bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of proteoglycans inhibited by RNA interference on metastatic characters of human salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma
Authors: Shi Hong , Wang Jie , Dong Fusheng , Wang Xu , Li Hexiang , Hou Yali
Published: December 2009

Background

Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is one of the most common malignancies of salivary gland. Recurrence or/and early metastasis is its biological properties. In SACC, neoplastic myoepithelial cells secrete proteoglycans unconventionally full of the cribriform or tubular and glandular structures of SACC. Literatures have demonstrated that extracellular matrix provided an essential microenvironment for the biological behavior of SACC. However, there is rare study of the effect of proteoglycans on the potential metastasis of SACC.

In this study, human xylosyltransferase-I (XTLY-I) gene, which catalyzes the rate-limited step of proteoglycans biosynthesis, was knocked down by RNA interference (RNAi) to inhibit the proteoglycans biosynthesis in SACC cell line with high tendency of lung metastasis (SACC-M). The impact of down-regulated proteoglycans on the metastasis characters of SACC-M cells was analyzed and discussed. This research could provide a new idea for the clinical treatment of SACC.

Methods

The eukaryotic expression vector of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting XTLY-I gene was constructed and transfected into SACC-M cells. A stably transfectant cell line named SACC-M-WJ4 was isolated. The XTLY-I expression was measured by real-time PCR and Western blot; the reduction of proteoglycans was measured. The invasion and metastasis of SACC-M-WJ4 cells were detected; the effect of down-regulated proteoglycans on the potential lung metastasis of nude mice was observed, respectively.

Results

The shRNA plasmid targeting XTLY-I gene showed powerful efficiency of RNAi. The mRNA level of target gene decreased by 86.81%, the protein level was decreased by 80.10%, respectively. The silence of XTLY-I gene resulted in the reduction of proteoglycans significantly in SACC-M-WJ4 cells. The inhibitory rate of proteoglycans was 58.17% (24 h), 66.06% (48 h), 57.91% (72 h), 59.36% (96 h), and 55.65% (120 h), respectively. The reduction of proteoglycans suppressed the adhesion, invasion and metastasis properties of SACC-M cells, and decreased the lung metastasis of SACC-M cells markedly either.

Conclusion

The data suggested that the silence of XTLY-I gene in SACC-M cells could suppress proteoglycans biosynthesis and secretion significantly. The reduction of proteoglycans inhibited cell adhesion, invasion and metastasis of SACC-M cells. There is a close relationship between proteoglycans and the biological behavior of SACC.
The influence of insurance status on waiting times in German acute care hospitals: an empirical analysis of new data
Authors: Kuchinke Björn A , Sauerland Dirk , Wübker Ansgar
Published: December 2009

Background

There is an ongoing debate in Germany about the assumption that patients with private health insurance (PHI) benefit from better access to medical care, including shorter waiting times (Lüngen et al. 2008), compared to patients with statutory health insurance (SHI).

Problem

Existing analyses of the determinants for waiting times in Germany are a) based on patient self-reports and b) do not cover the inpatient sector. This paper aims to fill both gaps by (i) generating new primary data and (ii) analyzing waiting times in German hospitals.

Methods

We requested individual appointments from 485 hospitals within an experimental study design, allowing us to analyze the impact of PHI versus SHI on waiting times (Asplin et al. 2005).

Results

In German acute care hospitals patients with PHI have significantly shorter waiting times than patients with SHI.

Conclusion

Discrimination in waiting times by insurance status does occur in the German acute hospital sector. Since there is very little transparency in treatment quality in Germany, we do not know whether discrimination in waiting times leads to discrimination in the quality of treatment. This is an important issue for future research.
Endotoxin emissions from commercial composting activities
Authors: Deacon Lewis , Pankhurst Louise , Liu Jian , Drew Gillian H , Hayes Enda T , Jackson Simon , Longhurst James , Longhurst Philip , Pollard Simon , Tyrrel Sean
Published: December 2009

This paper describes an exploratory study of endotoxin emissions and dispersal from a commercial composting facility. Replicated samples of air were taken by filtration at different locations around the facility on 10 occasions. Measurements were made of endotoxin and associated culturable microorganisms. The inflammatory response of cell cultures exposed to extracts from the filters was measured. Endotoxin was detected in elevated concentrations close to composting activities. A secondary peak, of lesser magnitude than the peak at source was detected at 100-150 m downwind of the site boundary. Unexpectedly high concentrations of endotoxin were measured at the most distant downwind sampling point. Extracted endotoxin was found to stimulate human monocytes and a human lung epithelial cell line to produce significant amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines. On a weight basis, endotoxin extracted from the composting source has a greater inflammatory cytokine inducing effect than commercial E. coli endotoxin.
Regulation of hippocampal progenitor cell survival, proliferation and dendritic development by BDNF
Authors: Choi Se Hoon , Li Yun , Parada Luis F , Sisodia Sangram S
Published: December 2009

Background

Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to enhance BDNF levels and neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. To examine the role of BDNF in modulating EE-mediated adult hippocampal neurogenesis, we conditionally ablated BDNF expression in the hippocampus (cKO mice) and have assessed proliferation, survival, differentiation and dendritic development of hippocampal progenitors.

