bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obesity‐associated lymphoedematous mucinosis
Authors: Rongioletti Franco , Donati Pietro , Amantea Ada , Ferrara Gerardo , Montinari Martina , Santoro Francesca , Parodi Aurora
Published: February 2009

Background: Mucin deposition on the shins is considered as an indicator of pretibial myxoedema, which is typically seen in patients with Graves’ disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the clinical and histopathological features of a group of patients with pretibial mucinosis in the absence of thyroid disease.

Methods: Five patients are included in this series and studied both clinically and histologically and compared with similar cases in the literature.

Results: All patients were middle aged or elderly. Four patients were women. They were characterized clinically by morbid obesity and bilateral lower extremity pitting oedema sparing the feet. Semitranslucent papules and/or nodules and sometimes vesicles were found on the shins. Characteristic histological features include (i) hyperorthokeratosis with epidermal atrophy and effacement of the rete ridge pattern, (ii) oedema in the papillary and upper part of the reticular dermis with mucin deposition stained positively with alcian blue and colloidal iron, (iii) angioplasia in the upper part of dermis with upward‐running, increased and thickened capillary vessels and (iv) variable fibrosis in the reticular dermis with separation of collagen bundles and increased stellate or linear fibroblasts. A hypocaloric diet was given in two cases, and an important weight loss was observed, which was accompanied by a marked improvement of the pretibial mucinosis.

Conclusions: Pretibial mucinosis is a histological feature associated with morbid obesity and lymphoedematous features of the legs that should be distinguished from true pretibial myxoedema. The term of ‘obesity‐associated lymphoedematous mucinosis’ seems to be appropriate for this condition.
Anti‐leukemic activity of valproic acid and imatinib mesylate on human Ph+ ALL and CML cells in vitro
Authors: Kircher Brigitte , Schumacher Petra , Petzer Andreas , Hoflehner Elisabeth , Haun Margot , Wolf Anna Maria , Nachbaur David , Gastl Günther
Published: February 2009

The armamentarium of anti‐leukemic drugs has increased substantially since anti‐leukemic activities were recently found for a variety of non‐classical cytostatic drugs, among them the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA). This study investigated the effect of VPA on proliferation and apoptosis of human Philadelphia chromosome‐positive (Ph+) acute lymphatic (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells and on colony formation of human chronic‐phase CML progenitor cells. Strong anti‐proliferative and pro‐apoptotic effects of VPA were observed on human ALL and CML cell lines at concentrations achievable in vivo. These effects were most pronounced in ALL cell lines as well as in primary ALL cells. Notably, VPA revealed enhanced activity with imatinib mesylate, nilotinib, the farnesyl transferase inhibitor SCH66336, interferon‐alpha and cytosine arabinoside. VPA inhibited the growth of colony‐forming cells from 12 Ph+ chronic‐phase CML patients but also of those from normal healthy controls in a dose‐dependent fashion. HDAC‐inhibiting activity of VPA was confirmed on ALL and CML cells. In conclusion, VPA, whether alone or in combination with other non‐classical anti‐leukemic compounds, exerts significant anti‐leukemic effects on human ALL and CML cells.
Developmental toxicity of indium: Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity in experimental animals
Authors: Nakajima Mikio , Usami Makoto , Nakazawa Ken , Arishima Kazuyoshi , Yamamoto Masako
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT  Indium, a precious metal classified in group 13 (IIIB) in the periodic table, has been used increasingly in the semiconductor industry. Because indium is a rare metal, technology for indium recycling from transparent conducting films for liquid crystal displays is desired, and its safety evaluation is becoming increasingly necessary. The developmental toxicity of indium in experimental animals was summarized. The intravenous or oral administration of indium to pregnant animals causes growth inhibition and the death of embryos in hamsters, rats, and mice. The intravenous administration of indium to pregnant animals causes embryonic or fetal malformation, mainly involving digit and tail deformities, in hamsters and rats. The oral administration of indium also induces fetal malformation in rats and rabbits, but requires higher doses. No teratogenicity has been observed in mice. Caudal hypoplasia, probably due to excessive cell loss by increased apoptosis in the tailbud, in the early postimplantation stage was considered to account for indium‐induced tail malformation as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. Findings from in vitro experiments indicated that the embryotoxicity of indium could have direct effects on the conceptuses. Toxicokinetic studies showed that the embryonic exposure concentration was more critical than the exposure time regarding the embryotoxicity of indium. It is considered from these findings that the risk of the developmental toxicity of indium in humans is low, unless an accidentally high level of exposure or unknown toxic interaction occurs because of possible human exposure routes and levels (i.e. oral, very low‐level exposure).
Effect of dietary Lorenzo's oil and docosahexaenoic acid treatment for Zellweger syndrome
Authors: Arai Yasuhiro , Kitamura Yohei , Hayashi Masaharu , Oshida Kyoichi , Shimizu Toshiaki , Yamashiro Yuichiro
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT  We investigated the possible therapeutic effect of decreasing plasma levels of very‐long‐chain fatty acids (C26:0) with a synthetic oil containing trioleate and trielucate (Lorenzo's oil) as well as increasing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in red blood cells (RBC) with DHA ethyl ester in four patients with Zellweger syndrome. We investigated serial changes of plasma C26:0 levels and DHA levels in RBC membranes by gas‐liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). After death, the fatty acid composition of each patient's cerebrum and liver was studied. Dietary administration of Lorenzo's oil diminished plasma C26:0 levels. Earlier administration of Lorenzo's oil was more effective and the response did not depend on the duration of administration. DHA was incorporated into RBC membrane lipids when administrated orally, and its level increased for several months. The final DHA level was correlated with the duration of administration and was not related to the timing of initiation of treatment. DHA levels in the brains and livers of treated patients were higher than in untreated patients. Early initiation of Lorenzo's oil and the long‐term administration of DHA may be useful for patients with Zellweger syndrome.
Mouse exo utero development system: Protocol and troubleshooting
Authors: Yamada Makiko , Hatta Toshihisa , Otani Hiroki
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT  The exo utero development system allows us to manipulate or operate on live embryos of mice or rats at mid‐ to late gestation stages, from late organogenetic to histogenetic periods, and keep them alive in situ until the analysis of their effects at a desired time point. We can examine the effects of injecting bioactive molecules or cells into targeted parts of a live embryo, destroying specific embryonic regions, or performing fetal surgery. This system is far simpler and more time‐ and cost‐effective for in vivo functional analyses than establishing genetically modified mouse lines and provides a fine‐tuned experiemental design for developmental scientists. To promote use of the mouse exo utero development system, we elaborate on the technical procedures, discuss critical points for troubleshooting the system, and illustrate some apparatuses essential for fetal microinjection.
Metal ions modulate the folding and stability of the tumor suppressor protein S100A2
Authors: Botelho Hugo M. , Koch Michael , Fritz Günter , Gomes Cláudio M.
Published: February 2009

