bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproduction Rates After Cancer Treatment: Experience From the Norwegian Radium Hospital
Authors: Cvancarova Milada , Samuelsen Sven Ove , Magelssen Henriette , Fosså Sophie Dorothea
Published: December 2008

Purpose

Most studies on postcancer reproduction are limited in patient numbers and lack of control group. We have computed 10-year first postdiagnosis cumulative reproduction rates (10-PDRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) avoiding these limitations.

Patients and Methods

Six thousand seventy-one patients with cancer age 15 to 45 years at diagnosis, treated from 1971 to 1997, and 30,355 controls from the general population, all born after 1950, were observed from the true (patients) or assigned (controls) date of diagnosis for a median of 10 years (range, 0 to 35). The primary focus of the study was the 10-PDR before and after 1988+ based on data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Cox proportional hazards regression models were adjusted for age and calendar year at diagnosis, stratified by sex and prediagnosis parenthood.

Results

Across all cancer types, HRs of females were approximately 50% lower than those of the controls, the comparable percentage for male patients being approximately 30%, with some improvement after 1988+ for selected diagnoses. The highest 10-PDRs were observed in childless patients, with more favorable HRs in male than in female patients. In survivors with at least one child at diagnosis, the post-1988+ HRs improved significantly in patients with testicular and localized cervical cancer compared to pre-1988+ reproduction, with borderline improvement in localized ovarian cancer.

Conclusion

Postcancer reproduction is lower than that of the general population and influenced by sex, age at diagnosis, prediagnosis parenthood, and diagnostic period with more favorable rates in males than in females. Post-1988+ fertility-saving strategies may have improved the reproduction rates for select genital cancers.
Improvement of Overall Survival in Advanced Stage Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Herrmann Annina , Hoster Eva , Zwingers Thomas , Brittinger Günter , Engelhard Marianne , Meusers Peter , Reiser Marcel , Forstpointner Roswitha , Metzner Bernd , Peter Norma , Wörmann Bernhard , Trümper Lorenz , Pfreundschuh Michael , Einsele Hermann , Hiddemann Wolfgang , Unterhalt Michael , Dreyling Martin
Published: December 2008

Purpose

Mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs) represent a clinically aggressive lymphoma subtype with a poor prognosis. To explore a potential progress in outcome a historical comparison was performed using data from the Kiel Lymphoma Study Group (KLSG; 1975 to 1986) and the German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG; 1996 to 2004).

Patients and Methods

All patients with the histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced-stage nonblastoid MCL were eligible. To minimize the potential heterogeneity of different risk profiles frequency matching was pursued. In addition, we adjusted for potential confounding variables by multiple Cox regression.

Results

A total of 520 patients were assessable, 150 from KLSG and 370 from GLSG studies. The median overall survival was 2.7 years for KLSG patients as compared with 4.8 years for GLSG patients (P < .0001). The 5-year survival rates were 22% in the KLSG group (95% CI, 13% to 31%) as compared with 47% for GLSG treated patients (95% CI, 38% to 55%). The hazard ratio adjusted for performance status, lactate dehydrogenase, and age was 0.44 for GLSG patients (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.59).

Conclusion

Median overall survival of patients with advanced nonblastoid MCL almost doubled during the past 30 years. Potential reasons for this apparent improvement in overall survival include the application of anthracycline-containing regimens and new approaches, such as antilymphoma antibodies or stem cell transplantation. Advances in general supportive care, new diagnostic tools, and general improvement of life span might have also reinforced this effect. However, our results are questioning the validity of historical comparisons which had been frequently applied in previous trials.
Phase III Study of Immediate Compared With Delayed Docetaxel After Front-Line Therapy With Gemcitabine Plus Carboplatin in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Fidias Panos M. , Dakhil Shaker R. , Lyss Alan P. , Loesch David M. , Waterhouse David M. , Bromund Jane L. , Chen Ruqin , Hristova-Kazmierski Maria , Treat Joseph , Obasaju Coleman K. , Marciniak Martin , Gill John , Schiller Joan H.
Published: December 2008

Purpose

Gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GC) is active as front-line treatment for advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For patients without progression, timing of second-line chemotherapy for optimum clinical benefit remains uncertain. This phase III, randomized trial assessed the efficacy and safety of docetaxel administered either immediately after GC or at disease progression.

Patients and Methods

The chemotherapy-naïve patients enrolled had either stage IIIB NSCLC with pleural effusion or stage IV NSCLC. Gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2) was administered on days 1 and 8 followed by carboplatin (area under the curve = 5) on day 1. After four 21-day cycles, patients who did not have progression were randomly assigned either to an immediate docetaxel group (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on day 1 every 21 days, with maximum of six cycles) or to a delayed docetaxel group. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) measured from random assignment. Additional analyses included tumor response, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), and quality of life (QOL).

Results

Enrollment totaled 566 patients; 398 patients completed GC; 309 patients were randomly assigned equally to the two docetaxel treatment groups. Toxicity profiles were generally comparable for the docetaxel groups. Median PFS for immediate docetaxel (5.7 months) was significantly greater (P = .0001) than for delayed docetaxel (2.7 months). Median OS for immediate docetaxel (12.3 months) was greater than for delayed docetaxel (9.7 months), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = .0853). QOL results were not statistically different (P = .76) between docetaxel groups.

