bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of extracellular matrices derived from different cell sources on chondrocyte functions
Authors: Hoshiba Takashi , Lu Hongxu , Yamada Tomoe , Kawazoe Naoki , Tateishi Tetsuya , Chen Guoping
Published: March 2011

Cell‐derived extracellular matrices (ECMs) are a key factor in regulating cell functions in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The fact that cells are surrounded by their specific ECM in vivo elicits the need to elucidate the effects of ECM derived from different cell sources on cell functions. Here, three types of ECM were prepared by decellularizing cultured chondrocytes, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and used for chondrocyte culture to compare their effects on chondrocyte adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Chondrocyte adhesion to the chondrocyte‐derived ECM was greater than those to the fibroblast‐ and MSC‐derived ECM. Chondrocyte proliferation on the chondrocyte‐derived ECM was lower than those on the fibroblast‐ and MSC‐derived ECM. The ECM showed no evident effect on chondrocyte differentiation. The effects of ECM on cell functions depended on the cell source used to prepare the ECM. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Process evaluations and economic analyses of recombinant human lysozyme and hen egg‐white lysozyme purifications
Authors: Wilken Lisa R. , Nikolov Zivko L.
Published: March 2011

Human lysozyme and hen egg‐white lysozyme have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties with numerous potential commercial applications. Currently, hen egg‐white lysozyme dominates low cost applications but the recent high‐level expression of human lysozyme in rice could provide an economical source of lysozyme. This work compares human lysozyme and hen egg‐white lysozyme adsorption to the cation exchange resin, SP‐Sepharose™ FF, and the effect of rice extract components on lysozyme purification. With one exception, the dynamic binding capacities of human lysozyme were lower than those of hen egg‐white at pH 4.5, 6, and 7.5 with ionic strengths ranging from 0 to 100 mM (5–20 mS). Ionic strength and pH had a similar effect on the adsorption capacities, but human lysozyme was more sensitive to these two factors than hen egg‐white lysozyme. In the presence of rice extract, the dynamic binding capacities of human and hen egg‐white lysozymes were reduced by 20–30% and by 32–39% at pH 6. Hen egg‐white lysozyme was used as a benchmark to compare the effectiveness of human lysozyme purification from transgenic rice extract. Process simulation and cost analyses for human lysozyme purification from rice and hen egg‐white lysozyme purification from egg‐white resulted in similar unit production costs at 1 ton per year scale. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Cell clarification and size separation using continuous countercurrent magnetophoresis
Authors: Bucak Seyda , Sharpe Sonja , Kuhn Simon , Hatton T. Alan
Published: March 2011

Nonmagnetic microparticles (e.g., cells, polymer beads) immersed in a magnetic fluid (ferrofluid) under a nonuniform magnetic field experience a magnetophoretic force in the direction of decreasing magnetic field strength. This phenomenon was exploited in the development of a continuous magnetophoretic countercurrent separation for the removal and concentration of micron‐sized particles from aqueous suspensions, and in particular as a viable approach for cell clarification of raw fermentation broth. A magnetic fluid is added to the cell suspension, the mixture is introduced to the magnetic separator, which consists of an open flow tube passing between pairs of magnets that move in a direction counter to the flow of the suspension. The cells are pushed ahead of the magnet pairs owing to the magnetophoretic forces acting on them, collected in a tube upstream of the feed injection point, and removed as a concentrated suspension for further treatment. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Stakeholders in the institutional effectiveness process
Authors: Hom Willard C.
Published: March 2011

Policymakers, administrators, and institutional researchers should recognize the critical stakeholders in the area of institutional effectiveness at the community college, their differences in perceptions about institutional effectiveness, and ways to negotiate these differences in perception.
Posterior tibial artery access using transradial techniques: Retrograde approach to inaccessible lower extremity lesions
Authors: Londoño Juan Carlos , Singh Vikas , Martinez Claudia A.
Published: March 2011

Percutaneous intervention of chronic limb ischemia is often limited by vascular access especially in patients with previous surgical interventions. This warrants development of alternative endovascular techniques, particularly for patients in whom traditional ipsilateral antegrade or contralateral retrograde access has failed or is not possible. We describe a novel approach to the posterior tibial artery using retrograde access with transradial techniques including closure devices in two patients with inaccessible antegrade access. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fe3O4/WO3 Hierarchical Core–Shell Structure: High‐Performance and Recyclable Visible‐Light Photocatalysis
Authors: Xi Guangcheng , Yue Bing , Cao Junyu , Ye Jinhua
Published: March 2011

