bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic Diversification and Adaptation ofSerratia marcescensMG1 Biofilm-Derived Morphotypes
Authors: Koh Kai Shyang , Lam Kin Wai , Alhede Morten , Queck Shu Yeong , Labbate Maurizio , Kjelleberg Staffan , Rice Scott A.
Published: December 2006

We report here the characterization of dispersal variants from microcolony-type biofilms ofSerratia marcescensMG1. Biofilm formation proceeds through a reproducible process of attachment, aggregation, microcolony development, hollow colony formation, and dispersal. From the time when hollow colonies were observed in flow cell biofilms after 3 to 4 days, at least six different morphological colony variants were consistently isolated from the biofilm effluent. The timing and pattern of variant formation were found to follow a predictable sequence, where some variants, such as a smooth variant with a sticky colony texture (SSV), could be consistently isolated at the time when mature hollow colonies were observed, whereas a variant that produced copious amounts of capsular polysaccharide (SUMV) was always isolated at late stages of biofilm development and coincided with cell death and biofilm dispersal or sloughing. The morphological variants differed extensively from the wild type in attachment, biofilm formation, and cell ultrastructure properties. For example, SSV formed two- to threefold more biofilm biomass than the wild type in batch biofilm assays, despite having a similar growth rate and attachment capacity. Interestingly, the SUMV, and no other variants, was readily isolated from an established SSV biofilm, indicating that the SUMV is a second-generation genetic variant derived from SSV. Planktonic cultures showed significantly lower frequencies of variant formation than the biofilms (5.05 × 10−8versus 4.83 × 10−6, respectively), suggesting that there is strong, diversifying selection occurring within biofilms and that biofilm dispersal involves phenotypic radiation with divergent phenotypes.
The RpoT Regulon of
Pseudomonas putida
DOT-T1E and Its Role in Stress Endurance against Solvents
Authors: Duque Estrella , Rodríguez-Herva José-Juan , de la Torre Jesús , Domínguez-Cuevas Patricia , Muñoz-Rojas Jesús , Ramos Juan-Luis
Published: December 2006

Pseudomonas putida
encodes 20
e
xtra
c
ytoplasmic sigma
f
actors (ECFs). In this study, we show that one of these ECFs, known as ECF-Pp12 (PP3006), plays a role in tolerance of toluene and other organic solvents. Based on this finding, we have called the gene that encodes this new ECF
rpoT
. The
rpoT
gene forms an operon with the preceding gene and with the gene located downstream. The translated gene product of the open reading frame PP3005 is an inner membrane protein, whereas the PP3007 protein is periplasmic. A nonpolar Δ
rpoT
mutant was generated by homologous recombination, and survival of the mutant was tested under various stress conditions. The mutant strain was hypersensitive to toluene and other solvents but just as tolerant as the wild type of stress imposed by heat, antibiotics, NaCl, paraquat, sodium dodecyl sulfate, H
2
O
2
, and benzoate. In the Δ
rpoT
mutant background, expression of around 50 transcriptional units was affected: 31 cistrons were upregulated, and 23 cistrons were downregulated. This indicates that about 1% of all
P. putida
genes are under the direct or indirect influence of RpoT. The
rpoT
gene controls the expression of a number of membrane proteins, including components of the respiratory chains, porins, transporters, and multidrug efflux pumps. Hypersensitivity of the
P. putida
RpoT-deficient mutant to organic solvents can be attributed to the fact that in the Δ
rpoT
strain, expression of the toluene efflux pump
ttgGHI
genes is severalfold lower than in the parental strain.
Disruption of
sitA
Compromises
Sinorhizobium meliloti
for Manganese Uptake Required for Protection against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Davies Bryan W. , Walker Graham C.
Published: December 2006

During the initial stages of symbiosis with the host plant
Medicago sativa
,
Sinorhizobium meliloti
must overcome an oxidative burst produced by the plant in order for proper symbiotic development to continue. While identifying mutants defective in symbiosis and oxidative stress defense, we isolated a mutant with a transposon insertion mutation of
sitA
, which encodes the periplasmic binding protein of the putative iron/manganese ABC transporter SitABCD. Disruption of
sitA
causes elevated sensitivity to the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. Disruption of
sitA
leads to elevated catalase activity and a severe decrease in superoxide dismutase B (SodB) activity and protein level. The decrease in SodB level strongly correlates with the superoxide sensitivity of the
sitA
mutant. We demonstrate that all free-living phenotypes of the
sitA
mutant can be rescued by the addition of exogenous manganese but not iron, a result that strongly implies that SitABCD plays an important role in manganese uptake in
S. meliloti
.
Proteolytic Adaptor for Transfer-Messenger RNA-Tagged Proteins from α-Proteobacteria
Authors: Lessner Faith H. , Venters Bryan J. , Keiler Kenneth C.
Published: December 2006

We have identified an analog of SspB, the proteolytic adaptor for transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA)-tagged proteins, in
Caulobacter crescentus. C. crescentus
SspB shares limited sequence similarity with
Escherichia coli
SspB but binds the tmRNA tag in vitro and is required for optimal proteolysis of tagged proteins in vivo.
Malic Enzyme Cofactor and Domain Requirements for Symbiotic N
2
Fixation by
Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Mitsch Michael J. , Cowie Alison , Finan Turlough M.
Published: December 2006

