bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Basement Membranes: Current Concepts of Structure and Synthesis
Authors: Kefalides Nicholas A.
Published: October 2009

Basement membranes are composed of dissimilar protein subunits. The procollagen-like subunit is associated with noncollagenous matrix glycoproteins. The proportion of the latter components varies among basement membranes. The various subunits interact via hydrogen bonds, disulfide bonds and aldehyde-derived cross-links. The extensive degree of cross-linking renders basement membranes highly insoluble. A procollagen-like molecule, extracted from calf anterior lens capsule, exhibits on electron microscopy a filamentous component with a globular portion attached at one end. Treatment of basement membranes with pepsin at low temperature digests the noncollagenous glycoprotein components and allows the collagenous component to come into solution. Purification of the pepsin-solubilized collagen from basement membranes reveals a molecule composed of three identical α-chains. Other unique features include 40–50 residues of hydroxylysine, 128–140 residues of 4-hydroxyproline, 12–15 residues of 3-hydroxyproline, 29 residues of arginine, 35 residues alanine, 2–4 residues of half-cystine, 38 residues of glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine, 3 residues of mannose, 2 residues of glucosamine, and 0.3 residues of fucose. Immunochemical studies indicate the presence of three distinct antigenic components and support the evidence that one is collagenous and the other two are noncollagenous glycoproteins. One of the latter corresponds to the non-helical extension of procollagen. The other is a large-molecular weight highly cross-linked matrix protein.
Erythematous Eruption of the Palms and Soles Associated with Mitotane Therapy
Authors: Zuehlke Richard L.
Published: October 2009

An unusual eruption was observed in a man being treated with mitotane. His palms and soles developed an erythematous, edematous, partially petechial rash, which was present primarily in areas subjected to pressure. The patient experienced pruritus, burning, and tenderness in areas of the eruption.
Histologic Findings in Angioma senile
Authors: Salamon T. , Lazović O. , Milicević M.
Published: October 2009

In ten cases of angioma senile and in three cases of nevi nevicellulares, the authors found an encirclement of the tumor tissue by epithelial cells arising mainly from the follicular walls. The proliferating epithelial cells led to complete rejection of the tumor in six cases of angioma and in three cases of cellular nevi. The process of rejection of the tissue is considered to be of ideological nature.
Livedo Racemosa-Like Photosensitivity Reaction during Quinidine Durettes Medication
Authors: de Groot W.P. , Wuite J.
Published: October 2009

Two patients on quinidine Durettes medication developed a photosensitive reaction 48 h after sun exposure. The reaction started with a pronounced oedema, followed by a reticulate daik blue discolouration; purpura developed in the discoloured areas. Patch tests and photo patch tests with quinidine sulphate and with quinidine Durettes were negative. As yet it has not been decided whether the quinidine or another constituent of the quinidine Durettes has caused the reaction.
North American Blastomycosis
Authors: Matta Mona , Farah Fuad S.
Published: October 2009

The case of a patient suffering from North American blastomycosis is reported. The infection was contracted in Gambia, West Africa. The diagnosis was established by identification of the organism in histologic sections and in cultures at room temperature and at 37°C. The patient was treated with amphotericin B. The epidemiology of this infection is discussed.
Chemical Assay of Merthiolate after Incubation with Serum from Subjects with Positive Patch Tests to Merthiolate
Authors: Möller H.
Published: October 2009

A method for quantitative and qualitative determination of merthiolate (thimerosal) is presented. Merthiolate is chemically assayed by spectrophotometry and thin-layer chromatography following ether extraction of acidified solutions. Serum from subjects with positive patch tests to merthiolate does not affect merthiolate differently than serum from control subjects.
Alterations of Collagen in Psoriatic Skin
Authors: Horvath A. , Tábora E.
Published: October 2009

In water, salt and acid-soluble collagen from samples of scales and unaffected skin of 5 psoriatics and 2 healthy controls, the amount of protein and free aldehyde groups, the specific rotation and optical rotatory dispersion and the ultraviolet absorption spectra has been determined. The results indicate that psoriatic skin as a whole presents alterations similar to those which have been found characteristic of collagen diseases.
Studies on Isolated Keratin Fractions from Mammalian Epidermis
Authors: Bauer F.W.
Published: October 2009

Immunological and immuno-electrophoretic studies of various keratin fractions from different mammalian sources showed that these fractions were all immunologically identical with the human pH 5.5 protein. That means that the differences in iso-electric points (IEP) have to be explained by differences in degree of aggregation or by differences in conformation.
Circulating Antibodies in Human Favus
Authors: Grappel Sarah F. , Blank F. , Bishop C.T.
Published: October 2009

Antibodies to T. schoenleinii were found in sera of favus patients by charcoal agglutination and immunodiffusion analyses.
Late Mutilating Bejel in the Nomadic Bedouins of Kuwait
Authors: Kanan M.W. , Abbas M. , Girgis H.Y.
Published: October 2009

