bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Study ofTrans-Fatty Acid Levels in Blood and Risk of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Chavarro Jorge E. , Stampfer Meir J. , Campos Hannia , Kurth Tobias , Willett Walter C. , Ma Jing
Published: January 2008

Background: Previous studies suggest a positive association between markers of trans-fatty acid intake and prostate cancer. We therefore prospectively evaluated the association between blood trans-fatty acid levels and risk of prostate cancer.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study among 14,916 apparently healthy men who provided blood samples in 1982. Blood fatty acid levels were determined for 476 men diagnosed with prostate cancer during a 13-year follow-up and their matched controls. Controls were individually matched to cases according to age and smoking status at baseline. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence interval of total, nonaggressive (stage A/B and low grade), and aggressive (stage C/D, high grade, subsequent distant metastasis or death) prostate cancer associated with blood levels of specific trans-fatty acids.

Results: Blood levels of all the trans-fatty acids examined were unrelated to total prostate cancer risk. When results were divided according to tumor aggressiveness, blood levels of 18:1n-9t, all the 18:2t examined, and total trans-fatty acids were positively associated to nonaggressive tumors. The relative risks (95% confidence intervals; P trend) comparing top with bottom quintile trans-fatty acid levels were 2.16 (1.12-4.17; 0.11) for 18:1n-9t, 1.97 (1.03-3.75; 0.01) for total 18:2t, and 2.21 (1.14-4.29; 0.06) for total trans-fatty acids. None of the trans fats examined was associated with aggressive prostate tumors.

Conclusion: Blood levels of trans isomers of oleic and linoleic acids are associated with an increased risk of nonaggressive prostate tumors. As this type of tumors represents a large proportion of prostate cancer detected using prostate-specific antigen screening, these findings may have implications for the prevention of prostate cancer. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):95–101)
Overweight and Obesity at Different Times in Life as Risk Factors for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: The Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Maskarinec Gertraud , Erber Eva , Gill Jasmeet , Cozen Wendy , Kolonel Laurence N.
Published: January 2008

Obesity may increase the risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) through an inflammatory pathway. We explored the relation of NHL with body size at different times in life within the Multiethnic Cohort that includes African Americans, Caucasians, Japanese, Latinos, and Native Hawaiians. Participants were 45 to 75 years old at recruitment in 1993 to 1996. This analysis included 87,079 men and 105,972 women with 461 male and 378 female NHL cases. We used Cox regression to model NHL risk with age as the time metric while adjusting for age at baseline, ethnicity, education, alcohol intake, and age at first live birth. Body weight and body mass index at age 21 were stronger predictors of NHL risk than anthropometric characteristics at baseline. For men, being in the highest quartile of body mass index and body weight at age 21 conferred a nonsignificant 86% and 41% higher NHL risk, respectively, whereas there was no association at baseline. For women, the risk associated with the highest quartile of weight at age 21 was 1.6 (Ptrend = 0.04), whereas women in the highest quartile at baseline had a nonsignificant risk of 27%. Height was positively related to NHL in men and women. Despite the small numbers, there was some consistency for risk estimates across ethnic groups and weak evidence for an association with NHL subtypes. These findings indicate that weight at age 21 may represent lifetime adiposity better than body weight at cohort entry. Alternatively, weight at age 21 may be more relevant for the etiology of NHL. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):196–203)
Parental Opinions about the Expansion of the Neonatal Screening Programme
Authors: Detmar Symone , Dijkstra Nynke , Nijsingh Niels , Rijnders Marlies , Verweij Marcel , Hosli Esther
Published: January 2008

Background: Advances in genomics will open up opportunities in the fields of genetic testing, early diagnosis and disease treatment. While neonatal screening is the field of application par excellencefor these developments, the debate on its potential benefits and drawbacks is mainly theoretically driven and based on the opinions of professionals. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study of the perceptions, preferences and needs of parents (and parents to be) with respect to expansion of the neonatal screening programme. Seven focus group discussions were conducted. Using disease scenarios, 4 examples of conditions amenable to neonatal screening were discussed in depth. All focus group discussions were audio taped and content analysed. Results: Participants thought that the medical benefits of screening were very important for the child. Assuming the availability of effective early medical treatment, almost 100% would be willing to participate in a screening programme. If such treatment were absent, their potential willingness would be much lower. Conclusions: The divergence in attitudes and preferences we found in this study reflected the complexity inherent in any consideration of screening for additional conditions. To implement such options successfully and to direct applied research in genomics, it is important to develop a better understanding of the thinking of target groups, namely parents.
Genetic Services for Hereditary Breast/Ovarian and Colorectal Cancers – Physicians’ Awareness, Use and Satisfaction
Authors: Carroll J.C. , Cappelli M. , Miller F. , Wilson B.J. , Grunfeld E. , Peeters C. , Hunter A.G.W. , Gilpin C. , Prakash P.
Published: January 2008