The NAD
+
-dependent malic enzyme (DME) and the NADP
+
-dependent malic enzyme (TME) of
Sinorhizobium meliloti
are representatives of a distinct class of malic enzymes that contain a 440-amino-acid N-terminal region homologous to other malic enzymes and a 330-amino-acid C-terminal region with similarity to phosphotransacetylase enzymes (PTA). We have shown previously that
dme
mutants of
S. meliloti
fail to fix N
2
(Fix
−
) in alfalfa root nodules, whereas
tme
mutants are unimpaired in their N
2
-fixing ability (Fix
+
). Here we report that the amount of DME protein in bacteroids is 10 times greater than that of TME. We therefore investigated whether increased TME activity in nodules would allow TME to function in place of DME. The
tme
gene was placed under the control of the
dme
promoter, and despite elevated levels of TME within bacteroids, no symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurred in
dme
mutant strains. Conversely, expression of
dme
from the
tme
promoter resulted in a large reduction in DME activity and symbiotic N
2
fixation. Hence, TME cannot replace the symbiotic requirement for DME. In further experiments we investigated the DME PTA-like domain and showed that it is not required for N
2
fixation. Thus, expression of a DME C-terminal deletion derivative or the
Escherichia coli
NAD
+
-dependent malic enzyme (
sfcA
), both of which lack the PTA-like region, restored wild-type N
2
fixation to a
dme
mutant. Our results have defined the symbiotic requirements for malic enzyme and raise the possibility that a constant high ratio of NADPH + H
+
to NADP in nitrogen-fixing bacteroids prevents TME from functioning in N
2
-fixing bacteroids.
Identification of NovelSinorhizobium melilotiMutants Compromised for Oxidative Stress Protection and Symbiosis
Authors: Davies Bryan W. , Walker Graham C.
Published: December 2006

Employing a novel two-part screen, we identifiedSinorhizobium melilotimutants that were both sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and symbiotically defective on the host plantMedicago sativa. The mutations affect a wide variety of cellular processes and represent both novel and previously identified genes important in symbiosis.
Cognitive assessment of children at age 2½ years after maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Dunstan J A , Simmer K , Dixon G , Prescott S L
Published: December 2006

Objective:

To assess the effects of antenatal omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC PUFA) on cognitive development in a cohort of children whose mothers received high-dose fish oil in pregnancy.

Design:

A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Setting:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Patients:

98 pregnant women received the supplementation from 20 weeks’ gestation until delivery. Their infants (n = 72) were assessed at age 2½ years.

Interventions:

Fish oil (2.2 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 1.1 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/day) or olive oil from 20 weeks’ gestation until delivery.

Outcome measures:

Effects on infant growth and developmental quotients (Griffiths Mental Development Scales), receptive language (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) and behaviour (Child Behaviour Checklist).

Results:

Children in the fish oil-supplemented group (n = 33) attained a significantly higher score for eye and hand coordination (mean ((SD) score 114 (10.2)) than those in the placebo group (n = 39, mean score 108 (SD 11.3); p = 0.021, adjusted p = 0.008). Eye and hand coordination scores correlated with n-3 PUFA levels in cord blood erythrocytes (EPA: r = 0.320, p = 0.007; DHA: r = 0.308, p = 0.009) and inversely correlated with n-6 PUFA (arachidonic acid 20:4n-6: r = −0.331, p = 0.005). Growth measurements in the two groups were similar at age 2½ years.

Conclusion:

Maternal fish oil supplementation during pregnancy is safe for the fetus and infant, and may have potentially beneficial effects on the child’s eye and hand coordination. Further studies are needed to determine the significance of this finding.
SIMULTANEOUS EIGENSTATES OF THE NUMBER-DIFFERENCE OPERATOR AND A BILINEAR INTERACTION HAMILTONIAN DERIVED BY SOLVING A COMPLEX DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
Authors: FAN HONG-YI , GAO WEI-BO
Published: December 2006

As a continuum work of Bhaumik et al.3 who derived the common eigenvector of the number-difference operator Q≡(a†a-b†b) and pair-annihilation operator ab, we search for the simultaneous eigenvector of Q and (ab-a†b†) by setting up a complex differential equation in the bipartite entangled state representation. The differential equation is then solved in terms of the two-variable Hermite polynomials and the formal hypergeometric functions. The work is also an addendum to Ref. 5 in which the common eigenkets of Q and pair creators a†b† are discussed.
SCALAR HAIR FOR AN AdS BLACK HOLE
Authors: KURIAKOSE P. I. , KURIAKOSE V. C.
Published: December 2006

A nontrivial scalar solution, whose source is a massive scalar field with a double-well potential, for a non-rotating Bananas–Teitelboim–Zanelli (BTZ) black hole is obtained with a condition [Formula: see text], where μ is the mass of scalar field and [Formula: see text] the cosmological constant. The stability of solution is also studied. The mass of black hole with a scalar hair is greater than the black hole without hair. The scalar solution proposes a regular horizon which hides the naked singularity.
$B_s\mbox{--}\bar{B}_s$ MIXING IN THE MSSM WITH LARGE tan β
Authors: PARRY J. K.
Published: December 2006