A facile solvothermal epitaxial growth combined with a mild oxidation route has been developed for the fabrication of a magnetically recyclable Fe3O4/WO3 core–shell visible‐light photocatalyst. In this core–shell structured photocatalyst, visible‐light‐active WO3 nanoplates (the shells) with high surface area are used as a medium to harvest absorbed photons and convert them to photogenerated charges, while conductive Fe3O4 microspheres (the cores) are used as charge collectors to transport the photogenerated charges. This is a new role for magnetite. The Fe3O4/WO3 core–shell structured photocatalysts possess large surface‐exposure area, high visible‐light‐absorption efficiency, stable recyclability, and efficient charge‐separation properties, the combination of which has rarely been reported in other visible‐light‐active photocatalysts. Photoelectrochemical investigations verify that the core–shell structured Fe3O4/WO3 has a more effective photoconversion capability than pure WO3 or Fe3O4. At the same time, the visible‐light photocatalytic ability of the Fe3O4/WO3 photocatalyst has significantly enhanced activity in the photodegradation of organic‐dye materials. The results presented herein provide new insights into core–shell materials as high‐performance visible‐light photocatalysts and their potential use in environmental protection.
N‐2‐Aryl‐1,2,3‐triazoles: A Novel Class of UV/Blue‐Light‐Emitting Fluorophores with Tunable Optical Properties
Authors: Yan Wuming , Wang Qiaoyi , Lin Quan , Li Minyong , Petersen Jeffrey L. , Shi Xiaodong
Published: March 2011

The N‐2‐aryl‐1,2,3‐triazole derivatives (NATs) were developed as a new class of UV/blue‐light‐emitting fluorophores. Though both N‐1‐aryl‐1,2,3‐triazoles and N‐2‐aryl‐1,2,3‐triazoles gave strong photo absorption under excitation at 330 nm, only the N‐2‐analogous showed strong fluorescence emission in the UV/blue range with high efficiency in various solvents (quantum yield Φ around 0.3–0.5). Significant substituted group effects were observed, allowing tunable optical properties with emission (λmax) from 350–400 nm and Stokes shift from 38–93 nm. The computational studies along with X‐ray crystal structures indicated the significance of the effective conjugation between triazole ring and aryl groups on the N‐2 position. The planar intramolecular charge transfer (PICT) mechanism was proposed, which was supported by solvent effect studies. Simple derivatizations gave NAT‐modified lysine and strong UV/blue emitting bis‐NAT (Φ=0.76, λmax=390), which suggested the great potential of this new class of fluorophores in biological and material science research.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoinduced Energy and Electron Transfer in a Supramolecular Tetrakis (Ruthenium(II) Phthalocyanine) Perylenediimide Pentad
Authors: Jiménez Angel J. , Grimm Bruno , Gunderson Victoria L. , Vagnini Michael T. , Krick Calderon Sandra , Rodríguez‐Morgade M. Salomé , Wasielewski Michael R. , Guldi Dirk M. , Torres Tomás
Published: March 2011

Metal coordination was probed as a versatile approach for designing a novel electron donor/acceptor hybrid [PDIpy4{Ru(CO)Pc}4] (1), in which four pyridines placed at the bay region of a perylenediimides (PDIpy4) coordinate with four ruthenium phthalocyanine units [Ru(CO)Pc]. This structural motif was expected to promote strong electronic coupling between the electron donors and the electron acceptor, a hypothesis that was confirmed in a full‐fledged physicochemical investigation focusing on the ground and excited state reactivities. As far as the ground state is concerned, absorption and electrochemical assays indeed reveal a notable redistribution of electron density, that is, from the electron‐donating [Ru(CO)Pc] to the electron‐accepting PDIpy4. The most important thing to note in this context is that both the [Ru(CO)Pc] oxidation and the PDIpy4 reduction are rendered more difficult in 1 than in the individual building blocks. Likewise, in the excited state, strong electronic communication is the inception for a rapid charge‐transfer process in photoexcited 1. Regardless of exciting [Ru(CO)Pc] or PDIpy4, spectral characteristics of the [RuPc] radical cation (broad absorptive features from 425 to 600 nm with a maximum at 575 nm, as well as a band centered at 725 nm) and of the PDI radical anion (780 nm maximum) emerge. The correspondingly formed radical ion pair state lasts for up to several hundred picoseconds in toluene, for example. On the other hand, employing more polar solvents, such as dichloromethane, destabilizes the radical ion pair state.
Carbon‐Nanotube‐Based Stimuli‐Responsive Controlled‐Release System
Authors: Chen Xuecheng , Chen Hongmin , Tripisciano Carla , Jedrzejewska Anna , Rümmeli Mark H. , Klingeler Rüdiger , Kalenczuk Ryszard J. , Chu Paul K. , Borowiak‐Palen Ewa
Published: March 2011

A stimuli‐responsive controlled‐release delivery system based on carbon nanotubes is demonstrated. Through TEM, FTIR spectroscopic, and thermogravimetric analysis, functional groups have been successfully attached to the open ends of the tubes, thereby enabling functionalized silica spheres to preferentially attach to the ends. This, in essence, plugs the ends of the tube. Controlling release of encapsulated materials within the tubes is illustrated by fluorescein‐filled carbon nanotubes. The discharge process can be triggered by exposure to 1,4‐dithiothreitol (DTT) or at elevated temperature. Moreover, both triggering systems, DTT and temperature, provide rate of release control through increased DTT concentration or temperature choice, respectively. This delivery system paves the way for the development of a new generation of site‐selective, controlled‐release, drug‐delivery systems, and interactive nanosensor devices.
Lewis Base Catalyzed [4+2] Annulation of Electron‐Deficient Chromone‐Derived Heterodienes and Acetylenes
Authors: Dückert Heiko , Khedkar Vivek , Waldmann Herbert , Kumar Kamal
Published: March 2011

