bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Involvement of the GspAB Complex in Assembly of the Type II Secretion System Secretin of Aeromonas and Vibrio Species
Authors: Strozen Timothy G. , Stanley Heather , Gu Yuqi , Boyd Jessica , Bagdasarian Michael , Sandkvist Maria , Howard S. Peter
Published: March 2011

The type II secretion system (T2SS) functions as a transport mechanism to translocate proteins from the periplasm to the extracellular environment. The ExeA homologue in
Aeromonas hydrophila
, GspA
Ah
, is an ATPase that interacts with peptidoglycan and forms an inner membrane complex with the ExeB homologue (GspB
Ah
). The complex may be required to generate space in the peptidoglycan mesh that is necessary for the transport and assembly of the megadalton-sized ExeD homologue (GspD
Ah
) secretin multimer in the outer membrane. In this study, the requirement for GspAB in the assembly of the T2SS secretin in
Aeromonas
and
Vibrio
species was investigated. We have demonstrated a requirement for GspAB in T2SS assembly in
Aeromonas salmonicida
, similar to that previously observed in
A. hydrophila
. In the
Vibrionaceae
species
Vibrio cholerae
,
Vibrio vulnificus
, and
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
,
gspA
mutations significantly decreased assembly of the secretin multimer but had minimal effects on the secretion of T2SS substrates. The lack of effect on secretion of the mutant of
gspA
of
V. cholerae
(

gspA
Vc

) was explained by the finding that native secretin expression greatly exceeds the level needed for efficient secretion in
V. cholerae
. In cross-complementation experiments, secretin assembly and secretion in an
A. hydrophila gspA
mutant were partially restored by the expression of GspAB from
V. cholerae
in
trans
, further suggesting that GspAB
Vc
performs the same role in
Vibrio
species as GspAB
Ah
does in the aeromonads. These results indicate that the GspAB complex is functional in the assembly of the secretin in
Vibrio
species but that a redundancy of GspAB function may exist in this genus.
Comparison of the accuracy of patients' recall of the content of telephone and face-to-face consultations: an exploratory study
Authors: McKinstry Brian , Watson Philip , Elton Robert A , Pinnock Hilary , Kidd Gillian , Meyer Barbara , Logie Robert , Sheikh Aziz
Published: March 2011

Background

To comply with an action plan patients need to recall information accurately. Little is known about how well patients recall consultations, particularly telephone consultations increasingly used to triage acute problems.

Purpose of study

This was an exploratory study to measure how accurately patients recall the content of face-to-face and telephone consultations and what factors may be associated with accurate recall.

Study design

In Scotland in 2008, the advice (diagnoses; management plan(s); and safety-netting arrangements) given in audio recorded face-to-face and telephone consultations was compared with the advice recalled by patients at interview approximately 13 days later. Patients also performed a memory test. Interactions were sought between accurate recall, consultation type, and factors postulated to influence recall.

Results

Ten general practitioners (GPs) and 175 patients participated; 144 (82%) patients were interviewed. Patients recalled most important components of telephone and face-to-face consultations equally accurately or with only minor errors. Overall, patients presenting multiple problems (p<0.001), with brain injury (p<0.01) or low memory score (p<0.01) had reduced recall. GPs rarely used strategies to improve recall; however, these were not associated with improved recall.

Conclusions

Contrary to previous hospital based research, patients tended to remember important components of both face-to-face and telephone consultations—perhaps reflecting the familiar, less anxiety provoking environment of primary care. The unsuccessful use of strategies to improve recall may reflect selective use in cognitively impaired patients. Clinicians should compensate for situations where recall is poorer such as patients presenting multiple problems or with brain injury. Patients might be advised to restrict the number of problems they present in any one consultation.
Interaction with damaged vessel wall in vivo in humans induces platelets to express CD40L resulting in endothelial activation with no effect of aspirin intake
Authors: Giannini Silvia , Falcinelli Emanuela , Bury Loredana , Guglielmini Giuseppe , Rossi Roberta , Momi Stefania , Gresele Paolo
Published: March 2011