Results

We show that while the extent of cell proliferation and neuronal fate differentiation in the hippocampus of cKO mice is not different from wild-type (WT) littermates maintained in either standard or enriched conditions, reduced BDNF levels significantly impaired the survival of newborn cells in both housing conditions. In addition, while highly active enriched WT mice exhibited a robust increase in progenitor cell proliferation, highly active cKO mice showed a modest increase in cell proliferation compared to standard housed or underactive cKO mice.

Conclusions

There results argue that while BDNF plays a role in exercise-induced cell proliferation, other factors must contribute to this phenomenon. We also show that dendritic development was impaired in cKO mice maintained in standard housing conditions, and that EE rescued this phenotype.
Accidental swallowing of partial denture: a case report
Authors: Tanrikulu Yusuf , Erel Serap , Kismet Kemal , Sahin Mefaret , Ortac Evren K , Akkus Mehmet A
Published: December 2009

We describe a 42-year-old age woman who accidentally swallowed her lower denture, which was composed of eleven teeth. The daily descent of the denture was followed by plain abdominal radiography and physical examination. The image was localized at the left upper quadrant on admission day, but it stopped on its way at the right lower quadrant on day two and three. Since the patient's complaints increased we planned surgical removal of the denture. In this report, we had discussed the diagnosis, follow up and treatment options of swallowed partial denture with current literature review.
Migraine vestibulopathy in three families with ıdiopathic scoliosis: a case series
Authors: Uneri Alev , Polat Senol , Aydingoz Onder , Bursali Aysegul
Published: December 2009

Introduction

We assessed clinical and etiological association between vestibular pathology and idiopathic scoliosis concerning seven members of three families with idiopathic scoliosis.

Case presentation

The families were referred to neurotology center for evaluation of balance problems. Patients were evaluated thorough anamnesis to relevant vestibular and audiological studies in addition to idiopathic scoliosis assessment. All evaluated scoliotic patients had clinical manifestations of vestibular dysfunctions and migrainous headache. All of the scoliotic patients (seven patients) in these three families were diagnosed as migraine vestibulopathy.

Conclusion

With the presentation of these three families, we discussed the probable role of the vestibular dysfunctions including migraine vestibulopathy in the development and progression of idiopathic scoliosis.
Phase II Study of Clofarabine Monotherapy in Previously Untreated Older Adults With Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Unfavorable Prognostic Factors
Authors: Kantarjian Hagop M. , Erba Harry P. , Claxton David , Arellano Martha , Lyons Roger M. , Kovascovics Tibor , Gabrilove Janice , Craig Michael , Douer Dan , Maris Michael , Petersdorf Stephen , Shami Paul J. , Yeager Andrew M. , Eckert Stephen , Abichandani Rekha , Faderl Stefan
Published: December 2009

Purpose

This phase II study assessed clofarabine monotherapy in older adults (≥ 60 years of age) with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and at least one unfavorable baseline prognostic factor.

Patients and Methods

Clofarabine was administered intravenously for 5 days at 30 mg/m2/d during induction and 20 mg/m2/d during reinduction/consolidation (six cycles maximum). The primary end point was overall remission rate (ORR; ie, complete remission [CR] plus CR with incomplete platelet recovery [CRp]).

Results

In 112 evaluable patients who were treated (median age, 71 years; range, 60 to 88 years), the ORR was 46% (38% CR, 8% CRp). ORR by unfavorable prognostic factor was 39% for patients ≥ 70 years of age; 32% for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 2; 51% for antecedent hematologic disorder; 54% for intermediate karyotype; 42% for unfavorable karyotype; and 48%, 51%, and 38% for one, two, and three risk factors, respectively. The median disease-free survival was 37 weeks (95% CI, 26 to 56 weeks). Median duration of remission was 56 weeks (95% CI, 33 to not estimable). The estimated median overall survival was 41 weeks (95% CI, 28 to 53 weeks) for all patients, 59 weeks for patients with CR/CRp, and 72 weeks for patients with CR. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 9.8%. The most common non-laboratory drug-related toxicities (≥ 20% patients) were nausea, febrile neutropenia, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and fatigue.

Conclusion

Clofarabine is an active agent with acceptable toxicity in patients age 60 years or older with untreated AML who have at least one unfavorable prognostic factor. ORR did not seem affected by the presence of multiple unfavorable prognostic factors.
Single-Agent Laromustine, A Novel Alkylating Agent, Has Significant Activity in Older Patients With Previously Untreated Poor-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Schiller Gary J. , O'Brien Susan M. , Pigneux Arnaud , DeAngelo Daniel J. , Vey Norbert , Kell Jonathan , Solomon Scott , Stuart Robert K. , Karsten Verena , Cahill Ann L. , Albitar Maher X. , Giles Francis J.
Published: December 2009

Purpose

An international phase II study of laromustine (VNP40101M), a sulfonylhydrazine alkylating agent, was conducted in patients age 60 years or older with previously untreated poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Patients and Methods

Laromustine 600 mg/m2 was administered as a single 60-minute intravenous infusion. Patients were age 70 years or older or 60 years or older with at least one additional risk factor—unfavorable AML karyotype, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 2, and/or cardiac, pulmonary, or hepatic comorbidities.

