bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impaired Nuclear Translocation, Nuclear Matrix Targeting, and Intranuclear Mobility of Mutant Androgen Receptors Carrying Amino Acid Substitutions in the Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Binding Domain Derived from Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Patients
Authors: Kawate Hisaya , Wu Yin , Ohnaka Keizo , Tao Rong-Hua , Nakamura Kei-ichiro , Okabe Taijiro , Yanase Toshihiko , Nawata Hajime , Takayanagi Ryoichi
Published: November 2005

Context: Recent imaging studies revealed that androgen receptor (AR) is ligand-dependently translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus and forms intranuclear fine foci. In this study, we examined whether intracellular dynamics of mutant ARs detected in two androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) patients was impaired.

Objective: ARs with mutations in the DNA-binding domain were functionally characterized and compared with the wild-type AR.

Patients: In a complete AIS patient (subject 1), cysteine residue 579 in the first zinc finger motif of AR was substituted for phenylalanine (AR-C579F). Another mutation (AR-F582Y) was found in a partial AIS patient (subject 2).

Results: AR-F582Y retained less than 10% of the transactivation activity of the wild-type AR, whereas no ligand-dependent transactivation was detected for AR-C579F. Image analyses of the receptors fused to green fluorescent protein showed that the wild-type AR was ligand-dependently translocated into the nucleus in which it formed fine subnuclear foci. Surprisingly, after the addition of dihydrotestosterone, the two mutant ARs initially formed large cytoplasmic dots, many of which were found to be close to mitochondria by electron microscopy. Subsequently, a part of the ligand-bound mutant ARs gradually entered the nucleus to form a smaller number of larger dots, compared with the wild-type AR. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis revealed that the intranuclear mobility of the mutant ARs decreased, compared with that of the wild-type AR.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the abnormal translocation, localization, and mobility of the mutant ARs may be the cause of AIS in these subjects.
Residual Pituitary Function after Brain Injury-Induced Hypopituitarism: A Prospective 12-Month Study
Authors: Aimaretti Gianluca , Ambrosio Maria Rosaria , Di Somma Carolina , Gasperi Maurizio , Cannavò Salvatore , Scaroni Carla , Fusco Alessandra , Del Monte Patrizia , De Menis Ernesto , Faustini-Fustini Marco , Grimaldi Franco , Logoluso Francesco , Razzore Paola , Rovere Silvia , Benvenga Salvatore , degli Uberti Ettore Ciro , De Marinis Laura , Lombardi Gaetano , Mantero Franco , Martino Enio , Giordano Giulio , Ghigo Ezio
Published: November 2005

Context: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are conditions at high risk for the development of hypopituitarism.

Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify whether pituitary deficiencies and normal pituitary function recorded at 3 months would improve or worsen at 12 months after the brain injury.

Design and Patients: Pituitary function was tested at 3 and 12 months in patients who had TBI (n = 70) or SAH (n = 32).

Results: In TBI, the 3-month evaluation had shown hypopituitarism (H) in 32.8%. Panhypopituitarism (PH), multiple (MH), and isolated (IH) hypopituitarism had been demonstrated in 5.7, 5.7, and 21.4%, respectively. The retesting demonstrated some degree of H in 22.7%. PH, MH, and IH were present in 5.7, 4.2, and 12.8%, respectively. PH was always confirmed at 12 months, whereas MH and IH were confirmed in 25% only. In 5.5% of TBI with no deficit at 3 months, IH was recorded at retesting. In 13.3% of TBI with IH at 3 months, MH was demonstrated at 12-month retesting. In SAH, the 3-month evaluation had shown H in 46.8%. MH and IH had been demonstrated in 6.2 and 40.6%, respectively. The retesting demonstrated H in 37.5%. MH and IH were present in 6.2 and 31.3%, respectively. Although no MH was confirmed at 12 months, two patients with IH at 3 months showed MH at retesting; 30.7% of SAH with IH at 3 months displayed normal pituitary function at retesting. In SAH, normal pituitary function was always confirmed. In TBI and SAH, the most common deficit was always severe GH deficiency.

Conclusion: There is high risk for H in TBI and SAH patients. Early diagnosis of PH is always confirmed in the long term. Pituitary function in brain-injured patients may improve over time but, although rarely, may also worsen. Thus, brain-injured patients must undergo neuroendocrine follow-up over time.
Rare Causes of Hypercalcemia
Authors: Jacobs Thomas P. , Bilezikian John P.
Published: November 2005

Context: Although hypercalcemia is usually caused by primary hyperparathyroidism or malignancy, a number of other conditions can be important to consider. This review considers unusual causes of hypercalcemia that are generally not found in reviews on this subject.

Evidence Acquisition: Articles describing rarely reported associations between hypercalcemia and unusual causes were identified through a computer search of the terms hypercalcemia/etiology and through the references listed in those articles. We grouped the 58 different reports into categories defined by a presumed etiology: increased levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or PTHrP, occult milk-alkali syndrome, and undefined mechanisms. Reports in infants and children are listed separately, as are reports of pseudohypercalcemia, situations that are not truly hypercalcemic because the ionized calcium is normal.

