bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of glucagon‐ and somatostatin‐secreting cells in the regulation of insulin release and beta‐cell function in heterotypic pseudoislets
Authors: Kelly Catriona , Parke Hong Guo , McCluskey Jane T. , Flatt Peter R. , McClenaghan Neville H.
Published: August 2010

Background

Pseudoislet studies have concentrated on single beta‐cell lines or a combination of insulin and glucagon‐secreting cells, overlooking the potential role of somatostatin in insulin release. This study sought to evaluate a heterotypic pseudoislet model containing insulin‐ (MIN6), glucagon‐ (αTC1.9) and somatostatin (TGP52)‐secreting cells of mouse origin and to compare these pseudoislets with traditional monolayer preparations.

Methods

Cellular viability (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays), proliferation (5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine ELISA), hormone content and functional insulin release in response to a variety of stimuli were measured. Differential expression of E‐cadherin, connexin 36 and connexin 43 was assessed by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and Western blot to determine a possible role for adherens in insulin release from these pseudoislets.

Results

All pseudoislet cells displayed reduced proliferation coupled with an increase in cell death which may contribute to their static size in culture. While MIN6 and TGP52 cells expressed E‐cadherin and showed sustained or improved hormone content when configured as pseudoislets, αTC1.9 lacked E‐cadherin and contained less glucagon following pseudoislet formation. MIN6 and αTC1.9 cells expressed connexin 36, but not connexin 43 and TGP52 cells expressed connexin 43 only. In the presence of Alanine, Arginine and glucagon‐like peptide‐1, heterotypic pseudoislet cultures secreted levels of insulin that were comparable to that of MIN6 pseudoislets. In addition, pseudoislets comprising all three cell lines released more insulin into the surrounding culture medium than MIN6 pseudoislets when studied over a 1‐week period.

Conclusions

The current model may prove useful in studying the role of islet cell interactions in the release of insulin from pancreatic islets. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of the FRAX and Garvan fracture risk calculators in older women
Authors: Bolland Mark J , Siu Amanda TY , Mason Barbara H , Horne Anne M , Ames Ruth W , Grey Andrew B , Gamble Greg D , Reid Ian R
Published: August 2010

Fracture risk calculators estimate the absolute risk of osteoporotic fractures. We investigated the performance of the FRAX and Garvan Institute fracture risk calculators in healthy, older, New Zealand, postmenopausal women with normal bone mineral density (BMD) for their age. Fractures were ascertained in women initially enrolled in a 5-year trial of calcium supplements and followed on average for 8.8 years. Baseline data (1422 women, mean age 74 years, mean femoral neck BMD T-score –1.3) were used to estimate fracture risk during follow-up using the FRAX and Garvan calculators. The FRAX–New Zealand tool was used both with and without baseline BMD. The discrimination of the calculators was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves. The calibration was assessed by comparing estimated risk of fracture with fracture incidence across a range of estimated fracture risks and clinical factors. For each fracture subtype, the calculators had comparable moderate predictive discriminative ability (AUC range: hip fracture 0.67–0.70; osteoporotic fracture 0.62–0.64; any fracture 0.60–0.63) that was similar to that of models using only age and BMD. The Garvan calculator was well calibrated for osteoporotic fractures but overestimated hip fractures. FRAX with BMD underestimated osteoporotic and hip fractures. FRAX without BMD underestimated osteoporotic and overestimated hip fractures. In summary, none of the calculators provided better discrimination than models based on age and BMD, and their discriminative ability was only moderate, which may limit their clinical utility. The calibration varied, suggesting that the calculators should be validated in local cohorts before clinical use. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Genetic profiling and individualized prognosis of fracture
Authors: Tran Bich NH , Nguyen Nguyen D , Nguyen Vinh X , Center Jacqueline R , Eisman John A , Nguyen Tuan V
Published: August 2010

Fragility fracture is a serious public health problem in the world. The risk of fracture is determined by genetic and nongenetic clinical risk factors. This study sought to quantify the contribution of genetic profiling to fracture prognosis. The study was built on the ongoing Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study, in which fracture and risk factors of 858 men and 1358 women had been monitored continuously from 1989 and 2008. Fragility fracture was ascertained by radiologic reports. Bone mineral density at the femoral neck was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Fifty independent genes with allele frequencies ranging from 0.01 to 0.60 and relative risks (RRs) ranging from 1.01 to 3.0 were simulated. Three predictive models were fitted to the data in which fracture was a function of (1) clinical risk factors only, (2) genes only, and (3) clinical risk factors and 50 genes. The area under the curve (AUC) for model 1 was 0.77, which was lower than that of model II (AUC = 0.82). Adding genes into the clinical risk factors model (model 3) increased the AUC to 0.88 and improved the accuracy of fracture classification by 45%, with most (41%) improvement in specificity. In the presence of clinical risk factors, the number of genes required to achieve an AUC of 0.85 was around 25. These results suggest that genetic profiling could enhance the predictive accuracy of fracture prognosis and help to identify high-risk individuals for appropriate management of osteoporosis or intervention. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Cranial base abnormalities in osteogenesis imperfecta: Phenotypic and genotypic determinants
Authors: Cheung Moira S , Arponen Heidi , Roughley Peter , Azouz Michel E , Glorieux Francis H , Waltimo-Sirén Janna , Rauch Frank
Published: August 2010