Objectives: In 2000, the Ministry of Health in Ontario, Canada, introduced a publicly funded program to provide genetic services for hereditary breast/ovarian and colorectal cancers. We surveyed physicians to determine their awareness, use and satisfaction with this program. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 25% of Ontario family physicians and all gynecologists, oncologists (radiation, surgical and medical), gastroenterologists and general surgeons. Results: Response rate was 49% (n = 1,427). Awareness of genetic testing for breast/ovarian cancer was high (91%) but less for colorectal cancer (60%). Use of services was associated with physician age of 40 or greater, urban location, confidence in knowledge of referral criteria and core competencies in genetics, and awareness of the program and where to refer. Almost half were dissatisfied with notification about the program. Conclusions: Ontario physicians are aware of cancer genetics services, and use is associated with increased knowledge of services, and confidence in skills. They would like more timely services and education about hereditary cancers and susceptibility testing.
Wind Direction Dependence of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence Parameters in the Urban Roughness Sublayer
Authors: Klipp Cheryl
Published: January 2008

A variety of atmospheric boundary layer parameters are examined as a function of wind direction in both urban and suburban settings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, derived from measurements during the Joint Urban 2003 field campaign. Heterogeneous surface characteristics result in significant differences in upwind fetch and, therefore, statistically significant differences in measured values, even for small changes in wind direction. Taller upwind obstructions yield larger measured values of drag coefficient and turbulence intensity than do shorter upwind obstructions regardless of whether the obstruction is a building or a tree. The fraction of turbulent kinetic energy going into streamwise, cross-stream, and vertical variances differs depending on the upwind fetch, and reduced cross-stream values may indicate locations of persistent wind stream convergence. In addition, a quadrant analysis of burst/sweep behavior near the surface is examined as a function of wind direction in urban and suburban environments.
Observations of the Effects of Atmospheric Stability on Turbulence Statistics Deep within an Urban Street Canyon
Authors: Ramamurthy P. , Pardyjak E. R. , Klewicki J. C.
Published: January 2008

Data obtained in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, during the Joint Urban 2003 atmospheric dispersion study have been analyzed to investigate the effects of upstream atmospheric stability on turbulence statistics in an urban core. The data presented include turbulent heat and momentum fluxes at various vertical and horizontal locations in the lower 30% of the street canyon. These data have been segregated into three broad stability classification regimes: stable (z/L > 0.2), neutral (−0.2 < z/L < 0.2), and unstable (z/L < −0.2) based on upstream measurements of the Monin–Obukhov length scale L. Most of the momentum-related turbulence statistics were insensitive to upstream atmospheric stability, while the energy-related statistics (potential temperatures and kinematic heat fluxes) were more sensitive. In particular, the local turbulence intensity inside the street canyon varied little with atmospheric stability but always had large magnitudes. Measurements of turbulent momentum fluxes indicate the existence of regions of upward transport of high horizontal momentum fluid near the ground that is associated with low-level jet structures for all stabilities. The turbulent kinetic energy normalized by a local shear stress velocity collapses the data well and shows a clear repeatable pattern that appears to be stability invariant. The magnitude of the normalized turbulent kinetic energy increases rapidly as the ground is approached. This behavior is a result of a much more rapid drop in the correlation between the horizontal and vertical velocities than in the velocity variances. This lack of correlation in the turbulent momentum fluxes is consistent with previous work in the literature. It was also observed that the mean potential temperatures almost always decrease with increasing height in the street canyon and that the vertical heat fluxes are always positive regardless of upstream atmospheric stability. In addition, mean potential temperature profiles are slightly more unstable during the unstable periods than during the neutral or stable periods. The magnitudes of all three components of the heat flux and the variability of the heat fluxes decrease with increasing atmospheric stability. In addition, the cross-canyon and along-canyon heat fluxes are as large as the vertical component of the heat fluxes in the lower portion of the canyon.
Sustained NKG2D engagement induces cross-tolerance of multiple distinct NK cell activation pathways
Authors: Coudert Jérôme D. , Scarpellino Léonardo , Gros Frédéric , Vivier Eric , Held Werner
Published: January 2008

NKG2D is a multisubunit activation receptor that allows natural killer (NK) cells to detect and eliminate stressed, infected, and transformed host cells. However, the chronic exposure of NK cells to cell-bound NKG2D ligands has been shown to impair NKG2D function both in vitro and in vivo. Here we have tested whether continuous NKG2D engagement selectively impacted NKG2D function or whether heterologous NK cell activation pathways were also affected. We found that sustained NKG2D engagement induced cross-tolerization of several unrelated NK cell activation receptors. We show that receptors that activate NK cells via the DAP12/KARAP and DAP10 signaling adaptors, such as murine NKG2D and Ly49D, cross-tolerize preferentially NK cell activation pathways that function independent of DAP10/12, such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and missing-self recognition. Conversely, DAP10/12-independent pathways are unable to cross-tolerize unrelated NK cell activation receptors such as NKG2D or Ly49D. These data define a class of NK cell activation receptors that can tolerize mature NK cells. The reversible suppression of the NK cells' cytolytic function probably reduces the NK cells' efficacy to control endogenous and exogenous stress yet may be needed to limit tissue damage.
Recent advances in asthma genetics
Authors: Zhang Jian , Paré Peter D , Sandford Andrew J
Published: January 2008

