bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prednisolone suppression test in depression: prospective study of the role of HPA axis dysfunction in treatment resistance
Authors: Juruena Mario F. , Pariante Carmine M. , Papadopoulos Andrew S. , Poon Lucia , Lightman Stafford , Cleare Anthony J.
Published: March 2009

Background

People with severe depressive illness have raised levels of cortisol and reduced glucocorticoid receptor function.

Aims

To obtain a physiological assessment of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis feedback status in an in-patient sample with depression and to relate this to prospectively determined severe treatment resistance.

Method

The prednisolone suppression test was administered to 45 in-patients with depression assessed as resistant to two or more antidepressants and to 46 controls, prior to intensive multimodal in-patient treatment.

Results

The patient group had higher cortisol levels than controls, although the percentage suppression of cortisol output after prednisolone in comparison with placebo did not differ. Nonresponse to in-patient treatment was predicted by a more dysfunctional HPA axis (higher cortisol levels postprednisolone and lower percentage suppression).

Conclusions

In patients with severe depression, HPA axis activity is reset at a higher level, although feedback remains intact. However, prospectively determined severe treatment resistance is associated with an impaired feedback response to combined glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor activation by prednisolone.
Continuity of care coordination, health needs and social deprivation
Authors: Heffernan John F. , Husni Mariwan
Published: March 2009

Aims and Method

Continuity of care is an important aspect of service provision. We retrospectively examined the number of changes over a 2-year period in care coordinator for new patients on enhanced care in a London borough. Deprivation score, length of hospital stay, and health and social needs were examined for association with continuity of care.

Results

Twenty-six patients met the inclusion criteria; ten patients (39%) had a change in care coordinator. Patients having one or more changes in care coordinator were found to live in significantly more deprived council wards (P=0.004), but their needs score (P=0.863) or length of hospital stay (P=0.368) were not significantly different than in those who did not have changes in care coordinator.

Clinical Implications

Social deprivation affects relational continuity of care in community teams but the mechanism requires evaluation.
Comparisons of Patient and Physician Expectations for Cancer Survivorship Care
Authors: Cheung Winson Y. , Neville Bridget A. , Cameron Danielle B. , Cook E. Francis , Earle Craig C.
Published: March 2009

Purpose

To compare expectations for cancer survivorship care between patients and their physicians and between primary care providers (PCPs) and oncologists.

Methods

Survivors and their physicians were surveyed to evaluate for expectations regarding physician participation in primary cancer follow-up, screening for other cancers, general preventive health, and management of comorbidities.

Results

Of 992 eligible survivors and 607 physicians surveyed, 535 (54%) and 378 (62%) were assessable, respectively. Among physician respondents, 255 (67%) were PCPs and 123 (33%) were oncologists. Comparing patients with their oncologists, expectations were highly discrepant for screening for cancers other than the index one (agreement rate, 29%), with patients anticipating significantly more oncologist involvement. Between patients and their PCPs, expectations were most incongruent for primary cancer follow-up (agreement rate, 35%), with PCPs indicating they should contribute a much greater part to this aspect of care. Expectations between patients and their PCPs were generally more concordant than between patients and their oncologists. PCPs and oncologists showed high discordances in perceptions of their own roles for primary cancer follow-up, cancer screening, and general preventive health (agreement rates of 3%, 44%, and 51%, respectively). In the case of primary cancer follow-up, both PCPs and oncologists indicated they should carry substantial responsibility for this task.

Conclusion

Patients and physicians have discordant expectations with respect to the roles of PCPs and oncologists in cancer survivorship care. Uncertainties around physician roles and responsibilities can lead to deficiencies in care, supporting the need to make survivorship care planning a standard component in cancer management.
Late Mortality Among 5-Year Survivors of Childhood Cancer: A Summary From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: Armstrong Gregory T. , Liu Qi , Yasui Yutaka , Neglia Joseph P. , Leisenring Wendy , Robison Leslie L. , Mertens Ann C.
Published: March 2009

The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) has assembled the largest cohort to date for assessment of late mortality. Vital status and cause of death of all patients eligible for participation in CCSS was determined using the National Death Index and death certificates to characterize the mortality experience of 20,483 survivors, representing 337,334 person-years of observation. A total of 2,821 deaths have occurred as of December 31, 2002. The overall cumulative mortality is 18.1% (95% CI, 17.3 to 18.9) at 30 years from diagnosis. With time, while all-cause mortality rates have been stable, the pattern of late death is changing. Mortality attributable to recurrence or progression of primary disease is decreasing, with increases in rates of mortality attributable to subsequent neoplasms (standardized mortality ratios [SMR], 15.2; 95% CI, 13.9 to 16.6), cardiac death (SMR, 7.0; 95% CI, 5.9 to 8.2), and pulmonary death (SMR, 8.8; 95% CI, 6.8 to 11.2) largely due to treatment-related causes. In addition, the CCSS has identified specific treatment-related risk factors for late mortality. Radiotherapy (relative risk [RR], 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1 to 4.2), alkylating agents (RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6 to 3.0), and epipodophyllotoxins (RR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 4.5) increase the risk of death due to subsequent malignancy. Cardiac radiation exposure (RR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.0 to 5.5) and high dose of anthracycline exposure (RR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6 to 5.8) are associated with late cardiac death. By continued longitudinal follow-up of the cohort and expansion of the cohort to include patients diagnosed between 1987 and 1999, the CCSS will remain a primary resource for assessment of late mortality of survivors of childhood cancers.
Use of the Metallothionein Promoter-Human Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) Mouse to Identify Regulatory Pathways that Suppress Pituitary Somatotrope Hyperplasia and Adenoma Formation due to GHRH-Receptor Hyperactivation
Authors: Luque Raul M. , Soares Beatriz S. , Peng Xiao-ding , Krishnan Sonia , Cordoba-Chacon Jose , Frohman Lawrence A. , Kineman Rhonda D.
Published: April 2009