Cranial base abnormalities are an important complication of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a hereditary bone fragility disorder that in most patients is caused by mutations affecting collagen type I. To elucidate which clinical characteristics are associated with the occurrence of cranial base abnormalities in OI, we compared cephalometric results of 187 OI patients (median age 12.0 years, range 3.4 to 47 years; 96 female) with those of 191 healthy subjects and related findings to clinical descriptors of the disease. Overall, 41 patients (22%) had at least one unambiguously abnormal skull base measure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis in patients with OI types I, III, and IV (n = 169) revealed that height Z-score [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43–0.66, p < .001]—but not age, gender, scleral hue, lumbar spine areal bone mineral density, or a history of bisphosphonate treatment—was a significant independent determinant of skull base abnormalities. Among patients with a height Z-score below –3, 48% had a skull base abnormality regardless of whether they had received bisphosphonate treatment in the first year of life or not. Genotype-phenotype correlations were evaluated in patients with detectable mutations in COL1A1 or COL1A2, the genes coding for collagen type I (n = 140). Skull base abnormalities were present in 6% of patients with haploinsufficiency (frameshift or nonsense) mutations, in 43% of patients with helical glycine substitutions caused by COL1A1 mutations, in 32% of patients with helical glycine substitutions owing to COL1A2 mutations, and in 17% of patients with splice-site mutations affecting either COL1A1 or COL1A2. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that height Z-score but not the type of collagen type I mutation was independently associated with the prevalence of skull base abnormalities. In conclusion, this study shows that clinical severity of OI, as expressed by the height Z-score, was the strongest predictor of skull base abnormalities. We did not find evidence for the hypothesis that bisphosphonate treatment protects against skull base abnormalities. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Prevalence of low bone mineral density in a low-income inner-city population
Authors: El-Maouche Diala , Xu Xiaoqiang , Cofrancesco Joseph , Dobs Adrian S , Brown Todd T
Published: August 2010

Bone mineral density (BMD) is an important factor linked to bone health. Little is known of the prevalence of low BMD and its associated risk factors in an urban underserved population. Between 2001 and 2004, we recruited 338 subjects who completed drug use and medical history questionnaires, underwent hormonal measurements, and underwent whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for evaluation of BMD and body composition. Of these, 132 subjects had site-specific DXA (lumbar spine and hip) performed. Osteoporosis was defined as a T-score of –2.5 or less for men 50 years of age and older and postmenopausal women and a Z-score of –2.0 or less in men younger than 50 years of age and premenopausal women at either the lumbar spine, total hip, or femoral neck, according to National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) guidelines. The cohort consisted of mostly African-American, middle-aged people with a high prevalence of illicit drug use, 50% HIV+, and 39% hepatitis C+. Osteoporosis was identified in 22% of subjects (24 men, 5 women), with the majority of cases (90%) attributable to osteoporosis at the lumbar spine. Osteoporosis was more common in men than in women. Lower whole-body BMD among women was associated with multiple risk factors, but only with lower lean mass among men. Osteoporosis was highly prevalent in men, mainly at the spine. The risk factors for bone loss in this population need to be further clarified. Screening men for osteoporosis starting at age 50 might be warranted in this population given the multiple risk factors and the unexpectedly high prevalence of low BMD. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Besov‐Morrey spaces and Triebel‐Lizorkin‐Morrey spaces on domains
Authors: Sawano Yoshihiro
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theory of the Besov‐Morrey spaces and the Triebel‐Lizorkin‐Morrey spaces on domains in Rn. We consider the pointwise multiplier operator, the trace operator, the extension operator and the diffeomorphism operator. Not only to domains in Rn we extend our definition of function spaces to compact oriented Riemannian manifolds. Among the properties above, the result for the trace operator is in particular interesting, which reflects the property of the parameters p, q in the Morrey space ℳ︁pq (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Weak homogeneity in generalized function algebras
Authors: Vernaeve Hans
Published: August 2010

In this paper, weakly homogeneous generalized functions in the special Colombeau algebras are determined up to equality in the sense of generalized distributions. This yields characterizations that are formally similar to distribution theory. Further, we give several characterizations of equality in the sense of generalized distributions in these algebras (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Skeletons of monomial ideals
Authors: Herzog Jürgen , Jahan Ali Soleyman , Zheng Xinxian
Published: August 2010

