bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In silico study on the effects ofIKurblock kinetics on prolongation of human action potential after atrial fibrillation-induced electrical remodeling
Authors: Tsujimae Kenji , Murakami Shingo , Kurachi Yoshihisa
Published: December 2007

Pharmacological treatment with various antiarrhythmic agents for the termination or prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not yet satisfactory. This is in part because the drugs may not be sufficiently selective for the atrium, and they often cause ventricular arrhythmias. The ultrarapid-delayed rectifying potassium current ( IKur) is found in the atrium but not in the ventricle, and it has been recognized as a potentially promising target for anti-AF drugs that would be without ventricular proarrhythmia. Several new agents that specifically block IKurhave been developed. They block IKurin a voltage- and time-dependent manner. Here we use mathematical models of normal and electrically remodeled human atrial action potentials to examine the effects of the blockade kinetics of IKuron atrial action potential duration (APD). It was found that after AF remodeling, an IKurblocker with fast onset can effectively prolong APD at any stimulus frequency, whereas a blocker with slow onset prolongs APD in a frequency-dependent manner only when the recovery is slow. The results suggest that the voltage and time dependence of IKurblockade should be taken into account in the testing of anti-AF drugs. This modeling study suggests that a simple voltage-clamp protocol with a short pulse of ∼10 ms at 1 Hz may be useful to identify the effective anti-AF drugs among various IKurblockers.
Ontogeny of the eotaxins in human lung
Authors: Haley Kathleen J. , Sunday Mary E. , Porrata Yolanda , Kelley Colleen , Twomey Anne , Shahsafaei Aliakbar , Galper Benjamin , Sonna Larry A. , Lilly Craig M.
Published: December 2007

The ontogeny of the C-C chemokines eotaxin-1, eotaxin-2, and eotaxin-3 has not been fully elucidated in human lung. We explored a possible role for eotaxin in developing lung by determining the ontogeny of eotaxin-1 (CCL11), eotaxin-2 (CCL24), eotaxin-3 (CCL26), and the eotaxin receptor, CCR3. We tested discarded surgical samples of developing human lung tissue using quantitative RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) and immunostaining for expression of CCL11, CCL24, CCL26, and CCR3. We assessed possible functionality of the eotaxin-CCR3 system by treating lung explant cultures with exogenous CCL11 and analyzing the cultures for evidence of changes in proliferation and activation of ERK1/2, a signaling pathway associated with CCR3. QRT-PCR analyses of 22 developing lung tissue samples with gestational ages 10–23 wk demonstrated that eotaxin-1 mRNA is most abundant in developing lung, whereas mRNAs for eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 are minimally detectable. CCL11 mRNA levels correlated with gestational age ( P < 0.05), and immunoreactivity was localized predominantly to airway epithelial cells. QRT-PCR analysis detected CCR3 expression in 16 of 19 developing lung samples. Supporting functional capacity in the immature lung, CCL11 treatment of lung explant cultures resulted in significantly increased ( P < 0.05) cell proliferation and activation of the ERK signaling pathway, which is downstream from CCR3, suggesting that proliferation was due to activation of CCR3 receptors by CCL11. We conclude that developing lung expresses the eotaxins and functional CCR3 receptor. CCL11 may promote airway epithelial proliferation in the developing lung.
Pathogenesis of the systemic inflammatory syndrome and acute lung injury: role of iron mobilization and decompartmentalization
Authors: Lagan Anna L. , Melley Daniel D. , Evans Timothy W. , Quinlan Gregory J.
Published: December 2007

Changes in iron homeostatic responses routinely accompany infectious or proinflammatory insults. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the development of acute lung injury (ALI) feature pronounced systemic and lung-specific alterations in iron/heme mobilization and decompartmentalization; such responses may be of pathological significance for both the onset and progression of acute inflammation. The potential for excessive iron-catalyzed oxidative stress, altered proinflammatory redox signaling, and provision of iron as a microbial growth factor represent obvious adverse aspects of altered in vivo iron handling. The release of hemoglobin during hemolytic disease or surgical procedures such as those utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass procedures further impacts on iron mobilization, turnover, and storage with associated implications. Genetic predisposition may ultimately determine the extent to which SIRS and related syndromes develop in response to such changes. The design of specific therapeutic interventions based on endogenous stratagems to limit adverse aspects of altered iron handling may prove of therapeutic benefit for the treatment of SIRS and ALI.
House, Wife, Woman, and Time
Authors: Klippel Heike
Published: December 2007