Evidence Synthesis: In some situations, as this review points out, a number of unusual causes of hypercalcemia are important to consider. The search for an elusive cause of hypercalcemia is best accomplished by the most likely potential mechanism. An orderly search in this manner is likely to reveal the underlying cause.

Conclusions: That so many patients have been described with rare and usually poorly understood causes of hypercalcemia highlights our incomplete understanding of calcium metabolism in humans and suggests additional areas in which directed clinical investigation might improve our knowledge of the normal metabolism of calcium.
Distinctive Inhibitory Mechanisms of Age and Relative Visceral Adiposity on Growth Hormone Secretion in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women Studied under a Hypogonadal Clamp
Authors: Veldhuis Johannes D. , Erickson Dana , Mielke Kristi , Farhy Leon S. , Keenan Daniel M. , Bowers Cyril Y.
Published: November 2005

Background: Aging, body composition, and sex steroids jointly determine GH production. However, the actions of any given factor are confounded by the effects of the other two.

Hypothesis: Age and abdominal visceral fat (AVF) mass govern GH secretion via individually distinctive mechanisms, which can be unmasked by short-term sex steroid deprivation.

Design/Subjects: In a university setting, healthy pre- and postmenopausal volunteers underwent GnRH agonist-induced down-regulation for 6 wk to deplete ovarian sex steroids. GH secretion was evaluated by frequent blood sampling, saline vs. dual secretagogue infusions, an irregularity statistic, variable waveform deconvolution analysis, and a simplified feedback model. Computerized tomography was used to estimate AVF mass.

Outcomes/Measures: In the sex steroid-deficient milieu, postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women exhibited 1) lower concentrations of IGF-I (P = 0.028) and GH (P < 0.05); 2) reduced pulsatile, but elevated basal, GH secretion (P < 0.05); 3) more irregular GH patterns (P = 0.027); 4) an attenuated GH response to simultaneous GHRH/GH-releasing peptide-2 stimulation (P < 0.01); and 5) more rapid onset of GH release within secretory bursts (P < 0.01). In contrast, AVF negatively forecast GH responses to l-arginine/GH-releasing peptide-2 (r2 = 0.45; P < 0.001) and l-arginine/GHRH (r2 = 0.57; P = 0.007). From these marked contrasts, model-based analyses predicted distinguishable mechanisms by which aging and AVF alter pulsatile GH production.

Conclusion: Under limited confounding by sex steroids, age and body composition modulate GH secretion via highly selective peptidyl pathways in healthy women.
Reproductive Hormone Reference Intervals for Healthy Fertile Young Men: Evaluation of Automated Platform Assays
Authors: Sikaris Ken , McLachlan Robert I. , Kazlauskas Rymantas , de Kretser David , Holden Carol A. , Handelsman David J.
Published: November 2005

Context: Management of male infertility and/or androgen deficiency requires accurate hormonal measurements with valid reference intervals.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a valid reference panel of blood samples from healthy eugonadal young men with verified normal reproductive function and to use this panel to evaluate the performance of seven fully automated, commercial multiplex immunoassay platforms used to measure serum total testosterone (T), LH, and FSH.

Design: This was an observational study of consistency among seven different automated immunoassays for each of total T, LH, and FSH. Each method was implemented in two laboratories, with each repeating the analysis of the full reference panel samples twice. Serum T concentrations were also measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and serum inhibin B levels were determined by an ELISA.

Setting: The study was performed at commercial, high-volume, clinical pathology laboratories.

Participants: From 147 men screened, sera from 124 healthy, reproductively normal men (age, 21–35 yr) with normal sperm output were used as a reference panel. All laboratories selected for elite performance in the national immunoassay quality assurance program agreed to participate.

Main Outcome Measure(s): For each of the 868 assays, descriptive statistics were calculated in the natural and log-transformed scales and were analyzed by nested, repeated measures ANOVA after log transformation. Reference intervals, defined as 95% confidence limits, were calculated using arithmetic (natural scale), geometric (log scale) and nonparametric methods.

Results: Descriptive statistics and reference intervals for serum T, LH, and FSH differed widely and significantly between methods, but variation between laboratories for the same assay was negligible. All T methods showed significant differences in regression slope and intercept in deviance plots as well as in estimated reference ranges compared with the independent GC/MS reference method. Although similar between-method differences existed for gonadotropin assays, the smaller quantitative discrepancies allowed assignment of consensus reference intervals for serum FSH (1.3–8.4 IU/liter) and LH (1.6–8.0 IU/liter), although these differed from manufacturers’ currently quoted expected values.

Conclusions: Using a reference panel of sera from healthy eugonadal young men with verified normal reproductive function, major differences exist between commercial T immunoassays as well as divergence from the GC/MS standard. This impairs their clinical diagnostic utility and requires substantial improvements in automated T immunoassay technologies or a switch to GC/MS methods. Gonadotropin assays showed less variability, but current high-throughput immunoassays remain suboptimal to confirm accurate diagnosis of azoospermia or androgen deficiency.
Polymorphisms in Exon 13 and Intron 14 of the RET Protooncogene: Genetic Modifiers of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma?
Authors: Baumgartner-Parzer S. M. , Lang R. , Wagner L. , Heinze G. , Niederle B. , Kaserer K. , Waldhäusl W. , Vierhapper H.
Published: November 2005

Context: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the RET protooncogene (RET) could modify disease susceptibility and clinical phenotype in patients with sporadic or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC).