In analogy to the skeletons of a simplicial complex and their Stanley–Reisner ideals we introduce the skeletons of an arbitrary monomial ideal I ⊂ S = K [x1, …, xn ]. This allows us to compute the depth of S /I in terms of its skeleton ideals. We apply these techniques to show that Stanley's conjecture on Stanley decompositions of S /I holds provided it holds whenever S /I is Cohen–Macaulay. We also discuss a conjecture of Soleyman Jahan and show that it suffices to prove his conjecture for monomial ideals with linear resolution (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Molecular property–affinity relationship of flavanoids and flavonoids for HSA in vitro
Authors: Xiao Jianbo , Chen Tingting , Cao Hui , Chen Longsheng , Yang Fan
Published: August 2010

The relationship between the structural properties of selected dietary flavanoids and flavonoids and their affinities for HSA were investigated by fluorescence analysis. The binding process with HSA was strongly influenced by the structural differences of the compounds under study. Methylation of hydroxyl groups improved the affinities for HSA by 2–16‐fold. Hydroxylation on rings A, B, and C also affected the affinity for HSA significantly. Glycosylation decreased the affinities for HSA by 1–3 orders of magnitude depending on the conjugation site and the class of sugar moiety. Hydrogenation of the C2=C3 double bond also decreased the binding affinity. Galloylated catechins and pyrogallol‐type catechins exhibited higher binding affinities for HSA than non‐galloylated and catechol‐type catechins, respectively. The affinities for HSA increased with increasing partition coefficients and decreased with increasing hydrogen bond donor and acceptor numbers of flava(o)noids, which suggested that the binding interaction was mainly caused by hydrophobic forces.
Chemoprevention of colonic tumorigenesis by dietary hydroxylated polymethoxyflavones in azoxymethane‐treated mice
Authors: Lai Ching‐Shu , Tsai Mei‐Ling , Cheng An‐Chin , Li Shiming , Lo Chih‐Yu , Wang Yu , Xiao Hang , Ho Chi‐Tang , Wang Ying‐Jan , Pan Min‐Hsiung
Published: August 2010

Scope: Hydroxylated polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), existing exclusively in citrus genus, have been reported to exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activity. Here we investigated the chemopreventive effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of dietary administration of hydroxylated PMFs in an azoxymethane (AOM)‐induced colonic tumorigenesis model.

Methods and results: Male, Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), mice at age of 6 wk were injected with AOM twice weekly at a dose of 5 mg/kg for 2 wk and continuously fed control diet or diets containing 0.01 and 0.05% hydroxylated PMFs, respectively. Mice were then sacrificed at 6 and 20 wk, and colonic tissues were collected and examined. Hydroxylated PMFs feeding dose‐dependently decreased the number of aberrant crypt foci in colonic tissues of mice. More importantly, we found that hydroxylated PMFs caused a strong reduction in numbers of large aberrant crypt foci and tumors in colonic tissue. Molecular analysis exhibited the anti‐proliferative, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐angiogenic and pro‐apoptotic activities of hydroxylated PMFs by significantly decreasing the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase, cyclin D1 and vascular endothelial growth factor through interfering with Wnt/β‐catenin and epidermal growth factor receptor/Ras/mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways as well as the activation of transcription factors NF‐κB and STAT3 in colonic tissue, thus resulting in suppression of colonic tumorigenesis.

Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrated for the first time the in vivo chemopreventive efficacy and molecular mechanisms of dietary hydroxylated PMFs against AOM‐induced colonic tumorigenesis.
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) induces chronic kidney disease through a mechanism involving collagen and TGF‐β1 synthesis
Authors: Mihout Fabrice , Shweke Nasim , Bigé Naïke , Jouanneau Chantal , Dussaule Jean‐Claude , Ronco Pierre , Chatziantoniou Christos , Boffa Jean‐Jacques
Published: August 2010

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, is accumulated in plasma during chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is considered an independent mortality and cardiovascular risk factor in CKD patients. To test the involvement of ADMA in CKD progression, we investigated the effects of chronic ADMA administration on renal structure and compared these effects with $N^{\rm{G}}$‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) treatment, a widely used exogenous inhibitor of NOS that induces CKD. Three groups of uninephrectomized mice were studied: ADMA (60 mg/kg per day), L‐NAME (60 mg/kg per day), and isotonic saline (control) were infused through osmotic mini‐pumps for 8 weeks. ADMA and L‐NAME induced hypertension (PAS 167 ± 16 and 168 ± 10 versus 100 ± 4 mmHg, p < 0.01, respectively). High level of ADMA was associated with increased renal oxidative stress. ADMA treatment induced glomerular and vascular fibrosis as evidenced by the elevated deposits of collagen I, III, and fibronectin (p < 0.01). A similar profile was observed in the L‐NAME group. Mice treated with ADMA had reduced peritubular capillaries versus controls (p < 0.01). Collagen I mRNA expression and renal TGF‐β1 concentrations were higher in the ADMA and L‐NAME groups. Increased level of TGF‐β1 was associated with a significant rise of HIF‐1α and endothelin‐1 expression. These results demonstrate for the first time that elevated concentrations of ADMA are associated with the development of renal fibrosis. These data suggest that in pathophysiological conditions of endothelial dysfunction, the exaggerated endogenous synthesis of ADMA could contribute to CKD progression by favouring hypertension, extracellular matrix synthesis, and rarefaction of peritubular capillaries. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tissue proteome profiling of preeclamptic placenta using recombinant antibody microarrays
Authors: Dexlin‐Mellby Linda , Sandström Anna , Centlow Magnus , Nygren Sara , Hansson Stefan R. , Borrebaeck Carl A. K. , Wingren Christer
Published: August 2010

Purpose: Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe, multi‐system pregnancy disorder of yet unknown cause, missing means of treatment, and our fundamental understanding of the disease is still impaired. The purpose of this discovery study was to define candidate placenta tissue protein biomarker signatures to further decipher the molecular features of PE.

