bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Col2a1 lineage tracing reveals that the meniscus of the knee joint has a complex cellular origin
Authors: Hyde Gareth , Boot‐Handford Raymond P. , Wallis Gillian A.
Published: October 2008

The knee joint consists of multiple interacting tissues that are prone to injury‐ and disease‐related degeneration. Although much is known about the structure and function of the knee's constituent tissues, relatively little is known about their cellular origin and the mechanisms governing their segregation. To investigate the origin and segregation of knee tissues in vivo we performed lineage tracing using a Col2a1‐Cre/R26R mouse model system and compared the data obtained with actual Col2a1 expression. These studies demonstrated that at E13.5 the interzone at the presumptive joint site forms when cells within the Col2a1‐expressing anlagen cease expression of Col2a1 and not through cellular invasion into the anlagen. Later in development these interzone cells form the cruciate ligament and inner medial meniscus of the knee. At E14.5, after interzone formation, cells that had never expressed Col2a1 appeared in the joint and formed the lateral meniscus. Furthermore, cells with a Col2a1‐positive expression history combined with the negative cells to form the medial meniscus. The invading cells started to express Col2a1 1 week after birth, resulting in all cells within the meniscus synthesizing collagen II. These findings support a model of knee development in which cells present in the original anlagen combine with invading cells in the formation of this complex joint.
Nutritional programming of disease: unravelling the mechanism
Authors: Langley‐Evans Simon C.
Published: October 2008

Nutritional programming is the process through which variation in the quality or quantity of nutrients consumed during pregnancy exerts permanent effects upon the developing fetus. Programming of fetal development is considered to be an important risk factor for non‐communicable diseases of adulthood, including coronary heart disease and other disorders related to insulin resistance. The study of programming in relation to disease processes has been advanced by development of animal models, which have utilized restriction or over‐feeding of specific nutrients in either rodents or sheep. These consistently demonstrate the biological plausibility of the nutritional programming hypothesis and, importantly, provide tools with which to examine the mechanisms through which programming may occur. Studies of animals subject to undernutritionin uterogenerally exhibit changes in the structure of key organs such as the kidney, heart and brain. These appear consistent with remodelling of development, associated with disruption of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Whilst the causal pathways which extend from this tissue remodelling to disease can be easily understood, the processes which lead to this disordered organ development are poorly defined. Even minor variation in maternal nutritional status is capable of producing important shifts in the fetal environment. It is suggested that these environmental changes are associated with altered expression of key genes, which are responsible for driving the tissue remodelling response and future disease risk. Nutrition‐related factors may drive these processes by disturbing placental function, including control of materno‐fetal endocrine exchanges, or the epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
Oxygen, the Janus gas; its effects on human placental development and function
Authors: Burton Graham J.
Published: October 2008

The accumulation of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere enabled metabolic pathways based on high‐energy electron transfers that were capable of sustaining complex multicellular organisms to evolve. This advance came at a price, however, for the high reactivity of oxygen posed a major challenge as biological molecules became susceptible to oxidative damage, resulting in potential loss of function. Many extant physiological systems are therefore adapted, and homeostatically regulated, to supply sufficient oxygen to meet energy demands whilst also protecting cells, and mitochondria in particular, from excessive concentrations that could lead to oxidative damage. The invasive form of implantation displayed by the human conceptus presents particular challenges in this respect. During the first trimester, the conceptus develops in a low oxygen environment that favours organogenesis in the embryo, and cell proliferation and angiogenesis in the placenta. Later in pregnancy, higher oxygen concentrations are required to support the rapid growth of the fetus. This transition, which appears unique to the human placenta, must be negotiated safely for a successful pregnancy. Normally, onset of the maternal placental circulation is a progressive periphery‐centre phenomenon, and is associated with extensive villous regression to form the chorion laeve. In cases of miscarriage, onset of the circulation is both precocious and disorganized, and excessive placental oxidative stress and villous regression undoubtedly contribute to loss of the pregnancy. Comparison of experimental and in vivo data indicates that fluctuations in placental oxygen concentration are a more powerful stimulus for the generation of oxidative stress than chronic hypoxia alone. Placental oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress appear to play key roles in the pathophysiology of complications of pregnancy, such as intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia, through their adverse impacts on placental function and growth. Establishing an inviolable maternal blood supply for the second and third trimesters is therefore one of the most crucial aspects of human placentation.
Geometry of the semicircular canals and extraocular muscles in rodents, lagomorphs, felids and modern humans
Authors: Cox Philip G. , Jeffery Nathan
Published: October 2008