The [Formula: see text] mixing parameter ΔMs is studied in the MSSM with large tan β. The recent Tevatron measurement of ΔMs is used to constrain the MSSM parameter space. From this analysis the often neglected contribution to ΔMs from the operator [Formula: see text] is found to be significant.
Intermittent peripheral tissue ischemia during coronary ischemia reduces myocardial infarction through a KATP-dependent mechanism: first demonstration of remote ischemic perconditioning
Authors: Schmidt M. R. , Smerup M. , Konstantinov I. E. , Shimizu M. , Li J. , Cheung M. , White P. A. , Kristiansen S. B. , Sorensen K. , Dzavik V. , Redington A. N. , Kharbanda R. K.
Published: December 2006

Remote ischemic preconditioning reduces myocardial infarction (MI) in animal models. We tested the hypothesis that the systemic protection thus induced is effective when ischemic preconditioning is administered during ischemia (PerC) and before reperfusion and examined the role of the K+-dependent ATP (KATP) channel. Twenty 20-kg pigs were randomized (10 in each group) to 40 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion with 120 min of reperfusion. PerC consisted of four 5-min cycles of lower limb ischemia by tourniquet during left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Left ventricular (LV) function was assessed by a conductance catheter and extent of infarction by tetrazolium staining. The extent of MI was significantly reduced by PerC (60.4 ± 14.3 vs. 38.3 ± 15.4%, P = 0.004) and associated with improved functional indexes. The increase in the time constant of diastolic relaxation was significantly attenuated by PerC compared with control in ischemia and reperfusion ( P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). At 120 min of reperfusion, preload-recruitable stroke work declined 38 ± 6% and 3 ± 5% in control and PerC, respectively ( P = 0.001). The force-frequency relation was significantly depressed at 120 min of reperfusion in both groups, but optimal heart rate was significantly lower in the control group ( P = 0.04). There were fewer malignant arrhythmias with PerC during reperfusion ( P = 0.02). These protective effects of PerC were abolished by glibenclamide. Intermittent limb ischemia during myocardial ischemia reduces MI, preserves global systolic and diastolic function, and protects against arrhythmia during the reperfusion phase through a KATPchannel-dependent mechanism. Understanding this process may have important therapeutic implications for a range of ischemia-reperfusion syndromes.
Mechanism of cardioventilatory coupling: insights from cardiac pacing, vagotomy, and sinoaortic denervation in the anesthetized rat
Authors: Tzeng Y. C. , Larsen P. D. , Galletly D. C.
Published: December 2006

Cardioventilatory coupling (CVC), a temporal alignment between the heartbeat and inspiratory activity, is a major determinant of breath-to-breath variation in observed respiratory rate ( fo). The cardiac-trigger hypothesis attributes this to adjustments of respiratory timing by baroreceptor afferent impulses to the central respiratory pattern generator. A mathematical model of this hypothesis indicates that apparent CVC in graphical plots of ECG R wave vs. inspiratory time is dependent on the heart rate (HR), the rate of the intrinsic respiratory oscillator ( fi), and the strength of the hypothetical cardiovascular afferent impulse. Failure to account for HR and fi may explain the inconsistent results from previous attempts to identify the neural pathways involved in CVC. Cognizant of these interactions, we factored in the HR-to- fi ratio in our examination of the role of the vagus nerve and arterial baroreceptors in CVC by cardiac pacing 29 anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats and incrementally changing the HR. With the assumption of a relatively constant fi, CVC could be examined across a range of HR-to- fo ratios before and after vagotomy, sinoaortic denervation, and vagotomy + sinoaortic denervation. We confirmed the relation between CVC, HR-to- fo ratio, and breath-to-breath respiratory period variability and demonstrated the loss of these relations after baroreceptor elimination. Sham experiments ( n = 8) showed that these changes were not due to surgical stress. Our data support the notion that inspiratory timing can be influenced by cardiac afferent activity. We conclude that the putative cardiovascular input arises from the arterial baroreceptors and that the vagus nerve is not critical for CVC.
Neonatal maternal separation induces sex-specific augmentation of the hypercapnic ventilatory response in awake rat
Authors: Genest Sophie-Emmanuelle , Gulemetova Roumiana , Laforest Sylvie , Drolet Guy , Kinkead Richard
Published: December 2006

Neonatal maternal separation (NMS) is a form of stress that exerts persistent, sex-specific effects on the hypoxic ventilatory response. Adult male rats previously subjected to NMS show a 25% increase in the response, whereas NMS females show a response 30% lower than controls ( 8 ). To assess the extent to which NMS affects ventilatory control development, we tested the hypothesis that NMS alters the ventilatory response to hypercapnia in awake, unrestrained rats. Pups subjected to NMS were placed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled incubator 3 h/day for 10 consecutive days (P3 to P12). Control pups were undisturbed. At adulthood (8 to 10 wk old), rats were placed in a plethysmography chamber for measurement of ventilatory parameters under baseline and hypercapnic conditions (inspired CO2 fraction = 0.05). After 20 min of hypercapnia, the minute ventilation response measured in NMS males was 47% less than controls, owing to a lower tidal volume response (22%). Conversely, females previously subjected to NMS showed minute ventilation and tidal volume responses 63 and 18% larger than controls respectively. Although a lower baseline minute ventilation contributes to this effect, the higher minute ventilation/CO2 production response observed in NMS females suggests a greater responsiveness to CO2/H+ in this group. We conclude that NMS exerts sex-specific effects on the hypercapnic ventilatory response and that the neural mechanisms affected by NMS likely differ from those involved in the hypoxic chemoreflex.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor–Mediated Signal Transduction in the Development and Therapy of Gliomas
Authors: Nicholas M. Kelly , Lukas Rimas V. , Jafri Nazia F. , Faoro Leonardo , Salgia Ravi
Published: December 2006