Housework and scholarly work have many aspects in common, however strong the differences may be. They are usually performed in an enclosed, more or less private space, and they share problems in their temporal structuring. One difficulty for the temporality is its oscillation between autonomy and heteronomy, another problem is fragmentation, and the near impossibility of scheduling the internal processes of the work. What are the consequences if we look at the scholar as houseworker? Like the housewife the scholar has to face doubts about the productivity of his/her work, and questions about how he/she is actually spending her time. This means a feminization of scholarly work from which criticism of the traditional attitudes towards this type of work can be developed. Instead of believing that a well written article or a book is a piece of work with a status of its own in the world we can take into consideration that it might just as well not last longer than the neatly made bed. Ideas, after all, are volatile and in constant movement, and therefore in a permanent contradiction to the organisation of the academy – like housework and reproductive work are at odds with temporal economy.
On the Nature of Time in Conceptual and Computational Nervous Systems
Authors:   Hancock
Published: December 2007

The central premise of the present paper is that the spectacular failure to create a fully functional artificial intelligence results from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of time in relation to living systems. Unlike the sterile and purely chronometric conception that is subsumed in the central, clock referent system of most current computational machines, intelligence and especially human intelligence is erected on a tri-level, integrated system of temporal processing capacities. Here, I present the fundamental nature and manner of integration of these three, evolution-driven mechanisms which help life cope with the vagaries of uncertain but not totally unpredictable environments. The implications for the development of effective artificially-intelligent machines are discussed.
Asinus Philosophans : Platonic Philosophy and the Prologue to Apuleius' Golden Ass
Authors: Kirichenko Alexander
Published: December 2007

This article offers a new interpretation of the role of philosophy in Apuleius' Golden Ass. Its main contention is that references to philosophers and philosophical texts in the novel are neither gratuitous nor are they meant to imbue the text with a deep allegorical meaning; on the contrary, they are invariably used to enhance the novel's comic effect and thus, paradoxically, serve to warn the reader against the temptation to read the novel as a straightforward philosophical allegory. Particular attention is paid to the novel's prologue, which is shown to anticipate this overall tendency.
Social Movement Unions and Political Parties (in South Africa and the Philippines): A Win-Win Situation?
Authors: Schiavone Michael
Published: December 2007

Social movement unionism is increasingly being seen as the strategy that US unions should adopt. However, what is often forgotten is that social movement unionism originated in the Third World. As part of the strategy it is argued that unions should form alliances with political parties. However, by analyzing the alliances between the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the African National Congress (ANC), and the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) I argue that union alliances with political parties have badly damaged social movement unions.
Challenging the Orthodoxy: African Development in the Age of Openness
Authors: Moudud Jamee , Botchway Karl
Published: December 2007

Does trade openness necessarily lead to income convergence between countries in the North and South and hence facilitates social development? This paper challenges this claim with regards to African development in the age of neo-liberalism. The paper argues that a one-sided reading of the history of an early phase of globalization by advocates of neo-liberalism seems to have turned trade openness into a mantra for African development. Furthermore the paper challenges the rhetoric of competitiveness that underpins the rationale for neo-liberalism by critiquing the neoclassical model of competition. The neo-liberal policy position, as the paper suggests is problematic at an empirical level also. In a test for convergence for eleven sub-Saharan African countries described as good adjusters by advocates of trade openness, the paper shows that a straightforward openness per se guarantees nothing as far their growth rates are concerned. Rather this paper suggests that the role of the “developmental state” needs to be brought back in order to facilitate the international competitiveness of African countries. It will be argued that such a role for the developmental state rests on a very different conceptualization of the nature of capitalist competition and growth. In the final instance, then, we suggest the need for building a theory of the developmental state that rests on non-neoclassical macro- and micro-foundations.
Doctor's Order: An Early Modern Doctor's Alchemical Notebooks
Authors: Timmermann Anke
Published: December 2007

This is a case study on a series of at least thirty-four sixteenth-century notebooks from the Sloane collection, which reconsiders early modern note taking techniques and the organisation of knowledge. These notebooks were written by an anonymous compiler, a physician who read widely in the alchemical and medical literature available in his lifetime, the late sixteenth century. In the alchemica, he devotes individual volumes to specific alchemical substances, which are connected with each other by means of a complex system of cross-referencing; they are constantly revised and change appearance according to the physician's latest ideas about alchemical medicines. As a result, the notebooks not only preserve received information (a task otherwise performed by commonplace books in this period)— they also represent an equivalent to the alchemical workshop, where the combination of different textual elements generates knowledge.
The Integrity of Mission in the Light of the Gospel: Bearing the Witness of the Spirit
Authors: Yung Hwa
Published: December 2007

In this opening Keynote Address at the 11th Quadrennial International Conference of the International Association for Mission Studies, Hwa Yung focuses on the extraordinary contemporary growth of the church in the developing (Two-Thirds) World, particularly in China where neither the attraction/allurements of western culture, nor the patronage of colonial powers has played a significant role. He suggests that people are drawn, and will continue to be drawn to Jesus through 'signs and wonders,' through the gospel's power to effect change in the individual, and through the Christian community's role as an agent for the social, economic and political transformation in the world.
Integrity of Mission in the Light of the Gospel: Bearing the Witness of the Spirit. Perspectives from Latin America
Authors: Paredes Tito
Published: December 2007