The vestibulo‐ocular reflex (VOR) exacts compensatory movements of the extraocular muscles in response to stimulation of the semicircular canals to allow gaze fixation during head movements. In this study, the spatial relationships of these muscles and canals were investigated to assess their relative alignments in mammalian species commonly used in studies of the VOR. The head region of each specimen was scanned using magnetic resonance imaging and 28 anatomical landmarks were recorded from the images to define the six extraocular muscles and the anatomical planes of the three semicircular canals. The vector rotation of a semicircular canal that does not stimulate either of its two sister canals, referred to as the prime direction, was also calculated as an estimate of the maximal response plane. Significant misalignments were found between the extraocular muscles and the canals by which they are principally stimulated in most of the species under study. The deviations from parallel orientation were most pronounced in the human and rabbit samples. There were also significant departures from orthogonality between the semicircular canals in most species. Only the guinea pig displayed no significant difference from 90° in any of its three inter‐canal angles, although humans and rabbits deviated from orthogonality in just one semicircular canal pair – the anterior and posterior canals. The prime directions were found to deviate considerably from the anatomical canal planes (by over 20° in rats). However, these deviations were not always compensatory, i.e. prime planes were not always more closely aligned with the muscle planes. Results support the view that the vestibular frame remains relatively stable and that the spatial mismatch with the extraocular co‐ordinate frame is principally driven by realignment of the muscles as a result of changes in the position of the orbits within the skull (orbital convergence and frontation).
What is important for patient centred care? A qualitative study about the perceptions of patients with cancer
Authors: Kvåle Kirsti , Bondevik Margareth
Published: October 2008

Background:  This article deals with one of the themes from interviews in a larger qualitative study about cancer patients' perceptions of good caring. It is widely recognized today that patient centred care is important. Patients' values and perceptions must be acknowledged in order to make care evidence based and to meet the demands of quality improvement processes.

Aim:  The aim was to get insight in patients with cancers' perceptions of the importance of being respected as partners and share control of decisions about interventions and management of their health problems and the reasons behind their wishes.

Method:  Giorgio's scientific approach to phenomenology was used. Twenty cancer inpatients with various cancer diagnoses at different stages and with different prognoses were interviewed. The sampling was purposive.

Ethical issues:  Permission to carry out the research was given by a Regional Committee of Research Ethics in Western Norway and the data collection followed the guidelines of the Data Inspectorate of Norway.

Main findings:  The units of meaning identified could be clustered into three themes with significance for patient centred care from patients' perspectives: (1) empowerment (being respected, listened to, given honest information, being valued); (2) shared decision making about the treatment of the disease (discussing the treatment, but letting the doctor decide in the end); and (3) partnership in nursing care.

Conclusion:  Health care professionals can practise patient centred care by treating patients with respect, giving honest information, making them feel valued as persons and by inviting them to take part in all decisions about their daily life and care. However, cancer patients' desire to make decisions about their treatments must not be taken for granted. Doctors must find out the extent to which each patient wants to participate and then give the necessary information.
Health‐related self‐assessed quality of life in young people at a Youth Centre in Sweden
Authors: Kristjánsdóttir Jóna , Sundelin Claes , Naessen Tord
Published: October 2008

Objective:  To study the self‐reported health of young people visiting a Youth Centre (YC) at a University hospital, describe possible gender differences and to compare the results with those in previous Swedish reports on similar age groups using the same instrument.

Design:  All young people who visited a YC at a particular, randomly chosen time, were verbally asked to fill out a questionnaire, Short Form 36. The interviews were conducted during a 12‐month period to lessen the impact of seasonal variations.

Setting:  A YC at the department for obstetrics and gynaecology, Uppsala University hospital.

Participants:  A total of 1495 young people aged 14–25 years who visited the YC.

Results:  The study population (n = 1495). Response rate was 96%. This population reported lower overall scores compared with the normative Swedish population from 1992. Further, females scored significantly lower than males on all subscales (p < 0.001), except for ‘Physical Functioning’. The lowest scores were reported for the subscales Vitality, Role Emotional and Mental Health.

Conclusion:  This study describes physical functioning and mental health among young people visiting a YC. The results indicate a worsening of the perceived physical and MH in young individuals, especially in young women. Further studies are needed to monitor changes in MH and quality of life over time in this group and assess the effects of interventions. This study enhances the importance of a holistic approach towards health and health promotion comprising both physical and mental health issues.
On not wanting it to count: reading together as resistance1
Authors: Kaserman Bonnie , Wilson Matthew W
Published: October 2008

Reading groups can be spaces of resistance, both from the competitive performances of some classroom seminars and from the calculative fields of neoliberalizing departments and universities. As graduate students, we offer this intervention as a consideration of the bodily politics of academic reproductions. In discussing the embodiment of textual practices in seminar and in reading groups, we point to monologue, ‘trashing’ criticism, and obscurity as practices habituated in the classroom seminar. We discuss how reading groups contest ‘proper’ knowledges, while enabling a multiplicity of textual, bodily practices. Finally, we consider how certain reading practices potentially de‐stabilise neo‐liberal subject formation in the academy. We discuss why we do not want reading groups to count, as a strategy for resisting accounting and accountable regimes in our departments and universities.
Ethnography, space and politics: interrogating the process of protest in the Tibetan Freedom Movement
Authors: Davies Andrew D
Published: October 2008

