bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formative evaluation of a telemedicine model for delivering clinical neurophysiology services part I: Utility, technical performance and service provider perspective
Authors: Breen Patricia , Murphy Kevin , Browne Geraldine , Molloy Fiona , Reid Valerie , Doherty Colin , Delanty Norman , Connolly Sean , Fitzsimons Mary
Published: September 2010

Background

Formative evaluation is conducted in the early stages of system implementation to assess how it works in practice and to identify opportunities for improving technical and process performance. A formative evaluation of a teleneurophysiology service was conducted to examine its technical and sociological dimensions.

Methods

A teleneurophysiology service providing routine EEG investigation was established. Service use, technical performance and satisfaction of clinical neurophysiology personnel were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. These were contrasted with a previously reported analysis of the need for teleneurophysiology, and examination of expectation and satisfaction with clinical neurophysiology services in Ireland. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis was also conducted.

Results

Over the course of 40 clinical sessions during 20 weeks, 142 EEG investigations were recorded and stored on a file server at a satellite centre which was 130 miles away from the host clinical neurophysiology department. Using a virtual private network, the EEGs were accessed by a consultant neurophysiologist at the host centre for interpretation. The model resulted in a 5-fold increase in access to EEG services as well as reducing average waiting times for investigation by a half. Technically the model worked well, although a temporary loss of virtual private network connectivity highlighted the need for clarity in terms of responsibility for troubleshooting and repair of equipment problems. Referral quality, communication between host and satellite centres, quality of EEG recordings, and ease of EEG review and reporting indicated that appropriate organisational processes were adopted by the service. Compared to traditional CN service delivery, the teleneurophysiology model resulted in a comparable unit cost per EEG.

Conclusion

Observations suggest that when traditional organisational boundaries are crossed challenges associated with the social dimension of service delivery may be amplified. Teleneurophysiology requires a governance and management that recognises its socio-technical nature.
Formative evaluation of a telemedicine model for delivering clinical neurophysiology services part II: The referring clinician and patient perspective
Authors: Breen Patricia , Murphy Kevin , Browne Geraldine , Molloy Fiona , Reid Valerie , Doherty Colin , Delanty Norman , Connolly Sean , Fitzsimons Mary
Published: September 2010

Background

Feedback from service users will provide insight into opportunities for improvement so that performance can be optimised. In the context of a formative evaluation referring clinician and patient satisfaction with a teleneurophysiology service was examined during a 20 week pilot period.

Methods

Questionnaire surveys of referring clinicians and patients were conducted.

Results

Fifteen (58%) clinicians responded to the first part of a postal survey which examined their satisfaction with traditional clinical neurophysiology services. Nine (35%) responded to a second part which assessed their experience with the teleneurophysiology service. Teleneurophysiology improved satisfaction with waiting times, availability of results and impact on patient management. There was unanimous support from the clinicians for the permanent development of a teleneurophysiology service, although 2 cautioned this could delay establishing a neurology service in their region.

Eighty-two percent (116/142) of patients responded to a survey of their satisfaction with teleneurophysiology. This was compared to a previous report of 322 patients' experience with traditional CN services in Ireland. Waiting times for appointment were shorter for the former group who supported the telemedicine model recognising that it reduced the travel burden and need for overnight journeys. The two groups were equally anxious about the investigation although the teleneurophysiology patients received more prior information.

Conclusion

This study illustrates that teleneurophysiology is an acceptable model of service delivery for its primary customers. Their feedback is important in informing appropriate design and governance of such innovative models of health service provision.
Serological and molecular expression of Hepatitis B infection in patients with chronic Hepatitis C from Tunisia, North Africa
Authors: Ben Halima Samar , Bahri Olfa , Maamouri Nadia , Cheikh Imed , Alaya Nissaf Ben , Sadraoui Amel , Azaiez Ons , Azouz Msaddak , Mami Nabyl Ben , Triki Henda
Published: September 2010

Background

This study reports the prevalence and the viral aspects of HBV infection in HCV-positive patients from Tunisia, a country with intermediate and low endemicity for hepatitis B and C, respectively.

Results

HBV infection was assessed in the serum samples of 361 HCV-positive patients and compared to a group of HCV negative individuals. Serological markers were determined by ELISA tests and HBV DNA by real-time PCR. HBV serological markers were found in 43% and 44% of patients and controls, respectively. However, the serological and molecular expression of HBV infection differed in the two groups: The group of patients included more individuals with ongoing HBV infection, as defined by the presence of detectable HBsAg and or HBV DNA (17% and 12%, respectively). Furthermore, while most of the controls with ongoing HBV infection expressed HBsAg, the majority of HCV and HBV positive patients were HBsAg negative and HBV DNA positive. Genotyping of HCV isolates showed large predominance of subtype 1b as previously reported in Tunisia. Comparison of the replicative status of the two viruses found low HBV viral load in all co-infected patients as compared to patients with single HBV infection. In contrast, high levels of HCV viremia levels were observed in most of cases with no difference between the group of co-infected patients and the group with single HCV infection.