There are over 100 genes that have been reported to be associated with asthma or related phenotypes. In 2006–2007 alone there were 53 novel candidate gene associations reported in the literature. Replication of genetic associations and demonstration of a functional mechanism for the associated variants are needed to confirm an asthma susceptibility gene. For most of the candidate genes there is little functional information. In a previous review by Hoffjanet al. published in 2003, functional information was reported for 40 polymorphisms and here we list another 22 genes which have such data. Some important genes such as filaggrin, interleukin-13, interleukin-17 and the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor-1 which not only were replicated by independent association studies but also have functional data are reviewed in this article.
Preservation of protein clefts in comparative models
Authors: Piedra David , Lois Sergi , de la Cruz Xavier
Published: January 2008

Background

Comparative, or homology, modelling of protein structures is the most widely used prediction method when the target protein has homologues of known structure. Given that the quality of a model may vary greatly, several studies have been devoted to identifying the factors that influence modelling results. These studies usually consider the protein as a whole, and only a few provide a separate discussion of the behaviour of biologically relevant features of the protein. Given the value of the latter for many applications, here we extended previous work by analysing the preservation of native protein clefts in homology models. We chose to examine clefts because of their role in protein function/structure, as they are usually the locus of protein-protein interactions, host the enzymes' active site, or, in the case of protein domains, can also be the locus of domain-domain interactions that lead to the structure of the whole protein.

Results

We studied how the largest cleft of a protein varies in comparative models. To this end, we analysed a set of 53507 homology models that cover the whole sequence identity range, with a special emphasis on medium and low similarities. More precisely we examined how cleft quality – measured using six complementary parameters related to both global shape and local atomic environment, depends on the sequence identity between target and template proteins. In addition to this general analysis, we also explored the impact of a number of factors on cleft quality, and found that the relationship between quality and sequence identity varies depending on cleft rank amongst the set of protein clefts (when ordered according to size), and number of aligned residues.

Conclusion

We have examined cleft quality in homology models at a range of seq.id. levels. Our results provide a detailed view of how quality is affected by distinct parameters and thus may help the user of comparative modelling to determine the final quality and applicability of his/her cleft models. In addition, the large variability in model quality that we observed within each sequence bin, with good models present even at low sequence identities (between 20% and 30%), indicates that properly developed identification methods could be used to recover good cleft models in this sequence range.
Bounds for Owen's Multilinear Extension
Authors: Freixas Josep
Published: January 2008

Owen's multilinear extension (MLE) of a game is a very important tool in game theory and particularly in the field of simple games. Among other applications it serves to efficiently compute several solution concepts. In this paper we provide bounds for the MLE. Apart from its self-contained theoretical interest, the bounds offer the means in voting system studies of approximating the probability that a proposal is approved in a particular simple game having a complex component arrangement. The practical interest of the bounds is that they can be useful for simple games having a tedious MLE to evaluate exactly, but whose minimal winning coalitions and minimal blocking coalitions can be determined by inspection. Such simple games are quite numerous.
Reversed Preservation Properties for Series and Parallel Systems
Authors: Belzunce Félix , Martínez-Puertas Helena , Ruiz José M.
Published: January 2008

Recently Li and Yam (2005) studied which ageing properties for series and parallel systems are inherited for the components. In this paper we provide new results for the increasing convex and concave orders, the increasing mean residual life (IMRL), decreasing failure rate (DFR), the new worse than used in expectation (NWUE), the increasing failure rate in average (IFRA), the decreasing failure rate in average (DFRA), and the new better than used in the convex order (NBUC) ageing classes.
Optimal Stopping with Rank-Dependent Loss
Authors: Gnedin Alexander V.
Published: January 2008

For τ, a stopping rule adapted to a sequence of n independent and identically distributed observations, we define the loss to be E[q(Rτ)], where Rj is the rank of the jth observation and q is a nondecreasing function of the rank. This setting covers both the best-choice problem, with q(r) = 1(r > 1), and Robbins' problem, with q(r) = r. As n tends to ∞, the stopping problem acquires a limiting form which is associated with the planar Poisson process. Inspecting the limit we establish bounds on the stopping value and reveal qualitative features of the optimal rule. In particular, we show that the complete history dependence persists in the limit; thus answering a question asked by Bruss (2005) in the context of Robbins' problem.
Exit Problems for Spectrally Negative Lévy Processes Reflected at Either the Supremum or the Infimum
Authors: Zhou Xiaowen
Published: January 2008