Objective/Design of the Study: Because frequencies of RET SNPs have not yet been evaluated in patients with elevated serum concentrations of calcitonin (hCt), a biochemical marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), we studied RET SNPs in patients with FMTC (n = 22), patients with sporadic MTC (n = 45), and 71 subjects presenting with moderately elevated hCt concentrations (basal, >10 pg/ml; pentagastrin stimulated, > 50 < 100 pg/ml) in comparison with an age- and gender-matched control group (n = 79) with basal hCt concentrations in the normal range (<5 pg/ml).

Methods: After DNA extraction from citrated whole blood, RET exons 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 and exon/intron boundaries were analyzed by PCR-based cycle sequencing for RET germ line mutations, exonic (G691S, L769L, S836S, S904S) and intronic (IVS13+158; NCBI rs2472737 = IVS14–24) SNPs.

Results: In FMTC patients, the F791Y mutation was found to be associated (P = 0.001) with the L769L SNP. The exonic SNPs (G691S, L769L, S836S, and S904S) were not different among the four groups. The intron 14 SNP (IVS14–24), however, was more frequent in individuals with elevated hCt serum concentrations (P = 0.016) and patients with sporadic MTC (P < 0.001) when compared with the control group.

Conclusions: These data suggest that the exon 13 (L769L) and the intron 14 (IVS14–24) SNPs could act as genetic modifiers in the development of some forms of hereditary and sporadic MTC, respectively.
A New Nitrite-selective Fluorescent Sensor Fabricated from Surface-initiated Atom-transfer Radical Polymerization
Authors: Peng Qiang , Xie Ming-Gui , Neoh Koon-Gee , Kang En-Tang
Published: November 2005

A highly selective sensor for nitrite has been developed from surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization on silicon wafer, using PEGMA and pyrene derivatives as spacer and fluorophore, respectively.
Covalent Immobilization of Metal-binding Motifs of Enzymes on Quartz Surface. [Ni(Cys-X2-Cys)2]2− of Hydrogenases
Authors: Sakaniwa Daisuke , Ohe Takahiro , Misumi Takashi , Monjushiro Hideaki , Onoda Akira , Yamamura Takeshi
Published: November 2005

The peptide ligand, Cys-Pro-Leu-Cys, was covalently immobilized on the surface of quartz via (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) by the general peptide-synthesis method; then, Ni2+ was introduced into this surface to construct the [Ni(S-Cys)4]2− unit contained in the active site of hydrogenases.
Using Binomial Decision Trees to Solve Real-Option Valuation Problems
Authors: Brandão Luiz E. , Dyer James S. , Hahn Warren J.
Published: November 2005

Traditional decision analysis methods can provide an intuitive approach to valuing projects with managerial flexibility or real options. The discrete-time approach to real-option valuation has typically been implemented in the finance literature using a binomial lattice framework. Instead, we use a binomial decision tree with risk-neutral probabilities to approximate the uncertainty associated with the changes in the value of a project over time. Both methods are based on the same principles, but we use dynamic programming to solve the binomial decision tree, thereby providing a computationally intensive but simpler and more intuitive solution. This approach also provides greater flexibility in the modeling of problems, including the ability to include multiple underlying uncertainties and concurrent options with complex payoff characteristics.
Response to Comments on Brandão et al. (2005)
Authors: Brandão Luiz E. , Dyer James S. , Hahn Warren J.
Published: November 2005

In this note, we respond to Smith’s (2005) discussion of the approach outlined in our paper (Brandão et al. 2005) on using traditional decision analysis methods to solve real-options problems. Our response addresses several areas where we largely agree with Smith, but have different views on modeling preferences or on the practicality of implementing alternative modeling approaches. We view the issue raised by Smith on the estimation of process volatility to be a valid concern and propose a modification to our method to address this problem.
A Preference Programming Approach to Make the Even Swaps Method Even Easier
Authors: Mustajoki Jyri , Hämäläinen Raimo P.
Published: November 2005

This paper introduces an approach to support different phases of the even swaps process by preference programming, which is a framework for modeling incomplete information within multiattribute value theory (MAVT). In the approach, the even swaps process is carried out as usual, but in parallel, the evolution of the preferences of the decision maker is modeled with preference programming. With this model, we can provide information to the even swaps process to help identify practically dominated alternatives, and to find applicable candidate attributes for the next even swap. The approach does not compromise the original idea of an easy-to-use process. Our Smart-Swaps web software is used to demonstrate the method in practice.
Simultaneous Generalized Hill-Climbing Algorithms for Addressing Sets of Discrete Optimization Problems
Authors: Vaughan Diane E. , Jacobson Sheldon H. , Hall Shane N. , McLay Laura A.
Published: November 2005