Conclusions

This study adds to the knowledge on the prevalence and the virological presentation of HCV/HBV dual infection, providing data from the North African region. It shows that, given the local epidemiology of the two viruses, co-infected patients are likely to have low replication levels of HBV suggesting a suppressive effect of HCV on HBV. In contrast, high replication levels for HCV were fond in most cases which indicate that the presence of circulating HBV-DNA does not necessarily influence HCV replication.
Adult growth hormone deficiency treatment with a combination of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 resulting in elevated sustainable insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 plasma levels: a case report
Authors: Braverman Eric R , Bowirrat Abdalla , Damle Uma J , Yeldandi Swetha , Chen Thomas JH , Madigan Margaret , Kerner Mallory , Huang Stanley X , Savarimuthu Stella , Blum Kenneth
Published: September 2010

Introduction

Adult Growth hormone Deficiency is a well known phenomenon effecting both males and females. Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency is marked by a number of neuropsychiatric, cognitive performance, cardiac, metabolic, muscular, and bone symptoms and clinical features. There is no known standardized acceptable therapeutic modality to treat this condition. A recent meta-analysis found that after 16 years of Growth Hormone replacement therapy a large proportion of the patients still had Growth Hormone associated symptoms especially related to executive functioning. A major goal is to increase plasma levels of both insulin-like growth factor (insulin-like growth factor-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3.

Case Presentation

We report a case of a 45-year-old caucasian woman with early ovarian failure for 2 years and amenorrhea since the age of 43, who presented with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency and an IGF-1 of 126 ng/mL. Since her insulin-like growth factor-1 was lowest at 81 ng/mL, she was started on insulin-like growth factor-1 Increlex at 0.2 mg at bedtime, which immediately raised her insulin-like growth factor-1 levels to 130 ng/mL within 1 month, and 193 ng/mL, 249 ng/mL, and 357 ng/mL, after 3, 4, and 5 months, respectively, thereafter. Her insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 continued to decrease. It was at this point when we added back the Growth Hormone and increased her Increlex dosage to 1.3 - 1.5 mg that her insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 began to increase.

Conclusion

It appears that in some patients with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency, insulin-like growth factor-1 elevation is resistant to direct Growth Hormone treatment. Furthermore, the binding protein may not rise with insulin-like growth factor-1. However, a combination of Growth Hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 treatment may be a solution.
Techno-economic evaluation of stillage treatment with anaerobic digestion in a softwood-to-ethanol process
Authors: Barta Zsolt , Reczey Kati , Zacchi Guido
Published: September 2010

Background

Replacing the energy-intensive evaporation of stillage by anaerobic digestion is one way of decreasing the energy demand of the lignocellulosic biomass to the ethanol process. The biogas can be upgraded and sold as transportation fuel, injected directly into the gas grid or be incinerated on-site for combined heat and power generation. A techno-economic evaluation of the spruce-to-ethanol process, based on SO2-catalysed steam pretreatment followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, has been performed using the commercial flow-sheeting program Aspen Plus™. Various process configurations of anaerobic digestion of the stillage, with different combinations of co-products, have been evaluated in terms of energy efficiency and ethanol production cost versus the reference case of evaporation.

Results

Anaerobic digestion of the stillage showed a significantly higher overall energy efficiency (87-92%), based on the lower heating values, than the reference case (81%). Although the amount of ethanol produced was the same in all scenarios, the production cost varied between 4.00 and 5.27 Swedish kronor per litre (0.38-0.50 euro/L), including the reference case.

Conclusions

Higher energy efficiency options did not necessarily result in lower ethanol production costs. Anaerobic digestion of the stillage with biogas upgrading was demonstrated to be a favourable option for both energy efficiency and ethanol production cost. The difference in the production cost of ethanol between using the whole stillage or only the liquid fraction in anaerobic digestion was negligible for the combination of co-products including upgraded biogas, electricity and district heat.
A comprehensive fate map by intracellular injection of identified blastomeres in the marine polychaete Capitella teleta
Authors: Meyer Néva P , Boyle Michael J , Martindale Mark Q , Seaver Elaine C
Published: September 2010

Background

The polychaete annelid Capitella teleta (formerly Capitella sp. I) develops by spiral cleavage and has been the focus of several recent developmental studies aided by a fully sequenced genome. Fate mapping in polychaetes has lagged behind other spiralian taxa, because of technical limitations.

Results

To generate a modern fate map for C. teleta, we injected 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3'3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) into individual identified blastomeres through fourth-quartet micromere formation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy at single-cell resolution was used to characterize blastomere fates during larval stages. Our results corroborate previous observations from classic studies, and show a number of similarities with other spiralian fate maps, including unique and stereotypic fates for individual blastomeres, presence of four discrete body domains arising from the A, B, C and D cell quadrants, generation of anterior ectoderm from first quartet micromeres, and contributions to trunk ectoderm and ventral nerve cord by the 2d somatoblast. Of particular interest are several instances in which the C. teleta fate map deviates from other spiralian fate maps. For example, we identified four to seven distinct origins of mesoderm, all ectomesodermal. In addition, the left and right mesodermal bands arise from 3d and 3c, respectively, whereas 4d generates a small number of trunk muscle cells, the primordial germ cells and the anus. We identified a complex set of blastomere contributions to the posterior gut in C. teleta, which establishes the most complete map of posterior gut territories to date.

