bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery of Nelson syndrome
Authors: Vik-Mo Einar Osland , Øksnes Marianne , Pedersen Paal-Henning , Wentzel-Larsen Tore , Rødahl Eyvind , Thorsen Frits , Schreiner Thomas , Aanderud Sylvi , Lund-Johansen Morten
Published: November 2008

Objective

Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) can be used as primary or adjuvant therapy for the treatment of an ACTH-producing pituitary tumor after bilateral adrenalectomy, called Nelson syndrome (NS). We have examined the effect of GKR on tumor growth and ACTH-hypersecretion, and characterized the adverse events of this treatment in patients with NS.

Design

Cross-sectional follow-up study. First, retrospective data pre- and post-GKR were collected. Patients then underwent a predefined survey including radiological, endocrinological, ophthalmological, and neurosurgical evaluation.

Subjects

Ten patients treated with GKR for NS after previous bilateral adrenalectomy. The mean follow-up was 7 years. No patient was lost to follow-up.

Results

Tumor growth was stopped in all patients. The ACTH levels declined in eight patients, and normalized in one patient. There was a significant drop in ACTH levels, with a half-time of 2.8 years. No patient developed visual field defects or any other cranial nerve dysfunction as a result of treatment. Four patients started hormone substitution therapy during the follow-up period. The substitution therapy of three pituitary axes present at GKR treatment could be stopped during the same period. One patient developed a glioblastoma in the left parieto-occipital region 14 years after GKR, far from the field of treatment. As the radiation level was below 1Gy to this area, it is unlikely that the GKR treatment itself induced the malignant tumor.

Conclusion

In patients with NS, GKR is an effective adjuvant treatment, carrying relatively few adverse effects. Although the risk of developing a secondary neoplasia after GKR is present, it is probably extremely low.
Spatiotemporal analysis of the protein expression of angiogenic factors and their related receptors during folliculogenesis in rats with and without hormonal treatment
Authors: Abramovich Dalhia , Celin Alejandra Rodriguez , Hernandez Fátima , Tesone Marta , Parborell Fernanda
Published: November 2008

This study investigated the protein expression and cellular localization of ANGPT1, ANGPT2, and their receptor TEK, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its receptor KDR (VEGFR2) during folliculogenesis. To obtain follicles at different stages for immunochemistry and western analyses, we used prepubertal untreated, diethylstilbestrol- and equine chorionic gonadotropin-treated rats. To confirm that these hormonal treatments reflect physiological change, we used non-treated adult rats. No expression of ANGPT1 was observed in granulosa cells (Gc) from immature hormone-treated and non-treated rats at any follicular stage. By contrast, ANGPT1 expression in theca cells (Tc) increased with follicular maturation. ANGPT2 protein was either absent or weakly expressed in Gc at all follicular stages. In Tc, minimal expression of ANGPT2 protein was detected in the preantral follicle (PF), whereas it was stronger in the early antral follicle (EAF) and preovulatory follicle (POF). TEK staining was absent in Gc but was intense in Tc at every follicular stage. Staining for VEGFA was either absent or weakly present in Gc and Tc in PF and EAF, although in POF it was stronger in Gc and Tc. Staining for KDR was absent in Gc and very low in Tc from PF. Gc and Tc of EAF showed positive staining for KDR and in POF the staining was stronger. These results were confirmed by western immunoblot. A similar pattern of expression of these proteins was observed in cycling rats. In conclusion, we observed that the protein expression of ANGPT1, ANGPT2, VEGFA and their receptors increased during follicular development in rats.
Effects of HSPA8, an evolutionarily conserved oviductal protein, on boar and bull spermatozoa
Authors: Elliott Roslyn M A , Lloyd Rhiannon E , Fazeli Alireza , Sostaric Edita , Georgiou A Stephen , Satake Nana , Watson Paul F , Holt William V
Published: November 2008

Previous studies have shown that a soluble protein fraction derived from preparations of apical plasma membrane (APM) of the oviductal epithelium enhances thein vitrosurvival of mammalian spermatozoa. Here, we show that the survival enhancing property of the soluble protein fraction seems to depend significantly upon heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8 previously known as HSPA10). The following findings in the present study enabled us to draw this conclusion: first, using proteomic analysis, we identified a subset of 70 kDa oviductal surface proteins that bound to spermatozoa, one of which was HSPA8. Second, pre-treatment of the soluble protein fraction with anti-HSPA8 antibody reduced the 24 h (at 39 °C) sperm survival enhancement effect normally induced by the presence of 200 μg/ml soluble APM proteins. Third, complementary experiments showed that substituting the soluble protein fraction with bovine recombinant HSPA8 (0.5–2 μg/ml) also elicited the sperm survival effect. Finally, we also tested the effect of bovine recombinant HSPA8 on bull spermatozoa and found similar, dose-responsive, sperm survival promoting effects. The conserved nature of HSPA8 between mammalian species suggests that this protein may represent a common biological mechanism for the maintenance of sperm survival in the oviduct.
Presurgical Systemic Treatment of Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer: Facts and Open Questions
Authors: Berruti Alfredo , Brizzi Maria Pia , Generali Daniele , Ardine Mara , Dogliotti Luigi , Bruzzi Paolo , Bottini Alberto
Published: November 2008