The EF‐hand protein S100A2 is a cell cycle regulator involved in tumorigenesis, acting through regulation of the p53 activation state. Metal ion‐free S100A2 is homodimeric and contains two Ca2+‐binding sites and two Zn2+‐binding sites per subunit, whereby the Zn2+ ion binding to one of the sites is coordinated by residues from two homodimers. The effect of selective binding of these metal ions was investigated using site‐specific mutants which lacked one or both zinc sites. CD analysis of secondary structure changes on metallation showed that Zn2+ binding was associated with a decrease in the secondary structure content, whereas Ca2+ had the opposite effect in two of the three S100A2 mutants studied. The energy of unfolding (ΔGU) of the apo wild‐type S100A2 was determined to be 89.9 kJ·mol−1, and the apparent midpoint transition temperature () was 58.4 °C. In addition, a detailed study of the urea and thermal unfolding of the S100A2 mutants in different metallation states (apo, Zn2+ and Ca2+) was performed. Thermal denaturation experiments showed that Zn2+ acts as a destabilizer and Ca2+ as a stabilizer of the protein conformation. This suggests a synergistic effect between metal binding, protein stability and S100A2 biological activity, according to which Ca2+ activates and stabilizes the protein, the opposite being observed on Zn2+ binding.
The PA‐TM‐RING protein RING finger protein 13 is an endosomal integral membrane E3 ubiquitin ligase whose RING finger domain is released to the cytoplasm by proteolysis
Authors: Bocock Jeffrey P. , Carmicle Stephanie , Chhotani Saba , Ruffolo Michael R. , Chu Haitao , Erickson Ann H.
Published: February 2009

PA‐TM‐RING proteins have an N‐terminal protease‐associated domain, a structure found in numerous proteases and implicated in protein binding, and C‐terminal RING finger and PEST domains. Homologous proteins include GRAIL (gene related to anergy in leukocytes), which controls T‐cell anergy, and AtRMR1 (receptor homology region‐transmembrane domain‐RING‐H2 motif protein), a plant protein storage vacuole sorting receptor. Another family member, chicken RING zinc finger (C‐RZF), was identified as being upregulated in embryonic chicken brain cells grown in the presence of tenascin‐C. Despite algorithm predictions that the cDNA encodes a signal peptide and transmembrane domain, the protein was found in the nucleus. We showed that RING finger protein 13 (RNF13), the murine homolog of C‐RZF, is a type I integral membrane protein localized in the endosomal/lysosomal system. By quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR analysis, we demonstrated that expression of RNF13 is increased in adult relative to embryonic mouse tissues and is upregulated in B35 neuroblastoma cells stimulated to undergo neurite outgrowth. We found that RNF13 is very labile, being subject to extensive proteolysis that releases both the protein‐associated domain and the RING domain from the membrane. By analyzing microsomes, we showed that the ectodomain is shed into the lumen of vesicles, whereas the C‐terminal half, which possesses the RING finger, is released to the cytoplasm. This C‐terminal fragment of RNF13 has the ability to mediate ubiquitination. Proteolytic release of RNF13 from a membrane anchor thus provides unique spatial and temporal regulation that has not been previously described for an endosomal E3 ubiquitin ligase.
Novel genes in cell cycle control and lipid metabolism with dynamically regulated binding sites for sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1 and RNA polymerase II in HepG2 cells detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation with microarray detection
Authors: Motallebipour Mehdi , Enroth Stefan , Punga Tanel , Ameur Adam , Koch Christoph , Dunham Ian , Komorowski Jan , Ericsson Johan , Wadelius Claes
Published: February 2009