In this article, Peruvian Tito Paredes argues that the integrity of mission in Latin America will be enhanced and fostered to the extent that the churches seriously engage with culture, indigenous religious traditions and prioritize mission to the poor. This last dimension has important social as well as personal goals in the light of a wholistic vision and mission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Integrity of Mission in the Light of the Gospel: Bearing the Witness of the Spirit An Asian Perspective
Authors: Ok Chun Chae
Published: December 2007

The theme of integrity in mission from an Asian woman's perspective is explored by Korean theologian, Chun Chae Ok who identifies two important characteristics of women's mission. First, women's mission is usually exercised by poor women to other poor women. Second, women often console and comfort other women, a particularly important quality in Asia given the poverty and suffering that many women experience. Chun argues that the often marginalized or ignored story of women's mission needs to be told.
Integrity of Mission in the Light of the Gospel in Asia the Narratives of Jesus in the Living Stories of Asia
Authors: Kleden Leo
Published: December 2007

Is mission still relevant in our contemporary situation? As more and more young missionaries come from Asia, what are the specific traits of their missionary approach? This article attempts to understand Christian mission from the key notion of dialogue, or more precisely "fourfold prophetic dialogue" as it was formulated in the SVD circle – dialogue with faith seekers, with the poor and marginalized, with people of different cultures, with people of other religions and ideologies. This dialogue, however, is possible only if we at the same time broaden our notion of the Word of God. This article ends by underscoring narrative as the prominent literary genre in which the Word of God is revealed and through which it should be proclaimed. Hence the three parts of the article: Listening to the Word of God, Dialogue as the Way of Mission, e Narratives of Jesus in the Living Stories of Asia.
Social Location of Attitudes Towards Human Rights Among South African Youth
Authors: Van Der Ven Johannes A. , Pieterse Hendrik J.C. , Dreyer Jaco S.
Published: December 2007

In the previous article we inquired into the attitudes towards human rights of a group of 538 Grade 11 students in Anglican and Catholic church-affiliated schools in the Johannesburg/Pretoria region. We distinguished between civil, political and judicial rights, socio-economic rights, and environmental rights. In this article we examine the social location of these attitudes. We arrived at the following profile of students who favour human rights: they are female, come from the official indigenous language groups, and have been raised by parents who have a relatively high educational and occupational level, and are not self-employed. They prefer the ANC to other political parties, and are transethnically and post-materialistically oriented. Their attitude towards work is interest-oriented, definitely not money-oriented. They participate in a political culture of communication. With regard to religious characteristics, which are particularly relevant to their attitudes towards socio-economic rights, they are religiously socialised, involved in religious praxis and have open religious communication with their parents; but they are not intensely tied to a particular denomination nor do they regularly attend church services. At the same time, those who display these last two characteristics reject civil rights. With regard to interreligious interactions, the students who favour human rights, display multireligious orientations and reject monoreligious ones.
Biblical Authority Between Fundamentalism and Postmodernism: Elements of an Evolutionary Hermeneutics
Authors: Nürnberger Klaus
Published: December 2007

After a brief critique of traditional and current approaches, this article proposes a new hermeneutic, here called below-the-text reading, which traces the evolutionary trajectories of soteriological paradigms, such as the exodus or the kingship, through a thousand years of biblical history. This method exposes and undercurrent of meaning manifesting itself through successive texts like a story unfolding through the series of frames in a film strip. The emergence and evolution of such paradigms in biblical history are due to the fact that the divine Word responds to human needs in all dimensions of life. Not the individual texts are canonical, it is argued, but the dynamic and direction of the undercurrent of meaning. By extrapolating its thrust to present predicaments, justice can be done both to the canonicity of historical scripture and the demands of modern situations.
Some Perspectives On Paul's Economic Vision Amidst Globalisation
Authors: Punt Jeremy
Published: December 2007

In the post-Cold War and post-apartheid era in South Africa, global and local interest has arguably shifted from politics to economics. With an awareness of the current and formidable influence of globalisation on people's lives, Paul's letters should be reread with a view to identifying and formulating what emerges as his economic vision. This essay is a brief and preliminary investigation into how Pauline sentiments on economic matters could be brought into play with late twentieth-century globalisation.
The Past as Simulacrum in the Canonical Narratives of Christian Origins
Authors: Braun Willi
Published: December 2007

This article meditates on the ambiguity of the concept of 'history' in Christian thought and in the historiography of Christian origins. After exploring the ambiguity of 'history', using Jesus as the illustrative case in point, it is argued that 'history' is itself the result of a complex process of historical production, a production of the kind that renders history, especially histories of highly valued origins, into narrative representations of believed-in imaginings, into mythographies that are nevertheless taken to be histories. Recognizing that history is fictioned to serve interests in the present turns history always into 'our' history, and recognizing, too, that this history is imagined to be history as it really was and the only history there can be- in effect turning the past into a simulacrum3/4. exposes 'history' as a mechanism for rationalising wordviews, social constitutions, and cultural preferences. Intellectually and morally, it exposes the fact that 'doing history' is never an innocent doing.
Being a Christian Without a Christ? Exploring John Shelby Spong's Concept of 'Christians in Exile'
Authors: Kriel Jacques R.
Published: December 2007