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligands figure prominently in the biology of gliomas, the most common tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Although their histologic classification seems to be straightforward, these tumors constitute a heterogeneous class of related neoplasms. They are associated with a variety of molecular abnormalities affecting signal transduction, transcription factors, apoptosis, angiogensesis, and the extracellular matrix. Under normal conditions, these same interacting factors drive CNS growth and development. We are now recognizing the diverse molecular genetic heterogeneity that underlies tumors classified histologically into three distinct grades. This recognition is leading to new therapeutic strategies targeted directly at specific molecular subtypes. In this article, we will review the role of EGFR and related molecular pathways in the genesis of the normal CNS and their relationship to glial tumorigenesis. We will discuss barriers to effective treatment as they relate to anatomic specialization of the CNS. We will also consider the ways in which specific EGFR alterations common to glioma reflect outcomes following treatment with targeted therapies, all with an eye towards applying this understanding to improved patient outcomes.
Contribution of ABL Kinase Domain Mutations to Imatinib Resistance in Different Subsets of Philadelphia-Positive Patients: By the GIMEMA Working Party on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Soverini Simona , Colarossi Sabrina , Gnani Alessandra , Rosti Gianantonio , Castagnetti Fausto , Poerio Angela , Iacobucci Ilaria , Amabile Marilina , Abruzzese Elisabetta , Orlandi Ester , Radaelli Franca , Ciccone Fabrizio , Tiribelli Mario , di Lorenzo Roberto , Caracciolo Clementina , Izzo Barbara , Pane Fabrizio , Saglio Giuseppe , Baccarani Michele , Martinelli Giovanni ,   on behalf of the GIMEMA Working Party on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Published: December 2006

Purpose: ABL kinase domain mutations have been implicated in the resistance to the BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib mesylate of Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) leukemia patients.

Experimental Design: Using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and sequencing, we screened for ABL kinase domain mutations in 370 Ph+ patients with evidence of hematologic or cytogenetic resistance to imatinib.

Results: Mutations were found in 127 of 297 (43%) evaluable patients. Mutations were found in 27% of chronic-phase patients (14% treated with imatinib frontline; 31% treated with imatinib post-IFN failure), 52% of accelerated-phase patients, 75% of myeloid blast crisis patients, and 83% of lymphoid blast crisis/Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Mutations were associated in 30% of patients with primary resistance (44% hematologic and 28% cytogenetic) and in 57% of patients with acquired resistance (23% patients who lost cytogenetic response; 55% patients who lost hematologic response; and 87% patients who progressed to accelerated phase/blast crisis). P-loop and T315I mutations were particularly frequent in advanced-phase chronic myeloid leukemia and Ph+ ALL patients, and often accompanied progression from chronic phase to accelerated phase/blast crisis.

Conclusions: We conclude that (a) amino acid substitutions at seven residues (M244V, G250E, Y253F/H, E255K/V, T315I, M351T, and F359V) account for 85% of all resistance-associated mutations; (b) the search for mutations is important both in case of imatinib failure and in case of loss of response at the hematologic or cytogenetic level; (c) advanced-phase chronic myeloid leukemia and Ph+ ALL patients have a higher likelihood of developing imatinib-resistant mutations; and (d) the presence of either P-loop or T315I mutations in imatinib-treated patients should warn the clinician to reconsider the therapeutic strategy.
Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 Predicts Cancer-Free Survival in Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Shioi Ko-ichi , Komiya Atsushi , Hattori Keiko , Huang Ying , Sano Futoshi , Murakami Takayuki , Nakaigawa Noboru , Kishida Takeshi , Kubota Yoshinobu , Nagashima Yoji , Yao Masahiro
Published: December 2006

Purpose: Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) is a cell surface glycoprotein implicated in various pathophysiologic conditions. We measured VCAM1 expression levels in tumor tissues and evaluated its significance and prognostic use in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Experimental Design: We used real-time quantitative PCR to examine the VCAM1 expression levels of a total of 485 sporadic renal tumors, including 429 clear cell, 21 papillary, 17 chromophobe, 11 oncocytomas, and 7 collecting duct carcinomas. We retrospectively examined the relationship of this expression to various clinicopathologic variables and the von Hippel-Lindau alteration status. We evaluated its significance with respect to patient survival rates using the Cox regression model combined with the split-sample method.

Results: Compared with normal kidney samples (n = 43), VCAM1 was significantly up-regulated in clear cell RCC and papillary RCC, whereas it was down-regulated in chromophobe RCC and oncocytoma. In clear cell RCC, VCAM1 expression levels were apparently high in patients asymptomatic at presentation and in patients with small tumor size, low-stage, low-grade, microvascular invasion–negative, and von Hippel-Lindau alteration-positive tumors. Univariate analyses showed that VCAM1 high expression is strongly associated with better outcomes in clear cell and papillary RCCs. Further, Cox multivariate analysis models combined with the split-sample method revealed that this association is significant only in cancer-free survival for patients with clear cell RCC after curative surgical resection.