This paper introduces simultaneous generalized hill-climbing (SGHC) algorithms as a framework for simultaneously addressing a set of related discrete optimization problems using heuristics. Many well-known heuristics can be embedded within the SGHC algorithm framework, including simulated annealing, pure local search, and threshold accepting (among others). SGHC algorithms probabilistically move between a set of related discrete optimization problems during their execution according to a problem probability mass function. When an SGHC algorithm moves between discrete optimization problems, information gained while optimizing the current problem is used to set the initial solution in the subsequent problem. The information used is determined by the practitioner for the particular set of problems under study. However, effective strategies are often apparent based on the problem description. SGHC algorithms are motivated by a discrete manufacturing process design optimization problem (that is used throughout the paper to illustrate the concepts needed to implement a SGHC algorithm). This paper discusses effective strategies for three examples of sets of related discrete optimization problems (a set of traveling salesman problems, a set of permutation flow shop problems, and a set of MAX 3-satisfiability problems). Computational results using the SGHC algorithm for randomly generated problems for two of these examples are presented. For comparison purposes, the associated generalized hill-climbing (GHC) algorithms are applied to the individual discrete optimization problems in the sets. These computational results suggest that near-optimal solutions can be reached more effectively and efficiently using SGHC algorithms.
The Minmax Relative Regret Median Problem on Networks
Authors: Averbakh Igor
Published: November 2005

We consider a version of the 1-median problem on a network with uncertain weights of nodes. For each node, only an interval estimate of its weight is known. It is required to find the minmax relative regret location, i.e., to minimize the worst-case ratio of the loss in the objective-function value (opportunity loss) that may occur because a decision is made without knowing which state of nature (scenario) will take place, to the best possible value of the objective function under the realized scenario. We present a polynomial O(mn3 log n) algorithm for this problem on a general network. We also present fast algorithms for networks with special structure (trees and paths).
Medications Associated with Weight Gain
Authors: Malone Margaret
Published: November 2005

OBJECTIVE

To review available literature regarding weight gain associated with commonly prescribed drugs and adjunctive therapy used to limit weight gain.

DATA SOURCES

Information was retrieved from a MEDLINE English-literature search between 1995 and July 2005, with a major subject heading of weight gain/drug effects excluding complementary alternative medicines. Other limits applied included human subjects and individuals >19 years of age. Additionally, references from retrieved articles were reviewed to identify other literature sources.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Changes in weight are generally reported as a primary or secondary outcome of many studies. Where possible, prospective, randomized, controlled trials were preferred; however, many studies were retrospective or open label. Meta-analyses and recent reviews, especially those providing a detailed description of the proposed mechanism involved in weight gain beyond the scope of this article, were included. Limited information was available from case reports. Studies were categorized by therapeutic area including psychiatry, neurology, diabetes, and other miscellaneous drug therapy. Medications used to intentionally stimulate appetite for weight gain, such as megesterol acetate, were not included.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Weight gain with medication is usually associated with individual agents within a class. The tendency to cause weight gain is often related to differential specificity and sensitivity of binding to receptors involved with appetite regulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinically significant weight gain is associated with some commonly prescribed medicines. There is wide interindividual variation in response and variation of the degree of weight gain within drug classes. Where possible, alternative therapy should be selected, especially for individuals predisposed to overweight and obesity.
What can The Study of Cognitive Development Reveal about Children's Ability to Appreciate and Cope with Advertising?
Authors: Moses Louis J. , Baldwin Dare A.
Published: November 2005

The authors assess the study of cognitive development and what it reveals about children's ability to appreciate and cope with advertising. Whereas prior research on children and advertising has drawn heavily on Piaget's developmental theory, the authors argue that more recent approaches that focus on the development of children's “theories of mind” and “executive functioning” skills may prove more fruitful. The review of research on these topics generates two predictions: First, on the basis of theories-of-mind literature, the authors expect that children have well-formed conceptions of the intentions underlying advertising by seven or eight years of age. Second, on the basis of executive functions literature, the authors expect that children are not able to deploy these concepts effectively in their everyday lives until much later in development.
Impulsive and Self-Conscious: Adolescents' Vulnerability to Advertising and Promotion
Authors: Pechmann Cornelia , Levine Linda , Loughlin Sandra , Leslie Frances
Published: November 2005

In this article, the authors review basic research on adolescent development in neuroscience, psychology, and marketing. The findings indicate that adolescents are more impulsive and self-conscious than adults. In addition, the adolescent brain's plasticity makes it more vulnerable to harm. Thus, there is emerging justification for restricting adolescents' exposure to advertising and promotions for high-risk, addictive products, especially if impulsive behaviors or image benefits are depicted.
The Development of Marketplace Persuasion Knowledge in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
Authors: Wright Peter , Friestad Marian , Boush David M.
Published: November 2005

Conceptualizations of children's and adolescents' knowledge about advertising and persuasion have evolved considerably over the past three decades. However, empirical research on this topic has been scarce in the past two decades. The authors review the early and current models of children's marketplace persuasion knowledge for insights into the conceptual limits of prior empirical research and opportunities for research grounded in richer models of advertising knowledge. They discuss goals and directions for the next generation of research programs so that such research will yield more complete insights into children's and adolescents' advertising knowledge and provide a basis for future policy decisions.
In Poor Health: An Assessment of Privacy Policies at Direct-to-Consumer Web Sites
Authors: Sheehan Kim Bartel
Published: November 2005