Conclusion

We observed a statistically significant improvement in PFS and a nonstatistically significant increase in OS when docetaxel was administered immediately after front-line GC, without increasing toxicity or decreasing QOL.
Lymphovascular Invasion Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Node-Negative Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Kikuchi Eiji , Margulis Vitaly , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Roscigno Marco , Mikami Shuji , Lotan Yair , Remzi Mesut , Bolenz Christian , Langner Cord , Weizer Alon , Montorsi Francesco , Bensalah Karim , Koppie Theresa M. , Fernández Mario I. , Raman Jay D. , Kassouf Wassim , Wood Christopher G. , Suardi Nazareno , Oya Mototsugu , Shariat Shahrokh F.
Published: December 2008

Purpose

To assess the association of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) with cancer recurrence and survival in a large international series of patients treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Patients and Methods

Data were collected on 1,453 patients treated with RNU at 13 academic centers and combined into a relational database. Pathologic slides were rereviewed by genitourinary pathologists according to strict criteria. LVI was defined as presence of tumor cells within an endothelium-lined space.

Results

LVI was observed in 349 patients (24%). Proportion of LVI increased with advancing tumor stage, high tumor grade, presence of tumor necrosis, sessile tumor architecture, and presence of lymph node metastasis (all P < .001). LVI was an independent predictor of disease recurrence and survival (P < .001 for both). Addition of LVI to the base model (comprising pathologic stage, grade, and lymph node status) marginally improved its predictive accuracy for both disease recurrence and survival (1.1%, P = .03; and 1.7%, P < .001, respectively). In patients with negative lymph nodes and those in whom a lymphadenectomy was not performed (n = 1,313), addition of LVI to the base model improved the predictive accuracy of the base model for both disease recurrence and survival by 3% (P < .001 for both). In contrast, LVI was not associated with disease recurrence or survival in node-positive patients (n = 140).

Conclusion

LVI was an independent predictor of clinical outcomes in nonmetastatic patients who underwent RNU for UTUC. Assessment of LVI may help identify patients who could benefit from multimodal therapy after RNU. After confirmation, LVI should be included in staging of UTUC.
Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Lymphoma Patients With Prior Resolved Hepatitis B Undergoing Anticancer Therapy With or Without Rituximab
Authors: Yeo Winnie , Chan Tung C. , Leung Nancy W.Y. , Lam Wai Y. , Mo Frankie K.F. , Chu Miu Ting , Chan Henry L.Y. , Hui Edwin P. , Lei Kenny I.K. , Mok Tony S.K. , Chan Paul K.S.
Published: December 2008

Purpose

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a well-recognized complication in cancer patients with chronic HBV (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positive) undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy. In patients who have resolved HBV (HBsAg negative and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen [anti-HBc] ± antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen [anti-HBs] positive), such incidence has been much less common until recent use of rituximab. In this study on HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc–positive lymphoma patients, the objectives were to determine the HBV reactivation rate in patients treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy and to compare it with the rate in patients treated without rituximab.

Patients and Methods

Between January 2003 and December 2006, all patients diagnosed with CD20+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) had HBsAg determined before anticancer therapy. They were treated with either cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) alone or rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP). HBsAg-negative patients had anti-HBc determined; serum was stored for anti-HBs and HBV DNA. All patients were observed for HBV reactivation, which was defined as detectable HBV DNA with ALT elevation during and for 6 months after anticancer therapy.

Results

Among 104 CD20+ DLBCL patients, 80 were HBsAg negative. Of the latter, 46 patients (44.2%) were HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive; 25 of these patients were treated with CHOP, and none had HBV reactivation. In contrast, among the 21 patients treated with R-CHOP, five developed HBV reactivation, including one patient who died of hepatic failure (P = .0148). Exploratory analysis identified male sex, absence of anti-HBs, and use of rituximab to be predictive of HBV reactivation.

Conclusion

Among HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc–positive DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP, 25% developed HBV reactivation. Close monitoring until at least 6 months after anticancer therapy is required, with an alternative approach of prophylactic antiviral therapy to prevent this potentially fatal condition.
Influence of flexibility on the aerodynamic performance of a hovering wing
Authors: Vanella Marcos , Fitzgerald Timothy , Preidikman Sergio , Balaras Elias , Balachandran Balakumar
Published: December 2008