Activated platelets express CD40L on their plasma membrane and release the soluble fragment sCD40L. The interaction between platelet surface CD40L and endothelial cell CD40 leads to the activation of endothelium contributing to atherothrombosis. Few studies have directly demonstrated an increased expression of platelet CD40L in conditions of in vivo platelet activation in humans, and no data are available on its relevance for endothelial activation. We aimed to assess whether platelets activated in vivo at a localized site of vascular injury in humans express CD40L and release sCD40L, whether the level of platelet CD40L expression attained in vivo is sufficient to induce endothelial activation, and whether platelet CD40L expression is inhibited by aspirin intake. We used the skin-bleeding-time test as a model to study the interaction between platelets and a damaged vessel wall by measuring CD40L in the blood emerging from a skin wound in vivo in healthy volunteers. In some experiments, shed blood was analyzed before and 1 h after the intake of 500 mg of aspirin. Platelets from the bleeding-time blood express CD40L and release soluble sCD40L, in a time-dependent way. In vivo platelet CD40L expression was mild but sufficient to induce VCAM-1 expression and IL-8 secretion in coincubation experiments with cultured human endothelial cells. Moreover, platelets recovered from the bleeding-time blood activated endothelial cells; an anti-CD40L antibody blocked this effect. On the contrary, the amount of sCD40L released by activated platelets at a localized site of vascular injury did not reach the concentrations required to induce endothelial cell activation. Soluble monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, a marker of endothelium activation, was increased in shed blood and correlated with platelet CD40L expression. Aspirin intake did not inhibit CD40L expression by platelets in vivo. We concluded that CD40L expressed by platelets in vivo in humans upon contact with a damaged vessel wall activates endothelium; aspirin treatment does not inhibit this mechanism.
TRIP-1 regulates TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human lung epithelial cell line A549
Authors: Perez Ricardo E. , Navarro Angels , Rezaiekhaligh Mohammad H. , Mabry Sherry M. , Ekekezie Ikechukwu I.
Published: March 2011

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells undergo conversion to a mesenchymal phenotype contributing to wound repair by fibrosis and to cancer cell acquisition of invasive ability. Recently, we showed that type II TGF-β receptor interacting protein-1 (TRIP-1), a protein identified as a phosphorylation target of the TGF-β type II receptor kinase and as a functional component of eukaryotic translation initiator factor 3 (eiF3) multiprotein complex, is a novel modulator of fibroblast collagen contraction, an important step in wound repair stimulated by TGF-β1 action. TGF-β1 drives EMT, but it is not known whether TRIP-1 expression influences EMT induction. To investigate whether TRIP-1 plays a role in EMT induction we studied the effect of downregulating TRIP-1 expression in the well-characterized A549 model of TGF-β1 induction of EMT. Here we report that short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated depletion of TRIP-1 gene transcripts in A549 cells promotes EMT as assessed by changes in phenotypic markers, morphology, and migrative ability. Knockdown of TRIP-1 dramatically increased A549 responsiveness to TGF-β1 induction of EMT. Mechanistically, a pathway involving increased TGF-β type II receptor level, enhanced Smad3 phosphorylation, and the transcription factor SLUG is implicated. Altogether, the findings point to regulation of endogenous TRIP-1 protein expression as a potential strategy to target EMT, and related invasive behavior, in cancer cells.
Growth of Forecast Errors from Covariances Modeled by 4DVAR and ETKF Methods
Authors: Piccolo Chiara
Published: March 2011

Numerical weather forecasting errors grow with time. Error growth results from the amplification of small perturbations due to atmospheric instability or from model deficiencies during model integration. In current NWP systems, the dimension of the forecast error covariance matrices is far too large for these matrices to be represented explicitly. They must be approximated.

This paper focuses on comparing the growth of forecast error from covariances modeled by the Met Office operational four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) and ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF) methods over a period of 24 h. The growth of forecast errors implied by 4DVAR is estimated by drawing a random sample of initial conditions from a Gaussian distribution with the standard deviations given by the background error covariance matrix and then evolving the sample forward in time using linearized dynamics. The growth of the forecast error modeled by the ETKF is estimated by propagating the full nonlinear model in time starting from initial conditions generated by an ETKF. This method includes model errors in two ways: by using an inflation factor and by adding model perturbations through a stochastic physics scheme. Finally, these results are compared with a benchmark of the climatological error.

The forecast error predicted by the implicit evolution of 4DVAR does not grow, regardless of the dataset used to generate the static background error covariance statistics. The forecast error predicted by the ETKF grows more rapidly because the ETKF selects balanced initial perturbations, which project onto rapidly growing modes. Finally, in both cases it is not possible to disentangle the contribution of the initial condition error from the model error.
Validation of an Equation for Resting Metabolic Rate in Older Obese, Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Frankenfield David
Published: March 2011

Background: In previous studies, the Penn State (PSU) equation was found to be a valid way to predict resting metabolic rate (RMR) in critically ill patients, with the exception of those who were aged 60 years or older and had a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2. A modification of the equation was proposed in this specific patient population. The current study was designed to test the validity of that equation and to retest the validity of the original equation. Methods: RMR was measured using a standardized evidence‐based protocol. Metabolic rates predicted with the PSU equation and a modification of it (PSU[m]) were compared with the measured values. Fifty patients were studied prospectively. Data were used from an additional 75 subjects from previous studies that had not been used to develop either of the equations being tested in the current study. This brought the final number of subjects for each equation to 74 for PSU(m) and 106 for PSU. Results: The PSU(m) equation was found to be biased by a narrow margin (95% confidence interval, −87 to −4 kcal/d), but both versions of the equation were precise. Accuracy rate for the PSU(m) equation was 74%, compared with 58% for the PSU equation (P < .04). Conclusions: The PSU(m) equation for predicting RMR in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients is valid in patients aged cases where age is ≥60 years or older whose BMI is ≥30 kg/m2.
Ceramide in Lipid Emulsions Used in Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Groener Johanna E. , Serlie Mireille J. , Poppema Aldi , Mirzaian Mina , Aerts Johannes M.
Published: March 2011