Conclusions

Our detailed cellular descriptions reveal previously underappreciated complexity in the ontogenetic contributions to several spiralian larval tissues, including the mesoderm, nervous system and gut. The formation of the mesodermal bands by 3c and 3d is in stark contrast to other spiralians, in which 4d generates the mesodermal bands. The results of this study provide a framework for future phylogenetic comparisons and functional analyses of cell-fate specification.
Tutorial on seismic interferometry: Part 2 — Underlying theory and new advances
Authors: Wapenaar Kees , Slob Evert , Snieder Roel , Curtis Andrew
Published: September 2010

In the 1990s, the method of time-reversed acoustics was developed. This method exploits the fact that the acoustic wave equation for a lossless medium is invariant for time reversal. When ultrasonic responses recorded by piezoelectric transducers are reversed in time and fed simultaneously as source signals to the transducers, they focus at the position of the original source, even when the medium is very complex. In seismic interferometry the time-reversed responses are not physically sent into the earth, but they are convolved with other measured responses. The effect is essentially the same: The time-reversed signals focus and create a virtual source which radiates waves into the medium that are subsequently recorded by receivers. A mathematical derivation, based on reciprocity theory, formalizes this principle: The crosscorrelation of responses at two receivers, integrated over differ-ent sources, gives the Green’s function emitted by a virtual source at the position of one of the receivers and observed by the other receiver. This Green’s function representation for seismic interferometry is based on the assumption that the medium is lossless and nonmoving. Recent developments, circumventing these assumptions, include interferometric representations for attenuating and/or moving media, as well as unified representations for waves and diffusion phenomena, bending waves, quantum mechanical scattering, potential fields, elastodynamic, electromagnetic, poroelastic, and electroseismic waves. Significant improvements in the quality of the retrieved Green’s functions have been obtained with interferometry by deconvolution. A trace-by-trace deconvolution process compensates for complex source functions and the attenuation of the medium. Interferometry by multidimensional deconvolution also compensates for the effects of one-sided and/or irregular illumination.
Reservoir characterization using surface microseismic monitoring
Authors: Duncan Peter M. , Eisner Leo
Published: September 2010

Microseismic monitoring of reservoir processes can be performed using surface or near-surface arrays. We review the published technical basis for the use of the arrays and the historical development of the method, beginning with locating earthquakes through geothermal exploration to the growing field of hydraulic-fracture monitoring. Practical considerations for the array deployment and data processing are presented. The road ahead for the technology includes a move toward life-of-field buried arrays as well as opportunities for extended interpretation of the data, particularly inversion for source-mechanism estimation and measurement of anisotropy in the monitored subsurface.
Role of Oncology Clinical Pharmacists in Light of the Oncology Workforce Study
Authors: Sessions Jolynn K. , Valgus John , Barbour Sally Yowell , Iacovelli Lew
Published: September 2010

To date, the information published regarding workforce implications has focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. But oncology clinical pharmacists also can assist with direct patient care and patient education activities.
Impact of Shifting From Office- to Hospital-Based Treatment Facilities on the Administration of Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Robinson William R. , Beyer Julie
Published: September 2010

Lately more ovarian cancer patients receive intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy treatment in hospitals due to reimbursement changes. This report examines changes in care of women treated with IP chemotherapy in an office versus a hospital setting.
American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update on Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Women With Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Burstein Harold J. , Griggs Jennifer J. , Prestrud Ann A. , Temin Sarah
Published: September 2010

ASCO's technology assessment of the use of aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant setting was last updated in 2004. ASCO's Update Committee on Aromatase Inhibitors reconvened in May 2009 to update this guideline.
Syt1p promotes activation of Arl1p at the late Golgi to recruit Imh1p
Authors: Chen Kuan-Yu , Tsai Pei-Chin , Hsu Jia-Wei , Hsu Hsin-Chia , Fang Chiung-Ying , Chang Lin-Chun , Tsai Yueh-Tso , Yu Chia-Jung , Lee Fang-Jen S.
Published: September 2010

In yeast, Arl3p recruits Arl1p GTPase to regulate Golgi function and structure. However, the molecular mechanism involved in regulating activation of Arl1p at the Golgi is unknown. Here, we show that Syt1p promoted activation of Arl1p and recruitment of a golgin protein, Imh1p, to the Golgi. Deletion of SYT1 resulted in the majority of Arl1p being distributed diffusely throughout the cytosol. Overexpression of Syt1p increased Arl1p-GTP production in vivo and the Syt1-Sec7 domain promoted nucleotide exchange on Arl1p in vitro. Syt1p function required the N-terminal region, Sec7 and PH domains. Arl1p, but not Arl3p, interacted with Syt1p. Localization of Syt1p to the Golgi did not require Arl3p. Unlike arl1Δ or arl3Δ mutants, syt1Δ did not show defects in Gas1p transport, cell wall integrity or vacuolar structure. These findings reveal that activation of Arl1p is regulated in part by Syt1p, and imply that Arl1p activation, by using more than one GEF, exerts distinct biological activities at the Golgi compartment.
Essaying in Autobiography: Wystan Hugh Auden's and Walter Benjamin's Faces
Authors: Bruś Teresa
Published: September 2010