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader should be able to: Identify the great advantages of primary systemic therapy from a research perspective and also the problems preventing the recommendation to adopt this treatment modality instead of adjuvant therapy in clinical practice.Define pathological complete response and discuss its clinical significance.Define the concept of a surrogate parameter of treatment efficacy and discriminate it from a prognostic parameter.Summarize the main characteristics and findings of randomized trials of primary systemic therapy in comparison with randomized trials of adjuvant therapy.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

There are several advantages of administering primary systemic therapy (PST) instead of adjuvant therapy in the management of early breast cancer patients: (a) PST allows for a quantifiable evaluation of the sensitivity or resistance of any treated case and (b) the response assessment offers the opportunity to “cross over” to a different regimen for an individual patient, leading to more flexible, “tailored” therapies. Indeed, these advantages are tenable if one assumes that the primary tumor response serves as a surrogate marker of the efficacy of PST in terms of survival. Unfortunately, this has not yet been validated. The data that are actually available show that both clinical complete response (cCR) and pathological (p)CR have prognostic significance. pCR after chemotherapy has a greater prognostic impact than cCR; however, it is frequently observed in a subset of tumors—such as those that are estrogen receptor negative, are human epidermal growth factor receptor positive, and have elevated proliferative activity—but occurs rarely in their human epidermal growth factor receptor-2/neu counterparts. cCR is more sensitive than pCR, but its assessment presents many hindrances. cCR after chemotherapy can predict early on which tumors are destined to undergo pCR, suggesting a role for this endpoint guiding further treatment decisions early on. The pCR rate in small randomized PST studies comparing chemotherapy with chemotherapy plus trastuzumab was able to predict the difference in survival observed in large, randomized adjuvant trials with a similar study design. Conversely pCR cannot predict the outcome benefit of patients undergoing different hormonal therapies.

In conclusion, pCR may be a reliable surrogate endpoint for PST efficacy in a subset of patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Heat shock modulates adipokines expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes
Authors: Bernabucci Umberto , Basiricò Loredana , Morera Patrizia , Lacetera Nicola , Ronchi Bruno , Nardone Alessandro
Published: November 2008

Studies have demonstrated that heat shock is associated with alteration in energy metabolism. In this study, we investigated the effect of heat shock on gene expression and secretion of adiponectin and leptin, and gene expression of Hspa2 and Pparγ in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Compared with 37 °C, adiponectin mRNA was higher at 39 °C, and lower at 41 °C. Leptin mRNA was higher when adipocytes were exposed to 41 °C compared with 37 and 39 °C. Secretion of adiponectin increased at 39 °C, and when cells were exposed to 41 °C it was not detectable. Leptin secretion increased significantly at 41 °C, compared with 37  and 39 °C. Hspa2 mRNA was increased at 39 °C, and the highest level was reached at 41 °C. Pparγ mRNA exhibited a substantial increase in a temperature-dependent manner. The study provides the first evidence of a possible direct effect of heat shock on adiponectin and leptin gene expression and secretion, and demonstrates that the expression of the two adipokines is differentially regulated at the temperatures tested.
The development of visual attention in deaf children in relation to mother's hearing status
Authors: Chasin Joan , Harris Margaret
Published: November 2008

The development of visual attention in deaf children in relation to mother's hearing status

Patterns of visual attention during free-play in deaf children with deaf (Dd) and hearing mothers (Dh) were compared at 9, 12 and 18 months. Dd children were more likely to look at their mother's face spontaneously than Dh children at all ages although spontaneous looking increased significantly at 18 months for both groups. The proportion of responsive looks declined at 12 months for the Dd group but not until 18 months for the Dh group. Elicited looking was more common in the Dd group and, at 12 months, a greater proportion of these looks were to the mother's face. Overall the results suggest that Dd children show greater sensitivity to the communicative significance of their mother's face in the second year of life.
Interactions of fathers and their children with autism1
Authors: Pisula Ewa
Published: November 2008

Interactions of fathers and their children with autism1

The aim of the present study was to compare the activity of fathers and their children with autism with those of children with Down syndrome, and normally developing children during the father-child interaction. Participants were 14 children with autism and their fathers, 15 children with Down syndrome and their fathers, and 16 normally developing children and their fathers. The age of subjects was between 3.0 and 6.0 years old. The study consisted of one 15-minute free-play session in the father-child diad, taking place in the experiment room. Differences between the groups of fathers were found in terms of three variables under analysis: frequency of looking at the child, physical contact with the child and suggesting play. Children with autism brought objects to their fathers or pointed out objects and directed their fathers' attention by vocalising less frequently than children with Down syndrome and normally developing children. Moreover, children with autism exhibited the fewest vocalisations combined with looking at the father and exhibited many more behaviours involving running and moving about the room than normally developing children. Self-stimulating behaviours were the most frequent in children with autism, with no differences in that respect found between children with Down syndrome and normally developing children. The analysis of fathers' behaviour demonstrates that fathers of children with developmental disorders focus on observing their children and attempt to keep close contact with them to a larger extent than fathers of normally developing children. The pattern of differences in the activity of fathers of children with autism and children with Down syndrome does not paint a clear picture. In general, fathers from both groups actively sought to maintain contact with their children. Differences in the activity during play between children with autism and the other subjects in the study are consistent with the clinical features of autism.
Milton and the Pursuit of Happiness
Authors: Martin Catherine Gimelli
Published: November 2008