Parenteral nutrition‐associated liver disease is a prevalent and severe complication of long term parenteral nutrition. We present here for the first time data on the presence of ceramide, a bioactive compound involved in a variety of metabolic processes, in different lipid emulsions used in parenteral nutrition. Further research is needed to determine whether this potential harmful bioactive compound is involved in parenteral nutrition‐associated liver disease.
Alterations in Circulating Fatty Acid Composition in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Aghdassi Elaheh , Ma David W. L. , Morrison Stacey , Hillyer Lynn M. , Clarke Shannon , Gladman Dafna D. , Urowitz Murray B. , Fortin Paul R.
Published: March 2011

Introduction: Circulating fatty acids (FAs) may play a role in the disease pathogenesis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Objectives: To compare red blood cell (RBC) and plasma FA composition: (1) between female SLE patients and age‐matched healthy female (HF) controls and in SLE with history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and those with no history (SLE+CVD vs SLE–CVD); and (2) between SLE patients who were or were not receiving prednisone treatment at the time of blood sampling. Methods: This cross‐sectional study consisted of 33 female patients with SLE (11 SLE+CVD, 22 SLE−CVD) and 20 HF controls. Demographics, CVD risk, medication profile, blood biochemistry, and FA composition of RBC and plasma total lipids were determined. Results: Waist circumference and body mass index were higher in SLE patients than in HF controls. These variables along with serum triglycerides, blood glucose, and systolic blood pressure were higher in SLE+CVD than SLE−CVD patients. RBC FA composition showed lower eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, ω‐3 active metabolite) and ω‐3 index (EPA+ docosahexaenoic acid) in SLE patients compared with HF controls. The ratio of the RBC inflammatory metabolite, arachidonic acid, to the anti‐inflammatory metabolite EPA was also significantly higher in SLE patients than in HF controls. No differences were seen in plasma FA between SLE and HF groups. However, SLE−CVD patients had a more favorable lipid profile than SLE+CVD patients. In SLE patients, the use of prednisone resulted in alteration of both RBC and plasma FA composition. Conclusion: SLE patients, regardless of their history of CVD, have altered plasma and RBC FA composition favoring inflammation. The use of prednisone was associated with differences in FA profile.
Investigation of the role of similarity measure and ranking algorithm in mining social networks
Authors: Alguliev Rasim , Aliguliyev Ramiz , Ganjaliyev Fadai
Published: March 2011

Social networks have attracted much attention recently. Different studies have been conducted to automatically extract social networks among various kinds of entities from the web. Social network analysis finds its application in many current business areas. In this paper we demonstrate how the choice of the similarity measure affects ranking results of entities in a social network extracted from the web. We use different similarity measures in order to build different social networks. By applying formulas described below for each of the networks we derive a new network which is different from the original one by edge weights. Subsequently, in the derived networks we rank entities again. Finally we compare the results.
An automatic recognition method of journal impact factor manipulation
Authors: Guang Yu  , Yang Dong-Hui , He Hui-Xin
Published: March 2011

Journal impact factor (IF) manipulation has unhealthy effects on the academic community and is attracting more attention from scholars. In this paper, an intelligent method is proposed to identify manipulative self-citation behaviour in journals using pattern recognition. Data on IFs, age distributions of total citations, and numbers of self-citations were collected for 18 journals from 1998 to 2007 in Journal Citation Reports (JCR); these journals include known manipulated journals. The feature variables of the citation distribution functions of the known manipulated journals were extracted using the k-nearest neighbour classifier, and a feature attribute space was established for pattern recognition. The MATLAB software was used to process, train, and test the data and to develop a suitable matrix model which can provide an original model for identifying other manipulated journals. To verify the validity and reliability of this method, the authors randomly collected citation distribution data from several journals in JCR, analysed the results of the verification, and proved the effectiveness of pattern recognition in this context.
Using internal link and social network analysis to support searches in Wikipedia: A model and its evaluation
Authors: Wu I-Chin , Wu Che-Ying
Published: March 2011

Wikipedia, the largest multilingual free content online encyclopaedia, is the result of collaboration by countless volunteers around the world. Because of the popularity of such applications, one of the most important issues is how to alleviate information overload on the world wide web and thereby facilitate effective information search activities. Basically, Wikipedia users browse content by following hyperlinks, or they use the search function to look for information. Traditional methods cannot represent all the relationships between hypertexts; thus, users can easily change their search goals unconsciously or get lost when they explore or retrieve information. To address the above problem, we propose a link strength measure that establishes a network by analysing the internal links between articles in Wikipedia. We then apply social network analysis indicators to label the relationships between articles and identify topics to help users find required information. Based on the proposed methods, we developed an application called WikiMap. To assess its effectiveness, we conducted a task-oriented evaluation study with 28 participants who were asked to execute simulated search tasks on two interfaces: the standard Wikipedia interface and the proposed WikiMap interface. The evaluation results show that participants were more successful in executing the assigned tasks on the WikiMap interface, especially unfamiliar decision-making tasks. The exploratory research results have implications for the design of search-aided applications to help users find information in Wikipedia.
Effects of NasoPore Packing in the Middle Ear Cavity of the Guinea Pig
Authors: Huang Guiliang , Chen Xihui , Jiang Hongyan
Published: March 2011

Objective

To evaluate the effects of NasoPore after packing of the middle ear in guinea pigs.