This paper examines the ability of ethnographic research methods to effectively study spatially extensive political activity. It argues that traditional ethnographic methods of sustained engagement with spatially bounded sites are not adequately suited to dealing with contemporary spatially extensive political movements. It argues that contemporary attempts to bridge this impasse have emphasised a dichotomy between global and local that ignores the connections, disconnections and process that occur between places. The paper argues for a critical ethnography that is based on a relational understanding of space emphasising Gillian Hart's conception of the interconnected nature of the ‘site’. Taking a single demonstration against the Beijing 2008 Olympics conducted by UK‐based Tibet supporters, it examines how the site of protest was closely linked to a variety of other places. Interrogating the processes of connection and disconnection brought about through the protest creates an ethnographic account that, while partial, develops an engagement with the heterogeneity of contemporary political action.
Colorimetric study of SCOTDIC colour specifier
Authors: Roy Choudhury Asim Kumar
Published: October 2008

In this study, SCOTDIC cotton standard colours (a physical exemplification of the Munsell system) were studied extensively. L*, a*, b* values were measured and plotted to check the uniformity of the Munsell (SCOTDIC) hue, value and chroma values in a CIELAB diagram. Although for some borderline hues the hue angles were quite different than expected (around 0° or 360°), the correlation between SCOTDIC hue and CIELAB hue angle was fairly good and the correlation between SCOTDIC value and CIELAB lightness was also quite high. However, the correlation between SCOTDIC chroma and CIELAB chroma was only moderate. In the CIELAB diagram, the constant SCOTDIC hue and constant chroma loci took the shape of approximately linear radial lines starting from the origin and approximately concentric circles with the origin as their centres, respectively. However, some deviations were observed for high chroma colours and yellow hues in the respective cases. The instrumentally predicted Munsell notations were compared with the actual SCOTDIC notations. Some deviations of the SCOTDIC system from the Munsell system were observed.
Dyes from the leaves of deciduous plants with a high tannin content for wool
Authors: Raja A S M , Thilagavathi G
Published: October 2008

The aqueous leaf extracts of five different deciduous plants, namely, silver oak, flame of the forest, tanner’s senna, wattle and serviceberry, were used on their own and in combination with aluminium sulphate, stannous chloride and ferrous sulphate to dye wool by a simultaneous mordanting technique. The washing and light fastness properties of the developed shades were moderate to good. Based on the CIE 2000 spectral colour coordinate values (K/S, ΔL, Δa, Δb and ΔE), the developed shades were classified into four groups: yellow/brown, yellow, orange and dark grey. The use of aluminium sulphate gave medium shades (K/S = 8.24), while the stannous chloride and ferrous sulphate mordants provided deep shades (K/S = 30.5). Statistical analyses have shown that only the type of mordant and not the dye source significantly influenced the development of colour on wool. Hence, it was theoretically possible to use five selected leaves as a single mixture to produce four different colours on wool.
Novel hydrolysable azo disperse dyes based on N‐ester‐1,8‐naphthalimide: dyeing of polyester–cotton blends
Authors: Mokhtari Javad , Gharanjig Kamaladin , Arami Mokhtar , Mahmoodi Niyaz Mohammad
Published: October 2008

The dyeing of polyester–cotton blends with new alkali‐hydrolysable azo disperse dyes based on N‐ester‐1,8‐naphthalimide was investigated. Polyester–cotton blend fabrics were dyed using both one‐ and two‐bath methods. Dyes 3 and 4 offered lower colour yield on polyester using the one‐bath method. For the rest of the dyes, employing either the one‐ or two‐bath method resulted in a similar colour yield on polyester fabric. The results for fastness properties and colour yield of the dyeings showed that the dyes were suitable for dyeing polyester–cotton blends using the one‐bath method. The kinetic study of hydrolysis of the dyes in alkali media obeyed the pseudo first‐order reaction rate.
Enhanced model for the diffusivity of a dye molecule into human hair fibre based on molecular modelling techniques
Authors: Morel Olivier , Christie Robert M , Greaves Andrew , Morgan Keith M
Published: October 2008