Hyperactivation of the GHRH receptor or downstream signaling components is associated with hyperplasia of the pituitary somatotrope population, in which adenomas form relatively late in life, with less than 100% penetrance. Hyperplastic and adenomatous pituitaries of metallothionein promoter-human GHRH transgenic (Tg) mice (4 and > 10 months, respectively) were used to identify mechanisms that may prevent or delay adenoma formation in the presence of excess GHRH. In hyperplastic pituitaries, expression of the late G1/G2 marker Ki67 increased, whereas the proportion of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-labeled cells (S phase marker) did not differ from age-matched controls. These results indicate cell cycle progression is blocked, with further evidence suggesting that enhanced p27 activity may contribute to this process. For adenomas, formation was associated with loss of p27 activity (nuclear localization and mRNA). Increased endogenous somatostatin (SST) tone may also slow the conversion from hyperplastic to adenomatous state because mRNA levels for SST receptors, sst2 and sst5, were elevated in hyperplastic pituitaries, whereas adenomas were associated with a decline in sst1 and sst5 mRNA. Also, SST-knockout Tg pituitaries were larger and adenomas formed earlier compared with those of SST-intact Tg mice. Unexpectedly, these changes were independent of changes in proliferation rate within the hyperplastic tissue, suggesting that endogenous SST controls GHRH-induced adenoma formation primarily via modulation of apoptotic and/or cellular senescence pathways, consistent with the predicted function of some of the most differentially expressed genes (Casp1, MAP2K1, TNFR2) identified by membrane arrays and confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.
Runt-Related Transcription Factor 1 Regulates Luteinized Hormone-Induced Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase 2 Expression in Rat Periovulatory Granulosa Cells
Authors: Liu Jing , Park Eun-Sil , Jo Misung
Published: April 2009

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), a transcription factor, is transiently induced by the LH surge and regulates gene expression in periovulatory granulosa cells. Potential binding sites for RUNX are present in the 5′-flanking region of the Ptgs2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) gene. Periovulatory Ptgs2 expression is essential for ovulation. In the present study, we investigated the role of RUNX1 in mediating the LH-induced expression of Ptgs2 in periovulatory granulosa cells. We first determined whether the suppression of Runx1 expression or activity affects Ptgs2 expression using cultured preovulatory granulosa cells isolated from immature rat ovaries primed with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin for 48 h. Knockdown of human chorionic gonadotropin-induced Runx1 expression by small interfering RNA or inhibition of endogenous RUNX activities by dominant-negative RUNX decreased human chorionic gonadotropin or agonist-stimulated Ptgs2 expression and transcriptional activity of Ptgs2 promoter reporter constructs. Results from chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed in vivo binding of endogenous RUNX1 to the Ptgs2 promoter region in rat periovulatory granulosa cells. Direct binding of RUNX1 to two RUNX-binding motifs in the Ptgs2 promoter region was confirmed by EMSA. The mutation of these two binding motifs resulted in decreased transcriptional activity of Ptgs2 promoter reporter constructs in preovulatory granulosa cells. Taken together, these findings provide experimental evidence that the LH-dependent induction of Ptgs2 expression results, in part, from RUNX1-mediated transactivation of the Ptgs2 promoter. The results of the present study assign potential significance for LH-induced RUNX1 in the ovulatory process via regulating Ptgs2 gene expression.
DNA Replication Licensing and Progenitor Numbers Are Increased by Progesterone in Normal Human Breast
Authors: Graham J. Dinny , Mote Patricia A. , Salagame Usha , van Dijk Jessica H. , Balleine Rosemary L. , Huschtscha Lily I. , Reddel Roger R. , Clarke Christine L.
Published: April 2009

