bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of MicroRNAs associated with early relapse after nephrectomy in renal cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Slaby Ondrej , Redova Martina , Poprach Alexandr , Nekvindova Jana , Iliev Robert , Radova Lenka , Lakomy Radek , Svoboda Marek , Vyzula Rostislav 
Published: April 2012

AbstractRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common neoplasm of adult kidney. One of the important unmet medical needs in RCC is prognostic biomarker enabling identification of patients at high risk of relapse after nephrectomy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a robust regulatory network with posttranscriptional regulatory efficiency for almost one‐half of human coding genes, including oncogenes and tumor suppressors. To identify potential prognostic miRNAs, we analyzed expression profiles in tumors of different prognostic groups of RCC patients. Seventy‐seven patients with clear cell RCC and detailed clinicopathological data were enrolled in a single‐center study. Global miRNA expression profiles were obtained by use of TaqMan Low Density Arrays (754 parallel quantitative reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (qRT‐PCR) reactions). For validation of identified miRNAs individual miRNA TaqMan assays were performed in an independent group of patients. We identified tumor relapse‐signature based on the expression of 64 miRNAs differentially expressed between relapse‐free RCC patients and RCC patients who developed relapse (20 miRNAs were increased, 44 miRNAs were decreased). In the validation phase of the study, we successfully confirmed that expression levels of miR‐143, miR‐26a, miR‐145, miR‐10b, miR‐195, and miR‐126 are lower in the tumors of RCC patients who developed tumor relapse, moreover, the lowest levels of these miRNAs we observed in primary metastatic tumors. By using Kaplan–Meier analysis, we identified that miR‐127‐3p, miR‐145, and miR‐126 are significantly correlated with relapse‐free survival of nonmetastatic RCC patients. If further validated, we suggest that identified miRNAs might be used for identification of RCC patients at high risk of early relapse after nephrectomy in clinical practice. © 2012 Wiley‐Periodicals, Inc.
Ensembles of human MTL neurons “jump back in time” in response to a repeated stimulus
Authors: Howard Marc W. , Viskontas Indre V. , Shankar Karthik H. , Fried Itzhak 
Published: April 2012

AbstractEpisodic memory, which depends critically on the integrity of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), has been described as “mental time travel” in which the rememberer “jumps back in time.” The neural mechanism underlying this ability remains elusive. Mathematical and computational models of performance in episodic memory tasks provide a specific hypothesis regarding the computation that supports such a jump back in time. The models suggest that a representation of temporal context, a representation that changes gradually over macroscopic periods of time, is the cue for episodic recall. According to these models, a jump back in time corresponds to a stimulus recovering a prior state of temporal context. In vivo single‐neuron recordings were taken from the human MTL while epilepsy patients distinguished novel from repeated images in a continuous recognition memory task. The firing pattern of the ensemble of MTL neurons showed robust temporal autocorrelation over macroscopic periods of time during performance of the memory task. The gradually‐changing part of the ensemble state was causally affected by the visual stimulus being presented. Critically, repetition of a stimulus caused the ensemble to elicit a pattern of activity that resembled the pattern of activity present before the initial presentation of the stimulus. These findings confirm a direct prediction of this class of temporal context models and may be a signature of the mechanism that underlies the experience of episodic memory as mental time travel. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigating correlations between snowmelt and forest fires in a high latitude snowmelt dominated drainage basin
Authors: Semmens Kathryn Alese , Ramage Joan 
Published: April 2012

AbstractHigh latitude drainage basins are experiencing increases in temperature higher than the global average, with snowmelt dominated basins most sensitive to effects in winter because of the snowpack's integration of these changes over the season. This may influence the timing of snowmelt onset, the melt‐refreeze period and snowpack accumulation resulting in changes in spring runoff, associated flooding and drought conditions later in the year, possibly enhancing forest fire potential. Large burned areas cleared of vegetation change discharge dynamics and may affect snowmelt characteristics and discharge in subsequent seasons. Correlations are tested by comparing forest fire occurrence with spring melt onset, the end of the melt‐refreeze period (after which snow rapidly depletes) and early snowmelt events. Snow characteristics are derived from brightness temperature (Tb) data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR‐E) for 2003–2010. Dates of melt onset, end of melt‐refreeze and early melt events are defined with Tb and diurnal amplitude variation thresholds. Areas and intensities of forest fires are from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) thermal anomaly data (MOD14), and all data are mapped to an Equal‐Area Scalable Earth Grid to assess spatial correlations. Earlier melt onset and end of melt‐refreeze are found in years and areas of high forest fire occurrence by comparing high (2004–2005) and low (2006–2007) fire years in the Porcupine sub‐basin of the Yukon River in northeastern Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The burned areas also correlate with relatively later melt onset and later end of melt‐refreeze in subsequent low fire years. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International harmonization of models for selecting less toxic chemical alternatives: Effect of regulatory disparities in the United States and Europe