The clinicopathological findings in three sporadic cases of late mutilating bejel of the mid-face and mouth have been described in two bedouin men and a bedouin woman from the Great Arabian Peninsula on the outskirts of Kuwait. The epidemiology, differential diagnosis and the relevant literature of bejel or non-venereal endemic syphilis have also been discussed.
The Importance of Food Sensitization in Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Gonzalez de la Reguera I. , Iñigo J.F. , Oehling A.
Published: October 2009

In the majority of the cases studied (72%), there is sensitization to one or more foods. This figure is highly demonstrative regarding the importance of food in atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis appears more frequently in the first 10 years of life, not differing remarkably, though, with regard to sex. The most sensitizing foods are: milk, egg and fish. The coincidence of atopic dermatitis with other allergic diseases such as intestinal parasitosis, is shown.
Histologic Response of Skin to Repeated Trauma
Authors: Johnson W.C. , Butterworth T.
Published: October 2009

Two patients with dermatitis traumatica due to repeated biting were studied. Biopsies from the grossly thickened traumatized areas were compared with adjacent normal skin. The altered epidermis was 5–8 times thicker than normal and the corium was more than twice as thick as normal. Blood vessels and nerves appeared to be increased in number and larger in diameter in the traumatized areas. Hair follicles in the traumatized area were enlarged and contained coarse terminal hairs in contrast to lanugo hairs in the normal skin. A relative absence of inflammation in the traumatized skin contrasted with the inflammatory changes seen in lichen simplex chronicus and prurigo nodularis. The inflammatory response, apparently resulting from trauma in these latter diseases, may indicate an abnormal host response.
Follicular-Keratogenic Properties of Fatty Acids in the External Ear Canal of the Rabbit
Authors: Kanaar P.
Published: October 2009

The follicular-keratogenic properties of several fatty acids were investigated by application in the external ear canal of the rabbit. Laurinic acid and oleic acid induced marked, and caprinic acid moderate inflammation and follicular keratosis. Myristinic, palmitinic and stearinic acid induced no distinct alterations. The histologic picture of the induced alterations is described. Statistical analysis of the values, obtained by quantification of histologic changes (table I) showed significant differences between the individual treatment groups.
On the Origin of Urocanic Acid in the Horny Layer
Authors: Smeenk G. , Rijnbeek A.M.
Published: October 2009

In 4 volunteers samples of skin scrapings taken at various depths on the fore-arms were collected for determination of the urocanic acid, amino-nitrogen, and sodium content. The percentage of urocanic acid in the samples from deeper levels was higher than in the superficial material. The ratio between the amounts of urocanic acid and amino-nitrogen was the same in all layers. It is therefore concluded that the urocanic acid in the human stratum corneum is of epidermal origin and is not derived from sweat.
Pustular Bacterid
Authors: Tager A. , Lass N.
Published: October 2009

Twelve patients with pustular bacterid were subjected to intradermal bacterial (streptococcal and staphylococcal) test. The test was positive in all patients (and negative in the controls), thus strongly suggesting that pustular bacterid is due to bacterial sensitivity. Attempts to desensitize the 12 patients with injections of bacterial vaccine (containing staphylococci and streptococci) proved very successful: 7 of the patients recovered completely and remaining 5 showed considerable improvement (over a follow-up period of up to 7 years).
Validation of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) in a Persian-Speaking Population
Authors: Pouretemad Hamid Reza , Khatibi Ali , Ganjavi Anahita , Shams Jamal , Zarei Mojtaba
Published: October 2009

Use of reliable screening and diagnostic tests for assessment of cognitive abilities in neurological patients is rapidly increasing in clinical practice. This is due to the increase in the prevalence of dementias and the raised awareness of cognitive impairment in neurological disorders. Two well-known bedside screening tests for dementias among the English-speaking population are the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE). However, such tests have not been developed for the Persian-speaking population, which is estimated at 120 million worldwide. In this study we developed the Persian ACE and MMSE, adopted from the English version. We also assessed the sensitivity and specificity of these tests in the identification of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We found that the Persian ACE at a cutoff point of 84, has a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 91% in discriminating MCI from a normal population; at 78, the test has a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 93% in differentiating MCI from AD, and at a similar cutoff point has a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96% in discriminating AD from a normal population. We conclude that the Persian ACE is a valuable tool in clinical practice in the Persian-speaking population.
Soluble E-Selectin Is an Inverse and Independent Predictor of Left Ventricular Wall Thickness in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients
Authors: Stancanelli Benedetta , Malatino Lorenzo S. , Cataliotti Alessandro , Bellanuova Ignazio , Mallamaci Francesca , Tripepi Giovanni , Benedetto Frank A. , Leonardis Daniela , Fatuzzo Pasquale , Rapisarda Francesco , Zoccali Carmine
Published: October 2009