The influence of molecular size and shape and the impact of ionic character on the diffusivity of dyes into human hair fibre have been investigated using advanced molecular modelling techniques. A model has been proposed consistent with current theories on the pathways followed by molecules as they penetrate into the hair fibre and inspired by apparent similarities between the mechanisms involved in hair dyeing and in enzyme and zeolite chemistry. A previously reported method has been extended to take more realistic account of the mechanism of the diffusion process in hair fibres and the motion of the hair dye molecules as they enter the fibres. Original data have been reanalysed mathematically and the interpretation of the results refined. A revised descriptor, LD, the longest dimension of the smallest cross‐section of the optimum parallelepiped enclosing the molecule, is proposed as a measure of the diffusivity of the dye into the fibre. Molecular size limit values for dye penetration are proposed varying with the charge on the hair dye molecules.
Azo dye removal by Moringa oleifera seed extract coagulation
Authors: Beltrán‐Heredia Jesús , Sánchez Martín Jesús
Published: October 2008

In this paper, the ability of Moringa oleifera seed extract–among other natural coagulants–to remove several different types of dyes has been researched. Moringa oleifera has been demonstrated to have a high removal ability for anionic dyes. This study is particularly focused on testing the removal of an azo dye such as Chicago Sky Blue 6B (CSB). It has taken out the fast kinetic of coagulant action and the high potential of this coagulant agent to treat wastewater from dyestuff. Up to 99% of CSB removal has been achieved with M. oleifera extract dosage of 150, 200 and 250 mg l−1 for 100, 160 and 200 mg l−1 of initial CSB concentration, respectively. Temperature does not affect the coagulant process and a pH level greater than 8 has a negative influence. Lower CSB percentage removal is achieved by increasing the initial dye concentration, but an optimum relationship between dye amount removed and M. oleifera extract amount has been established and it appears to be between 0.7 and 0.9, depending on the initial dye concentration and the bulk of the remaining dye concentration.
Sterile water injections as treatment for low‐back pain during labour: A review
Authors: MÅRTENSSON Lena , WALLIN Gunnar
Published: October 2008

Background:  Some women have severe low‐back pain during childbirth. It has been shown that sterile water injections reduce this pain. This method, which is easy to learn and very cheap can be a good pain relief alternative primarily in countries with limited available pain relief options.

Aims:  The aim of this article was to describe published research concerning sterile water injections for treatment of low‐back pain during labour.

Methods:  Three databases were searched from their inception until February 2008. The inclusion criteria were trials elucidating the pain relief effect of sterile water injections during childbirth. The search terms were labour, birth, obstetrics, parturient, pregnancy, pain relief, analgesia, injection, papules, blocks and sterile water. The computerised literature searches yielded 64 trials, 55 of which failed to meet our inclusion criteria. We used the Jadad Score Instrument to assess the quality of the remaining nine articles, of which six were of adequate quality.

Results:  All studies in this review had similar aims, designs and measurement instruments and they reported good pain relief particularly for low‐back pain during childbirth. In all studies the pain score reduction is approximately 60% and the effect remains up to two hours.

Conclusions:  Sterile water injections seem to be a good alternative for low‐back pain during childbirth.
Pregnancy outcomes and intimate partner violence in New Zealand
Authors: FANSLOW Janet , SILVA Martha , WHITEHEAD Anna , ROBINSON Elizabeth
Published: October 2008

Aim: This study aims to describe pregnancy outcomes for a population‐based sample of New Zealand women, and to explore the relationship between lifetime experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and two non‐birth pregnancy outcomes: spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and termination of pregnancy (abortion).

Methods: Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with a random sample of 2391 women who had ever been pregnant, aged 18–64 years old, in two regions (urban and rural). Both outcome measures were determined by asking women if they had ever had a miscarriage or an abortion. Analyses were conducted using logistic regression.

Results: Almost one in three ever‐pregnant women reported having at least one miscarriage, and at least one in ten reported terminating a pregnancy. Even controlling for potential confounders, women who had ever experienced IPV were 1.4 times more likely to report they had ever had a miscarriage compared with women who had never experienced violence (P = 0.008), and were 2.5 times more likely to report they had ever had an abortion (P < 0.0001). Ethnicity was significantly associated with experiencing a miscarriage (Asian and Pacific women were less likely compared with European/Pākehā women), and having ever had an abortion (Asian women were 3.5 times more likely compared with Pākehā women).

Conclusions: In this population‐based sample, miscarriage was relatively common, as was termination of pregnancy. IPV was significantly associated with both induced and spontaneous abortion. Healthcare settings that see women experiencing these pregnancy outcomes need to be cognisant of the link with current and historical IPV, and be able to respond to women appropriately.
Accuracy of intraoperative frozen section in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors
Authors: YARANDI Fariba , EFTEKHAR Z. , IZADI‐MOOD Narges , SHOJAEI Hadi
Published: October 2008

Background:  Ovarian neoplasms are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in women. The surgical management of ovarian neoplasms depends on their correct categorisation as benign, borderline and malignant.

Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the clinical benefits of intraoperative frozen section analysis into the surgical management policy of women referred with an adnexal mass suspicious of ovarian cancer.