Study Design

A randomized, prospective, controlled animal study.

Setting

University laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

Forty‐one guinea pigs were divided into 3 groups. In group 1 (n = 12), the middle ears of animals were unilaterally implanted with NasoPore, leaving the contralateral middle ears packed with absorbable gelatin sponge soaked in a solution containing kanamycin and furosemide as an ototoxicity‐positive control; group 2 (n = 17) underwent the same experimental protocol as group 1, except the gelatin sponge was unsoaked; in group 3 (n = 12), NasoPore was inserted unilaterally and no packing material was placed into the contralateral ear. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were performed preoperatively and 3 months after the procedure. The surface preparation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were assessed 3 months postoperatively, whereas pathology of middle ear was analyzed in 5 samples of group 2.

Results

ABR thresholds of the contralateral ear significantly increased in group 1 and were slightly shifted in group 2 compared with the NasoPore‐packed and nonpacked ears 3 months postoperatively. The NasoPore‐packed middle ears were found to have less fibrosis and inflammation and less thickened bone and tympanic membranes than Gelfoam‐packed ears. Surface preparations and SEM showed no ototoxicity in the inner ear of NasoPore‐packed ears.

Conclusion

NasoPore appears to be effective for use in otosurgery. It caused less fibrosis in the middle ear than conventional packing agents and no ototoxicity to the inner ear.
Routine Use of Nasendoscopy to Enhance the Speech and Language Therapist’s Decision‐Making Process in Surgical Voice Restoration
Authors: Pilsworth Sarah
Published: March 2011

Objective

To discover whether the routine use of nasendoscopy adds to the speech and language therapist’s (SLT’s) clinical judgment.

Study Design

A prospective quasi‐experimental study.

Setting

Outpatient and inpatient settings in a cancer center.

Subjects and Methods

All laryngectomees who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were assessed by means of a questionnaire, clinical checks, and nasendoscopy. Comparison of data was undertaken.

Results

A total of 50 reviews were conducted over the 4‐month data collection period. Nasendoscopy was successfully performed on 45 occasions. In 31 episodes, additional information was gained by conducting the nasendoscopy assessment following the SLT’s clinical assessment. In 22 patients, the presence of granulation or excess tissues interfering with valve placement was identified through the use of nasendoscopy, and in 2 of these patients, action was required to prevent accidental closure of the tracheoesophageal fistula (difficulties that were not identified on clinical examination alone).

Conclusions

Nasendoscopy assessment is a relatively quick, inexpensive, and accessible tool that is well tolerated by patients. Its use helps to identify patients who are at potential risk of complications with voice prosthesis changes and even at risk of accidental closure of the tracheoesophageal fistula through the presence of granulation tissue at the posterior end of the tract. With the use of routine nasendoscopy, these patients can be identified and reviewed more regularly to monitor and manage these problems accordingly. Nasendoscopy warrants consideration as a routine component of review appointments for patients who have undergone surgical voice restoration.
Choosing the unit of measurement counts: The use of oral morphine equivalents in studies of opioid consumption is a useful addition to defined daily doses
Authors: Svendsen K , Borchgrevink PC , Fredheim O , Hamunen K , Mellbye A , Dale O
Published: March 2011

Aim: Defined daily dose (DDD) is the most common measurement unit used in drug consumption studies. The DDD for opioids may not reflect their relative clinical potencies. The aim of this study was to explore whether opioid consumption data may be interpreted differently when adding oral morphine equivalent (OMEQ) dose as a measurement unit compared with using DDD.

Methods: The equianalgesic ratio of each opioid relative to morphine was tabulated. Data on opioid consumption expressed in DDD were converted to OMEQs using the equianalgesic ratios. The opioid consumption was compared in three different study settings: clinical data from an opioid switching study, trends within one country and a comparison between countries.

Results: Using DDD, the opioid consumption in Norway between 2004–2008 increased of 6.7%, while the increase was 23.6% using OMEQ. While DDD/1000 inhabitants/day showed that Sweden had the highest consumption of opioids among the Nordic countries, OMEQ/1000 inhabitants/day showed that Denmark had the highest consumption. In the switching study DDD indicated a reduction in analgesic dosing and OMEQ an increase when switching from WHO step II to III.