Results

Eighty-five patients (median age, 72 years; range, 60 to 87 years) were treated. Poor-risk features included age 70 years or older, 78%; adverse karyotype, 47%; PS of 2, 41%; pulmonary disease, 77%; cardiac disease, 73%; and hepatic disease, 3%. Ninety-six percent of patients had at least two risk factors, and 39% had at least four risk factors. The overall response rate (ORR) was 32%, with 20 patients (23%) achieving complete response (CR) and seven (8%) achieving CR with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp). ORR was 20% in patients with adverse cytogenetics; 32% in those age 70 years or older; 32% in those with PS of 2; 32% in patients with baseline pulmonary dysfunction; 34% in patients with baseline cardiac dysfunction; and 27% in 33 patients with at least four risk factors. Twelve (14%) patients died within 30 days of receiving laromustine therapy. Median overall survival was 3.2 months, with a 1-year survival of 21%; the median duration of survival for those who achieved CR/CRp was 12.4 months, with a 1-year survival of 52%.

Conclusion

Laromustine has significant single-agent activity in elderly patients with poor-risk AML. Adverse events are predominantly myelosuppressive or respiratory. Response rates are consistent across a spectrum of poor-risk features.
Casein-kinase-II-dependent phosphorylation of PPARγ provokes CRM1-mediated shuttling of PPARγ from the nucleus to the cytosol
Authors: von Knethen Andreas , Tzieply Nico , Jennewein Carla , Brüne Bernhard
Published: December 2009

PPARγ exerts significant anti-inflammatory signaling properties in monocytes and macrophages, which are affected by its intracellular localization. Based on our previous report, which showed that cytosolic localization of PPARγ attenuates PKCα signaling in macrophages, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms provoking cytosolic PPARγ localization. Using the DsRed-tagged PPARγ deletion constructs PPARγ1 Δ1-31 and PPARγ1 Δ407-475, we observed an exclusive nuclear PPARγ1 Δ1-31 localization in transfected HEK293 cells, whereas PPARγ1 Δ407-475 did not alter its cytosolic or nuclear localization. The casein kinase II (CK-II) inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl benzimidazole (DRB) prevented cytosolic PPARγ localization. Mutation of two possible CK-II phosphorylation sites at serine 16 and serine 21 of PPARγ into alanine (PPARγ S16A/S21A) inhibited cytosolic PPARγ localization. Moreover, a PPARγ S16E/S21E mutant that mimicks constitutive phosphorylation of residues 16 and 21, predominantly resides in the cytosol. The CRM1 inhibitor leptomycin B abolished cytosolic PPARγ localization, suggesting that this is a CRM1-dependent export process. CRM1-mediated PPARγ export requires Ran and phosphorylated RanBP3. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that DRB blocks PPARγ binding to CRM1, whereas PD98059 inhibits RanBP3 binding to CRM1 and concomitant shuttling from nucleus to cytosol, but does not alter PPARγ binding to CRM1. We conclude that CK-II-dependent PPARγ phosphorylation at Ser16 and Ser21 is necessary for CRM1/Ran/RanBP3-mediated nucleocytoplasmic translocation of PPARγ.
Conserved long noncoding RNAs transcriptionally regulated by Oct4 and Nanog modulate pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Sheik Mohamed Jameelah , Gaughwin Philip Michael , Lim Bing , Robson Paul , Lipovich Leonard
Published: December 2009

The genetic networks controlling stem cell identity are the focus of intense interest, due to their obvious therapeutic potential as well as exceptional relevance to models of early development. Genome-wide mapping of transcriptional networks in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) reveals that many endogenous noncoding RNA molecules, including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), may play a role in controlling the pluripotent state. We performed a genome-wide screen that combined full-length mESC transcriptome genomic mapping data with chromatin immunoprecipitation genomic location maps of the key mESC transcription factors Oct4 and Nanog. We henceforth identified four mESC-expressed, conserved lncRNA-encoding genes residing proximally to active genomic binding sites of Oct4 and Nanog. Accordingly, these four genes have potential roles in pluripotency. We show that two of these lncRNAs, AK028326 (Oct4-activated) and AK141205 (Nanog-repressed), are direct targets of Oct4 and Nanog. Most importantly, we demonstrate that these lncRNAs are not merely controlled by mESC transcription factors, but that they themselves regulate developmental state: knockdown and overexpression of these transcripts lead to robust changes in Oct4 and Nanog mRNA levels, in addition to alterations in cellular lineage-specific gene expression and in the pluripotency of mESCs. We further characterize AK028326 as a co-activator of Oct4 in a regulatory feedback loop. These results for the first time implicate lncRNAs in the modulation of mESC pluripotency and expand the established mESC regulatory network model to include functional lncRNAs directly controlled by key mESC transcription factors.
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Growth of Hawaiian Spiny Lobsters in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Authors: O'Malley Joseph M.
Published: December 2009

