bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of hormonal activities and genotoxicity of industrial effluents using in vitro bioassays combined with chemical analysis
Authors: Fang Yi-Xiang , Ying Guang-Guo , Zhao Jian-Liang , Chen Feng , Liu Shan , Zhang Li-Juan , Yang Bin 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Wastewaters from various industries are a main source of the contaminants in aquatic environments. The authors evaluated the hormonal activities (estrogenic/anti-estrogenic activities, androgenic/anti-androgenic activities) and genotoxicity of various effluents from textile and dyeing plants, electronic and electroplate factories, pulp and paper mills, fine chemical factories, and municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Pearl River Delta region by using in vitro bioassays (yeast estrogen screen [YES]; yeast androgen screen [YAS]; and genotoxicity assay [umu/SOS]) combined with chemical analysis. The results demonstrated the presence of estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, and anti-androgenic activity in most industrial effluents, whereas no androgenic activities were detected in all of the effluents. The measured estrogenic activities expressed as estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQs) ranged from below detection (3 of 26 samples) to 40.7 ng/L, with a mean of 7.33 ng/L in all effluents. A good linear relationship was found between the EEQs measured by YES bioassay and the EEQs calculated from chemical concentrations. These detected estrogenic compounds, such as 4-nonylphenol and estrone, were responsible for the estrogenic activities in the effluents. The genotoxic effects expressed as benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations (BaP EQs) varied between below detection and 88.2 µg/L, with a mean of 8.76 µg/L in all effluents. The target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were minor contributors to the genotoxicity in the effluents, and some nontarget compounds in the effluents were responsible for the measured genotoxicity. In terms of estrogenic activities and genotoxicity, discharge of these effluents could pose high risks to aquatic organisms in the receiving environments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:1273–1282. © 2012 SETAC
Decreased metal accumulation in passerines as a result of reduced emissions
Authors: Berglund Åsa M.M. , Rainio Miia J. , Eeva Tapio 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Technological advances in industrial processes have resulted in reduced atmospheric emissions from metal industries all over the globe, but the response of the environment is not well known. The authors studied metal (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Se) accumulation in passerine birds (pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, and great tit, Parus major) following almost 20 years of reduced metal emissions from the largest nonferrous smelter in Finland. Close to the industry, emission reductions resulted in reduced exposure to several of the elements and, more importantly, reduced accumulation by 58 to 95% in liver tissue. Albeit showing significant tissue reductions, nestlings had elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium close to the industry. Single-element concentrations were below critical levels associated with subclinical effects, but the mixture of toxic elements indirectly affected health and reproduction. Our study indicates that in environments with moderate duration of industrial activity, impact, and soil pollution, metal accumulation in organisms can decrease relatively rapidly when atmospheric emissions are reduced. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:1317–1323. © 2012 SETAC
Exposure to the pesticide linuron affects androgen-dependent gene expression in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Authors: Hogan Natacha S. , Gallant Melanie J. , van den Heuvel Michael R. 