Conclusion: OMEQ reflects clinical dosing better than DDD, and can give additional insight into opioid consumption when combined with DDD. Using OMEQ can also lead to different conclusions in opioid consumption studies compared with using DDD alone.
Exercise Training and Antioxidants
Authors: Roshan Valiollah Dabidi , Assali Mohammad , Moghaddam Akbar Hajizadeh , Hosseinzadeh Mahdi , Myers Jonathan
Published: March 2011

We have investigated the cardioprotective effects of exercise training and/or curcumin on lead acetate-induced myocardial damage. Forty rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) lead acetate, (2) curcumin, (3) endurance training, (4) training + curcumin, (5) sham groups. The rats in groups 3 and 4 experienced the treadmill running of 15 to 22 m/min for 25 to 64 minutes, 5 times a week for 8 weeks. Groups 1 to 4 received lead acetate (20 mg/kg), the sham group received curcumin solvent (ethyl oleat), and the curcumin and training + curcumin groups received curcumin solution (30 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Lead administration resulted in significant increases in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), malondialdehyde (MDA), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and significantly decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Treadmill running and\or curcumin supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in hs-CRP, CK-MB, MDA, and LDL levels and significantly increased GPx, TAC, and HDL levels. These results suggest a lifestyle-induced cardioprotective potential in ameliorating lead-induced cardiotoxicity.
Oxidative Damage in the Liver of Rats Treated With Glycolaldehyde
Authors: Lorenzi Rodrigo , Andrades Michael Everton , Bortolin Rafael Calixto , Nagai Ryoji , Dal-Pizzol Felipe , Moreira José Cláudio Fonseca
Published: March 2011

Liver diseases are often associated with hyperglycemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress. These conditions, commonly associated with diabetes mellitus and obesity, facilitate the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These products are known to impair protein function and promote inflammation. Accumulation of AGEs such as Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) is related to chronic liver diseases and their severity. Although several reports suggest a crucial role of AGEs in liver failure, there is little investigation on the direct effects of reducing sugars, precursors of AGEs, and on the onset and progression of liver failure. In this work, we investigate the effects of intravenously administrated glycolaldehyde (GA), a short-chain aldehyde, on oxidative parameters in the liver of Wistar rats. Animals received a single injection of GA (10, 50, or 100 mg/kg) and were sacrificed after 6, 12, or 24 hours. Levels of protein carbonyl, lipid peroxidation, and reduced thiol were quantified. The activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glyoxalase I were also assessed. The amount of CML was quantified with specific antibody. There was an increase in oxidative stress markers in the liver of GA-treated rats. Glycolaldehyde induced a decrease in the activities of all enzymes assayed. Also, all tested doses led to an increase in CML content. Our data suggest that GA might play an important role in liver diseases through the impairment of antioxidant defenses and generation of AGEs.
Progress in Biological Threat Agent Vaccine Development
Authors: McLain Daniel E. , Horn Thomas L. , Detrisac Carol J. , Lindsey Changhong Y. , Smith Leonard A.
Published: March 2011

A recombinant ricin toxin A-chain 1-33/44-198 vaccine (RV Ec) was administered to male and female New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits (10/sex/group) in a repeat-dose toxicity study. The RV Ec vaccine was administered on study days 1, 29, 57, and 85 via intramuscular (IM) injection (0, 100, or 200 μg/dose). All study animals were observed throughout treatment until euthanized and submitted for necropsy on study day 88 or 99 (recovery period). There were no treatment-related or toxicologically significant effects observed. There were no statistically significant differences noted in the antibody titers and/or concentrations in 100 μg RV Ec-treated animals when compared to 200 μg RV Ec-treated animals, suggesting that both doses produced comparable antibody titers/concentrations during the study. The highest immune response was observed on study day 99 (ie, 2 weeks after the last dose). The immune response observed demonstrated that RV Ec is biologically active in the rabbit model, with no apparent marked sex differences.
Experimental study on the effect of the shroud on the performance and flow field of an automotive cooling fan
Authors: Hu X , Wen S , Gao Y , Xi G , Khalighi B , Johnson J P
Published: March 2011

The effect of the shroud position on the performance of an automotive cooling fan with the radiator mounted at the front end has been studied on a test platform, and the characteristics of the flow field and phase-averaged velocity, vorticity, and turbulence intensity in five phases behind the cooling fan have been acquired by using digital particle image velocimetry. Moreover, a comparison of the flow field behind the fan with the shroud and that behind the fan without the shroud is made. The results of the performance experiment demonstrate that the fan with the shroud covering only the front part of the rotor possesses the highest performance, and the performance of the fan without the shroud seems to be less affected by the system flowrate. Flow field measurements show that the fan with the shroud has a larger exit radial component of the velocity than the fan without the shroud except at low system flowrates, and the vorticity and the turbulence intensity of the fan with the shroud are lower than those of the fan without the shroud.
A lookup table-based method for wheel–rail contact analysis
Authors: Bozzone M , Pennestrì E , Salvini P
Published: March 2011

This article describes an investigation on the relative motion between wheel-set and rails. Through the search of an equilibrium configuration, the positions of contact points between rails and wheels are first located. The detection methods allow also the definition of the normal unit vectors to rail and wheel at contact points. To reduce computing time, the results are stored in a lookup table accessed during the dynamic analyses of wheel-sets, bogies, or trains. The use of lookup table considerably speeds up contact detection when numerically integrating with respect to time.
Migraine headaches in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Comparison of two prospective cross-sectional studies
Authors: Ravindran Murugan K , Zheng Yin , Timbol Christian , Merck Samantha J , Baraniuk James N
Published: March 2011

Background

Headaches are more frequent in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) than healthy control (HC) subjects. The 2004 International Headache Society (IHS) criteria were used to define CFS headache phenotypes.