Authors: Lam Carl W , Aguirre Muskilda P , Schischke Karsten , Nissen Nils F , Ogunseitan Oladele A , Schoenung Julie M 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
The desire to reduce human exposure to toxic chemicals associated with consumer products that are marketed globally demands the creation of comparative toxicity assessment tools that are based on uniform thresholds of acceptable risks and guidelines for materials use across international boundaries. The Toxic Potential Indicator (TPI) is a quantitative model based on European Union (EU) regulatory standards for toxicity and environmental quality. Here, we describe a version of TPI that we developed with US regulatory thresholds for environmental and human health impacts of toxic materials. The customized US-based TPI (USTPI) model integrates occupational permissible exposure limits (PELs), carcinogen categories based on the scheme of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and median effect concentration for acute aquatic toxicity (EC50s). As a case study, we compare calculated scores for EU-based TPI (EUTPI) and USTPI for a large group of chemicals including 578 substances listed in the US Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Statistical analyses show that the median difference between USTPI and EUTPI scores do not approximate to zero, implying a general discrepancy in TPI score results. Comparison of chemical ranking with Spearman's correlation coefficient suggests a positive but imperfect rank correlation. Although some discrepancies between EUTPI and USTPI may be explained by missing toxicity information in some regulatory categories, disparities between the 2 models are associated mostly with different input parameters, i.e., different regulatory thresholds and guidelines. These results demonstrate that regional differences in regulatory thresholds for material toxicity may compromise the ideals of international agreements, such as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, and emphasis needs to be placed on eliminating inconsistencies in hazard assessment frameworks for substances. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2012; 8: 723–730. © 2012 SETAC
The Danish case‐control study of cutaneous malignant melanoma. III. Hormonal and reproductive factors in women
Authors: Østerlind A. , Tucker M.A. , Stone B.J. , Jensen O.M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe relationship between cutaneous malignant melanoma in women and reproductive and hormonal factors was investigated in a population‐based case‐control study including a total of 280 cases and 536 controls from East Denmark. Patients with lentigo maligna melanoma were not included. No association was found between risk of melanoma and age at menarche, duration of menstrual life, age at natural menopause, age at first pregnancy, or number of pregnancies, live births or miscarriages. There was no evidence of an association between melanoma and use, duration of use or type of oral contraceptives. The use of menopausal replacement therapy was not a risk factor for melanoma. There was no difference in risk associated with hormonal factors between superficial spreading melanoma and nodular melanoma. Our findings suggest that neither reproductive nor hormonal factors increase the risk of melanoma in women in Denmark.
Suppression of tuberculin skin reaction in healthy HTLV‐I carriers from Japan
Authors: Tachibana Nobuyoshi , Okayama Akihiko , Ishizaki Junzo , Yokota Tsutomu , Shishime Eiichi , Murai Koichi , Shioiri Shigemasa , Tsuda Kazunori , Essex Myron , Mueller Nancy 
Published: April 2012

AbstractAlthough it is thought that infection with human T‐lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) is immunosuppressive, this has not been clearly demonstrated among healthy carriers, and there are no data concerning delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH). To evaluate this hypothesis, DTH to purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin was measured in 126 healthy adults from an endemic area for HTLV‐I infection in southern Japan. Among the 39 HTLV‐I carriers, only 15% had detectable induration following PPD exposure, compared to 46% of the 87 non‐carriers. In addition, the size of erythema among those carriers with a positive reaction was about 70% of that among non‐carriers. Overall, there was a significantly inverse association between the degree of DTH response and prevalence of antibody. In relation to subjects with strong to moderate reaction, those with negative or indefinite reaction were 6 times more likely to be a carrier. This association was much stronger among subjects aged 60 years or older than among younger persons. These findings indicate that there is subclinical immunosuppression among HTLV‐I carriers, which increases with age.