In the present study, a computational investigation was carried out to understand the influence of flexibility on the aerodynamic performance of a hovering wing. A flexible, two-dimensional, two-link model moving within a viscous fluid was considered. The Navier–Stokes equations governing the fluid dynamics were solved together with the equations governing the structural dynamics by using a strongly coupled fluid–structure interaction scheme. Harmonic kinematics was used to prescribe the motions of one of the links, thus effectively reducing the wing to a single degree-of-freedom oscillator. The wing's flexibility was characterized by the ratio of the flapping frequency to the natural frequency of the structure. Apart from the rigid case, different values of this frequency ratio (only in the range of 1/2 to 1/6) were considered at the Reynolds numbers of 75, 250 and 1000. It was found that flexibility can enhance aerodynamic performance and that the best performance is realized when the wing is excited by a non-linear resonance at 1/3 of the natural frequency. Specifically, at Reynolds numbers of 75, 250 and 1000, the aerodynamic performance that is characterized by the ratio of lift coefficient to drag coefficient is respectively increased by 28%, 23% and 21% when compared with the corresponding ratios of a rigid wing driven with the same kinematics. For all Reynolds numbers, the lift generated per unit driving power is also enhanced in a similar manner. The wake capture mechanism is enhanced, due to a stronger flow around the wing at stroke reversal, resulting from a stronger end of stroke vortex at the trailing edge. The present study provides some clues about how flexibility affects the aerodynamic performance in low Reynolds number flapping flight. In addition, it points to the importance of considering non-linear resonances for enhancing aerodynamic performance.
Mechanics and energetics of incline walking with robotic ankle exoskeletons
Authors: Sawicki Gregory S. , Ferris Daniel P.
Published: December 2008

We examined healthy human subjects wearing robotic ankle exoskeletons to study the metabolic cost of ankle muscle–tendon work during uphill walking. The exoskeletons were powered by artificial pneumatic muscles and controlled by the user's soleus electromyography. We hypothesized that as the demand for net positive external mechanical work increased with surface gradient, the positive work delivered by ankle exoskeletons would produce greater reductions in users' metabolic cost. Nine human subjects walked at 1.25 m s–1 on gradients of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15%. We compared rates of O2 consumption and CO2 production, exoskeleton mechanics, joint kinematics, and surface electromyography between unpowered and powered exoskeleton conditions. On steeper inclines, ankle exoskeletons delivered more average positive mechanical power (P<0.0001;+0.37±0.03 W kg–1 at 15% grade and +0.23±0.02 W kg–1 at 0% grade) and reduced subjects' net metabolic power by more (P<0.0001; –0.98±0.12 W kg–1at 15% grade and –0.45±0.07 W kg–1 at 0% grade). Soleus muscle activity was reduced by 16–25% when wearing powered exoskeletons on all surface gradients (P<0.0008). The `apparent efficiency' of ankle muscle–tendon mechanical work decreased from 0.53 on level ground to 0.38 on 15% grade. This suggests a decreased contribution from previously stored Achilles' tendon elastic energy and an increased contribution from actively shortening ankle plantar flexor muscle fibers to ankle muscle–tendon positive work during walking on steep uphill inclines. Although exoskeletons delivered 61% more mechanical work at the ankle up a 15% grade compared with level walking, relative reductions in net metabolic power were similar across surface gradients (10–13%). These results suggest a shift in the relative distribution of mechanical power output to more proximal (knee and hip) joints during inclined walking.
A two-dimensional computational study on the fluid–structure interaction cause of wing pitch changes in dipteran flapping flight
Authors: Ishihara Daisuke , Horie T. , Denda Mitsunori
Published: December 2008

In this study, the passive pitching due to wing torsional flexibility and its lift generation in dipteran flight were investigated using (a) the non-linear finite element method for the fluid–structure interaction,which analyzes the precise motions of the passive pitching of the wing interacting with the surrounding fluid flow, (b) the fluid–structure interaction similarity law, which characterizes insect flight, (c) the lumped torsional flexibility model as a simplified dipteran wing, and (d) the analytical wing model, which explains the characteristics of the passive pitching motion in the simulation. Given sinusoidal flapping with a frequency below the natural frequency of the wing torsion, the resulting passive pitching in the steady state, under fluid damping, is approximately sinusoidal with the advanced phase shift. We demonstrate that the generated lift can support the weight of some Diptera.
Activity of the pituitary–gonadal axis is increased prior to the onset of spawning migration of chum salmon
Authors: Onuma Takeshi A. , Sato Shunpei , Katsumata Hiroshi , Makino Keita , Hu WeiWei , Jodo Aya , Davis Nancy D. , Dickey Jon T. , Ban Masatoshi , Ando Hironori , Fukuwaka Masa-aki , Azumaya Tomonori , Swanson Penny , Urano Akihisa
Published: December 2008

The activity of the pituitary–gonadal axis (PG axis) in pre-migratory and homing chum salmon was examined because endocrine mechanisms underlying the onset of spawning migration remain unknown. Pre-migratory fish were caught in the central Bering Sea in June, July and September 2001, 2002 and 2003, and in the Gulf of Alaska in February 2006. They were classified into immature and maturing adults on the basis of gonadal development. The maturing adults commenced spawning migration to coastal areas by the end of summer, because almost all fish in the Bering Sea were immature in September. In the pituitaries of maturing adults, the copy numbers of FSHβ mRNA and the FSH content were 2.5- to 100-fold those of the immature fish. Similarly, the amounts of LHβ mRNA and LH content in the maturing adults were 100- to 1000-fold those of immature fish. The plasma levels of testosterone,11-ketotestosterone and estradiol were higher than 10 nmol l–1 in maturing adults, but lower than 1.0 nmol l–1 in immature fish. The increase in the activity of the PG-axis components had already initiated in the maturing adults while they were still in the Gulf of Alaska in winter. In the homing adults, the pituitary contents and the plasma levels of gonadotropins and plasma sex steroid hormones peaked during upstream migration from the coast to the natal hatchery. The present results thus indicate that the seasonal increase in the activity of the PG axis is an important endocrine event that is inseparable from initiation of spawning migration of chum salmon.
Jumping strategies and performance in shore bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera,Saldidae)
Authors: Burrows Malcolm
Published: December 2008