Proliferation in the nonpregnant human breast is highest in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when serum progesterone levels are high, and exposure to progesterone analogues in hormone replacement therapy is known to elevate breast cancer risk, yet the proliferative effects of progesterone in the human breast are poorly understood. In a model of normal human breast, we have shown that progesterone increased incorporation of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine and increased cell numbers by activation of pathways involved in DNA replication licensing, including E2F transcription factors, chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (Cdt1), and the minichromosome maintenance proteins and by increased expression of proteins involved in kinetochore formation including Ras-related nuclear protein (Ran) and regulation of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1). Progenitor cells competent to give rise to both myoepithelial and luminal epithelial cells were increased by progesterone, showing that progesterone influences epithelial cell lineage differentiation. Therefore, we have demonstrated that progesterone augments proliferation of normal human breast cells by both activating DNA replication licensing and kinetochore formation and increasing bipotent progenitor numbers.
Regulation of Transcription Factors and Repression of Sp1 by Prolactin Signaling Through the Short Isoform of Its Cognate Receptor
Authors: Devi Y. Sangeeta , Shehu Aurora , Stocco Carlos , Halperin Julia , Le Jamie , Seibold Anita M. , Lahav Michal , Binart Nadine , Gibori Geula
Published: April 2009

Prolactin (PRL) affects the development and function of the reproductive system by binding to two types of receptors, which differ by the size of their intracellular domain in rodents. Whereas the signaling pathway through the long form of the receptor (PRL-RL) is well characterized, signaling through the short form (PRL-RS) remains obscure. In this investigation, we examined transcription factors regulated by PRL in the ovary and decidua of mice expressing only PRL-RS in a PRL receptor null background. These mice provide a powerful in vivo model to study the selective signaling mechanism of PRL through PRL-RS independent of PRL-RL. We also examined the regulation of transcription factors in ovarian and uterine cell lines stably transfected with PRL-RS or PRL-RL. We focused our investigation on transcription factors similarly regulated in both these tissues and clearly established that signaling through PRL-RS does not activate the JaK/Stat in vivo but leads to severe down-regulation of Sp1 expression, DNA binding activity, and nuclear localization, events that appear to involve the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase pathway. Our in vivo and in culture data demonstrate that the PRL-RS activates a signaling pathway distinct from that of the PRL-RL.
Influence of Sex and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Pathways as Determinants in Serotonin Sensitivity
Authors: McEuen Jonathan G. , Semsar Katharine A. , Lim Maria A. , Bale Tracy L.
Published: April 2009

Stress sensitivity and sex are predictive factors in affective disorder susceptibility. Serotonin (5-HT) pathway recruitment by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) during stress is necessary in adaptive coping behaviors, but sex differences in such responses have not been investigated. Using selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) administration to acutely elevate 5-HT in a genetic model of stress sensitivity, we examined behavioral and physiological responses in male and female stress-sensitive CRF receptor-2-deficient (R2KO) mice. Chronic SSRI treatment was used to confirm outcomes were specific to acute 5-HT elevation and not antidepressant efficacy. We hypothesized that R2KO mice would show a greater sensitivity to acute changes in 5-HT and that, because females typically are more stress sensitive, R2KO females would be the most responsive. Our results supported this hypothesis because females of both genotypes and R2KO males showed a greater sensitivity to an acute 10 mg/kg dose of citalopram in a tail suspension test, displaying decreased immobile time and increased latency to immobility. Furthermore, acute citalopram promoted significant anxiogenic-like effects that were specific to R2KO females in the elevated plus maze and light-dark box tests. Chronic citalopram did not produce these behavioral changes, supporting specificity to acute 5-HT modulation. Mechanistically, females had decreased hippocampal 5-HT transporter (SERT) levels, whereas R2KO mice showed reduced SERT in the prefrontal cortex, supporting a possible intersection of sex and genotype where R2KO females would have the lowest SERT to be blocked by the SSRI. This sensitivity to 5-HT-mediated anxiety in females may underlie a heightened vulnerability to stress-related affective disorders.
Characterization of ASC-2 as an Antiatherogenic Transcriptional Coactivator of Liver X Receptors in Macrophages
Authors: Kim Geun Hyang , Park Keunhee , Yeom Seon-Yong , Lee Kyung Jin , Kim Gukhan , Ko Jesang , Rhee Dong-Kwon , Kim Young Hoon , Lee Hye Kyung , Kim Hae Won , Oh Goo Taeg , Lee Ki-Up , Lee Jae W. , Kim Seung-Whan
Published: April 2009

Activating signal cointegrator-2 (ASC-2) functions as a transcriptional coactivator of many nuclear receptors and also plays important roles in the physiology of the liver and pancreas by interacting with liver X receptors (LXRs), which antagonize the development of atherosclerosis. This study was undertaken to establish the specific function of ASC-2 in macrophages and atherogenesis. Intriguingly, ASC-2 was more highly expressed in macrophages than in the liver and pancreas. To inhibit LXR-specific activity of ASC-2, we used DN2, which contains the C-terminal LXXLL motif of ASC-2 and thereby acts as an LXR-specific, dominant-negative mutant of ASC-2. In DN2-overexpressing transgenic macrophages, cellular cholesterol content was higher and cholesterol efflux lower than in control macrophages. DN2 reduced LXR ligand-dependent increases in the levels of ABCA1, ABCG1, and apolipoprotein E (apoE) transcripts as well as the activity of luciferase reporters driven by the LXR response elements (LXREs) of ABCA1, ABCG1, and apoE genes. These inhibitory effects of DN2 were reversed by overexpression of ASC-2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that ASC-2 was recruited to the LXREs of the ABCA1, ABCG1, and apoE genes in a ligand-dependent manner and that DN2 interfered with the recruitment of ASC-2 to these LXREs. Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-null mice receiving bone marrow transplantation from DN2-transgenic mice showed accelerated atherogenesis when administered a high-fat diet. Taken together, these results indicate that suppression of the LXR-specific activity of ASC-2 results in both defective cholesterol metabolism in macrophages and accelerated atherogenesis, suggesting that ASC-2 is an antiatherogenic coactivator of LXRs in macrophages.
The Visible and the Invisibles: Photography and Social Imaginaries in Brazil
Authors: Jaguaribe Beatriz , Lissovsky Maurício
Published: April 2009

