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Scientific Publications 2009

U

Um W, Z Wang, RJ Serne, BD Williams, CF Brown, CJ Dodge, and AROKIASAMYJ FRANCIS. 2009. "Uranium Phases in Contaminated Sediments Below Hanford's U Tank Farm ." Environmental Science & Technology 43(12):4280-4286. doi:10.1021/es900203r Abstract Macroscopic and spectroscopic investigations (XAFS, XRF and TRLIF) on Hanford contaminated vadose zone sediments from the U-tank farm showed that U(VI) exists as different surface phases as a function of depth below ground surface (bgs). Dominant U(VI) silicate precipitates (boltwoodite and uranophane) were present in shallow-depth sediments (15-16 m bgs). In the intermediate depth sediments (20-25 m bgs), adsorbed U(VI) phases dominated but small amounts of surface precipitates consisting of polynuclear U(VI) surface complex were also identified. The deep depth sediments (> 28 m bgs) showed no signs of contact with tank wastes containing Hanford-derived U(VI), but natural uranium solid phases were observed. Most of the U(VI) was preferentially associated with the silt and clay size fractions and showed strong correlation with Ca, especially for the precipitated U(VI) silicate phase in the shallow depth sediments. Because U(VI) silicate precipitates dominate the U(VI) phases in the shallow depth sediments, macroscopic (bi)carbonate leaching should result in U(VI) releases from both desorption and dissolution processes. Having several different U(VI) surface phases in the Hanford contaminated sediments indicates that the U(VI) release mechanism could be complicated and that detailed characterization of the sediments would be needed to estimate U(VI) fate and transport in vadose zone.

Umar A, H Kang, AM Timmermans, MP Look, ME Meijer-van Gelder, MA den Bakker, N Jaitly, JW Martens, TM Luider, JA Foekens, and L Pasa-Tolic. 2009. "Identification of a putative protein profile associating with tamoxifen therapy resistance in breast cancer." Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. MCP 8(6):1278-1294. doi:10.1074/mcp.M800493-MCP200 Abstract Tamoxifen-resistance is a major cause of death in patients with recurrent breast cancer. Current clinical factors can correctly predict therapy response in only half of the treated patients. Identification of proteins that associate with tamoxifen-resistance is a first step towards better response prediction and tailored treatment of patients. In the present study we intended to identify putative protein biomarkers indicative of tamoxifen therapy-resistance in breast cancer, using nanoLC coupled with FTICR MS. Comparative proteome analysis was performed on ~5,500 pooled tumor cells (corresponding to ~550 ng protein lysate/analysis) obtained through laser capture microdissection (LCM) from two independently processed data sets (n=24 and n=27) containing both tamoxifen therapy-sensitive and therapy-resistant tumors. Peptides and proteins were identified by matching mass and elution time of newly acquired LC-MS features to information in previously generated accurate mass and time tag (AMT) reference databases.