Sterol regulatory element‐binding proteins 1 and 2 (SREBP‐1 and SREBP‐2) are important regulators of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism, but have also been implicated in the regulation of the cell cycle and have been associated with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and obesity, among others. In this study, we aimed to characterize the binding sites of SREBP‐1 and RNA polymerase II through chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis in 1% of the human genome, as defined by the Encyclopaedia of DNA Elements consortium, in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Our data identified novel binding sites for SREBP‐1 in genes directly or indirectly involved in cholesterol metabolism, e.g. apolipoprotein C‐III (APOC3). The most interesting biological findings were the binding sites for SREBP‐1 in genes for host cell factor C1 (HCFC1), involved in cell cycle regulation, and for filamin A (FLNA). For RNA polymerase II, we found binding sites at classical promoters, but also in intergenic and intragenic regions. Furthermore, we found evidence of sterol‐regulated binding of SREBP‐1 and RNA polymerase II to HCFC1 and FLNA. From the results of this work, we infer that SREBP‐1 may be involved in processes other than lipid metabolism.
EFFECT OF OXYGEN CONCENTRATION ON THE BIOCHEMICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES OF STORED LONGAN FRUIT
Authors: CHENG G. , JIANG Y. , DUAN X. , MACNISH A. , YOU Y. , LI YUEBIAO
Published: February 2009

Longan fruits were stored for 6 days in atmosphere of 5, 21 (air) or 60% O2 (balance N2) at 28C and 90–95% relative humidity to examine effects of low and high O2 concentration on enzymatic browning and quality attributes of the fruit. Changes in pericarp browning, pulp breakdown, disease development, total phenol content, activities of phenol metabolism‐associated enzymes, relative leakage rate, α,α‐diphenyl‐β‐picrylhydrazy (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and contents of total soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid were evaluated. Storage of fruit in a 5% O2 atmosphere markedly delayed pericarp browning in association with maintenance of high total phenolic content and reduced activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase. Moreover, the fruit stored in a 5% O2 atmosphere exhibited a lower relative leakage rate and higher DPPH radical scavenging activity than fruit stored in air. This presumably was beneficial in maintaining compartmentation of enzymes and substrates, and thus, reducing pericarp browning. Pulp breakdown and disease development were also reduced by exposure to a 5% oxygenatmosphere. On the contrary, exposure of longan fruit to a 60% O2 atmosphere accelerated pericarp browning, pulp breakdown and decay development. PPO and POD activities and relative leakage rate were similar for control and 60% O2‐treated fruit after 4 and 6 days of storage. Furthermore, treatment with 60% O2 significantly decreased the phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity of fruit. In addition, exposure to 5 or 60% O2 resulted in a higher level of total soluble solids, but a lower level of ascorbic acid of longan fruit flesh. In conclusion, exposure to a 5% O2 atmosphere showed great potential to reduce pericarp browning and extend shelf life of longan fruit.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Pericarp browning and pulp breakdown are the major causes of deterioration in postharvest longan. Conventional controlled atmosphere with low O2 and high CO2 is effective in maintaining quality and extending shelf life of fruits and vegetables, including inhibition of tissue browning. In this study, 5%‐controlled atmosphere reduced significantly pericarp browning, pulp breakdown and rot development. It could potentially be useful as a postharvest technology of longan fruit for reducing or replacing the use of chemicals such as SO2 and fungicides, but it requires further investigation.
RESPONSE OF 1‐METHYLCYCLOPROPENE TREATED “GRANNY SMITH” APPLE FRUIT TO AIR AND CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE CONDITIONS
Authors: AKBUDAK B. , OZER M.H. , ERTURK U. , CAVUSOGLU S.
Published: February 2009

In the study, the efficacy of 1‐Methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) on the quality of apples cv. “Granny Smith” was examined. Fruits were stored for 120 and 180 days at 0 ± 0.5C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) under normal (NA) and controlled atmosphere (CA), and samples taken at 120 and 180 days of storage were kept at 20 ± 2C and 60 ± 5% RH for 7 days. Weight loss was higher in fruits stored under NA. The lowest respiration rates were in CA while the highest rates were found in NA‐stored fruits without pretreated. 1‐MCP + CA reduced the internal ethylene concentration from 10.63 µL/L to 0.60 µL. The incidence and severity of superficial scald was 68.10 and 77.00% in fruits stored in NA. 1‐MCP consistently suppressed the expression of superficial scald. 1‐MCP maintained the quality fruit kept in CA and NA environments to a higher degree than nontreated apples over a 180‐day storage period. The results indicated that cv. “Granny Smith” could be stored successfully under 1‐MCP + CA conditions and that 1‐MCP + NA may be a viable alternative to CA for optimal eating quality.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

