bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Growth mechanism and blue shift of Mn2+ luminescence for wurtzite ZnS : Mn2+ nanowires
Authors: Cao Jian , Yang Jinghai , Zhang Yongjun , Yang Lili , Wang Dandan , Wei Maobin , Wang Yaxin , Liu Yang , Gao Ming , Liu Xiaoyan 
Published: February 2010

Wurtzite-type ZnS : Mn2+ nanowires were prepared by a hydrothermal method at 180 °C without any surface-active agent. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The average diameter of the nanowires was about 10 nm. An ethylenediamine-mediated template was observed and employed to explain the growth mechanism in detail. A strong yellow–orange emission from the Mn2+
4T1–6A1 transition was observed in the photoluminescence spectra, which exhibited blue shift as the Mn2+ doped ratio increased.
Cantharidin, a potent and selective PP2A inhibitor, induces an oxidative stress‐independent growth inhibition of pancreatic cancer cells through G2/M cell‐cycle arrest and apoptosis
Authors: Li Wei , Xie Li , Chen Zheng , Zhu Yi , Sun Yujie , Miao Yi , Xu Zekuan , Han Xiao 
Published: February 2010

Cantharidin is an active constituent of mylabris, a traditional Chinese medicine. It is a potent and selective inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) that plays an important role in control of cell cycle, apoptosis, and cell‐fate determination. Owing to its antitumor activity, cantharidin has been frequently used in clinical practice. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of cantharidin in pancreatic cancer. Cantharidin efficiently inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, but presented a much lighter toxicity effect against normal pancreatic duct cells. It caused G2/M cell‐cycle arrest that was accompanied by the down‐regulation of cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and up‐regulation of p21 expression. It induced apoptosis and elevated the expressions of pro‐apoptotic factors tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), TNF‐related apoptosis inducing receptor 1 (TRAILR1), TRAILR2, Bad, Bak, and Bid, and decreased the expression of anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2. Activation of caspase‐8 and caspase‐9 suggested that both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways are involved in the induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, unlike previous studies on other cancer cells, we found that the inhibitory role of cantharidin is independent of oxidative stress in pancreatic cancer cells. Mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including ERK, JNK, and p38, were activated after treatment with cantharidin. Inhibition of JNK, but not ERK or p38, alleviated the cytotoxity effect of cantharidin, suggesting cantharidin exerted its anticancer effect through the JNK‐dependent way. Hence, in addition to being an attractive candidate compound with therapeutic potential, cantharidin also highlighted the possibility of using PP2A as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer treatment.(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1226–1233)
Expression and prognostic significance of osteopontin and caspase‐3 in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative resection
Authors: Huang Hua , Zhang Xiao‐Fei , Zhou Hai‐Jun , Xue Yu‐Hua , Dong Qiong‐Zhu , Ye Qing‐Hai , Qin Lun‐Xiu 
Published: February 2010

Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in the development, invasion, and metastasis of malignancies. Recently, several studies have reported that OPN enhances chemoresistance in small‐cell lung cancer and breast cancer by blocking caspase‐9 and caspase‐3‐dependent cell apoptosis. The aim of this study was to assess the value of OPN and caspase‐3 for predicting tumor recurrence after curative resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We found that OPN expression increased concordantly with increasing metastatic potential in human HCC cell lines, whereas caspase‐3 expression declined. In a tumor tissue microarray immunohistochemical analysis, we found that patients with higher levels of OPN and lower levels of caspase‐3 had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients with lower OPN and higher caspase‐3 levels. The combination of OPN and caspase‐3 expression thus served as an effective prognosticator. These findings suggest that OPN alone or in combination with caspase‐3 may act as an independent indicator for HCC patients after curative resection.(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1314–1319)
Mitochondria regulate the unfolded protein response leading to cancer cell survival under glucose deprivation conditions
Authors: Haga Naomi , Saito Sakae , Tsukumo Yoshinori , Sakurai Junko , Furuno Aki , Tsuruo Takashi , Tomida Akihiro 