Jefferson's Declaration of Independence famously claims as a self-evident truth that all men are endowed with the right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ Analysis of Jefferson's familiarity with Milton's writings suggests that the distinctively American and emphatically secular right to the pursuit of happiness might be indebted, somewhat surprisingly, to England's Godly poet. Jefferson found in Milton's writings not only the assertion that republics enjoy far greater happiness than monarchies, but also a concept of happiness derived from classical republicanism and Baconian science. Defining happiness in terms of civic virtue and progress, Milton fused private and public interests in such a way that enabled Jefferson to articulate a new conception of polity, one that would be self-determining and require active participation, freed from the traditional orientation to the past and open to the possibilities of the future. Somewhat paradoxically, much of the strongest evidence for this relation lies in the way Mark Twain rejected Jeffersonian optimism by satirizing Paradise Lost.
Un-American Milton: Milton's Reputation and Reception in the Early United States
Authors: Kendrick Christopher
Published: November 2008

Recent accounts of Milton in early America manifest a tendency towards de-historicizing revisionism, overestimating the degree to which Milton's radicalism was ‘mainstream,’ and thereby underestimating the way Milton's originality set many American writers at odds with the conventions of their time. Joel Barlow and Herman Melville illustrate the point. Rewriting Michael's vision of the future at the end of Paradise Lost, Barlow's Columbiad transforms Milton's typological understanding of history into an Enlightenment fantasy of progress by drawing on Milton's account of creation in Book VII. In collapsing the distinction between the pre- and the post-lapsarian, the poem thus questions the contemporary inhibiting power of the Fall – for in Barlow American commercial expansion appears ‘always already’ a manifestation of regeneration. In rewriting Milton's Paradise Regained as an allegory of capitalism, Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener moves in the opposite direction. Bartleby's intractability, his refusal to comply with his employer's request to share in the work of the other scriveners, invokes Jesus' refusal of Satan's worldly good sense, producing an immoveable unworldliness that calls into question the norms of quotidian American capitalism.
“The road to Golgotha”
Authors: Darieva Tsypylma
Published: November 2008

Following the story of a public memorial, I discuss the change in the scale of the remembrance of loss among post-Soviet Armenians in Yerevan. The shift from forgotten to visible Armenian loss started in the mid-1960s with protest from below during Khrushchev's political thaw and culminated at the beginning of the twenty-first century in an institutionalized state policy of commemoration. I discuss the ways in which a new memorial landscape of loss is represented and how a new cult of death is intensified by the redesigning and visualization of a traumatic past. I highlight a specific process of sacralization related to the new politics of unrecognized, 'bad' death, in the language of Christian suffering. Finally I turn to the ways Armenians voice the forgotten loss in terms of a global morality by involving outside forces—new “protective ancestors”—in the sacred repertoire of the nation. To illustrate this change, I concentrate on the area surrounding the memorial for the Armenian Genocide on the Tsitsernakaberd hill in Yerevan.
Proteomic Analysis of Endothelial Cell Autoantigens Recognized by Anti-Dengue Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Antibodies
Authors: Cheng Hsien-Jen , Lin Chiou-Feng , Lei Huan-Yao , Liu Hsiao-Sheng , Yeh Trai-Ming , Luo Yueh-Hsia , Lin Yee-Shin
Published: November 2008

We previously showed the occurrence of autoimmune responses in dengue virus (DV) infection, which has potential implications for the pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic syndrome. In the present study, we have used a proteomic analysis to identify several candidate proteins on HMEC-1 endothelial cells recognized by anti-DV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antibodies. The target proteins, including ATP synthase β chain, protein disulfide isomerase, vimentin, and heat shock protein 60, co-localize with anti-NS1 binding sites on nonfixed HMEC-1 cells using immunohistochemical double staining and confocal microscopy. The cross-reactivity of anti-target protein antibodies with HMEC-1 cells was inhibited by NS1 protein pre-absorption. Furthermore, a cross-reactive epitope on NS1 amino acid residues 311–330 (P311–330) was predicted using homologous sequence alignment. The reactivity of dengue hemorrhagic patient sera with HMEC-1 cells was blocked by synthetic peptide P311–330 pre-absorption. Taken together, our results identify putative targets on endothelial cells recognized by anti-DV NS1 antibodies, where NS1 P311–330 possesses the shared epitope.
In Vitro Studies Demonstrate Anticancer Activity of an Alkaloid of the Plant Gelsemium sempervirens
Authors: Bhattacharyya Soumya Sundar , Mandal Sushil Kumar , Biswas Raktim , Paul Saili , Pathak Surajit , Boujedaini Naoual , Belon Philippe , Khuda-Bukhsh Anisur Rahman
Published: November 2008