Lewis base catalyzed [4+2] annulation reactions between electron‐deficient chromone oxa‐ and azadienes and acetylene carboxylates provide tricyclic benzopyrones inspired by natural products. An asymmetric synthesis of the tricyclic benzopyrones was developed by using modified cinchona alkaloids as enantiodifferentiating Lewis base catalysts.
Self‐regulative organization of the cytoskeleton
Authors: Huber Florian , Käs Josef
Published: March 2011

Despite its impressive complexity the cytoskeleton succeeds to persistently organize itself and thus the cells' interior. In contrast to classical man‐made machines, much of the cellular organization originates from inherent self‐assembly and self‐organization allowing a high degree of autonomy for various functional units. Recent experimental and theoretical studies revealed numerous examples of cytoskeleton components that arrange and organize in a self‐regulative way. In the present review we want to shortly summarize some of the principle mechanisms that are able to inherently trigger and regulate the cytoskeleton organization. Although taken individually most of these regulative principles are rather simple with intuitively predictable consequences, combinations of two or more of these mechanisms can quickly give rise to very complex, unexpected behavior and might even be able to explain the formation of different functional units out of a common pool of available building blocks.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for colorectal liver metastases
Authors: Chang Daniel T. , Swaminath Anand , Kozak Margaret , Weintraub Julie , Koong Albert C. , Kim John , Dinniwell Rob , Brierley James , Kavanagh Brian D. , Dawson Laura A. , Schefter Tracey E.
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND:

This study was undertaken to determine outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for colorectal liver metastases in a pooled patient cohort.

METHODS:

Patients with colorectal liver metastases from 3 institutions were included if they had 1 to 4 lesions, received 1 to 6 fractions of stereotactic body radiotherapy, and had radiologic imaging ≥3 months post‐treatment. Sixty‐five patients with 102 lesions treated from August 2003 to May 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. A tumor control probability (TCP) model was used to estimate the 3‐fraction dose required for >90% local control after converting the schedule into biologically equivalent dose (BED), single‐fraction equivalent dose, or linear quadratic model‐based single‐fraction dose.

RESULTS:

Forty‐seven (72%) patients had ≥1 chemotherapy regimen before stereotactic body radiotherapy, and 27 (42%) patients had ≥2 regimens. The median follow‐up was 1.2 years (range, 0.3‐5.2 years). The median dose was 42 gray (Gy; range, 22‐60 Gy). When evaluated separately by multivariate analysis, total dose (P = .0015), dose/fraction (P = .003), and BED (P = .004) all correlated with local control by lesion. On multivariate analysis, nonactive extrahepatic disease was associated with overall survival (OS; P = .046), and sustained local control was closely correlated (P = .06). By using single‐fraction equivalent dose, BED, or linear quadratic model‐based single‐fraction dose in the TCP model, the estimated dose range needed for 1‐year local control >90% is 46 to 52 Gy in 3 fractions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Liver stereotactic body radiotherapy is well tolerated and effective for colorectal liver metastases. The strong correlation between local control and OS supports controlling hepatic disease even for heavily pretreated patients. For a 3‐fraction regimen of stereotactic body radiotherapy, a prescription dose of ≥48 Gy should be considered, if normal tissue constraints allow. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
The prognostic and staging implications of bone invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ebrahimi Ardalan , Murali Rajmohan , Gao Kan , Elliott Michael S. , Clark Jonathan R.
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND:

A study was undertaken to determine whether bone invasion is an independent prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after taking into account the extent of bone invasion.

METHODS:

The study was a retrospective review of 498 patients with oral SCC undergoing surgery with curative intent, 102 of whom had pathologically proven bone invasion. Bone invasion was categorized as absent, cortical, or medullary and tested for association with disease control and survival.

RESULTS:

After adjusting for potential confounding factors in multivariate analysis, there was no association between cortical invasion and overall (P = .48) or disease‐specific survival (P = .63). In contrast, medullary invasion was an independent predictor of reduced overall (hazard ratio [HR], 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2‐3.1; P = .006) and disease‐specific survival (HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2‐3.6; P = .01), and this appeared to result from an increased risk of distant metastatic failure (P = .037) rather than local (P = .51) or regional recurrence (P = .14). Within the subset of patients with medullary invasion, survival differed significantly according to tumor size (P = .029).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with oral SCC and bone invasion have widely variable outcomes depending on the depth of bone invasion and tumor size. The results suggest that the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, which classifies all tumors invading through cortical bone as T4, has limited prognostic utility. The authors recommend a revision of the T staging system such that tumors are classified as T1 to T3 based on size and then upstaged by 1 T stage in the presence of medullary bone invasion. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Neutrophil interactions with sialyl Lewis X on human nonsmall cell lung carcinoma cells regulate invasive behavior
Authors: St. Hill Catherine A. , Krieser Katherine , Farooqui Mariya
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND:

The carbohydrate sialyl Lewis X (sLeX) is expressed on leukocytes and carcinoma cells and binds to selectins during inflammatory processes and early metastasis. Synthesis of sLeX depends on activity of enzymes, including α(1,3/1,4) fucosyltransferase (FucT‐III). Tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) up‐regulates FucT‐III, resulting in increased sLeX in the airways of patients with respiratory disease; however, the mechanisms that regulate sLeX in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment are not well understood.