Periampullary, colorectal and gastric cancer in two siblings
Authors: Schlossberg Daniel , Weber Walter , Stoffel Urs , Henggeler Karl , Stocker Hans , Foeppl Mario , Akovbiantz Arik 
Published: April 2012

AbstractWe describe a sibship affected by subsequent periampullary, colorectal and gastric carcinoma. Three of 4 siblings (2 males, 1 female) developed a periampullary carcinoma at the age of 20, and the 2 brothers subsequently had colorectal and gastric carcinoma. One of them also had familial adenomatous polyposis. There is suggestive evidence of vertical transmission of a gene predisposing to a hereditary colorectal carcinoma syndrome.
HTLV‐1 in Switzerland: Low prevalence of specific antibodies in HIV risk groups, high prevalence of cross‐reactive antibodies in normal blood donors
Authors: Schüpbach Jörg , Baumgartner Antonietta , Tomasik Zuzana 
Published: April 2012

AbstractSera from various Swiss population groups were tested for antibodies against the human T‐cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV‐1). Particle agglutination and ELISA were performed for screening; Western blot was done for confirmation. True‐positive sera were found at a prevalence of 0.12% in a cohort of 846 individuals at risk for AIDS tested in 1984–1985. Prevalences of 0.35% were found among 575 HIV‐1 positives tested in 1987, and of 1.3% among 292 HIV‐1 positives of a different group tested in 1988. The 6 positives found in our study represent the first cases of HTLV‐1 infection, or HIV‐1/HTLV‐1 double infection, diagnosed in Switzerland. In addition, high proportions of sera, regardless of whether they were from normal blood donors, HIV‐positives, or individuals at risk for AIDS, had antibodies that reacted weakly with one or several proteins of the size of viral gag proteins. The prevalence of such antibodies in normal donors was in the range of 10 to 40%, depending on the strictness of interpretation. Competition Western blots performed with some of these sera showed that these antibodies reacted with HTLV‐1, but not with HIV‐1 or cellular antigens, and had a lower affinity to HTLV‐1 proteins than the antibodies of human or goat antisera. The results indicate that these antibodies may be induced by agents immunologically related to, but different from, HTLV‐1, which are highly prevalent in the Swiss population. Oligopeptide stretches with sequence homology to HTLV‐1 are known to exist in various normal body proteins, several infectious agents including common viruses and protozoa, but the results might also indicate the existence of additional human retroviruses. Screening of blood donors with sensitive tests for antibodies to HTLV‐1 might produce an unacceptably high rate of false‐positive results, if stringent rules of interpretation analogous to those common in HIV screening are not used.
Mouse monoclonal antibodies for experimental immunotherapy promotes killing of tumor cells
Authors: Larson L.N. , Johansson C. , Lindholm L. , Holmgren J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractMonoclonal antibodies (MAbs) produced against a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, Colo‐205, were tested in antibody‐dependent macrophage‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADMMC) assays. The antibodies C163, C215, C245 (IgG2a isotype); C1S1, C239, C241, C242 (IgG1); C152 (IgG2b); and C50 (IgM) were evaluated for their ability to promote killing of Colo‐205 cells by thioglycollate‐elicited peritoneal mouse macrophages. The concentrations of antibodies tested in ADMMC assays ranged from 1.0 ng/ml to 100 μg/ml, and the concentration at which 50% of tumor cells were lysed was used to characterize each antibody. Antibodies of the IgG2a isotype promoted the strongest macrophage‐mediated tumor cell lysis effects in vitro. MAbs C215, C163, and C245 were also tested in nude mice which had been inoculated with Colo‐205 cells. Tumor suppression was observed in mice injected with MAbs, supporting our ADMMC findings in vitro. Animals treated with MAbs had fewer and smaller tumors, and longer periods of latency between the inoculation of tumor cells and development of tumors, compared to mice sham‐treated with PBS. However, in a study of established tumors, C215 antibody did not suppress tumor growth. Serum collected from MAb‐treated mice promoted lysis of Colo‐205 cells in ADMMC assays while serum from sham‐treated mice did not.