For a spectrally negative Lévy process X on the real line, let S denote its supremum process and let I denote its infimum process. For a > 0, let τ(a) and κ(a) denote the times when the reflected processes Ŷ := S − X and Y := X − I first exit level a, respectively; let τ−(a) and κ−(a) denote the times when X first reaches Sτ(a) and Iκ(a), respectively. The main results of this paper concern the distributions of (τ(a), Sτ(a), τ−(a), Ŷτ(a)) and of (κ(a), Iκ(a), κ−(a)). They generalize some recent results on spectrally negative Lévy processes. Our approach relies on results concerning the solution to the two-sided exit problem for X. Such an approach is also adapted to study the excursions for the reflected processes. More explicit expressions are obtained when X is either a Brownian motion with drift or a completely asymmetric stable process.
ENTH domain proteins are cargo adaptors for multiple SNARE proteins at the TGN endosome
Authors: Chidambaram Subbulakshmi , Zimmermann Jana , von Mollard Gabriele Fischer
Published: January 2008

ENTH and ANTH domain proteins are involved in budding of clathrin-coated vesicles. SNAREs are fusogenic proteins that function in the targeting and fusion of transport vesicles. In mammalian and yeast cells, ENTH domain proteins (epsinR and Ent3p) interact with SNAREs of the vti1 family (Vti1b or Vti1p). This interaction indicates that ENTH proteins could function in cargo sorting, which prompted us to search for additional SNAREs as potential cargo for Ent3p and epsinR. We carried out specific yeast two-hybrid assays, which identified interactions between epsinR and the mammalian late endosomal SNAREs syntaxin 7 and syntaxin 8 as well as between Ent3p and the endosomal SNAREs Pep12p and Syn8p from yeast. Lack of Ent3p affected the trafficking of Pep12p. Ent3p binding to Pep12p required the FSD late endosomal sorting signal in Pep12p. Inactivation of the sorting signal had a similar effect to removal of Ent3p on Pep12p stability indicating that Ent3p acts as a cargo adaptor for Pep12p by binding to the sorting signal. As Vti1p, Pep12p and Syn8p participate in a SNARE complex whereas Vti1b, syntaxin 7 and syntaxin 8 are mammalian SNARE partners, we propose that ENTH domain proteins at the TGN-endosome are cargo adaptors for these endosomal SNAREs.
Waterborne Pathogen Detection Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Tripathi Ashish , Jabbour Rabih E. , Treado Patrick J. , Neiss Jason H. , Nelson Matthew P. , Jensen Janet L. , Snyder A. Peter
Published: January 2008

Raman spectroscopy is being evaluated as a candidate technology for waterborne pathogen detection. We have investigated the impact of key experimental and background interference parameters on the bacterial species level identification performance of Raman detection. These parameters include laser-induced photodamage threshold, composition of water matrix, and organism aging in water. The laser-induced photodamage may be minimized by operating a 532 nm continuous wave laser excitation at laser power densities below 2300 W/cm2 for Gram-positive Bacillus atrophaeus (formerly Bacillus globigii, BG) vegetative cells, 2800 W/cm2 for BG spores, and 3500 W/cm2 for Gram-negative E. coli (EC) organisms. In general, Bacillus spore microorganism preparations may be irradiated with higher laser power densities than the equivalent Bacillus vegetative preparations. In order to evaluate the impact of background interference and organism aging, we selected a biomaterials set comprising Gram-positive (anthrax simulants) organisms, Gram-negative (plague simulant) organisms, and proteins (toxin simulants) and constructed a Raman signature classifier that identifies at the species level. Subsequently, we evaluated the impact of tap water and storage time in water (aging) on the classifier performance when characterizing B. thuringiensis spores, BG spores, and EC cell preparations. In general, the measured Raman signatures of biological organisms exhibited minimal spectral variability with respect to the age of a resting suspension and water matrix composition. The observed signature variability did not substantially degrade discrimination performance at the genus and species levels. In addition, Raman chemical imaging spectroscopy was used to distinguish a mixture of BG spores and EC cells at the single cell level.
Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide Using Photofragmentation Laser-Induced Fluorescence
Authors: Johansson O. , Bood J. , Aldén M. , Lindblad U.
Published: January 2008

Photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence (PF-LIF) is for the first time demonstrated to be a practical diagnostic tool for detection of hydrogen peroxide. Point measurements as well as two-dimensional (2D) measurements in free-flows, with nitrogen as bath gas, are reported. The present application of the PF-LIF technique involves one laser, emitting radiation of 266 nm wavelength, to dissociate hydrogen peroxide molecules into OH radicals, and another laser, emitting at 282.25 nm, to electronically excite OH, whose laser-induced fluorescence is detected. The measurement procedure is explained in detail and a suitable time separation between photolysis and excitation pulse is proposed to be on the order of a few hundred nanoseconds. With a separation time in that regime, recorded OH excitation scans were found to be thermal and the signal was close to maximum. The PF-LIF signal strength was shown to follow the same trend as the vapor pressure corresponding to the hydrogen peroxide liquid concentration. Thus, the PF-LIF signal appeared to increase linearly with hydrogen peroxide vapor-phase concentration. For 2D single shot measurements, a conservatively estimated value of the detection limit is 30 ppm. Experiments verified that for averaged point measurements the detection limit was well below 30 ppm.
Direct Spectrophotometric Analysis of Cr(VI) Using a Liquid Waveguide Capillary Cell
Authors: Levitskaia Tatiana G. , O'Hara Matthew J. , Sinkov Sergei I. , Egorov Oleg B.
Published: January 2008

Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a notorious ground water contaminant toxic to humans and animals. Assessment of an exposure risk for aquatic receptors necessitates frequent Cr(VI) concentration data from a range of surface and groundwater locations at Cr(VI) contamination sites. In this work, we demonstrate that enhanced ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy using a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC) offers an easy-to-use and economical methodology for the determination of chromate anion CrO42− in Hanford natural waters without chemical pretreatment and generation of hazardous waste. Direct determination of CrO42− in actual surface and ground water samples with the complexities of competing ions, dissolved organics, and other potential interfering agents was achieved by measuring the chromate optical absorbance at 372 nm. For a 100 cm path length LWCC, the detection limit for chromate was found to be as low as 0.073 ppb. A quantitative relationship between the intensity of the absorbance signal and water pH allowed for the straightforward calculation of total Cr(VI) content in natural water. The described method is applicable for in-field monitoring of Cr(VI) in environmental water samples at trace levels.
Optimization of Principal-Component-Analysis-Applied in Situ Spectroscopy Data Using Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Kim Byungwhan , Kwon Min Ji
Published: January 2008

A new model of multidimensional in situ diagnostic data is presented. This was accomplished by combining a back-propagation neural network (BPNN), principal component analysis (PCA), and a genetic algorithm (GA). The PCA was used to reduce input dimensionality. The GA was applied to search for a set of optimized training factors involved in BPNN training. The presented technique was evaluated with optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data measured during the etching of oxide thin films in a CHF3–CF4 inductively coupled plasma. For a systematic modeling, the etching process was characterized by a face-centered Box Wilson experiment. The etch responses to be modeled include oxide etch rate, oxide profile angle, and oxide etch rate non-uniformity. In PCA, three types of data variances were employed and the reduced input dimensionality corresponding to 100, 99, and 98% are 16, 8, and 5. The BPNN training factors to be optimized include the training tolerance, number of hidden neurons, magnitude of initial weight distribution, gradient of bipolar sigmoid function, and gradient of linear function. The prediction errors of GA-BPNN models are 249 Å/min, 2.64°, and 0.439% for the etch rate, profile angle, and etch rate non-uniformity, respectively. Compared to the conventional and previous full OES models, the presented models demonstrated a significantly improved prediction for all etch responses.
Peak Clipping Algorithms for Background Estimation in Spectroscopic Data
Authors: Morháč Miroslav , Matoušek Vladislav
Published: January 2008

In this paper we present sensitive nonlinear iterative peak (SNIP) clipping algorithms to estimate background in various kinds of spectra. We have proposed several improvements of the SNIP algorithm. Moreover, we have extended and generalized the SNIP algorithm for multidimensional coincidence γ-ray spectra. In addition to the continuous background, the so-called lower-order coincidences, i.e., coincidences peak-background in different dimensions, must also be included into the estimated background. Further, we have derived a set of modifications of the algorithm that allow estimation of specific shapes of background and ridges as well.
Images and fear: Repressed pictures as tools for analysing society
Authors: Linnap Peeter
Published: January 2008

This article discusses societal attitudes to images, concentrating on photographs. What may or may not be photographed communicates a lot about a society. As the ability to take photographs increases, with ever more digital devices capable of capturing images, so do various restrictions.
These restrictions are connected with the deep fears images can engender. Using examples from Estonia, this article demonstrates that while photographic images continue to have the power to shock, the way and extent to which this happens depends on the particular contexts in which they are
created and interpreted.
Spinal Cord Injury Induces Changes in Electrophysiological Properties and Ion Channel Expression of Reticulospinal Neurons in Larval Lamprey
Authors: McClellan Andrew D. , Kovalenko Mykola O. , Benes Jessica A. , Schulz David J.
Published: January 2008

In larval lamprey, hemitransections were performed on the right side of the rostral spinal cord to axotomize ipsilateral reticulospinal (RS) neurons. First, at short recovery times (2–3 weeks), uninjured RS neurons contralateral to hemitransections fired a smooth train of action potentials in response to sustained depolarization, whereas axotomized neurons fired a single short burst or short repetitive bursts. For uninjured RS neurons, the afterpotentials of action potentials had three components: fast afterhyperpolarization (fAHP), afterdepolarizing potential (ADP), and slow AHP (sAHP) that was attributable to calcium influx via high-voltage-activated (HVA) (N- and P/Q-type) calcium channels and calcium-activated potassium channels (SKKCa). For axotomized RS neurons, the fAHP was significantly larger than for uninjured neurons, and the ADP and sAHP were absent or significantly reduced. Second, at relatively long recovery times (12–16 weeks), axotomized RS neurons displayed firing patterns and afterpotentials that were similar to those of uninjured neurons. Third, mRNA levels of lamprey HVA calcium and SKKCa channels in axotomized RS neurons were significantly reduced at short recovery times and restored at long recovery times. Fourth, blocking calcium channels in uninjured RS neurons resulted in altered firing patterns that resembled those produced by axotomy. We demonstrated previously that lamprey RS neurons in culture extend neurites, and calcium influx results in inhibition of neurite outgrowth or retraction. Together, these results suggest that the downregulation of Ca2+channels in axotomized RS neurons, and the associated reduction in calcium influx, maintain intracellular calcium levels in a range that is permissive for axonal regeneration.
A Song Mass in Siena
Authors: RIFKIN JOSHUA
Published: January 2008