Background: E-selectin is a specific endothelial cell product involved in leukocyte recruitment on the endothelium, which is an important early step in the reparative process following vascular damage. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the relationship of E-selectin with left ventricular function has been so far neglected. Methods: We studied 237 patients on chronic dialysis (200 on hemodialysis, 37 on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) for at least 6 months, without clinical evidence of heart failure. On a mid-week non-dialysis day, fasting blood sampling and echocardiography were performed. Results: Left ventricular mass index (LVMI, corrected for height) was inversely related to E-selectin levels, increasing from 56.8 ± 18.9 (>75th percentile E-selectin tertile) to 66.7 ± 20.1 g/m2.7 (<50th percentile E-selectin tertile) (p = 0.002). However, in multiple regression models, including traditional (age, sex, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, albumin, previous cardiovascular events) and emerging (asymmetric dimethylarginine, interleukin-6) risk factors associated with ESRD, soluble E-selectin has proved to be a significant inverse and independent predictor of mean wall thickness, but not of LVMI. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that soluble E-selectin is inversely associated with the muscular component of the left ventricle, thereby suggesting that the lack of such a reparative factor may be associated with cardiac remodeling in ESRD patients.
Cardiomyopathy and Kidney Disease in a Patient with Maternally Inherited Diabetes and Deafness Caused by the 3243A>G Mutation of Mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Azevedo Olga , Vilarinho Laura , Almeida Filipa , Ferreira Francisco , Guardado Joana , Ferreira Mariana , Lourenço António , Medeiros Rosa , Almeida João
Published: October 2009

Cardiomyopathy is a manifestation of mitochondrial cytopathies, but rarely constitutes the dominant feature, especially in adults. We report the case of a 59-year-old male with a personal and maternal history of diabetes and deafness, who presented with cardiomyopathy and kidney disease. We diagnosed the patient as having a mitochondrial cytopathy resulting from the 3243A>G mutation on the tRNALeu(UUR) gene in the mitochondrial DNA. The family history, broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and fluctuant clinical course provided clues to the diagnosis. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying the phenotypic variability and fluctuant clinical course of mitochondrial disorders and the potential usefulness of coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine in 3243A>G mutation patients.
Glycome and Transcriptome Regulation of Vasculogenesis
Authors: Harfouche Rania , Hentschel Dirk M. , Piecewicz Stephanie , Basu Sudipta , Print Cristin , Eavarone David , Kiziltepe Tanyel , Sasisekharan Ram , Sengupta Shiladitya
Published: October 2009

Background—

Therapeutic vasculogenesis is an emerging concept that can potentially be harnessed for the management of ischemic pathologies. The present study elucidates the potential coregulation of vasculogenesis by the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan–rich cell-surface glycome and the transcriptome.

Methods and Results—

Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into endothelial cells in an in vitro embryoid body is paralleled by an amplification of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan sulfation, which correlates with the levels of the enzyme
N
-deacetylase/
N
-sulfotransferase 1 (NDST1). Small hairpin RNA–mediated knockdown of NDST1 or modification of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans in embryonic stem cells with heparinases or sodium chlorate inhibited differentiation of embryonic stem cells into endothelial cells. This was translated to an in vivo zebrafish embryo model, in which the genetic knockdown of NDST1 resulted in impaired vascularization characterized by a concentration-dependent decrease in intersegmental vessel lumen and a large tail-vessel configuration, which could be rescued by use of exogenous sulfated heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. To explore the cross talk between the glycome and the transcriptome during vasculogenesis, we identified by microarray and then validated wild-type and NDST1 knockdown–associated gene-expression patterns in zebrafish embryos. Temporal analysis at 3 developmental stages critical for vasculogenesis revealed a cascade of pathways that may mediate glycocalyx regulation of vasculogenesis. These pathways were intimately connected to cell signaling, cell survival, and cell fate determination. Specifically, we demonstrated that forkhead box O3A/5 proteins and insulin-like growth factor were key downstream signals in this process.

Conclusions—

The present study for the first time implicates interplay between the glycome and the transcriptome during vasculogenesis, revealing the possibility of harnessing specific cellular glyco-microenvironments for therapeutic vascularization.
Anthropometry, Body Fat, and Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Severinsen Marianne Tang , Kristensen Søren Risom , Johnsen Søren Paaske , Dethlefsen Claus , Tjønneland Anne , Overvad Kim
Published: October 2009

Background—

Obesity, measured as body mass index, is associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE). Body mass index is a marker of excess weight and correlates well with body fat content in adults; however, it fails to consider the distribution of body fat. We assessed the association between anthropometric variables and VTE.

Methods and Results—

From 1993 to 1997, 27 178 men and 29 876 women 50 to 64 years of age were recruited into a Danish prospective study (Diet, Cancer, and Health). During 10 years of follow-up, the outcome of VTE events was identified in the Danish National Patient Registry and verified by review of medical records. Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and total body fat were measured at baseline. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between anthropometry and VTE. Age was used as a time axis, with further adjustment for smoking, physical activity, height, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cholesterol, and, among women, use of hormone replacement therapy. We verified 641 incident VTE events and found monotonic dose-response relationships between VTE and all anthropometric measurements in both sexes. In mutually adjusted analyses of waist and hip circumference, we found that hip circumference was positively associated with VTE in women but not in men, whereas waist circumference was positively associated with VTE in men but not in women.

