bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of biodegradation data in chemical assessment
Authors: Shimp Robert J. , Larson Robert J. , Boethxing Robert S. 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
Biodegradation is an important removal mechanism for consumer product chemicals released in large volumes to aquatic and terrestrial environments. It results in a decrease in the mass or load of chemicals present in the environment and is key in preventing accumulation and persistence of chemicals. Although biodegradation is an important process in minimizing potentially adverse impacts on environmental systems, it has not been traditionally considered quantitatively in environmental assessments. Efforts to use such data have principally focused on either wholly qualitative evaluations of a material's biodegradation properties (e.g., “fast” or “slow”), or rigorous quantitative models to predict exposure concentrations in particular settings. This paper outlines an alternative approach which provides a semi-quantitative analysis combining biodegradation rate data with an assessment of environmental exposure. The approach is a generic one that relates biodegradation half-lives to rates of transport and residence times in specific environmental compartments (e.g., agricultural soil, rivers). It establishes the kinetic criteria needed to make biodegradation a “practically significant” removal mechanism in a given environmental compartment. It is broadly applicable to chemicals which exhibit pseudo first order biodegradation kinetics at realistic environmental concentrations.
Toxicity of an oil dispersant to the early life stages of four California marine species
Authors: Singer Michael M. , Smalheer Deborah L. , Tjeerdema Ronald S. , Martin Michael 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
Continuous-flow toxicity tests using the oil dispersant Corexit 9527s̊ were performed on the early life stages of four California marine species. Newly released zoospores of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, embryos of the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, 4-d-old juveniles of the mysid, Holmesimysis costata and 10-d-old larvae of the topsmelt, Atherinops affinis, were all used in triplicate 48- and 96-h tests. Quantitative verification of dispersant concentrations using UV spectrophotometry was performed twice daily during testing. Results indicated growth of kelp gametophytes was significantly reduced at &lt;2.4 ppm after a 48-h exposure. Of the three animals tested, developing red abalone were the most sensitive (NOEC = 0.63 to 1.50 ppm; LC50 = 1.60 to 2.20 ppm). Mysid juveniles were intermediate in sensitivity (NOEC = 1.66 to 4.20 ppm; LC50 = 4.26 to 7.26 ppm), whereas topsmelt larvae were the least sensitive (NOEC = 12.27 to 14.18 ppm; LC50 =25.51 to 40.63 ppm). Reproducibility of test data was very high (coefficient of variation = 15.7 to 27.1%).
Effect of incubation temperature on oxygen consumption and ammonia production by Japanese medaka, Oryzias latipes, eggs and newly hatched larvae
Authors: Marty Gary D. , Hinton David E. , Cech Joseph J. 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
To develop a database for use in designing sealed-container bioassays, oxygen consumption and ammonia production rates were compared for eggs and newly hatched larvae of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). At 23, 26 and 29°C, the total amount of oxygen required to hatch an egg (49 to 54 μg O2.egg−1) was independent of temperature, but total oxygen required at 20°C (77 μg O2.egg−1) was significantly greater. Eggs produced no measurable ammonia (TAmm), but newly hatched larva produced 14 ng TAmm.h−1.larva−1 at 23°C and up to 48 ng TAmm.h−1.larva−1 at 29°C. When exposure to free air was denied, (a) oxygen, not ammonia, was the limiting factor for normal egg development, and (b) newly hatched larvae were unable to inflate their swimbladder.