An unusual mass in a late 15th-century Sienese choirbook has attracted increasing attention in recent years, not least because of its possible authorship by Jacob Obrecht. A closer look reveals some compositional procedures not previously encountered anywhere in the period, as well as further evidence strengthening the attribution to Obrecht; the findings also shed some new light on the history and composition of the well known Lutheran chorale Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein.
Composing Time: Zeno's Arrow, Hindemith's Erinnerung, and Satie's Instantanéisme
Authors: TRIPPETT DAVID
Published: January 2008

The concept of linear time as an irreversible succession of events dates back to the late 18th century. Though fundamental to the experience of music written thereafter, time's pure linearity was dented by technologies of mechanical reproduction during the early 20th century. Imagining possible temporal zigzags provided modernists such as Paul Hindemith and René Clair with mechanical paradigms through which to explore the manipulation of time and motion—as infinitely divisible properties—in the decade that witnessed Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, the first radio broadcasts, and an increasing addiction to Edison's Duplex Telegraph wire. Apart from the modernism that exists on the historical timeline, this essay looks for a structural homology between historical and musical events in attempting to establish a distinct “modernism of time” for the 1920s; it argues that differing concepts of time were reflected in certain pieces from the early 20th century.

Hindemith's one-act operatic epigram Hin und Zurück (1927) plays with conceptions of time as a narrative of reversal from domestic disaster to “happy beginning.” The music, running forward and backward, evokes different processes of memory to illustrate this “Time Axis Manipulation” as it is intuitively lived by the stage characters. Clair's contrasting Dadaeque film Entr'acte (1924), set to Satie's music, is an illogical picture sequence that also embodies a construction of time, Instantanéisme, but denies that it can be understood. Both works were conceived as proportional, imperfect mirror forms, indicating an implicit temporal reversal, though from antithetical perspectives. Drawing on the master paradigm of Zeno's arrow, this enquiry explores qualities of musical and visual time as both construction and manipulation of the modernist imagination.
“An Idea Can Never Perish”: Memory, the Musical Idea, and Schoenberg's A Survivor From Warsaw (1947)
Authors: WLODARSKI AMY LYNN
Published: January 2008

This article explores the role of memory within Schoenberg's Gedanke Manuscripts and its musical encoding in A Survivor From Warsaw, his 1947 Holocaust cantata. In the Gedanke Manuscripts human memory serves as analogy for the connective processes that aid the listener in comprehending and identifying the musical idea. Schoenberg argues that a musical idea is recognized (erkennt), retained, and then re-recognized (wiedererkennt) by the listener in a process similar to that of memory. These comments form the basis for an analysis that demonstrates the patterning of Survivor's 12-tone rows according to such mnemonic principles. The encoding of memory in the narrator's testimony as well as in the musical structure suggests that memory functions as an overriding poetic idea that holds several implications for evaluations of the cantata's musical and religious significance within Schoenberg's corpus.
Targeting of Pancreatic Glia in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Tsui Hubert , Chan Yin , Tang Lan , Winer Shawn , Cheung Roy K. , Paltser Geoffrey , Selvanantham Thirumahal , Elford Alisha R. , Ellis James R. , Becker Dorothy J. , Ohashi Pamela S. , Dosch Hans-Michael
Published: January 2008

OBJECTIVE— Type 1 diabetes reflects autoimmune destruction of β-cells and peri-islet Schwann cells (pSCs), but the mechanisms of pSC death and the T-cell epitopes involved remain unclear.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Primary pSC cultures were generated and used as targets in cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) assays in NOD mice. Cognate interaction between pSC and CD8+ T-cells was assessed by transgenic restoration of β2-microglobulin (β2m) to pSC in NOD.β2m−/− congenics. I-Ag7 and Kd epitopes in the pSC antigen glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were identified by peptide mapping or algorithms, respectively, and the latter tested by immunotherapy.

RESULTS— pSC cultures did not express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and were lysed by ex vivo CTLs from diabetic NOD mice. In vivo, restoration of MHC class I in GFAP-β2m transgenics significantly accelerated adoptively transferred diabetes. Target epitopes in the pSC autoantigen GFAP were mapped to residues 79–87 and 253–261 for Kd and 96–110, 116–130, and 216–230 for I-Ag7. These peptides were recognized spontaneously in NOD spleens as early as 2.5 weeks of age, with proliferative responses peaking around weaning and detectable lifelong. Several were also recognized by T-cells from new-onset type 1 diabetic patients. NOD mouse immunotherapy at 8 weeks with the CD8+ T-cell epitope, GFAP 79–87 but not 253–261, significantly inhibited type 1 diabetes and was associated with reduced γ-interferon production to whole protein GFAP.

