bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome (HARS): definition, epidemiology and clinical impact
Authors: Lichtenstein Kenneth , Balasubramanyam Ashok , Sekhar Rajagopal , Freedland Eric
Published: July 2007

A segment of the HIV infected population develops abnormal and excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the trunk, including accumulation of visceral (deep abdominal) adipose tissue. This condition, known as HIV-related adipose redistribution syndrome (HARS), may also be accompanied by fat accumulation in the upper back/neck (dorsocervical region) and/or depletion of subcutaneous adipose tissue from the abdomen, face, limbs, or buttocks. HARS is estimated to occur in up to 32% of patients and is associated with health risks similar to those of metabolic syndrome. Techniques to detect and measure HARS include physician and patient assessments and radiologic or anthropometric methods.
Frequency-Dependent ERK Phosphorylation in Spinal Neurons by Electric Stimulation of the Sciatic Nerve and the Role in Electrophysiological Activity
Authors: Fukui Tomokazu , Dai Yi , Iwata Koichi , Kamo Hiroshi , Yamanaka Hiroki , Obata Koichi , Kobayashi Kimiko , Wang Shenglan , Cui Xiuyu , Yoshiya Shinichi , Noguchi Koichi
Published: July 2007

The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) in DRG and dorsal horn neurons is induced by the C-fiber electrical stimulation to the peripheral nerve. The present study was designed to investigate the expression and modulation of pERK in the rat dorsal horn neurons produced by repetitive electrical stimulation, and its involvement in the electrophysiological activity of dorsal horn neurons. Electrical stimulation of C-fiber intensity at different frequencies was applied to the sciatic nerve; the stimuli-induced pERK expression and the activity in dorsal horn neurons were studied by immunohistochemistry and extracellular recording, respectively. Electrical stimulation of C-fibers (3 mA) induced pERK expression in dorsal horn neurons in a frequency-dependent manner, indicating that the frequency of electrical stimulation is an important factor which activates the intracellular signal pathway in the spinal cord. To demonstrate the underlying mechanism of this frequency-dependent pERK expression, an NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, and a voltage sensitive calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, were administrated intrathecally before the stimulation. We found that high frequency (0.5 Hz and 10 Hz) but not low frequent (0.05 Hz) stimulus-evoked pERK was partially inhibited by MK-801. Both high and low frequency stimulus-evoked pERK were inhibited by the nifedipine treatment. The extracellular single unit activities were recorded from the laminae I-II and V of the L4-5 dorsal horn, and we found that blockage of the intracellular ERK signal suppressed the wind-up responses in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, any change in the mechanically evoked responses was not observed following the administration of ERK inhibitor. These observations indicate that ERK activation plays an important role in the induction of the wind-up responses in dorsal horn nociceptive neurons.
Morphine Induces Endocytosis of Neuronal μ-opioid Receptors Through the Sustained Transfer of Gα Subunits to RGSZ2 Proteins
Authors: Rodríguez-Muñoz María , de la Torre-Madrid Elena , Sánchez-Blázquez Pilar , Garzón Javier
Published: July 2007

Background:

In general, opioids that induce the recycling of μ-opioid receptors (MORs) promote little desensitization, although morphine is one exception to this rule. While morphine fails to provoke significant internalization of MORs in cultured cells, it does stimulate profound desensitization. In contrast, morphine does promote some internalization of MORs in neurons although this does not prevent this opioid from inducing strong antinociceptive tolerance.

Results:

In neurons, morphine stimulates the long-lasting transfer of MOR-activated Gα subunits to proteins of the RGS-R7 and RGS-Rz subfamilies. We investigated the influence of this regulatory process on the capacity of morphine to promote desensitization and its association with MOR recycling in the mature nervous system. In parallel, we also studied the effects of [D-Ala2, N-MePhe4, Gly-ol5] encephalin (DAMGO), a potent inducer of MOR internalization that promotes little tolerance. We observed that the initial exposure to icv morphine caused no significant internalization of MORs but rather, a fraction of the Gα subunits was stably transferred to RGS proteins in a time-dependent manner. As a result, the antinociception produced by a second dose of morphine administered 6 h after the first was weaker. However, this opioid now stimulated the phosphorylation, internalization and recycling of MORs, and further exposure to morphine promoted little tolerance to this moderate antinociception. In contrast, the initial dose of DAMGO stimulated intense phosphorylation and internalization of the MORs associated with a transient transfer of Gα subunits to the RGS proteins, recovering MOR control shortly after the effects of the opioid had ceased. Accordingly, the recycled MORs re-established their association with G proteins and the neurons were rapidly resensitized to DAMGO.