The chemical structure of the main fluorescenting compound in the ethanolic extract (mother tincture) of the American yellow jasmine, Gelsemium sempervirens, was determined by employing 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), correlation spectroscopy (COSY), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. Spectrofluorometric analysis has been made of the mother tincture and its agitated serial dilutions (up to 12th potency) prepared according to a homeopathic procedure in which serial, agitated dilutions were made separately in glass and polypropylene containers. The succussions were made by employing three different modes: hand jerk, sonication, and vortexing. The chemical formula of scopoletin, the main fluorescent compound, was determined to be C10H8O4 having a molecular weight of 192.17. Significant differences were noted between the remedies prepared in the two types of containers. Further, a comparison between any two methods of agitation revealed significant differences in fluorometric data of remedies at certain potency levels. The biological (anticancer) action of the crude extract, the alkaloid scopoletin, and 2C potency of Gelsemium sp were tested in vitro on the HeLa cell line through fluorescence microscopy, the 3(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS). The role of nanoparticles presumably derived from the containers, their orientation, and their interaction with the starting substance during the dynamization process initiated by different modes of agitation could possibly be attributed to the differences noted in the fluorometric data of potencies prepared in the two types of containers and among the three different means of succussion tested.
The Proangiogenic Factor Ephrin-A1 Is Up-Regulated in Radioresistant Murine Tumor by Irradiation
Authors: Nojiri Kazunori , Iwakawa Mayumi , Ichikawa Yasushi , Imadome Kaori , Sakai Minako , Nakawatari Miyako , Ishikawa Ken-Ichi , Ishikawa Atsuko , Togo Shinji , Tsujii Hirohiko , Shimada Hiroshi , Imai Takashi
Published: November 2008

While the pre-treatment status of cancer is generally correlated with outcome, little is known about microenvironmental change caused by anti-cancer treatment and how it may affect outcome. For example, treatment may lead to induction of gene expression that promotes resistance to therapy. In the present study, we attempted to find a gene that was both induced by irradiation and associated with radioresistance in tumors. Using single-color oligo-microarrays, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of two murine squamous cell carcinomas, NR-S1, which is highly radioresistant, and SCCVII, which is radiosensitive, after irradiation with 137-Cs gamma rays or carbon ions. Candidate genes were those differentially regulated between NR-S1 and SCCVII after any kind of irradiation. Four genes, Efna1 (Ephrin-A1), Sprr1a (small proline-rich protein 1A), Srgap3 (SLIT-ROBO Rho GTPase activating protein 3) and Xrra1 [RIKEN 2 days neonate thymus thymic cells (NOD) cDNA clone E430023D08 3′], were selected as candidate genes associated with radiotherapy-induced radioresistance. We focused on Efna1, which encodes a ligand for the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase known to be involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. We used immunohistochemical methods to detect expression of Ephrin-A1, VEGF, and the microvascular marker CD31 in radioresistant NR-S1 tumor cells. Ephrin-A1 was detected in the cytoplasm of NR-S1 tumor cells after irradiation, but not in SCCVII tumor cells. Irradiation of NR-S1 tumor cells also led to significant increases in microvascular density, and up-regulation of VEGF expression. Our results suggest that radiotherapy-induced changes in gene expression related with angiogenesis might also modulate microenvironment and influence responsiveness of tumors.
Structural and Functional Analyses of Liver Cysts from the BALB/c-cpk Mouse Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Muchatuta Monalisa N. , Gattone Vincent H. , Witzmann Frank A. , Blazer-Yost Bonnie L.
Published: November 2008

Liver cysts arising from hepatic bile ducts are a common extra-renal pathology associated with both autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney disease in humans. To elucidate the functional and structural changes inherent in cyst formation and growth, hepatic bile duct epithelia were isolated from the BALB/ c-cpk mouse model of polycystic kidney disease. Light and transmission electron microscopy revealed substantial fibrosis in the basal lamina surrounding hepatic bile duct cysts isolated from heterozygous (BALB/c-cpk/+) and homozygous (BALB/c-cpk/cpk) animals. Scanning electron microscopy and length analysis of normal, precystic and cystic bile ducts provided the unique observation that primary cilia in cholangiocytes isolated from bile ducts and cysts of animals expressing the mutated cpk gene had lengths outside the minimal and maximal ranges of those in cells lining bile ducts of wild-type animals. Based on the hypothesis that PKD is one of several diseases characterized as ciliopathies, this abnormal variability in the length of the primary cilia may have functional implications. Electrophysiological analyses of freshly isolated cysts indicate that the amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is inactive/absent and cAMP-mediated anion secretion is the electrogenic transport process contributing to cyst fluid accumulation. Anion secretion can be stimulated by the luminal stimulation of adenylyl cyclase.
The age and biogeography of Citrus and the orange subfamily (Rutaceae: Aurantioideae) in Australasia and New Caledonia
Authors: Pfeil Bernard E. , Crisp Michael D.
Published: November 2008