METHODS:

The authors stably transfected human lung carcinoma cell lines with the FucT‐III gene and exposed them to TNF‐α to investigate its role in regulation of sLeX expression and selectin‐binding ability using semiquantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. Cytokine expression was examined in transfected cells using chemiluminescent arrays and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, and invasion was studied using Matrigel assays and alterations in morphology. Human lung tissue arrays were analyzed for immunohistochemical detection of sLeX and neutrophils.

RESULTS:

Stimulation of FucT‐III–transfected cells with recombinant human (rh) TNF‐α up‐regulated sLeX expression and increased E‐selectin binding. Transfected cells secreted high levels of interleukin 8, growth‐regulated oncogene‐α, and mast cell proteinase‐1. Cells exposed to rhTNF‐α, neutrophil‐conditioned media, and cultures with a 5:1 ratio of neutrophils to cancer cells had significantly increased sLeX expression and invasiveness and underwent nonadherent morphologic changes. In lung carcinomas, but not in normal lung tissues, 71% of tumors were highly positive for sLeX expression in areas of increased neutrophil infiltration.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results indicated that neutrophils may be recruited to areas of FucT‐III activity and sLeX expression in lung carcinomas to enhance the invasive and metastatic potential of lung cancer cells. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
The role of [18F]‐2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose–positron emission tomography in thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine‐needle aspiration biopsy
Authors: Vriens Dennis , de Wilt Johannes H. W. , van der Wilt Gert J. , Netea‐Maier Romana T. , Oyen Wim J. G. , de Geus‐Oei Lioe Fee
Published: March 2011

Indeterminate results at fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of thyroid nodules pose a clinical dilemma, because only 20% to 30% of patients suffer from malignancy. Previous studies suggested that the false‐negative ratio of [18F]‐2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose–positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) is very low; therefore, it may help identify patients who would benefit from (hemi)thyroidectomy. A systematic literature search was performed in 5 databases. After assessment, the identified studies were analyzed for heterogeneity, and the extracted data of test characteristics were pooled using a random‐effects model. Threshold effects were examined, and publication bias was assessed. The query resulted in 239 records, of which 6 studies met predefined inclusion criteria. Data from 225 of the 241 described patients could be extracted. There was mild to moderate heterogeneity in study results (inconsistency index [I2] = 0.390‐0.867). The pooled prevalence of malignancy was 26%. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 95% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 86%‐99%), 48% (95% CI, 40%‐56%), 39% (95% CI, 31%‐47%), 96% (95% CI, 90%‐99%), and 60% (95% CI, 53%‐67%), respectively. Sensitivity increased to 100% for the 164 lesions that measured >15 mm in greatest dimension. There was no evidence of threshold effects or publication bias. A negative FDG‐PET scan in patients who had thyroid nodules >15 mm with indeterminate FNAB results excluded thyroid cancer in a pooled population of 225 patients. Conversely, a positive FDG‐PET result did not identify cancer, because approximately 50% of these patients had benign nodules. The authors concluded that the incorporation of FDG‐PET into the initial workup of such patients before surgery deserves further investigation. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society
A purpose‐based access control in native XML databases
Authors: Sun Lili , Wang Hua
Published: March 2011

With the growing importance of privacy in data access, much research has been done on the privacy protecting technology in the recent years. Developing an access control model and related mechanisms to support a selective access data has become important. The extensible markup language (XML) is rapidly emerging as the new standard language for semi‐structured data representation and exchange on the Internet with more and more information being distributed in XML format. In this paper, we present a comprehensive approach for privacy preserving access control based on the notion of purpose. In our model, purpose information associated with a given data element in an XML document specifies the intended use of the data elements. An important issue addressed in this paper is the granularity of data labeling for data elements in XML documents and tree databases with which purposes can be associated. We address this issue in native XML databases and propose different labeling schemes for XML documents. We also propose an approach to represent purpose information to support access control based on purpose information. Our proposed solution relies on usage access control models as well as the components that are based on the notions of the purpose information used in subjects and objects. Finally, comparisons with related works are analysed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parallel unmixing of remotely sensed hyperspectral images on commodity graphics processing units
Authors: Sánchez Sergio , Paz Abel , Martín Gabriel , Plaza Antonio
Published: March 2011