The jumping movements of the hemipteran shore bug (Saldula saltatoria, sub-order Heteroptera, family Saldidae) were analysed from sequences of images captured at 5000 frames s–1. Adult Saldula weigh ∼2.1 mg and are ∼3.5 mm long. The hind legs that propel jumping are 180% longer than the front legs and 90% of body length, but non-jumping species in the same family have longer hind legs relative to the lengths of their bodies. Jumps were powered by large trochanteral depressor muscles in the thorax in two different strategies. In the first (used in 24% of jumps analysed), a jump was propelled by simultaneous extension of the two hind legs powered by rapid depression movements about the coxo-trochanteral joints, while both pairs of wings remained closed. In the second strategy (74% of jumps), the wings were opened before the hind legs began to move. At take-off, the position of the wings was variable and could be 8–21 ms into either elevation or depression. When the hind legs alone propelled a jump, the body was accelerated in 3.97±0.111 ms at a take-off angle of 52±6.5° to a take-off velocity of 1.27±0.119 m s–1; when the wings also moved, the body was accelerated in 3.86±0.055 ms at a take-off angle of 58±1.7° to a take-off velocity of 1.29±0.032 m s–1. These values are not different in the two jumping strategies. In its best jumps the take-off velocity reached 1.8 m s–1 so that Saldula experienced an average acceleration of 529 m s–2, equivalent to almost 54g, expended 3.4 μJ of energy, while exerting a force of 1.1 m N. The power requirements for jumping indicate that a catapult mechanism must be used in which the trochanteral depressor muscles contract and store energy in advance of a jump. These jumps should propel it to a height of 105 mm or 30 times its body length and distances of 320 mm. The two jumping strategies achieve the same jumping performance.
Ligand-specific induction of endocytosis in taste receptor cells
Authors: Døving Kjell B. , Sandvig Kirsten , Kasumyan Alexander
Published: December 2008

We demonstrate a ligand-specific induction of endocytosis in cells of juvenile brown trout taste buds. The process is fast, massive and selective,as only a few cells in each taste buds are stained by exposure of the oral cavity to the taste stimulant l-cysteine together with a dye at 20°C. Low temperature (+2°C) and disruption of microtubules with nocodazole caused a substantial reduction in the number of taste cells stained, indicating endocytic uptake of dye and transport towards the cell soma in vesicles. As endocytosis is evoked by the presence of ligands, it is most likely that the stained cells are the so-called receptor cells, which have taste receptors and the molecular machinery for downstream processing. The number of stained taste cells and taste buds containing stained taste cells increased with the concentration of l-cysteine. Control experiments with different dyes revealed great variability in the ability to induce staining on their own. In particular, Texas Red dextran was efficient and stained many cells within each taste bud. Behavioural experiments demonstrated that Texas Red dextran is a deterrent taste substance for brown trout. In fish first exposed to the stimulant l-cysteine plus a dye and subsequently to a deterrent, either Texas Red, or glycine, the majority of stained cells were found in separate taste receptor cells, indicating that the majority of taste receptors for stimulants and deterrents are expressed in separate taste buds. These results also strengthen the assumption that the stained cells take part in the initiation of taste processes that are related to perception. The functional implication of the induced endocytosis is discussed.
Experimental investigations on the influence of emulsifier content in cutting fluids on machined surface
Authors: Srikant R R , Rao Nageswara D , Rao P N
Published: December 2008

Cutting fluids occupied a place of prominence in metal cutting industries for centuries. To cater to the needs of state-of-art machining processes, several fluid formulations are available in the present day market. Of such available fluids, water-soluble fluids occupy a role of prominence. Though the need of cutting fluids is well stressed upon and is much explored, the role of different ingredients of the fluid on the surface of the machined component is not much investigated. The present work is an attempt to study the role of emulsifier on the machined surface through estimation of surface roughness and change in hardness of the samples.
Applicability of cutting fluids with nanoparticle inclusion as coolants in machining
Authors: Srikant R R , Rao D N , Subrahmanyam M S , Krishna Vamsi P
Published: December 2008

Heat liberated and the friction associated with the cutting process ever pose a problem in terms of tool life. Cutting fluids have been the conventional choice to address the problem. However, environmental hazards posed by the fluids have limited their usage, giving rise to minimum quantity lubrication. Nevertheless, its capability to carry away the heat and provide adequate lubrication is limited.