Overall, consumers are concerned about the privacy of their personal health information. However, they are also active seekers of health care information online. Many of these information searches lead consumers to Web sites sponsored by pharmaceutical companies that provide information about drugs that are available only through prescription. Many of these Web sites collect personalized information about site visitors to facilitate information exchanges between visitors and site sponsors. This study examines the types of information collected at Web sites that promote product-claim drugs and studies the privacy notices that such sites provide. The author evaluates the degree to which such notices comply with Federal Trade Commission Fair Information Practices. Drug Web sites collect a range of information through a variety of interactive methods. The Web sites have relatively high compliance with two of the Fair Information Practices, notice and choice, but they have poor compliance with the access and security Fair Information Practices. In addition, readability of the policies is low. The author discusses implications for the industry and public policy.
Countermarketing in the Courts: The Case of Marketing Channels and Firearms Diversion
Authors: Bradford Kevin D. , Gundlach Gregory T. , Wilkie William L.
Published: November 2005

Rarely has the field of marketing thought been closely associated with the topic of citizens' use of firearms in the United States, but it is now at the center of interest in this controversial and multifaceted area. Public policy has not yet resolved the challenges from conflicts among personal freedoms, fundamental rights, deaths, pain, and huge dollar expenditures to address the problems from guns used in crimes; it is still evolving in this area. A more recent addition to the public policy debate is a set of major judicial cases that raise issues about the U.S. distribution system for firearms, how it is designed and operated, and what role it should play with respect to contributing to the control of firearms diversion. In response, marketing academics have begun to conduct channels-of-distribution analyses to inform these judicial deliberations. This article presents the framework of one such analysis and reveals the considerable insights that marketing theory and concepts, especially countermarketing, demarketing, and channels-of-distribution theory, can bring to public policy makers' understanding of these issues. In addition, assessment of this framework should assist marketing scholars in explicating key topics for future attention in the realm of the marketing of other potentially harmful or dangerous products and services.
Contrary effects of the water radiolysis product H2O2upon th dissolution of nuclear fuel in natural ground water and deionized water
Authors: Amme M.
Published: November 2005

Radiolysis of water is a phenomenon which alters the prevailing conditions in the nearfield of a final geological repository for high-level nuclear waste (HLW), because the nominally anoxic conditions in the repository may change due to the production of oxidants close to the solid-liquid interface of the fuel, caused by the alpha radiolysis of water.

The influence of water chemistry and oxidant concentration in the liquid phase was tested by experiments which simulate chemical radiolysis effects. Leaching experiments with solutions of de-ionized water (DI) and natural groundwater (GW) containing the water radiolysis product H2O2in various concentrations were performed contacting pellets of depleted UO2as a solid phase. After the experiment, U concentration was measured and the solid surfaces was examined with scanning electron microscopy and electron-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). Uranium concentrations showed an unexpected behaviour; at low H2O2concentrations in solution, U concentrations were highest. U concentrations in the groundwater leachates were always lower than in pure water. The SEM-EDX examination showed the presence of different alteration phases on the sample. The sample surfaces treated in pure water showed optically a yellow discolouration and were covered with a thick layer of oxidation products. In the case of the treatment in groundwater, the samples remained black, and no dense layer was formed. Instead, crystals of octahedral shape were found on the surface, while the matrix grain structure remained intact. All alteration phases were found to contain only U (and possibly O, H, and C also). A reaction mechanism is proposed for the oxidation reactions taking place under the various conditions. Comparisons with natural analogues and previous work are made, and geochemical solubility limits of possible newly formed substances are examined. The results suggest that different polymorphs of uranium(IV) oxyhydroxides (para-, meta-schoepite, hemihydrate) and of uranium(VI) peroxide (Studtite, meta-studtite) have formed, and that in the case of the samples treated with groundwater, a scavenging mechanism, possibly controlled by an ion present in groundwater, leads to the deactivation of H2O2in the solution.
Separation of pertechnetate from molybdate by anion-exchange chromatography: Recovery of99mTc from (n, γ)99Mo and suitability for use in central radiopharmacy (CRPh)
Authors: Chattopadhyay S. , Das M. K. , Sarkar B. R. , Ramamoorthy Natesan
Published: November 2005

A novel method for the recovery of99mTcO4−from (n, γ)99Mo using conventional anion-exchange chromatography over Dowex-1 × 8 column, followed by elution and subsequent novel purification over AgCl-alumina column is reported.99MoO42−solution (7 − 14 GBq/mg) in NaOH was passed down a Dowex-1 × 8 column (6 − 7 × 2 mm), collected and preserved for reuse on the subsequent days.99mTcO4−preferentially retained on the Dowex-1 column, was recovered quantitatively by elution with 4 ml of 4 M HNO3or 4 ml 0.2 M HClO4or 6 ml of 0.2 M NaI solution. Further purification to deliver99mTcO4−in a physiological vehicle has been achieved. Use of NaI eluent and post elution purification over a bed of 1 g AgCl + 1 g alumina developed has been adapted in preference to the other two eluents. The overall yield of99mTcO4−was 75%−85% and the quality features of99mTcO4−were compatible to radiopharmaceutical use. The method has applicability for decontamination of99gTc from spent99Mo waste solution and recovery of99gTc for research use. The procedure should also be equally applicable for recovery of188ReO4−from188WO42−in a radioisotope laboratory.
Synthesis, radiolabelling characteristics and biological evaluation of the derivatives of mercaptoacetyltriglycine
Authors: Okarvi S. M. , Adriaens P. , Verbruggen A. M.
Published: November 2005