Hyperspectral imaging instruments are capable of collecting hundreds of images, corresponding to different wavelength channels, for the same area on the surface of the Earth. One of the main problems in the analysis of hyperspectral data cubes is the presence of mixed pixels, which arise when the spatial resolution of the sensor is not enough to separate spectrally distinct materials. Hyperspectral unmixing is one of the most popular techniques to analyze hyperspectral data. It comprises two stages: (i) automatic identification of pure spectral signatures (endmembers) and (ii) estimation of the fractional abundance of each endmember in each pixel. The spectral unmixing process is quite expensive in computational terms, mainly due to the extremely high dimensionality of hyperspectral data cubes. Although this process maps nicely to high performance systems such as clusters of computers, these systems are generally expensive and difficult to adapt to real‐time data processing requirements introduced by several applications, such as wildland fire tracking, biological threat detection, monitoring of oil spills, and other types of chemical contamination. In this paper, we develop an implementation of the full hyperspectral unmixing chain on commodity graphics processing units (GPUs). The proposed methodology has been implemented, using the CUDA (compute device unified architecture), and tested on three different GPU architectures: NVidia Tesla C1060, NVidia GeForce GTX 275, and NVidia GeForce 9800 GX2, achieving near real‐time unmixing performance in some configurations tested when analyzing two different hyperspectral images, collected over the World Trade Center complex in New York City and the Cuprite mining district in Nevada. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High Turnover in a Photocatalytic System for Water Reduction to Produce Hydrogen Using a Ru, Rh, Ru Photoinitiated Electron Collector
Authors: Arachchige Shamindri M. , Shaw Ryan , White Travis A. , Shenoy Vimal , Tsui Hei‐Man , Brewer Karen J.
Published: March 2011

Covalent coupling of RuII light absorbers to a RhIII electron collecting site through polyazine bridging ligands affords photocatalytic production of H2 in the presence of visible light and a sacrificial electron donor. A robust photocatalytic system displaying a high turnover of the photocatalyst has been developed using the photoinitiated electron collector [{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhBr2]5+ (bpy=2,2’‐bipyridine; dpp=2,3‐bis(2‐pyridyl)pyrazine) and N,N‐dimethylaniline in DMF/H2O. Studies have shown that increased [DMA], the headspace volume, and the use of DMF solvent improves the systems performance and stability providing mechanistic insight into the deactivation routes of the photocatalytic system. Photolysis of the system at 460 nm generates 20 mL of H2 in 19.5 h with a maximum Φ=0.023 based on H2 produced and an overall Φ=0.014 and 280 turnovers of the photocatalyst. The photocatalytic system also displays long‐term photostability with 30 mL of H2 generated and 420 turnovers in 50 h under the same conditions. Prolonged photolysis provides 820 mol H2 per mole of catalyst.
Sunlight‐Assisted Fenton Reaction Catalyzed by Gold Supported on Diamond Nanoparticles as Pretreatment for Biological Degradation of Aqueous Phenol Solutions
Authors: Navalon Sergio , Martin Roberto , Alvaro Mercedes , Garcia Hermenegildo
Published: March 2011

Gold nanoparticles supported on Fenton‐treated diamond nanoparticles (Au/DNPs) have been reported as one of the most efficient solid catalysts effecting the Fenton reaction, achieving a turnover number (TON) as high as 321 000. However, at room temperature the main limitation for the catalytic activity of Au/DNPs is the pH of the solution, which should be less than 5. In this paper, we report that exposure of Au/DNPs to sunlight enhances the catalytic activity of Au/DNPs up to the point that it can promote the Fenton reaction at room temperature even at slightly basic pH values. Also, in addition to performing a deep Fenton treatment and considering that the excess of H2O2 used in the process should be minimized, we have achieved in our study, using a mild Fenton reaction promoted by Au/DNPs under sunlight irradiation, an optimum in the biodegradability, a minimum in the ecotoxicity, and no toxicity for the Vibrio fischeri test. The results have shown that, by using an H2O2‐to‐phenol molar ratio of 5.5 or higher, it is possible to achieve a high biodegradability as well as a complete lack of ecotoxicity and of Vibrio fischeri toxicity. The stability of Au/DNPs was confirmed by analyzing the gold leached to the solution and by performing four consecutive reuses of the catalyst with initial pH values ranging from 4 to 8. It was observed that, after finishing the reaction and exhaustive washings with basic aqueous solutions, the initial reaction rate of the used catalyst is recovered to the value exhibited by the fresh solid. Overall, our study shows that the synergism between catalysis and photocatalysis can overcome the limitations found for dark catalytic reactions and that the reaction parameters can be optimized to effect mild Fenton reactions aimed at increasing biodegradability in biorecalcitrant waste waters.
Circulating lymphocyte subsets in normal adults are variable and can be clustered into subgroups
Authors: Sekiguchi Debora R. , Smith Sara B. , Sutter Jennifer A. , Goodman Noah G. , Propert Kathleen , Louzoun Yoram , Rogers Wade , Luning Prak Eline T.
Published: March 2011

Background:

Flow cytometry is used to monitor lymphocyte subsets in both the clinical and research settings. An understanding of the degree of inter‐ and intrasubject variability of these populations is critical for data interpretation.

Methods:

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of 18 healthy adults were analyzed on two separate occasions using a multicolor flow cytometric panel with B, T, and NK cell markers. Variability was calculated using the coefficient of variation and compared between and within individuals using agglomerative clustering.