This essay engages with the essay as a hybrid form of life writing in which Wystan Hugh Auden and Walter Benjamin reconfi gure their understanding of the signifi cance of the human face. Invaded by history, Benjamin responds with a new faceless vision. Auden, for his part, defends his European faces as a defense from chimerical publics.
The Subject of Torture: Regarding the Pain of Americans in Hostel
Authors: Middleton Jason
Published: September 2010

This essay analyzes the contemporary American horror film in the geopolitical context of the George W. Bush administration’s “war on terror,” with a particular focus on Eli Roth’s Hostel (2005). The essay argues that the film initially presents a critique of American aggression and cultural arrogance but ultimately justifies American violence in a manner resonant with the policies of the Bush administration.
Reassuring Convergence: Online Fandom, Race, and Disney’s Notorious Song of the South
Authors: Sperb Jason
Published: September 2010

This essay explores recent Internet fan activity around Walt Disney’s notorious Song of the South (1946), an “Uncle Tom” musical so offensive that the company stopped releasing it to American audiences in 1986. Yet, through the circulation of bootleg copies and various forms of Internet discourse, fans have kept Song in public consciousness—detailing their own affective attachments to the film, resisting any suggestions that it is racist, and hoping to force Disney to finally release it on DVD.
Language and Artistry in Cicero's Pro Archia
Authors: Nesholm Erika J.
Published: September 2010

This paper examines Cicero's use of the language of artistic production to describe the composition of literature and its constructive role within Roman society in the Pro Archiaw, his defense of the Greek poet in his disputed claim to Roman citizenship. Cicero foregrounds the literary language of the speech; the recurring metaphors of artistic production reinforce connections between the arts; the integration of the literary into this forensic speech anticipates the integration of Archias into Roman citizenship. I argue that Cicero reactivates artistic metaphors so that the literary language of the speech is itself an important element in his argument.
Ideology and Humor in Suetonius' Life of Vespasian 8
Authors: Luke Trevor
Published: September 2010

In chapter eight of his biography of Vespasian, Suetonius recounts two odd episodes that demonstrate the emperor's old-fashioned sternness in exercising military discipline: the revocation of a prefecture and the refusal of a shoe allowance for marines. Located in a passage about the restoration of the empire, these stories seem out of place, but their deft mixture of humor and ideology appropriately highlights the contrast between the destructive toll of Julio-Claudian misrule and the rejuvenating effects of Vespasian's regime. The biographer uses the humor of the unexpected to portray Vespasian's rise to the Principate as truly unanticipated, yet salutary.
Mules in Herodotus: The Destiny of Half-Breeds
Authors: Strong Anise K.
Published: September 2010

In his Histories, Herodotus uses the mule as a symbol of both potential advantages and risks of intermarriage and reproduction between different ethnic groups. Both literal mules and the children of mixed marriages are symbols of revolutions and new dynasties. These revolutions are often marked by an attempt to blend or conglomerate distinct cultural nomoi, or customs. Herodotus' stories about ethnically mixed leaders and their effects upon their societies serve as both encouragement and warning to governments like Athens and the Persian Empire.
Cumulative Timed Intent: A New Predictive Tool for Technology Adoption
Authors: Van Ittersum Koert , Feinberg Fred M.
Published: September 2010

Despite multiple calls for the integration of time into behavioral intent measurement, surprisingly little academic research has examined timed intent measures directly. In two empirical studies, the authors estimate individual-level cumulative adoption likelihood curves—curves calibrated on self-reported adoption likelihoods for cumulative time intervals across a fixed horizon—of 478 managerial decision makers, self-predicting whether and when they will adopt a relevant technology. A hierarchical Bayes formulation allows for a heterogeneous account of the individual-level adoption likelihood curves as a function of time and common antecedents of technology adoption. A third study generalizes these results among 354 consumer decision makers and, using behavioral data collected during a two-year longitudinal study involving a subsample of 143 consumer decision makers, provides empirical evidence for the accuracy of cumulative adoption likelihood curves for predicting whether and when a technology is adopted. Cumulative adoption likelihood curves outperform two single-intent measures as well as two widely validated intent models in predicting individual-level adoption for a fixed period of two years. The results hold great promise for further research on using and optimizing cumulative timed intent measures across a variety of application domains.
Posterior Predictive Model Checking: An Application to Multivariate Normal Heterogeneity
Authors: Gilbride Timothy J. , Lenk Peter J.
Published: September 2010

Analysts fitting a hierarchical Bayesian model must specify the distribution of heterogeneity. There are several distributions to choose from, including the multivariate normal, mixture of normals, Dirichlet processes priors, and so forth. Although significant progress has been made, estimating the models and obtaining measures for model selection remain ongoing areas of research for more flexible distributions of heterogeneity. As a result, the multivariate normal remains the default choice for many researchers and software packages. This article proposes model-checking statistics that signal the adequacy of the multivariate normal assumption for the distribution of heterogeneity; these methods do not require the analyst to fit alternative models. The authors use posterior predictive model checking to determine whether a discrepancy exists between the individual-level parameters and those implied by the assumed distribution of heterogeneity. In simulated and real data sets, the results show that these statistics are useful for identifying when the multivariate normal distribution is adequate, when there is a departure in the tails of the distribution, and when a multimodal distribution of heterogeneity may be more appropriate.
A New Technique for Driven Piles Instrumentation
Authors: Ali Faisal H. , Lee S. K.
Published: September 2010