Conclusions: VCAM1 expression levels were found to be histologically subtype specific in renal tumors. Determination of the VCAM1 expression level as a biomarker can provide useful prognostic information for patients with clear cell RCC.
Carbon Catabolite Repression of Sucrose Utilization in Staphylococcus xylosus: Catabolite Control Protein CcpA Ensures Glucose Preference and Autoregulatory Limitation of Sucrose Utilization
Authors: Jankovic Ivana , Brückner Reinhold
Published: December 2006

Sucrose utilization in Staphylococcus xylosus is dependent on two genes, scrA and scrB; encoding a PTS permease and a sucrose phosphate hydrolase, respectively. The genes are encoded on separate loci and are transcribed from two promoters, PscrA and PscrB, both of which are controlled by the repressor ScrR by binding to the operator sequences OA and OB. In the scrA promoter region, a catabolite-responsive element (cre), operator for the global catabolite control protein CcpA, is also present, but its contribution to scrA regulation has not been determined. Using an integrative promoter probe plasmid, the activities of the promoters PscrA and PscrB were determined under different growth conditions. Both promoters are induced by sucrose and induction is prevented when glucose is also present. Without a functional CcpA, glucose-mediated prevention of induction is lost, clearly demonstrating that CcpA ensures hierarchical sugar utilization with glucose as preferred substrate. Measurements of promoter activities in the absence of a functional ScrR repressor indicated that CcpA also acts upon the operators OA and OB, albeit not as efficiently as on the genuine cre in PsrcA. Besides determining the choice of the carbon source, CcpA has a second effect on sucrose gene expression. When sucrose is the sole carbon source, sucrose catabolism activates carbon catabolite repression and CcpA prevents full induction of the sucrose utilization genes by partially repressing the scrA promoter. Thus, CcpA-dependent regulation serves as a built-in autoregulatory device to restrict sucrose uptake.
Gli-1 Expression Is Associated with Lymph Node Metastasis and Tumor Progression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Mori Yukiko , Okumura Tomoyuki , Tsunoda Shigeru , Sakai Yoshiharu , Shimada Yutaka
Published: December 2006

Objective: We investigated the expression and function of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: The expression of Hh pathway molecules were detected in 34 human ESCC cell lines by RT-PCR. Subsequently, we investigated the effects of cyclopamine, a specific inhibitor of the Hh pathway, on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Next, the effects of siRNA targeting Gli-1 were examined. Immunohistochemically, the expression of Gli-1 was studied in 104 ESCC specimens and compared with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients. Results: Gli-1 were expressed in 31 of 34 cell lines (91%), while Sonic hedgehog (SHh), Patched (Ptch), and Smoothened (Smo) expression was noted in all 34 cell lines. Cyclopamine significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration in ESCC cells that expressed Gli-1. siRNA targeting Gli-1 inhibited cell growth in ESCC cells. Gli-1 was expressed in 52 of 104 cancer specimens (50%). Gli-1 expression was associated with tumor depth (p < 0.001), positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004) and a poor prognosis (p = 0.0047). Conclusion: Our results raise the possibility that the inhibition of the Hh pathway could be a novel target for esophageal cancer therapy.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Echovirus 11 in the 3′ End of the VP1
Authors: Bouslama Lamjed , Rezig Dorra , Ben Yahia Ahlem , Aouni Mahjoub , Triki Hinda
Published: December 2006

Objective: Echovirus 11 is one of the most frequently isolated enterovirus serotypes, causing a wide range of clinical diseases. We studied the genetic diversity in the 3′ end of the VP1 gene of strains from different geographical origin in the world. Methods: The sequences in the 3′ end of the VP1 of 11 Tunisian isolates were determined and aligned with the published sequences to establish a phylogenetic profile. Results: The grouping of the sequences was similar to what was previously reported by analyzing the whole VP1 gene with 4 genogroups, designated A–D, and 5 lineages in genogroup D. All Tunisian strains belonged to genogroup D, together with other sequences mainly from the USA and Europe. Contrary to the sequences from the USA isolated during the last 3 decades, which mostly belonged to the D4 lineage, those from Tunisia belonged to different lineages within genogroup D according to their isolation date: isolates from the early 1990s belonged to D3, those of the mid 1990s to D4 and the most recent ones to D5. Conclusion: Our findings further widen the interest of partial sequencing in the VP1 to study the molecular epidemiology of echovirus 11 and indicate that the genetic evolution of circulating strains may differ from one country to another according to the region’s epidemiological specificities.
Aortic Valve Calcification
Authors: Messika-Zeitoun David , Bielak Lawrence F. , Peyser Patricia A. , Sheedy Patrick F. , Turner Stephen T. , Nkomo Vuyisile T. , Breen Jerome F. , Maalouf Joseph , Scott Christopher , Tajik A. Jamil , Enriquez-Sarano Maurice
Published: December 2006

Background—

Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is considered degenerative. Recent data suggested links to atherosclerosis or coronary disease (CAD).