In view of the above problems, nanofluids have gained prominence. Nanofluids, with their cooling and lubricating properties, have emerged as a promising solution. This article deals with characterizing changes in the heat transfer capacities of nanofluids with the inclusion of nanoparticles in the cutting fluids. To estimate the prevalent temperatures in machining, a facing operation is carried out under constant cutting conditions in a dry state and using conventional cutting fluid as coolant. Heat transfer coefficients are estimated using the analogy for flow over flat plates in all lubricating conditions. The temperatures calculated using the estimated heat transfer coefficient for conventional cutting fluid are compared with the experimental observations to validate the methodology. Temperature profiles are simulated using ANSYS 5.4 to infer on the suitability of the coolants in enhancing machining performance. Nanoparticle inclusion is found to be beneficial in improving the coolant properties. Nevertheless, the high cost of nanoparticles may appear to be prohibitive and hence minimum requirement of inclusion is estimated.
Ultrasonic polishing of giant magnetic resistance magnetic recording heads for hard discs
Authors: Shen R-L , Zhong J
Published: December 2008

The material removal rate (MRR) is very low and it is difficult to achieve a pole tip recession (PTR) smaller than 10 nm with conventional polishing. Ultrasonics was applied to the recording head polishing with a float-piece polisher to find a new method to reduce the PTR and increase the MRR. The power of ultrasonics used in the experiment was 35 W, and its frequency was 40 kHz. Two pieces of rowbars were fixed on the specimen holder, and the rotational speed of the plate was 25 r/min. The MRR and the roughness of the surface were improved, and the PTR was reduced to 1-2 nm.
Vitamin D–Independent Therapeutic Effects of Extracellular Calcium in a Mouse Model of Adult-Onset Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Weber Karin , Zeitz Ute , Bergow Claudia , Hirmer Sieglinde , Schüler Christiane , Erben Reinhold G
Published: December 2008

Cell proliferation and PTH secretion in the parathyroid gland are known to be regulated by vitamin D and extracellular calcium. Here, we examined the vitamin D–independent effects of correction of extracellular calcium in an adult-onset secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) model, using mice with a nonfunctioning vitamin D receptor (VDR). Wildtype and homozygous VDR mutant mice were kept on a rescue diet (RD) containing 2% calcium (Ca), 1.25% phosphorus (P), and 20% lactose until they were 4 mo or 1 yr of age. Subsequently, 4-mo-old mice were switched to a challenge diet (CD) containing the following: 0.5% Ca, 0.4% P, and 0% lactose. After 2 mo on the CD, groups of VDR mutant mice were either fed CD, a normal mouse chow with 0.9% Ca, 0.7% P, and 0% lactose, or the RD for another 3 mo. Feeding the RD protected VDR mutants against sHPT over 1 yr, showing that vitamin D is not essential for long-term control of the function and proliferation of parathyroid cells. When 4-mo-old VDR mutants were switched from the RD to the CD for 2 mo, they developed severe sHPT associated with hypertrophy and hyperplasia of parathyroid glands and profound bone loss. Subsequent feeding of the RD during a 3-mo therapy phase fully corrected sHPT, reduced chief cell proliferation, and reduced maximum parathyroid gland area by 25% by cell atrophy. There was no evidence of RD-induced chief cell apoptosis. We conclude that signaling by the calcium-sensing receptor regulates chief cell function and size in the absence of signaling through the VDR.
The Norwegian media ownership act and the freedom of expression
Authors: Rolland Asle
Published: December 2008

The stated purpose of the Norwegian Media Ownership Act is to promote freedom of expression. Its true purpose is to restrict the political impact of making expressions. The discrepancy between the stated and true purpose is the issue discussed in the article. It explains the act as
a result of the party system having lost its historical control over the media system. Rather than regulating the freedom of expression the act therefore regulates the right to influence public opinion. The parties saw no need to regulate political influence at the time they monopolized it.
That need emerged when the media became independent and started challenging the influence of the parties. The result is therefore a Media Ownership Act favouring political influence via state-controlled broadcast media answerable to the political system, and restricting political influence
via a privately controlled daily press answerable to the market. An act really promoting the freedom of expression would not regulate the right to influence public opinion, but restrict the opportunities of both public and private media to censor the expressions of the citizens.
Measuring women's empowerment: development of a model
Authors: Green Joanne Helen
Published: December 2008

The need for a measure of women's empowerment has been long and well recognised. There remains much debate over how this can be done and most of the tools produced so far have been inadequate to the task. Two issues have hindered the development of a representative tool: first, the
lack of agreement on what women's empowerment actually is; and second, the tension existent between the empowerment of individual women and women as a social group, because not all women experience their disempowerment by patriarchy similarly, and some women will benefit more from empowerment
than others. Historically the means to measure women's empowerment have been based on what feminist statisticians and economists nominate as male normative indices, which do not represent women as a social group. I developed a qualitative longitudinal means for measuring empirically the empowerment
of targeted, or project specific, groups of women that uses the women's experiences as yardsticks. In this article, I use my study of women's empowerment through ICTs as an example of women's empowerment generally.
Kafkas Der Schlag ans Hoftor. Miniatur einer Lesepoetologie
Authors: Bourquin Christophe
Published: December 2008

The bang (Schlag) on a gate to the court in Kafka's Der Schlag ans Hoftor rings out while fading. The fading (Vergehen) becomes a delict (Vergehen) of a trial (Verhandlung). Thereby, a play on a semantic field is launched, which poetologically unfolds a reading process, about the reading of the reading of a figure written by the text.
“Weltliteratur” – zuerst 1773 bei August Ludwig Schlözer
Authors: Schamoni Wolfgang
Published: December 2008