Results:

Each subject appears to have B and T cell subset profiles that are stable over the two time points, but differ from the profiles of other subjects. Thus, the range of measurements for a particular B or T cell subset is larger between subjects and narrower for an individual. In addition, the level of variability correlates inversely with the size of the lymphocyte subset. When lymphocyte profiles are analyzed by agglomerative clustering, replicate samples from the same individual tend to cluster. When single samples from different individuals are analyzed, individuals appear to cluster into different subgroups.

Conclusions:

Variability of lymphocyte subsets is usually greater between individuals than within a single individual and each person appears to have a characteristic profile of lymphocyte subsets. These results underscore the importance of obtaining a baseline value for each subject when investigating the impact of a treatment on lymphocyte subsets over time. These results also highlight the potential utility of cluster analysis as a tool for immune subset profiling and biomarker discovery. © 2011 International Clinical Cytometry Society
Uterine adenosarcoma detected by conventional papanicolaou smear: A case report with emphasis on integrating the immunocytochemical staining
Authors: Lai Chiung‐Ru , Hsu Chih‐Yi , Li Anna Fen‐Yau
Published: March 2011

Adenosarcoma is a rare uterine malignant tumor composed of benign to atypical epithelial element and a usually low‐grade sarcomatous component. Although it is well known histologically, its cytological features are rarely described in the literature. We report a case of uterine adenosarcoma being the first one that was accurately diagnosed before operation by the conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) smear with emphasis on the contribution of the integrated immunocytochemical staining. A 46‐year‐old woman with abnormal vaginal bleeding and a protruding mass from her cervical os. Her Pap smear revealed: (a) presence of endometrial necrotic debris in the background, which indicated the presence of an endometrial lesion, (b) presence of both abnormal endometrial glandular cells (compact and tight clusters with slight hyperchromasia, increased nucleus/cytoplasm (N/C) ratio, apparent nucleoli and moderate vimentin stain) and abnormal stromal cells (loose aggregates of spindle to polygonal cells with hyperchromasia, increased N/C ratio and very strong vimentin staining). The characteristic degenerative necrotic debris indicating endometrial lesion plus the application of immunocytochemistry, which can increase the detection rate of endometrial lesion by the Pap smears. Awareness of the cytological findings of adenosarcoma can aid to make a correct preoperative diagnosis of this rare disease. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Delayed alternation in adolescent and adult male and female rats
Authors: Koss Wendy A. , Franklin Andrew D. , Juraska Janice M.
Published: March 2011

The prefrontal cortex continues to develop throughout adolescence in several species, and our laboratory has demonstrated that during adolescence there is a decrease in neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). A PFC‐dependent task, the delayed alternation task, was used in the present study to examine the function of the mPFC while it is still maturing in rats of both sexes. A deficit was found in adolescents when compared to adults during 15‐ and 60‐s delays but not at other delays (5, 10, 30, and 90 s). Furthermore, adolescents committed more perseverative errors. No significant sex differences occurred at any delay for either age group; however, in the no delay training sessions, adolescent males reached criterion faster than females. These results indicate that performance on a mPFC‐dependent task improves between adolescence and adulthood. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 53:724–731, 2011.
Reduction of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel with compensatory increase of nitric oxide in insulin resistant rats
Authors: Shangjian Li , Zhengrong Deng , Liqiang Wei , Lei Liang , Wenting Ai , Xiling Shou , Xinyi Chen
Published: March 2011

Cardiovascular disease prevalence and mortality are both increased by insulin resistance, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. The large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel (BKCa) plays a pivotal role in the diastolic function of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the role of this channel in insulin resistance remains unknown.

Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly divided into an insulin resistant group and control group. We investigated the BKCa current and subunit expression in myocytes from aortas and mesenteric arteries by Western blot, real‐time PCR and the whole‐cell patch‐clamp methods. BKCa current was decreased in smooth muscle cells in insulin resistant rats, compared with that in control group. Peak BKCa current at + 60 mV was significantly decreased after iberiotoxin (IBTX) perfusion at 100 nmol/L (64.2 ± 4.7 versus 20.3 ± 3.5% in thoracic aortas and 65.6 ± 6.2 versus 29.3 ± 3.9% in mesenteric arteries, both p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in BKCa alpha subunit between the two groups, both at the level of mRNA and protein. BKCa beta 1 subunit expression in aortas and mesenteric arteries from the insulin resistant group was lower than in those from control group. The plasma level of nitric oxide was higher in the insulin resistant group than in the control group. Our results demonstrated that the BKCa channel is decreased both in macrovessels and microvessels in insulin resistant rats. These impairments may be related to the down‐regulation of β1 subunit expression and compensatory increase in plasma nitric oxide levels. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): why you should care, when you should worry, what you should do
Authors: Lebovics Edward , Rubin Jonah
Published: March 2011

