bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adenovirus-mediated siRNA targeting Bcl-xL inhibits proliferation, reduces invasion and enhances radiosensitivity of human colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Yang Jinsong , Sun Ming , Zhang Aiping , Lv Chengyu , De Wei , Wang Zhaoxia 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Introduction
Bcl-xL, an important member of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family, plays critical roles in tumor progression and development. Previously, we have reported that overexpression of Bcl-xL was correlated with prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of Bcl-xL expression with invasion and radiosensitivity of human CRC cells.

Methods
RT-PCR and Western blot assays were performed to determine the expression of Bcl-xL mRNA and protein in CRC cells and normal human intestinal epithelial cell line. Then, adenovirus-mediated RNA interference technique was employed to inhibit the expression of Bcl-xL gene in CRC cells. The proliferation of CRC cells was analyzed by MTT and colony formation assay. The migration and invasion of CRC cells was determined by wound-healing and tranwell invasion assays. Additionally, the in vitro and in vivo radiosensitivity of CRC cells was determined by clonogenic cell survival assay and murine xnograft model, respectively.

Results
The levels of Bcl-xL mRNA and protein expression were significantly higher in human CRC cells than in normal human intestinal epithelial cell line. Ad/shBcl-xL could significantly reduce the expression of Bcl-xL protein in CRC cells. Also, we showed that adenovirus-mediated siRNA targeting Bcl-xL could significantly inhibit proliferation and colony formation of CRC cells. Ad/shBcl-xL could significantly suppress migration and invasion of CRC cells. Moreover, Ad/shBcl-xL could enhance in vitro and in vivo radiosensitivity of CRC cells by increasing caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Conclusions
Targeting Bcl-xL will be a promising strategy to inhibit the metastatic potential and reverse the radioresistance of human CRC.
The promoter -1031(T/C) polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha associated with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Yun Ji-Hyun , Choi Jin-Woo , Lee Kyung-Ju , Shin Joong-Sik , Baek Kwang-Hyun 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
A tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a multifunctional pro-inflammation cytokine, which has been considered as one of pathogenic factors for various diseases. The promoter -1031(T/C) polymorphism in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene was reported that it plays a part in reproduction-related diseases. Among these, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known to be a common gynecological disease of women in reproductive age women. Here, we performed a comparative study of -1031(T/C) polymorphism of TNF-alpha gene with PCOS in a Korean population.

Methods
The -1031(T/C) polymorphism of TNF-alpha gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in a total of 217 PCOS patients and 144 matched female controls of healthy women. And statistical analysis was performed using HapAnalyzer. X
2 test and logistic regression were utilized analyze the association between two groups. A p-value under 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results
The genotype and allelic frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). There was strong association between the -1031(T/C) polymorphism in the promoter region of TNF-alpha gene and PCOS (p-value = 0.0003, odd ratio (OR) = 2.53). In addition, the frequency of C allele was significantly higher in PCOS patients compared with controls. Sequence analyses also showed the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of TNF-alpha gene.

Conclusion
This is the first study on the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of TNF-alpha gene in PCOS. We concluded that the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of TNF-alpha gene is associated with PCOS in a Korean population. Therefore, it is possible that it may be considered as a clinical biomarker to diagnose for PCOS, and is helpful in understanding the etiology for the pathogenesis of PCOS.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle attachment on array of micro test tubes and microbeakers formed on p-type silicon substrate for biosensor applications
Authors: Ghoshal Sarmishtha , Ansar Abul AM , Raja Sufi O , Jana Arpita , Bandyopadhyay Nil R , Dasgupta Anjan K , Ray Mallar 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA uniformly distributed array of micro test tubes and microbeakers is formed on a p-type silicon substrate with tunable cross-section and distance of separation by anodic etching of the silicon wafer in N, N-dimethylformamide and hydrofluoric acid, which essentially leads to the formation of macroporous silicon templates. A reasonable control over the dimensions of the structures could be achieved by tailoring the formation parameters, primarily the wafer resistivity. For a micro test tube, the cross-section (i.e., the pore size) as well as the distance of separation between two adjacent test tubes (i.e., inter-pore distance) is typically approximately 1 μm, whereas, for a microbeaker the pore size exceeds 1.5 μm and the inter-pore distance could be less than 100 nm. We successfully synthesized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), with average particle size approximately 20 nm and attached them on the porous silicon chip surface as well as on the pore walls. Such SPION-coated arrays of micro test tubes and microbeakers are potential candidates for biosensors because of the biocompatibility of both silicon and SPIONs. As acquisition of data via microarray is an essential attribute of high throughput bio-sensing, the proposed nanostructured array may be a promising step in this direction.
The current image of single SnO2 nanobelt nanodevice studied by conductive atomic force microscopy
Authors: Wang Shujie , Cheng Gang , Cheng Ke , Jiang Xiaohong , Du Zuliang 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA single SnO2 nanobelt was assembled on a pair of Au electrodes by electric-field assembly method. The electronic transport property of single SnO2 nanobelt was studied by conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). Back-to-back Schottky barrier-type junctions were created between AFM tip/SnO2 nanobelt/Au electrode which can be concluded from the I-V curve. The current images of single SnO2 nanobelt nanodevices were also studied by C-AFM techniques, which showed stripes patterns on the nanobelt surface. The current images of the nanobelt devices correlate the microscopy with separate transport properties measurement together.
3D positioning scheme exploiting nano-scale IR-UWB orthogonal pulses
Authors: Kim Nammoon , Kim Youngok 
Published: October 2011