Conclusions—

All measurements of obesity are predictors of the risk for VTE. Positive associations were found between VTE and body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and total body fat mass.
γ-H2AX Foci as a Biomarker for Patient X-Ray Exposure in Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization
Authors: Beels Laurence , Bacher Klaus , De Wolf Daniël , Werbrouck Joke , Thierens Hubert
Published: October 2009

Background—

A better knowledge of patient x-ray dose and the associated radiation risk in pediatric interventional cardiology is warranted in view of the extensive use of x-rays and the higher radiosensitivity of children. In the present study, γ-H2AX foci were used as a biomarker for radiation-induced effects. Patient-specific dose was assessed and radiation risks were estimated according to the linear-no-threshold model, commonly used in radiation protection, and the γ-H2AX foci data.

Methods and Results—

In 49 pediatric patients (median age, 0.75 years) with congenital heart disease who underwent cardiac catheterization procedures, blood samples were taken before and shortly after the procedure. γ-H2AX foci were determined in peripheral blood T lymphocytes. In each patient, a net increase in γ-H2AX foci, representing DNA double-strand breaks induced by interventional x-rays, was observed. In addition, a patient-specific Monte Carlo simulation of the procedure was performed, resulting in individual blood, organ, and tissue doses. Plotting of γ-H2AX foci versus blood dose indicated a low-dose hypersensitivity. Median effective doses calculated according to the International Commission on Radiological Protection 60 and 103 publications are 5.6 and 6.4 mSv, respectively. The lifetime-attributable risk of cancer mortality was calculated from the linear-no-threshold model and the γ-H2AX foci data. This resulted in lifetime-attributable risk values of 1% and 4%, respectively, for the patient population under study.

Conclusions—

γ-H2AX foci as a biomarker for DNA damage indicate that radiation risk estimates according to the linear-no-threshold hypothesis are possibly underestimates. Great care should be taken to minimize and optimize patient radiation exposure.
Protection of Angiotensin II–Induced Vascular Hypertrophy in Vascular Smooth Muscle–Targeted Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 2 Transgenic Mice
Authors: Liang Lihuan , Tam Christina W. , Pozsgai Gabor , Siow Richard , Clark Natalie , Keeble Julie , Husmann Knut , Born Walter , Fischer Jan A. , Poston Robin , Shah Ajay , Brain Susan D.
Published: October 2009

The vasodilator and vascular regulatory peptide adrenomedullin (AM), a member of the calcitonin gene-related peptide family of peptides, is predicted to play a pivotal protective role in cardiovascular dysfunction. The principle AM (AM1) receptor is composed of a G protein–linked calcitonin receptor-like receptor and a receptor activity-modifying protein (receptor activity-modifying protein 2). There is little knowledge of the receptors via which AM acts in diseases. Using smooth muscle-targeted receptor activity–modifying protein 2 transgenic mice with increased vascular density of functional AM1 receptors, we demonstrate that receptor activity-modifying protein 2 transgenic mice are not protected against angiotensin II–induced hypertension or cardiac hypertrophy. However, vascular hypertrophy, together with vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 expression, is significantly reduced in the aortic walls of transgenic mice, as determined by histological techniques. This indicates that the AM1 vascular smooth muscle receptor can mediate local protection in vivo. This is supported by proliferation studies in cultured smooth muscle cells. By comparison, levels of hypotension and inflammation in a shock model were similar to those in wild-type mice. Thus, a role of the AM1 receptor in the vasoactive component could not be detected, and evidence is provided to show that the hypotensive response to AM is subject to desensitization in vivo. The finding that the vascular smooth muscle AM1 receptor acts at a local level to protect against hypertension-induced vascular hypertrophy and inflammation provides evidence that targeting this receptor may be a beneficial therapeutic approach.
Ablation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Abolishes Endothelin-Induced Increases in Afferent Renal Nerve Activity
Authors: Xie Chaoqin , Wang Donna H.
Published: October 2009