Methods

Subjects in Cohort 1 (HC = 368; CFS = 203) completed questionnaires about many diverse symptoms by giving nominal (yes/no) answers. Cohort 2 (HC = 21; CFS = 67) had more focused evaluations. They scored symptom severities on 0 to 4 anchored ordinal scales, and had structured headache evaluations. All subjects had history and physical examinations; assessments for exclusion criteria; questionnaires about CFS related symptoms (0 to 4 scale), Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 (MOS SF-36).

Results

Demographics, trends for the number of diffuse "functional" symptoms present, and severity of CFS case designation criteria symptoms were equivalent between CFS subjects in Cohorts 1 and 2. HC had significantly fewer symptoms, lower MFI and higher SF-36 domain scores than CFS in both cohorts. Migraine headaches were found in 84%, and tension-type headaches in 81% of Cohort 2 CFS. This compared to 5% and 45%, respectively, in HC. The CFS group had migraine without aura (60%; MO; CFS+MO), with aura (24%; CFS+MA), tension headaches only (12%), or no headaches (4%). Co-morbid tension and migraine headaches were found in 67% of CFS. CFS+MA had higher severity scores than CFS+MO for the sum of scores for poor memory, dizziness, balance, and numbness ("Neuro-construct", p = 0.002) and perceived heart rhythm disturbances, palpitations and noncardiac chest pain ("Cardio-construct"; p = 0.045, t-tests after Bonferroni corrections). CFS+MO subjects had lower pressure-induced pain thresholds (2.36 kg [1.95-2.78; 95% C.I.] n = 40) and a higher prevalence of fibromyalgia (47%; 1990 criteria) compared to HC (5.23 kg [3.95-6.52] n = 20; and 0%, respectively). Sumatriptan was beneficial for 13 out of 14 newly diagnosed CFS migraine subjects.

Conclusions

CFS subjects had higher prevalences of MO and MA than HC, suggesting that mechanisms of migraine pathogenesis such as central sensitization may contribute to CFS pathophysiology.

Clinical Trial Registration

Georgetown University IRB # 2006-481

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00810329
Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults in Enugu, Nigeria
Authors: Onyiapat Jane-lovena E , Okoronkwo Ijeoma L , Ogbonnaya Ngozi P
Published: March 2011

Background

Attention and interest in the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been reawakened globally. Evidence from studies carried out in different parts of the world has established that CAM use is very common and varies among populations. This study investigated the use of CAM among adults in Enugu urban, irrespective of their health status. It provided information on the prevalence of CAM use, forms of CAM remedies used and reasons for utilizing them

Methods

The study areas were three local government areas in Enugu urban of Enugu State. Cross-sectional survey using questionnaires were administered to randomly selected households. All consenting participants were used for the study

Results

732 participants (37.2% males and 62.8% females) were used for the study. Ages ranged from 18 - 65 years. 620 (84.7%) of the adult population have used CAM ranging from one single type to twenty different types while 112 (15.3%) have not used any form of CAM. The most commonly used CAM product was the biological products, followed by prayer/faith healing. Major reasons for using CAM include their natural state and also for health promotion and maintenance.

Conclusion

There is need for adequate policy formulation and regulation to ensure safety and efficacy of CAM products. Measures to ensure rational use of CAM should be instituted.
Effect of HIV infection on the acute antibody response to malaria antigens in children: an observational study
Authors: Muema Daniel KM , Ndungu Francis M , Kinyanjui Samson M , Berkley James A
Published: March 2011

Background

In sub-Saharan Africa, the distributions of malaria and HIV widely overlap. Among pregnant and non-pregnant adults, HIV affects susceptibility to malaria, its clinical course and impairs antibody responses to malaria antigens. However, the relationship between the two diseases in childhood, when most deaths from malaria occur, is less clear. It was previously reported that HIV is associated with admission to hospital in rural Kenya with severe malaria among children, except in infancy. HIV-infected children with severe malaria were older, had higher parasite density and increased mortality, raising a hypothesis that HIV interferes with naturally acquired immunity to malaria, hence with little effect at younger ages (a shorter history of exposure). To test this hypothesis, levels of anti-merozoite and schizont extract antibodies were compared between HIV-infected and uninfected children who participated in the original study.