AbstractIn these days, the development of positioning technology for realizing ubiquitous environments has become one of the most important issues. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a well-known positioning scheme, but it is not suitable for positioning in in-door/building environments because it is difficult to maintain line-of-sight condition between satellites and a GPS receiver. To such problem, various positioning methods such as RFID, WLAN, ZigBee, and Bluetooth have been developed for indoor positioning scheme. However, the majority of positioning schemes are focused on the two-dimension positioning even though three-dimension (3D) positioning information is more useful especially in indoor applications, such as smart space, U-health service, context aware service, etc. In this paper, a 3D positioning system based on mutually orthogonal nano-scale impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) signals and cross array antenna is proposed. The proposed scheme uses nano-scale IR-UWB signals providing fine time resolution and high-resolution multiple signal specification algorithm for the time-of-arrival and the angle-of-arrival estimation. The performance is evaluated over various IEEE 802.15.4a channel models, and simulation results show the effectiveness of proposed scheme.
Sequence variability of Rhizobiales orthologs and relationship with physico-chemical characteristics of proteins
Authors: Peralta Humberto , Guerrero Gabriela , Aguilar Alejandro , Mora Jaime 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
Chromosomal orthologs can reveal the shared ancestral gene set and their evolutionary trends. Additionally, physico-chemical properties of encoded proteins could provide information about functional adaptation and ecological niche requirements.

Results
We analyzed 7080 genes (five groups of 1416 orthologs each) from Rhizobiales species (S. meliloti, R. etli, and M. loti, plant symbionts; A. tumefaciens, a plant pathogen; and B. melitensis, an animal pathogen). We evaluated their phylogenetic relationships and observed three main topologies. The first, with closer association of R. etli to A. tumefaciens; the second with R. etli closer to S. meliloti; and the third with A. tumefaciens and S. meliloti as the closest pair. This was not unusual, given the close relatedness of these three species. We calculated the synonymous (dS) and nonsynonymous (dN) substitution rates of these orthologs, and found that informational and metabolic functions showed relatively low dN rates; in contrast, genes from hypothetical functions and cellular processes showed high dN rates. An alternative measure of sequence variability, percentage of changes by species, was used to evaluate the most specific proportion of amino acid residues from alignments. When dN was compared with that measure a high correlation was obtained, revealing that much of evolutive information was extracted with the percentage of changes by species at the amino acid level. By analyzing the sequence variability of orthologs with a set of five properties (polarity, electrostatic charge, formation of secondary structures, molecular volume, and amino acid composition), we found that physico-chemical characteristics of proteins correlated with specific functional roles, and association of species did not follow their typical phylogeny, probably reflecting more adaptation to their life styles and niche preferences. In addition, orthologs with low dN rates had residues with more positive values of polarity, volume and electrostatic charge.