Conclusion:

In the nervous system, morphine induces a strong desensitization before promoting the phosphorylation and recycling of MORs. The long-term sequestering of morphine-activated Gα subunits by certain RGS proteins reduces the responses to this opioid in neurons. This phenomenon probably increases free Gβγ dimers in the receptor environment and leads to GRK phosphorylation and internalization of the MORs. Although, the internalization of the MORs permits the transfer of opioid-activated Gα subunits to the RGSZ2 proteins, it interferes with the stabilization of this regulatory process and recycled MORs recover the control on these Gα subunits and opioid tolerance develops slowly.
Standard fractionation intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of primary and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Fuller Clifton D , Choi Mehee , Forthuber Britta , Wang Samuel J , Rajagiriyil Nancy , Salter Bill J , Fuss Martin
Published: July 2007

Background

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) affords unparalleled capacity to deliver conformal radiation doses to tumors in the central nervous system. However, to date, there are few reported outcomes from using IMRT, either alone or as a boost technique, for standard fractionation radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Methods

Forty-two patients were treated with IMRT alone (72%) or as a boost (28%) after 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). Thirty-three patients with primary disease and 9 patients with recurrent tumors were included. Thirty-four patients (81%) had surgery, with gross tumor resection in 13 patients (36%); 22 patients (53%) received chemo-radiotherapy. The median total radiation dose for all patients was 60 Gy with a range from 30.6 to 74 Gy. Standard fractions of 1.8 Gy/day to 2.0 Gy/day were utilized.

Results

Median survival was 8.7 months, with 37 patients (88%) deceased at last contact. Nonparametric analysis showed no survival difference in IMRT-boost vs. IMRT-only groups.

Conclusion

While technically feasible, preliminary results suggest delivering standard radiation doses by IMRT did not improve survival outcomes in this series compared to historical controls. In light of this lack of a survival benefit and the costs associated with use of IMRT, future prospective trials are needed to evaluate non-survival endpoints such as quality of life and functional preservation. Short of such evidence, the use of IMRT for treatment of GBM needs to be carefully rationalized.
The correlation between architecture and mRNA abundance in the genetic regulatory network of Escherichia coli
Authors: Grondin Yohann , Raine Derek J , Norris Vic
Published: July 2007

Background

Two aspects of genetic regulatory networks are the static architecture that describes the overall connectivity between the genes and the dynamics that describes the sequence of genes active at any one time as deduced from mRNA abundances. The nature of the relationship between these two aspects of these networks is a fundamental question. To address it, we have used the static architecture of the connectivity of the regulatory proteins ofEscherichia colito analyse their relationship to the abundance of the mRNAs encoding these proteins. In this we build on previous work which uses Boolean network models, but impose biological constraints that cannot be deduced from the mRNA abundances alone.

Results

For a cell population ofE. coli, we find that there is a strong and statistically significant linear dependence between the abundance of mRNA encoding a regulatory protein and the number of genes regulated by this protein. We use this result, together with the ratio of regulatory repressors to promoters, to simulate numerically a genetic regulatory network of a single cell. The resulting model exhibits similar correlations to that ofE. coli.

Conclusion

This analysis clarifies the relationship between the static architecture of a regulatory network and the consequences for the dynamics of its pattern of mRNA abundances. It also provides the constraints on the architecture required to construct a model network to simulate mRNA production.
The zinc finger domain of Wilms' tumor 1 suppressor gene (WT1) behaves as a dominant negative, leading to abrogation of WT1 oncogenic potential in breast cancer cells
Authors: Han Youqi , San-Marina Serban , Yang Lin , Khoury Haytham , Minden Mark D
Published: July 2007

Introduction

There is growing evidence that the Wilms' tumor 1 suppressor gene (WT1) behaves as an oncogene in some forms of breast cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated that the N-terminal domain of WT1 can act as a dominant negative through self-association. In the studies presented here we have explored the potential for the zinc finger domain (ZF) of WT1 to also have dominant-negative effects, and thus further our understanding of this protein.

Methods

Using full-length and ZF-only forms of WT1 we assessed their effect on the WT1 and c-myc promoter using luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The gene expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, northern blot and western blot. We also assessed the effect of the ZF-only form on the growth of breast cancer cell lines in culture.

Results

Transfection with WT1–ZF plasmids resulted in a stronger inhibition of WT1 promoter than full-length WT1 in breast cancer cells. The WT1–ZF form lacking the lysine–threonine–serine (KTS) insert (ZF - KTS) can bind to the majority of WT1 consensus sites throughout the WT1 promoter region, while the ZF containing the insert (ZF + KTS) form only binds to sites in the proximal promoter. The abundances of endogenous WT1 mRNA and protein were markedly decreased following the stable expression of ZF - KTS in breast cancer cells. The expressions of WT1 target genes, including c-myc, Bcl-2, amphiregulin and TERT, were similarly suppressed by ZF - KTS. Moreover, WT1–ZF - KTS abrogated the transcriptional activation of c-myc mediated by all four predominant isoforms of WT1 (including or lacking alternatively spliced exons 5 and 9). Finally, WT1–ZF - KTS inhibited colony formation and cell division, but induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