Experimental design: We used recombinant antibody microarrays for multiplexed protein expression profiling of preeclamptic placenta tissue (n=25) versus normal placenta (n=11) targeting mainly immunoregulatory water‐soluble proteins and membrane proteins. Furthermore, the three known subgroups of PE were profiled, including women with early onset preeclampsia and late onset preeclampsia, as well as women with PE and bilateral notching and intrauterine growth restrictions.

Results: The data showed that the first generation of candidate PE‐associated placenta tissue protein signatures were delineated, indicating that PE (receiver operating characteristics (ROC) AUC value of 0.83) and the subgroups thereof (ROC AUC values ≤0.91) could be distinguished. Notably, the data implied that all subgroups, but preeclampsia with bilateral notching and IUGR, could be further classified into novel subsets (ROC AUC values of 1.0) displaying different inflammatory signatures.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: We have taken one step further toward de‐convoluting the complex features of PE at the molecular level using affinity proteomics.
Mass spectrometry‐based characterization of the vitreous phosphoproteome
Authors: Tamburro Davide , Facchiano Francesco , Petricoin Emanuel F. , Liotta Lance A. , Zhou Weidong
Published: August 2010

Purpose: The vitreous gel is a highly hydrated extracellular matrix containing many proteins. These proteins are likely accumulated in the vitreous by local secretion, filtration from the blood, or diffusion from the surrounding tissues and vasculature, and may be altered in disease state. In the last several years, several reports of large‐scale profiling of vitreous proteins have been published; however, there is little information on the characterization of the phosphoproteome of vitreous. Here, we sought to identify phosphopeptides and their phosphorylation sites from vitreous.

Experimental design: We used titanium dioxide (TiO2) to enrich phosphopeptides from vitreous and identified them by LC‐MS/MS.

Results: We identified 85 unique phosphopeptides and the phosphorylation sites from 44 proteins.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: We present a method for characterization of phosphoproteome from vitreous samples using current MS technologies and yielded an initial assessment of the phosphoprotein/peptide content of human vitreous, thus providing important biological information toward further understanding of the post‐translational modifications of vitreous proteins and their functional significance in disease.
Impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on natural enemies in greenhouse and interiorscape environments
Authors: Cloyd Raymond A , Bethke James A
Published: August 2010

The neonicotinoid insecticides imidacloprid, acetamiprid, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam and clothianidin are commonly used in greenhouses and/or interiorscapes (plant interiorscapes and conservatories) to manage a wide range of plant‐feeding insects such as aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies. However, these systemic insecticides may also be harmful to natural enemies, including predators and parasitoids. Predatory insects and mites may be adversely affected by neonicotinoid systemic insecticides when they: (1) feed on pollen, nectar or plant tissue contaminated with the active ingredient; (2) consume the active ingredient of neonicotinoid insecticides while ingesting plant fluids; (3) feed on hosts (prey) that have consumed leaves contaminated with the active ingredient. Parasitoids may be affected negatively by neonicotinoid insecticides because foliar, drench or granular applications may decrease host population levels so that there are not enough hosts to attack and thus sustain parasitoid populations. Furthermore, host quality may be unacceptable for egg laying by parasitoid females. In addition, female parasitoids that host feed may inadvertently ingest a lethal concentration of the active ingredient or a sublethal dose that inhibits foraging or egg laying. There are, however, issues that require further consideration, such as: the types of plant and flower that accumulate active ingredients, and the concentrations in which they are accumulated; the influence of flower age on the level of exposure of natural enemies to the active ingredient; the effect of neonicotinoid metabolites produced within the plant. As such, the application of neonicotinoid insecticides in conjunction with natural enemies in protected culture and interiorscape environments needs further investigation. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Feasibility and potentials of online support for stress management among secondary school teachers
Authors: Leung Sharron S. K. , Chiang Vico C. L. , Chui Ying‐yu , Lee Angel C. K. , Mak Yim‐wah
Published: August 2010