There is a clear disjunction between the paradigms and theories in contemporary theological and biblical research and the theories and paradigms underlying the church's conventional liturgy and preaching. There is greater tension between theological science and traditional Christian faith than between 'science' and 'religion'. The science-faith conflict thus goes deeper than the science-religion debate. But while the science-religion debate gets a lot of attention, there seems to be no attempt by the church universal to integrate theological science in its exegesis, preaching and teaching. The books of Marcus J Borg, John Shelby Spong and others have brought the results of theological research to the attention of church members. This article contains my attempt to relate my understanding of scientific research in the natural and social sciences, theology and biblical sciences to my Christian faith. Using John Shelby Spong's concept of 'Christians in exile' and Stephen Patterson's proposal of an 'existential Christology', the possibility of being a Christian without a Christ is suggested.
Der Zweite essalonicherbrief und Gottes Widersacher
Authors: Karrer Martin
Published: December 2007

Second Tessalonians 2:1-12 is about a rebellion and an "outlaw", who appears in front of and opposes against God. Many problems of the sketch can be solved against the background of the time when the text is written, the 60s of the 1st century (the first part of the essay establishes that date):At that time the early Christians are becoming stigmatized in many ways. The author of 2 ess suspects the outbreak of a crisis and invigorates the community to resist. For that purpose he uses apocalyptic-dualistic motifs (part 2).In addition, the author profits from the collective memory of Caligula's intention to set up a statue of Zeus, imagining at the same time the emperor. The trouble caused by Caligula engraved deep traces in ch. 2; one may compare important moments of the description of God's opponent to Philo, leg. At the same time, the author strengthens the Christology; therefore, the opponent fails in his demonstration to be God (part 3).Der 2 Thess enthält die beispiellose Skizze eines grundlegenden Widersachers Gottes. Wenn wir den Brief vor dem theologischen und zeitgeschichtlichen Hintergrund der 60er Jahre des 1. Jh. interpretieren, ergibt sich ein plausibles Bild: Als die Gemeinde von außen zunehmend stigmatisiert wird, versucht der Briefautor mittels apokalyptisch-dualistischer Denkfiguren die Gemeinde nach innen hin zu festigen. Das Ende des für die Gemeinde misslichen Zustandes verzögert sich auf rätselhafte Weise. Der Autor schildert den Widersacher Gottes unter Einfluss von (für ihn noch frischen) Erinnerungen an Caligula und steigert merklich die Christologie, indem er bekannte Gottesaussagen des 1 Thess auf Christus überträgt.
Reading the Prophets as Meaning-making Literature for Communities under Siege
Authors: Stulman Louis
Published: December 2007

The "literarization" of prophecy, that is, the shift from oral prophecy to writing, involves massive shifts in meaning and social worlds. The oral performance of the prophetic word departs from a safe homeland for a tapestry of textual constructions in dangerous diaspora. Along the way it traffics in symbolic transformations for communities under siege. More specifically, written prophecy attends to survivors of war and as such functions as a resilient counter script, a meaning-making map of hope, for disoriented and dislocated people. As a sidebar, this essay considers the implications of this reading for contemporary Christian communions aligned with the state. Such an alignment creates a hermeneutical divide that may make the prophetic literature indecipherable.
The Means and Mode of Salvation: A Hermeneutical Proposal for Clarifying Pauline Soteriology
Authors: Frick Peter
Published: December 2007

The objective of this study is to answer the question "What is the cause of salvation?" according to Paul. The argument is that just as Philo understood cause in an Aristotelian sense of the multiplicity of causes (formal, material, efficient and final) as constituting one overarching cause—what is here called the "means" of salvation—so, too, Paul implicitly assumes that the one cause or "means" of salvation consists in various causes. A second step shows how the "means" of salvation corresponds to faith as the "mode" of salvation. In nuce, the "means" of salvation is the initiative of God and the "mode" of salvation is the human response to that divine initiative.
Where Military Professionalism Meets Complexity Science
Authors: Paparone Christopher R. , Anderson Ruth A. , McDaniel Reuben R.
Published: December 2007

The authors challenge the old school of hierarchical strategic leadership that dominates the military professional culture and, in contrast, emphasize complex adaptive systems (CASs) as a compelling alternative mental model to view the military profession. The authors suggest eight leadership tasks that come to the fore when the mental model of the military as a professional CAS is used to examine the circumstances that engulf military activities: relationship building, loose coupling, complicating, diversifying, sensemaking, learning, improvising, and emergent thinking. These are distinguished from the traditional tasks of role defining, standardization, simplifying, socializing, decision making, knowing, commanding and controlling, and planning based on estimates.
A Biomechanical Comparison of Youth Baseball Pitches
Authors: Dun Shouchen , Loftice Jeremy , Fleisig Glenn S. , Kingsley David , Andrews James R.
Published: December 2007

Background

The curveball has been anecdotally considered as a dangerous pitch among youth pitchers, especially for their ulnar collateral ligaments. No biomechanical studies have been conducted among youth pitchers comparing different types of pitches.