Growth rates were estimated for recaptured Hawaiian spiny lobsters Panulirus marginatus tagged between 2002 and 2007 at Necker Island (23°30′N; 164°35′W), Gardner Pinnacles (25°00′N; 168°50′W), and Maro Reef (25°30′N; 170°45′W) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The location and year-specific nature of the tag–recapture cruises enabled investigation of spatial and temporal variability in growth. Mean growth rates, estimated by using the von Bertalanffy and Schnute growth models and fitted via a maximum likelihood technique, differed between sexes and particularly among locations and years. Male lobster growth rates at Necker Island were, in general, one-third those at Gardner Pinnacles and one-half those at Maro Reef. Female lobsters exhibited the same pattern with less-pronounced differences. Maro Reef lobsters exhibited several abrupt, significant growth reductions among years, while Necker Island lobster growth rates increased significantly from 2004 to 2005. Model results also indicated substantial individual variability in growth. Neither density nor temperature could account for the differences in growth rates. No palinurid species studied to date has shown such spatial variability in growth, and only one panilurid species has exhibited similar variability on a temporal scale. Recognition of and accounting for the mean and individual variability in a life history trait of this endemic species will result in more accurate stock assessments and, ultimately, a better understanding of lobster dynamics and the NWHI coral reef ecosystem.
Flexible inverted bottom‐emitting organic light‐emitting devices with a semi‐transparent metal‐assisted electron‐injection layer
Authors: Wu Chang‐Yen , Ho Meng‐Huan , Su Shang‐Yu , Chen Chin H.
Published: December 2009

Abstract— The development of highly efficient and color‐saturated green‐fluorescent C545T dye‐doped flexible inverted bottom‐emitting organic light‐emitting diode (IBOLED) is reported. This was enabled by the insertion of a silver (Ag) based semi‐transparent metal‐assisted electron‐injection layer between the ITO cathode and n‐doped electron‐transporting layer on a flexible polyethersulphone substrate. This flexible IBOLED with an ITO/Ag bilayer cathode with its synergistic microcavity effect achieved luminous efficiencies of 20.4 cd/A and 12 lm/W and a saturated CIEx,y of (0.28, 0.68) at 20 mA/cm2, which are 1.5 times higher than those of a conventional OLED.
Comments on Atkinson and Geiser: Considerations for College Admissions Testing
Authors: Linn Robert L.
Published: December 2009

Atkinson and Geiser (2009) make a strong argument for moving to a new form of college admissions testing using curriculum-based achievement tests. In making their case, however, they exaggerate the weaknesses of current tests such as the ACT and SAT by minimizing these tests’ predictive utility and claiming a stronger relationship to socioeconomic status measures than is justified. Although some of the features that they would like admissions tests to have, such as providing a strong signal to students, are indeed desirable, the tight alignment of admissions tests to college preparatory courses in high school is unlikely to be achieved on a national level without a national curriculum.
Entropy-Based Wavelet De-noising Method for Time Series Analysis
Authors: Sang Yan-Fang , Wang Dong , Wu Ji-Chun , Zhu Qing-Ping , Wang Ling
Published: December 2009

The existence of noise has great influence on the real features of observed time series, thus noise reduction in time series data is a necessary and significant task in many practical applications. When using traditional de-noising methods, the results often cannot meet the practical needs due to their inherent shortcomings. In the present paper, first a set of key but difficult wavelet de-noising problems are discussed, and then by applying information entropy theories to the wavelet de-noising process, i.e., using the principle of maximum entropy (POME) to describe the random character of the noise and using wavelet energy entropy to describe the degrees of complexity of the main series in original series data, a new entropy-based wavelet de-noising method is proposed. Analysis results of both several different synthetic series and typical observed time series data have verified the performance of the new method. A comprehensive discussion of the results indicates that compared with traditional wavelet de-noising methods, the new proposed method is more effective and universal. Furthermore, because it uses information entropy theories to describe the obviously different characteristics of noises and the main series in the series data is observed first and then de-noised, the analysis process has a more reliable physical basis, and the results of the new proposed method are more reasonable and are the global optimum. Besides, the analysis process of the new proposed method is simple and is easy to implement, so it would be more applicable and useful in applied sciences and practical engineering works.
Chelation of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Fe(II) by Tannin Constituents of Selected Edible Nuts
Authors: Karamać Magdalena
Published: December 2009

The tannin fractions isolated from hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds were characterised by colorimetric assays and by an SE-HPLC technique. The complexation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) was determined by the reaction with tetramethylmurexide, whereas for Fe(II), ferrozine was employed. The walnut tannins exhibited a significantly weaker reaction with the vanillin/HCl reagent than hazelnut and almond tannins, but the protein precipitation capacity of the walnut fraction was high. The SE-HPLC chromatogram of the tannin fraction from hazelnuts revealed the presence of oligomers with higher molecular weights compared to that of almonds. Copper ions were most effectively chelated by the constituents of the tannin fractions of hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. At a 0.2 mg/assay addition level, the walnut tannins complexed almost 100% Cu(II). The Fe(II) complexation capacities of the tannin fractions of walnuts and hazelnuts were weaker in comparison to that of the almond tannin fraction, which at a 2.5 mg/assay addition level, bound Fe(II) by ~90%. The capacity to chelate Zn(II) was quite varied for the different nut tannin fractions: almond tannins bound as much as 84% Zn(II), whereas the value for walnut tannins was only 8.7%; and for hazelnut tannins, no Zn(II) chelation took place at the levels tested.
“Group Inversion Approach” for Detection of Soil Moisture Temporal-Invariant Locations
Authors: Notarnicola Claudia
Published: December 2009