The term “Weltliteratur”, generally assumed to have been coined by Goethe in 1827, was actually used for the first time in 1773 by August Ludwig Schlözer. The German Enlightenment historian used the term in a dissertation on Icelandic literature and history, in an age when growing curiosity about the “margins” of Europe and beyond pointed towards a vision of “Weltgeschichte”, a history of universal human development. This early use of the term seems to have been forgotten, although the relevant passage was quoted already in 1920 by the Polish scholar Sigmund von Lempicki.
Die Anthropophagie der Maori im Spiegel von Jules Vernes Werken. Zur ethnographischen und imagologischen Rezeption der Maori in der europäischen Literatur
Authors: Schifko Georg
Published: December 2008

Jules Verne's representation of cannibalism in Maori society provides a good and largely correct overview of anthropophagy in New Zealand. He does not confine himself to a reproduction of simple facts but compares and discusses several theories on the origin of cannibalism. We have to reconsider the accusation that the French novelist's statements on Maori cannibalism constitute a racist image. Verne excuses this custom partly because of a supposed lack of food in New Zealand in those times; recent Maori authors present a much bloodier picture of the cannibal practices of their ancestors.
Das Spiel mit der Überlieferung. Baudelaires spätes Bekenntnis
Authors: Wild Cornelia
Published: December 2008

Baudelaire's reflections on his impact on posterity constitute part of his modernity. However, his Journaux intimes indicate that he did not think he could surpass the impact of his predecessor: his “grand livre” entitled Mon cœur mis à nu, with which Baudelaire intended to pass beyond Rousseau's Confessions, disintegrates into fragments, loose notes that aesthetic acts could not sublimate. Precisely this aesthetic failure demands a new evaluation of Baudelaire's relation to his predecessor. In the Paradis artfificiels, the intertextual relationship with the Confessions reveals a quintessential method of modernist writing. Although the title does not refer to the genre of confessional writing, the text itself exhibits it. Through the transparency of metonymical relations to the predecessor, performed as an “exercice de la fraternité”, and by way of pharmakon, Baudelaire develops a playful interaction with tradition and with his own “confessions”.
“hier spricht man in vielen zungen”. Literaturen im polyglotten Luxemburg
Authors: Honnef-Becker Irmgard
Published: December 2008

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg distinguishes itself by virtue of its rich and varied literary landscape, which is in no small measure due to its multi-cultural character: authors can choose between three different languages, among which Luxembourgish is increasingly gaining importance as a literary language alongside German and French. Several examples illustrate the general development of Luxembourgish literature; they show that this hybrid and intercultural literature, which has been traditionally defined in reference to other cultures, can be a literary model in an increasingly nomadic world.
Kraft lignin as feedstock for chemical products: The effects of membrane filtration
Authors: Brodin Ida , Sjöholm Elisabeth , Gellerstedt Göran
Published: December 2008

The use of technical lignins as feedstock for chemical products will require improvements in purity, molecular mass distribution, and thermal behavior. Therefore, industrial black liquors from kraft pulping of softwood (spruce/pine) and hardwood (birch and Eucalyptus globulus) have been subjected to fractionation according to molecular mass by ceramic membranes. After acidification and isolation of the lignin fractions, a variety of analytical methods have been applied to help understand their structure – property relationships. From all types of lignin, the chemical and polymeric properties of fractions isolated from the membrane permeates were more homogeneous. This demonstrates that technical kraft lignins, irrespective of origin, may constitute an interesting feedstock for products, such as carbon fibers, adhesives, and phenol-based polymers.
Pile Settlement and Uplift in Liquefying Sand Deposit
Authors: Charlie Wayne A. , Allard David J. , Doehring Donald O.
Published: December 2008

This paper describes a test program using explosives to induce excess pore pressure in a large deposit of saturated sand supporting two friction piles (W150×18 SI wide-flange beams). Variables studied were pile settlement and uplift versus the pore pressure ratio, initial static safety factor of the piles, and peak particle velocity. Little or no vertical pile movement occurred for the tension or compression pile when the pile-soil interface pore pressure ratio (PPR) was less than 0.2 or 0.5, respectively. The tension pile with a static safety factor of 1.4 uplifted over four times the pile’s width when the PPR exceeded about 0.6. The compression pile with a static safety factor of 2.7 settled 0.1 and 4 times the pile’s width when the PPR exceeded about 0.6 and 0.9, respectively. Results parallel earlier model laboratory studies.
Influence of Strain Gage Position on the Static and Dynamic Performance of Instrumented Impact Strikers
Authors: Schuurmans Johan , Scibetta Marc , Lucon Enrico , Puzzolante Jean-Louis
Published: December 2008