Published: February 2010

Cancer cells consume large amounts of glucose because of their specific metabolic pathway. However, cancer cells exist in tumor tissue where glucose is insufficient. To survive, cancer cells likely have the mechanism to elude their glucose addiction. Here we show that functional mitochondria are essential if cancer cells are to avoid glucose addiction. Cancer cells with dysfunctional mitochondria, such as mitochondrial DNA‐deficient ρ0 cells and electron transport chain blocker‐treated cells, were highly sensitive to glucose deprivation. Our data demonstrated that this sensitization was associated with failure of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive response mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This study suggests a link between mitochondria and the ER during the UPR under glucose deprivation conditions and that mitochondria govern cell fate, not only through ATP production and apoptosis regulation, but also through modulating the UPR for cell survival.(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1125–1132)
The abuse potential of the synthetic cannabinoid nabilone
Authors: Ware Mark A. , St Arnaud‐Trempe Emmanuelle 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAim  Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid prescription drug approved in Canada since 1981 to treat chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting. In recent years, off‐label use of nabilone for chronic pain management has increased, and physicians have begun to express concerns about nabilone becoming a drug of abuse. This study evaluates the evidence for abuse of nabilone, which is currently ill‐defined.Study design  Scientific literature, popular press and internet databases were searched extensively for evidence of nabilone abuse. Focused interviews with medical professionals and law enforcement agencies across Canada were also conducted.Findings  The scientific literature and popular press reviews found very little reference to nabilone abuse. Nabilone is perceived to produce more undesirable side effects, to have a longer onset of action and to be more expensive than smoked cannabis. The internet review revealed rare and isolated instances of recreational use of nabilone. The database review yielded little evidence of nabilone abuse, although nabilone seizures and thefts have occurred in Canada in the past few years, especially in Ontario. Most law enforcement officers reported no instances of nabilone abuse or diversion, and the drug has no known street value. Medical professionals reported that nabilone is not perceived to be a matter of concern with respect to its abuse potential.Conclusions  Reports of nabilone abuse are extremely rare. However, follow‐up of patients using nabilone for therapeutic purposes is prudent and should include assessment of tolerance and dependence. Prospective studies are also needed to definitively address the issue of nabilone abuse.
Finnegan neonatal abstinence scoring system: normal values for first 3 days and weeks 5–6 in non‐addicted infants
Authors: Zimmermann‐Baer Urs , Nötzli Ursula , Rentsch Katharina , Bucher Hans Ulrich 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTObjective  The neonatal abstinence scoring system proposed by Finnegan is used widely in neonatal units to initiate and to guide therapy in babies of opiate‐dependent mothers. The purpose of this study was to assess the variability of the scores in newborns and infants not exposed to opiates during the first 3 days of life and during 3 consecutive days in weeks 5 or 6.Patients and methods  Healthy neonates born after 34 completed weeks of gestation, whose parents denied opiate consumption and gave informed consent, were included in this observational study. Infants with signs or symptoms of disease or with feeding problems were excluded. A modified scoring system was used every 8 hours during 72 hours by trained nurses; 102 neonates were observed for the first 3 days of life and 26 neonates in weeks 5–6. A meconium sample and a urine sample at weeks 5–6 were stored from all infants to be analysed for drugs when the baby scored high. Given a non‐Gaussian distribution the scores were represented as percentiles.Results  During the first 3 days of life median scores remained stable at 2 but the variability increased, with the 95th percentile rising from 5.5 on day 1 to 7 on day 2. At weeks 5–6 median values were higher during daytime (50th percentile = 5, 95th percentile = 8) than night‐time (50th percentile = 2, 95th percentile = 6, P = 0.02).Conclusion  Scores increase from days 1–3 to weeks 5–6 and show day–night cycles with 5–6 weeks. Values above 8 can be considered pathological. This data may help to raise suspicion of narcotic withdrawal and to guide therapy.