This essay offer a comparative analysis of three sets of photographs made in different periods of Brazilian history: portraits of urban slaves made by the photographer Christiano Júnior in the mid-nineteenth century during the Second Empire; photographs of political propaganda commissioned by the Estado Novo in the early 1940s (Obra Getuliana); and contemporary images of Rio de Janeiro favela dwellers taken by the inhabitants of the favelas themselves as part of the communitarian projects of “visual inclusion.” While examining these photographs, we find that our attention is not only centered on the visual traces of the extinct past that resurfaces; rather, we also scan the vestiges of the future that these images distill. Their use of a visual rhetoric that defines scenarios, excludes or includes protagonists, and, most crucially, evokes pedagogies of the gaze allows us to glean signs of becoming, modes of making visible imagined modernities and communities. Despite their disparity, these sets of images organize temporal experiences in specific fashions. In the carte de visite, the testimony of continuity and of succeeding generations attests to a past exemplarily recorded for the future. In the case of the Obra Getuliana, the temporal mode insists on the inauguration of the future-in-the-present. In the photographs of social “inclusion,” the emphasis is cast on the present, and the future is maintained in suspenseful incompletion. In each set of images, therefore, a version of modernity is rendered as progress, rupture, and the right to the quotidian.
Beyond Good and Evil, Whither Liberal Sacrificial Love?
Authors: Povinelli Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2009

This essay probes discourses of millennial governance in current late liberal governance and contemporary critical theory. It examines a set of dilemmas for progressive critics when they mobilize discourses of sacrifice and sacrificial love against the millennial imaginary of good and evil. In particular, it asks how discourses of sacrifice and sacrificial love coordinate violence and redemption in such a way that suffering and dying, the mortification of bodies, are read from the perspective of the redeemed end of a horizonal time.
Directional discrimination in radio frequency identification system for materials flow control in manufacturing and supply chain
Authors: Mo J P T , Lee J-S , Liu C-J , Simic M
Published: April 2009

The development of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems in recent years has enabled the application of this technology in critical areas such as tracking items of interest, reinforcing greater data security, and providing product authentication. However, the major drawback of RFID technology is its inability to detect the direction of movements, i.e. whether the tags are coming towards the read point and from which side. Hence, the reading obtained for each occasion is basically an indication of the ‘presence’ of the item only. A method of discriminating the direction of the RFID tag movement from returned signals of the RFID system has been developed. This paper describes the series of field measurements, that were conducted to assess the characteristics of the data streams, for the development of directional discrimination system.
Multiple case-study analysis of quality management practices within UK Six Sigma and non-Six Sigma manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Kumar M , Antony J
Published: April 2009

Although the benefits of Six Sigma are widely reported in many large organizations, research has shown that its implementation in UK small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is still less evident. This paper attempts to perform a multiple case-study analysis of the quality management practices within the UK Six Sigma and non-Six Sigma manufacturing SMEs. It was found from the case studies that strong leadership, management commitment, communication, education, and training were critical in introducing and driving any culture-change initiatives such as Six Sigma within SMEs. Resource constraints, several changes in management, lack of management commitment, and resistance to change were considered as impeding factors for successful introduction of change initiatives such as Lean or Six Sigma. The Six Sigma firms realized a significant improvement in the performance of operational metrics (such as scrap rate, cycle time, on-time delivery, and yield) and strategic metrics (such as sales, profit, customer satisfaction) after its successful implementation as compared with non-Six Sigma companies. Academic institutions can play a vital role in facilitating Six Sigma implementation in SMEs. The article concludes with the statement that there are critical differences in quality management practices of Six Sigma and non-Six Sigma SMEs, affecting their business performance.
Use of thin laminar liquid flows above ablation area for control of ejected material during excimer machining
Authors: Dowding C F , Lawrence J
Published: April 2009