Conclusion

Our observations strongly argue that the WT1–ZF plasmid behaves as a dominant-negative regulator of the endogenous WT1 in breast cancer cells. The inhibition on proliferation of breast cancer cells by WT1–ZF - KTS provides a potential candidate of gene therapy for breast cancer.
Parenteral versus enteral nutrition: effect on serum cytokines and the hepatic expression of mRNA of suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins, insulin-like growth factor-1 and the growth hormone receptor in rodent sepsis
Authors: O'Leary Michael J , Xue Aiqun , Scarlett Christopher J , Sevette Andre , Kee Anthony J , Smith Ross C
Published: July 2007

Introduction

Early nutrition is recommended for patients with sepsis, but data are conflicting regarding the optimum route of delivery. Enteral nutrition (EN), compared with parenteral nutrition (PN), results in poorer achievement of nutritional goals but may be associated with fewer infections. Mechanisms underlying differential effects of the feeding route on patient outcomes are not understood, but probably involve the immune system and the anabolic response to nutrients. We studied the effect of nutrition and the route of delivery of nutrition on cytokine profiles, the growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) axis and a potential mechanism for immune and anabolic system interaction, the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS), in rodents with and without sepsis.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized to laparotomy (Sham) or to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), with postoperative saline infusion (Starve), with EN or with PN for 72 hours. Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were measured by immunoassay, and hepatic expressions of cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein, SOCS-2, SOCS-3, IGF-I and the growth hormone receptor (GHR) were measured by real-time quantitative PCR.

Results

IL-6 was detectable in all groups, but was only present in all animals receiving CLP-PN. IL-10 was detectable in all but one CLP-PN rat, one CLP-EN rat, approximately 50% of the CLP-Starve rats and no sham-operated rats. Cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein mRNA was increased in the CLP-EN group compared with the Sham-EN group and the other CLP groups (P < 0.05). SOCS-2 mRNA was decreased in CLP-PN rats compared with Sham-PN rats (P = 0.07). SOCS-3 mRNA was increased with CLP compared with sham operation (P < 0.03). IGF-I mRNA (P < 0.05) and GHR mRNA (P < 0.03) were greater in the fed CLP animals and in the Sham-PN group compared with the starved rats.

Conclusion

In established sepsis, nutrition and the route of administration of nutrition influences the circulating cytokine patterns and expression of mRNA of SOCS proteins, GHR and IGF-I. The choice of the administration route of nutrition may influence cellular mechanisms that govern the response to hormones and mediators, which further influence the response to nutrients. These findings may be important in the design and analysis of clinical trials of nutritional interventions in sepsis in man.
Patient Satisfaction With Treatment of Breast Cancer: Does Surgeon Specialization Matter?
Authors: Waljee Jennifer F. , Hawley Sarah , Alderman Amy K. , Morrow Monica , Katz Steven J.
Published: July 2007

Purpose

Experience and practice setting vary greatly among surgeons who treat breast cancer patients. However, less is known about how these factors influence patient satisfaction with their care.

Patients and Methods

We surveyed all ductal carcinoma in situ patients and a 20% random sample of invasive breast cancer patients diagnosed in 2002 reported to the Detroit, MI, and Los Angeles, CA, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries. Attending surgeons were surveyed, yielding dyad information for 64.6% of patients (n = 1,539) and 69.7% of surgeons (n = 318). Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between surgeon specialization (percentage of practice devoted to breast disease) and hospital cancer program status, with four domains of patient satisfaction: (1) the surgical decision, (2) decision-making process, (3) surgeon-patient relationship, and (4) surgeon-patient communication, adjusting for patient and surgeon demographics and disease stage.

Results

In this sample, 34.5% of patients were treated by surgeons who devoted less than 30% (low volume) of their practice to breast disease, 32.5% by surgeons who devoted 30% to 60% (medium volume) of their practice to breast disease, and 33.0% by surgeons who devoted more than 60% (high volume) of their practice to breast disease. Compared to patients treated by low-volume surgeons, patients treated by higher volume surgeons were more satisfied with the decision-making process (medium volume, odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.67; high volume: OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.80) and with the surgeon-patient relationship (medium volume: OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.76; high volume: OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.08 to 3.61). Treatment setting was not associated with patient satisfaction after controlling for other factors.