Teachers' work‐related stress is a widespread problem. Few studies have used online communications to provide support to teachers, and these were mainly focused on novice teachers. Here, we performed an exploratory study to examine whether the use of online forums by secondary school teachers in Hong Kong could provide social support to manage work‐related stress. Following 7 days of forum use, content analysis and post‐intervention evaluations were carried out to examine the anonymous communications of 75 secondary school teachers who participated in one of five online discussion forums. Consensus on the coding and categorization of the data was reached among three experienced researchers in qualitative analyses. The online forums were well received by the participants. Most participants reported that they received support from the forum and considered it useful for stress management. These results suggest that online support can be used for stress management among secondary school teachers. Further studies on using online approaches as stress management tools are warranted. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expanded newborn screening in Greece: 30 months of experience
Authors: Loukas Yannis L. , Soumelas Georgios‐Stefanos , Dotsikas Yannis , Georgiou Vassiliki , Molou Elina , Thodi Georgia , Boutsini Maria , Biti Sofia , Papadopoulos Konstantinos
Published: August 2010

In Greece, the National Newborn Screening Program was initiated in 1974 and is performed by the Institute of Child Health (ICH). However, there is a complete absence of conditions that have high rates of mortality and a relatively high prevalence listed in the Catalogue of Disorders screened by the ICH. Our laboratory has expanded the existing NBS program to include newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism, screening for cystic fibrosis (the most common congenital disorder in the Greek population), congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and for biotinidase deficiency. From July 2007 to December 2009, 45,000 dried blood spots (DBS) were collected from infants born in Athens, Greece, and were analyzed. We present a report of our 30‐month experience in the newborn screening area. The samples were tested for amino acidopathies, fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAOD), and organic acid metabolic disorders by applying flow injection analysis–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (FIA‐ESI‐MS/MS); for cystic fibrosis by immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) measurement (time‐resolved fluoroimmunoassay); for congenital adrenal hyperplasia by fluoroimmunoassay to measure the 17 hydroxy‐progesterone level; and for biotinidase deficiency using a colorimetric method and a semiquantitative fluoroimmunoassay to determine biotinidase activity. Sample analysis resulted in establishing cutoff values for the respective disease markers for the first time in the Greek population. Four infants were identified with cystic fibrosis, two with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, two with phenylketonuria (PKU), one with medium‐chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD), and one with biotinidase deficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article reporting the status of expanded newborn screening in Greece.
Hydroxyapatite Mineralization on the Calcium Chloride Blended Polyurethane Nanofiber via Biomimetic Method
Authors: Nirmala R , Nam Ki Taek , Navamathavan R , Park Soo-Jin , Kim Hak Yong
Published: August 2010

Polyurethane nanofibers containing calcium chloride (CaCl2) were prepared via an electrospinning technique for the biomedical applications. Polyurethane nanofibers with different concentration of CaCl2 were electrospun, and their bioactivity evaluation was conducted by incubating in biomimetic simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. The morphology, structure and thermal properties of the polyurethane/CaCl2 composite nanofibers were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. SEM images revealed that the CaCl2 salt incorporated homogeneously to form well-oriented nanofibers with smooth surface and uniform diameters along their lengths. The SBF incubation test confirmed the formation of apatite-like materials, exhibiting enhanced bioactive behavior of the polyurethane/CaCl2 composite nanofibers. This study demonstrated that the electrospun polyurethane containing CaCl2 composite nanofibers enhanced the in vitro bioactivity and supports the growth of apatite-like materials.
Simplifying the Process of Microalgal Biodiesel Production Through In Situ Transesterification Technology
Authors: Xu Ruoyu , Mi Yongli
Published: August 2010

Crop‐based biofuels, including biodiesel, has sparked international concerns during recent years. Microalgae have been strongly advocated as the most promising substitute for oil crops. However, the commercialization of microalgal biodiesel is hindered by the high costs of feedstock and conventional production processes. This paper elucidates a simplified, scalable production process under conditions of least energetic demand, which integrates oil extraction and conversion into one step through in situ transesterification. Introducing a co‐solvent is the key to success. Criteria for co‐solvents applicable to the microalgal biodiesel industry are proposed. The overall biodiesel yield (OBY) of Spirulina was determined for benchmarking purposes, using the Bligh and Dyer protocol for oil extraction, and transesterification with potassium hydroxide. The performance in in situ transesterification of the selected co‐solvents toluene, dichloromethane and diethyl ether, as well as the solvent combinations petroleum ether/toluene, toluene/methanol and dichloromethane/methanol, was evaluated by OBY. Among all the co‐solvents tested, the toluene/methanol system, 2:1 by volume ratio, demonstrated the highest efficiency, achieving a biodiesel yield of 76% of the OBY for the first in situ transesterification cycle and 10% for the second in situ transesterification cycle.
β‐Cyclodextrin‐Mediated Removal of Soy Phospholipids from the Air–Water Interface
Authors: Arora Akshay , Damodaran Srinivasan
Published: August 2010