Methods:  A retrospective study of 106 ovarian frozen section results was examined to determine the accuracy of frozen section diagnosis. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of frozen section were studied.

Results:  The overall accuracy to determine the status of malignancy was 93.3%. Sensitivity of the test was highest in the benign groups at 97.4% and lowest in the borderline groups at 25%. The accuracy of frozen section was 80% in serous tumours and 60% in mucinous. There were two (2.5%) false positive, three (10.7%) false negative and two overestimated diagnosis in frozen section examination. Eight malignancies (30.7%) were of metastatic origin, all of which (100%), were correctly identified on frozen section.

Conclusion:  Frozen section appears to be an accurate technique for the histopathological diagnosis of ovarian tumours. Some limitations were observed among borderline and mucinous tumours. This emphasises the great value of frozen section in the diagnosis of ovarian tumours.
Pregnant smokers are receptive to smoking cessation advice and use of nicotine replacement therapy
Authors: BEDFORD Karen , WALLACE Cate , CARROLL Therese , RISSEL Chris
Published: October 2008

Pregnant women who identified themselves as smokers were surveyed to ascertain their attitudes towards and likelihood of using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) if it were to be provided free of charge at antenatal clinics. Smokers were asked to participate in a brief anonymous survey to identify current levels of smoking, nicotine dependence, attitudes towards cessation, use of cessation aids and whether they would use free NRT if it were provided with support at antenatal clinics. The majority of women were supportive of NRT being offered to pregnant smokers (87%), and 64% reported they would be very likely to use NRT if it were offered free from the antenatal clinic. These results provide strong support for a comprehensive cessation strategy implemented in antenatal clinics.
HomeoDB: a database of homeobox gene diversity
Authors: Zhong Ying‐Fu , Butts Thomas , Holland Peter W. H.
Published: October 2008

SUMMARY
The homeobox genes are a large and diverse group of genes, many of which play important roles in the embryonic development of animals. Comparative study of homeobox genes, both within and between species, requires an evolutionary‐based classification. HomeoDB was designed and implemented as a manually curated database to collect and present homeobox genes in an evolutionarily structured way, allowing genes, gene families and gene classes to be compared between species more readily than was possible previously. In its first release, HomeoDB includes all homeobox genes from human, amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) and fruitfly (Drosophila melanogaster); additional species can be added. HomeoDB is freely accessible at http://homeodb.cbi.pku.edu.cn.
Conserved relative timing of cranial ossification patterns in early mammalian evolution
Authors: Sánchez‐Villagra Marcelo R. , Goswami Anjali , Weisbecker Vera , Mock Orin , Kuratani Shigeru
Published: October 2008

SUMMARY
We analyzed a comprehensive data set of ossification sequences including seven marsupial, 13 placental and seven sauropsid species. Data are provided for the first time for two major mammalian clades, Chiroptera and Soricidae, and for two rodent species; the published sequences of three species were improved with additional sampling. The relative timing of the onset of ossification in 17 cranial elements was recorded, resulting in 136 event pairs, which were treated as characters for each species. Half of these characters are constant across all taxa, 30% are variable but phylogenetically uninformative, and 19% potentially deliver diagnostic features for clades of two or more taxa. Using the conservative estimate of heterochronic changes provided by the program Parsimov, only a few heterochronies were found to diagnose mammals, marsupials, or placentals. A later onset of ossification of the pterygoid with respect to six other cranial bones characterizes therian mammals. This result may relate to the relatively small size of this bone in this clade. One change in relative onset of ossification is hypothesized as a potential human autapomorphy in the context of the sampling made: the earlier onset of the ossification of the periotic with respect to the lacrimal and to three basicranial bones. Using the standard error of scaled ranks across all species as a measure of each element's lability in developmental timing, we found that ossification of early, middle, and late events are similarly labile, with basicranial traits the most labile in timing of onset of ossification. Despite marsupials and placental mammals diverging at least 130 Ma, few heterochronic shifts in cranial ossification diagnose these clades.
Fate mapping in embryos of Neoceratodus forsteri reveals cranial neural crest participation in tooth development is conserved from lungfish to tetrapods
Authors: Kundrát Martin , Joss Jean M. P. , Smith Moya M.
Published: October 2008

Experimental evidence that the neural crest participates in tooth development in any osteichthyan fish has so far been lacking. Using vital dye cell‐lineage tracking, we demonstrate that trigeminal stream neural crest cells contribute to the dental papilla of developing teeth in the Australian lungfish. Trigeminal neural crest cells labeled before migration have been traced during the earliest stages of tooth development. Neural crest cells from a single midbrain locus were relocated as ectomesenchyme in all developing teeth of the lungfish regardless of their topographical position in the dentition. These cells remain at the dental papilla interface and become cells committed to dentine production. Our findings provide the first cell‐lineage evidence that cranial neural crest is fated to ectomesenchyme for tooth development and dentine production in the living sister‐group to tetrapods. This shows that cranial neural crest contribution to teeth is conserved from this node on the tetrapod phylogeny.
Global analysis of gene expression in cotton fibers from wild and domesticated Gossypium barbadense
Authors: Chaudhary Bhupendra , Hovav Ran , Rapp Ryan , Verma Neetu , Udall Joshua A. , Wendel Jonathan F.
Published: October 2008