The geological history of Australasia, New Caledonia, and Southeast Asia, has been complex, resulting in competing biogeographic hypotheses for taxa found here. Alternative hypotheses—Gondwanan vicariance, rafting terranes, long‐distance dispersal—may be distinguished by different predicted divergence times between disjunct sister taxa. Taxa within Rutaceae subfamily Aurantioideae are ideal for testing these hypotheses because of their distributions. Therefore, the ages of Rutaceae and Aurantioideae were estimated using molecular dating. One data set comprised 51 sequences of rbcL and atpB with sampling across rosids and three fossil calibrations: crown Fabales+Fagales+Rosales (>94 Ma), Fabaceae (>51 Ma) and stem Ailanthus, Simaroubaceae (>52 Ma). Another data set comprised 81 Aurantioideae using >8 kb of chloroplast sequence and secondary calibration. Confidence in estimated divergence times was explored by varying the root age, dating method (strict, local, and relaxed clocks), and inclusion of internal calibrations. We conclude that the Rutaceae crown diverged in the Eocene (36.4–56.8 Ma, mean 47.6), whereas the Aurantioideae crown originated in the early Miocene (12.1–28.2 Ma, mean 19.8). This young age suggests that Gondwanan vicariance does not explain the distributions of extant Aurantioideae. Taxa found in New Caledonia may have arrived by separate transoceanic dispersal events.
A new lineage of lichenized basidiomycetes inferred from a two‐gene phylogeny: The Lepidostromataceae with three species from the tropics
Authors: Ertz Damien , Lawrey James D. , Sikaroodi Masoumeh , Gillevet Patrick M. , Fischer Eberhard , Killmann Dorothee , Sérusiaux Emmanuël
Published: November 2008

The lichen habit has apparently evolved independently in at least five major clades of mushroom‐forming basidiomycetes (Agaricomycetes). Tracing the origin of lichenization in these groups depends on a clearer understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of basidiolichens to other fungi. We describe here a new family of basidiolichens made up of tropical, soil‐inhabiting fungi that form lichenized, scale‐like squamules and erect, coral‐like fruiting structures. These structures are common to two basidiolichen genera, Multiclavula and Lepidostroma. Molecular studies have confirmed the phylogenetic position of Multiclavula species in the Cantharellales, but Lepidostroma species have never been sequenced. We obtained nuclear small and large subunit ribosomal sequences from specimens of L. calocerum collected in Costa Rica and Mexico and also from specimens of two Multiclavula spp. recently described from Rwanda. The phylogenetic placement of these fungi within the Agaricomycetes was investigated using likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Our results indicate that L. calocerum and the Rwandan species form a natural group unrelated to Multiclavula and sister to the Atheliales, members of which are neither lichen‐forming nor clavarioid. The independent evolution of morphologically similar forms in so many groups of basidiomycetes is a remarkable example of convergence, indicating similar pathways to lichenization in these fungi.
Stability of the bacteria-bound zearalenone complex in ruminal fluid and in simulated gastrointestinal environment in vitro
Authors: Niderkorn V. , Boudra H. , Morgavi D.
Published: November 2008

Zearalenone (ZEA), an oestrogenic secondary metabolite of Fusarium, is a common feed contaminant. Lactic acid
bacteria are capable to bind ZEA and this property could be used to limit its negative biological effects on farm
animals. The aim of this work was to examine the stability of a lactic acid bacterium, Streptococcus thermophilus
RAR1-ZEA complex in ruminal fluid and in conditions simulating compartments of the gastrointestinal tract. The
lactic acid bacteria-ZEA complex was 70% stable in ruminal fluid incubations for up to 18 h, and about 50% of ZEA
initially complexed still remained bound after incubation in pepsin, lysozyme, pancreatin and bile either alone or
sequentially. However, the release of ZEA was predominantly caused by washing, except for bile which produced a
partial dissociation of the complex (P<0.05). Addition of free ZEA to ruminal fluid resulted in instantaneous binding
of about 70% of the toxin. ZEA bound to ruminal fluid was even more stable than lactic acid bacteria-ZEA in in
vitro ruminal fermentations and in simulated gastrointestinal tract juices. It is concluded that complexation of ZEA
in ruminal fluid could help protect ruminants against the toxin, and that the use of selected strains of lactic acid
bacteria efficiently binding ZEA to limit its toxic effects could be more advantageous in monogastric animals.
Fumonisin exposure and the sphinganine/sphingosine ratio in urine, serum and buccal cells in adults from Burkina Faso, West Africa
Authors: Nikiema P. , Worrilow L. , Traore A. , Wild C. , Turner P.
Published: November 2008

Fumonisins are mycotoxins that frequently contaminate maize, a dietary staple in Burkina Faso. Fumonisins have
been linked with both the incidence of oesophageal cancer, and to neural tube defects. However, epidemiological
studies of these associations are hampered by lack of validated exposure biomarkers. One candidate biomarker
is the sphinganine/sphingosine (Sa/So) ratio in biological samples. Twenty husband-wife pairs aged 20-40 were
recruited from Dingasso-1, western Burkina Faso. Plate ready food was sampled over three consecutive days (day one
to three) for fumonisin B1 and B2, to provide a measure of total fumonisin intake. The Sa/So ratio was determined
in (1) first morning urines taken on days two to four, (2) buccal cells and (3) serum on days one and four only.
Fumonisin intake was moderate (mean 0.81 µg/kg bw/day (range 0.01-2.40 µg/kg bw/day) compared to exposures
reported in China and South Africa. For each person the mean fumonisin intake over three days was compared to
the mean Sa, So and Sa/So ratio in urine, buccal cells and serum. A modest positive trend between mean fumonisin
intake and mean serum Sa/So was observed (P=0.067). When individuals were dichotomised based on the median
fumonisin intake (<0.75 µg/kg bw/day), the serum Sa/So ratio was moderately higher (P=0.044) in the high intake
group (geometric mean 0.64; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.75) compared to the low intake group (0.49; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.59). Neither
urinary nor buccal cell Sa/So ratio was associated with mean fumonisin intake. Neither mean individual Sa nor So
level for urine, buccal cells or urine was associated with mean individual fumonisin intake. The study population
was exposed to moderate levels of fumonisin with limited evidence of altered Sa/So ratio. Further work on serum
Sa/So ratio is merited in comparison with other biomarker approaches such as urinary fumonisin B1 or sphingolipid
1-phosphate metabolites.
Aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize related to the aridity index in North Italy
Authors: Battilani P. , Barbano C. , Piva G.
Published: November 2008