Published: April 2012

Abstract
Previous research demonstrated that exposure to exogenous androgens and effluents with androgenic activity can induce spiggin mRNA production in the kidney of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). In the present study, we determine whether a short-term exposure to a known antiandrogenic pesticide, linuron (LN), suppresses spiggin mRNA in male stickleback and in androgenized female stickleback. Primers were designed from previously characterized sequences for each androgen receptor (AR) isoform in stickleback, arα and arβ, to assess whether these receptors are differentially regulated by androgen or antiandrogen exposure. Fish were exposed for 72 h to one of four treatments: control, LN (250 µg/L), 17α-methyltestosterone (MT, 500 ng/L), and an LN–MT mixture at those same concentrations. There was no effect of LN on spiggin and arβ mRNA levels in male kidney, while levels of arα were significantly increased twofold. Exposure to LN significantly inhibited MT-induced spiggin RNA production in female kidney with no effect on expression of arα and arβ. The present study is the first to demonstrate the antiandrogenic effect of LN at the transcript level and to examine androgenic/antiandrogenic responsiveness of the two ARs in the stickleback. From the present study, it was determined that measurement of spiggin RNA is a reliable and sensitive screening tool for the detection of both androgenic and antiandrogenic compounds. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:1391–1395. © 2012 SETAC
An Application of the Fuzzy ELECTRE Method for Academic Staff Selection
Authors: Rouyendegh Babak Daneshvar , Erkan Turan Erman 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThere are various methods regarding staff selection in different fields. Thanks to the increasing improvements in the field of education, universities around the world tend to demand high ‐quality and professional academic staff. Staff selection is a multi‐criteria decision‐making processes, and of strategic importance for most universities. This study deals with actual application of academic of staff selection using the opinion of experts to be applied into a model of group decision ‐ making called the Fuzzy ELECTRE (Elimination Et Choix Traduisant la REaite) method. There are ten qualitative criteria for selecting the best candidate amongst five prospective applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An Integrated Model of the Toyota Production System with Total Quality Management and People Factors
Authors: Yang Ching‐Chow , Yang King‐Jang 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe Toyota production system (TPS), or lean production, has been associated with many benefits for manufacturing firms that implement the system. However, to implement the TPS successfully, it is necessary to integrate the so‐called “hard side” of the system (that is, the technical aspects of material handling) with the “soft side” of the program (that is, the aspects associated with human factors). The present study makes a contribution to such a holistic view of the TPS by proposing an integrated model that consists of the technical aspects of the TPS, together with elements associated with total quality management (TQM), human resources management (HRM), and certain identified “people factors.” The study then uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test this holistic model using data obtained from a questionnaire survey of 153 Taiwanese manufacturing firms. The empirical study confirms the appropriateness of the causal model, which is evaluated by several goodness‐of‐fit methods. The study confirms the proposition that the inclusion of the “people factors” together with TQM and HRM significantly improves the realization of benefits associated with the TPS practices of “just‐in‐time” (JIT) and “autonomation.” The conclusion is that such an integrated model provides a much more effective “lean system” and has the potential to produce significantly enhanced benefits for firms that implement it. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spatial pattern separation in cognitively normal young and older adults
Authors: Holden Heather M. , Hoebel Calhuei , Loftis Kelly , Gilbert Paul E. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThis study examined the ability of cognitively normal young adults (n = 30) and older adults (n = 30) to perform a delayed match‐to‐sample task involving varying degrees of spatial interference to assess spatial pattern separation. Each trial consisted of a sample phase followed by a choice phase. During the sample phase, a circle appeared briefly on a computer screen. The participant was instructed to remember the location of the circle on the screen. During the choice phase, two circles were displayed simultaneously, and the participant was asked to indicate which circle was in the same location as the sample phase circle. The two circles on choice phase trials were separated by one of four possible spatial separations: 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 cm. Smaller separations are likely to create increased overlap among memory representations, which may result in heightened interference and a greater need for pattern separation. Consistent with this hypothesis, performance increased as a function of increased spatial separation in both young and older adults. However, young adults outperformed older adults, suggesting that spatial pattern separation may be less efficient in older adults due to potential age‐related changes in the dentate gyrus and CA3 hippocampal subregions. Older adults also were divided into older impaired and older unimpaired groups based on their performance on a standardized test of verbal memory. The older impaired group was significantly impaired relative to both the older unimpaired and young groups, suggesting that pattern separation deficits may be variable in older adults. The present findings may have important implications for designing behavioral interventions for older adults that structure daily living tasks to reduce interference, thus improving memory function. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Flood‐loss modelling for assessing impacts of flood‐frequency adjustment, Middle Mississippi River, USA