This paper presents an approach denominated Group Inversion Approach (GIA) which aims at detecting soil moisture temporal invariants, i.e., the stable temporal soil moisture locations, by using mainly remotely sensed data. The soil moisture temporal invariants are those locations where independently of the absolute value changes, the relative spatial distribution of soil moisture remains almost constant. In this procedure, the soil moisture values estimated from different inversion approaches and sensor configurations are compared among themselves and with the ground data. The procedure has been tested in a watershed of around 7,000 km2 with data collected during the SMEX’02 experiment in Iowa (USA). The results indicate that fields with inversion errors lower than five times the soil moisture variability detected with ground measurements represent well the mean watershed soil moisture values. The GIA technique has been also found in good agreement with the classical technique used to detect the stable soil moisture features, based exclusively on ground measurements.
A Homogeneous Catalyst for Reduction of Optically Active Esters to the Corresponding Chiral Alcohols without Loss of Optical Purities
Authors: Kuriyama Wataru , Ino Yasunori , Ogata Osamu , Sayo Noboru , Saito Takao
Published: December 2009

A ruthenium complex was found to catalyze the hydrogen reduction of esters under mild and neutral conditions. A variety of optically active esters can be reduced to the corresponding alcohols in excellent yield without loss of their optical purity or causing undesirable side reactions. Hydrogen reduction needs such simple operations – reaction, concentration, and purification – that the violent quench step and extraction step, which accompany conventional sodium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride reduction, can be omitted.
Impact of 24‐hr in‐hospital interventional cardiology team on timeliness of reperfusion for ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Allaqaband Suhail , Jan M. Fuad , Banday Wamiq Y. , Schlemm Angela , Ahmed S. Hinan , Mori Naoyo , Oldridge Neil , Gupta Anjan , Bajwa Tanvir
Published: December 2009

Objective: We studied the effect of 24 hr a day, 7 days a week interventional cardiology staff on door‐to‐balloon (D2B) time and mortality in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Background: Any delay in PPCI in acute STEMI is associated with higher mortality and, therefore, time to treatment should be as short as possible. Despite the use of several strategies, goal D2B time of <90 min remains elusive. Methods: The study examined 790 consecutive STEMI patients treated with PPCI as the reperfusion therapy of choice. Patients were grouped into a pre‐24×7 and post‐24×7 cohort to study the impact of the new protocol on D2B time and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Results: Median D2B time decreased from 99 min in the pre‐24×7 group to 55 min in the post‐24×7 group (P = 0.001) and was not influenced by time of day or day of week. Adjusted for patient and clinical characteristics, the pre‐24×7 group had increased in‐hospital cardiovascular mortality (odds ratio 1.94, 95% confidence interval 0.95–3.94; P = 0.048) and MACE (odds ratio 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.10–2.49; P = 0.009) compared with the post‐24×7 group. Prolonged D2B time was also associated with higher 1‐year overall mortality in the pre‐24×7 group compared with the post‐24×7 group (12.8% vs. 8.1%; hazard ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.04–2.66; P = 0.044). Conclusions: Round‐the‐clock, in‐hospital interventional cardiology team consistently and significantly reduces D2B time, in‐hospital cardiovascular mortality, MACE, and 1‐year mortality in patients with STEMI. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimation of granule size distribution for batch fluidized bed granulation process using acoustic emission and N‐way PLS
Authors: Matero Sanni , Poutiainen Sami , Leskinen Jari , Järvinen Kristiina , Ketolainen Jarkko , Poso Antti , Reinikainen Satu‐Pia
Published: December 2009

Fluidized bed wet granulation of a pharmaceutical mixture is an unpredictable and complex process. Batch‐to‐batch variation, i.e. output material inconsistency, is still an unmanaged problem in fluidized bed granulation. The variation in outcome with different size distributions and yield arises from process conditions, which until now have proved difficult to control. The good quality batch is usually one with a high yield of the desired narrow granule size distribution. Thus, for successful granulation the size distribution needs to be controlled throughout the process in order to prevent the heterogeneity of different batch runs and inconsistent batch products. This paper introduces a method for determining end‐product granule size distribution in the early phase of granulation, based on the observation that the quality of the early phase nucleation strongly affects the quality of the end product. In the quantitative model, the information gained from the process stream acquired with an acoustic emission (AE) transducer was combined and modeled using an N‐way PLS method. Reference sieve analysis for the granule size distribution was performed off‐line and was used as the response variable. AE monitoring is a non‐invasive technique for evaluating granulation process performance by detecting the sound of particle impacts. AE caused by the particle–chamber wall interaction is influenced by the size of the granules; thus AE contains information about the granule size distribution. This study shows for the first time that the nucleation phase of granulation can be detected using AE techniques, and thus the possibility of predicting end product granule size distribution by means of AE measurement during the nucleation phase. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differences in serum thyroglobulin measurements by 3 commercial immunoradiometric assay kits and laboratory standardization using Certified Reference Material 457 (CRM‐457)
Authors: Lee Ji In , Kim Ji Young , Choi Joon Young , Kim Hee Kyung , Jang Hye Won , Hur Kyu Yeon , Kim Jae Hyeon , Kim Kwang‐Won , Chung Jae Hoon , Kim Sun Wook
Published: December 2009

Background

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is essential in the follow‐up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). However, interchangeability and standardization between Tg assays have not yet been achieved, even with the development of an international Tg standard (Certified Reference Material 457 [CRM‐457]).