CONCLUSIONS— Collectively, these findings elucidate a role for pSC-specific CD8+ T-cells in islet inflammation and type 1 diabetes pathogenesis, further supporting neuronal involvement in β-cell demise.
Acquainting Veterinary Students with Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: McGregor Douglas D. , Fraser David R. , Haven Michelle L. , Hickey Gerard J.
Published: January 2008

Careers in the pharmaceutical industry were revealed in modules facilitated by senior scientists from companies that sponsor the Cornell Leadership Program for Veterinary Students. One module was structured as a series of interviews for different positions in industry, the other as a competition between hypothetical companies created by students. The interview-based module stimulated wide-ranging discussion of the activities and responsibilities of veterinarians employed in a discovery-intensive pharmaceutical firm and of the characteristics such companies seek in prospective employees, from both professional and personal perspectives. The second module explored the drug discovery and development process from the perspective of animal-health companies that are competitors in the market for animal health care products. The exercise provided insights into the manner in which companies discover new chemical entities, screen candidate drugs, allocate resources, and pursue the development of products through testing, licensing, and distribution.
The Use of Multi–detector Row Computed Tomography (MDCT) as an Alternative to Specimen Preparation for Anatomical Instruction
Authors: Yamada Kazutaka , Taniura Tokunori , Tanabe Shigeyuki , Yamaguchi Miho , Azemoto Shogo , Wisner Erik R.
Published: January 2008

The purpose of the study reported here was to establish a method of teaching veterinary anatomy, including radiologic anatomy, for clinical practice using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). Two clinically healthy dogs and three cats were scanned using multi–detector row computed tomography (MDCT). Images were made by means of imaging processing software. At the workstation, by observing the transverse, dorsal-plane, or sagittal sections and three-dimensional (3D) images simultaneously, it is much easier to understand the 3D anatomical structure. With this educational support system, anatomical figures can be explained using living animals instead of specimens. In addition, clinical representative examples can be used to show anatomical disorders to students. Veterinary students (N = 62) who filled out a questionnaire evaluating how the method aided their understanding of both experimental study and clinical examples gave it a score of 88.2 ± 20.6 (Mean ± SD) on a visual analog scale. This system can enhance veterinary students’ understanding and interest in anatomy and can enable us to offer them a quality veterinary medical education. We concluded that CAD is a useful new option not only for clinical service but also for veterinary education.
A New System to Reduce Formaldehyde Levels Improves Safety Conditions during Gross Veterinary Anatomy Learning
Authors: Nacher Víctor , Llombart Cristina , Carretero Ana , Navarro Marc , Ysern Pere , Calero Sebastián , Fígols Enric , Ruberte Jesús
Published: January 2008

Dissection is a very useful method of learning veterinary anatomy. However, formaldehyde, which is widely used to preserve cadavers, is an irritant, and it has recently been classified as a carcinogen. In 1997, the Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo [National Institute of Workplace Security and Hygiene] found that the levels of formaldehyde in our dissection room were above the threshold limit values. Unfortunately, no optimal substitute for formaldehyde is currently available. Therefore, we designed a new ventilation system that combines slow propulsion of fresh air from above the dissection table and rapid aspiration of polluted air from the perimeter. Formaldehyde measurements performed in 2004, after the introduction of this new system into our dissection laboratory, showed a dramatic reduction (about tenfold, or 0.03 ppm). A suitable propelling/aspirating air system successfully reduces the concentration of formaldehyde in the dissection room, significantly improving safety conditions for students, instructors, and technical staff during gross anatomy learning.
Assessment of Incidental Learning of Medical Terminology in a Veterinary Curriculum
Authors: Ainsworth A. Jerald , Hardin Laura , Robertson Stanley
Published: January 2008

The objective of this study was to determine whether students in a veterinary curriculum at Mississippi State University would gain an understanding of medical terminology, as they matriculate through their courses, comparable to that obtained during a focused medical terminology unit of study. Evaluation of students’ incidental learning related to medical terminology during the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 academic years indicated that 88.7% and 81.9% of students, respectively, scored above 70% on a medical terminology exam by the end of the first year of the curriculum. For the 2004/2005 academic, 67.6% increased their percentage of correct answers above 70% from the first medical terminology exam to the third. For the 2005/2006 academic year, 61.1% of students increased their score above 70% from the first to the third exam. Our data indicate that students can achieve comprehension of medical terminology in the absence of a formal terminology course.
The Attitudes of Minority Junior High and High School Students toward Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Asare Anton
Published: January 2008