Testing for cannabis in the work‐place: a review of the evidence
Authors: Macdonald Scott , Hall Wayne , Roman Paul , Stockwell Tim , Coghlan Michelle , Nesvaag Sverre 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTBackground  Urinalysis testing in the work‐place has been adopted widely by employers in the United States to deter employee drug use and promote ‘drug‐free’ work‐places. In other countries, such as Canada, testing is focused more narrowly on identifying employees whose drug use puts the safety of others at risk.Aims  We review 20 years of published literature on questions relevant to the objectives of work‐place drug testing (WPDT), with a special emphasis on cannabis, the most commonly detected drug.Results  We conclude (i) that the acute effects of smoking cannabis impair performance for a period of about 4 hours; (ii) long‐term heavy use of cannabis can impair cognitive ability, but it is not clear that heavy cannabis users represent a meaningful job safety risk unless using before work or on the job; (iii) urine tests have poor validity and low sensitivity to detect employees who represent a safety risk; (iv) drug testing is related to reductions in the prevalence of cannabis positive tests among employees, but this might not translate into fewer cannabis users; and (v) urinalysis has not been shown to have a meaningful impact on job injury/accident rates.Conclusions  Urinalysis testing is not recommended as a diagnostic tool to identify employees who represent a job safety risk from cannabis use. Blood testing for active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be considered by employers who wish to identify employees whose performance may be impaired by their cannabis use.
A brief alcohol intervention for hazardously drinking incarcerated women
Authors: Stein Michael D. , Caviness Celeste M. , Anderson Bradley J. , Hebert Meg , Clarke Jennifer G. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTObjective  To test the hypothesis that among hazardously drinking incarcerated women who are returning to the community, a brief alcohol intervention will result in less alcohol use at follow‐up relative to standard of care.Methods  Eligible participants endorsed hazardous alcohol consumption—four or more drinks at a time on at least 3 separate days in the previous 3 months or a score of 8 or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Participants were randomized to either an assessment‐only condition or to two brief motivationally focused sessions, the first delivered during incarceration, the second 1 month later after community re‐entry. Participants recalled drinking behaviors at 3 and 6 months after the baseline interview using a 90‐day time‐line follow‐back method.Results  The 245 female participants averaged 34 years of age, and were 71% Caucasian. The mean percentage of alcohol use days in the 3 months prior to incarceration was 51.7% and heavy alcohol use days was 43.9%. Intervention effects on abstinent days were statistically significant at 3 months (odds ratio = 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.17, 3.30); the percentage of days abstinent was 68% for those randomized to intervention and 57% for controls. At 6 months the effect of the intervention was attenuated and no longer statistically significant.Conclusions  Among incarcerated women who reported hazardous drinking, a two‐session brief alcohol intervention increased abstinent days at 3 months, but this effect decayed by 6 months. Study participants continued to drink heavily after return to the community. More intensive intervention pre‐release and after re‐entry may benefit hazardously drinking incarcerated women.
Moderators and mediators of two brief interventions for alcohol in the emergency department
Authors: Barnett Nancy P. , Apodaca Timothy R. , Magill Molly , Colby Suzanne M. , Gwaltney Chad , Rohsenow Damaris J. , Monti Peter M. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTObjective  To evaluate moderators and mediators of brief alcohol interventions conducted in the emergency department.Methods  Patients (18–24 years; n = 172) in an emergency department received a motivational interview with personalized feedback (MI) or feedback only (FO), with 1‐ and 3‐month booster sessions and 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐ups. Gender, alcohol status/severity group [ALC+ only, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT+) only, ALC+/AUDIT+], attribution of alcohol in the medical event, aversiveness of the event, perceived seriousness of the event and baseline readiness to change alcohol use were evaluated as moderators of intervention efficacy. Readiness to change also was evaluated as a mediator of intervention efficacy, as were perceived risks/benefits of alcohol use, self‐efficacy and alcohol treatment seeking.Results  Alcohol status, attribution and readiness moderated intervention effects such that patients who had not been drinking prior to their medical event, those who had low or medium attribution for alcohol in the event and those who had low or medium readiness to change showed lower alcohol use 12 months after receiving MI compared to FO. In the AUDIT+ only group those who received MI showed lower rates of alcohol‐related injury at follow‐up than those who received FO. Patients who had been drinking prior to their precipitating event did not show different outcomes in the two interventions, regardless of AUDIT status. Gender did not moderate intervention efficacy and no significant mediation was found.Conclusions  Findings may help practitioners target patients for whom brief interventions will be most effective. More research is needed to understand how brief interventions transmit their effects.