1‐Methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) is an effective inhibitor of ethylene action and it binds irreversibly to ethylene receptors. 1‐MCP delays the onset of the climacteric ripening of fruits. Recently research has been conducted on the effects of 1‐MCP on postharvest behavior of fruits and vegetables with the objective of reducing physiological disorders and quality losses to prolong their commercial life. The use of 1‐MCP is easy. It is important that the fruit treated with 1‐MCP reach a good sensory quality at the commercial level. Superficial scald of apples is a physiological disorder, which following long‐term storage has the potential to destroy the market value and utility of millions of tons of fresh apples annually. The present work evaluated a prestorage conditioning treatment to protect against this physiological disorder. Results will allow the long storage of apple cv. “Granny Smith,” benefiting growers, exporters, shippers and distributors of this horticultural product.
CHANGES IN QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF LONGAN JUICE DURING STORAGE IN RELATION TO EFFECTS OF THERMAL PROCESSING
Authors: LI J. , MIAO S. , JIANG Y.
Published: February 2009

Longan juice is accepted gradually by consumers due to its unique succulent, sweet and aromatic flavor. The effects of thermal processing (91C, 20 min) on quality related attributes (color, translucency, total soluble solids, total acidity, reducing sugars, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, protein and pectin) of longan juice during storage at low temperature were investigated. The heat‐treated longan juice had a higher translucency and lower concentrations of pectin, phenolic compounds and proteins of longan juice, compared with the nonheat‐treated juice. Furthermore, the thermal processing maintained higher concentrations of total soluble solids and total acidity but a lower ascorbic acid concentration. However, the thermal processing had no significant effects on reducing sugar concentration. Overall, the thermal processing maintained effectively color appearance and nutritional attributes such as total soluble solids and total acidity of longan juice during storage at low temperature. These results suggest that the thermal processing exhibits a potential for quality maintenance of longan juice.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Browning and turbidity are the major factor to influence quality of fruit juice during storage. Thermal processing is generally applied to improve quality and extend shelf life of fruit‐related products. In this study, application of thermal processing exhibited potential for quality maintenance of longan juice in terms of evaluations of color, translucency and concentrations of total soluble solids, total acidity, reducing sugars, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, protein and pectin. The information obtained from this study could be used as a guideline for designing thermal processing to control the quality of longan juice.
VARIATION IN THE CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID CONTENT OF THREE TRADITIONAL GREEK CHEESES DURING A 1‐YEAR PERIOD
Authors: ZLATANOS SPIROS , LASKARIDIS KOSTAS
Published: February 2009

The fat and fatty acid content of three traditional Greek cheeses were determined monthly for a period of 1 year. The analyzed cheeses, feta, graviera and manouri, are traditional Greek dairy products made exclusively or primarily from sheep milk. In all cheeses, the content of the fatty acids varies during several months, especially the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content of feta, graviera and manouri ranged between 0.5 and 0.9, 0.5 and 1.0 and 0.4 and 0.8 g/100 g total fatty acids, respectively. The average content of CLA in graviera and feta was similar (0.75 and 0.72 g/100 g fatty acids, respectively). On the other hand, the CLA content of manouri (0.54 g/100 g fatty acids) was less than that of the other two cheeses. In every case, the analyzed cheeses can be characterized as good or very good CLA sources.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

No data exist about the variation in the fatty acid composition of standardized cheeses during the various months of the year. Several investigations were carried out in order to determine the fatty acid composition and especially the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content of various kinds of cheese. However, cheeses were produced from milk and it is suggested that the milk composition is affected by seasonal factors. In the present investigation, we tried to find out if the beneficial fatty acid content of cheeses, which were previously found as rich CLA sources, is season dependent. The results of this research are a potential tool for food technologist in order to provide CLA‐enriched diets.
GELATINIZATION BEHAVIOR OF GRAINS AND FLOUR IN RELATION TO PHYSICO‐CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MILLED RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.)
Authors: BOCEVSKA MIRJANA , ALDABAS IMAD , ANDREEVSKA DANICA , ILIEVA VERICA
Published: February 2009

Physico‐chemical properties of milled rice grains of 13 japonica varieties were evaluated. The rice varieties differed in appearance. One sample had long grains (6.61 mm), two had short grains (5.27–5.32 mm) and the rest had grains of medium length (5.52–6.55 mm). The shape (length/width) of grains varied from bold (1.58–1.9) to medium (2.06–2.37). The protein content was high in all samples (7.82 to 9.72% on dry mass). Almost all, with exception of one cultivar (Osogovka), which had intermediate amylose content (23.3%), were low amylose varieties (12–19.4% amylose). Their minimum cooking time varied from 17.5 to 22.5 min. Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were established between some physico‐chemical characteristics of evaluated rice cultivars. Elongation during minimum cooking time was correlated with protein content (r = 0.6899), shape (−0.7137), thickness (0.7234) and width (0.9134) of grains. The rice flour paste viscosity correlated significantly with shape (0.6148) and length (0.7353) of grains. On the basis of the established results, it was concluded that appearance of milled rice could be used as indicator for predicting gelatinization behavior: elongation ratio (length after minimum cooking time/length of the grains) of the rice grains and viscosity of rice flour during cooking.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Results from this research constitute a useful tool to predict the gelatinization behavior of milled grains and flour of japonica rice varieties, on the basis of grain appearance. The appearance is critical in acceptability of rice varieties by the consumers. The possibility to predict rice grain behavior during cooking on the basis of its appearance could be an additional attribute or market value for consumer choice. The results could be used in selection of rice variety for rice grits or flour production and use in special applications.
The Bold and the Bankable: How the Nuestro Barrio Telenovela Reaches Latino Immigrants with Financial Education
Authors: SPADER JONATHAN , RATCLIFFE JANNEKE , MONTOYA JORGE , SKILLERN PETER
Published: February 2009