Currently, strain gauges are normally used to monitor the strain development in the pile during static pile load test. For concrete spun pile, the technique used either by incorporating high temperature-resistant strain gauges into the heat-cured production process of the spun piles or by installing an instrumented steel pipe into the hollow core of the spun piles followed by cement grout infilling. The former is extremely unpopular due to high cost of these gauges and the uncertainty over their ability to survive the pile production and driving processes. The shortcoming of the other technique is the infilling of cement grout substantially alters the structural properties of the piles, thus, rendering their load-response behaviour significantly different from that of the actual working piles. This paper highlights the application of a method, recently developed by the authors, which uses retrieval sensors instead of strain gauges which have to be sacrificed in every test. The method is particularly useful to monitor loads and displacements at various levels along the pile shaft and toe of instrumented piles. Results of field tests show high quality, reliable, and consistent data, clearly far exceeding the capability of both conventional methods of using strain gauges.
Application of New Solid Polymeric Dispersant, Easy-Sperse® P-20 (Spray-Dried Polymer Composites) in Suspension Concentrates and Water Dispersible Granule Formulations—Improvement in Suspensibility and Rain-fastnesss
Authors: Zhang W. , Qu X. , Jon D. , Patel J. , Narayanan K. S.
Published: September 2010

Easy-Sperse® P-20 [ES P-20] is a synergistic, spray-dried composite of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and partially neutralized methyl vinyl ether maleic acid butyl/ethyl half ester polymer. In this work, ES P-20 was used as an additive in water-based suspension concentrate (SC) and water dispersible granule (WDG) for improving the suspensibility and rain-fastness performance of those samples. SC samples with 40 % Diuron, 30 % Isoproturon, and 40 % Imidacloprid were prepared. The suspensibility, rain-fastness, viscosity, pH, heat-aged stability, and particle size distribution were measured and compared. Our data showed that the use of ES P-20 could improve the SC suspensibility. The majority of the samples tested reached>70 % suspensibility at 0.2 %, 0.5 %, and 1 % active ingredients after dilution with water and after 4 h standing at room temperature. For some samples, the suspensibility was found to be>90 %, while the formulations without ES P-20 showed a suspensibility of <50 % in most cases. After adding ES P-20, the SC sample with 40 % Diuron also demonstrated better rain-fastness. This indicates that ES P-20 can enhance water resistance during water rinsing. WDG samples with 90 % Atrazine, 80 % Diuron, and 75 % Nicosulfuron were also made successfully using ES P-20 as one of the polymeric dispersants via a laboratory basket extruder. Performance data including friability/hardness, disintegration, wetting time, and suspensibility were evaluated. The data provided illustrate the advantage of using ES P-20 for improving the suspensibility in water. In conclusion, ES P-20 shows synergy with anionic dispersants in dispersing AIs. It also improves heat-aged stability and reduces settling of the AI with time. The formulations with ES P-20 showed increased resistance to water wash in our laboratory tests. The results demonstrated that ES P-20 can be used effectively in formulating zero volatile organic compound compositions like SC and WDG.
Advanced Zirconium Alloy for PWR Application
Authors: Garde A. M. , Comstock R. J. , Pan G. , Baranwal R. , Hallstadius L. , Cook T. , Carrera F.
Published: September 2010

Westinghouse is evaluating several advanced zirconium-based alloys, designated collectively as AXIOM™, to achieve improved performance for more demanding fuel management schemes. There are five candidate AXIOM alloys currently being evaluated by Westinghouse. The in–pressurized water reactor (PWR) performance of one candidate alloy, X5A, is reviewed in this paper. The irradiation performance of X5A (previously identified as Alloy A) cladding that was fabricated using high-temperature processing (HTP) was published in 2002. Since then, the fabrication process of X5A was optimized by the use of a low-temperature process (LTP). Cladding tubes with the improved processing have been irradiated in two commercial PWRs (PWR A and PWR B) and in two test reactors (Test Reactor C and Test Reactor D). The irradiation performance of both versions (HTP X5A and LTP X5A) is reviewed in this paper with a primary emphasis on the current LTP cladding. After achieving an intermediate burnup in the range of 48–54 GWd/Metric Ton of Uranium (MTU) in PWR A, the average maximum oxide layer thickness for LTP X5A was about 23 μm or about 27 % lower than the oxide thickness on ZIRLO® clad fuel rods. In addition, the fuel rod axial growth strain for LTP X5A was about 50 % of ZIRLO rod growth. Lead fuel rod irradiation of LTP X5A in PWR B with burnup in the range of 47–53 GWd/MTU showed about 30 % lower corrosion relative to ZIRLO rods and a 7 % lower axial rod growth strain than ZIRLO. An irradiation experiment in Test Reactor C was designed to study breakaway irradiation growth (in the absence of waterside oxidation) of several alloys. LTP X5A cladding showed a growth strain of about 20 % that of ZIRLO cladding at a fluence of 16×1025n/m2. In Test Reactor D, at a burnup of about 44 GWd/MTU, HTP X5A had the same oxide thickness as ZIRLO. However, the post-irradiation hydrogen pick-up was 35 % lower for HTP X5A compared to ZIRLO. In addition to the irradiation experience, the supplemental out-reactor autoclave evaluation of X5A welds indicates adequate weld corrosion resistance. While additional in-PWR exposures are required along with post-irradiation examination, the results to date demonstrate that X5A is a promising alloy for future PWR application.
Honey Bee Thermal/Chemical Sensor, AmHsTRPA, Reveals Neofunctionalization and Loss of Transient Receptor Potential Channel Genes
Authors: Kohno Keigo , Sokabe Takaaki , Tominaga Makoto , Kadowaki Tatsuhiko
Published: September 2010