Conclusion

Surgeon specialization is correlated with patient satisfaction. Examining the processes underlying these associations can inform strategies to improve breast cancer care.
Is Breast Really Best? Risk and Total Motherhood in the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign
Authors: Wolf Joan B.
Published: July 2007

From June 2004 to April 2006, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council, the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign (NBAC) warned women that not breast-feeding put babies at risk for a variety of health problems. “You'd never take risks before your baby is born. Why start after?” asked televised public service announcements over images of pregnant women logrolling and riding a mechanical bull. The NBAC, and particularly its message of fear, neglected fundamental ethical principles regarding evidence quality, message framing, and cultural sensitivity in public health campaigns. The campaign was based on research that is inconsistent, lacks strong associations, and does not account for plausible confounding variables, such as the role of parental behavior, in various health outcomes. It capitalized on public misunderstanding of risk and risk assessment by portraying infant nutrition as a matter of safety versus danger and then creating spurious analogies. It also exploited deep-seated normative assumptions about the responsibility that mothers have to protect babies and children from harm and was insufficiently attentive to the psychological, socioeconomic, and political concerns of its intended audience. Critical analysis of the NBAC suggests that future health campaigns would benefit from more diverse review panels and from a greater focus on providing accurate risk information about probabilities and trade-offs in order to enable informed decision making.
State Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment: Understanding the Political Calculus That Drives Medicaid Managed Care Reforms
Authors: Pracht Etienne E.
Published: July 2007

The objective of this article is to understand the political motivations underlying Medicaid managed care reforms by examining the determinants of enrollment of beneficiaries in managed care plans in the fifty states. To highlight the role of the model variables, including measures of the political environment, public interest, and special interests, a distinction is made between capitated and fee-for-service managed care enrollment. The results show that cost containment within the context of the Medicaid program is perceived as strongly favored by voters. Accordingly, the relative cost and tax price of providing Medicaid services are important factors in states' decision to enroll Medicaid beneficiaries in managed care plans, particularly capitated ones. The results also indicate a surprisingly significant influence by labor unions that generally oppose managed care enrollment for fears of lost jobs. The recipient population and provider groups also play an important role in shaping the Medicaid managed care landscape. The influence of variables measuring states' ability and willingness to pay and median voter preferences suggest that, within the context of Medicaid managed care enrollment, the public's interests are being served; however, the results also point toward inequities within the program and implications concerning financing arrangements between states and the federal government.
A holistic approach to the exploitation of simulation in solid investment casting
Authors: Pagratis N , Karagiannis N , Vosniakos G-C , Pantelis D , Benardos P
Published: July 2007

The ultimate aim of casting simulation is to recommend process parameter values that result in the best possible casting quality. However, commercial casting simulation is currently used as a trial-and-error tool, mostly comparing between possible scenarios with no guarantee of realism. Three techniques are presented to overcome these discrepancies for solid investment casting of jewellery as a test bed. The first technique consists in recording temperature versus time profiles by thermocouples embedded in the casting. These profiles are used as calibration reference regarding the overall heat transfer coefficient at the melt-mould interface in simulation. The second technique consists in metallographic validation of simulation findings in terms of correlating microstructure and defects of the casting with simulation results concerning temperature distribution and porosity. The third technique consists in introducing genetic algorithms as an optimization tool. A small number of simulation sample runs link process parameters of interest, such as mould temperature and melt temperature, with results characterizing casting quality, e.g. porosity. These samples are used to train a neural network, thereby creating a generalized meta-model of the process, which is directly used as the fitness function of the genetic algorithm. Combining the three techniques described above caters for realistic and practical casting process planning using commercially available casting simulation software as a tool.
Function principles for a mechatronic system design
Authors: Xu Yong , Huijun Zou
Published: July 2007

A new function-oriented theoretical basis for the development of mechatronic system design methods is presented in the paper, with a technology-independent functional description of such aspects in a mechatronic system as (a) relations and distinctions among purpose function, transformation function, and state transition; (b) structure of information processing; and (c) secondary functions. All discussions are then summarized in a set of axioms and theorems, which consequently form the basis for devising design models and methods for mechatronic systems.
Construction of three-dimensional models of mechanical products from their orthographic views using computer vision
Authors: Alshennawy A A , Gadelmawla E S , Elewa I M , Koura M M
Published: July 2007

The construction of a three-dimensional (3D) model of objects is a key element of many interesting applications such as computer graphics and computer-aided design (CAD). Although many techniques for the construction of 3D models are available, these techniques are still the focus of attention from researchers in the computer vision community. In the current paper, a low-cost vision system has been employed to construct 3D models of small mechanical products using the image-based modelling technique and the basic principles of the orthographic views. The system has been calibrated to compensate for the variations in size of the captured images resulting from the difference in dimensions of the product to be reconstructed. The 3D models are constructed from two captured images, which represent two different views of the product. The constructed 3D model can be viewed through a developed software or exported to any CAD software, such as AutoCAD, for further editing. The mathematical model of the employed 3D construction technique is presented and the verification of the proposed system is introduced.
Application of radial basis function neural networks in optimization of hard turning of AISI D2 cold-worked tool steel with a ceramic tool
Authors: Basak S , Dixit U S , Davim J P
Published: July 2007