Conclusions
These findings revealed that even when orthologs perform the same function in each genomic background, their sequences reveal important evolutionary tendencies and differences related to adaptation.
This article was reviewed by: Dr. Purificación López-García, Prof. Jeffrey Townsend (nominated by Dr. J. Peter Gogarten), and Ms. Olga Kamneva.
Multi-professional clinical medication reviews in care homes for the elderly: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with cost effectiveness analysis
Authors: Desborough James , Houghton Julie , Wood John , Wright David , Holland Richard , Sach Tracey , Ashwell Sue , Shaw Val 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBackgroundEvidence demonstrates that measures are needed to optimise therapy and improve administration of medicines in care homes for older people. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of a novel model of multi-professional medication review.MethodsA cluster randomised controlled trial design, involving thirty care homes. In line with current practice in medication reviews, recruitment and consent will be sought from general practitioners and care homes, rather than individual residents. Care homes will be segmented according to size and resident mix and allocated to the intervention arm (15 homes) or control arm (15 homes) sequentially using minimisation. Intervention homes will receive a multi-professional medication review at baseline and at 6 months, with follow-up at 12 months. Control homes will receive usual care (support they currently receive from the National Health Service), with data collection at baseline and 12 months. The novelty of the intervention is a review of medications by a multi-disciplinary team. Primary outcome measures are number of falls and potentially inappropriate prescribing. Secondary outcome measures include medication costs, health care resource use, hospitalisations and mortality.The null hypothesis proposes no difference in primary outcomes between intervention and control patients. The primary outcome variable (number of falls) will be analysed using a linear mixed model, with the intervention specified as a fixed effect and care homes included as a random effect. Analyses will be at the level of the care home. The economic evaluation will estimate the cost-effectiveness of the intervention compared to usual care from a National Health Service and personal social services perspective.The study is not measuring the impact of the intervention on professional working relationships, the medicines culture in care homes or the generic health-related quality of life of residents.DiscussionThis study will establish the effectiveness of a new model of multi-professional clinical medication reviews in care homes, using novel approaches to recruitment and consent. It is the first study to undertake an examination of direct patient outcomes, together with an economic analysis.Trial RegistrationISRCTN:ISRCTN90761620
De novo malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the kidney
Authors: Hsieh Tsan-Yu , ChangChien Yi-Che , Chen Wen-Hsiang , Chen Siu-Chung , Chang Liang-Che , Hwang Cheng-Cheng , Chein Hui-Ping , Chen Jim-Ray 
Published: October 2011

Abstract
The kidney is a relatively infrequent site for solitary fibrous tumor (SFT). Among the previously reported cases, only two cases of malignant renal SFT developing via dedifferentiation from a pre-existing benign SFT have been reported. Here we reported a case of de novo malignant renal SFT clinically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma in a 50-year-old woman. The tumor was circumscribed but unencapsulated and showed obvious hemorrhagic necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of patternless sheets of alternating hypercellular and hypocellular areas of spindle cells displaying mild to moderate nuclear atypia, frequent mitoses up to 8 per 10 high power fields, and a 20% Ki-67 proliferative index. Immunohistochemical studies revealed reactivity for CD34, CD99 and vimentin, with no staining for all other markers, confirming the diagnosis of SFT. No areas of dedifferentiation were seen after extensive sampling. Based on the pathologic and immunohistochemical features, a diagnosis of de novo malignant renal SFT was warranted. Our report expands the spectrum of malignant progression in renal SFTs. Even though this patient has been disease-free for 30 months, long-term follow-up is still mandatory.
Ileosigmoid fistula and delayed ileal obstruction secondary to blunt abdominal trauma: a case report
Authors: Bouliaris Konstantinos , Karangelis Dimos , Spanos Konstantinos , Germanos Stylianos , Alexiou Evangelos , Giaglaras Anargyros 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Introduction
Abdominal trauma is a source of significant mortality and morbidity. Bowel injury as a result of blunt abdominal trauma is usually evident within hours or days of the accident.

Case presentation
A 38-year-old Caucasian Greek man presented with a subtle and delayed small bowel obstruction caused by a post-traumatic ileosigmoid fistula and ileal stricture four months after a road traffic accident.

Conclusion
Delayed occurrence of post-traumatic small bowel stricture and ileosigmoid fistula is an uncommon surgical emergency. General surgeons as well as emergency physicians should bear this manifestation in mind should a patient return to the hospital several weeks or even years after blunt abdominal trauma with symptoms or signs of bowel obstruction.
Improved retroviral suicide gene transfer in colon cancer cell lines after cell synchronization with methotrexate
Authors: Finzi Laetitia , Kraemer Aurore , Capron Claude , Noullet Severine , Goere Diane , Penna Christophe , Nordlinger Bernard , Legagneux Josette , Emile Jean-Fançois , Malafosse Robert 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
Cancer gene therapy by retroviral vectors is mainly limited by the level of transduction. Retroviral gene transfer requires target cell division. Cell synchronization, obtained by drugs inducing a reversible inhibition of DNA synthesis, could therefore be proposed to precondition target cells to retroviral gene transfer. We tested whether drug-mediated cell synchronization could enhance the transfer efficiency of a retroviral-mediated gene encoding herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) in two colon cancer cell lines, DHDK12 and HT29.