To observe excimer laser machining through thin liquid films and the effects thereof on debris control, equipment was designed to contain a small control volume that can be supplied with a laminar thin film of de-ionized (DI) water to flow over the workpiece. Using the same equipment, comparison with non-liquid ablation was possible. Reliable calculations of the debris size and density with respect to the distance from the centre of the shot, as well as the identification of modal trends in the dispersion of the debris were obtained from analysis of microscope images with graphical analysis software. The results suggest that the positional debris deposition of samples machined in ambient air show a modal tendency that is reliant on the machined feature shape and is a function of species size. This is proposed to be due to the interaction of multiple shockwaves at the extent of ablation plumes generated at geometry-specific locations in the feature. Debris is deposited where the shockwaves collide. Large debris did not typically travel much further than the boundary of the machined feature, whereas intermediate debris was found in radial streaks at a normal to the circular feature's perimeter. Laminar flows of liquid have shown potential to modify the end position and typical size of the debris produced, as well as increased homogeneity of deposition density. The use of immersion has reduced typical range by 17 per cent, and the deposition within the boundary of the ablation plume has a comparatively even population density with respect to the sample machined in ambient air. Outside the ablation plume extents, evidence of positional control of deposited debris species by laminar flow DI water immersion is shown by debris deposition in rippled flow line patterns for both circular and square features, indicating the action of transport by fluid flow. A typical increase in debris size by an order of magnitude when using DI water as an immersing liquid has been measured, a result that is in line with a colloidal interaction response.
The effect of heat loss on the performance of a solar-driven heat engine
Authors: Sogut O S , Durmayaz A
Published: March 2009

An optimal performance analysis of a parabolic-trough direct-steam-generation solar-driven Rankine cycle power plant at maximum power (MP) and under maximum power density (MPD) conditions is performed numerically to investigate the effects of heat loss from the heat source and working fluid. In this study, the ideal Rankine cycle of the solar-driven power plant is modified into an equivalent Carnot-like cycle with a finite-rate heat transfer. The main assumptions of this study include that: (a) the parabolic collector is the thermal reservoir at a high temperature, (b) the heat transfer process between the collector and the working fluid is through either radiation and convection simultaneously or radiation only, and (c) the heat transfer process from the working fluid to the low-temperature thermal reservoir is convection dominated. Comprehensive discussions on the effect of heat loss during the heat transfer process from the hot thermal reservoir to the working fluid in the parabolic-trough solar collector are provided. The major results of this study can be summarized as follows: (a) the working fluid temperature at the hot-side heat exchanger decreases remarkably whereas the working fluid temperature at the cold-side heat exchanger does not show any significant change with increasing heat loss, (b) the MP, MPD, and thermal efficiencies decrease with increasing heat loss, and (c) the effect of heat loss on the decrease of thermal efficiency increases when convection is the dominant heat transfer mode at the hot-side heat exchanger.
Profile surfaces of cylindrical cams with arbitrarily-shaped followers
Authors: Hwang G S , Tsay D M
Published: April 2009

This study proposes an approach that is based on the theory of envelopes in a parametric form, to derive the analytical expressions of profile surfaces and pressure angles of the cylindrical cams with translating and oscillating arbitrary-shaped followers. The profile curvature is also analysed for the consideration of undercutting. The obtained results are feasible for various types of follower contours, which can be represented by parametric or explicit expressions, and then they can be thought of as the general forms of the cylindrical cam—follower mechanisms. The generalization and practicability in application of the results are also demonstrated in the design and numerical examples.
Theoretical and experimental modal analysis of a cantilever steel beam with a tip mass
Authors: Miguel Fadel Letícia F , Miguel Fadel Leandro F , Thomas Kern C A
Published: March 2009

The need of a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of systems has been showing the importance of the use of reliable methods to determine modal properties through the knowledge of output-only measurements. This article begins describing the theoretical bases of an efficient method for output-only system identification and an application example is demonstrated further. The studied system is a steel cantilever beam with a tip mass, which was tested at the Group of Applied Mechanics/Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Through free vibration tests, the response of the beam is acquired, and using the stochastic subspace system identification method (SSI), its dynamic properties are determined. Next, the beam is analysed by finite-element method and also through the theory of vibrations of continuous systems, determining its spectral properties. Thus, the results obtained through SSI are compared with the numerical and theoretical results, showing that the dynamic properties obtained through the procedure of system identification are reliable.
The preparation and tribological characteristics of a phosphorylated 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane self-assembled nanometre film
Authors: Li J , Sheng X H
Published: March 2009

Thin films deposited on a phosphonate 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) self- assembled monolayer (SAM) were prepared on a hydroxylated silicon substrate by self-assembling. The chemical compositions and the chemical state of the film elements were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The thickness of the films was determined with an ellipsometer, while the morphologies and nanotribological properties of the samples were analysed by atomic force microscopy. As a result, the target film was obtained. It was also found that the thin films showed the lowest friction and adhesion, followed by APTES—SAM and phosphorylated APTES—SAM, while the silicon substrate showed the highest friction and adhesion. Microscale scratch/wear studies clearly showed that thin films were much more scratch/wear resistant than the other samples.
The use of noise and vibration signals for detecting cavitation in kinetic pumps
Authors: Černetič J
Published: March 2009