In this work, the optimization of a finish hard turning process for the machining of D2 steel with ceramic tools is carried out. With the help of replicate experimental data at 27 different cutting conditions, radial basis function neural network models are fitted for predicting the surface roughness and tool wear as functions of cutting speed, feed, and machining time. A novel method for neural network training is proposed. The trained neural network models are used as a black box in the optimization routine. Two types of optimization goal are considered in this work: minimization of production time and minimization of the cost of machining. One novel feature of this work is that the surface roughness is considered in the tool life instead of as a constraint. This is possible owing to the availability of the relationship of surface roughness with time in the neural network model. The results of optimization will be dependent on the tool change time and the ratio of operating cost to tool change cost. The results have been presented for the possible ranges of these parameters. This will help to choose the appropriate process parameters for different situations, and a sensitivity analysis can be easily carried out.
Discrete element model: A helpful tool for abrasion process study
Authors: Iordanoff I , Charles J L , Berthier Y
Published: July 2007

The abrasion process can be seen, from a tribological point of view, as a particular controlled wear process. A discrete element model has been used recently for a fundamental description of wear on the basis of mass conservation. After a brief description of the basis of wear description, the abrasion process is described and its particularities outlined. The discrete element model is then adapted for an initial simplified description of the abrasion process. Promising results are presented that outline how controlling the third body (the medium at the interface of two bodies in contact, which are known as the first bodies) can have a dramatic influence on the result of the abrasion process. Subsurface damage (SSD) of the first-body layer (the first-body skin) is focused upon. Finally, the development of a numerical tool adapted for abrasion process investigation is described.
Evaluating the use of functionally graded materials inserts produced by selective laser melting on the injection moulding of plastics parts
Authors: Beal V E , Erasenthiran P , Ahrens C H , Dickens P
Published: July 2007

The demand for productivity and shape complexity on the injection moulding industry necessitates new research to improve tool design, material, and manufacturing. A research field is the development of functionally graded materials (FGMs) to build injection moulds. For example, moulds built with the FGMs technique can have distinctive regions with higher heat conduction. Higher rates of heat transfers from thicker regions of the injected part can be useful to produce better and cheaper injection moulded polymer parts. It is possible to obtain moulds with differential conductivity by adding locally, during the fabrication of the mould, copper to the mould base material such as tool steel. In this work, an investigation into the effect of FGM copper (Cu)-tool steel mould insert over polymer injected parts is presented. The work is divided in two parts: a numerical thermal analysis comparison between Cu-tool steel graded and tool steel inserts and an injection moulding experiment with comparisons between mould surface temperature and degree of crystallinity of polypropylene parts. The numerical model was used to compare different behaviour of the mould heat transfer according to the mould insert material. Thereafter, a bolster was built to hold FGMs and tool steel inserts obtained by a selective laser fusion process. Polypropylene was injected over the inserts to compare with the numeric results. To observe the effect of the cooling rate in the polypropylene parts using the graded inserts, the degree of crystallinity of the parts was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test. The temperature of the mould was also evaluated during the injection cycles. The results showed that the graded Cu-tool steel inserts tested had lower capacity to store heat energy. As Cu was added to the tool steel, the mixture proved to transfer heat more efficiently but it had less capacity to absorb heat.
Surface integrity of ultra-precision diamond turned Ti (commercially pure) and Ti alloy (Ti-6Al-4V)
Authors: Colafemina J P , Jasinevicius R G , Duduch J G
Published: July 2007

The machinability of titanium and its alloys is generally considered as poor owing to characteristics such as low thermal conductivity, high strength at high temperatures, and low Young's modulus. In order to determine the behaviour of Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy, several samples were face diamond turned on an ultra-precision lathe (10 nm resolution). A mist of cutting fluid was used. The characterization techniques used were: scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and contact and non-contact profilometry. The surface damage observed owing to interaction between tool and workpiece was associated with a phenomenon known as ‘delamination’. The smallest values of roughness were 590 nm Rt for Ti and 416nm Rt for Ti-6Al-4V under the same conditions. The results showed that the ultra-precision diamond turning is a viable option for the finish of Ti and Ti-6Al-4V.
An optimal design approach for a cellular manufacturing system
Authors: Giri R , Srinivas J , Mouli K V V C
Published: July 2007

The current paper proposes an optimum clustering approach for automatic generation of machine cells and part families. The design of a cellular manufacturing system begins with a specified ‘part-machine incidence’ matrix, showing the machine sequence and volume of production. The arrangement of machines in the cells is addressed in the present paper by finding an optimal machine sequence, which maximizes the overall flow of components between the machines. An optimal number of cells is arrived heuristically by accounting the total intercell movements using the obtained machine sequence. The methodology is illustrated with examples.
Olefin Polymerization Catalyst Derived by Activation of a Neutral Monoalkyl Titanium Complex with an Aminopyrrole Ligand Using Triisobutylaluminum and Trityl Borate
Authors: Yasumoto Takahiro , Yamagata Tsuneaki , Mashima Kazushi
Published: July 2007