Methods

Serum Tg from 30 DTC patients and serially diluted CRM‐457 were measured using 3 different immunoradiometric assays (IRMA‐1, IRMA‐2, IRMA‐3). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) method was used to describe the concordance of each IRMA to CRM‐457.

Results

The serum Tg measured by 3 different IRMAs correlated well (r > .85, p < .0001), but clinically relevant discrepancies were found in 13.3% of patients. IRMA‐3, which claims to be standardized to CRM‐457, showed the best ICC (p1 = .98) for the CRM‐457.

Conclusions

Hospitals caring for patients with DTC should either set their own cutoffs for IRMAs for Tg based on their patient pools, or adopt IRMAs standardized to CRM‐457 and calibrate their laboratory using CRM‐457. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010
Intracellular calcium and calmodulin link brain‐derived neurotrophic factor to p70S6 kinase phosphorylation and dendritic protein synthesis
Authors: Zhou Xianju , Lin David S. , Zheng Fei , Sutton Michael A. , Wang Hongbing
Published: December 2009

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70S6 kinase (S6K) pathway plays an important role in brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)‐mediated protein synthesis and neuroplasticity. Although many aspects of neuronal function are regulated by intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and calmodulin (CaM), their functions in BDNF‐induced phosphorylation of p70S6K and protein synthesis are largely unknown. Here, we report that BDNF, via TrkB‐dependent activation of mTOR, induces sustained phosphorylation of p70S6K at Thr389 and Thr421/Ser424. BDNF‐induced phosphorylation at Thr389 was dependent on PI3 kinase but independent of ERK‐MAPK. The previously identified MAPK phosphorylation site at Thr421/Ser424 required both PI3K and MAPK in BDNF‐stimulated neurons. Furthermore, we found that the reduction in [Ca2+]i, but not extracellular calcium, blocked the BDNF‐induced phosphorylation of p70S6K at both sites. Inhibition of CaM by W13 also blocked p70S6K phosphorylation. In correlation, W13 inhibited BDNF‐induced local dendritic protein synthesis. Interestingly, sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i by membrane depolarization antagonized the BDNF‐induced p70S6K phosphorylation. Finally, the BDNF‐induced p70S6K phosphorylation did not require the increase of calcium level through either extracellular influx or PLC‐mediated intracellular calcium release. Collectively, these results indicate that the basal level of intracellular calcium gates BDNF‐induced activation of p70S6K and protein synthesis through CaM. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mobilization of CD133+CD34− cells in healthy individuals following whole‐body acupuncture for spinal cord injuries
Authors: Moldenhauer Sonja , Burgauner Miriam , Hellweg Rainer , Lun Andreas , Hohenböken Marina , Dietz Ekkehart , Kiesewetter Holger , Salama Abdulgabar , Moldenhauer Anja
Published: December 2009

Acupuncture can alleviate symptoms of spinal cord injuries (SCI). The underlying mechanism, however, is unknown. We hypothesized that stem cells could be mobilized by acupuncture. Therefore, we enrolled 14 healthy study participants using acupuncture points for the treatment of SCI. The frequency of CD133 and CD34 cells in peripheral blood and the serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and interleukin‐6 were determined before and after acupuncture (<1 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr). CD133+34− cells were doubled 48 hr after acupuncture, with concomitant decreases in BDNF and MMP‐9 levels. Interleukin‐6 remained below detectable levels, eliminating a stress‐induced cell release. Individuals acupunctured on control counterpoints showed no changes in CD133+ cells. Our results indicate that acupuncture for SCI can mobilize human CD133+34− cells. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Headspace solid‐phase microextraction for direct determination of volatile phenols in cider
Authors: Pizarro Consuelo , Pérez‐del‐Notario Nuria , González‐Sáiz José María
Published: December 2009

A headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (GC‐MS/MS) method was optimised and validated for the determination of 4‐ethylguaiacol, 4‐ethylphenol, 4‐vinylguaiacol and 4‐vinylphenol, involved in the presence of Brett character, in ciders. The influence of different parameters on extraction efficiency (fibre coating, salt addition, exposure time, extraction temperature and sample volume/total volume ratio) was evaluated. Divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS was selected as extraction fibre and the other optimised parameters were as follows: 10 mL of cider, temperature 70°C, extraction time 60 min and addition of 0.4 g/mL of NaCl. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity. The detection limits obtained were 0.01 μg/L for 4‐ethylguaiacol, 0.02 μg/L for 4‐ethylphenol, 0.08 μg/L for 4‐vinylguaiacol and 0.03 μg/L for 4‐vinylphenol. These detection limits were lower than those obtained in previous studies on the determination of volatile phenols in other alcoholic beverages. Good recoveries of over 95% were observed for all compounds, and the repeatability obtained was considered acceptable, ranging between 4 and 10%. To demonstrate the feasibility of the procedure, the method was applied to the analysis of commercial ciders. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the headspace solid‐phase microextraction procedure has been optimised to determine specifically the Brett character responsible compounds in cider.
Capacity and capacity development: Coping with complexity
Authors: Brinkerhoff Derick W. , Morgan Peter J.
Published: December 2009