Binding of soy phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) with β‐cyclodextrin (βCD) was studied using a spread monolayer technique at the air–water interface. First, surface pressure (π) versus surface concentration (Γ) isotherms of both PC and PI were characterized by forming spread monolayers on an aqueous subphase. PC and PI monolayers reached saturation at Γ of 1.98 and 3.24 μmol/m2, respectively, at 25 °C. Subsequently, desorption of PC or PI from the spread monolayer in the presence of 2–14 mM βCD in the subphase was studied by measuring changes in π of monolayer. This desorption was indicative of a complex formation between βCD and PC or PI. The amount of PC or PI bound to βCD was determined by converting the net change in π to Γ by using π–Γ isotherms. From the saturated monolayers at the air water‐interface, approximately 30% of PC and 50% of PI could be removed by 14 mM βCD. It was calculated that the free energy change required to transfer a PL from the monolayer at air–water interface to the aqueous phase in presence of βCD was decreased by 6–7 kcal/mol. Hydrolysis of PC in the monolayer by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) improved extraction efficiency of βCD. By incorporating 2.29 μM PLA2 and 10 mM βCD in subphase, up to 80% of PC monolayer could be desorbed from the air–water interface. These results are discussed in terms of the potential use of βCD to remove PLs bound to soy protein.
Phase Equilibrium and Optimization Tools: Application for Enhanced Structured Lipids for Foods
Authors: dos Santos Moises Teles , Le Roux Galo A. C. , Gerbaud Vincent
Published: August 2010

Solid–liquid phase equilibrium modeling of triacylglycerol mixtures is essential for lipids design. Considering the α polymorphism and liquid phase as ideal, the Margules 2‐suffix excess Gibbs energy model with predictive binary parameter correlations describes the non ideal β and β′ solid polymorphs. Solving by direct optimization of the Gibbs free energy enables one to predict from a bulk mixture composition the phases composition at a given temperature and thus the SFC curve, the melting profile and the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) curve that are related to end‐user lipid properties. Phase diagram, SFC and DSC curve experimental data are qualitatively and quantitatively well predicted for the binary mixture 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (POP) and 1,2,3‐tripalmitoyl‐sn‐glycerol (PPP), the ternary mixture 1,3‐dimyristoyl‐2‐palmitoyl‐sn‐glycerol (MPM), 1,2‐distearoyl‐3‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (SSO) and 1,2,3‐trioleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (OOO), for palm oil and cocoa butter. Then, addition to palm oil of Medium‐Long‐Medium type structured lipids is evaluated, using caprylic acid as medium chain and long chain fatty acids (EPA‐eicosapentaenoic acid, DHA‐docosahexaenoic acid, γ‐linolenic‐octadecatrienoic acid and AA‐arachidonic acid), as sn‐2 substitutes. EPA, DHA and AA increase the melting range on both the fusion and crystallization side. γ‐linolenic shifts the melting range upwards. This predictive tool is useful for the pre‐screening of lipids matching desired properties set a priori.
Equal but different: a contextual analysis of duplicated videos on YouTube
Authors: Rodrigues Tiago , Benevenuto Fabrício , Almeida Virgílio , Almeida Jussara , Gonçalves Marcos
Published: August 2010

Videos have become a predominant part of users’ daily lives on the Web, especially with the emergence of online video sharing systems such as YouTube. Since users can independently share videos in these systems, some videos can be duplicates (i.e., identical or very similar videos). Despite having the same content, there are some potential context differences in duplicates, for example, in their associated metadata (i.e., tags, title) and their popularity scores (i.e., number of views, comments). Quantifying these differences is important to understand how users associate metadata to videos and to understand possible reasons that influence the popularity of videos, which is crucial for video information retrieval mechanisms, association of advertisements to videos, and performance issues related to the use of caches and content distribution networks (CDNs). This work presents a wide quantitative characterization of the context differences among identical contents. Using a large video sample collected from YouTube, we construct a dataset of duplicates. Our measurement analysis provides several interesting findings that can have implications for how videos should be retrieved in video sharing websites as well as for advertising systems that need to understand the role that users play when they create content in services such as YouTube.
An Empirical Analysis of Bidding Fees in Name-your-own-price Auctions
Authors: Bernhardt Martin , Spann Martin
Published: August 2010

Interactive pricing mechanisms integrate customers into the price-setting process by letting them submit bids. Name-your-own-price auctions are such an interactive pricing mechanism, where buyers’ bids denote the final price of a product or service in case they surpass a secret threshold price set by the seller. If buyers are given the flexibility to bid repeatedly, they might try to incrementally bid up to the threshold. In this case, charging fees for the option to place additional bids could generate extra revenue and reduce incremental bidding behavior. Based on an economic model of consumer bidding behavior in name-your-own-price auctions and two empirical studies, we analytically and empirically investigate the effects bidding fees have on buyers’ bidding behavior. Moreover, we analyze the impact of bidding fees on seller revenue and profit based on our empirical results.
A combination antioxidant therapy prevents age‐related hearing loss in C57BL/6 mice
Authors: Ackah Selena E. Heman , Juhn Steven K. , Huang Tina C. , Wiedmann Timothy S.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

Age‐related hearing loss (ARHL) is characterized by gradual, progressive sensorineural hearing loss, which impairs communication, lending to clinical depression and social withdrawal. There are currently no effective treatments for ARHL. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of a combination antioxidant therapy in preventing ARHL.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Animal study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

C57BL/6 mice, a recognized animal model of ARHL, were assigned to one of three groups: early treatment (n = 12), late treatment (n = 9), or control group (n = 9). Treatment groups of mice were fed with a combination agent comprising six antioxidant agents that target four sites within the oxidative pathway: L‐cysteine‐glutathione mixed disulfide, ribose‐ cysteine, NW‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester, vitamin B12, folate, and ascorbic acid. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds were recorded at baseline and every three months following initiation of treatment.