A neutral monocyclopentadienyl titanium monobenzyl complex 3a bearing an aminopyrrole ligand can be activated by treating with Al(iBu)3 and [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] to became a catalyst for olefin polymerization via the methine proton abstraction of Al(iBu)3 by [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4].
Thermal-swing Extraction of Cadmium(II) by Thermosensitive Polymer Gel Crosslinked with Encapsulating Hexadentate Ligand
Authors: Takeshita Kenji , Ishida Keigo , Nakano Yoshio , Matsumura Tatsuro
Published: July 2007

Thermal-swing extraction of CdII with a thermosensitive gel, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPA) crosslinked with an encapsulating ligand, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(4-propenyloxy-2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPPEN), was examined. CdII was extracted in the gel swollen at 5 °C and released from the gel shrunken at 40 °C. The difference in the distribution ratios of CdII between these temperatures was more than 30 times.
Quantitative Measurements of Brønsted Acidity of Zeolites by Ammonia IRMS–TPD Method and Density Functional Calculation
Authors: Suzuki Katsuki , Sastre German , Katada Naonobu , Niwa Miki
Published: July 2007

Adsorption energy of ammonia (Eads) on the Brønsted acid center of several zeolites was calculated by an embedded 8T cluster calculation based on the density functional theory. The Eads’s were in good agreement with the ΔU obtained by an ammonia IRMS–TPD method.
Fabrication of Submillimeter-sized Gold Plates from Thermal Decomposition of HAuCl4 in Two-component Ionic Liquids
Authors: Kawasaki Hideya , Yonezawa Tetsu , Nishimura Kouhei , Arakawa Ryuichi
Published: July 2007

We first report the fabrication of submillimeter-sized Au plates (up to about 1 mm in size) through the simple thermal decomposition of HAuCl4 in two-component ionic liquids of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (C4ImPF6) and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (C8ImPF6), which were about ten times larger sizes than those from the single-component ionic liquid of the either.
Synthesis and the Phase Behavior of Liquid-crystalline Fumarates Bearing Tolane-based Mesogens
Authors: Noguchi Hiroshi , Michinobu Tsuyoshi , Shigehara Kiyotaka
Published: July 2007

A new synthetic route to fumarates bearing tolane-based mesogens was developed without using acidic conditions. Effect of the tolane end group as well as alkyl chain spacer length on the liquid-crystal phases and the temperature range was comprehensively investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis.
Control of Phase-transition Behavior and Polymerization Capability by Methyl Addition to Dialkyl Fumarates Bearing Cyanobiphenyl Mesogens
Authors: Fujii Nozomu , Michinobu Tsuyoshi , Shigehara Kiyotaka
Published: July 2007

Addition of methyl groups to dialkyl fumarates bearing two cyanobiphenyl mesogens dramatically changed the phase-transition behavior and polymerization capability. No mesophase appeared and radical polymerization did not proceed in the absence of the branched methyl groups, whereas well-defined liquid-crystal phases were observed in the ambient temperature range and high molecular weight polymers were obtained in the presence of the branched methyl groups. An increase in the number of the attached methyl groups decreases the liquid crystalline temperature width as well as the molecular weight of the resulting polymers.
Phase Transfer of Fluoride Ion by Phosphonioborins
Authors: Agou Tomohiro , Kobayashi Junji , Kim Youngmin , Gabbaï François P , Kawashima Takayuki
Published: July 2007

Two cationic triarylboranes based on phosphonioborin frameworks have been investigated. Electron-withdrawing phosphonio groups enhanced the Lewis acidity of these boranes which capture fluoride ion in aqueous media and transport it into organic phase.
Using a Software Tool for Public Decision Analysis: The Case of Nacka Municipality
Authors: Danielson Mats , Ekenberg Love , Idefeldt Jim , Larsson Aron
Published: July 2007

This paper presents a case of interval decision analysis using a tool that takes advantage of interval probabilities, values, and criteria weights and is capable of handling comparative relations, i.e., interval statements on differences between variables. These statements are represented as constraints to the solution set and evaluated using a number of different evaluation methods, each serving the decision maker with different insights of the decision problem. We demonstrate the applicability of the tool in a case study of three public infrastructure decision problems that had remained unresolved for a number of years.
The Parimutuel Kelly Probability Scoring Rule
Authors: Johnstone David J.
Published: July 2007