Endothelin 1 (ET-1) and its receptors, ETA and ETB, play important roles in regulating renal function and blood pressure, and these components are expressed in sensory nerves. Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) 1 channels expressed in sensory nerves innervating the renal pelvis enhances afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA), diuresis, and natriuresis. We tested the hypothesis that ET-1 increases ARNA via activation of ETB, whereas ETA counterbalances ETB in wild-type (WT) but not TRPV1-null mutant mice. ET-1 alone or with BQ123, an ETA antagonist, perfused into the left renal pelvis increased ipsilateral ARNA in WT but not in TRPV1-null mutant mice, and ARNA increases were greater in the latter. [Ala1, 3,11,15]-endothelin 1, an ETB agonist, increased ARNA that was greater than that induced by ET-1 in WT mice only. [Ala1, 3,11,15]-endothelin 1-induced increases in ARNA were abolished by chelerythrine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, but not by H89, a protein kinase A inhibitor. Chelerythrine, H89, and BQ788, an ETB antagonist, did not affect ARNA triggered by capsaicin in WT mice. Substance P release from the renal pelvis was increased by [Ala1, 3,11,15]-endothelin 1 in WT mice only, and the increase was abolished by chelerythrine but not by H89. Chelerythrine, H89, and BQ788 did not affect capsaicin-induced substance P release. Our data show that ET1 increases ARNA via activation of ETB, whereas ETA counterbalances ETB in WT but not in TRPV1-null mutant mice, suggesting that TRPV1 mediates ETB-dependent increases in ARNA, diuresis, and natriuresis possibly via the protein kinase C pathway.
Efficacy of Spironolactone Therapy in Patients With True Resistant Hypertension
Authors: de Souza Fabio , Muxfeldt Elizabeth , Fiszman Roberto , Salles Gil
Published: October 2009

The role of spironolactone in resistant hypertension management is unclear. The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate the antihypertensive effect of spironolactone in patients with true resistant hypertension diagnosed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. A total of 175 patients had clinical and complementary exams obtained at baseline and received spironolactone in doses of 25 to 100 mg/d. A second ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed after a median interval of 7 months. Paired Student
t
test was used to assess differences in blood pressure before and during spironolactone administration, and multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and number of antihypertensive drugs to assess the predictors of blood pressure fall. There were mean reductions of 16 and 9 mm Hg, respectively, in 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressures (95% CIs: 13 to 18 and 7 to 10 mm Hg;
P
<0.001). Office systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure also decreased (14 and 7 mm Hg). Controlled ambulatory blood pressure was reached in 48% of patients. Factors associated with better response were higher waist circumference, lower aortic pulse wave velocity, and lower serum potassium. No association with plasma aldosterone or aldosterone:renin ratio was found. Adverse effects were observed in 13 patients (7.4%). A third ambulatory blood pressure monitoring performed in 78 patients after a median of 15 months confirmed the persistence of the spironolactone effect. In conclusion, spironolactone administration to true resistant hypertensive patients is safe and effective in decreasing blood pressure, especially in those with abdominal obesity and lower arterial stiffness. Its addition to an antihypertensive regimen as the fourth or fifth drug is recommended.
Relating Satellite-Observed Cloud Properties from MODIS to Meteorological Conditions for Marine Boundary Layer Clouds
Authors: Zhang Guang J. , Vogelmann Andrew M. , Jensen Michael P. , Collins William D. , Luke Edward P.
Published: October 2009

This study examines 6 yr of cloud properties observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the NASA Terra satellite in five prominent marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud regions (California, Peru, Canary, Angola, and Australia) and investigates their relationships with near-surface meteorological parameters obtained from NCEP reanalyses. About 62 000 independent scenes are used to examine the instantaneous relationships between cloud properties and meteorological parameters that may be used for global climate model (GCM) diagnostics and parameterization. Cloud liquid water path (LWP) generally increases with lower-tropospheric stability (LTS) and lifting condensation level (LCL), whereas cloud drizzle frequency is favored by weak LTS and negligible cold air advection. Cloud fraction (CF) depends strongly on variations in LTS, and to a lesser extent on surface air temperature advection and LCL, although the relationships vary from region to region. The authors propose capturing the effects of these three parameters on CF via their linear combination in terms of a single parameter, the effective lower-tropospheric stability (eLTS). Results indicate that eLTS offers a marked improvement over LTS alone in explaining the median CF variations within the different study regions. A parameterization of CF in terms of eLTS is provided, which produces results that are improved over those of Klein and Hartmann’s LTS-only parameterization. However, the new parameterization may not predict the observed variability correctly, and the authors propose a method that might address this shortcoming via a statistical approach.
Intensification of East Asian Summer Rainfall Interannual Variability in the Twenty-First Century Simulated by 12 CMIP3 Coupled Models
Authors: Lu Riyu , Fu Yuanhai
Published: October 2009

The authors examine the projected change in interannual variability of East Asian summer precipitation and of dominant monsoonal circulation components in the twenty-first century under scenarios A1B and A2 by analyzing the simulated results of 12 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) coupled models. Interannual standard deviation is used to depict the intensity of interannual variability. An evaluation indicates that these models can reasonably reproduce the essential features of the present-day interannual variability in both East Asian rainfall and the rainfall-related circulations.

The models project an enhanced interannual variability of summer rainfall over East Asia in the twenty-first century, under both scenarios A1B and A2. Over the East Asian summer rain belt, 10 of the 12 models under scenario A1B and 9 of the 10 models under scenario A2 show enhanced variability in the twenty-first century relative to the twentieth century. The multimodel ensemble (MME) results in increased ratios of interannual standard deviation of precipitation averaged over this region of about 12% and 19% under scenarios A1B and A2, respectively. Furthermore, it is found that the interannual variability is intensified much more remarkably in comparison with mean precipitation.