The quality and reliability of impact forces obtained from instrumented Charpy tests has been devoted considerable attention at SCK⋅CEN since the 1990’s, in parallel to the development and qualification of advanced methodologies for the surveillance of nuclear reactor pressure vessels (Enhanced Surveillance Strategy). In this framework, careful analysis of the instrumented force/deflection traces from Charpy tests allows the defining of important parameters which can help investigate material characteristics such as flow properties, microcleavage fracture stress, crack arrest behavior and alternative characteristic (index) temperatures. While first efforts at SCK⋅CEN were concentrated on the optimization of the striker calibration procedure, more recently the focus has been put on the in-house development and optimization of reliable instrumented strikers with both 2 mm radius (ISO 148) and 8 mm radius (ASTM E23). Evidence was found that the position of the strain gages affects the static and dynamic performance of the newly developed strikers. Additional investigations in this direction have shown that the linearity of the strikers during static calibration improves as the gages are placed further away from the striking edge. For the ASTM design, moving the strain gages away also reduces the characteristic “tail” that is typically observed just before a ductile specimen is ejected from the anvils. Our research shows that the best striker performance is achieved when the center of the T-rosette is located at about 16 mm from the striking edge, using a top/bottom configuration.
A Simple Estimator of Errors-in-Variables Model Using Instrumental Errors Ratio
Authors: Wang Tuo , Wang Wenzhou
Published: December 2008

This paper proposes a new estimator of regression coefficient in a linear model when both variables are observed with errors. Unlike previous estimators, the new estimator fully utilizes instrumental errors ratio (k) available to the experimental researcher. When compared to other estimators, our estimator is easy to use and provides an estimate with less bias. It is also a generalization of existing methods when k takes different values.
The Evolution and Diversification ofS-Locus Haplotypes in the Brassicaceae Family
Authors: Edh Kristina , Widén Björn , Ceplitis Alf
Published: December 2008

Self-incompatibility (SI) in the Brassicaceae plant family is controlled by the SRK and SCR genes situated at the S locus. A large number of S haplotypes have been identified, mainly in cultivated species of the Brassica and Raphanus genera, but recently also in wild Arabidopsis species. Here, we used DNA sequences from the SRK and SCR genes of the wild Brassica species Brassica cretica, together with publicly available sequence data from other Brassicaceae species, to investigate the evolutionary relationships among S haplotypes in the Brassicaceae family. The results reveal that wild and cultivated Brassica species have similar levels of SRK diversity, indicating that domestication has had but a minor effect on S-locus diversity in Brassica. Our results also show that a common set of S haplotypes was present in the ancestor of the Brassica and Arabidopsis genera, that only a small number of haplotypes survived in the Brassica lineage after its separation from Arabidopsis, and that diversification within the two Brassica dominance classes occurred after the split between the two lineages. We also found indications that recombination may have occurred between the kinase domain of SRK and the SCR gene in Brassica.
Ribosome Association and Stability of the Nascent Polypeptide-Associated Complex Is Dependent Upon Its Own Ubiquitination
Authors: Panasenko Olesya O , David Fabrice P A , Collart Martine A
Published: December 2008

In this work we addressed the role of ubiquitination in the function of the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC), named EGD in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To this end, we first identified the lysines residues required for ubiquitination of EGD/NAC. While simultaneous mutation of many lysines in the α-subunit of NAC (Egd2p) was required to abolish its ubiquitination, for the β-subunit of NAC (Egd1p), mutation of K29 and K30 was sufficient. We determined that the ubiquitination of the two EGD subunits was coordinated, occurring during growth first on Egd1p and then on Egd2p. Egd2p was ubiquitinated earlier during growth if Egd1p could not be ubiquitinated. The use of mutants revealed the importance of EGD ubiqutination for its ribosome association and stability. Finally, our study demonstrated an interaction of EGD/NAC with the proteasome and revealed the importance of the Not4p E3 ligase, responsible for EGD/NAC ubiquitination, in this association.
The Role of Protein Phosphatase 4 in Regulating Microtubule Severing in theCaenorhabditis elegansEmbryo
Authors: Han Xue , Gomes José-Eduardo , Birmingham Cheryl L , Pintard Lionel , Sugimoto Asako , Mains Paul E
Published: December 2008

MEI-1, the catalytic subunit of the Caenorhabditis elegans “katanin” microtubule-severing complex, is required for meiotic spindle formation. However, MEI-1 must be inactivated after the completion of meiosis to allow formation of the first mitotic spindle. Recent work demonstrated that post-meiotic MEI-1 undergoes ubiquitin-dependent degradation mediated by two independent pathways. Here we describe another level of MEI-1 regulation involving the protein phosphatase 4 (PP4) complex. The PP4 R1 regulatory subunit protein phosphatase four regulatory subunit 1 (ppfr-1) was identified in an RNA interference (RNAi) screen for suppressors of a mei-1(gf) allele that is refractory to post-meiotic degradation. RNAi to the PP4 catalytic subunit PPH-4.1 or to the α4 regulatory PPFR-4 also suppressed lethality of ectopic MEI-1. These results suggest that PP4(+) activates MEI-1, and therefore loss of PP4 decreases ectopic MEI-1(gf) activity. PPH-4.1 and MEI-1 co-immunoprecipitate with one another, indicating that the PP4 complex likely regulates MEI-1 activity directly rather than through an intermediate. The ppfr-1 mutant has subtle meiotic defects indicating that PPFR-1 also regulates MEI-1 during meiosis. MBK-2 is the only kinase known to phosphorylate MEI-1 and triggers post-meiotic MEI-1 degradation. However, genetic interactions between PP4 and mbk-2 were not consistent with an antagonistic relationship between the phosphatase and kinase. Additionally, reducing PP4 in mei-1(gf) did not change the level or localization of post-meiotic MEI-1. Thus, by making use of a genetic background where MEI-1 is ectopically expressed, we have uncovered a third mechanism of MEI-1 regulation, one based on phosphorylation but independent of degradation. The redundant regulatory pathways likely contribute in different ways to the rapid and precise post-meiotic inactivation of MEI-1 microtubule-severing activity.
The Ras/cAMP Pathway and the CDK-Like Kinase Ime2 Regulate the MAPK Smk1 and Spore Morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: McDonald Christine M , Wagner Marisa , Dunham Maitreya J , Shin Marcus E , Ahmed Noreen T , Winter Edward
Published: December 2008