Hypothesis

The kinetics of the baseball throw varies significantly between the fastball, curveball, and change-up for youth pitchers. Kinematic and temporal differences are also expected.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Twenty-nine youth baseball pitchers (age, 12.5 ± 1.7 years) pitched 5 fastballs, 5 curveballs, and 5 change-ups with maximum effort in an indoor laboratory setting. Data were collected with a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. Kinetic, kinematic, and temporal parameters were compared among the 3 pitches.

Results

For elbow varus torque, shoulder internal rotation torque, elbow proximal force, and shoulder proximal force, the fastball produced the greatest values, followed by the curveball and then the change-up. The fastball also produced the greatest elbow flexion torque. Shoulder horizontal adduction torque and shoulder adduction torque were the least for the change-up. Several differences in body segment position, velocity, and timing were also found.

Conclusions

In general, elbow and shoulder loads were the greatest in the fastball and least in the change-up. Kinematic and temporal differences were also found among the 3 pitch types.

Clinical Relevance

The curveball may not be more potentially harmful than the fastball for youth pitchers. This finding is consistent with recent epidemiologic research indicating that amount of pitching is a stronger risk factor than type of pitches thrown.
Do Capacitively Coupled Electric Fields Accelerate Tibial Stress Fracture Healing?
Authors: Beck Belinda R. , Matheson Gordon O. , Bergman Gabrielle , Norling Tracey , Fredericson Michael , Hoffman Andrew R. , Marcus Robert
Published: December 2007

Background

Tibial stress fractures increasingly affect athletes and military recruits, with few known effective management options. Electrical stimulation enhances regular fracture healing, but the effect on stress fractures has not been definitively tested.

Hypothesis

Capacitively coupled electric field stimulation will accelerate tibial stress fracture healing.

Study Design

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods

Twenty men and 24 women with acute posteromedial tibial stress fractures were referred from local clinicians. Subjects were randomly assigned active or placebo capacitively coupled electric field stimulation to be applied for 15 hours per day until healed, given supplemental calcium, and instructed to rest from provocative training. Healing was confirmed when hopping to 10 cm for 30 seconds could be achieved without pain.

Results

No difference in time to healing was detected between treatment and placebo groups. Women in the treatment group healed more slowly than did the men ( P = .05). Superior treatment compliance was associated with reduced time to healing ( P = .003). Rest noncompliance was associated with increased time to healing ( P = .05).

Conclusion

Whole-group analysis did not detect an effect of capacitively coupled electric field stimulation on tibial stress fracture healing; however, greater device use and less weightbearing loading enhanced the effectiveness of the active device. More severe stress fractures healed more quickly with capacitively coupled electric field stimulation.

Clinical Relevance

Although the use of capacitively coupled electric field stimulation for tibial stress fracture healing may not be efficacious for all, it may be indicated for the more severely injured or elite athlete/recruit whose incentive to return to activity may motivate superior compliance.
Structural Validity of the WISC-III for a National Sample of Native American Students
Authors: Kush Joseph C. , Watkins Marley W.
Published: December 2007

Test bias research with Native American participants is uncommon, although individual tests of intelligence are often used with Native American students to determine eligibility for special education services. Only two studies with minimally adequate sample sizes have addressed the structural validity of major tests of intelligence in Native American populations. It is unfortunate that both used an obsolete test and included students from only two tribes. This study used confirmatory factor analyses to examine the structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Edition (WISC-III) among 344 Native American students representing 12 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Nations attending BIA schools in 11 states. Results indicated that Wechsler's four-factor oblique model exhibited the best overall statistical fit. Thus, the underlying factor structure of the WISC-III with a national sample of Native Americans was similar to that found in the normative sample. Implications for school psychologists are presented and recommendations for further research are provided.
Using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment to Identify Behavioral Risk and Protective Factors Within a Head Start Population
Authors: Brinkman Tara M. , Wigent Catherine A. , Tomac Rachelle A. , Pham Andy V. , Carlson John S.
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of behavioral risk and protective factors among at-risk preschoolers. Parent-reported data ( N = 2,550) from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) indicated that Head Start preschoolers had significantly more behavior concerns and fewer protective factors than would be expected based on standardization sample data. Multiple analyses of variance revealed that boys were consistently reported to have more behavior concerns and fewer protective factors than girls. A comparison of 2 years of DECA data revealed that two separate cohorts of children enrolled in Head Start did not differ significantly with respect to the prevalence of behavior concerns. However, children in the second cohort had significantly more parent-reported protective factors than children in the first cohort of the study. This is the first study to report on the use of the DECA within a Head Start population. Implications for the use of this measure within early childhood settings are provided.
Investigation of the WISC-III and WASI in Clinical Child Populations
Authors: Scott Wayne C. , Austin David W. , Reid David S.
Published: December 2007