Two circulation factors, the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) and East Asian upper-tropospheric jet (EAJ), which are closely related to the interannual variability of East Asian summer rainfall, are also projected by the models to exhibit enhanced interannual variability in the twenty-first century. This provides more evidence for the enhancement of interannual variability in East Asian summer rainfall and implies intensified interannual variability of the whole East Asian summer monsoon system. On the other hand, the relationships of East Asian rainfall with the WNPSH and EAJ do not exhibit clear changes in the twenty-first century under scenarios A1B and A2, and there are great discrepancies in the changes of the relationships among the individual models.
Forecast Skill and Farmers’ Skills: Seasonal Climate Forecasts and Agricultural Risk Management in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Crane Todd A. , Roncoli Carla , Paz Joel , Breuer Norman , Broad Kenneth , Ingram Keith T. , Hoogenboom Gerrit
Published: October 2009

During the last 10 yr, research on seasonal climate forecasts as an agricultural risk management tool has pursued three directions: modeling potential impacts and responses, identifying opportunities and constraints, and analyzing risk communication aspects. Most of these approaches tend to frame seasonal climate forecasts as a discrete product with direct and linear effects. In contrast, the authors propose that agricultural management is a performative process, constituted by a combination of planning, experimentation, and improvisation and drawing on a mix of technical expertise, situated knowledge, cumulative experience, and intuitive skill as farmers navigate a myriad of risks in the pursuit of livelihood goals and economic opportunities. This study draws on ethnographic interviews conducted with 38 family farmers in southern Georgia, examining their livelihood goals and social values, strategies for managing risk, and interactions with weather and climate information, specifically their responses to seasonal climate forecasts. Findings highlight the social nature of information processing and risk management, indicating that both material conditions and value-based attitudes bear upon the ways farmers may integrate climate predictions into their agricultural management practices. These insights translate into specific recommendations that will enhance the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of seasonal climate forecasts among farmers and will promote the incorporation of such information into a skillful performance in the face of climate uncertainty.
Work and autonomy in the assembly of printed circuit boards
Authors: Subramanian Dilip
Published: October 2009

Work, conceptualised as a concrete and practical activity, continues to remain an under-explored problematic in the field of Indian labour studies. The neglect of ethnographic research techniques could perhaps account for this shortcoming. Based on non-participant observation in a public sector company, this article examines the practices and attitudes of workers specialised in assembling printed circuit boards for electronic telephones. Despite the standardised nature of the product and its low economic value, operatives allocated to this task experience a significant degree of autonomy in their daily activities. In consonance with their personal inclinations and interests, they are not only free to structure their immediate physical environment but also to control their work pace and organise the way they perform their jobs. In all these spheres of practice, important variations can be observed from one individual to the next. This situation belies the conventional thesis equating semi-skilled occupations of the kind described here with job fragmentation, the absence of individual discretion and stringent managerial controls. The departure from the norm stems in part from the desire to preserve a harmonious industrial relations climate and in part from the non-strategic character of the end product—telephones—in the company’s portfolio. But slack disciplinary controls, a problem common to state-owned enterprises in general, could also explain the latitude granted to workers.
Filming Loss
Authors: Lazzara Michael J.
Published: October 2009

Two Argentine filmmakers of the postdictatorship generation have used the documentary as a space in which to question constructions of history, memory, and identity in the aftermath of traumatic and tumultuous experiences. Both projects foreground the idea of loss and the difficulties of writing a “truthful” version of the past when confronted by politically motivated “official histories,” temporal shift, ideological change, lost referents, and missed experience. Andrés Di Tella’s La televisión y yo (2003) questions the intersections among history, identity, and the media. In it the filmmaker’s identity, fragile and tenuous, is shown to be based upon memories of the television programs of his youth that he missed because of his family’s self-imposed exile during the Onganía regime. The film is a clear critique of globalization’s effects on subjectivity. Albertina Carri’s Los rubios (2003) highlights the tenuousness of her identity by exploring the gaps and silences of memory. It raises key questions about “postmemory” and generational shifts and, more particularly, about how those at a generational remove from the traumas of dictatorship can comprehend these traumatic historical events and their own relationships to them.
The War of Memory
Authors: Martins Filho João Roberto
Published: October 2009

Since the mid-1970s, a number of testimonial narratives have contributed to the literature on the Brazilian military regime. These works, representing both the military and the Brazilian left, carry on the political struggles of the period (1964—1984). Through the dynamics of their publication, a tense dialogue has been established. A comparison of the memoirs of leftist militants with those of military men reveals that the practice of torture continues to be a source of apparently unending discord between the two sides.
Unintended Hepatic Adverse Events Associated with Cancer Chemotherapy
Authors: Senior John R.
Published: October 2009