SV40 transfection of human kidney epithelial cells and stability of chromosome 11
Authors: Poirier V. , Tyler S.J. , Brown K.W. , Shaw A.P.W. , Maitland N.J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractSimian virus 40 (SV40) transformation has been used in a variety of mammalian cells and has been shown to extend their life span. We therefore decided to apply these results to normal kidney and tumoral cells derived from Wilms' patients. Wilms' tumour, a nephroblastoma which presents in early childhood, has been linked to deletions and rearrangements in chromosome 11. Analysis of gene structure in the 11p13 locus involved in the development of the tumour has been restricted by the very short life‐span of the tumoral cells in vitro. We transfected normal kidney WT/NK, tumoral WT/T cells and human foetal kidney HFK cells with 2 SV40‐derived plasmids SV3neo (pBR322‐SV40‐containing neomycin bacterial gene) and SVori– (pMK‐origin mutated SV40). We isolated a high number of SV40‐transfected cell lines. The efficiency of transfection appeared to be extremely low in WT/T cells compared with HFK and even WT/NK. The life span of the cell lines was increased in relation to their untransfected homologues. However, in all of the cell lines except 3, senescence occurred, after crisis step or not. We looked at different markers associated with SV40 transformation of mammalian cells and specifically with the presence of SV40 T antigen in the cells and its consequences: AIG, tumorigenicity, expression and insertion in genomic DNA of SV40 T antigen. Genetic studies involving karyotypic and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis demonstrated that, despite a frequent pseudo‐diploidy, the cell lines derived have conserved the 11p13 locus.
Autoimmune expression of a cytoplasmic protein p60 in mice bearing metastasizing SV40‐transformed tumors
Authors: Manneck Hans E. , Pfaff Martin , Anderer F. Alfred 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn STU mice bearing metastasizing SV40‐transformed 51A‐232B‐M tumors, an immune response against a cellular 60kDa protein (p60) developed in about 50% of the tumor‐bearing animals, in addition to the response against SV40 large T‐antigen and cellular protein p53. The anti‐p60 auto‐immune response could be observed as early as 11 days after tumor challenge and was strictly linked with metastatic spread but was not a prerequisite for metastasis. Anti‐p60 antibodies could not be detected in sera of animals bearing metastasizing Rous‐sarcoma virus‐transformed or methylcholanthrene‐induced tumors, or in sera from human cancer patients with clinically confirmed metastatic spread. The anti‐p60 auto‐antibodies showed a broad cross‐reactivity against components of similar size in a great number of cell lines of various species and in normal mouse tissue. The p60 auto‐antigen is a cytoplasmic protein which is neither phosphorylated nor glycosylated in vivo. Immunoblotting performed with fresh cell lysates under non‐reducing conditions using tumor‐bearer sera revealed a diffuse p60 double band, but under reducing conditions only one sharp p60 band was observed. The reaction of p60 with anti‐p60 auto‐antibodies could be completely blocked by pre‐treatment of fresh cell lysates with N‐ethylmaleimide or p‐chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate, or by oxidation in air prior to immunoblotting, indicating that the anti‐p60 autoimmune response was directed against an epitope sensitive to SH‐group‐blocking reagents. Immunofluorescence studies with tumor‐bearer sera showed only a very weak cytoplasmic fluorescence, possibly due to the nature of the p60 SH‐groups in situ being masked. Immunoprecipitates with monoclonal antibodies against SV40 large T‐antigen and p53 obtained from fresh cell lysates of SV40‐transformed tumor cells contained no associated p60 auto‐antigen. The p60 auto‐antigen was purified from tumor cell homogenates with an enrichment factor of about 2,000; its iso‐electric point is at Ph 6.8. Determination of the biological half‐life of p60 yielded a value of about 28 hr. The p60 auto‐antibodies in pools of tumor‐bearer sera taken at day 40 after tumor challenge all belonged to the IgG1 subclass.