This article presents and evaluates Nuestro Barrio, a Spanish‐language telenovela designed to reach Latino immigrants with financial education. Nuestro Barrio’s educational model is discussed in the context of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, which defines the stages individuals move through as they make incremental progress toward sustained behavior change. The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change is also used to inform a limited evaluation of the impact of Nuestro Barrio on viewer behavior. The empirical evidence is consistent with Nuestro Barrio’s intended educational effects, suggesting that Nuestro Barrio is particularly useful as a tool for raising viewer awareness.
Explaining Financial Management Behavior for Koreans Living in the United States
Authors: GRABLE JOHN E. , PARK JOO‐YUNG , JOO SO‐HYUN
Published: February 2009

Using a cross‐cultural conceptualization with a targeted sample of Americans and Koreans, it was noted that Koreans exhibited more responsible financial management behavior than Americans after controlling for locus of control, financial knowledge, and income interactions. Overall, financial knowledge was positively related to responsible financial behavior. No direct effects on financial management behavior were noted for locus of control or household income. Locus of control was found to mediate the effect of financial knowledge on financial behavior for Koreans. Being Korean did moderate between financial knowledge and financial behavior.
Alcohol Messages in Prime‐Time Television Series
Authors: RUSSELL CRISTEL ANTONIA , RUSSELL DALE W.
Published: February 2009

Alcohol messages contained in television programming serve as sources of information about drinking. To better understand the ways embedded messages about alcohol are communicated, it is crucial to objectively monitor and analyze television alcohol depictions. This article presents a content analysis of an eight‐week sample of eighteen prime‐time programs. Alcohol messages were coded based on modalities of presentation, level of plot connection, and valence. The analysis reveals that mixed messages about alcohol often coexist but the ways in which they are presented differ: whereas negative messages are tied to the plot and communicated verbally, positive messages are associated with subtle visual portrayals.
Playing With Food: Content Analysis of Food Advergames
Authors: LEE MIRA , CHOI YOONHYEUNG , QUILLIAM ELIZABETH TAYLOR , COLE RICHARD T.
Published: February 2009

This study examines how food marketers use advergames, custom‐built and branded online games, to promote food products to children and provides the nutritional content of the food products featured in the advergames. The results reveal that food marketers use advergames heavily, with candy and gum or food products high in sugar most frequently appearing in the analyzed games. Children are often invited to “play with” the foods integrated as active game components. Finally, despite the educational benefits of interactive games, fewer than 3% of the games analyzed in this study appear to educate children about nutritional and health issues.
Trends in Journal of Consumer Affairs Feature Articles: 1967–2007
Authors: JAMES RUSSELL N. , CUDE BRENDA J.
Published: February 2009

Examining trends across time in feature articles published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs, descriptive statistics report on areas of change and stability in authorship, author affiliations, coauthorship, topical subject matters, data collection and analysis methodologies, and citations. While the first four decades of publication have been accompanied by significant changes in both the journal and consumer research in general, the journal continues to address the important purposes for which it was founded.
Connecting Atmosphere and Wetland: Trace Gas Exchange
Authors: Lafleur Peter M.
Published: February 2009

This article reviews the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) gases between wetland and atmosphere, with a primary emphasis on ecosystem‐scale fluxes and their environmental controls. It is intended to complement a previous review of wetland energy and water exchanges (Lafleur 2008). It is shown that wetland exchanges of these gases are greatly variable in space and time, especially CH4. Most wetlands appear to be sinks for atmospheric CO2, while almost all are emitters of CH4. The strongest environmental control on the CO2flux is drought, which often determines whether a wetland will be a net sink or source for atmospheric CO2. Due to complex biochemistry and transport mechanisms, methane efflux from wetlands often ranges over several orders of magnitude within a single wetland and among wetlands, making it difficult to quantify the environmental controls on this flux. The magnitude of gas fluxes is not strongly related to wetland type, which implies that modelling of these fluxes should consider wetlands a continuum and attempt to address processes as they vary along this continuum instead of as discrete entities. Although more research is required into the magnitude, variation and controls on trace gas fluxes in all wetland types, some wetlands (tropical and temperate marshes) are particularly understudied.
DNA barcoding discriminates the noxious invasive plant species, floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f.), from non‐invasive relatives
Authors: VAN DE WIEL C. C. M. , VAN DER SCHOOT J. , VAN VALKENBURG J. L. C. H. , DUISTERMAAT H. , SMULDERS M. J. M.
Published: February 2009

Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f.), a member of the plant family Araliaceae originating from North America, is an example of an invasive aquatic species posing serious problems to the management of waterways outside of its original distribution area in Australia and Western Europe. As a consequence, its import was banned in the Netherlands. It can be difficult to distinguish H. ranunculoides from other species of the genus on a morphological basis. In this regard, DNA barcoding may become a good alternative once this could be performed on a routine basis. In this study, we show that it is possible to distinguish H. ranunculoides from a series of closely related congeners by using a single plastid DNA sequence, trnH‐psbA.
Exercise and adrenaline increase PGC‐1α mRNA expression in rat adipose tissue
Authors: Sutherland Lindsey N. , Bomhof Marc R. , Capozzi Lauren C. , Basaraba Susan A.U. , Wright David C.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the effects of exercise and adrenaline on the mRNA expression of PGC‐1α, a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, in rat abdominal adipose tissue. We hypothesized that (1) exercise training would increase PGC‐1α mRNA expression in association with increases in mitochondrial marker enzymes, (2) adrenaline would increase PGC‐1α mRNA expression and (3) the effect of exercise on PGC‐1α mRNA expression in white adipose tissue would be attenuated by a β‐blocker. Two hours of daily swim training for 4 weeks led to increases in mitochondrial marker proteins and PGC‐1α mRNA expression in epididymal and retroperitoneal fat depots. Additionally, a single 2 h bout of exercise led to increases in PGC‐1α mRNA expression immediately following exercise cessation. Adrenaline treatment of adipose tissue organ cultures led to dose‐dependent increases in PGC‐1α mRNA expression. A supra‐physiological concentration of adrenaline increased PGC‐1α mRNA expression in epididymal but not retroperitoneal adipose tissue. β‐Blockade attenuated the effects of an acute bout of exercise on PGC‐1α mRNA expression in epididymal but not retroperitoneal fat pads. In summary, this is the first investigation to demonstrate that exercise training, an acute bout of exercise and adrenaline all increase PGC‐1α mRNA expression in rat white adipose tissue. Furthermore it would appear that increases in circulating catecholamine levels may be one potential mechanism mediating exercise induced increases in PGC‐1α mRNA expression in rat abdominal adipose tissue.
Locomotor rhythm maintenance: electrical coupling among premotor excitatory interneurons in the brainstem and spinal cord of young Xenopus tadpoles
Authors: Li Wen‐Chang , Roberts Alan , Soffe Stephen R.
Published: February 2009

Electrical coupling is important in rhythm generating systems. We examine its role in circuits controlling locomotion in a simple vertebrate model, the young Xenopus tadpole, where the hindbrain and spinal cord excitatory descending interneurons (dINs) that drive and maintain swimming have been characterised. Using simultaneous paired recordings, we show that most dINs are electrically coupled exclusively to other dINs (DC coupling coefficients ∼8.5%). The coupling shows typical low‐pass filtering. We found no evidence that other swimming central pattern generator (CPG) interneurons are coupled to dINs or to each other. Electrical coupling potentials between dINs appear to contribute to their unusually reliable firing during swimming. To investigate the role of electrical coupling in swimming, we evaluated the specificity of gap junction blockers (18‐β‐GA, carbenoxolone, flufenamic acid and heptanol) in paired recordings. 18‐β‐GA at 40–60 μm produced substantial (84%) coupling block but few effects on cellular properties. Swimming episodes in 18‐β‐GA were significantly shortened (to ∼2% of control durations). At the same time, dIN firing reliability fell from nearly 100% to 62% of swimming cycles and spike synchronization weakened. Because dINs drive CPG neuron firing and are critical in maintaining swimming, the weakening of dIN activity could account for the effects of 18‐β‐GA on swimming. We conclude that electrical coupling among pre motor reticulospinal and spinal dINs, the excitatory interneurons that drive the swimming CPG in the hatchling Xenopus tadpole, may contribute to the maintenance of swimming as well as synchronization of activity.
Sublinear summation of afferent inputs to the nucleus accumbens in the awake rat
Authors: Wolf John A. , Finkel Leif H. , Contreras Diego
Published: February 2009

The mechanisms by which the nucleus accumbens integrates afferent input from limbic and cortical structures have been influential in the development of models of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Previous studies of the response of nucleus accumbens (Nacb) cells to the stimulation of afferent inputs from hippocampus (HC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) have demonstrated that PFC throughput can be modulated by preceding HC input. Examination of the post‐synaptic potential size has suggested, however, that summation of these inputs is sublinear. All studies to date examining Nacb integration of inputs via stimulation of afferents have been performed in the anaesthetized rat. The present experiments compare the response of Nacb cells to different combinations of PFC and HC stimulation in awake and isoflurane‐anaesthetized rats that were chronically implanted with both stimulating and recording electrodes. The results of these experiments suggest that summation of afferent input in the Nacb of the awake rat is predominantly sublinear, with only a minority of neurons demonstrating modulation of PFC inputs by the HC in the awake or the anaesthetized animal. The response profile of many cells changed during anaesthesia when compared to the awake condition, and on average showed suppression to PFC input 50 and 150 ms following HC stimulation while under deep isoflurane anaesthesia. These results suggest that sublinear integration of afferent input from the PFC and HC is the dominant mode of integration of Nacb cells in the awake animal, which has implications for corticostriatal models of psychiatric dysfunction.
The foundations of development and deprivation in the visual system
Authors: Daw Nigel W.
Published: February 2009