Chemotherapy is meant to be toxic, but it is particularly aimed at the tumor cells. Collateral damage may occur to normal cells and tissues, especially if they are fairly rapidly regenerating, as is the case for bone marrow cells, intestinal epithelial cells, and liver cells after hepatic injury. The liver has a great capacity to resist injury, overcome it, and to regenerate, even after quite massive injury (resection of 50%—65%, for example). This capacity may make it susceptible to chemotherapeutic toxicity, and a struggle between injury and adaptation, leading to recovery and tolerance or to failure and death. If the chemotherapy is aimed just at delaying progression of the cancer for a few weeks or months, it may not be worth the risk of irreversible liver injury developing in that time. Close clinical observation and sound clinical judgment are required.
Political Economy of the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006
Authors: Saravanan Velayutham
Published: October 2009

Politics has played havoc with tribals and the environment during the post-Independence period in India. Even after fi fty years of Indian planning, deprived groups, and tribals in particular, continue to remain underdeveloped, with their living conditions deteriorating further. Taking a historical perspective, this article seeks to capture the political undercurrents of economic policy-making towards tribals and tribal development planning and specifi cally analyses the consequences of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 on the environment as well as tribal development. Examining whether this new, politically motivated law will provide an impetus for economic progress of the tribals and environmental sustainability, it is argued that this Act will neither benefit the tribal communities nor enhance conservation. Rather, it serves as a cloak to justify non-tribal intervention, with potentially disastrous consequences.
Gurudom
Authors: Lal Madan
Published: October 2009

This article critiques the close relationship between religion and politics by focusing on the nexus of politician–bureaucrats and deras (religious sects) particularly in Punjab. It is observed how heads of deras decorate themselves with various titles, cleverly generate unconditional devotion among followers and present themselves as worldly gods. In addition, books, music and other equipment associated with spirituality are now an industry worth millions of rupees every year. The article notes that the nexus of the deraswith politics takes various forms and may cause social conflicts. It criticises in particular the bargaining capacity of the deras, which causes politicians to seek their patronage. The article discusses worrying trends about the misuse of religion that are now identifi able.
Historical Geography of Natu in South India with Special Reference to Kerala
Authors: Ganesh K.N.
Published: October 2009

Natus, as agricultural regions that went into the making of the medieval south Indian states, have already been well researched. While natu has been identified as Vellanvagai villages, distinct from the Brahmadeyas, it has been pointed out that natu also developed as a region controlled by the chiefs. Historians have argued that natu in Kerala developed more as political entities, comparable to the rashtra under the Rashtrakutas and padi under the Colas. Close examination of the natus in Kerala shows that they developed as production regions, starting from food crops, particularly paddy cultivation, but expanded to include garden lands, cash crop areas and forests. Because of the mixed character of the topography occupied by the natus, they came to develop as political entities, controlled by hereditary chiefs or by households, both acting with the help of a military retinue. Under the rule of the Cheras or Perumals from ninth to twelfth centuries, natus came to occupy central importance in the structuring of the Chera state, and they continued to exist even after the decline of the Chera rule during the beginning of the twelfth century.
Participatory Dreaming
Authors: Repede Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2009

Dreaming is a universal phenomenon in human experience and one that carries multiple meanings in the narrative discourse across disciplines. Dreams can be collective, communal, and emancipatory, as well as individual. While individual dreaming has been extensively studied in the literature, the participatory nature of dreaming as a unitary phenomenon is limited. The concept of participatory dreaming within a unitary appreciative framework for healing is explored from perspectives in anthropology, psychology, and nursing. A participatory model of dreaming is proposed from a synthesis of the literature for use in future research using unitary appreciative inquiry.
Improving the Profession of Nursing in Slovenia
Authors: Baumann Steven L.
Published: October 2009

The importance of increasing the educational attainment of professional nurses in Slovenia is discussed. It is suggested that with the global economic recession it is more, not less, important that professional nurses are competent and independent practitioners.
Fostering the Creative Spirit in Teaching‐Learning
Authors: Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: October 2009

This author describes creativity and the development of several curriculum projects fostering the creative spirit in the nursing academy as well as in other health sciences. It introduces Dr. Barbara Condon’s column describing the use of artistic expression, framed by the humanbecoming school of thought, in a senior level nursing course at Briar Cliff University.
Unnatural conversations in unnatural conversations: speech reporting in the discourse of spiritual mediumship
Authors: Wales Katie
Published: October 2009

Despite the popular attraction of spiritualism in contemporary society, the discourse of spiritual mediumship has attracted little attention from linguists or stylisticians. One of the practical reasons for this is probably the lack of material in the public domain. On the basis of a recording of a whole session between a professional medium and her client, this article looks at the reporting strategies used by the medium to convey alleged messages from those who have Passed Over: messages which are central to the claims of spiritualism and hence to the authority of the medium. It will be argued that the common accepted formalist terminology of speech representation is inadequate, failing to do justice to the blended spaces of this world and that Beyond and to the medium’s role as ‘intermediary’. Four types are illustrated (interpreted, relayed, dictated and unmediated speech). The methodology proposed might offer a useful approach to the complexities of speech presentation even in This World.
TGF-β inhibits IL-1β-activated PAR-2 expression through multiple pathways in human primary synovial cells
Authors: Tsai Shin-Han , Sheu Ming-Thau , Liang Yu-Chih , Cheng Hsiu-Tan , Fang Sheng-Shiung , Chen Chien-Ho
Published: October 2009