Methods
Synchronization was induced by methotrexate (MTX), aracytin (ara-C) or aphidicolin. Gene transfer efficiency was assessed by the level of HSV-TK expression. Transduced cells were driven by ganciclovir (GCV) towards apoptosis that was assessed using annexin V labeling by quantitative flow cytometry.

Results
DHDK12 and HT29 cells were synchronized in S phase with MTX but not ara-C or aphidicolin. In synchronized DHDK12 and HT29 cells, the HSV-TK transduction rates were 2 and 1.5-fold higher than those obtained in control cells, respectively. Furthermore, the rate of apoptosis was increased two-fold in MTX-treated DHDK12 cells after treatment with GCV.

Conclusions
Our findings indicate that MTX-mediated synchronization of target cells allowed a significant improvement of retroviral HSV-tk gene transfer, resulting in an increased cell apoptosis in response to GCV. Pharmacological control of cell cycle may thus be a useful strategy to optimize the efficiency of retroviral-mediated cancer gene therapy.
Hypersensitivity reactions to anticancer agents: Data mining of the public version of the FDA adverse event reporting system, AERS
Authors: Kadoyama Kaori , Kuwahara Akiko , Yamamori Motohiro , Brown JB , Sakaeda Toshiyuki , Okuno Yasushi 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
Previously, adverse event reports (AERs) submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database were reviewed to confirm platinum agent-associated hypersensitivity reactions. The present study was performed to confirm whether the database could suggest the hypersensitivity reactions caused by anticancer agents, paclitaxel, docetaxel, procarbazine, asparaginase, teniposide, and etoposide.

Methods
After a revision of arbitrary drug names and the deletion of duplicated submissions, AERs involving candidate agents were analyzed. The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 was applied to evaluate the susceptibility to hypersensitivity reactions, and standardized official pharmacovigilance tools were used for quantitative detection of signals, i.e., drug-associated adverse events, including the proportional reporting ratio, the reporting odds ratio, the information component given by a Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and the empirical Bayes geometric mean.

Results
Based on 1,644,220 AERs from 2004 to 2009, the signals were detected for paclitaxel-associated mild, severe, and lethal hypersensitivity reactions, and docetaxel-associated lethal reactions. However, the total number of adverse events occurring with procarbazine, asparaginase, teniposide, or etoposide was not large enough to detect signals.

Conclusions
The FDA's adverse event reporting system, AERS, and the data mining methods used herein are useful for confirming drug-associated adverse events, but the number of co-occurrences is an important factor in signal detection.
Implementation of checklists in health care; learning from high-reliability organisations
Authors: Thomassen Øyvind , Espeland Ansgar , Søfteland Eirik , Lossius Hans Morten , Heltne Jon Kenneth , Brattebø Guttorm 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
Checklists are common in some medical fields, including surgery, intensive care and emergency medicine. They can be an effective tool to improve care processes and reduce mortality and morbidity. Despite the seemingly rapid acceptance and dissemination of the checklist, there are few studies describing the actual process of developing and implementing such tools in health care. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences from checklist development and implementation in a group of non-medical, high reliability organisations (HROs).

Method
A qualitative study based on key informant interviews and field visits followed by a Delphi approach. Eight informants, each with 10-30 years of checklist experience, were recruited from six different HROs.

Results
The interviews generated 84 assertions and recommendations for checklist implementation. To achieve checklist acceptance and compliance, there must be a predefined need for which a checklist is considered a well suited solution. The end-users ("sharp-end") are the key stakeholders throughout the development and implementation process. Proximity and ownership must be assured through a thorough and wise process. All informants underlined the importance of short, self-developed, and operationally-suited checklists. Simulation is a valuable and widely used method for training, revision, and validation.

Conclusion
Checklists have been a cornerstone of safety management in HROs for nearly a century, and are becoming increasingly popular in medicine. Acceptance and compliance are crucial for checklist implementation in health care. Experiences from HROs may provide valuable input to checklist implementation in healthcare.
A truly green synthesis of α-aminonitriles via Strecker reaction
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Debasish , Velazquez Juliana M , Banik Bimal K 
Published: October 2011

Abstract

Background
The classical Strecker reaction is one of the simplest and most economical methods for the synthesis of racemic α-aminonitriles (precursor of α-amino acids) and pharmacologically useful compounds.

Results
Indium powder in water is shown to act as a very efficient catalyst for one-pot, three-component synthesis of α-aminonitriles from diverse amines, aldehydes and TMSCN. This general rapid method is applicable to a wide range of amines and aldehydes and produces products in excellent yield.

Conclusions
The present one-pot, three-component environmentally benign procedure for the synthesis of α-aminonitriles will find application in the synthesis of complex biologically active molecules.