Derivation of a freshwater silver criteria for the New River, Virginia, using representative species
Authors: Diamond Jerome M. , Mackler Don G. , Collins Mark , Gruber David 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not published a 30-d average or continuous criterion for silver due to the apparent toxicity of this element and the lack of available chronic exposure data. The present study examined acute effects on nine species representative or indigenous to the New River, Virginia, and sublethal effects on three of those species using the Resident Species Approach. Our results showed that invertebrates were much more sensitive to silver than fish, including juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Hyalella azteca (amphipod) was the most sensitive species followed by the mayflies Stenonema sp. and Isonychia bicolor and the stonefly Leuctra sp. The Final Acute Value in this study was 1.32 μg/L total recoverable silver. In sublethal tests, Isonychia growth, as measured by the number of molts over time, was the most sensitive effect observed. Estimated acute:“chronic” ratios ranged from two to 34 with Corbicula fluminea having the largest ratio. Our study results, along with available published data, suggested a Final Chronic Value of 0.13 μg/L total silver which is approximately one-half the level obtained using the EPA acute formula and ambient water hardness. Our results suggest that a continuous criterion for silver may be predictable using the hardness-dependent formula and a safety factor of 0.5.
Forecasting regional house price inflation: a comparison between dynamic factor models and vector autoregressive models
Authors: Das Sonali , Gupta Rangan , Kabundi Alain 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper uses the dynamic factor model framework, which accommodates a large cross‐section of macroeconomic time series, for forecasting regional house price inflation. In this study, we forecast house price inflation for five metropolitan areas of South Africa using principal components obtained from 282 quarterly macroeconomic time series in the period 1980:1 to 2006:4. The results, based on the root mean square errors of one to four quarters ahead out‐of‐sample forecasts over the period 2001:1 to 2006:4 indicate that, in the majority of the cases, the Dynamic Factor Model statistically outperforms the vector autoregressive models, using both the classical and the Bayesian treatments. We also consider spatial and non‐spatial specifications. Our results indicate that macroeconomic fundamentals in forecasting house price inflation are important. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Price discovery and investor structure in stock index futures
Authors: Bohl Martin T. , Salm Christian A. , Schuppli Michael 
Published: May 2010

AbstractPrevious literature on price discovery in stock index futures and spot markets neglects the role of different investor groups. This study relates time‐varying spot‐futures linkages studied within a VECM‐DCC‐GARCH framework to changes in the investor structure of the futures market over time. Empirical results suggest that during the dominance of presumably uninformed private investors, the futures market does not contribute to price discovery. By contrast, there is evidence of information flows from futures to spot markets and a significant increase in conditional correlation between both markets as institutional investors' share in trading volume increases. We derive implications for the design of emerging futures markets. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark31:282–306, 2011
C11orf95‐MKL2 is the resulting fusion oncogene of t(11;16)(q13;p13) in chondroid lipoma
Authors: Huang Dali , Sumegi Janos , Dal Cin Paola , Reith John D. , Yasuda Taketoshi , Nelson Marilu , Muirhead David , Bridge Julia A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractChondroid lipoma, a rare benign adipose tissue tumor, may histologically resemble myxoid liposarcoma or extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, but is genetically distinct. In this study, an identical reciprocal translocation, t(11;16)(q13;p13), was identified in three chondroid lipomas, a finding consistent with previously isolated reports. A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)‐based positional cloning strategy using a series of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probe combinations designed to narrow the 16p13 breakpoint revealed MKL2 as the candidate gene. Subsequent 5′ RACE studies demonstrated C11orf95 as the MKL2 fusion gene partner. MKL/myocardin‐like 2 (MKL2) encodes myocardin‐related transcription factor B in a megakaryoblastic leukemia gene family, and C11orf95 (chromosome 11 open reading frame 95) is a hypothetical protein. Sequencing analysis of reverse transcription‐polymerse chain reaction (RT‐PCR) generated transcripts from all three chondroid lipomas defined the fusion as occurring between exons 5 and 9 of C11orf95 and MKL2, respectively. Dual‐color breakpoint spanning probe sets custom‐designed for recognition of the translocation event in interphase cells confirmed the anticipated rearrangements of the C11orf95 and MKL2 loci in all cases. The FISH and RT‐PCR assays developed in this study can serve as diagnostic adjuncts for the identification of this novel C11orf95‐MKL2 fusion oncogene in chondroid lipoma. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Major, minor element chemistry and oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of Marun oil‐field brines, SW Iran: Source history and economic potential