To investigate the mechanism how Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) represses Interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced Proteinase-Activated Receptor-2 (PAR-2) expression in human primary synovial cells (hPSCs). Human chondrocytes andhPSCs isolated from cartilages and synovium of Osteoarthritis (OA) patients were cultured with 10% fetal bovine serum media or serum free media before treatment with IL-1β, TGF-β1, or Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). The expression of PAR-2 was detected using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Collagen zymography was performed to assess the activity of Matrix metalloproteinases-13 (MMP-13). It was demonstrated that IL-1β induces PAR-2 expression via p38 pathway inhPSCs. This induction can be repressed by TGF-β and was observed to persist for at least 48 hrs, suggesting that TGF-β inhibits PAR-2 expression through multiple pathways. First of all, TGF-β was able to inhibit PAR-2 activity by inhibiting IL-1β-induced p38 signal transduction and secondly the inhibition was also indirectly due to MMP-13 inactivation. Finally, TGF-β was able to induce CTGF, and in turn CTGF represses PAR-2 expression by inhibiting IL-1β-induced phospho-p38 level. TGF-β could prevent OA from progression with the anabolic ability to induce CTGF production to maintain extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity and to down regulate PAR-2 expression, and the anti-catabolic ability to induce Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) production to inhibit MMPs leading to avoid PAR-2 over-expression. Because IL-1β-induced PAR-2 expressed inhPSCs might play a significantly important role in early phase of OA, PAR-2 repression by exogenous TGF-β or other agents might be an ideal therapeutic target to prevent OA from progression.
Successful establishment of primary small airway cell cultures in human lung transplantation
Authors: Banerjee Balarka , Kicic Anthony , Musk Michael , Sutanto Erika N , Stick Stephen M , Chambers Daniel C
Published: October 2009

Background

The study of small airway diseases such as post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is hampered by the difficulty in assessing peripheral airway function either physiologically or directly. Our aims were to develop robust methods for sampling small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) and to establish submerged SAEC cultures for downstream experimentation.

Methods

SAEC were obtained at 62 post-transplant bronchoscopies in 26 patients using radiologically guided bronchial brushings. Submerged cell cultures were established and SAEC lineage was confirmed using expression of clara cell secretory protein (CCSP).

Results

The cell yield for SAEC (0.956 ± 0.063 × 106) was lower than for large airway cells (1.306 ± 0.077 × 106) but did not significantly impact on the culture establishment rate (79.0 ± 5.2% vs. 83.8 ± 4.7% p = 0.49). The presence of BOS significantly compromised culture success (independent of cell yield) for SAEC (odds ratio (95%CI) 0.067 (0.01-0.40)) but not LAEC (0.3 (0.05-1.9)). Established cultures were successfully passaged and expanded.

Conclusion

Primary SAEC can be successfully obtained from human lung transplant recipients and maintained in culture for downstream experimentation. This technique will facilitate the development of primary in vitro models for BOS and other diseases with a small airway component such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD.
Construction of an annotated corpus to support biomedical information extraction
Authors: Thompson Paul , Iqbal Syed A , McNaught John , Ananiadou Sophia
Published: October 2009

Background

Information Extraction (IE) is a component of text mining that facilitates knowledge discovery by automatically locating instances of interesting biomedical events from huge document collections. As events are usually centred on verbs and nominalised verbs, understanding the syntactic and semantic behaviour of these words is highly important. Corpora annotated with information concerning this behaviour can constitute a valuable resource in the training of IE components and resources.

Results

We have defined a new scheme for annotating sentence-bound gene regulation events, centred on both verbs and nominalised verbs. For each event instance, all participants (arguments) in the same sentence are identified and assigned a semantic role from a rich set of 13 roles tailored to biomedical research articles, together with a biological concept type linked to the Gene Regulation Ontology. To our knowledge, our scheme is unique within the biomedical field in terms of the range of event arguments identified. Using the scheme, we have created the Gene Regulation Event Corpus (GREC), consisting of 240 MEDLINE abstracts, in which events relating to gene regulation and expression have been annotated by biologists. A novel method of evaluating various different facets of the annotation task showed that average inter-annotator agreement rates fall within the range of 66% - 90%.

Conclusion

The GREC is a unique resource within the biomedical field, in that it annotates not only core relationships between entities, but also a range of other important details about these relationships, e.g., location, temporal, manner and environmental conditions. As such, it is specifically designed to support bio-specific tool and resource development. It has already been used to acquire semantic frames for inclusion within theBioLexicon(a lexical, terminological resource to aid biomedical text mining). Initial experiments have also shown that the corpus may viably be used to train IE components, such as semantic role labellers. The corpus and annotation guidelines are freely available for academic purposes.