Cavitation in a kinetic pump reduces delivery head and efficiency of the pump. It also causes mechanical damage and an increase of vibrations and noise. Therefore, it is important to detect inception and development of a cavitation phenomenon in the pump. This article deals with signals of vibration and noise, which will be used for detection and monitoring of the cavitation in kinetic pumps, and also to prevent the effect of the cavitation in the pump and pumping system. When the cavitation is increasing, the flowing conditions are changing, which leads to an increase of vibrations of the pump and emitted noise in the surroundings. Because vibrations and noise are transferred from the pump through its casing, the signal is non-uniformly distorted due to transfer losses and structure of the casing surfaces. Noise and vibrations are increasing steadily, but in some specific frequency ranges the signal is more pronounced than in other parts of the spectrum. Experimental results have shown that vibration and noise in the audible spectrum can be successfully used for cavitation detection and its prevention.
Carbon dioxide as a secondary fluid in natural circulation loops
Authors: Kumar K Kiran , Gopal M Ram
Published: April 2009

In recent years there is growing interest in the use of carbon dioxide as a secondary fluid in various cooling and heating applications. In the present work a comparative study is made between carbon dioxide and conventional secondary fluids that can be used in natural circulation loops for various refrigeration and air conditioning applications. For the same heat input and total loop length, the results are presented in terms of the ratios of pipe diameter required when a conventional fluid is used to the required pipe diameter with carbon dioxide as the secondary fluid. Results are presented for both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. It is observed that due to its excellent thermo-physical and transport properties and near critical point operation, carbon dioxide gives rise to very compact systems when compared to most of the conventional secondary fluids. The difference in size is much greater for laminar flow conditions compared to turbulent flow conditions. Also, for a given system size, the temperature rise/drop across the heat exchangers is much smaller in case of carbon dioxide in comparison to other fluids.
Recent developments in the dynamic analysis of water turbines
Authors: Sick M , Michler W , Weiss T , Keck H
Published: April 2009

This article gives an overview of the current methods for life cycle analysis with special emphasis on dynamic load analysis. Recent developments in CFD simulations of time-dependent phenomena are presented, such as the von Kármán vortex shedding at stay vanes in a Kaplan turbine and the part load vortex in the draft tube of a Francis turbine and a pump turbine. A major topic of this article is the unsteady pressure field in a pump turbine, which is caused by the interaction of guide vanes and runner blades. CFD results of the pressure pulsations and their validation through comparison with measurement data are presented. It is shown how the predicted time-dependent pressure load is transferred as input to the structural analysis of the runner. For the analysis of the response of the runner to the dynamic load knowledge of the natural frequencies of the structure is required including the influence of the surrounding water on the natural frequencies. New results of the prediction of the natural frequencies of a Francis runner including the added mass effect due to the surrounding water are presented. For Pelton runners the state-of-the-art of measurement of eigenfrequencies and detuning are discussed along with the potential improvements due to the new simulation methods.
Effect of surface morphology on the frictional behaviour of hot filament chemical vapour deposition diamond films
Authors: Shen B , Sun F
Published: March 2009

A novel deposition method combining the conventional hot filament chemical vapour deposition method and the polishing technique is proposed for fabricating ultra-smooth composite diamond (USCD) films onto cobalt cemented tungsten carbide substrates. SEM and AFM investigations show that the deposited USCD films have ultra-smooth and uniform surface, and their surface roughness values are measured by using an AFM and a surface profilometer as Ra∼ 59 and ∼88.8 nm, respectively. The tribological properties of USCD films are examined in comparative friction tests with a microcrystalline diamond (MCD), fine-grained diamond, and polished MCD films, and the effect of surface morphology on the friction behaviour of diamond films is highlighted. Friction tests show that the polished MCD and USCD films exhibit very low friction coefficients of approximately 0.08, 0.12, and 0.17, while dry sliding against counterfaces of alumina ceramic, ball-bearing steel, and copper materials. Intensive interactions between two surfaces of the mating parts result in gradual blunting of the sharp tips of diamond crystallites and accumulation of wear debris on the worn surface of diamond films. Adhered wear debris on the diamond films are supposed to have a significant influence on their frictional behaviour because they will cause increasing adhesive strength between the mating surfaces, and thus a higher friction coefficient for the contact.
Recent Developments in the Econometrics of Program Evaluation
Authors: Imbens Guido W , Wooldridge Jeffrey M
Published: March 2009

Many empirical questions in economics and other social sciences depend on causal effects of programs or policies. In the last two decades, much research has been done on the econometric and statistical analysis of such causal effects. This recent theoretical literature has built on, and combined features of, earlier work in both the statistics and econometrics literatures. It has by now reached a level of maturity that makes it an important tool in many areas of empirical research in economics, including labor economics, public finance, development economics, industrial organization, and other areas of empirical microeconomics. In this review, we discuss some of the recent developments. We focus primarily on practical issues for empirical researchers, as well as provide a historical overview of the area and give references to more technical research.
Painful hemiarthroplasty due to acetabular erosion
Authors: Sen D. , Alsousou J. , Fraser J.
Published: March 2009