Authors: Mirnejad H. , Sisakht V. , Mohammadzadeh H. , Amini A. H. , Rostron B. J. , Haghparast G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractCation and anion concentrations and oxygen and hydrogen isotopic ratios of brines in the Asmari Formation (Oligocene–early Miocene) from the Marun oil field of southwest Iran were measured to identify the origin of these brines (e.g. salt dissolution vs. seawater evaporation) as well as the involvement of water–rock reaction processes in their evolution. Marun brines are characterized by having higher concentrations of calcium (11 000–20 000 mg/L), chlorine (120 000–160 000 mg/L) and bromide (600–1000 mg/L) compared to modern seawater. Samples are also enriched in 18O relative to seawater, fall to the right of the Global Meteoric Water Line and local rain water, and plot close to the halite brine trajectory on the δD versus δ18O diagram. Geochemical characteristics of Marun brines are inconsistent with a meteoric origin, but instead correspond to residual evaporated seawater modified by water–rock interaction, most significantly dolomitization. In addition, anhydrite precipitation or sulphate reduction appears to be important in chemical modification of the Marun brines, as indicated by lower sulphate contents relative to evaporated seawater. Extensive dolomitization, the presence of anhydrite nodules and high salinity fluid inclusions in the upper parts of the Asmari Formation fit a model whereby the Marun brines likely originated from the seepage reflux of concentrated seawater during the deposition of the overlying Gachsaran Formation evaporites in the Miocene. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retinoic acid regulates myelin formation in the peripheral nervous system
Authors: Latasa Maria‐Jesus , Ituero Mario , Moran‐Gonzalez Alejandra , Aranda Ana , Cosgaya Jose Miguel 
Published: May 2010

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms that control myelin formation is essential for the development of demyelinating diseases treatments. All‐trans‐retinoic acid (RA) plays an essential role during the development of the nervous system as a potent regulator of morphogenesis, cell growth, and differentiation. In this study, we show that RA is also a potent inhibitor of peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelination. RA acts through its binding to RA receptors (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR), two members of the superfamily of nuclear receptors that act as ligand‐dependent transcription factors. Schwann cells (SCs) express all retinoid receptors during the relevant stages of myelin formation. Through the activation of RXR, RA produces an upregulation of Krox20, a SC‐specific regulatory transcription factor that plays a central role during myelination. Krox20 upregulation translates into Mbp and Mpz overexpression, therefore blocking myelin formation. This increase in myelin protein expression is accompanied by the induction of an adaptive ER stress response. At the same time, through a RAR‐dependent mechanism, RA downregulates myelin‐associated glycoprotein, which also contributes to the dysmyelinating effect of the retinoid. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sphingosine 1‐phosphate receptor 1 and 3 are upregulated in multiple sclerosis lesions
Authors: Van Doorn Ruben , Van Horssen Jack , Verzijl Dennis , Witte Maarten , Ronken Eric , Van Het Hof Bert , Lakeman Kim , Dijkstra Christine D. , Van Der Valk Paul , Reijerkerk Arie , Alewijnse Astrid E. , Peters Stephan L. M. , De Vries Helga E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSphingolipids are a class of biologically active lipids that have a role in multiple biological processes including inflammation. Sphingolipids exert their functions by direct signaling or through signaling by their specific receptors. Phosphorylated FTY720 (FTY720P) is a sphingosine 1‐phosphate (S1P) analogue that is currently in trial for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which targets all S1P receptors but S1P2. To date, however, it remains unknown whether FTY720P may exert direct anti‐inflammatory effects within the central nervous system (CNS), because data concerning S1P receptor expression and regulation under pathological conditions in the human brain are lacking. To investigate potential regulation of S1P receptors in the human brain during MS, we performed immunohistochemical analysis of S1P receptor 1 and 3 expression in