RESULTS

Threshold shifts from baseline were decreased in the treatment groups when compared to the control group at all tested frequencies (P < 0.001). The ABR threshold shift at 12 months of age for the control group was 34.7 dB with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of ± 1.6. The mean threshold shifts for the early and late treatment groups were 7.5 dB (±0.87, 95% CI) and 9.2 dB (±1.6, 95% CI).

CONCLUSION

Combination antioxidant therapy effectively decreased threshold shifts on ABR within an animal model of ARHL. Combination antioxidant therapy, with further research and investigation, may provide a safe and cost‐effective method of preventing presbycusis in the growing elderly population.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Long‐term results with the Rion E‐type semi‐implantable hearing aid
Authors: Komori Masahiro , Yanagihara Naoaki , Hinohira Yasuyuki , Hato Naohito , Gyo Kiyofumi
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

The Rion implantable hearing aid (IHA) Ehime (E)‐type was developed for ears with middle ear diseases. This study focused on the current status of the patients, device problems, postoperative difficulties, and preventive measures against them.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series with chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral hospital.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects were 30 patients who were implanted with the IHA E‐type between 1984 and 1997 and followed up for more than 10 years. Current status of IHA implantees, incidents of device problems, and postoperative troubles and hearing outcomes were reviewed.

RESULTS

Eleven patients (36.7%) still use the original device. The average period of use was 16.6 ± 3.3 years (21 years at most). The incidence of problems was lower with the second version of the device compared to the first version. Frequencies of the troubles were related to the types of original ear diseases: seven of 17 cases with chronic otitis media (41.2%), two of seven cases with cholesteatoma (28.6%), and two of six cases with tympanosclerosis (33.3%). No cholesteatoma occurred after surgical procedures (i.e., external ear canal closure and tympanic membrane lateralized) (P = 0.06). The device was exposed through a retroauricular skin fistula where the internal coil had been implanted. Significantly fewer infections were observed when the two‐stage operation was used (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

For long‐term success in implantation of the IHA, careful control of middle ear inflammation and measures against eustachian tube dysfunction are required in addition to technological advancements.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
A physician's personal experience as a cancer of the neck patient
Authors: Brook Itzhak
Published: August 2010

The author presents his personal experiences as a physician who had several surgical procedures to remove pyriform sinus squamous cell carcinoma, which included laryngectomy. He recently published a book that captures the three years of his life that followed his throat cancer diagnosis and tells his story of facing and dealing with medical and surgical treatments and adjusting to life afterwards. The editorial highlights some of the book's features that relate to the important role of head and neck surgeons in the care of patients with cancer.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
A practical guide to understanding Kaplan‐Meier curves
Authors: Rich Jason T. , Neely J. Gail , Paniello Randal C. , Voelker Courtney C. J. , Nussenbaum Brian , Wang Eric W.
Published: August 2010

In 1958, Edward L. Kaplan and Paul Meier collaborated to publish a seminal paper on how to deal with incomplete observations. Subsequently, the Kaplan‐Meier curves and estimates of survival data have become a familiar way of dealing with differing survival times (times‐to‐event), especially when not all the subjects continue in the study. “Survival” times need not relate to actual survival with death being the event; the “event” may be any event of interest. Kaplan‐Meier analyses are also used in nonmedical disciplines.

The purpose of this article is to explain how Kaplan‐Meier curves are generated and analyzed. Throughout this article, we will discuss Kaplan‐Meier estimates in the context of “survival” before the event of interest. Two small groups of hypothetical data are used as examples in order for the reader to clearly see how the process works. These examples also illustrate the crucially important point that comparative analysis depends upon the whole curve and not upon isolated points.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Reducing risk of fire in the operating room using coblation technology
Authors: Matt Bruce H. , Cottee Lauren A.
Published: August 2010

Operating room fires are rare, but when they occur, they have potentially devastating and deadly consequences. Coblation (ArthroCare ENT, Austin, TX) technology has become popular for many otolaryngology procedures and seems to have the advantage of reducing fire risk. Our objective was to test the Coblator II on various flammable materials commonly found and used in the operating room. We placed the active Coblator II at the highest settings, in direct contact with flammable operating room equipment and materials, and made the environment even more volatile by introducing oxygen into the testing environment. We found that the Coblator II did not produce fire when in contact with any of the materials. This finding is very important in otolaryngology because airway procedures often take place in environments with high concentrations of oxygen. Our testing shows that the Coblator II is safe to use in these types of environments.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Released intranasal eosinophilic major basic protein as a diagnostic marker for polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Schmid Christoph , Habermann Walter , Braun Hannes , Gugatschka Markus , Oriel Brad S. , Smietana Janel A. , Stammberger Heinz
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the hypothesis that eosinophil major basic protein is released in high concentrations in the nasal mucus of patients with polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis.