We describe a technique to salvage a painful hemiarthroplasty due to erosion of the acetabular cartilage in the absence of loosening of the femoral component. A press-fit metallic acetabular component which matched the femoral component was used as a metal-on-metal articulation. The procedure offered a shorter operation time with less blood loss and no risk of femoral fracture as might have occurred during conventional revision to a total hip replacement. The patient made an unremarkable recovery with a good outcome at follow-up of 15 months.
The effect of leg alignment on the outcome of unicompartmental knee replacement
Authors: Gulati A. , Pandit H. , Jenkins C. , Chau R. , Dodd C. A. F. , Murray D. W.
Published: March 2009

Varus malalignment after total knee replacement is associated with a poor outcome. Our aim was to determine whether the same was true for medial unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR). The anatomical leg alignment was measured prospectively using a long-arm goniometer in 160 knees with an Oxford UKR. Patients were then grouped according to their mechanical leg alignment as neutral (5° to 10° of valgus), mild varus (0° to 4° of valgus) and marked varus (> 0° of varus). The groups were compared at five years in terms of absolute and change in the Oxford Knee score, American Knee Society score and the incidence of radiolucent lines.

Post-operatively, 29 (18%) patients had mild varus and 13 (8%) had marked varus. The mean American Knee Society score worsened significantly (p < 0.001) with increasing varus. This difference disappeared if a three-point deduction for each degree of malalignment was removed. No other score deteriorated with increasing varus, and the frequency of occurrence of radiolucent lines was the same in each group.

We therefore conclude that after Oxford UKR, about 25% of patients have varus alignment, but that this does not compromise their clinical or radiological outcome. Following UKR the deductions for malalignment in the American Knee Society score are not justified.
Two Case Reports of Orofacial Paraesthesia Demonstrating the Role of the General Dental Practitioner in Identifying Patients with Intracranial Tumours
Authors: Barber Andrew J , Lawson David DA , Field E Anne
Published: April 2009

The following case reports describe the clinical features, diagnosis and management of two patients who presented to their general dental practitioner with a complaint of orofacial paraesthesia. After appropriate investigations, both patients were diagnosed as having benign intracranial tumours and were managed by a neurosurgeon. These cases illustrate the important role the general dental practitioner has in the early recognition of potentially life-threatening conditions.
Do changes in the subjective experience of recognition over time suggest independent processes?
Authors: Tunney Richard J.
Published: April 2009

Two experiments examined the nature of recognition memory by asking how subjective reports of remembering change over time. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to report their experience of remembering using the well‐known remember–know–guess procedure. Estimates of recollection declined over a 14‐day period, but estimates of familiarity remained constant, suggesting that the processes are independent. In Experiment 2, participants were asked to report their confidence in their recognition decisions. Subjective reports of confidence were analysed via receiver operating characteristics and also indicated different rates of decline for recollection and familiarity. Superficially, the data appear to support a dual‐process account of recognition, but close inspection shows the data to be consistent with a simple signal detection model. The conclusion is that although the phenomenal experience of remembering changes over time this is most likely to be predicated on a single process.
Assessment of PARP-3 Distribution in Tissues of Cynomolgous Monkeys
Authors: Rouleau Michèle , El-Alfy Mohamed , Lévesque Marie-Hélène , Poirier Guy G.
Published: March 2009

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 3 (PARP-3) is a newly characterized PARP. In contrast to the two best-studied nuclear PARPs, PARP-1 and PARP-2, PARP-3 activity is apparently not stimulated by DNA damage. However, our previous work has demonstrated that PARP-3 interacts with several DNA damage response proteins, including Ku70/Ku80, DNA-PK, and PARP-1, suggesting that it contributes to the DNA damage response. Furthermore, a possible function for PARP-3 in the regulation of gene expression has been inferred from our observations that it associates with polycomb group proteins, which are responsible for epigenetic modifications leading to gene silencing. In this report, we extend our characterization of PARP-3 by revealing its distribution in the tissues and cell types of adult cynomolgous monkeys using a well-characterized PARP-3 polyclonal antibody. This study is the first to demonstrate that PARP-3 is genuinely expressed in most of the examined tissues. However, its expression is highly restricted to specific cell types of each tissue, indicating that PARP-3 expression is tightly regulated. One of the key findings of this study is that PARP-3 is highly expressed in the nuclei of epithelial cells forming the ducts of prostate, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas and in the neurons of terminal ganglia. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:675–685, 2009)
Chemoinformatic Methods for Predicting Interference in Drug of Abuse/Toxicology Immunoassays
Authors: Krasowski Matthew D , Siam Mohamed G , Iyer Manisha , Pizon Anthony F , Giannoutsos Spiros , Ekins Sean
Published: April 2009

Background: Immunoassays used for routine drug of abuse (DOA) and toxicology screening may be limited by cross-reacting compounds able to bind to the antibodies in a manner similar to the target molecule(s). To date, there has been little systematic investigation using computational tools to predict cross-reactive compounds.