well‐characterized MS lesions. A strong increase in S1P receptor 1 and 3 expression on reactive astrocytes was detected in active and chronic inactive MS lesions. In addition, we treated primary cultures of human astrocytes with the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor‐alpha to identify the regulation of S1P1/3 on astrocytes under pathological conditions. Importantly, we demonstrate that FTY720P exerts an anti‐inflammatory action on human astrocytes by limiting secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Our data demonstrate that reactive astrocytes in MS lesions and cultured under proinflammatory conditions strongly enhance expression of S1P receptors 1 and 3. Results from this study indicate that astrocytes may act as a yet‐unknown target within the CNS for the anti‐inflammatory effects observed after FTY720P administration in the treatment of MS. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aquaporin‐4 in manganese‐treated cultured astrocytes
Authors: Rama Rao Kakulavarapu V. , Jayakumar Arumugam R. , Reddy Pichili V. B. , Tong Xiaoying , Curtis Kevin M. , Norenberg M. D. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractManganese in excess is neurotoxic and causes CNS injury resembling that of Parkinson's disease. In brain, astrocytes predominantly take up and accumulate manganese and are thus vulnerable to its toxicity. Manganese was shown to induce cell swelling in cultured astrocytes, and oxidative/nitrosative stress (ONS) mediates such swelling. As aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) is important in the mechanism of astrocyte swelling, we examined the effect of manganese on AQP4 protein levels in cultured astrocytes. Treatment of cultures with manganese increased AQP4 protein in the plasma membrane (PM), whereas total cellular AQP4 protein and mRNA levels were unchanged, suggesting that increased AQP4 levels is due to its increased stability and/or increased trafficking to the PM and not to its neosynthesis. AQP4 gene silencing by small interfering ribonucleic acid resulted in a marked reduction in astrocyte swelling by manganese. Antioxidants, as well as an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, diminished the increase in AQP4 protein expression, suggesting a role of ONS in the mechanism of AQP4 increase. As ONS is known to activate mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and MAPK activation has been implicated in astrocyte swelling, we examined the effect of manganese on the activation of MAPKs and found an increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, C‐Jun amino‐terminal kinase (JNK)1/2/3, and p38‐MAPK. Inhibitors of ERK1/2 and p38‐MAPK (but not of JNK) blocked (40–60%) the manganese‐induced increase in AQP4 protein content and astrocyte swelling, suggesting the involvement of these kinases in the increased AQP4 content. Inhibition of oxidative stress or MAPKs may represent potential strategies for counteracting AQP4‐related neurological complications associated with manganese toxicity. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sensitivity of beamformer source analysis to deficiencies in forward modeling
Authors: Steinsträter Olaf , Sillekens Stephanie , Junghoefer Markus , Burger Martin , Wolters Carsten H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBeamforming approaches have recently been developed for the field of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) source analysis and opened up new applications within various fields of neuroscience. While the number of beamformer applications thus increases fast‐paced, fundamental methodological considerations, especially the dependence of beamformer performance on leadfield accuracy, is still quite unclear. In this article, we present a systematic study on the influence of improper volume conductor modeling on the source reconstruction performance of an EEG‐data based synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) beamforming approach. A finite element model of a human head is derived from multimodal MR images and serves as a realistic volume conductor model. By means of a theoretical analysis followed by a series of computer simulations insight is gained into beamformer performance with respect to reconstruction errors in peak location, peak amplitude, and peak width resulting from geometry and anisotropy volume conductor misspecifications, sensor noise, and insufficient sensor coverage. We conclude that depending on source position, sensor coverage, and accuracy of the volume conductor model, localization errors up to several centimeters must be expected. As we could show that the beamformer tries to find the best fitting leadfield (least squares) with respect to its scanning space, this result can be generalized to other localization methods. More specific, amplitude, and width of the beamformer peaks significantly depend on the interaction between noise and accuracy of the volume conductor model. The beamformer can strongly profit from a high signal‐to‐noise ratio, but this requires a sufficiently realistic volume conductor model. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Probabilistic fiber tracking using the residual bootstrap with constrained spherical deconvolution