Insects are relatively small heterothermic animals, thus they are highly susceptible to changes in ambient temperature. However, a group of honey bees is able to maintain the brood nest temperature between 32°C and 36°C by either cooling or heating the nest. Nevertheless, how honey bees sense the ambient temperature is not known. We identified a honey bee Hymenoptera-specific transient receptor potential A (HsTRPA) channel (AmHsTRPA), which is activated by heat with an apparent threshold temperature of 34°C and insect antifeedants such as camphorin vitro. AmHsTRPAis expressed in the antennal flagellum, and ablation of the antennal flagella and injection of AmHsTRPA inhibitors impair warmth avoidance of honey bees. Gustatory responses of honey bees to sucrose are suppressed by noxious heat and insect antifeedants, but are relieved in the presence of AmHsTRPA inhibitors. These results suggest that AmHsTRPA may function as a thermal/chemical sensorin vivo. As shown previously, Hymenoptera has lost the ancient chemical sensor TRPA1; however, AmHsTRPA is able to complement the function ofDrosophila melanogasterTRPA1. These results demonstrate that HsTRPA, originally arisen by the duplication ofWater witch, has acquired thermal- and chemical-responsive properties, which has resulted in the loss of ancient TRPA1. Thus, this is an example of neofunctionalization of the duplicated ion channel gene followed by the loss of the functionally equivalent ancient gene.
Dark Light, Rod Saturation, and the Absolute and Incremental Sensitivity of Mouse Cone Vision
Authors: Naarendorp Frank , Esdaille Tricia M. , Banden Serenity M. , Andrews-Labenski John , Gross Owen P. , Pugh Edward N.
Published: September 2010

Visual thresholds of mice for the detection of small, brief targets were measured with a novel behavioral methodology in the dark and in the presence of adapting lights spanning ∼8 log10units of intensity. To help dissect the contributions of rod and cone pathways, both wild-type mice and mice lacking rod (Gnat1−/−) or cone (Gnat2cpfl3) function were studied. Overall, the visual sensitivity of mice was found to be remarkably similar to that of the human peripheral retina. Rod absolute threshold corresponded to 12–15 isomerized pigment molecules (R*) in image fields of 800 to 3000 rods. Rod “dark light” (intrinsic retinal noise in darkness) corresponded to that estimated previously from single-cell recordings, 0.012R* s−1rod−1, indicating that spontaneous thermal isomerizations are responsible. Psychophysical rod saturation was measured for the first time in a nonhuman species and found to be very similar to that of the human rod monochromat. Cone threshold corresponded to ∼5R* cone−1in an image field of 280 cones. Cone dark light was equivalent to ∼5000R* s−1cone−1, consistent with primate single-cell data but 100-fold higher than predicted by recent measurements of the rate of thermal isomerization of mouse cone opsins, indicating that nonopsin sources of noise determine cone threshold. The new, fully automated behavioral method is based on the ability of mice to learn to interrupt spontaneous wheel running on the presentation of a visual cue and provides an efficient and highly reliable means of examining visual function in naturally behaving normal and mutant mice.
Supporting Cells Eliminate Dying Sensory Hair Cells to Maintain Epithelial Integrity in the Avian Inner Ear
Authors: Bird Jonathan E. , Daudet Nicolas , Warchol Mark E. , Gale Jonathan E.
Published: September 2010

Epithelial homeostasis is essential for sensory transduction in the auditory and vestibular organs of the inner ear, but how it is maintained during trauma is poorly understood. To examine potential repair mechanisms, we expressed β-actin-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in the chick inner ear and used live-cell imaging to study how sensory epithelia responded during aminoglycoside-induced hair cell trauma. We found that glial-like supporting cells used two independent mechanisms to rapidly eliminate dying hair cells. Supporting cells assembled an actin cable at the luminal surface that extended around the pericuticular junction and constricted to excise the stereocilia bundle and cuticular plate from the hair cell soma. Hair bundle excision could occur within 3 min of actin-cable formation. After bundle excision, typically with a delay of up to 2–3 h, supporting cells engulfed and phagocytosed the remaining bundle-less hair cell. Dual-channel recordings with β-actin-EGFP and vital dyes revealed phagocytosis was concurrent with loss of hair cell integrity. We conclude that supporting cells repaired the epithelial barrier before hair cell plasmalemmal integrity was lost and that supporting cell activity was closely linked to hair cell death. Treatment with the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 did not prevent bundle excision but prolonged phagocytic engulfment and resulted in hair cell corpses accumulating within the epithelium. Our data show that supporting cells not only maintain epithelial integrity during trauma but suggest they may also be an integral part of the hair cell death process itself.
NMDA Receptors with Locked Glutamate-Binding Clefts Open with High Efficacy
Authors: Kussius Cassandra L. , Popescu Gabriela K.
Published: September 2010