Methods: Commonly used molecular similarity methods enabled calculation of structural similarity for a wide range of compounds (prescription and over-the-counter medications, illicit drugs, and clinically significant metabolites) to the target molecules of DOA/toxicology screening assays. We used various molecular descriptors (MDL public keys, functional class fingerprints, and pharmacophore fingerprints) and the Tanimoto similarity coefficient. These data were then compared with cross-reactivity data in the package inserts of immunoassays marketed for in vitro diagnostic use. Previously untested compounds that were predicted to have a high probability of cross-reactivity were tested.

Results: Molecular similarity calculated using MDL public keys and the Tanimoto similarity coefficient showed a strong and statistically significant separation between cross-reactive and non–cross-reactive compounds. This result was validated experimentally by discovery of additional cross-reactive compounds based on computational predictions.

Conclusions: The computational methods employed are amenable toward rapid screening of databases of drugs, metabolites, and endogenous molecules and may be useful for identifying cross-reactive molecules that would be otherwise unsuspected. These methods may also have value in focusing cross-reactivity testing on compounds with high similarity to the target molecule(s) and limiting testing of compounds with low similarity and very low probability of cross-reacting with the assay.
»Was? Dramaturg? Noch nie gehört, was ist das?«: Jüdische Dramaturgen im deutschen Theater im Kaiserreich und in der Weimarer Republik
Authors: Feinberg Anat
Published: April 2009

Wenngleich die Hoftheater im wilhelminischen Kaiserreich ihre Pforten nicht gänzlich vor jüdischen Künstlern verschlossen hielten, so fanden Dramaturgen jüdischer Herkunft vor allem in den privaten Theatern, die seit Beginn des 20. Jahrhundert expandierten, eine willkommene Nische. Arthur Kahane, Reinhardts Dramaturg, ist ein exemplarischer Repräsentant dieser Gruppe. Mit dem Zusammenbruch des Kaiserreichs und dem politischen Neuanfang in der Weimarer Republik öffnete sich in vorher ungekanntem Maße die Tür für jüdische Dramaturgen zu staatlichen und kommunalen Theatern. Heinz Lipmann, der junge Dramaturg des Staatstheaters in Berlin, damals die erste Theateradresse der Republik, profitierte von dieser Entwicklung. Obwohl ihre Tätigkeit im Wesentlichen hinter den Kulissen stattfand, trugen Dramaturgen wie Kahane und Lipmann als ein zentrales Bindeglied entscheidend zur Theaterarbeit wie auch zum Theaterdiskurs bei.
GD3 synthase overexpression enhances proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells
Authors: Cazet Aurélie , Groux-Degroote Sophie , Teylaert Béatrice , Kwon Kyung-Min , Lehoux Sylvain , Slomianny Christian , Kim Cheorl-Ho , Le Bourhis Xuefen , Delannoy Philippe
Published: March 2009

The disialoganglioside GD3 is an oncofetal marker of a variety of human tumors including melanoma and neuroblastoma, playing a key role in tumor progression. GD3 and 9-O-acetyl-GD3 are overexpressed in approximately 50% of invasive ductal breast carcinoma, but no relationship has been established between disialoganglioside expression and breast cancer progression. In order to determine the effect of GD3 expression on breast cancer development, we analyzed the biosynthesis of gangliosides in several breast epithelial cell lines including MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, BT-20, T47-D, and MCF10A, by immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR. Our results show that, in comparison to tumors, cultured breast cancer cells express a limited pattern of gangliosides. Disialogangliosides were not detected in any cell line and GM3 was only observed at the cell surface of MDA-MB-231 cells. To evaluate the influence of GD3 in breast cancer cell behavior, we established and characterized MDA-MB-231 cells overexpressing GD3 synthase. We show that GD3 synthase expressing cells accumulate GD3, GD2, and GT3 at the cell surface. Moreover, GD3 synthase overexpression bypasses the need of serum for cell growth and increases cell migration. This suggests that GD3 synthase overexpression may contribute to increasing the malignant properties of breast cancer cells.
Evolution of vacuolar targeting in algae
Authors: Becker Burkhard , Hoef-Emden Kerstin
Published: April 2009

Sorting of soluble vacuolar proteins destined for vacuoles is facilitated by vacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs). To date, three different types of VSRs have been described, namely the mammalian mannose-6-phosphate receptor, the yeast VPS10p receptor, and a plant-type receptor. We searched completed algal genomes for the presence of the plant-type VSRs and examined their structure and phylogeny. We show that green algae and some chromalveolates contain a plant-type vacuolar receptor that seems to be absent in glaucophytes and rhodophytes. All putative plant-type protistan VSRs examined have a similar protein structure. The results of a phylogenetic analysis suggest that plant-type VSRs may have evolved in the last common ancestor of the Viridiplantae and that chromalveolates obtained this type of VSR by horizontal or endocytotic gene transfer. Gene duplications took place in several viridiplant and chromalveolate lineages. We present hypotheses about the evolution of paralogous plant-type VSRs in chlorophytes and chromalveolates.