For the diabetologist, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is important at both ends of its spectrum. It is an early warning sign of future risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. It may also lead to late life‐threatening sequela of diabetes mellitus in the event of progression to liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. This review will highlight the recent progress in understanding the natural history of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and in developing a rational approach to its diagnosis, staging, and management. The pandemic prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in Western countries necessitates both a high index of suspicion to identify cases and a non‐invasive approach to staging, which is best achieved with clinical/biochemical panels and transient elastography. Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of management. Recent clinical trials provide support for pharmacologic therapies directed at the metabolic syndrome and at protecting the liver but more data are needed. Bariatric surgery is appropriate for high‐risk patients who fail conservative management. Patients with liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma may be candidates for liver transplantation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of transgenic mice expressing a conditionally active form of the eIF2α kinase PKR
Authors: Papadakis Andreas I. , Baltzis Dionissios , Buensuceso Ryan C. , Peidis Philippos , Koromilas Antonis E.
Published: March 2011

Phosphorylation of the alpha (α) subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) at serine 51 is an important mechanism of translational control in response to various forms of environmental stress. In metazoans, eIF2α phosphorylation is mediated by four kinases each of which becomes activated by distinct stimuli. Previous work established that expression of a chimera protein comprising of the bacteria Gyrase B N‐terminal (GyrB) domain fused to the kinase domain (KD) of the eIF2α kinase PKR is capable of inducing eIF2α phosphorylation in cultured cells after treatment with the antibiotic coumermycin. Herein, we report the development of transgenic mice expressing the fusion protein GyrB.PKR ubiquitously. Treatment of mice with coumermycin induces eIF2α phosphorylation in vivo as demonstrated by immunoblotting and immunoshistochemistry of mouse tissues. The GyrB.PKR transgene represents a useful model system to investigate the biological effects of the conditional induction of eIF2α phosphorylation in vivo in the absence of parallel signaling pathways that are elicited in response to stress. genesis 49:743–749, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three‐terminal nanometer metal switches utilizing solid electrolytes
Authors: Kawaura Hisao , Sakamoto Toshitsugu , Banno Naoki , Kaeriyama Shunichi , Mizuno Masayuki , Terabe Kazuya , Hasegawa Tsuyoshi , Aono Masakazu
Published: March 2011

We propose a three‐terminal nanometer metal switch that utilizes a solid electrolyte where a nanoscale metal filament is stretched and retracted. Its operating principle is based on electrochemical reaction and ion migration in the electrolyte. The fabricated device is composed of a solid electrolyte layer (Cu2S), a gate (Cu), a source (Cu), and a drain (Pt). After the Cu filament is formed between the source and the drain by applying the drain voltage, repeatable on/off switching in the drain current is obtained by controlling the gate voltage. The on/off current ratio can be as high as 105, and the programmable cycle is around 50. Each state can be kept for up to 40 days. Since the gate is separated from the current path, the switching current can be reduced to 10 μA, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of a two‐terminal switch. In this paper, we present the operating principle and electrical characteristics of the three‐terminal switches, and discuss how suitable they are for reconfigurable circuits. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(4): 55–61, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10214
Fabrication of electrode groove on silicon solar cell by high‐pressure surface discharge
Authors: Hamada Toshiyuki , Arakawa Shunichi , Otsubo Masahisa , Sakoda Tatsuya
Published: March 2011

We propose a low‐cost plasma process technique to fabricate narrower front electrode grooves on a single crystalline silicon solar cell, in which a surface discharge operated at high pressure etches a silicon nitride film 150 nm thick on a silicon layer. Tests showed that the surface discharge could effectively etch the silicon nitride film in a short time; a high etching rate exceeding 3000 nm/min was obtained. Narrow and uniform grooves with a width of less than 70 μm were obtained when the pressure in the chamber, the back electrode length, and the etching time were 152 kPa, 2 mm, and 10 s, respectively. Narrower electrode grooves could be obtained when the back electrode length was short and the pressure was high. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(4): 28–35, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10305
Erosion modelling designed for water quality simulation
Authors: Gassmann Matthias , Lange Jens , Schuetz Tobias
Published: March 2011

Water quality modelling often requires the simulation of erosion and sediment transport for sorptive pollutants at high temporal resolution. This paper introduces a parsimonious erosion and sediment transport model adapted to the needs of water quality modelling called ZIN‐Sed. Using a kinetic‐energy‐of‐rainfall erosion approach and an empirical transport capacity equations of overland flow, the model can mainly be parameterized by measurements, observations and literature values and just requires little calibration. It is based on the hydrological surface flow model ZIN and was tested in the 1.8 km2 Loechernbach catchment in south‐western Germany. High resolution measurements of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) by turbidity measurements (eight events) provided an opportunity to validate the model on a short‐timestep base. To broaden the validation database, a calibrated MUSLE (Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation) was used to estimate sediment totals of additional 28 events. The model realistically simulated both measured SSCs and estimated sediment totals and arrived at high Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiencies (up to 0.85) and low RMSEs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Chemistry of L‐Sorbose
Authors: Zebiri Ilhem , Balieu Sébastien , Guilleret Arnaud , Reynaud Romain , Haudrechy Arnaud
Published: March 2011