Methods

IgG responses to malaria antigens that are potential targets for immunity to malaria (AMA1, MSP2, MSP3 and schizont extract) were compared between 115 HIV-infected and 115 age-matched, HIV-uninfected children who presented with severe malaria. The children were classified as high and low responders for each antigen and assigned antibody-response breadth scores according to the number of antigens to which they were responsive. A predictive logistic regression model was used to test if HIV was an effect modifier on the age-related acquisition of antibody responses, with age as a continuous variable.

Results

Point estimates of the responses to all antigens were lower amongst HIV-infected children, but this was only statistically significant for AMA1 (P = 0.028). HIV-infected children were less likely to be high responders to AMA1 [OR 0.44 (95%CI, 0.2-0.90) P = 0.024]. HIV was associated with a reduced breadth of responses to individual merozoite antigens (P = 0.02). HIV strongly modified the acquisition of antibodies against schizont extract with increasing age (P < 0.0001), but did not modify the rate of age-related acquisition of responses to individual merozoite antigens.

Conclusions

In children with severe malaria, HIV infection is associated with a lower magnitude and narrower breadth of IgG responses to merozoite antigens and stunting of age-related acquisition of the IgG antibody response to schizont extract.
Forcibly Impressed: Reform Games and the Avatar Figure in Milton Bradley and Walt Whitman
Authors: Guerra Douglas
Published: March 2011

Guerra's essay examines the overlapping discourses of avatar found in Milton Bradley's The Checkered Game of Life and Walt Whitman's “Song of Myself.” Because an avatar is defined by action, the essay begins by tracing the operational dynamics of the figure in Bradley's game, contrasting it with the other board games of the period as a way of understanding the competing perspectives on selfhood that existed in this moment. Using Bradley's innovations in Life to codify these differences, Guerra then explores Whitman's use of the figure in “Song of Myself.” Whereas Bradley's game foregrounds the mechanics of avatar agency, Whitman's lyric imagines what such an agency would entail given something approaching the full range of nineteenth-century American experience. By tracking the emergence and use of these ludic avatars, Guerra sheds light on the affordances, both liberating and limited, of a figure that continues to have special resonance in the digital age.
Repugnant Aboriginality: LeAnne Howe's Shell Shaker and Indigenous Representation in the Age of Multiculturalism
Authors: Siebert Monika Barbara
Published: March 2011

Surprisingly for a novel evidently invested in representations of contemporary Choctaw traditionalism as a viable alternative to settler society, LeAnne Howe's 2001 Shell Shaker gives unrelenting play to the gruesomeness, horror even, of the traditional rituals it depicts at the risk of reinforcing stereotypes of Indian savagery. Yet these depictions of the repugnant, that is, of ancient practices now prohibited by law or found reprehensible by a public sense of ethics, allow Howe to escape the integrative thrust of contemporary multiculturalism by preempting identification through difference—an interpretive logic according to which we are all the same because we are all different—at the center of contemporary multicultural reading practices. As the readers of Howe's novel recoil at the repugnant, they experience a limit to their understanding of the indigenous Other, a goal ethnic writing is presumed to facilitate.

Howe's novel is a plea for alternative ways of apprehending difference in contemporary North America, whether we attempt it through reading literature or through other private or public activities. By redefining the interpretive ground of contemporary reading practices, Shell Shaker clears space for the potential welcoming of the (indigenous) Other despite freshly experienced limits of understanding, a welcoming that is not predicated on exacting transparency in exchange for acknowledgment. Further, the novel prompts an acknowledgment of contemporary indigenous nations, and the contemporary versions of indigenous traditionalism in particular, as viable forms of governance and sociality, forms that already successfully constitute political reality in North America.
A novel laser nanosurgery approach supports de novo Golgi biogenesis in mammalian cells
Authors: Tängemo Carolina , Ronchi Paolo , Colombelli Julien , Haselmann Uta , Simpson Jeremy C. , Antony Claude , Stelzer Ernst H. K. , Pepperkok Rainer , Reynaud Emmanuel G.
Published: March 2011

The Golgi complex has a central role in the secretory pathway of all higher organisms. To explain the synthesis of its unique stacked structure in mammalian cells, two major models have been proposed. One suggests that it is synthesized de novo from the endoplasmic reticulum. The second model postulates a pre-existing Golgi template that serves as a scaffold for its biogenesis. To test these hypotheses directly, we have developed an approach in which we deplete the Golgi complex from living cells by laser nanosurgery, and subsequently analyze the ‘Golgi-depleted’ karyoplast using time-lapse and electron microscopy. We show that biosynthetic transport is blocked after Golgi depletion, but is restored 12 hours later. This recovery of secretory transport coincides with an ordered assembly of stacked Golgi structures, and we also observe the appearance of matrix proteins before that of Golgi enzymes. Functional experiments using RNA interference-mediated knockdown of GM130 further demonstrate the importance of the matrix during Golgi biogenesis. By contrast, the centrosome, which can also be removed by laser nanosurgery and is not reformed within the considered time frame, is not required for this process. Altogether, our data provide evidence that de novo Golgi biogenesis can occur in mammalian cells.
Glutathione- and non-glutathione-based oxidant control in the endoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Appenzeller-Herzog Christian
Published: March 2011