Authors: Jeurissen Ben , Leemans Alexander , Jones Derek K. , Tournier Jacques‐Donald , Sijbers Jan 
Published: May 2010

AbstractConstrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) is a new technique that, based on high‐angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) MR data, estimates the orientation of multiple intravoxel fiber populations within regions of complex white matter architecture, thereby overcoming the limitations of the widely used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique. One of its main applications is fiber tractography. The noisy nature of diffusion‐weighted (DW) images, however, affects the estimated orientations and the resulting fiber trajectories will be subject to uncertainty. The impact of noise can be large, especially for HARDI measurements, which employ relatively high b‐values. To quantify the effects of noise on fiber trajectories, probabilistic tractography was introduced, which considers multiple possible pathways emanating from one seed point, taking into account the uncertainty of local fiber orientations. In this work, a probabilistic tractography algorithm is presented based on CSD and the residual bootstrap. CSD, which provides accurate and precise estimates of multiple fiber orientations, is used to extract the local fiber orientations. The residual bootstrap is used to estimate fiber tract probability within a clinical time frame, without prior assumptions about the form of uncertainty in the data. By means of Monte Carlo simulations, the performance of the CSD fiber pathway uncertainty estimator is measured in terms of accuracy and precision. In addition, the performance of the proposed method is compared to state‐of‐the‐art DTI residual bootstrap tractography and to an existing probabilistic CSD tractography algorithm using clinical DW data. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact evaluation of India's ‘Yeshasvini’ community‐based health insurance programme
Authors: Aggarwal Aradhna 
Published: May 2010

AbstractUsing propensity score matching techniques, the study evaluates the impact of India's Yeshasvini community‐based health insurance programme on health‐care utilisation, financial protection, treatment outcomes and economic well‐being. The programme offers free out‐patient diagnosis and lab tests at discounted rates when ill, but, more importantly, it covers highly catastrophic and less discretionary in‐patient surgical procedures. For its impact evaluation, 4109 randomly selected households in villages in rural Karnataka, an Indian state, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. A comprehensive set of indicators was developed and the quality of matching was tested. Generally, the programme is found to have increased utilisation of health‐care services, reduced out‐of‐pocket spending, and ensured better health and economic outcomes. More specifically, however, these effects vary across socio‐economic groups and medical episodes. The programme operates by bringing the direct price of health‐care down but the extent to which this effectively occurs across medical episodes is an empirical issue. Further, the effects are more pronounced for the better‐off households. The article demonstrates that community insurance presents a workable model for providing high‐end services in resource‐poor settings through an emphasis on accountability and local management. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diminishing diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Otto Kristen J. , Lam Jacqueline S. C. , MacMillan Christina , Freeman Jeremy L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground.Follicular carcinomas have been reported as 10% to 15% of thyroid malignancies. Refinements in the histologic criteria applied in the classification of follicular lesions have occurred. We aim to document the true incidence of follicular cancers in a cohort from a high‐volume endocrine practice.Methods.Patient charts were reviewed and cancers were classified into major subtypes; papillary cancers were further classified by common variants. Proportions were compared to historic Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database proportions.Results.Only 2.7% of patients had follicular carcinoma. The proportion of patients with follicular cancer was less than the reported rates of 10% to 15%, and less than the 6.7% extrapolated from SEER.Conclusion.The proportion of follicular cancers is less than traditionally reported. This change is due to an increased incidence of papillary cancers, and modifications of the histologic criteria used for classification of encapsulated follicular lesions. There are potential prognostic consequences, as follicular cancers have been perceived as more aggressive. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010