STUDY DESIGN

Single center, open, prospective trial.

SETTING

Medical University of Graz, Austria.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Patients with polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis (n = 23) were compared to three different control groups: patients with chronic rhinosinusitis‐like symptoms but without general mucosal thickening, patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery for reasons other than chronic rhinosinusitis, and patients without sinus disease (total n = 21). Mucus was harvested from each patient using a standardized technique and analyzed for eosinophil major basic protein with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

In the patient group with polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis, 20 of 23 (87%) were positive for eosinophil major basic protein. In contrast, only one control patient was positive, whereas the remainder had no detectable amount of eosinophil major basic protein in the mucus (P = 0.001 vs chronic rhinosinusitis).

CONCLUSION

Toxic eosinophil major basic protein levels are elevated in polypoid chronic rhinosinusitis patients compared to control groups that have similar clinical presentations but upon closer examination turn out not to have chronic rhinosinusitis. In the future, the detection of eosinophil major basic protein in nasal mucus may become a sensitive and specific marker for chronic rhinosinusitis and a helpful diagnostic tool.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Canalith repositioning variations for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Cohen Helen S. , Haghpeykar Haleh Sangi
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

To determine if variations in common treatments for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) affected efficacy.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, pseudo‐randomized study.

SETTING

Outpatient practice in a tertiary care facility.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Patients (n = 118) with unilateral BPPV of the posterior canal, including 13 patients with BPPV of the lateral canal, were tested at a tertiary care center on one of five interventions: canalith repositioning maneuver (CRP), CRP plus home exercise, modified CRP, CRP for patients with involvement of two semicircular canals, and self‐CRP home exercise. Self‐CRP was also compared to previously published data on efficacy of the Brandt Daroff exercise. Main outcome measures were vertigo intensity and frequency, presence/absence of Dix‐Hallpike responses, Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL), and computerized dynamic posturography.

RESULTS

Vertigo intensity and frequency and Dix‐Hallpike responses decreased significantly, and posturography and VADL improved significantly from pre‐to post tests. No other significant changes were found. The groups did not differ significantly. Vertigo intensity and frequency were not strongly related at pretest but were related at post‐test. Length of illness and age did not influence the results.

CONCLUSION

However the head is moved, as long as it is moved rapidly enough and through the correct planes in space, repositioning treatments are likely to be effective. Therefore, clinicians have a range of choices in selecting the treatment best suited for each patient's unique needs.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Demographics and efficacy of head and neck cancer screening
Authors: Shuman Andrew G. , Entezami Payam , Chernin Anna S. , Wallace Nancy E. , Taylor Jeremy M. G. , Hogikyan Norman D.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to 1) describe the demographics and 2) determine the efficacy of a head and neck cancer screening program to optimize future programs.

STUDY DESIGN

Database analysis plus chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary care academic medical center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

After Institutional Review Board approval, we reviewed our 14‐year experience (1996‐2009) conducting a free annual head and neck cancer screening clinic. Available demographic and clinical data, as well as clinical outcomes, were analyzed for all participants (n = 761). The primary outcome was the presence of a finding suspicious for head and neck cancer on screening evaluation.

RESULTS

Five percent of participants had findings suspicious for head and neck cancer on screening evaluation, and malignant or premalignant lesions were confirmed in one percent of participants. Lack of insurance (P = 0.05), tobacco use (P < 0.001), male gender (P = 0.03), separated marital status (P = 0.03), and younger age (P = 0.04) were the significant demographic predictors of a lesion suspicious for malignancy. Patients complaining of a neck mass (P < 0.001) or oral pain (P < 0.001) were significantly more likely to have findings suspicious of malignancy. A high percentage (40%) was diagnosed with benign otolaryngologic pathologies on screening evaluation.

CONCLUSION

A minority of patients presenting to a head and neck cancer screening clinic will have a suspicious lesion identified. Given these findings, to achieve maximal potential benefit, future head and neck cancer screening clinics should target patients with identifiable risk factors and take full advantage of opportunities for education and prevention.

© 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Mission investing and the philanthropic toolbox
Authors: Wood David , Hagerman Lisa
Published: August 2010

This article explores the growing field of mission investing among foundations in the United States, understood as a relatively new tool in the philanthropic toolbox. We define the field of mission investing and explore how a foundation's endowment assets can be leveraged to meet mission goals across social and environmental issues facing society. We also place mission investing in the broader context of socially responsible and responsible investments. We then treat foundation specific concerns in implementing mission investing, and in measuring its value. Finally, we conclude with a brief analysis of the role mission investing may play in current discussions over philanthro-capitalism, recent calls for a more “business-like” philanthropy, and related trends.