SUMMARY
Gossypium barbadense is widely cultivated because of its extra‐long staple cotton with superior luster, silkiness and high yield. These economically important traits were selected during initial domestication of an agronomically inferior wild ancestor, followed by millennia of human‐mediated selection. To reveal the effects of this history on the cotton fiber transcriptome, we conducted comparative expression profiling on mechanically isolated fiber cells at three different stages encompassing early, mid, and late fiber elongation in wild (K101) and domesticated (Pima S‐7) accessions, using a microarray platform that interrogates 42,429 unigenes. The distribution of differentially expressed genes across developmental stages was different in the two accessions, with a shift toward greater change earlier in cultivated than in wild G. barbadense. Approximately 4200 genes were differentially expressed between wild and domesticated accessions at one or more of the stages studied. Domestication appears to have led to enhanced modulation of cellular redox levels and the avoidance or delay of stress‐like processes. Prolonged fiber growth in cultivated relative to wild G. barbadense is associated with upregulation of signal transduction and hormone signaling genes and down‐regulation of cell wall maturation genes. Clues are provided into the processes and genes that may unwittingly have been selected by humans during domestication and development of modern elite lines. Several of the transcriptomic differences between wild and domesticated G. barbadense described here appear to have parallels in a second domesticated cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum, suggesting that replicated domestication of two different species has resulted in overlapping, parallel, metabolic transformations.
Vascular regeneration and angiogenic‐like sprouting mechanism in a compound ascidian is similar to vertebrates
Authors: Gasparini Fabio , Burighel Paolo , Manni Lucia , Zaniolo Giovanna
Published: October 2008

SUMMARY
Tunicates are useful models for comparing differing developmental processes such as embryogenesis, asexual reproduction, and regeneration, because they are the closest relatives to vertebrates and are the only chordates to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Among them, the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri displays high regenerative potential of the colonial circulatory system (CCS). The CCS runs in the common tunic, forming an anastomized network of vessels defined by simple epithelia and connected to the open circulatory system of the zooids. During asexual propagation, new vessels form by means of a tubular‐sprouting mechanism, resembling that occurring in other metazoans, particularly during vertebrate angiogenesis. We studied the regeneration of experimentally ablated CCS by analyzing the general dynamics of reorganization of vessels and tunic, their ultrastructure, cell proliferation, and the immunohistology of regenerating structures using antibodies against vertebrate angiogenic factors‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and receptors: VEGFR‐1, VEGFR‐2, and EGFR. Results show that the regenerative process of CCS occurs by a sprouting mechanism, with participation of angiogenic factors. They also show correspondence between the CCS sprouting of B. schlosseri and angiogenic sprouting in vertebrates, during both normal development and regeneration, and support the idea that this morphogenetic mechanism was co‐opted during the evolution of various developmental processes in different taxa.
Radical modification of the A–P axis and the evolution of asexual reproduction in Convolutriloba acoels
Authors: Sikes James M. , Bely Alexandra E.
Published: October 2008

SUMMARY
Acoel worms in the genus Convolutriloba are remarkable in that closely related, morphologically very similar species reproduce asexually by dramatically different processes. Transverse fission, longitudinal fission, and reversed‐polarity budding all occur within this genus, indicating an unparalleled ability to alter the A–P axis. Convolutriloba thus offers an exceptional opportunity to investigate the development and evolution of asexual reproduction. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that reversed‐polarity budding is ancestral and fission is derived for the genus. A clear difference between budding and fission is indicated by the development of the nervous system, which forms de novo during budding, but regenerates largely by extensions of remaining components of the nervous system during both types of fission. Despite this and other differences between fission and budding, localized muscle disorganization coupled with behaviorally mediated tearing are characteristic of both transverse fission and reversed‐polarity budding (though not longitudinal fission), suggesting that a homologous tissue‐separation mechanism underlies these two outwardly quite different asexual reproductive modes. We suggest that the ability to split the posterior axis field into two adjacent fields, manifested during both reversed‐polarity budding and longitudinal fission, may have been a driving force behind the diversification of asexual reproductive mode in this group.
Accuracy of Impression Techniques for Impants. Part 2 – Comparison of Splinting Techniques
Authors: Filho Humberto Gennari , Mazaro José Vitor Quinelli , Vedovatto Eduardo , Assunção Wirley Gonçalves , Santos Paulo Henrique dos
Published: October 2008

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare splinting techniques for impression copings of osseointegrated implants with different angulations.