Authors: Pinter Nicholas , Dierauer Jennifer , Remo Jonathan W. F. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractThis study modelled flood losses (economic damages) along the Middle Mississippi River (MMR) (1) using current US government estimates of flow frequencies and (2) using frequencies based on the original, unaltered discharge measurements. The official flood frequencies were quantified in the Upper Mississippi River System Flow Frequency Study (UMRSFFS), but as a last step in that study, early discharges along the MMR were reduced by up to 54% to reflect a purported bias in early measurements. Subsequently, early discharge measurements were rigorously tested, and no such bias was found. Here, flood damages were quantified using a combination of one‐dimensional hydraulic modelling and flood‐loss modelling. For all recurrence intervals, damages were much less using the UMRSFFS flow frequencies compared with the frequencies based on the original discharge measurements, with differences ranging up to 79% (100‐year event) and $2.9bn (200‐year event). Annualized losses in the study area based on the UMRSFFS frequencies were just $41.6m versus $125.6m using the raw frequencies (an underestimation of 67%). These totals do not include flood losses elsewhere along the MMR, including in metropolitan St Louis. In summary, a seemingly small methodological adjustment – in this case, a single hidden adjustment, not documented anywhere within the UMRSFFS – can have dramatic societal impacts in terms of underestimation of flood probabilities and flood risk. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mice lacking epidermal PPARγ exhibit a marked augmentation in photocarcinogenesis associated with increased UVB‐induced apoptosis, inflammation and barrier dysfunction
Authors: Sahu Ravi P. , DaSilva Sonia C. , Rashid Badri , Martel Kellie Clay , Jernigan Danielle , Mehta Shama R. , Mohamed Deena R. , Rezania Samin , Bradish Joshua R. , Armstrong Andrew B. , Warren Simon , Konger Raymond L. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractRecent studies suggest that peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists may have cancer chemopreventive activity. Other studies have shown that loss of epidermal PPARγ results in enhanced chemical carcinogenesis in mice via unknown mechanisms. However, ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure represents the primary etiological agent for skin cancer formation and the role of PPARγ in photobiology and photocarcinogenesis is unknown. In previous studies, we demonstrated that UVB irradiation of cells results in the formation of oxidized glycerophosphocholines that exhibit PPARγ ligand activity. We therefore hypothesized that PPARγ would prove to be a chemopreventive target in photocarcinogenesis. We first showed that UVB irradiation of mouse skin causes generation of PPARγ agonist species in vivo. We then generated SKH‐1 hairless, albino mice deficient in epidermal Pparg (Pparg−/−epi) using a cytokeratin 14 driven Cre‐LoxP strategy. Using a chronic model of UVB photocarcinogenesis, we next showed that Pparg−/−epi mice exhibit an earlier onset of tumor formation, increased tumor burden and tumor progression. Increased tumor burden in Pparg−/−epi mice was accompanied by a significant increase in epidermal hyperplasia and p53 positive epidermal cells in surrounding skin lacking tumors. After acute UVB irradiation, Pparg−/−epi mice exhibited an augmentation of both UVB‐induced Caspase 3/7 activity and inflammation. Increased apoptosis and inflammation was also observed after treatment with the PPARγ antagonist GW9662. With chronic UVB irradiation, Pparg−/−epi mice exhibited a sustained increase in erythema and transepidermal water loss relative to wildtype littermates. This suggests that PPARγ agonists could have possible chemopreventive activity in non‐melanoma skin cancer.
Effectiveness of a simple rapid human papillomavirus DNA test in rural Nigeria
Authors: Gage Julia C. , Ajenifuja Kayode O. , Wentzensen Nicolas , Adepiti Akinfolarin C. , Stoler Mark , Eder Paul S. , Bell Laura , Shrestha Niwashin , Eklund Claire , Reilly Mary , Hutchinson Martha , Wacholder Sholom , Castle Philip E. , Burk Robert D. , Schiffman Mark 
Published: April 2012

AbstractSuccess of the new human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test for low‐resource settings (careHPV™ test; QIAGEN Gaithersburg Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) requires good test performance when operated by personnel with limited laboratory experience. We evaluated the transferability, reliability, and accuracy of the careHPV test nested within a cervical screening project in a large Nigerian village. CareHPV testing was performed on screen‐positive (n = 345) and screen‐negative (n = 42) women attending colposcopy (68.3% of referred). Biopsies of abnormal‐appearing areas were processed and read in the U.S. CareHPV specimens taken immediately before colposcopy were processed up to four times (in the field) by two secondary school graduates without laboratory experience, trained for this study. Specifically, QIAGEN Gaithersburg trained a laboratory‐inexperienced U.S. researcher, who trained the first local technician who, in turn, trained the second. Residual specimens were sent to the U.S. for MY09/MY11 PCR testing for 13 carcinogenic genotypes (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68) plus HPV66 (included in careHPV). Intrarater agreement was 98.8% (κ = 0.97) and 98.9% (κ = 0.97) for Technicians 1 and 2, respectively, while inter‐rater agreement was 96.3% (κ = 0.90). Agreement with MY09/MY11 PCR (virologic reference standard) was 89.3% (κ = 0.73) with 74.2% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity. The careHPV test detected 12 (80%) of 15 histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Grade 2 (CIN2) or worse lesions, with an estimated 83.0% specificity to detect <CIN2. In a challenging low‐resource setting with minimal intervention, the careHPV test performed adequately with high specificity but possibly lower sensitivity than HPV DNA tests currently used in controlled situations.
Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma: A reanalysis of the european prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC‐EURGAST) study after a longer follow‐up
Authors: Gonzalez Carlos A. , Lujan‐Barroso Leila , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. B(as). , Jenab Mazda , Duell Eric J. , Agudo Antonio , Tjønneland Anne , Boutron‐Ruault Marie Christine , Clavel‐Chapelon Françoise , Touillaud Marina , Teucher Birgit , Kaaks Rudolf , Boeing Heiner , Steffen Annika , Trichopoulou Antonia , Roukos Dimitrios , Karapetyan Tina , Palli Domenico , Tagliabue Giovanna , Mattiello Amalia , Tumino Rosario , Ricceri Fulvio , Siersema Peter D. , Numans Mattijs E. , Peeters Petra P.H. , Parr Christine L. , Skeie Guri , Lund Eiliv , Quirós J. Ramón , Sánchez‐Cantalejo Emilio , Navarro Carmen , Barricarte Aurelio , Dorronsoro Miren , Ehrnström Roy , Regner Sara , Khaw Kay‐Tee , Wareham Nick , Key Timothy J. , Crowe Francesca L. , Blaker Hendrik , Romieu Isabelle , Riboli Elio 
Published: April 2012

AbstractIn a previous European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC) analysis, we found an inverse association between total intake of vegetables, onion and garlic, and risk of intestinal gastric cancer (GC) and between citrus fruit and risk of cardia GC. The aim of this study is to reanalyze the effect of fruit and vegetables (F&V), based on a longer follow‐up and twice the number of GC cases. Subjects are 477,312 men and women mostly aged 35 to 70 years participating in the EPIC cohort, including 683 gastric adenocarcinomas with 11 years of follow‐up. Information on diet and lifestyle was collected at baseline. A calibration study in a subsample was used to correct for dietary measurement errors. When comparing the highest vs. lowest quintile of intake, we found an inverse association between total intake of V&F and GC risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57–1.04; p for trend 0.02], between fresh fruit and risk of the diffuse type (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.36–0.97; p for trend 0.03) and an inverse association between citrus fruit and risk of cardia cancer (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.38–1.00, p for trend 0.01). Although calibration revealed somewhat stronger inverse associations, none of the risks reached statistical significance. There was no association between total or specific vegetables intake and GC risk. The inverse association between fresh fruit and citrus fruits and risk of GC seems to be restricted to smokers and the Northern European countries. Fresh fruit and citrus fruit consumption may protect against diffuse and cardia GC, respectively.