Meiotic development (sporulation) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is induced by nutritional deprivation. Smk1 is a meiosis-specific MAP kinase homolog that controls spore morphogenesis after the meiotic divisions have taken place. In this study, recessive mutants that suppress the sporulation defect of a smk1-2 temperature-sensitive hypomorph were isolated. The suppressors are partial function alleles of CDC25 and CYR1, which encode the Ras GDP/GTP exchange factor and adenyl cyclase, respectively, and MDS3, which encodes a kelch-domain protein previously implicated in Ras/cAMP signaling. Deletion of PMD1, which encodes a Mds3 paralog, also suppressed the smk1-2 phenotype, and a mds3-Δ pmd1-Δ double mutant was a more potent suppressor than either single mutant. The mds3-Δ, pmd1-Δ, and mds3-Δ pmd1-Δ mutants also exhibited mitotic Ras/cAMP phenotypes in the same rank order. The effect of Ras/cAMP pathway mutations on the smk1-2 phenotype required the presence of low levels of glucose. Ime2 is a meiosis-specific CDK-like kinase that is inhibited by low levels of glucose via its carboxy-terminal regulatory domain. IME2-ΔC241, which removes the carboxy-terminal domain of Ime2, exacerbated the smk1-2 spore formation phenotype and prevented cyr1 mutations from suppressing smk1-2. Inhibition of Ime2 in meiotic cells shortly after Smk1 is expressed revealed that Ime2 promotes phosphorylation of Smk1's activation loop. These findings demonstrate that nutrients can negatively regulate Smk1 through the Ras/cAMP pathway and that Ime2 is a key activator of Smk1 signaling.
Genetic and Genomewide Analysis of Simultaneous Mutations in Acetylated and Methylated Lysine Residues in Histone H3 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Jin Yi , Rodriguez Amy M , Wyrick John J
Published: December 2008

Acetylated and methylated lysine residues in histone H3 play important roles in regulating yeast gene expression and other cellular processes. Previous studies have suggested that histone H3 acetylated and methylated lysine residues may functionally interact through interdependent pathways to regulate gene transcription. A common genetic test for functional interdependence is to characterize the phenotype of a double mutant. Using this strategy, we tested the genetic interaction between histone H3 mutant alleles that simultaneously eliminate acetylated or methylated lysine residues. Our results indicate that mutation of histone H3 acetylated lysine residues alleviates growth phenotypes exhibited by the H3 methylated lysine mutant. In contrast, histone H3 acetylated and methylated lysine mutants display largely independent effects on yeast gene expression. Intriguingly, these expression changes are preferentially associated with chromosomal regions in which histone H3 lysine residues are hypoacetylated and hypomethylated. Finally, we show that the acetylated and methylated lysine mutants have strikingly different effects on the binding of Sir4 to yeast telomeres, suggesting that histone H3 acetylated lysine residues regulate yeast silencing through a mechanism independent of SIR binding.
Association Mapping in Outbred Populations: Power and Efficiency When Genotyping Parents and Phenotyping Progeny
Authors: Chenoweth Stephen F , Visscher Peter M
Published: December 2008

We develop expressions for the power to detect associations between parental genotypes and offspring phenotypes for quantitative traits. Three different “indirect” experimental designs are considered: full-sib, half-sib, and full-sib–half-sib families. We compare the power of these designs to detect genotype–phenotype associations relative to the common, “direct,” approach of genotyping and phenotyping the same individuals. When heritability is low, the indirect designs can outperform the direct method. However, the extra power comes at a cost due to an increased phenotyping effort. By developing expressions for optimal experimental designs given the cost of phenotyping relative to genotyping, we show how the extra costs associated with phenotyping a large number of individuals will influence experimental design decisions. Our results suggest that indirect association studies can be a powerful means of detecting allelic associations in outbred populations of species for which genotyping and phenotyping the same individuals is impractical and for life history and behavioral traits that are heavily influenced by environmental variance and therefore best measured on groups of individuals. Indirect association studies are likely to be favored only on purely economical grounds, however, when phenotyping is substantially less expensive than genotyping. A web-based application implementing our expressions has been developed to aid in the design of indirect association studies.