To promote efficient clinical practice, interest has been growing in brief assessment scales to replace full-scale versions in some circumstances. In nonclinical populations, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) has substituted for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Edition (WISC-III). Agreement between these scales remains untested in clinical populations. Twenty-five children, aged 6 to 15 years old were assessed. A correlational and within-participant design was used. These scales were significantly correlated. Despite a fourth edition of the WISC now available, WASI administration alone would at times appear to be a quick and valid estimate of IQ. Replication with the WISC-IV seems necessary to clarify the verbal/ performance distance criterion discrepancy and also the meaning of some variability between the scale and subtests.
Synthesis and Characterization of Organosoluble Polysiloxaneimides Derived from Siloxane-containing Aliphatic Dianhydride and Various Aromatic Diamines
Authors: Shouming Wu  , Hayakawa Teruaki , Kakimoto Masa-Aki
Published: December 2007

A new siloxane-containing monomer, 5,51- exo-(1,1,3,3,5,5-hexamethyl-trisiloxane -1,5-diyl) bisbicyclo[2,2,1]heptene-2,3- endo-dicarboxylic anhydride (3) was synthesized by the hydrosilylation reaction of 1,1,3,3,5,5-hexamethyl-trisiloxane (1) and cis-5-norbornene- endo-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (2). A series of organosoluble polysiloxaneimides (PI 5a-e) was prepared from the dianhydride 3 and several aromatic diamines 4 by a one-step high-temperature polycondensation method and the structures were characterized by IR and NMR. The effects of the main chain siloxane groups on the properties of PIs were evaluated by solubility, thermal stability and dielectric properties in addition to optical and water adsorption. The PIs were readily soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as NMP, DMAc and CHCl 3 at room temperature, except PI 5a, which was only soluble in polar amide type solvents at elevated temperature. PIs 5a-e had glass transition temperatures between 138 and 251°C in N2 and the 5% weight loss temperature ranged from 460 to 470°C under air. The PIs could be cast into flexible and tough films from DMAc solution. The films had tensile strengths of 44—52 MPa, tensile moduli of 0.56—0.68 GPa and elongations at break from 5.8—7.9%. The PI films exhibited good optical UV-vis transparency with wavelength cutoff of 269—289 nm and transmittances over 90% at 400 nm, and dielectric constants of about 2.76—2.65 with low water adsorption (0.3—0.4%).
An Expectancy Theory Motivation Approach to Peer Assessment
Authors: Friedman Barry A. , Cox Pamela L. , Maher Larry E.
Published: December 2007

Group projects are an important component of higher education, and the use of peer assessment of students' individual contributions to group projects has increased. The researchers employed an expectancy theory approach and an experimental design in a field setting to investigate conditions that influence students' motivation to rate their peers' contributions to team projects. Two questionnaires were also developed and tested by the researchers. This research found that rating format and rating frequency significantly interacted to influence student motivation and their perceptions of their team. Research findings reveal peer assessment to be a complex process in need of further study. Two peer assessment instruments and peer assessment training materials are provided along with suggestions for future research.
Teaching Teamwork and Problem Solving Concurrently
Authors: Goltz Sonia M. , Hietapelto Amy B. , Reinsch Roger W. , Tyrell Sharon K.
Published: December 2007

Teamwork and problem-solving skills have frequently been identified by business leaders as being key competencies; thus, teaching methods such as problem-based learning and team-based learning have been developed. However, the focus of these methods has been on teaching one skill or the other. A key argument for teaching the skills concurrently is that the ability to solve an unstructured real-world problem within teams is what is needed outside the classroom and that this requires the use of both sets of skills simultaneously. Thus, the authors describe the design and implementation of a group problem-solving skills course for undergraduates, in which they engage in real creative problem-solving work together over a semester while learning and developing skills appropriate to their current stages in the team development and problem-solving processes. This method offers the potential to address criticisms by business leaders that new graduates often are technically proficient yet ill prepared to solve everyday organizational problems.
The Accuracy of Significance Tests for Slope Variance Components in Multilevel Random Coefficient Models
Authors: LaHuis David M. , Ferguson Matthew W.
Published: December 2007

This study examines the behavior of three tests for significant slope variance in multilevel random coefficient (MRC) models: the Hierarchical Linear Modeling chi-square test, the likelihood ratio test (LRT), and the corrected LRT. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted varying the numbers of groups, group size, and effect size. Results suggest that neither the number of groups nor group size influenced Type I errors. Group size has a stronger effect on power compared with the number of groups. The one-tailed LRT demonstrates the best balance between power and Type I errors. Recommendations for conducting MRC analyses are presented.
Aberrant activation of stress-response pathways leads to TNF-α oversecretion in Fanconi anemia
Authors: Briot Delphine , Macé-Aimé Gaëtane , Subra Frédéric , Rosselli Filippo
Published: December 2007