The pioneering work of Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel on the development and deprivation of the visual system will be summarised, together with some comments on their influence, and some personal reminiscences by the author.
Correction of megavoltage cone‐beam CT images of the pelvic region based on phantom measurements for dose calculation purposes
Authors: Aubry Jean‐François , Cheung Joey , Morin Olivier , Gottschalk Alexander , Beaulieu Luc , Pouliot Jean
Published: February 2009

Megavoltage cone‐beam CT (MVCBCT) is an imaging technology that provides a 3D representation of the patient in treatment position. Because it is a form of x‐ray tomography, MVCBCT images give information about the attenuation coefficients of the imaged tissues, and thus could be used for dose calculation. However, the cupping and missing data artifacts seen on MVCBCT images can cause inaccuracies in dose calculations. To eliminate these inaccuracies, a correction method specific to pelvis imaging and based on phantom measurements has been devised. Pelvis‐shaped water phantoms of three different sizes were designed and imaged with MVCBCT. Three sets of correction factors were created from the artifacts observed in these MVCBCT images by dividing the measured CT number by the predefined CT number for water. Linear interpolation is performed between the sets of correction factors to take into account the varying size of different patients. To compensate for the missing anatomy due to the limited field of view of the MVCBCT system, the MVCBCT image is complemented with the kilovoltage CT (kVCT) image acquired for treatment planning. When the correction method is applied to an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom, the standard deviation between dose calculations performed with kVCT and MVCBCT images is 0.6%, with 98% of the dose points agreeing within . With uncorrected MVCBCT images this percentage falls to 75%. An example of dose calculation performed with a corrected clinical MVCBCT image of a prostate cancer patient shows that changes in anatomy of normal tissues result in variation of the dose distribution received by these tissues. This correction method enables MVCBCT images to be used for the verification of the daily dose distribution for patients treated in the pelvis region.

PACS numbers: 87.57.Q‐ Computed tomography, 87.57.cp Artifacts and distortion
Automating the initial physics chart‐checking process
Authors: Furhang Eli E. , Dolan James , Sillanpaa Jussi K. , Harrison Louis B.
Published: February 2009

The initial physics chart check, an essential quality assurance process, verifies that the physician intent is properly expressed in the treatment plan, the treatment plan is reasonable, and the Record and Verify (RV) system properly captures the plan parameters. In this work the process was automated by characterizing the initial physics chart check as a universal set of steps, compartmentalized into intra‐plan and inter‐plan reviews. The intra‐plan review confirms the diagnosis‐prescription‐plan correlation, and verifies transfer accuracy of the signed treatment plan parameters into the RV system. The inter‐plan review tabulates all RV parameters for similar cases, and highlights outliers. The tabulation of RV parameters for similar cases enables a summation of experience across staff members, and facilitates a comparison using the Statistical Process Control (SPC) formalism. A summary sheet, added to each reviewed chart, automatically documents deviations noted during the review process. Forty‐five patient charts were analyzed using the software. The length of time for the entire initial chart‐checking process was reduced from about an hour to a few minutes. The code developed in this work allows the user to consider the big picture, trusting the software to track details.

PACS number 89.20.Bb
Investigation into the use of a MOSFET dosimeter as an implantable fiducial marker
Authors: Kry Stephen F , Price Michael , Wang Zhonglu , Mourtada Firas , Salehpour Mohammad
Published: February 2009

It may be possible to use a single device to measure the in vivo dose delivered during radiotherapy, as well as to localize the target volume. This potential, as well as the detectors' ability to relate dosimetry and localization, were evaluated using two implantable MOSFET dosimeters placed inside an acrylic pelvic phantom. A wedged‐field photon plan and an eight‐field prostate treatment plan were developed. For each plan, conditions were simulated so that detectors were in their correct positions or slightly displaced to represent patient setup error and/or organ motion. Doses measured by the two detectors after irradiation were compared to those calculated by the treatment planning software. Additionally, using localization software and kilovoltage images of each setup, the displacement of the detectors from their correct locations was calculated and compared to the induced physical displacement. For all alignments and detector positions, measured and calculated doses showed an average disagreement of 2.7%. The detectors were easily visualized radiographically and the induced detector displacements were typically recognized by the localization software to within 0.1 cm. The implantable detector functioned well as both an internal dosimeter and as an internal fiducial marker, and thus may be useful as a clinical tool to localize the target volume and verify dose delivery in vivo.

PACS numbers: 87.53.‐j 87.55.‐x
Dose optimization of breast balloon brachytherapy using a stepping HDR source
Authors: Choi Chang Hyun , Ye Sung‐Joon , Parsai E. Ishmael , Shen Sui , Meredith Ruby , Brezovich Ivan A. , Ove Roger
Published: February 2009

To develop dose optimization schemes of breast balloon brachytherapy using a stepping of HDR source.

There is a considerable underdosage (11%–13%) of PTV due to anisotropy of a stationary source in breast balloon brachytherapy. We improved the PTV coverage by varying multiple dwell positions and weights. We assumed that the diameter of spherical balloons varied from 4.0 cm to 5.0 cm, that the PTV was a 1‐cm thick spherical shell over the balloon (reduced by the small portion occupied by the catheter path), and that the number of dwell positions varied from 2 to 13 with 0.25‐cm steps, oriented symmetrically with respect to the balloon center. By assuming that the perfect PTV coverage can be achieved by spherical dose distributions from an isotropic source, we developed an optimization program to minimize two objective functions defined as: (1) the number of PTV‐voxels having more than 10% difference between optimized doses and spherical doses, and (2) the difference between optimized doses and spherical doses per PTV‐voxel.