Several derivatives of MAG3, in which one or both of the first two amide bonds are inverted and contain an additional methyl or carboxyl-substituent on the ligand backbone, have been synthesized and evaluated. This was realized by substituting a glycyl with a D- or L-alanyl moiety or by replacing cysteamine with an L-cysteine to investigate the renal characteristics of the resulting derivatives versus the reference 99mTc-MAG3. Labelling with 99mTc resulted in two main radioactive species, which probably are the isomeric oxo-technetium complexes. These complexes were separated by HPLC and evaluated in mice. The data suggest that the substitution in the amide functions and addition of a methyl or carboxyl moiety results in poor renal handling of these compounds. However, one of the derivatives 99mTc-C-LB, exhibits renal characteristics comparable to 99mTc-MAG3.
Thermoelectric Properties of CaxCo2O4 Aligned Crystals
Authors: Shikano M. , Funahashi R. , Kitawaki M.
Published: November 2005

Agglomerates of aligned crystals of CaxCo2O4 with a layer of CoO2 were grown using a chloride flux technique, and their thermoelectric properties in air were determined. The agglomerates take the form of a very thin flakelike cluster of crystals with a typical size of almost 3 × 2 × 0.07 mm. The values of thermoelectric power along the ab-plane are larger than 200 μV K−1 at temperatures above 873 K and reach almost 300 μV K−1 at 973 K. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity along the ab-plane shows bends around 450 and 825 K, and the ln ρab−T−1 curve followed an Arrhenius-type behavior below 450 K. Temperature dependence of thermal conductivity indicated that stacking faults along the c axis induce phonon scattering like that in a misfit-layered structure. The effect of the CoO2 layer on thermoelectric performance is discussed in comparison with related compounds.
Sol-Gel Synthesis of Highly Dispersed Cobalt Nanoparticles on Silica Thin Films
Authors: Park S.M. , Ki W. , Yu J. , Du H.
Published: November 2005

Cobalt nanoparticles were synthesized on silica thin films by heat treating Co/silica films spun on thermally oxidized Si substrates. The as-deposited films were calcined in vacuum (∼0.03 Torr) for 2 h at 500 °C, followed by reduction in hydrogen at 650 °C for up to 15 h. The reduction process is characterized as one of time-dependent evolution of nanoparticles in both physical appearance and phase nature, eventually leading to the formation of well-dispersed Co nanoparticles, as ascertained by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Slow conversion of Co ions into metallic Co observed in this study is ascribed to the absence of a Co3O4 phase that forms predominantly during calcination in air. Atomic force microscopy revealed a marked increase in the surface roughness of the film due to the development of nanoparticles. A distinct duplex-layer structure was observed in the reduced film, which consisted of the upper layer laden with nanoparticles and the lower layer essentially particle-free. The growth of the upper layer appears to be controlled by the upward diffusion of Co2+ in the film during the reduction process.
Shiga‐like Toxin Subunit B (SLTB)‐Enhanced Delivery of Chlorin e6 (Ce6) Improves Cell Killing
Authors: Tarragó‐Trani Maria Teresa , Jiang Shu , Harich Kim C. , Storrie Brian
Published: November 2005

We used Shiga‐like toxin B subunit (SLTB) to deliver the photosensitizer, chlorin e6 (Ce6), to Vero cells expressing the Gb3 receptor. Our aim was to provide an example of carrier‐enhanced photodynamic cell killing with which to start a systematic consideration of photosensitizer delivery at the subcellular level. SLTB, in contrast to many other potential protein carriers, is delivered intracellularly to the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Ce6 was chosen both for its phototoxic properties and its potential for covalent conjugation with SLTB. Ce6‐SLTB after cleanup contained 10% noncovalently bound Ce6. The noncovalent binding of porphyrins and chlorins to protein conjugates has been well documented, and hence the effective cleanup procedure is a significant accomplishment. We demonstrate that Ce6‐SLTB enhances delivery of Ce6 to target cells as compared to free Ce6. In Vero cells, Ce6‐SLTB was over an order of magnitude more photodynamically toxic than free Ce6. Moreover, we show that in the case of Ce6‐SLTB, photosensitizer accumulation is in a combination of subcellular sites including mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, ER and plasma membrane. The occurrence in nature of diverse B subunit binding sites and the possibilities of varied intracellular delivery make optimized use of B subunit carriers attractive.
Effect of Cloud Cover on UVB Exposure Under Tree Canopies: Will Climate Change Affect UVB Exposure?
Authors: Grant Richard H. , Heisler Gordon M.
Published: November 2005