Kilgour and Gerchak (Kilgour, D. M., Y. Gerchak. 2004. Elicitation of probabilities using competitive scoring rules. Decision Anal. 2 108–113) introduce a competitive probability scoring rule designed to reward forecasters for their accuracy relative to rival forecasters. The rule proposed is both proper (in the usual sense of scoring rules) and self-financing in that forecasters share a preset reward pool that can be fixed at net zero. This paper elaborates on the Kilgour-Gerchak forecasting competition by demonstrating its possible analogy with forecasters making “Kelly bets” in an exogenous fixed-odds betting market. The construction of forecasters as Kelly (log utility) bettors leads to a modification of the Kilgour-Gerchak rule, called the parimutuel Kelly competitive scoring rule. Unlike the Kilgour-Gerchak score, the parimutuel Kelly score is not proper. Its appeal, however, is that it emulates a prediction market formed within a cohort of forecasters, as if they engage in a closed betting tournament where each attempts to accumulate maximum possible wealth over the long run and ruin all others. Within such a competition, near honesty is a Nash equilibrium forecasting strategy under realistic conditions.
‘Venus versus Mars’: An Attitudinal Comparison Made at the Start of South African Police Service Basic Training
Authors: Steyn Jean
Published: July 2007

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, demands a fundamental reassessment and transformation of the nature and style of policing in South Africa. Based on a representative sample ( N=1453) of newcomers in the South African Police Service, this article compares the presence of police culture thematic attitudes of male and female newcomers upon their arrival for basic training. The results indicate that female newcomers arrive for training with stronger attitudes in support of police culture solidarity, isolation and cynicism compared with their male counterparts who militate against the effective adoption of a community policing philosophy in South Africa.
Implementation and Evaluation of Brief Cognitive–Behavioural Therapy in a Mental Health Acute Assessment and Treatment Service
Authors: Green Heather J. , Frank Rowena M. , Butwell Andrew , Beck Oswald J.
Published: July 2007

This pilot study evaluated the addition of 1 to 6 sessions of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients of a mental health acute assessment and treatment team. A pre-post design for 12 months of consecutive referrals used the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HONOS), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS), and patient satisfaction. Forty-two patients who attended CBT were compared with 19 patients who were referred but did not attend therapy due to refusal, referral to another service, or loss to follow-up. With a mean of 3.2 sessions, HONOS scores improved by a mean of 1.02 SD in patients who attended CBT and 0.72 SD in nonattenders. DASS results showed a mean reduction of 0.55 SD in symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in those who attended. Patients' overall satisfaction averaged 4.7/5. Results showed brief CBT was feasible in this setting, with high patient satisfaction and some evidence of improved patient outcomes compared with usual care.
The Transtheoretical Model and Study Skills
Authors: Grant Anthony M. , Franklin John
Published: July 2007

There is empirical support for the transtheoretical model (TTM) of change within the health and psychopathology-related areas, but relatively little research into its applicability in relation to academic settings. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the TTM is applicable to the adoption of improved study skills. Participants were 148 first-year university students. A 2-factor (pros and cons) study-related decisional balance measure was developed and participants completed questionaries assessing their readiness to change, self-efficacy, study strategies and decisional balance. Decisional balance pros and cons were as predicted by the TTM. Cons were higher than pros in precontemplation and pros were higher than cons in maintenance. Self-efficacy increased from contemplation through to maintenance, and students in action and maintenance showed an increase in the use of deep achieving study strategies and a decrease in the use of surface strategies. The data provides initial support for the applicability of the TTM to academic performance enhancement. The TTM may be a useful psycho-educational tool that can facilitate the adoption of improved study strategies through coaching.
Book Reviews
Authors: SPITULNIK DEBRA
Published: July 2007

Dramas of Nationhood: The Politics of Television in Egypt. Lila Abu‐Lughod. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. xvii + 319 pp., photographs, appendix, notes, references, index.
Book Reviews
Authors: WILLARD WILLIAM
Published: July 2007

We Know Who We Are: Metis Identity in a Montana Communify. Martha Harroun Foster. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006. ix + 291 pp., maps, photographs, tables, diagrams, notes, bibliography, index.
Book Reviews
Authors: BOWIE FIONA
Published: July 2007

The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters between Maasai and Missionaries. Dorothy L. Hodgson. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005. xvii + 307 pp., maps, photographs, references, index.
Book Reviews
Authors: DI GIACOMO SUSAN M.
Published: July 2007

The Best of All Possible Islands: Seville's Universal Exposition, the New Spain and the New Europe. Richard Maddox. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2004. x + 382 pp., maps, notes, references, index.
Book Reviews
Authors: HERTZLER DOUGLAS
Published: July 2007

Voices from the Global Margin: Confronting Poverty and Inventing New Lives in the Andes. William P. MitchelL. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006. xi + 268 pp., photographs, notes, glossary, bibliography, index.
All‐male sonic gatherings, Islamic reform, and masculinity in northern Pakistan
Authors: MARSDEN MAGNUS
Published: July 2007