This overview article introduces the topic of capacity and capacity development (CD), noting the vagueness and multiplicity of definitions and approaches. It presents the model of capacity developed by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) study, and reviews our evolving understanding of CD. Brief summaries of the contributions to the symposium highlight the main findings and key points. The contents of the symposium include four country cases—Pakistan, Tanzania, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea (PNG)—and one conceptual piece on CD in fragile states. Several common themes emerge: the benefits of viewing capacity and CD through systems lenses, the salience of the politics of CD; and the need to change how donors and capacity builders approach the practice of CD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing fracture energy of proton exchange membranes using a knife slit test
Authors: Patankar Kshitish , Dillard David A. , Case Scott W. , Ellis Michael W. , Li Yongqiang , Lai Yeh‐Hung , Budinski Michael K. , Gittleman Craig S.
Published: December 2009

Pinhole formation in proton exchange membranes (PEM) may be caused by a process of flaw formation and crack propagation within membranes exposed to cyclic hygrothermal loading. Fracture mechanics can be used to characterize the propagation process, which is thought to occur in a slow, time‐dependent manner under cyclic loading conditions, and believed to be associated with limited plasticity. The intrinsic fracture energy has been used to characterize the fracture resistance of polymeric material with limited viscoelastic and plastic dissipation, and has been found to be associated with long‐term durability of polymeric materials. Insight into this limiting value of fracture energy may be useful in characterizing the durability of proton exchange membranes, including the formation of pinhole defects. In an effort to collect fracture data with limited plasticity, a knife slit test was adapted to measure fracture energies of PEMs, resulting in fracture energies that were two orders of magnitude smaller than those obtained with other fracture test methods. The presence of a sharp knife blade reduces crack tip plasticity, providing fracture energies that may be more representative of the intrinsic fracture energies of the thin membranes. Three commercial PEMs were tested to evaluate their fracture energies (Gc) at temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 °C and humidity levels varying from dry to 90% relative humidity (RH). Experiments were also conducted with membrane specimens immersed in water at various temperatures. The time temperature moisture superposition principle was applied to generate fracture energy master curves plotted as a function of reduced cutting rate based on the humidity and temperature conditions of the tests. The shift with respect to temperature and humidity suggests that the slitting process is viscoelastic in nature. Also such shifts were found to be consistent with those obtained from constitutive tests such as stress relaxation. The fracture energy is more sensitive to temperature than on humidity. The master curves converge at the lowest reduced cutting rates, suggesting similar intrinsic fracture energies; but diverge at higher reduced cutting rates to significantly different fracture energies. Although the relationship between Gc and ultimate mechanical durability has not been established, the test method may hold promise for investigating and comparing membrane resistance to failure in fuel cell environments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 333–343, 2010
BaO Clusters on MgO Nanocubes: A Quantitative Analysis of Optical‐Powder Properties
Authors: Sternig Andreas , Müller Markus , McCallum Mark , Bernardi Johannes , Diwald Oliver
Published: December 2009

Uniformly sized and shaped nanoparticles are well suited for the quantitative characterization of optical‐powder properties. For the first time, quantum yields related to photoluminescence emissions that originate from the photoexcitation of MgO nanocube corners and edges are measured. In addition, the surfaces of these nanoparticles are doped with submonolayer barium, which oxidizes during adsorption onto the MgO nanocrystal surfaces and transforms in O2 atmosphere into BaO. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy is employed to explore whether 10−3 monolayer equivalents of these dopants affect the MgO specific optical properties. Surface‐admixed BaO produces additional absorption and photoluminescence emission features but does not significantly affect those specific to MgO nanocubes. On this basis the number of optically active sites that can be sampled inside a powder of alkaline earth oxide nanoparticles using a standard spectrometer system is estimated.
Biblical Interpretation and Christian Ethics
Authors: McDonald J. I. H.
Published: December 2009

Inter-disciplinary studies are emerging rapidly to meet the insistent demands of the modern age. Biblical interpretation is itself inter-disciplinary, drawing together the biblical traditions and others to address the problem of interpreting texts. Christian ethics is also multi-disciplinary and thus no stranger to this new ethos. To bring these two areas together is a potentially creative undertaking. It comes at a time when much attention is being paid to reading texts and the interpretive tradition. The author's principal aim is to read the Bible in the context of moral concern. Attention is paid to the liberal quest and to eschatology and ethics (each marking a distinct epoch in the relationship of Bible and ethics), before the post-critical age is studied under the rubric 'participation in meaning'. The final section deals with ethics and historical reading, and with ethics and contemporary reading. The book concludes with a discussion of selected practical topics.
Early Keyboard Instruments
Authors: Rowland David
Published: December 2009