Growth and metastasis of human tumors in nude mice following tumor‐cell inoculation into a vascularized polyurethane sponge matrix
Authors: Thiede K. , Momburg F. , Zangemeister U. , Schlag P. , Schirrmacher V. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractGrowth and metastasis of human tumor cells in immunodeficient nude mice were improved when tumor cells were inoculated within a vascularized artificial polyurethane sponge matrix. The sponges had been implanted 7–10 days earlier and were vascularized at the time of cell injection. All cell lines tested, including colon carcinoma‐derived lines from primary tumors (HT29, PT3 and PT4) or from liver metastasis (LM3), and a metastatic variant from a melanoma (MeWo‐Met) grew in a high percentage (78–94%) of the inoculated sponge grafts. When growth in sponge grafts is compared with growth at a subcutaneous site, the sponge matrix appears to increase tumorigenicity, at least for some cell lines. Regular formation of metastases was observed when cells had been injected into sponges. Most metastases were found in a second sponge graft implanted at a contralateral site, but some were also found at other s.c. sites. In vivo depletion of NK cells by pre‐treatment with cyclophosphamide could not further enhance the formation of metastasis. Tumor cells from fresh surgical specimens could be propagated in sponge matrix grafts and subsequently established as cell lines in tissue culture.
Relationship between cellular adhesiveness and metastatic activity in polyomavirus‐transformed FR3T3 rat cell lines
Authors: Leung‐Tack Jeanne , Capo Christian , De Lapeyrière Odile , Benoliel Anne‐Marie , Arnaud Danielle , Bongrand Pierre 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA series of polyomavirus‐transformed rat cells with varying tumorigenic potential were tested for biophysical parameters possibly related to metastatic properties: adhesive capacity and strength of adhesion to different substrates (laminin, fibronectin and albumin), cell deformability and spreading. Two groups of cell lines were defined according to their higher or lower adhesive capacity. Adhesivity did not appear to be related to cell deformability and spreading. A weak correlation was suggested between low adhesivity and high metastatic potential. A selection method was devised to separate cell samples into 3 subpopulations with different adhesive strength. Two cell lines, originally different, were chosen for this study: Py‐tsa A25 cells were less adherent and highly metastatic, and Py‐WTA2 cells were more adherent and less metastatic. After s.c. inoculation into syngeneic Fisher rats, the 3 selected subpopulations of the 2 cell lines induced pulmonary nodules to varying degrees, but only the less adherent ones were able to induce visceral metastasis located in stomach and intestine. In this case, animal survival time was 30% lower than for the highly adherent selected cells. After 10 culture passages, the same subpopulations were able to metastasize only in the lungs. However, when the selection procedure was repeated, the less adherent cells were again able to yield visceral nodules. Tumorigenicity remained unchanged in all cases. Study of cell dissemination and arrest in vivo showed a rapid targeting of labelled tumor cells toward lungs and stomach 5 hr after intradermal injection, where they remained up to 72 hr. More adherent cells displayed delayed localization after injection (24 hr) and radioactivity decreased more rapidly.
HOW RELIABLE ARE DE FACTO EXCHANGE RATE REGIME CLASSIFICATIONS?
Authors: Eichengreen Barry , Razo‐Garcia Raul 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTWe analyze disagreements over de facto exchange‐rate‐regime classifications using three popular de facto regime data series. While there is a moderate degree of concurrence across classifications, disagreements are not uncommon, and they are not random. They are most prevalent in middle‐income countries (emerging markets) and low‐income (developing) countries as opposed to advanced economies. They are most prevalent for countries with well‐developed financial markets, low reserves and open capital accounts. This suggests caution when attempting to relate the exchange rate regime to financial development, the openness of the financial account, and reserve management and accumulation decisions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.