Predictors of hangover during a week of heavy drinking on holiday
Authors: Hesse Morten , Tutenges Sébastien 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTAims  To investigate predictors of hangover during a week of heavy drinking in young adults.Design  Observational prospective study.Methods  A total of 112 young Danish tourists were interviewed on three occasions during their holiday. They completed the Acute Hangover Scale and answered questions about their alcohol consumption and rest duration. The incidence of hangover was analysed as the proportion of heavy drinkers (i.e. those reporting drinking more than 12 standard units of alcohol during the night before) scoring above the 90th percentile of light drinkers (i.e. those who had consumed fewer than seven standard units the night before). We estimated the course and predictors of hangover using random effects regression.Results  The incidence of hangover was 68% after drinking more than 12 standard units in the whole sample. The severity of hangover increased significantly during a week of heavy drinking and there was a time × number of drinks interaction, indicating that the impact of alcohol consumed on hangover became more pronounced later in the week. Levels of drinking before the holiday did not predict hangover.Conclusions  Hangovers after heavy drinking during holidays appear to be related both to amount drunk and time into the holiday.
Genetic and environmental influences on cannabis use initiation and problematic use: a meta‐analysis of twin studies
Authors: Verweij Karin J. H. , Zietsch Brendan P. , Lynskey Michael T. , Medland Sarah E. , Neale Michael C. , Martin Nicholas G. , Boomsma Dorret I. , Vink Jacqueline M. 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTBackground  Because cannabis use is associated with social, physical and psychological problems, it is important to know what causes some individuals to initiate cannabis use and a subset of those to become problematic users. Previous twin studies found evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on vulnerability, but due to considerable variation in the results it is difficult to draw clear conclusions regarding the relative magnitude of these influences.Methods  A systematic literature search identified 28 twin studies on cannabis use initiation and 24 studies on problematic cannabis use. The proportion of total variance accounted for by genes (A), shared environment (C) and unshared environment (E) in (i) initiation of cannabis use and (ii) problematic cannabis use was calculated by averaging corresponding A, C and E estimates across studies from independent cohorts and weighting by sample size.Results  For cannabis use initiation, A, C and E estimates were 48%, 25% and 27% in males and 40%, 39% and 21% in females. For problematic cannabis use A, C and E estimates were 51%, 20% and 29% for males and 59%, 15% and 26% for females. Confidence intervals of these estimates are considerably narrower than those in the source studies.Conclusions  Our results indicate that vulnerability to both cannabis use initiation and problematic use was influenced significantly by A, C and E. There was a trend for a greater C and lesser A component for cannabis use initiation compared to problematic use for females.
Clinical trial: interferential electric stimulation in functional dyspepsia patients – a prospective randomized study
Authors: KÖKLÜ S. , KÖKLÜ G. , ÖZGÜÇLÜ E. , KAYANI G. U. , AKBAL E. , HASÇELIK Z. 
Published: February 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 961–968SummaryBackground  There are several studies reporting the beneficial effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with gastroparesis and chronic constipation.Aim  To analyse whether transcutaneous electrical stimulation is an effective procedure in functional dyspepsia patients.Methods  Functional dyspepsia patients were randomly placed in vacuum interferential current (IFC) and placebo groups. Both treatments consisted of 12 sessions administered over 4 weeks. Upper gastrointestinal system symptoms were documented at the beginning, during and after the treatment sessions.Results  Patients in therapy (23 cases) and placebo (21 cases) groups were homogeneous with respect to demographic data and upper gastrointestinal system symptoms. In the therapy group, all symptoms other than early satiation improved significantly during and after the treatment sessions, whereas in the placebo group, symptoms including heartburn and vomiting did not change significantly. IFC therapy was superior to placebo with respect to epigastric discomfort, pyrosis, bloating, early satiation and postprandial fullness during the treatment sessions. One month after the treatment sessions, vacuum IFC proved to be superior to placebo with regard to early satiation and heartburn.Conclusions  Vacuum IFC is a non‐invasive and effective therapy for functional dyspepsia. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation may represent a new treatment modality for drug‐refractory functional dyspepsia patients.