Glutamate-gated channels mediate fundamental brain processes, yet the mechanisms by which the neurotransmitter controls channel activation are incompletely understood. Structural studies revealed that the agonist has the critical role of bridging the divide between two flexible extracellular lobes and solidified the view that agonist-induced cleft-closure drives further isomerizations, which eventually open the channel. Within the glutamate receptor family, NMDA-sensitive channels are unique in their requirement that both glycine and glutamate bind to homologous regions on GluN1 and GluN2 subunits, respectively, before the channel can open. To study the gating reaction in separation from agonist binding and dissociation, we characterized the kinetic mechanism of individual NMDA receptors whose ligand-binding clefts were locked shut by disulfide bridges engineered across lobes. We found that locking GluN1 domains had no observable consequences on receptor activity, whereas locking GluN2A domains increased channel activity without reducing the number of resolvable kinetic states. Based on these results, we suggest that glutamate but not glycine activates NMDA receptors with submaximal efficacy. Low glutamate efficacy may represent a mechanism by which the neurotransmitter maintains control over receptor kinetics despite sharing with glycine the task of activation.
Regulatory Mechanisms that Mediate Tenascin C-Dependent Inhibition of Oligodendrocyte Precursor Differentiation
Authors: Czopka Tim , von Holst Alexander , ffrench-Constant Charles , Faissner Andreas
Published: September 2010

Here, we present mechanisms for the inhibition of oligodendendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation, a biological function of neural extracellular matrix (ECM). The differentiation of oligodendrocytes is orchestrated by a complex set of stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the signaling pathway elicited by the ECM glycoprotein tenascin C (Tnc). Tnc substrates inhibit myelin basic protein (MBP) expression of cultured rat oligodendrocytes, and, conversely, we found that the emergence of MBP expression is accelerated in forebrains of Tnc-deficient mice. Mechanistically, Tnc interfered with phosphorylation of Akt, which in turn reduced MBP expression. At the cell surface, Tnc associates with lipid rafts in oligodendrocyte membranes, together with the cell adhesion molecule contactin (Cntn1) and the Src family kinase (SFK) Fyn. Depletion of Cntn1 in OPCs by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) abolished the Tnc-dependent inhibition of oligodendrocyte differentiation, while Tnc exposure impeded the activation of the tyrosine kinase Fyn by Cntn1. Concomitant with oligodendrocyte differentiation, Tnc antagonized the expression of the signaling adaptor and RNA-binding molecule Sam68. siRNA-mediated knockdown or overexpression of Sam68 delayed or accelerated oligodendrocyte differentiation, respectively. Inhibition of oligodendrocyte differentiation with the SFK inhibitor PP2 could be rescued by Sam68 overexpression, which may indicate a regulatory role for Sam68 downstream of Fyn. Our study therefore uncovers the first signaling pathways that underlie Tnc-induced, ECM-dependent maintenance of the immature state of OPCs.
Correlation between leptin level and hypertension in normal and obese pre- and postmenopausal women
Authors: Khokhar Kawaljit Kaur , Sidhu Sharda , Kaur Gurcharan
Published: September 2010

Objective

The present study was aimed at evaluating the correlation between leptin and hypertension in normal and obese hypertensive pre- (Pre-M) and postmenopausal (Post-M) women of Jalandhar city (Punjab, India).

Design

For the present study, 78 Pre-M and Post-M women were recruited in four categories as follows: i) normal normotensive, ii) obese normotensive, iii) normal hypertensive, and iv) obese hypertensive. Body mass index was considered as the index of obesity. Guidelines given by JNC-VII were followed for the assessment of hypertension. Leptin was assayed by sandwich ELISA, and estradiol (E2) was assayed by competitive ELISA.

Results

Leptin level was found to be significantly higher in normal Pre-M women (P<0.02) than that of normal Post-M women. Obese subjects had significantly higher leptin level (P<0.001) than the normal women. In the case of hypertensive subjects, leptin level was significantly higher than that of normotensive counterparts. E2level was found significantly lower in Post-M women (P<0.001) than that of Pre-M women as well as in hypertensive women than that of normotensive subjects. A positive correlation was observed between blood pressure (BP) and leptin, but significant association was observed in hypertensive normal and obese Pre-M and Post-M women only.

Conclusion

It is concluded from the present findings that leptin contributes to the regulation of BP in hypertensive normal as well as in the obese Pre-M and Post-M women. So, leptin may be a regulator of BP in hypertensive women independent of the degree of obesity and the menopausal status.
Weight gain by hyperalimentation elevates C-reactive protein levels but does not affect circulating levels of adiponectin or resistin in healthy subjects
Authors: Åstrand Olov , Carlsson Martin , Nilsson Ingela , Lindström Torbjörn , Borga Magnus , Nystrom Fredrik H , _ _
Published: September 2010

Objective

Increase of resistin and/or reduction of adiponectin have been implicated in the development of insulin resistance following weight gain. We aimed to study this prospectively in humans.

Design

Prospective and interventional with parallel control group.