The effect of cloud cover on the amount of solar UV radiation that reaches pedestrians under tree cover was evaluated with a three‐dimensional canopy radiation transport model. The spatial distribution of UVB irradiance at the base of a regular array of spherical tree crowns was modeled under the full range of sky conditions. The spatial mean relative irradiance (I), and erythemal irradiance of the entire below‐canopy domain and the spatial mean relative irradiance and erythemal irradiance in the shaded regions of the domain were determined for solar zenith angles from 15° to 60°. The erythemal UV irradiance under skies with 50% or less cloud cover was not remarkably different from that under clear skies. In the shade, the actual irradiance was greater under partly cloudy than under clear skies. The mean ultraviolet protection factor for tree canopies under skies with 50% or less cloud cover was nearly equivalent to that for clear sky days. Regression equations of spatially averaged Ir. as a function of cloud cover fraction, solar zenith angle and canopy cover were used to predict the variation in erythemal irradiance in different land uses across Baltimore, MD.
Photoreactions of Cytochrome c Oxidase
Authors: Winterle John S. , Einarsdóttir Ólöf
Published: November 2005

The photoreduction of oxidized bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) by visible and UV radiation was investigated in the absence and presence of external reagents. In the former case, the quantum yields for direct photoreduction of heme A (heme a+ heme a3) were 2.6 ± 0.5 × 10−3, 4 ± 1 × 10−4, and 4 ± 2 × 10−6 with pulsed laser irradiation at 266,355 and 532 nm, respectively. Within experimental uncertainty, the quantum yields did not depend on pulse energy, implying that the mechanism is monophotonic. Irradiation with 355 nm light resulted in spectral changes similar to those produced independently by reduction with dithionite, whereby the low‐spin heme a and CuA are reduced first. Extended illumination at 355 and 532 nm yielded substantial amounts of reduced heme a3. Heme decomposition was noted with 266 nm light. In the presence of formate and cyanide ions, which bind at the binuclear heme a3/copper center in CcO, irradiation at 355 nm caused selective reduction of only the low‐spin heme a and CuA. The addition of ferrioxalate ion dramatically increased the efficiency of cytochrome c oxidase photoreduction. The quantum efficiency for heme A reduction was found to be near unity, significantly greater than for other known methods of photoreduction. The active reductant is most likely ferrous iron, and its reduction of the enzyme is thermodynamically driven by the reformation of ferrioxalate in the presence of excess oxalate ion. Other metalloenzymes with redox potentials similar to those of cytochrome c oxidase should be amenable to indirect photoreduction by this method.
Choseville: Brontë'sVilletteand the Art of Bourgeois Interiority
Authors: Badowska Eva
Published: November 2005

The essay argues that Charlotte Brontë'sVillette(1853) grapples with the role of things in the constitution of persons. It is a paradigmatic novel about the fortunes of private, psychological interiority under commodity culture; its immediate context is the empire of things after the Great Exhibition of 1851.Villetterepresents subjectivity as a cabinet of curiosities, an interior–like a parlor–filled with intensely meaningful, even fetishized, bibelots. Lucy, the novel's narrator, longs to retreat from the public spectacles of commodity culture but, ironically, finds her identity also through relations with things. The novel suggests that bourgeois subjectivity, though it points to a thorough intimacy with objects, is paradoxically defined by the nostalgic notion that true interiority has been beset by or even lost to the pressure of things.
Literature and the Politics of Native American Studies
Authors: Huhndorf Shari
Published: November 2005

In a Panel Entitled “American (Indian) Studies: Can the Asa be an Intellectual Home?” at the 2002 Meeting of the American Studies Association, three Native Americanists—Robert Warrior, Philip Deloria, and Jean O'Brien—addressed the relation of their field to the broader terrain of American studies. Each remarked on the tenuous place of Native American studies in the academy, manifested by the underrepresentation of Indian faculty members, the existence of only two institutions granting PhDs in the field, the small number of scholarly journals devoted to Native issues, and neglect by other scholars, even those working in American and ethnic studies. Together, these problems create an institutional situation that Warrior labeled “intellectual homelessness,” in which “Native scholars … don't really belong anywhere” (“Room” 683). Yet these problems also suggest disparities between the questions that define Native studies and those that underlie scholarship in American studies as well as in conventional disciplines. If the marginalization of American Indian studies in academia, as these scholars suggested, reflects the place of Native peoples in United States society, so too does Native politics shape intellectual work in the field.
Numerical and experimental analysis of lateral stability in precast concrete beams
Authors: Vidigal de Lima M. C. , El Debs M. K.
Published: November 2005

The lateral stability of long slender precast concrete beams requires great attention, particularly during transitory phases such as tilting and transportation. Lateral stability relates primarily to decreased bending and torsional stiffness resulting from cracking in the beam. An experimental investigation was undertaken into the problem of lateral buckling of reinforced concrete beams and the results were compared with a numerical model considering the materials' nonlinear behaviour. The tests revealed that the effect of torsion was less significant than that of lateral bending. The use of total stations in the tests to measure displacements proved to be an alternative that provided good results, taking into account the coordinates' changes in space. The torsional stiffness showed a numerical decrease of 20% caused by cracking during bending. The nonlinear behaviour of the materials calculated by the numerical model was in good agreement with the experimental strain in the concrete and in the reinforcement obtained in the tests.
Nurses’ Clinical Engagement: A Study From an Acute-Care Setting in Norway
Authors: Ellefsen Bodil , Kim Hesook Suzie
Published: November 2005