The effects of dietary Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin on the copepods of the upper San Francisco Estuary
Authors: GER KEMAL A. , TEH SWEE J. , BAXA DOLORES V. , LESMEISTER SARAH , GOLDMAN CHARLES R. 
Published: February 2010

Summary1. Increasing blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa have unknown impacts on the copepods Eurytemora affinis and Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, which are the dominant zooplankters and key prey species for endangered larval fish in the upper San Francisco Estuary.2. Laboratory feeding experiments were designed to measure the effect of Microcystis on copepod survival and to distinguish the effects of toxicity and nutrition. In a series of survival tests, copepods were fed a mixed diet of algae plus one of two strains of Microcystis, either producing (MC+) or lacking microcystin (MC−).3. Microcystis significantly reduced survival even when it was a small proportion of the diet, indicating that toxicity was the major cause of mortality. Contrary to expectation, however, the MC+ strain did not result in higher mortality, suggesting that non‐MC metabolites of Microcystis can be toxic to copepods.4. Across treatments, survival of P. forbesi was greater than that of E. affinis, although the two copepods responded differently to both the ratio and the strain of Microcystis in their food. Survival of P. forbesi was greater on the MC+ strain and was inversely proportional to the ratio of dietary Microcystis (MC+ or MC−). In contrast, survival of E. affinis declined similarly across treatments and was not related to the proportion or strain of dietary Microcystis. Results indicate that the copepod P. forbesi can coexist with Microcystis while the other copepod E. affinis cannot.5. Regardless of species, dietary Microcystis caused significant mortality to copepods, and it may cause adverse impacts to the potentially food‐limited zooplankton community of the San Francisco Estuary. These impacts may not be related to the cellular MC concentration because Microcystis contains other metabolites that negatively affect copepods.
Seryl‐phosphorylated HPr regulates CcpA‐independent carbon catabolite repression in conjunction with PTS permeases in Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Zeng Lin , Burne Robert A. 
Published: February 2010

SummaryCarbohydrate catabolite repression (CCR) in Streptococcus mutans can be independent of catabolite control protein A (CcpA) and requires specific components of phosphoenolpyruvate‐dependent sugar:phosphotransferase system (PTS) permeases. Here, the effects of various ptsH (HPr) and hprK (HPr kinase/phosphatase) mutations on growth and CCR were evaluated. An hprKV265F mutation, which enhanced Ser46 phosphorylation of HPr, inhibited growth on multiple PTS sugars. A ptsHS46A mutation reversed the effects of hprKV265F in most cases. A strain carrying a ptsHS46D mutation, which mimics HPr(Ser‐P), presented with more severe growth defects than the hprKV265F mutant. The hprKV265F mutant enhanced CCR of the fruA and levD operons, a phenotype reversible by the ptsHS46A mutation. The effects of the hprKV265F mutation on fruA and levD expression were independent of CcpA, but dependent on ManL (IIABMan) and, to a lesser extent, on FruI (IIABCFru), in a carbohydrate‐specific fashion. Expression of the Bacillus subtilis ptsG gene in the manL mutant did not restore CCR of the lev or fru operons. The hprKV265F mutation inhibited growth on cellobiose and lactose, but only the transcription of the cel operon was decreased. Thus, in S. mutans, serine‐phosphorylated HPr functions in concert with particular PTS permeases to prioritize carbohydrate utilization by modulating sugar transport and transcription of catabolic operons.