The aim of this study was to develop a prototype simple predictive system for aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize
based on meteorological data. A database was developed with meteorological data and aflatoxin B1 contamination
level of maize samples collected over a five-year period. All data were georeferenced. An aridity index was computed
to summarise meteorological conditions and was used to estimate the probability of aflatoxin B1 contamination
running a logistic regression. Relevant differences were found between years both for meteorology and aflatoxin
B1 contamination. North Italy is not arid and conditions for Aspergillus flavus development and aflatoxin B1
contamination of maize do not commonly occur. Nevertheless, arid areas were found in some years, and favourable
conditions for aflatoxin B1 production were confirmed by maize kernels surveys. The aridity index is a good indicator
to summarise meteorological conditions being significantly correlated to maize kernels contamination at harvest.
The logistic regression gave acceptable warning on aflatoxin B1 contamination in maize with 64% correct predictions
and 23% overestimates. Underestimates were 13%, but only half of these were contaminated with aflatoxin B1 above
5 µg/kg, the European legislative limit for maize to be subjected to sorting or other physical treatment before human
consumption or to be used as an ingredient in foodstuffs as well as for complete feedingstuffs for dairy animals.
First indications with this simple predictive system are available before mid-July with conclusive information in
early September, which is a good time to plan maize management pre- and post-harvest.
Importance of adrenergic receptors in prenatally induced cognitive impairment in the domestic chick
Authors: Gibbs Marie E. , Rodricks Candice L. , Hutchinson Dana S. , Summers Roger J. , Miller Suzanne L.
Published: November 2008

In the domestic chick, mild hypoxia (24 h of 14% oxygen) at two stages of embryonic development results in post‐hatch memory deficiencies tested using a discriminated bead avoidance task. The nature of the memory loss depends on the gestational age at which the hypoxia occurs. Hypoxia on embryonic day 10 (E10) of a 21 day incubation results in chicks with no short‐term memory 10 min after training, whereas hypoxia on day 14 (E14) results in chicks with good labile memory 30 min after training but no consolidation of memory into permanent storage (120 min). Hypoxia at E14 is associated with increased plasma levels of noradrenaline and therefore we suggest that altered catecholamine exposure within the brain contributes to cognitive problems by modifying the responsiveness of brain β‐adrenoceptors. In ovo administration of noradrenaline, or the β2‐adrenoceptor agonist formoterol, at E14 had the same effect on memory consolidation as hypoxia. Following hypoxia at E14, memory could be rescued after training by central injection of a β3‐adrenoceptor agonist, but not by a β2‐adrenoceptor agonist. The differences in the responsiveness of memory processing to β2‐adrenoceptor agonists suggests alterations to the receptors or downstream of the receptor activation. However, both types of β‐adrenoceptor agonists rescued memory in E10 treated chicks implying that at this age hypoxia does not affect the receptors. In summary, hypoxia or increased levels of stress hormones during incubation alters β‐adrenoceptor responsiveness; the outcome of the insult depends upon the cellular developmental processes at a given embryonic stage.
Ebselen abrogates TNFα induced pro‐inflammatory response in glioblastoma
Authors: Tewari Richa , Sharma Vivek , Koul Nitin , Ghosh Abhishek , Joseph Christy , Hossain Sk Ugir , Sen Ellora
Published: November 2008