The redox-active tripeptide glutathione is an endogenous reducing agent that is found in abundance and throughout the cell. In the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulfide is lower compared with non-secretory organelles. This relatively oxidizing thiol-disulfide milieu is essential for the oxidative folding of nascent proteins in the ER and, at least in part, maintained by the activity of ER-resident endoplasmic oxidoreductin 1 (Ero1) enzymes that oxidize cysteine side chains at the expense of molecular oxygen. Glutathione disulfide and hydrogen peroxide formed as a consequence of Ero1 activity are widely considered as being inoperative and potentially dangerous by-products of oxidative protein folding in the ER. In contrast to this common view, this Commentary highlights the importance of glutathione- and non glutathione-based homeostatic redox control mechanisms in the ER. Stability in the thiol–disulfide system that prominently includes the protein disulfide isomerases is ensured by the contribution of tightly regulated Ero1 activity, ER-resident peroxidases and the glutathione–glutathione-disulfide redox pair that acts as a potent housekeeper of redox balance. Accordingly, the widely held concept that Ero1-mediated over-oxidation in the ER constitutes a common cause of cellular demise is critically re-evaluated.
Cancer chronicity: New research and policy challenges
Authors: Berlinger Nancy , Gusmano Michael
Published: March 2011

Cancer centers are organized to serve the needs of patients who can benefit from medical and surgical interventions aimed at curing cancer and preventing recurrence. However, comprehensive cancer care must also encompass the needs of patients with incurable but treatable cancers, some of which can potentially be managed as chronic diseases through outpatient care and self-management. Treating cancer as a chronic disease, and helping patients to live with cancer as a chronic disease, calls for health care that complements services that exist for patients with curable disease, for patients who have completed treatment, and for patients whose disease no longer responds to treatment. Research should focus on the chronic cancer patients to understand how cancer treatment can better serve this growing patient population.
Brucellosis in pregnancy
Authors: Gulsun Serda , Aslan Selda , Satici Omer , Gul Talip
Published: March 2011

This study was undertaken in order to evaluate the effect of brucellosis in pregnancy. The serum agglutination test, Coombs and/or blood culture systems were used in the diagnosis of brucellosis. From July 2003 to September 2010, the clinical and delivery patterns of 40 healthy pregnant women were compared with 39 pregnant women who had brucellosis. There were no birth defects, anomalies or mortalities. We observed that brucellosis in pregnancy increases the incidence of preterm delivery ( P = 0.01) and low birth weight ( P = 0.001) from that seen in general deliveries. A cephtriaxone/rifampicin combination was found to be the most effective treatment in pregnant women infected with brucellosis ( P = 0.004). Brucellosis in pregnancy has no effect on the incidence of congenital malformations or stillbirths. Preterm delivery and low birth weight can be seen as pregnancy outcomes in brucellosis. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy of brucellosis in pregnancy will reduce morbidity and prevent complications.
Sabotage in Tournaments: Evidence from a Laboratory Experiment
Authors: Harbring Christine , Irlenbusch Bernd
Published: March 2011

Although relative performance schemes are pervasive in organizations, reliable empirical data on induced sabotage behavior are almost nonexistent. We study sabotage in repeated tournaments in a controlled laboratory experiment and observe that effort and sabotage are higher for higher wage spreads. Additionally, we find that also in the presence of tournament incentives, agents react reciprocally to higher wages by exerting higher effort. Destructive activities are reduced by explicitly calling them by their name “sabotage.” Communication among principal and agents can curb sabotage when they agree on flat prize structures and increased output. If sabotage is not possible, the principals choose tournament incentives more often.

This paper was accepted by Peter Wakker, decision analysis.
Weekly Paclitaxel and Carboplatin for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Grimes Stephanie S. , Waddell J. Aubrey , Solimando Dominic A.
Published: March 2011

The complexity of cancer chemotherapy requires pharmacists be familiar with the complicated regimens and highly toxic agents used. This column reviews various issues related to preparation, dispensing, and administration of antineoplastic therapy, and the agents, both commercially available and investigational, used to treat malignant diseases.
Immunoglobulins: Clostridium difficile Infection (Diarrhea)
Authors: Generali Joyce A. , Cada Dennis J.
Published: March 2011

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a quarterly publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@kumc.edu .
Dabigatran
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: March 2011

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available on-line. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service also receive access to a pharmacy bulletin board, The Formulary Information Exchange (The F.I.X.). All topics pertinent to clinical and hospital pharmacy are discussed on The F.I.X. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service or The F.I.X., call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The March 2011 monograph topics are on fentanyl sublingual tablet, brentuximab vedotin, rilpivirine hydrochloride, denufosol, abiraterone acetate. The DUE/MUE is on dabigatran etexilate mesylate.