Methods and Results—

AVC and coronary artery calcifications (CAC) were prospectively assessed by Electron-Beam-Computed-Tomography in 262 population-based research participants ≥60 years. AVC was frequent (27%) with aging (
P
<0.01) and in men (
P
<0.05). AVC was associated with diabetes, hypertension, higher body-mass-index, and serum glucose (all
P
<0.05). AVC was a marker of higher prevalence (
P
<0.01) and severity of CAD (CAC score: 441±802 versus 265±566,
P
<0.05) independently of age. After follow-up of 3.8±0.9 years, AVC score increased (94±271 versus 54±173,
P
<0.01, +11±32 U/year), faster with higher baseline AVC score (
P
<0.01). Compared with participants remaining free of AVC, de novo acquisition of AVC was associated with higher LDL-cholesterol (141±31 versus 121±27 mg/dL,
P
<0.05) and faster CAC progression (+78±87 versus +28±47 U/year,
P
<0.05). In multivariate analysis, LDL-cholesterol independently determined AVC acquisition while higher baseline AVC scores determined faster progression of existing AVC.

Conclusion—

In the population, AVC is frequent with aging and atherosclerotic risk factors. AVC is a marker of subclinical CAD. AVC is progressive, appearing de novo with progressive atherosclerosis whereas established AVC progresses independently of atherosclerotic risk factors and faster with increasing initial AVC loads.
The State and the Jews: Reflections on Difficult Freedom
Authors: Aronowicz Annette
Published: December 2006

This essay examines the contrast between two conceptions of the universal, one represented by the modern State and the other by the Jewish people. In order to do so, it returns to the collection of essays on Judaism Levinas wrote in the approximately two decades after the Second World War, Difficult Freedom. Its aim is to focus specifically on the political dimension within this collection and then to step back and reflect on how his way of speaking of the political appears to us a full generation later. As is well known, Levinas's approach to the political has a way of escaping that realm, while nonetheless remaining relevant to it. This is what we shall try to capture and to evaluate.
Does the Habit Make the Nun? A Case Study of Heloise's Influence on Abelard's Ethical Philosophy
Authors: Findley Brooke Heidenreich
Published: December 2006

A careful reading of Heloise's letters reveals both her contribution to Abelard's ethical thought and the differences between her ethical concerns and his. In her letters, Heloise focuses on the innate moral qualities of the inner person or animus. Hypocrisy—the misrepresentation of the inner person through false outer appearance, exemplified by the potentially deceitful religious habit or habitus—is a matter of great moral concern to her. When Abelard responds to Heloise's ideas, first in his letters to her and later in his Collationes and Scito te ipsum, he turns the discussion away from her original interests. He transforms her metaphor of the habitus as false appearance into a discussion of another type of habitus, the habitual process of acquiring virtue, and integrates her focus on the animus into his developing ideas about sin as intention. Examining the differences between Heloise's ethical thought and Abelard's allows us to appreciate the distinct contributions of both.
Lorenzo Valla and Quattrocento Scepticism
Authors: Nauta Lodi
Published: December 2006

Lorenzo Valla (1406-1457) has often been considered to be a sceptic. Equipped with an extremely polemical and critical mind, his whole oeuvre seemed to aim at undermining received philosophical and theological dogmas. More specifically he has been associated with the burgeoning interests in ancient scepticism in the fifteenth century. In this article the arguments in support of this interpretation will be critically examined and evaluated. Based on a discussion of two of his major works, De vero bono and the Dialectica, it will be shown that Valla was not a sceptic. Even though the first work betrays the techniques of the Academy as employed by Cicero, the appropriation of these strategies served an agenda which can hardly be called 'sceptical'. The second work contains his reform of Aristotelian dialectic, which seems to testify to a sceptical interest in arguments which rely on verisimilitude and dubious validity such as sorites and paradox. But rather than reflecting an endorsement of Academic scepticism, this work, on closer reading, shows Valla to be highly critical on such arguments. This raises the question of how scepticism is related to rhetoric. Their similarities and differences will be discussed in the final section: Valla the Christian orator was no proponent of doubt, uncertainty and a suspension of judgement, even though at times he used strategies derived from Academic scepticism.
The Madness of Non-Conformity: Woman versus society in the fiction of Salwā Bakr
Authors: El-Enany Rasheed
Published: December 2006

This article provides an overview of the achievement of the Egyptian fiction writer, Salwā Bakr (b. 1949). All her works, from her first collection of short stories, Zīnāt fī Janāzat al-Ra'īs (Zinat in the President's Funeral, 1986), to her novel Kūkū Sūdān Kibāshī (2004) are examined. The article will serve as a systematic and comprehensive introduction for her development, her intellectual preoccupations and their artistic representations. The overlap of politics proper and gender politics in her work is highlighted in her portrayal of the status of women in Egyptian society, as is her attempt at contextualising the freedom of women as part of the freedom of society at large from repressive rule and the outmoded conventions of a patriarchal culture.
Patients' Rights in the Republic of Croatia
Authors: Babić-Bosanac Sanja , Dzakula Aleksandar
Published: December 2006

As one of the first transition countries in Central and Southeast Europe, the Republic of Croatia, through comprehensive health service legislation, has made a significant step forward in aligning its standards in the protection of patients' right to those that exist in the developed western democracies. However, the legislation on patients' rights is still not having any significant effect on improving the position of patients in the health system.In this paper, the emphasis is on presenting the legal solutions from the recent Act on the Protection of Patients' Rights, including an analysis of the causes of the existing discrepancy between the legal standards and the actual position of patients in Croatia.
Accumulating Knowledge Across Self-Studies in Teacher Education
Authors: Zeichner Ken
Published: December 2006