There is a documented lack of racial diversity in veterinary medicine. It has been suggested that lack of animal ownership by minorities, cultural and ethnic biases relating to animals, and a lack of role models of color within the veterinary profession are reasons for the lack of racial diversity in veterinary medicine. The purpose of this study was to survey the attitudes of minority junior high and high school students toward veterinary medicine. It was hypothesized that African American and Latino students in New York City (NYC) would have limited experience with veterinary medicine and would not have a favorable attitude toward the profession. In fact, the survey, which was sent to several NYC schools, found that minority students have a positive view of animals and of veterinary medicine. The survey also showed that a deficiency of minority role models for students, a lack of interest in and enjoyment of veterinary medicine on the part of students, a perception on the part of students that veterinary medicine does not provide a satisfying lifestyle, and inadequate student exposure to the profession are key factors in the lack of racial diversity in veterinary medicine.
Your Path to Success: Advice to People Considering a Career in Health Sciences
Authors: Haynes Emily N.
Published: January 2008

EDITORIAL NOTE

This talk was presented by Dr. Haynes at the Association of American Medical Colleges meeting in Washington, DC, in November 2005, as part of a recruitment session for minority students. It relates her personal experience and philosophy on how to achieve success in starting a career in the health sciences. It was one of the most powerful and enthusiastically received messages that I have heard. Dr. Haynes kindly agreed to write it up for JVME. —Donal Walsh, Editor
Pathways: Missouri Model for Enhancing Diversity
Authors: Chastain C.B. , Horrell Barbra A.B. , Seay Kathy
Published: January 2008

This article describes the structure and principles of the Pathways to Success program, created by College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, which is making excellent progress in recruiting minority student to the College of Veterinary Medicine.
“If It's Tuesday, I Must Be the Student”: Lessons Learned from the Other Side of the Classroom
Authors: Lane India F.
Published: January 2008

After teaching veterinary students for over 10 years, the author returned to graduate school as a part-time doctoral student in educational administration and policy studies. Sitting in the student's chair brought back an acute awareness of the submissive position of the student, the daunting prospects of navigating a university system, and the challenges of managing the workload of a degree program. The experience also provided a fresh perspective on instruction, including course delivery, effective use of class time, and the potential impact of the language one uses with students. These insights on teaching and learning and on the student's viewpoint may help educators become more empathetic and effective instructors and mentors of veterinary students.
How We Learn: Concepts, Insights, and Rationale for Integration
Authors: Abrahamson Stephen
Published: January 2008

This article is based on the author's many years of working in medical education and serving as a consultant in other health-professional education. The article emphasizes basic principles of learning but avoids a pedantic approach, instead using anecdotes as examples. Insights drawn from these anecdotes and principles are reviewed, again with illustrative material. All of this material fits into a rationale outlined early on.
Maintaining Quality in Online Education
Authors: Moore Janet C.
Published: January 2008

Higher education is adapting to new technologies and to the evolving pedagogies that accompany change. Maintaining quality begins with identifying purpose and assessing progress. Using the Sloan Consortium's quality framework, this article provides resources for measuring quality in online environments.
The Return on Investment in Online Education
Authors: Bishop Tana M.
Published: January 2008

In the decade since online education emerged in higher education, digital learning has become increasingly commonplace. Various models exist—from those offered fully online to others that combine traditional classroom time with some online activities. This article identifies the dominant emergent models, provides examples of their implementation across higher-education institutions, and evaluates the cost analyses conducted to date on this relatively new teaching and learning model. The ways in which we determine the return on investment depend upon the cost indicators selected, the measures of effectiveness used, and the indices by which institutions mark progress toward their educational and cost objectives.
Understanding the Issues of Intellectual Property in the Creation of e-Learning Courseware
Authors: Donohue Brian C , Howe-Steiger Linda
Published: January 2008

This article provides an introduction to copyright law and guidance on constructing the collaborative agreements between faculty and staff coworkers, and faculty and institutional administration to encourage the development of e-learning courseware and its use in an extended distance environment.
Current Perspectives on Distance Education in Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Dhein Cheryl R.
Published: January 2008

A brief review of technologies currently used in distance-education endeavors in veterinary curricula is presented. The article provides the results of a survey on how distance education has been used in veterinary curricula.
The Use of Web-Conferencing in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University
Authors: Dhein Cheryl R.
Published: January 2008

This article presents a review of Web-conferencing and evaluation data from veterinary students and animal owners participating in Web-conference events. Web-conferencing allowed for high-fidelity transmission of images and adequate transmission of audio by off-site instructors. Geographically distributed participants found Web-conference software easy to set up and to use. Participant satisfaction varied with the type of participant; the highest satisfaction rate was from pet owners and the lowest from veterinary students in a core course.
Purdue University's Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program
Authors: Bill Robert L.
Published: January 2008

The Purdue University Veterinary Technology Distance Learning Program (VT-DLP) is an AVMA-accredited, 70-credit-hour curriculum that grants an Associate of Science degree in veterinary technology. Creation of the VT-DLP required the application of creative instructional design methods to meet the educational goals set by the faculty, maintain an academic rigor equivalent to the on-campus program, and address the concerns and distance-education criticisms of faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders. This article describes the educational principles on which the VT-DLP was created, how various challenges were identified and addressed, and important lessons learned during the creation and delivery of a curriculum that is traditionally very hands-on.