and at G0/G1 in DU145 cells. These effects were accompanied by a down regulation in the expression of the cav‐1 in both androgen unresponsive cell lines and PCGEM1 gene in DU145 and LNCaP cells.

CONCLUSION

In summary, we used biochemical and genetics approaches to demonstrate that γ‐oryzanol show a promising adjuvant role in the treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate 75:783–797, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
X‐ray crystal structures of an orally available aminopeptidase inhibitor, Tosedostat, bound to anti‐malarial drug targets PfA‐M1 and PfA‐M17
Authors: Drinkwater Nyssa , Bamert Rebecca S. , Sivaraman Komagal Kannan , Paiardini Alessandro , McGowan Sheena
Published: February 2015

New anti‐malarial treatments are desperately required to face the spread of drug resistant parasites. Inhibition of metalloaminopeptidases, PfA‐M1 and PfA‐M17, is a validated therapeutic strategy for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Here, we describe the crystal structures of PfA‐M1 and PfA‐M17 bound to chemotherapeutic agent Tosedostat. The inhibitor occupies the enzymes' putative product egress channels in addition to the substrate binding pockets; however, adopts different binding poses when bound to PfA‐M1 and PfA‐M17. These findings will be valuable for the continued development of selective inhibitors of PfA‐M1 and PfA‐M17. Proteins 2015; 83:789–795. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microcrystalline silicon solar cells with passivated interfaces for high open‐circuit voltage
Authors: Hänni Simon , Boccard Mathieu , Bugnon Grégory , Despeisse Matthieu , Schüttauf Jan‐Willem , Haug Franz‐Josef , Meillaud Fanny , Ballif Christophe
Published: February 2015

We introduce passivating hetero‐interfaces in single‐junction microcrystalline silicon (μc‐Si:H) solar cells. We investigate the effect of different i–n layer stacks in thin μc‐Si:H devices, in which recombination is significant at the interfaces as well as in the bulk material. By applying amorphous silicon passivating layers at the μc‐Si:H i–n interface, we show a device with a high open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 608 mV, for a standard Raman crystalline fraction of the i‐layer (>50%). This Voc is the highest reported value for a state‐of‐the‐art μc‐Si:H device made by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We also report an efficiency of 9.45% for a solar cell with an absorber layer as thin as 650 nm on an area greater than 1 cm2, and show with a simple crystalline silicon model that for such thin μc‐Si:H devices or μc‐Si:H devices with a very high bulk‐material quality, well‐mastered interfaces and doped layers are of paramount importance for high efficiency.
Theoretical stability, thin film synthesis and transport properties of the Mon +1GaCn MAX phase
Authors: Meshkian Rahele , Ingason Arni Sigurdur , Dahlqvist Martin , Petruhins Andrejs , Arnalds Unnar B. , Magnus Fridrik , Lu Jun , Rosen Johanna
Published: February 2015

The phase stability of Mon +1GaCn has been investigated using ab‐initio calculations. The results indicate stability for the Mo2GaC phase only, with a formation enthalpy of –0.4 meV per atom. Subsequent thin film synthesis of Mo2GaC was performed through magnetron sputtering from elemental targets onto Al2O3 [0001], 6H‐SiC [0001] and MgO [111] substrates within the temperature range of 500 °C and 750 °C. High structural quality films were obtained for synthesis on MgO [111] substrates at 590 ºC. Evaluation of transport properties showed a superconducting behavior with a critical temperature of approximately 7 K, reducing upon the application of an external magnetic field. The results point towards the first superconducting MAX phase in thin film form. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Magic state distillation and gate compilation in quantum algorithms for quantum chemistry
Authors: Trout Colin J. , Brown Kenneth R.
Published: January 2015

Quantum algorithms for quantum chemistry map the dynamics of electrons in a molecule to the dynamics of a coupled spin system. To reach chemical accuracy for interesting molecules, a large number of quantum gates must be applied which implies the need for quantum error correction and fault‐tolerant quantum computation. Arbitrary fault‐tolerant operations can be constructed from a small, universal set of fault‐tolerant operations by gate compilation. Quantum chemistry algorithms are compiled by decomposing the dynamics of the coupled spin‐system using a Trotter formula, synthesizing the decomposed dynamics using Clifford operations and single‐qubit rotations, and finally approximating the single‐qubit rotations by a sequence of fault‐tolerant single‐qubit gates. Certain fault‐tolerant gates rely on the preparation of specific single‐qubit states referred to as magic states. As a result, gate compilation and magic state distillation are critical for solving quantum chemistry problems on a quantum computer. We review recent progress that has improved the efficiency of gate compilation and magic state distillation by orders of magnitude. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The impact of covariate adjustment at randomization and analysis for binary outcomes: understanding differences between superiority and noninferiority trials
Authors: Nicholas Katherine , Yeatts Sharon D. , Zhao Wenle , Ciolino Jody , Borg Keith , Durkalski Valerie
Published: February 2015

The question of when to adjust for important prognostic covariates often arises in the design of clinical trials, and there remain various opinions on whether to adjust during both randomization and analysis, at randomization alone, or at analysis alone. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of covariate adjustment in the context of noninferiority (NI) designs. The current simulation‐based research explores this issue in the NI setting, as compared with the typical superiority setting, by assessing the differential impact on power, type I error, and bias in the treatment estimate as well as its standard error, in the context of logistic regression under both simple and covariate adjusted permuted block randomization algorithms.

In both the superiority and NI settings, failure to adjust for covariates that influence outcome in the analysis phase, regardless of prior adjustment at randomization, results in treatment estimates that are biased toward zero, with standard errors that are deflated. However, as no treatment difference is approached under the null hypothesis in superiority and under the alternative in NI, this results in decreased power and nominal or conservative (deflated) type I error in the context of superiority but inflated power and type I error under NI. Results from the simulation study suggest that, regardless of the use of the covariate in randomization, it is appropriate to adjust for important prognostic covariates in analysis, as this yields nearly unbiased estimates of treatment as well as nominal type I error. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.