The optimal PTV coverage occurred when applying 8–11 dwell positions with weights determined by the optimization scheme. Since the optimization yields ellipsoidal isodose distributions along the catheter, there is relative skin sparing for cases with source movement approximately tangent to the skin. We also verified the optimization in CT‐based treatment planning systems.

Our volumetric dose optimization for PTV coverage showed close agreement to linear or multiple‐points optimization results from the literature. The optimization scheme provides a simple and practical solution applicable to the clinic.

PACS number: 87.55.de
Radiation therapy plan checks in a paperless clinic
Authors: Siochi R. Alfredo , Pennington Edward C. , Waldron Timothy J. , Bayouth John E.
Published: February 2009

Traditional quality assurance checks of a patient's radiation therapy plan involve printing out treatment parameters from the treatment planning system and the “record and verify” (R&V) system and visually checking the information for one‐to‐one correspondence. In a paperless environment, one can automate this process through independent software that can read the treatment planning data directly and compare it against the parameters in the R&V system's database. In addition to verifying the data integrity, it is necessary to check the logical consistency of the data and the accuracy of various calculations. The results are then imported into the patient's electronic medical record. Appropriate workflows must be developed to ensure that no steps of the QA process are missed. This paper describes our electronic QA system (EQS), consisting of in‐house software and workflows. The EQS covers 3D conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy, electrons, stereotactic radiosurgery, total body irradiation, and clinical set ups with and without virtual simulation. The planning systems handled by our EQS are ADAC Pinnacle and Varian FASTPLAN, while the R&V systems are LANTIS and VARIS. The improvement in our plan check process over the paperless system is described in terms of the types of detected errors. The potential problems with the implementation and use of the EQS, as well as workarounds for data that are not easily accessible through electronic means, are described.

PACS numbers: 87.55.Qr, 87.55.tg, 87.55.tm
Automated Quality Assurance for Image‐Guided Radiation Therapy
Authors: Schreibmann Eduard , Elder Eric , Fox Tim
Published: February 2009

The use of image‐guided patient positioning requires fast and reliable Quality Assurance (QA) methods to ensure the megavoltage (MV) treatment beam coincides with the integrated kilovoltage (kV) or volumetric cone‐beam CT (CBCT) imaging and guidance systems. Current QA protocol is based on visually observing deviations of certain features in acquired kV in‐room treatment images such as markers, distances, or HU values from phantom specifications. This is a time‐consuming and subjective task because these features are identified by human operators. The method implemented in this study automated an IGRT QA protocol by using specific image processing algorithms that rigorously detected phantom features and performed all measurements involved in a classical QA protocol. The algorithm was tested on four different IGRT QA phantoms. Image analysis algorithms were able to detect QA features with the same accuracy as the manual approach but significantly faster. All described tests were performed in a single procedure, with acquisition of the images taking approximately 5 minutes, and the automated software analysis taking less than 1 minute. The study showed that the automated image analysis based procedure may be used as a daily QA procedure because it is completely automated and uses a single phantom setup.

PACS numbers: 87.56.Fc
Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and monohydroxy metabolites as biomarkers of exposure in coke oven workers
Authors: Rossella F , Campo L , Pavanello S , Kapka L , Siwinska E , Fustinoni S
Published: February 2009

Objectives:

To assess exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using 13 unmetabolised PAHs (U-PAHs) and 12 monohydroxy metabolites (OHPAHs) in urine, and to compare the utility of these biomarkers.

Methods:

55 male Polish coke oven workers collected urine spot samples after a workshift. U-PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphtylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene) were determined by automatic solid phase micro-extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). OHPAHs (1- and 2-hydroxynaphthalene, 2- and 9-hydroxyfluorene, 4-, 9-, 3-, 1- and 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxypyrene, 6-hydroxychrysene, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene) were determined, after liquid/liquid extraction and derivatisation, by GC/MS.

Results:

U-PAHs from naphthalene to chrysene were found in 100% of samples, and heavier U-PAHs in 7–22% of samples. OHPAHs up to 1-hydroxypyrene were found in 100% of samples, while 6-hydroxychrysene and 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene were always below the quantification limit. Median naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo[a]anthracene levels were 0.806, 0.721, 0.020, 0.032 and 0.035 μg/l, while hydroxynaphthalenes, hydroxyphenanthrenes and 1-hydroxypyrene levels were 81.1, 18.9 and 15.4 μg/l. For each chemical, the ratio between U-PAH and the corresponding OHPAH ranged from 1:26 to 1:1000. Significant correlations between logged values of U-PAHs and OHPAHs, between U-PAHs, and between OHPAHs were found, with Pearson’s r ranging from 0.27 to 0.97.

Conclusion:

Current analytical techniques allow specific and simultaneous measurement of several urinary determinants of PAHs in humans. The results of these measurements support the use of U-PAHs as biomarkers of exposure and suggest the spectrum of chemicals to be investigated, including carcinogenic chrysene and benzo[a]anthracene, should be widened.