Fanconi anemia (FA), an inherited syndrome that associates bone marrow failure, cancer predisposition, and genetic instability, is characterized by an overproduction of the myelosuppressive cytokine TNF-α through unknown mechanisms. We demonstrate here that FANC pathway loss-of-function results in the aberrant activation of 2 major stress-signaling pathways: NF-κB and MAPKs. These responses are independent on TNF-α expression. On the contrary, inhibition of the MAPK pathways normalizes TNF-α oversecretion in FA. Moreover, our data show that the overexpression of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-7 is the key event directly responsible for the high rate of TNF-α shedding and release from the cytoplasmic membrane in FA. TNF-α overproduction is, indeed, normalized by MMP-7 inhibition. Finally, MAPK inhibition impacts on MMP-7 overexpression. Evidence is provided of the existence of a linear pathway in which FANC mutations activate MAPK signaling that induces MMP-7 overexpression leading, in fine, to TNF-α oversecretion. TNF-α may, in turn, sustain or amplify both MAPKs and NF-κB activation. Aberrant expression or activity of NF-κB and/or MAPKs has been already involved in bone marrow failure and leukemia, and their inhibition offered clinical benefit for patients. In conclusion, our data provide a strong rationale for new clinical trials on FA patients.
The prognostic significance of a positive direct antiglobulin test in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a beneficial effect of the combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide on the incidence of hemolytic anemia
Authors: Dearden Claire , Wade Rachel , Else Monica , Richards Sue , Milligan Don , Hamblin Terry , Catovsky Daniel
Published: December 2007

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA) is a common complication in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The UK LRF CLL4 trial is the largest prospective trial in CLL to examine the prognostic impact of both a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and AHA. Seven-hundred seventy-seven patients were randomized to receive chlorambucil or fludarabine, alone or with cyclophosphamide (FC). The incidence pretreatment of a positive DAT was 14%. Ten percent developed AHA. The DAT correctly predicted the development, or not, of AHA after therapy in 83% of cases, however only 28% of DAT-positive patients developed AHA. Of 299 patients tested both before and after treatment, those treated with single-agent fludarabine were most likely to remain DAT positive and to change from negative to positive. Patients treated with chlorambucil or fludarabine were more than twice as likely to develop AHA as those receiving FC. In a multivariate analysis, stage C disease and high β2 microglobulin were independent predictors of a positive DAT result. AHA, or a positive DAT, with or without AHA, independently predicted for reduced overall survival (OS). Four deaths, all on fludarabine monotherapy, were attributed to AHA. In conclusion, DAT status at the time of initiation of therapy provides a new prognostic indicator, although FC may protect against AHA. This trial was registered at http://isrctn.org as no. 58585610.
Domain motions of Argonaute, the catalytic engine of RNA interference
Authors: Ming Dengming , Wall Michael E , Sanbonmatsu Kevin Y
Published: December 2007

Background

The Argonaute protein is the core component of the RNA-induced silencing complex, playing the central role of cleaving the mRNA target. Visual inspection of static crystal structures already has enabled researchers to suggest conformational changes of Argonaute that might occur during RNA interference. We have taken the next step by performing an all-atom normal mode analysis of the Pyrococcus furiosus and Aquifex aeolicus Argonaute crystal structures, allowing us to quantitatively assess the feasibility of these conformational changes. To perform the analysis, we begin with the energy-minimized X-ray structures. Normal modes are then calculated using an all-atom molecular mechanics force field.

Results

The analysis reveals low-frequency vibrations that facilitate the accommodation of RNA duplexes – an essential step in target recognition. The Pyrococcus furiosus and Aquifex aeolicus Argonaute proteins both exhibit low-frequency torsion and hinge motions; however, differences in the overall architecture of the proteins cause the detailed dynamics to be significantly different.

Conclusion

Overall, low-frequency vibrations of Argonaute are consistent with mechanisms within the current reaction cycle model for RNA interference.
Chlorin e6 – polyvinylpyrrolidone mediated photosensitization is effective against human non-small cell lung carcinoma compared to small cell lung carcinoma xenografts
Authors: Chin William WL , Heng Paul WS , Olivo Malini
Published: December 2007

Background

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective local cancer treatment that involves light activation of a photosensitizer, resulting in oxygen-dependent, free radical-mediated cell death. Little is known about the comparative efficacy of PDT in treating non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), despite ongoing clinical trials treating lung cancers. The present study evaluated the potential use of chlorin e6 – polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ce6-PVP) as a multimodality photosensitizer for fluorescence detection and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on NSCLC and SCLC xenografts.