Materials and Methods: Replicas (N = 24) of a metal matrix (control) containing two implants at 90° and 65° in relation to the horizontal surface were obtained by using four impression techniques: Technique 1 (T1), direct technique with square copings without union in open trays; Technique 2 (T2), square copings splinted with dental floss and autopolymerizing acrylic resin; Technique 3 (T3),square copings splinted with dental floss and autopolymerizing acrylic resin, sectioned and splinted again with autopolymerizing acrylic resin; Technique 4 (T4), square copings splinted with prefabricated acrylic resin bar. The impression material was polyether. The replicas were individually scanned to capture the images, which were assessed in a graphic computation program. The program allowed the angulation between the bases of the replicas and the reading screws to be measured. The images of the replicas were compared with the matrix image (control), and the differences in angulations from the control image were calculated. The analysis of variance and the Tukey test for comparisons (p < 0.05) were used for statistical analysis.

Results: All groups showed significant differences in the implant angulations in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). Group T1 showed the highest difference (1.019°) followed by groups T2 (0.747°), T3 (0.516°), and T4 (0.325°), which showed the lowest angular alteration compared to the control group. There were significant differences between inclined and straight implants in all the groups, except in group T4.

Conclusions: Based on the results, the splinting of pick‐up impression copings is indicated for osseointegrated implant impressions. The square copings splinted with a prefabricated acrylic resin bar presented the best results among the pick‐up impression techniques evaluated in this study.
Metal‐Ceramic Alloys in Dentistry: A Review
Authors: Roberts Howard W. , Berzins David W. , Moore B. Keith , Charlton David G.
Published: October 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review basic information about the alloys used for fabricating metal‐ceramic restorations in dentistry. Their compositions, properties, advantages, and disadvantages are presented and compared. In addition to reviewing traditional noble‐metal and base‐metal metal‐ceramic alloys, titanium and gold composite alloys are also discussed.

Materials and Methods: A broad search of the published literature was performed using Medline to identify pertinent current articles on metal‐ceramic alloys as well as articles providing a historical background about the development of these alloys. Textbooks, the internet, and manufacturers' literature were also used to supplement this information.

Results: The review discusses traditional as well as more recently‐developed alloys and technologies used in dentistry for fabricating metal‐ceramic restorations. Clear advantages and disadvantages for these alloy types are provided and discussed as well as the role that compositional variations have on the alloys' performance. This information should enable clinicians and technicians to easily identify the important physical properties of each type and their primary clinical indications.

Conclusions: A number of alloys and metals are available for metal‐ceramic use in dentistry. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, primarily based on its specific composition. Continuing research and development are resulting in the production of new technologies and products, giving clinicians even more choices in designing and fabricating metal‐ceramic restorations.
The Danish version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale: Preliminary Validation in Cancer Pain Patients
Authors: Jacobsen Ramune , Møldrup Claus , Christrup Lona , Sjøgren Per , Hansen Ole Bo
Published: October 2008

Objective:  To examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale (DMARS‐4) adapted to measure adherence to analgesic regimen among cancer patients.

Methods:  The validated English version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale was translated into Danish following the repeated back‐translation procedure. Cancer patients for the study were recruited from specialized pain management facilities. Thirty‐three patients responded to the DMARS‐4, the Danish Barriers Questionnaire II, The Danish version of Patient Perceived Involvement in Care Scale measuring the quality of patient‐physician pain communication, and the Danish Brief Pain Inventory pain severity scale.

Results:  A factor analysis of the DMARS‐4 resulted in one factor. Mean (SD) score on the cumulative scale ranging from 4 to 20, with higher scores indicating better medication adherence, was 17.8 (0.42). The DMARS‐4 scores were related to the measures of patients' concerns about pain management and patients' pain communication. The internal consistency of the DMARS‐4 was 0.70.

Conclusions:  The DMARS‐4 seems to be a valid and reliable measure of self‐reported adherence to analgesic regimen in the context of cancer pain.
Molecular typing of HLA genes using whole genome amplified DNA
Authors: Creary Lisa E. , Girdlestone John , Zamora Jorge , Brown Juliette , Navarrete Cristina V.
Published: October 2008

BACKGROUND: The outcome of clinical transplantation and a number of disease susceptibilities show very strong associations with genetic variants within the major histocompatibility complex, particularly in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. A problem with many association studies is the lack of sufficient DNA to perform multiple genetic analyses, particularly with transplantation outcomes where donor and recipient DNA are often in short supply. This study assesses whether a multiple‐strand displacement whole genome amplification (WGA) method could generate sufficient template of high quality to perform unbiased amplification for analysis of the HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C, ‐DRB1, and ‐DQB1 genes.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A panel of DNA samples from various biological sources was subjected to WGA reaction using Φ29 DNA polymerase. The HLA genotypes were subsequently determined using standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods including sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR‐SSOP, Luminex, Luminex Corp.) and sequence‐based typing (PCR‐SBT). WGA products and original DNA samples were used to determine the sensitivity of the Luminex assay; in addition, reamplified WGA products were also genotyped.