In this article, I explore the complex opportunities afforded by high‐intensity performative events for the instantiation of diverse forms of sociality and masculinity in the mountainous Chitral region of Pakistan's North‐West Frontier Province. I focus ethnographically on two types of all‐male musical gatherings that are regularly attended by Chitrali Muslims: the istók and the mahfil. The “permissibility” of these types of entertainment, according to Islamic authoritative teachings, is a source of considerable debate in the region: Many Chitrali “men of piety,” who are mostly trained in Pakistani madrassas and are often affiliated with so‐called Islamist political parties, deliver mosque addresses during which they pronounce such gatherings “impermissible” within Islam. Analysis of the role played by these all‐male sonic gatherings in the instantiation of locally contested forms of masculinity furnishes unique insights into the much‐debated issue of how Muslims handle and respond to pressures to Islamize. More broadly, I aim to contribute to wider anthropological debates concerning the constitution and significance to everyday life of local theories of aesthetics, emotion, and ethical action.
The birth of nanke (men's medicine) in China: The making of the subject of desire
Authors: ZHANG EVERETT YUEHONG
Published: July 2007

Why have hospital visits by impotence patients increased and visits by yijing (spermatorrhea) patients decreased in China since the 1980s? A change in moral symptomatology explains these diverging trends: Yijing, as a symptom under Maoist socialism, reflected a moral code of hostility toward individual desire, whereas impotence, as a symptom in post‐Mao China, reflects the justification of individual desire. This contrast reveals a shift in the basis of subject making from enforcing collective unity to promoting individual desire. The recent emergence in China of nanke (men's medicine), which treats impotence and other complaints, signals a new moral code that produces desire‐centered subjectivity.
SARS, a shipwreck, a NATO attack, and September 11, 2001: Global information flows and Chinese responses to tragic news events
Authors: FONG VANESSA L.
Published: July 2007

In this article, I examine how Chinese citizens in China and abroad used discourses of Chinese backwardness to make sense of tragic news events while simultaneously trying to avoid becoming identified with that backwardness. I focus on various interpretations of NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999; the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; the sinking of a Chinese ferry in 1999; and the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic to explore how Chinese citizens negotiated between their own ambivalent loyalties and the contradictory official, unofficial, local, national, and international narratives in which these events were embedded. These negotiations suggest that global information flows are creating a transnational panopticon that increasingly enables neoliberal governmentality to operate on transnational levels.
Toward vernacular democracy: Moral society and post‐postcolonial transformation in rural Orissa, India
Authors: TANABE AKIO
Published: July 2007

In this article, I consider intercaste negotiations in defining ethically desirable sociopolitical relationships in contemporary Orissa, India. Democratization following local self‐government reforms led to the inclusion of hitherto marginalized voices in local political dialogue. Particularly notable is subalterns' employment of egalitarian sacrificial ethics to reinterpret the ontology of caste as founded on participation and cooperation of equal parts rather than on the colonially traditionalized hegemonic values of hierarchy and domination. This may be seen as an attempt to establish a vernacular democracy that mediates embodied sociopolitical morality and the idea and institution of equal participation.
Rosiglitazone sensitizes MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to anti-tumour effects of tumour necrosis factor-α, CH11 and CYC202
Authors: Mody Manali , Dharker Nachiket , Bloomston Mark , Wang Pei-Shan , Chou Fu-Sheng , Glickman Theodore S , McCaffrey Timothy , Yang Zhaoqing , Pumfery Anne , Lee Daniel , Ringel Matthew D , Pinzone Joseph J
Published: July 2007

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is a member of the nuclear hormone superfamily and has multiple endogenous and pharmacological ligands, including 15-deoxy-Δ 12,14-prostaglandin J2 and two thiazolidinediones (TZD), rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, which are used clinically to treat type-2 diabetes mellitus. PPARγ agonists regulate development, cellular growth and metabolism in various tissues and have been documented to decrease cellular proliferation and to induce apoptosis of various tumour phenotypes, including breast cancer. However, the full spectrum of anti-tumour effects occurs only at suprapharmacological doses. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of rosiglitazone-induced anti-tumour effects of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, and used that information to predict rosiglitazone-induced sensitization of breast cancer cells to the effects of other compounds. We first confirmed that 100 μM rosiglitazone, but not lower doses, decreases MDA-MB-231 cell viability in vitro. We then used microarray gene expression analysis to determine early rosiglitazone-induced gene expression changes after 4-h exposure, which included 1298 genes that we grouped into functional categories. We selectively confirmed rosiglitazone-mediated effects on expression of key regulators of breast cancer proliferation and apoptosis, including p53, p21 and Bax. Finally, we used this information to predict that rosiglitazone would sensitize MDA-MB-231 cells to the anti-tumour effects of CH11, which trimerizes Fas, as well as tumour necrosis factor-α. Moreover, we used the confirmed array data to predict cooperative activity of rosiglitazone and R-roscovitine (CYC202), an inhibitor of multiple cyclin-dependent kinases. We conclude that microarray analysis can determine early TZD-modulated changes in gene expression that help to predict effective in vitro drug combinations.