This article examines the issue of strengthening self-study research in teacher education by consciously situating individual studies within coherent research programs on particular substantive issues. Although acknowledging the positive professional development impact of self-study on teacher educators, this article calls for more closely connecting the self-studies of teacher educators to the mainstream of teacher education research so that the voices of practicing teacher educators are incorporated into syntheses of research on particular aspects of teacher education. The article rejects the dualism of research either contributing to greater theoretical understanding or to the improvement of practice and argues that self-study research should attempt to work on both goals simultaneously.
The Decision to Incarcerate in Juvenile and Criminal Courts
Authors: Kupchik Aaron
Published: December 2006

Despite a recent proliferation of laws transferring adolescents from juvenile court to criminal court, no research examines whether these transfer policies subject adolescents to a different set of evaluative criteria in criminal courts than in juvenile courts. Prior literature and political rhetoric suggest that a criminal justice model of offense-based evaluative criteria would apply in the criminal court, in contrast to an offender-based juvenile justice model. Yet this hypothesis remains untested by prior research. In response, this article tests whether legal and case-processing factors have a relatively greater influence in criminal than in juvenile court, as the literature and political rhetoric would predict. To do so, the author uses comparable samples of cases, matched by age and offense, from two adjacent jurisdictions with different thresholds for criminal court eligibility. By finding no differences among factors predicting sentencing across the two legal forums, the results challenge widely held assumptions about the distinctions between juvenile and criminal courts.
Visual/Verbal Collaboration in Print: Complementary Differences, Necessary Ties, and an Untapped Rhetorical Opportunity
Authors: Hagan Susan M.
Published: December 2006

Those who focus on the study of visual information continue to search for effective ways to conceptualize that inquiry. However, many visual examples are better categorized as visual/verbal collaboration, complicating analysis. When analysis is based on the assumption that visual and verbal modalities perform in similar ways, important complementary differences are overlooked. Therefore, this investigation presents a series of observations from a perspective rooted in difference, which leads to the argument that visual/verbal messages develop when cohesive and perceptual relationships form between image and text, resulting in four types of loose to tight visual/verbal collaboration. Examples of each can clarify, contradict, or challenge common understanding for a particular audience. Finally, a perspective in difference uncovers another kind of image/text collaboration, which instead of relying solely on actual images and text, depends on a weave of actual with imagined text and images, leading to an untapped rhetorical opportunity.
Natural history and early diagnosis of LAD-1/variant syndrome
Authors: Kuijpers Taco W. , Bruggen Robin van , Kamerbeek Nanne , Tool Anton T. J. , Hicsonmez Gonul , Gurgey Aytemiz , Karow Axel , Verhoeven Arthur J. , Seeger Karl , Sanal Özden , Niemeyer Charlotte , Roos Dirk
Published: December 2006

The syndrome of leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) combined with a severe Glanzmann-type bleeding disorder has been recognized as a separate disease entity. The variability in clinical and cell biological terms has remained largely unclear. We present data on 9 cases from 7 unrelated families, with 3 patients being actively followed for more than 12 years. The disease entity, designated LAD-1/variant syndrome, presents early in life and consists of nonpussing infections from bacterial and fungal origin, as well as a severe bleeding tendency. This is compatible with 2 major blood cell types contributing to the clinical symptoms (ie, granulocytes and platelets). In granulocytes of the patients, we found adhesion and chemotaxis defects, as well as a defect in NADPH oxidase activity triggered by unopsonized zymosan. This last test can be used as a screening test for the syndrome. Many proteins and genes involved in adhesion and signaling, including small GTPases such as Rap1 and Rap2 as well as the major Rap activity-regulating molecules, were normally present. Moreover, Rap1 activation was intact in patients' blood cells. Defining the primary defect awaits genetic linkage analysis, which may be greatly helped by a more precise understanding and awareness of the disease combined with the early identification of affected patients.
Tear secretion dysfunction among women workers engaged in light-on tests in the TFT-LCD industry
Authors: Su Shih-Bin , Lu Chih-Wei , Sheen Jiunn-Woei , Kuo Shu-Chun , Guo How-Ran
Published: December 2006

Background

The TFT-LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) industry is rapidly growing in Taiwan and many other countries. A large number of workers, mainly women, are employed in the light-on test process to detect the defects of products. At the light-on test workstation, the operator is generally exposed to low humidity (in the clean room environment), flashing light, and low ambient illumination for long working hours. Many workers complained about eye discomfort, and therefore we conducted a study to evaluate the tear secretion function of light-on test workers of a TFT-LCD company.

Methods

We recruited workers engaged in light-on tests in the company during their periodical health examination. In addition to a questionnaire survey of demographic characteristics and ophthalmic symptoms, we evaluated the tear secretion function of both eyes of each participant using the Schirmer's lacrimal basal secretion test with anaesthesia. A participant with one or both eyes yielding abnormal test results was defined as a case of tear secretion dysfunction.