RESULTS: The WGA templates, as well as serially amplified DNA for two successive rounds, yielded HLA genotypes fully concordant with those determined for the original DNA samples. WGA products and original DNA gave reproducible HLA‐DQB1 genotypes with 100 to 10 ng of template. Purification of the WGA products was required for successful PCR‐SBT, but not for the PCR‐SSOP method.

CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that WGA can be a reliable method for generating unlimited DNA for medium‐ or high‐resolution HLA typing using the techniques described above.
Modern China Emerged Before Its Encounter with the West
Authors: HUI WANG
Published: October 2008

In the minds of its leaders and intellectuals, China is more than just another successful emerging economy and a rising regional power. For them, what is going on today might be considered a renaissance that will bring a neo‐Confucian sensibility to a post‐American world. In this section NPQ editor Nathan Gardels reports on his recent visit to Shanghai. Wang Hui, China's leading new left intellectual and author of The Rise of Modem Chinese Thought, offers his, views on subjects ranging from modernity to Tibet.
Faith in an Interdependent World
Authors: BLAIR TONY
Published: October 2008

The resurgence of political Islam and the endurance of broad religious belief in the most modern of societies—America—has created a crisis of faith among secularists. If modernity no longer implies a secular outlook, and secularism, by definition, cannot generate any values beyond an indifferent tolerance of all belief, what role will religion play in the 21st century?

In an interesting confluence of reflection, Jürgen Habermas, one of Europe's leading secular liberal thinkers, argues that secular citizens must be open to religious influence, especially since the very identity of Western culture is rooted in Judeo‐Christian values. In his political afterlife, Tony Blair has converted to Catholicism and established a Faith Foundation to press for religious literacy because “you can't understand the modern world unless you understand the importance of religious faith.”

Similarly, when Pope Benedict XVI visited secular France in September, President Nicholas Sarkozy scandalized the lay establishment by saying, like Habermas, that “rejecting a dialogue with religion would be a cultural and intellectual error.” He called for “a positive secularism that debates, respects and includes, not a secularism that rejects.”

Despite the flurry of controversy over a recent spate of books extolling the virtues of atheism in the wake of Islamist terrorism, the more interesting issue by far is the emergence of post‐secular modernity.
Saving Globalization From the Republicans
Authors: REICH ROBERT
Published: October 2008

Globalization may not be coming apart at the seams—yet—but the seams are ever more apparent. Rising fuel prices challenge a model of global transportation based on cheap energy, reinforcing the possibility of decoupling through great regionaliza‐tion of trade. Already, 50 percent of trade among ASEAN plus China and Japan is among each other.

The Wall Street meltdown has spread a lack of confidence in the American financial system and the model of deregulation which stimulated rapid globalization of capital flows.

Along with other developments, all this raises the question of whether the United States is prepared to operate successfully in a world it no longer dominates.

An anti‐globalization leader, a former US labor secretary, a top American intellectual and a Nobel laureate address these issues.
Is America Ready for a Post‐American World?
Authors: FUKUYAMA FRANCIS
Published: October 2008

Globalization may not be coming apart at the seams—yet—but the seams are ever more apparent. Rising fuel prices challenge a model of global transportation based on cheap energy, reinforcing the possibility of decoupling through great regionaliza‐tion of trade. Already, 50 percent of trade among ASEAN plus China and Japan is among each other.

The Wall Street meltdown has spread a lack of confidence in the American financial system and the model of deregulation which stimulated rapid globalization of capital flows.

Along with other developments, all this raises the question of whether the United States is prepared to operate successfully in a world it no longer dominates.

An anti‐globalization leader, a former US labor secretary, a top American intellectual and a Nobel laureate address these issues.
The Fall of Wall Street
Authors: STIGLITZ JOSEPH
Published: October 2008

Globalization may not be coming apart at the seams—yet—but the seams are ever more apparent. Rising fuel prices challenge a model of global transportation based on cheap energy, reinforcing the possibility of decoupling through great regionaliza‐tion of trade. Already, 50 percent of trade among ASEAN plus China and Japan is among each other.

The Wall Street meltdown has spread a lack of confidence in the American financial system and the model of deregulation which stimulated rapid globalization of capital flows.

Along with other developments, all this raises the question of whether the United States is prepared to operate successfully in a world it no longer dominates.

An anti‐globalization leader, a former US labor secretary, a top American intellectual and a Nobel laureate address these issues.