We investigated the pro‐inflammatory response mediated by TNFα in glioblastoma and whether treatment with organoselenium Ebselen (2‐phenyl‐1,2‐benzisoselenazol‐3[2H]one) can affect TNFα induced inflammatory response. Exposure to TNFα increased the expression of pro‐inflammatory mediator interleukin IL‐6, IL‐8, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) and cyclooxygenase (COX‐2). Treatment with Ebselen abrogated TNFα induced increase in pro‐inflammatory mediators. Ebselen not only abrogated TNFα induced enhanced invasiveness of glioma cells by down‐regulating matrix metallo proteinase (MMP‐9) and urokinase plasminogen (uPa) activity, but also inhibited glioma cell migration. Treatment with Ebselen also down‐regulated the enhanced ROS production of TNFα treated glioma cells. In addition, Ebselen induced DNA damage repair signaling response in glioma cells both in the presence and absence of TNFα. These studies indicate that together with its known ability to sensitize glioma cell to TNFα induced apoptosis, Ebselen can overcome TNFα induced pro‐inflammatory mediators to prevent a build up of a deleterious pro‐inflammatory tumor microenvironment.
Correlation Between Quadrant Specific Automatic Visual Field Defect and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness as Measured by Scanning Laser Polarimetry in Patients With Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Chang Yo‐Chen , Tsai Rong‐Kung
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to correlate quadrant specific Humphrey visual field mean deviation (MD) with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness as measured by scanning laser polarimetry (GDx), and to determine whether there is a difference in the correlation with visual field defect between the Asian normative database provided by GDx (GDx database) and our native normative database (KMU database). In an age‐matched study, a control group of 240 normal eyes underwent GDx. Another 60 eyes with visual field defect due to primary angle glaucoma underwent autoperimetry and GDx examination. First, we compared four GDx measurements between the control and study groups. Next, we divided the visual field into four quadrants (superior, inferior, temporal, nasal) and calculated the MD of each quadrant. We correlated the MD of superior, inferior and overall visual field with RNFL thickness judged by two databases (the GDx Asian internal normative database and the database from our control group). GDx detected abnormal RNFL thickness significantly more accurately when using the KMU database (p = 0.0473 for superior quadrant; p = 0.0074 for inferior quadrant; p = 0.0011 for average thickness) than when using the GDx database. There was no significant difference in the specificity between these two databases. The normal ranges in the GDx internal normative database for Asians are too wide. By using our own GDx normative database, the correlations with MD of autoperimetry were significantly improved. We suggest that every laboratory and clinic establish its own normative database of GDx in Asia.
Characteristics of Febrile Patients with Normal White Blood Cell Counts and High C‐Reactive Protein Levels in an Emergency Department
Authors: Liu Kuan‐Ting , Lin Tzeng‐Jih , Chan Hon‐Man
Published: November 2008

Fever is one of the more common chief complaints of patients who visit emergency departments (ED). Many febrile patients have markedly elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels and normal white blood cell (WBC) counts. Most of these patients have bacterial infection and no previous underlying disease of impaired WBC functioning. We reviewed patients who visited our ED between November 2003 and July 2004. The WBC count and CRP level of patients over 18 years of age who visited the ED because of or with fever were recorded. Patients who had normal WBC count (4,000–10,000/mL) and high CRP level (> 100 mg/L) were included. The data, including gender, age and length of hospital stay, were reviewed. Underlying diseases, diagnosis of the febrile disease and final condition were recorded according to the chart. Within the study period, 54,078 patients visited our ED. Of 5,628 febrile adults, 214 (3.8%) had elevated CRP level and normal WBC count. The major cause of febrility was infection (82.24%). Most of these patients were admitted (92.99%). There were 32 patients with malignant neoplasm, nine with liver cirrhosis, 66 with diabetes mellitus and 11 with uremia. There were no significant differences in age and gender between patients with and those without neoplasm. However, a higher inhospital mortality rate and other causes of febrility were noted in patients with neoplasm. It was not rare in febrile patients who visited the ED to have a high CRP level but normal WBC count. These patients did not necessarily have an underlying malignant neoplasm or hematologic illness. Factors other than malignant neoplasm or hematologic illness may be associated with the WBC response, and CRP may be a better indicator of infection under such conditions.
Endothelin‐1 Enhances Corneal Fibronectin Deposition and Promotes Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing after Photorefractive Keratectomy in Rabbits
Authors: Lai Yu‐Hung , Wang Hwei‐Zu , Lin Chang‐Ping , Hong Show‐Jen , Chang Shun‐Jen
Published: November 2008

The objective was to study the effects of endothelin‐1 (ET1) on corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in rabbit corneas. Following PRK, 18 New Zealand white rabbits were treated with ET1 in the right eyes and with phosphate‐buffered salt solution (PBS) in the left eyes. Corneal epithelial wound size, corneal haze and corneal thickness were recorded. Corneal extracellular matrixes, including collagen types 3, 4 and 7, chondroitin sulfate and fibronectin, were investigated using immunohistochemistry study. ET1 increased the rate of healing of corneal epithelial wounds in rabbits. Anti‐fibronectin fluorescence was present at week 12 and week 24 in ET1‐treated eyes but not in the control eyes. There were no significant differences in corneal haze, corneal thickness and changes in other extracellular matrixes between ET1‐ and PBS‐treated eyes. ET1 can enhance the deposition of fibronectin in corneal stroma and promote corneal epithelial wound healing after PRK. The increase in fibronectin probably explains the increased healing rate of corneal epithelial wounds.
Age Influences the Severity of Graves' Ophthalmopathy
Authors: Lin Muh‐Chiou , Hsu Feng‐Ming , Bee Youn‐Shen , Ger Luo‐Ping
Published: November 2008

This study compared the ocular manifestations of Graves' disease in different age groups and between genders. This was a retrospective study with a chart review of 210 patients seen in the Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital Ophthalmology Department from 1990 to 2006. Clinical manifestations were recorded, scored, and compared between different age groups and between genders. A total of 77 male and 133 female patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 48.71 years (53.80 for male and 45.77 for female patients). The average ophthalmopathy score was 3.72 (4.51 for male and 3.26 for female patients). Age was positively correlated with ophthalmopathy score (p < 0.01). The male patients scored higher than the female patients, generally and in different age groups, but the difference did not reach a statistically significant level. One hundred and six patients underwent tests for thyroid‐stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb); 92 (86.80%) were positive, but the titers did not correlate with the severity of ophthalmopathy. In conclusion, the severity of Graves' ophthalmopathy is correlated with age (r = 0.286). Thus, older patients should be more closely followed up and more aggressively treated.
Comparison of gridded energy analyzer and laser induced fluorescence measurements of a two-component ion distribution
Authors: Harvey Z. , Chakraborty Thakur S. , Hansen A. , Hardin R. , Przybysz W. S. , Scime E. E.
Published: November 2008