PRICING AND HEDGING SHORT STERLING OPTIONS USING NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: Chen Fei , Sutcliffe Charles 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARYThis paper compares the performance of artificial neural networks (ANNs) with that of the modified Black model in both pricing and hedging short sterling options. Using high‐frequency data, standard and hybrid ANNs are trained to generate option prices. The hybrid ANN is significantly superior to both the modified Black model and the standard ANN in pricing call and put options. Hedge ratios for hedging short sterling options positions using short sterling futures are produced using the standard and hybrid ANN pricing models, the modified Black model, and also standard and hybrid ANNs trained directly on the hedge ratios. The performance of hedge ratios from ANNs directly trained on actual hedge ratios is significantly superior to those based on a pricing model, and to the modified Black model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface plasmon resonance based biosensor technique: A review
Authors: Guo Xiaowei 
Published: April 2012

AbstractOptical Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors represent the most advanced and developed optical label‐free biosensor technology. Optical SPR biosensors are a powerful detection and analysis tool that has vast applications in environmental protection, biotechnology, medical diagnostics, drug screening, food safety and security. This article reviews the recent development of SPR biosensor techniques, including bulk SPR and localized SPR (LSPR) biosensors, for detecting interactions between an analyte of interest in solution and a biomolecular recognition. The concepts of bulk and localized SPs and the working principles of both sensing techniques are introduced. Major sensing advances on biorecognition elements, measurement formats, and sensing platforms are presented. Finally, the discussions on both biosensor techniques as well as comparison of both SPR sensing techniques are made. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Type 1 inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor is a late substrate of caspases during apoptosis
Authors: Elkoreh Ghadi , Blais Véronique , Béliveau Éric , Guillemette Gaétan , Denault Jean‐Bernard 
Published: April 2012

AbstractApoptosis is characterized by the proteolytic cleavage of hundreds of proteins. One of them, the type 1 inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R‐1), a multimeric receptor located on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane that is critical to calcium homeostasis, was reported to be cleaved during staurosporine (STS) induced‐apoptosis in Jurkat cells. Because the reported cleavage site separates the IP3 binding site from the channel moiety, its cleavage would shut down a critical signaling pathway that is common to several cellular processes. Here we show that IP3R‐1 is not cleaved in 293 cells treated with STS, TNFα, Trail, or ultra‐violet (UV) irradiation. Further, it is not cleaved in Hela or Jurkat cells induced to undergo apoptosis with Trail, TNFα, or UV. In accordance with previous reports, we demonstrate that it is cleaved in a Jurkat cell line treated with STS. However its cleavage occurs only after poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP), which cleavage is a hallmark of apoptosis, and p23, a poor caspase‐7 substrate, are completely cleaved, suggesting that IP3R‐1 is a relatively late substrate of caspases. Nevertheless, the receptor is fully accessible to proteolysis in cellulo by ectopically overexpressed caspase‐7 or by the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. Finally, using recombinant caspase‐3 and microsomal fractions enriched in IP3R‐1, we show that the receptor is a poor caspase‐3 substrate. Consequently, we conclude that IP3R‐1 is not a key death substrate. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 2775–2784, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Norisoboldine inhibits the production of interleukin‐6 in fibroblast‐like synoviocytes from adjuvant arthritis rats through PKC/MAPK/NF‐κB‐p65/CREB pathways
Authors: Wei Zhifeng , Wang Fengyun , Song Jie , Lu Qian , Zhao Peng , Xia Yufeng , Chou Guixin , Wang Zhengtao , Dai Yue 
Published: April 2012

AbstractInterleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a pleiotropic cytokine secreted by macrophages and others and it has been proven to be a potential therapeutic target of RA. Norisoboldine (NOR) is the main isoquinoline alkaloid constituent in the dry roots of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. (L. strychnifolia Vill.), which has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating RA and other diseases. Our previous studies indicated that NOR was able to attenuate inflammation and joint destruction in collagen II‐induced arthritis of mice. To further recognize the anti‐rheumatoid potentials of NOR, the present study addressed whether and how NOR interfered with IL‐6 production from fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (FLS), key effector cells in the development and progression of RA. FLS, obtained from the synovial tissues of rats with adjuvant arthritis, showed incremental release of IL‐6 after stimulated with IL‐1β in vitro. NOR (10, 30, and 60 µM) could reduce the production of IL‐6 in a concentration‐dependent manner. It also down‐regulated the phosphorylations of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), protein kinase C (PKC), and transcriptional factor nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB)‐p65 (ser 276) as well as cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) in FLS. By using specific inhibitors, PKC was shown to be the upstream protein of MAPKs, and p38 MAPK was at the upstream of CREB. It was concluded that preventing IL‐6 release from FLS might be an important mechanism for NOR displaying anti‐RA property, and the action of NOR was relative to inhibition of PKC/MAPKs/p65/CREB pathways. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 2785–2795, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.