Results

Human NSCLC (NCI-H460) and SCLC (NCI-H526) tumor cell lines were used to establish tumor xenografts in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model as well as in the Balb/c nude mice. In the CAM model, Ce6-PVP was applied topically (1.0 mg/kg) and fluorescence intensity was charted at various time points. Tumor-bearing mice were given intravenous administration of Ce6-PVP (2.0 mg/kg) and laser irradiation at 665 nm (fluence of 150 J/cm2 and fluence rate of 125 mW/cm2). Tumor response was evaluated at 48 h post PDT. Studies of temporal fluorescence pharmacokinetics in CAM tumor xenografts showed that Ce6-PVP has a selective localization and a good accuracy in demarcating NSCLC compared to SCLC from normal surrounding CAM after 3 h post drug administration. Irradiation at 3 h drug-light interval showed greater tumor necrosis against human NSCLC xenografts in nude mice. SCLC xenografts were observed to express resistance to photosensitization with Ce6-PVP.

Conclusion

The formulation of Ce6-PVP is distinctly advantageous as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent for fluorescence diagnosis and PDT of NSCLC.
The oncoprotein H-RasV12 increases mitochondrial metabolism
Authors: Telang Sucheta , Lane Andrew N , Nelson Kristin K , Arumugam Sengodagounder , Chesney Jason
Published: December 2007

Background

Neoplastic cells increase glycolysis in order to produce anabolic precursors and energy within the hypoxic environment of a tumor. Ras signaling is activated in several cancers and has been found to regulate metabolism by enhancing glycolytic flux to lactate. We examined the effects of sequential immortalization and H-RasV12-transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells on the anabolic fate of fully-labeled13C-glucose-derived carbons using two-dimensional total correlated spectroscopic analysis-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D TOCSY-NMR).

Results

We found that the introduction of activated H-RasV12into immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells unexpectedly increased tricarboxylic acid cycle activity as measured by the direct conversion of13C-glucose carbons into the anabolic substrates glutamate/glutamine, aspartate and uridine. We then observed that immortalization and H-RasV12-transformation of bronchial epithelial cells caused a stepwise increase in oxygen consumption, a global measure of electron transport chain activity. Importantly, ectopic expression of H-RasV12sensitized immortalized cells to the ATP-depleting and cytotoxic effects of electron transport perturbation using the complex I inhibitor rotenone.

Conclusion

Taken together, these data indicate that the oncoprotein H-RasV12increases mitochondrial metabolism and provide new rationale for the targeting of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain as anti-neoplastic strategies.
Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems
Authors: Suri Sarabjeet Singh , Fenniri Hicham , Singh Baljit
Published: December 2007

Nanoparticles hold tremendous potential as an effective drug delivery system. In this review we discussed recent developments in nanotechnology for drug delivery. To overcome the problems of gene and drug delivery, nanotechnology has gained interest in recent years. Nanosystems with different compositions and biological properties have been extensively investigated for drug and gene delivery applications. To achieve efficient drug delivery it is important to understand the interactions of nanomaterials with the biological environment, targeting cell-surface receptors, drug release, multiple drug administration, stability of therapeutic agents and molecular mechanisms of cell signalling involved in pathobiology of the disease under consideration. Several anti-cancer drugs including paclitaxel, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil and dexamethasone have been successfully formulated using nanomaterials. Quantom dots, chitosan, Polylactic/glycolic acid (PLGA) and PLGA-based nanoparticles have also been used for in vitro RNAi delivery. Brain cancer is one of the most difficult malignancies to detect and treat mainly because of the difficulty in getting imaging and therapeutic agents past the blood-brain barrier and into the brain. Anti-cancer drugs such as loperamide and doxorubicin bound to nanomaterials have been shown to cross the intact blood-brain barrier and released at therapeutic concentrations in the brain. The use of nanomaterials including peptide-based nanotubes to target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor and cell adhesion molecules like integrins, cadherins and selectins, is a new approach to control disease progression.
From the Editor's desk
Authors: Tyrer Peter
Published: December 2007

This section of the Journal is primarily written for readers; I hope on this occasion I can crave a little time for our contributors, our hard-working authors. It is not easy getting papers published nowadays and yet it remains even more of a priority that when the phrase ‘publish or perish’ first burst into public consciousness when coined by Logan Wilson, a former President of the University of Texas, in 1942. I have long felt that the process of getting original work into print is like the process of parturition, and I feel this in much more than a metaphorical sense. From the silent ecstasy of conception of data-driven thought through to the revelation of birth in the pages of a journal, we usually have a 9-month journey of worry mixed with calm, disappointment interleaved with satisfaction, and rank despair followed by the ringing tones of joy. In the first 3 months the submission process is accompanied by uncertainty and some nausea after reading the rude dismemberment of delicately constructed text. Later, the paper seems to generate movement and life on its own, and in the last phase when it has fully engaged the attention of the editors you know that the moment of birth is near. This month we have kept our promise to publish our UK authors' papers accepted by June before the end of the year – indeed, you will note we have done better – and hope that our international contributors will not feel disenfranchised.