We present ion velocity distribution function (IVDF) measurements obtained with a five grid retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA) and IVDF measurements obtained with laser induced fluorescence (LIF) for an expanding helicon plasma. The ion population consists of a background population and an energetic ion beam. When the RFEA measurements are corrected for acceleration due to the electric potential difference across the plasma sheath, we find that the RFEA measurements indicate a smaller background to beam density ratio and a much larger parallel ion temperature than the LIF. The energy of the ion beam is the same in both measurements. These results suggest that ion heating occurs during the transit of the background ions through the sheath and that LIF cannot detect the fraction of the ion beam whose metastable population has been eliminated by collisions.
A pulsed-laser calibration system for the laser backscatter diagnostics at the Omega laser
Authors: Neumayer Paul , Sorce Charles , Froula Dustin H. , Divol Laurent , Rekow Vern , Loughman Kevin , Knight Russel , Glenzer Siegfried H. , Bahr Raymond , Seka Wolf
Published: November 2008

A calibration system has been developed that allows a direct determination of the sensitivity of the laser backscatter diagnostics at the Omega laser. A motorized mirror at the target location redirects individual pulses of a millijoule-class laser onto the diagnostic to allow the in situ measurement of the local point response of the backscatter diagnostics. Featuring dual wavelength capability at the second and third harmonics of the Nd:YAG laser, both spectral channels of the backscatter diagnostics can be directly calibrated. In addition, channel cross-talk and polarization sensitivity can be determined. The calibration system has been employed repeatedly over the last two years and has enabled precise backscatter measurements of both stimulated Brillouin scattering and stimulated Raman scattering in gas-filled Hohlraum targets that emulate conditions relevant to those in inertial confinement fusion targets.
Development of a phase contrast imaging system based on a yttrium aluminum garnet laser with folded beam for observations of density fluctuations in compact helical system
Authors: Matsuo K. , Uchida N. , Kawakubo M. , Iguchi H. , Okamura S. , Matsuoka K. , Akiyama T.
Published: November 2008

A near-infrared laser phase contrast optical system incorporating a folded beam was developed in order to measure the distribution of density fluctuations in a high-temperature plasma. The coherent light source used was an yttrium aluminum garnet laser stabilized by a ring oscillator. The probe beam system separates and reflects the incident and exiting beams with a polarizer and a fully reflective mirror with a waveplate. This system was employed with a compact helical system to detect fluctuations at the plasma edge.
Electron Bernstein wave emission based diagnostic on National Spherical Torus Experiment (invited)
Authors: Diem S. J. , Taylor G. , Caughman J. B. , Efthimion P. , Kugel H. , LeBlanc B. P. , Preinhaelter J. , Sabbagh S. A. , Urban J. , Wilgen J.
Published: November 2008

National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is a spherical tokamak (ST) that operates with ne up to 1020m−3 and BT less than 0.6T, cutting off low harmonic electron cyclotron (EC) emission widely used for Te measurements on conventional aspect ratio tokamaks. The electron Bernstein wave (EBW) can propagate in ST plasmas and is emitted at EC harmonics. These properties suggest thermal EBW emission (EBE) may be used for local Te measurements in the ST. Practically, a robust Te(R,t) EBE diagnostic requires EBW transmission efficiencies of >90% for a wide range of plasma conditions. EBW emission and coupling physics were studied on NSTX with an obliquely viewing EBW to O-mode (B-X-O) diagnostic with two remotely steered antennas, coupled to absolutely calibrated radiometers. While Te(R,t) measurements with EBW emission on NSTX were possible, they were challenged by several issues. Rapid fluctuations in edge ne scale length resulted in >20% changes in the low harmonic B-X-O transmission efficiency. Also, B-X-O transmission efficiency during H modes was observed to decay by a factor of 5–10 to less than a few percent. The B-X-O transmission behavior during H modes was reproduced by EBE simulations that predict that EBW collisional damping can significantly reduce emission when Te<30eV inside the B-X-O mode conversion (MC) layer. Initial edge lithium conditioning experiments during H modes have shown that evaporated lithium can increase Te inside the B-X-O MC layer, significantly increasing B-X-O transmission.
Spectral measurements of runaway electrons by a scanning probe in the TEXTOR tokamak
Authors: Kudyakov T. , Finken K. H. , Jakubowski M. , Lehnen M. , Xu Y. , Willi O.
Published: November 2008

Energy spectral measurements of runaway electrons were performed by a scanning probe with high spatial and temporal resolution in the TEXTOR tokamak. The probe consists of ten YSO (Y2SiO5:Ce) crystals, which are shielded by tungsten filters. The probe can resolve electrons with different energies between 4 and 30MeV. An insertion of the probe to the plasma boundary several times during the discharge allowed spectral measurements of runaway electrons at different minor radial positions at the plasma edge as well as the study of runaway production in time. The high temporal resolution of the probe, 0.05ms, enabled measurements of runaway electrons not only during low density discharges, but also during plasma disruptions.