Results

During the study period, a total of 371 light-on test workers received the health examination at the clinic of the park, and 52 of them were excluded due to having ophthalmic diseases and other systemic diseases that may affect ophthalmic function. All the remaining 319 qualified workers agreed to participate in this study, and they were all females working by 4-shift rotations. The average age was 24.2 years old (standard deviation [SD] = 3.8), and the average employment duration was 13.6 months (SD = 5.7). Among the 11 ophthalmic symptoms evaluated, eye dryness was the most prevalent (prevalence = 43.3%). In addition, the prevalence of tear secretion dysfunction in at least one eye was 40.1% (128 cases), and contact lens users had an odds ratio of 1.73 (95% confidence interval = 1.02–2.94) in comparison with non-contact lens users. Comparing the Schirmer's test results of those who also participated in the screening in the previous year, we found 40 of the 156 participants (17.2%) with normal test results in the previous year turned abnormal in 2001. In contrast, only 21 of the 76 participants (9.1%) with abnormal test results in the previous year turned normal, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02 for McNemar's test).

Conclusion

The prevalence of tear secretion dysfunction in woman workers engaged in light-on tests is high and increases with a one-year duration of employment. The use of contact lens may further increase the risk.
Parity and breast cancer risk among BRCA1 and BRCA2mutation carriers
Authors: Antoniou Antonis C , Shenton Andrew , Maher Eamonn R , Watson Emma , Woodward Emma , Lalloo Fiona , Easton Douglas F , Evans D Gareth
Published: December 2006

Introduction

Increasing parity and age at first full-term pregnancy are established risk factors for breast cancer in the general population. However, their effects among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers is still under debate. We used retrospective data on BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers from the UK to assess the effects of parity-related variables on breast cancer risk.

Methods

The data set included 457 mutation carriers who developed breast cancer (cases) and 332 healthy mutation carriers (controls), ascertained through families seen in genetic clinics. Hazard ratios were estimated by using a weighted cohort approach.

Results

Parous BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers were at a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer (hazard ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.81; p = 0.002). The protective effect was observed only among carriers who were older than 40 years. Increasing age at first live birth was associated with an increased breast cancer risk among BRCA2 mutation carriers (p trend = 0.002) but not BRCA1 carriers. However, the analysis by age at first live birth was based on small numbers.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the relative risks of breast cancer associated with parity among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers may be similar to those in the general population and that reproductive history may be used to improve risk prediction in carriers.
Sexual Aggression toward Women
Authors: GERBER GWENDOLYN L. , CHERNESKI LINDSAY
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Date rape or acquaintance rape is far more common than rape by strangers and can lead to serious health and adjustment problems for girls and women. Research has found women and men to be similar in many of their views about sexual assault. However, studies on attribution of blame have highlighted differences in the ways in which men and women attribute blame in sexual assault. Men attribute less blame to perpetrators of sexual assault than do women, regardless of whether the perpetrator is female or male. This suggests that men identify with the power associated with the role of perpetrator. Ways of reducing the prevalence of men's sexual aggressiveness toward women are addressed.
A case for the community college's open access mission
Authors: Shannon Henry D. , Smith Ronald C.
Published: December 2006

America's community colleges have a unique mission to provide open access and affordable education to all who desire to learn. Unfortunately, this core mission is being threatened by myriad economic, social, and political challenges that community college leaders must confront and overcome.
Appraising the efficacy of civic education at the community college
Authors: Higginbottom George H. , Romano Richard M.
Published: December 2006

Educating for civic competence is an important societal mission of the community college. This chapter describes obstacles to and opportunities for the success of this mission.
The transfer mission: Tried and true, but troubled?
Authors: Townsend Barbara K. , Wilson Kristin B.
Published: December 2006

One of the original missions of the two‐year college, the transfer mission was highly criticized in the latter part of the twentieth century. It is currently experiencing both challenges and opportunities due to changing enrollment demographics and governmental interest in transfer and articulation.
The uncertain future of the community college workforce development mission
Authors: Jacobs James , Dougherty Kevin J.
Published: December 2006

This chapter describes the evolution of the workforce development mission and its current crisis in the face of changing training demands, shriveling government support, and rising competition. Two alternative future paths are outlined: a baccalaureate degree‐oriented new vocationalism and a renewed emphasis on serving the training needs of low‐income adults.
The prevalence of eating disorders not otherwise specified
Authors: Machado Paulo P.P. , Machado Barbara C. , Gonçalves Sónia , Hoek Hans W.
Published: December 2006

Objective:

Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) represent the most common eating disorder diagnosed in specialized treatment settings. The purpose of the current study is to assess the prevalence of EDNOS in a nationwide community sample.

Method:

Participants were 2,028 female students, aged 12–23, attending public schools in the 9th to 12th grades in Portugal. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire in Stage 1 of the study. In Stage 2, we selected all the participants who met any of these criteria: (1) BMI ≤17.5, (2) scores ≥4 on any of the four EDE‐Q Subscales, (3) a total EDE‐Q score ≥4, or (4) the presence of dysfunctional eating behaviors. In Stage 2, eating disorder experts interviewed 901 participants using the Eating Disorder Examination.

Results:

The prevalence of all eating disorders was 3.06% among young females. Prevalence for anorexia nervosa was 0.39%, for bulimia nervosa 0.30%, EDNOS 2.37%.

Conclusion:

EDNOS is a very common eating disorder and accounts for three‐quarters of all community cases with eating disorders. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2007