Methods

Twelve healthy men and six healthy women (age 26±6.6 years) and an age-matched control group were recruited. Subjects in the intervention group aimed for a bodyweight increase of 5–15% by doubling the baseline caloric intake by eating at least two fast food-based meals a day in combination with adoption of a sedentary lifestyle for 4 weeks.

Results

Bodyweight increased from 67.6±9.1 to 74.0±11 kg,P<0.001, by the intervention. Insulin levels increased (before: 27.4±12 pmol/l, after: 53.0±22 pmol/l,P=0.004), while plasma levels of adiponectin (before: 5038±3736 ng/ml, after: 6739±7949 ng/ml,P=0.18) and resistin (before: 21.8±19 ng/ml, after: 14.4±6.8 ng/ml,P=0.074) remained unchanged by the weight gain and were similar as in controls. On the other hand, leptin levels increased about threefold following the intervention (before: 5.7±7.4, after: 16±20 ng/ml,P=0.008), and also the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) increased from 0.34±0.44 to 0.71±0.87 mg/l,P=0.03, when two outliers >10 mg/l were disregarded.

Conclusions

Hyperalimentation reduces insulin sensitivity when weight gain of 9% was combined with reduction of exercise. However, the levels of resistin and adiponectin were unaffected by the intervention, while CRP levels increased within this short time period suggesting that low-grade inflammation can occur early in the process of developing a metabolic syndrome.
Fyn kinase is involved in cleavage furrow ingression during meiosis and mitosis
Authors: Levi Mattan , Maro Bernard , Shalgi Ruth
Published: September 2010

Fertilization of mammalian oocytes triggers their exit from the second meiotic division metaphase arrest. The extrusion of the second polar body (PBII) that marks the completion of meiosis is followed by the first mitotic cleavage of the zygote. Several lines of evidence in somatic cells imply the involvement of Fyn, an Src family kinase (SFK), in cell cycle control and actin functions. In this study, we demonstrate, using live cell confocal imaging and microinjection of Fyn cRNAs, the recruitment of Fyn to the oocyte's cortical area overlying the chromosomes and its colocalization with filamentous actin (F-actin) during exit from the meiotic metaphase. Fyn concentrated asymmetrically at the cortical site designated for ingression of the PBII cleavage furrow, where F-actin had already been accumulated, and then redispersed throughout the entire cortex only to be recruited again to the cleavage furrow during the first mitotic division. Although microinjection of dominant negative Fyn did not affect initiation of the cleavage furrow, it prolonged the average duration of ingression, decreased the rates of PB extrusion and of the first cleavage, and led to the formation of bigger PBs and longer spindles. Extrusion of the PBII was blocked in oocytes exposed to SU6656, an SFK inhibitor. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, a continuous colocalization of Fyn and F-actin during meiosis and imply a role for the SFKs, in general, and for Fyn, in particular, in regulating pathways that involve actin cytoskeleton, during ingression of the meiotic and mitotic cleavage furrows.
Evolution of the Drosophila Feminizing Switch Gene Sex-lethal
Authors: Cline Thomas W , Dorsett Maia , Sun Sha , Harrison Melissa M , Dines Jessica , Sefton Louise , Megna Lisa
Published: September 2010

In Drosophila melanogaster, the gene Sex-lethal (Sxl) controls all aspects of female development. Since melanogaster males lacking Sxl appear wild type, Sxl would seem to be functionally female specific. Nevertheless, in insects as diverse as honeybees and houseflies, Sxl seems not to determine sex or to be functionally female specific. Here we describe three lines of work that address the questions of how, when, and even whether the ancestor of melanogaster Sxl ever shed its non-female-specific functions. First, to test the hypothesis that the birth of Sxl's closest paralog allowed Sxl to lose essential ancestral non-female-specific functions, we determined the CG3056 null phenotype. That phenotype failed to support this hypothesis. Second, to define when Sxl might have lost ancestral non-female-specific functions, we isolated and characterized Sxl mutations in D. virilis, a species distant from melanogaster and notable for the large amount of Sxl protein expression in males. We found no change in Sxl regulation or functioning in the 40+ MY since these two species diverged. Finally, we discovered conserved non-sex-specific Sxl mRNAs containing a previously unknown, potentially translation-initiating exon, and we identified a conserved open reading frame starting in Sxl male-specific exon 3. We conclude that Drosophila Sxl may appear functionally female specific not because it lost non-female-specific functions, but because those functions are nonessential in the laboratory. The potential evolutionary relevance of these nonessential functions is discussed.
Re-thinking the Guru
Authors: Hegarty James M.
Published: September 2010

In this paper, I explore the role of hagiographical tradition in the formation of Sikh identity and in shaping the attitude’s of Sikhs to non-Sikhs in eighteenth-century Pañjab. I focus on one particular hagiography, the B40 Janam Sakhi, which tells of the life and deeds of Guru Nanak. I suggest that, by inserting Nanak and his work in a range of dramatic scenarios, the B40 develops a perspective on the Guru and the austere devotional ideals of his verse that considerably widens their social appeal and cosmic scope, and establishes an arena for the formation and adaptation of forms of religious identity and domination amongst Sikhs. I suggest that this form of analysis may serve to enrich and broaden the productive scholarly dialogue concerning the social and political life of the suffix -ism, the designation ‘religion’ and the development of a wide variety of, by turn, cherished and vilified definitional perspectives in South Asian studies.