This study investigates the nature of nurses’ clinical engagements and courses of action in acute-care settings in Norway. A qualitative descriptive design with a convenience sample of 6 registered nurses was used. Data were collected via participant observation, in-depth interviews during 3 full shifts for each nurse, and nursing documents about the patients. Data analyses used the method suggested by Atkinson (1992) that coalesces analyses of parts with wholes. Findings revealed that nurses’ clinical engagements are multidimensional and consist of 3 sorts of activities: (a) nurses’ movements and encounters with patients, (b) the process of knowing patients, and (c) clinical actions addressing patients’ specific needs/requests. These activities constituted most nursing work when the nurses were providing care for hospitalized patients.
Immune Response: The Key to Bone Resorption in Periodontal Disease
Authors: Taubman Martin A. , Valverde Paloma , Han Xiaozhe , Kawai Toshihisa
Published: November 2005

Periodontal disease infection with oral biofilm microorganisms initiates host immune response and signs of periodontitis, including bone resorption. This review delineates some mechanisms underlying the host immune response in periodontal infection and alveolar bone resorption. Activated T lymphocytes have been historically implicated in experimental periodontal bone resorption. An experimental rat adoptive transfer/gingival challenge periodontal disease model has been demonstrated to require antigen‐specific T lymphocytes and gingival instillation of antigen and LPS for bone resorption. Interference with costimulatory interactions between T cells and antigen‐presenting cells abrogated bone resorption, further emphasizing the significance of immune response in periodontal disease. Receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL), a critical osteoclast differentiation factor, is expressed on T lymphocytes in human periodontal disease as determined by immunohistochemical and confocal microscopic analyses. Interference with RANKL by systemic administration of osteoprotegerin (OPG), the decoy receptor for (and inhibitor of) RANKL, resulted in abrogation of periodontal bone resorption in the rat model. This finding indicated that T cell‐mediated bone resorption is RANKL‐dependent. In additional experiments, treatment of T cell‐transferred rats with kaliotoxin (a scorpion venom potassium channel inhibitor) resulted in decreases in T‐cell RANKL expression, diminished induction of RANKL‐dependent osteoclastogenesis, and abrogation of bone resorption, implicating an important role of immune response/RANKL expression in osteoclastogenesis/bone resorption. In other experiments, adoptive transfer of antigen‐specific, RANKL‐expressing B cells, and infection with the antigen‐bearing Actinobaccillus actinomycetemcomitans gave rise to periodontal bone resorption, indicating that B cells also have the capacity to mediate bone resorption, probably via RANKL expression. In humans, prominent T lymphocytes have been identified in periodontal disease, and diseased tissues showed elevated RANKL mRNA expression, as well as decreased OPG mRNA expression. Mononuclear cells from periodontal lesions involving T cells and B cells of patients induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro. In summary, a biofilm interface initiates immune cell infiltration, stimulating osteoclastogenesis/bone resorption in periodontal disease. This resorption can be ameliorated by inhibition of RANKL activity or by diminishing immune cell stimulation. These two procedures, if localized, have the potential to lead to the prevention or therapeutic management of periodontal disease and therefore require further study.
Genetic Control of the Immune Response in Pathogenesis
Authors: Baker Pamela J.
Published: November 2005

Background: Epidemiological studies have suggested that there is a genetic component to susceptibility to chronic periodontitis. Studies in humans and in animal models have suggested that some of the important components may be polymorphisms in key immunological genes.

Methods: This paper summarizes previously published data from a mouse model in which alveolar bone loss is induced by oral infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis. Mice of different inbred immune‐normal strains were used, as well as the F1 heterozygotes from crosses between strains. In addition, tissue expression of an array of immunological genes was measured in the gingiva and spleen of these mice by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (QPCR).

Results: Not all strains of mice are susceptible to bone loss. Intercross experiments demonstrate that susceptibility is an inherited trait. A subset of immunological genes tested showed differential basal expression in the gingiva or spleens (or both). Tumor necrosis factor and osteoprotegerin mRNAs are more highly expressed in the gingiva and interleukin‐1 mRNA is more highly expressed in both the gingiva and the spleens of susceptible mice than resistant mice. In the resistant mice, interleukin‐15 mRNA in the gingiva and Selp mRNA in the spleen are present at higher levels. In the resistant mice no genes changed expression after P. gingivalis infection, while mRNA for interleukin‐1, osteoprotegerin, and STAT6 all increased in the susceptible mice.

Conclusions: Susceptibility and resistance are heritable traits. Strain differences in basal mRNA expression correlate with differences in susceptibility. Genes that change expression in response to infection also correlate with differences in susceptibility.
Medications: A Risk Factor for Periodontal Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Ciancio Sebastian G.
Published: November 2005

Among the aging U.S. population, patients are taking significantly more medications than in the past. In view of this, dentists should take careful medical histories, including use of herbal agents, and be aware of medication‐related problems and their potential effect on the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease. This review highlights major concerns about medications as a risk factor for periodontal therapy. Medications and their impact on periodontal disease can be categorized as those which affect oral hygiene, diagnosis, gingival and oral mucosa, and alveolar bone.