Despite the fact that L‐sorbose has been widely used for the synthesis of vitamin C at an industrial level, its use in organic synthesis remains rare. However, a survey of the chemical literature shows that this unusual sugar can be transformed into interesting derivatives.
Chemoselectivity in the Reduction of (2S,4S)‐4‐Amino‐5‐oxoproline Derivatives with Borane Complexes
Authors: Vigorov Alexey Yu. , Nizova Irina A. , Sadretdinova Liliya Sh. , Ezhikova Marina A. , Kodess Mikhail I. , Ganebnykh Iliya N. , Krasnov Victor P.
Published: March 2011

Reduction of the carbonyl groups in N‐protected (2S,4S)‐4‐amino‐5‐oxo‐1‐phenylprolinates with BH3 complexes resulted in (2S,4S)‐4‐aminoproline or (2S,4S)‐4‐aminoprolinol derivatives depending on the reaction conditions and the type of protecting groups used.
A comparison of ecosystem services delivered by 11 long‐term monitoring sites in the UK environmental change network
Authors: Dick J. , Andrews C. , Beaumont D. A. , Benham S. , Brooks D. R. , Corbett S. , Lloyd D. , McMillan S. , Monteith D. T. , Pilgrim E. S. , Rose R. , Scott A. , Scott T. , Smith R. I. , Taylor C. , Taylor M. , Turner A. , Watson H.
Published: March 2011

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2003) framework was applied to provide a holistic assessment and comparison of ecosystem services delivery from 11 environmental change network (ECN) sites, following a workshop of ECN site managers. A list of common variables was agreed to represent the high level categories defined by the MA. The resultant 73 variables, either direct ecosystem services or proxies, were divided into two subsets (readily accessible biogeographical data from all sites and additional site specific data). Similarity analysis of the biogeographical data indicated four site clusters: land with at least 50% forest cover, productive livestock farmland, uplands and a lowland grass/arable group. The first three clusters were also evident for both the additional data and for the larger combined dataset. The lowland grass/arable sites were a ‘mixed use’ cluster that was not apparent in the analysis of the additional or combined datasets indicating a mismatch between particular ecosystem services and specific landscapes/habitats. Procrustes analysis of the biogeographical data and the combined dataset suggested that the primary differences between datasets were due to variables associated with local management decisions which prevented harvesting of provisioning services or denied public access to the site. Drawing on comparable data from some of the most intensively researched and monitored ecosystems in the UK, this study demonstrates the challenges and limitations involved in attempting holistic assessments of ecosystem services at the site and inter‐site level and highlights the importance of both local expert knowledge and consistent scientific measurement in contributing to the process. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A simple image‐based strain measurement method for measuring the strain fields in an RC‐wall experiment
Authors: Yang Yuan‐Sen , Huang Chang‐Wei , Wu Chiun‐lin
Published: March 2011

A simple image‐based method for measuring plane strain fields on the surface of specimens in earthquake engineering experiments was developed. This method integrated camera calibration, stereo triangulation, image metric rectification and image template matching techniques to develop a method that was cost‐effective, easy to apply and provided a satisfactory level of measurement accuracy. A zero‐strain test conducted using this method showed that the measurement accuracy achieved was 0.04 pixels. That is, the relative displacement accuracy achieved was 0.005 mm and the strain accuracy was 0.001. This level of accuracy was achieved using eight‐mega‐pixel digital cameras to measure a 17 cm × 28 cm measurement region. Cracks that were 0.012 mm wide were identified in the concrete by examining the displacement fields calculated through the application of this image‐based method in an RC‐wall experiment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Knockdown of ovarian cancer amplification target ADRM1 leads to downregulation of GIPC1 and upregulation of RECK
Authors: Fejzo Marlena S. , Ginther Chuck , Dering Judy , Anderson Lee , Venkatesan Natarajan , Konecny Gottfried , Karlan Beth , Slamon Dennis J.
Published: March 2011

Approximately 25,000 ovarian cancers are diagnosed in the United States annually, and 75% of cases are in the advanced stage when they are largely incurable. There is a critical need for improved early detection tools and development of novel treatments. Recently, we showed that among 20q13‐amplified genes in ovarian cancer, ADRM1 overexpression was the most highly correlated with amplification and was significantly upregulated with respect to stage, recurrence, and metastasis. In addition, overexpression of ADRM1 correlated significantly with shorter time to recurrence and overall survival. Herein, array‐CGH and microarray expression of ovarian cancer cell lines provides evidence consistent with the primary tumor data that ADRM1 is a 20q13 amplification target. Knockdown of ADRM1 in amplified ovarian cell‐line OAW42 results in downregulation of growth factor GIPC1 and upregulation of tumor‐suppressor RECK RNA and protein. In our dataset of 141 ovarian primary tumors, ADRM1 overexpression significantly correlates with GIPC1 overexpression. In addition, there is a significant anticorrelation between ADRM1 overexpression and RECK expression. Further research is necessary to determine whether targeting knockdown of ADRM1 in 20q13‐amplified ovarian cancers results in growth inhibition and tumor suppression via downstream targets GIPC1 and RECK. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.