Early Keyboard Instruments covers a wide range of performance issues on keyboard instruments relevant to the music from c.1700–c.1900. It includes descriptions of the harpsichords, clavichords, pianos and other stringed-keyboard instruments used by performers of the period as well as aspects of technique such as harpsichord registration, piano pedalling and keyboard fingering. Aspects of the notation of keyboard music are discussed, as is articulation, embellishment, tempo flexibility and rubato. A substantial chapter is devoted to case studies, illustrating how the aspects of performance discussed in the rest of the book are worked out in practice, whether playing on period instruments or on the modern piano.
Myth and Philosophy from the Presocratics to Plato
Authors: Morgan Kathryn A.
Published: December 2009

This book explores the dynamic relationship between myth and philosophy in the Presocratics, the Sophists, and in Plato - a relationship which is found to be more extensive and programmatic than has been recognized. The story of philosophy's relationship with myth is that of its relationship with literary and social convention. The intellectuals studied here wanted to reformulate popular ideas about cultural authority and they achieved this goal by manipulating myth. Their self-conscious use of myth creates a self-reflective philosophic sensibility and draws attention to problems inherent in different modes of linguistic representation. Much of the reception of Greek philosophy stigmatizes myth as 'irrational'. Such an approach ignores the important role played by myth in Greek philosophy, not just as a foil but as a mode of philosophical thought. The case studies in this book reveal myth deployed as a result of methodological reflection, and as a manifestation of philosophical concerns.
Domesticity and Dissent in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Gillespie Katharine
Published: December 2009

In Domesticity and Dissent Katharine Gillespie examines writings by seventeenth-century English Puritan women who fought for religious freedom. Seeking the right to preach and prophesy, women such as Katherine Chidley, Anna Trapnel, Elizabeth Poole, and Anne Wentworth envisioned the modern political principles of toleration, the separation of Church from state, privacy, and individualism. Gillespie argues that their sermons, prophesies, and petitions illustrate the fact that these liberal theories did not originate only with such well-known male thinkers as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Rather, they emerged also from a group of determined female religious dissenters who used the Bible to reassess traditional definitions of womanhood, public speech and religious and political authority. Gillespie takes the 'pamphlet literatures' of the seventeenth century as important subjects for analysis, and her study contributes to the important scholarship on the revolutionary writings that emerged during the volatile years of the mid-seventeenth-century Civil War in England.
Literature, Satire and the Early Stuart State
Authors: McRae Andrew
Published: December 2009

Andrew McRae examines the relation between literature and politics at a pivotal moment in English history. He argues that the most influential and incisive political satire in this period may be found in manuscript libels, scurrilous pamphlets and a range of other material written and circulated under the threat of censorship. These are the unauthorised texts of early Stuart England. From his analysis of these texts, McRae argues that satire, as the pre-eminent literary mode of discrimination and stigmatisation, helped people make sense of the confusing political conditions of the early Stuart era. It did so partly through personal attacks and partly also through sophisticated interventions into ongoing political and ideological debates. In such forms satire provided resources through which contemporary writers could define new models of political identity and construct new discourses of dissent. This book wil be of interest to political and literary historians alike.
Memory and Forgetting in English Renaissance Drama
Authors: Sullivan Garrett A.
Published: December 2009

Engaging debates over the nature of subjectivity in early modern England, this fascinating and original study examines sixteenth- and seventeenth-century conceptions of memory and forgetting, and their importance to the drama and culture of the time. Garrett A. Sullivan, Jr. discusses memory and forgetting as categories in terms of which a variety of behaviours - from seeking salvation to pursuing vengeance to succumbing to desire - are conceptualized. Drawing upon a range of literary and non-literary discourses, represented by treatises on the passions, sermons, anti-theatrical tracts, epic poems and more, Shakespeare, Marlowe and Webster stage 'self-recollection' and, more commonly, 'self-forgetting', the latter providing a powerful model for dramatic subjectivity. Focusing on works such as Macbeth, Hamlet, Dr. Faustus and The Duchess of Malfi, Sullivan reveals memory and forgetting to be dynamic cultural forces central to early modern understandings of embodiment, selfhood and social practice.
Rhythm and Will in Victorian Poetry
Authors: Campbell Matthew
Published: December 2009

In Rhythm and Will in Victorian Poetry, first published in 1999, Matthew Campbell explores the work of four Victorian poets - Tennyson, Browning, Hopkins and Hardy - as they show a consistent and innovative concern with questions of human agency and will. The Victorians saw the virtues attendant upon a strong will as central to themselves and to their culture, and Victorian poetry strove to find an aesthetic form to represent this sense of the human will. Through close study of the metre, rhyme and rhythm of a wide range of poems - including monologue, lyric and elegy - Campbell reveals how closely technical questions of poetics are related, in the work of these poets, to issues of psychology, ethics and social change. He goes on to discuss more general questions of poetics, and the implications of the achievement of the Victorian poets in a wider context, from Milton through Romanticism and into contemporary critical debate.