bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Written and Unwritten Constitutions: A New Approach to the Study of Constitutional Government in China
Authors: Shigong Jiang
Published: November 2009

Criticizing the formalism in China’s constitutional studies over the past 30 years and following an empirical-historical perspective to deal with the dilemma of representation and practice, the author argues that both a written constitution and an unwritten constitution are basic features of any constitutional system, and China’s constitutional order can only be understood if China’s unwritten constitution is taken into account. Selecting four important constitutional issues (the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the National People’s Congress; the position of state chairman and the trinity system of rule; the relationship between the center and localities; and the constitutional structure of “one country two systems”), the author explores four sources of China’s unwritten constitution—the party’s constitution, constitutional conventions, constitutional doctrine, and constitutional statutes—and calls for taking into account China’s unique political tradition and reality to enrich current constitutional scholarship.
End-of-life issues in acute stroke care: a qualitative study of the experiences and preferences of patients and families
Authors: Payne Sheila , Burton Christopher , Addington-Hall Julia , Jones Amanda
Published: November 2009

The aims of this qualitative study were to identify patients’ and family members’ experiences of acute stroke and their preferences for end-of-life care. Twenty-eight purposely sampled patients with an acute stroke who had high (n = 13) and low (n = 15) disability were selected from 191 sequential cases admitted to two general hospitals in north-east England. In addition, 25 family members of other stroke patients were recruited. Views about current stroke services and preferences for end-of-life care were elicited in semi-structured interviews. Communication between patients and family members and healthcare professionals was consistently highlighted as central to a positive experience of stroke care. Honesty and clarity of information was required, even where prognoses were bleak or uncertain. Patients and family members appeared to attach as much importance to the style of communication as to the substance of the transfer of information. Where decisions had been made to shift the focus of care from active to more passive support, families, and where possible patients, still wished to be included in ongoing dialogue with professionals. Where patients were thought to be dying, family members were keen to ensure that the death was peaceful and dignified. Families reported few opportunities for engagement in any form of choice over place or style of end-of-life care. No family member reported being offered the possibility of the patient dying at home. Uncertainty about prognosis is inevitable in clinical practice, and this can be difficult for patients and families. Our findings demonstrate the importance of improving communication between patient, family and health professionals for seriously ill patients with stroke in UK hospitals.
Adult metaxalone ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers, 2000-2006
Authors: Forrester Mathias B
Published: November 2009

Few data exist on potentially adverse metaxalone (Skelaxin®) ingestions in adults. All metaxalone ingestions involving patients aged ≥20 years during 2000-2006 were retrieved from Texas poison control centers. Exclusion criteria were lack of follow-up or multiple substance ingestion. Cases were analyzed for selected demographic and clinical factors. Of the 142 patients, 66.2% were female. Dose ingested was reported for 61 patients. Of those cases with a reported dose, distribution by management site was 29.5% on-site, 59.0% already at/en route to health care facility, and 11.5% referred to health care facility. Final medical outcome was ‘no effect’ for 50.8% cases, ‘minor effect’ for 31.1%, and ‘moderate effect’ for 18.0%. The more common adverse clinical effects reported were drowsiness (27.9%), tachycardia (6.6%), agitation (6.6%), nausea (4.9%), dizziness (4.9%), slurred speech (4.9%), and tremor (4.9%). A moderate medical outcome occurred in 13.6% of ingestions of ≤2400 mg and 20.5% of ingestions of >2400 mg. Management involved a health care facility in 18.2% of ingestions of ≤2400 mg and 100.0% of ingestions of >2400 mg. This study found that adult ingestions of higher doses of metaxalone, particularly >2400 mg, were associated with more serious medical outcomes and were managed at health care facilities. This study also proposes triage guidelines for when ingestions can be safely managed at home.
Interaction Between Participants in Focus Groups With Older Patients and General Practitioners
Authors: Moen Janne , Antonov Karolina , Nilsson J. Lars G. , Ring Lena
Published: November 2009

Group interaction is put forward as the principal advantage for focus group research, although rarely reported on. The aim of the article is to contribute to the methodological knowledge regarding focus group research by providing an empirical example of the application of the Lehoux, Poland, and Daudelin template suggested for analysis of the interaction in focus groups. The data source was 18 focus groups’ performance in Sweden: 12 with older patients and 6 with general practitioners (GPs). GPs found common ground in belonging to the same profession, whereas the older patients, instead of constituting a group in the word’s real sense, started just sharing a common focus. We found the template easy to understand and use, except for identifying participants’ explicit and implicit purposes for participating. Furthermore, adding an interaction analysis to the content analysis helped us appreciate and clarify the contexts from which these data were created.
Listening to Students: A Usability Evaluation of Instructor Commentary
Authors: Still Brian , Koerber Amy
Published: November 2009

Many students see instructor commentary as not constructive but prescriptive directions that must be followed so that their grade, not necessarily their writing, can be improved. Research offering heuristics for improving such commentary is available for guidance, but the methods employed to comment on writing still have not changed significantly, primarily because we lack sufficient understanding of how students use feedback. Usability evaluation is ideally equipped for assessing how students use commentary and how instructors might adapt their comments to make them more usable. This article reports on usability testing of commentary provided to students in an introductory technical writing course.
Climate Change in the Caribbean: The Water Management Implications
Authors: Cashman Adrian , Nurse Leonard , John Charlery
Published: November 2009

Concerns over the status of freshwater availability in the Caribbean region and in particular the eastern Caribbean states have been expressed for at least the past 30 years. There is a growing realization that availability will be vulnerable to extremes of climate behavior and increasing demand for water. Climate modeling for the Caribbean region under a range of scenarios suggests a continuation of a warming in average temperatures, a lengthening of seasonal dry periods, and increases in frequency of occurrence of drought conditions. Using information from the most recent IPCC report and regional downscaling, the authors suggest what some of the macrolevel changes in temperature and rainfall might be and the implications for water resources availability. This article evaluates the existing availability of water resources, the implications of the most recent climate change modeling for the Caribbean region, and the impact of on existing service provision strategies.
Conceptualizing Juvenile Prostitution as Child Maltreatment: Findings from the National Juvenile Prostitution Study
Authors: Mitchell Kimberly J. , Finkelhor David , Wolak Janis
Published: November 2009

Two studies were conducted to identify the incidence (Study 1) and characteristics (Study 2) of juvenile prostitution cases known to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Study 1 revealed a national estimate of 1,450 arrests or detentions (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1,287—1,614) in cases involving juvenile prostitution during a 1-year period. In Study 2, exploratory data were collected from a subsample of 138 cases from police records in 2005. The cases are broadly categorized into three main types: (a) third-party exploiters, (b) solo prostitution, and (c) conventional child sexual abuse (CSA) with payment. Cases were classified into three initial categories based on police orientation toward the juvenile: (a) juveniles as victims (53%), (b) juveniles as delinquents (31%), and (c) juvenile as both victims and delinquents (16%). When examining the status of the juveniles by case type, the authors found that all the juveniles in CSA with payment cases were treated as victims, 66% in third-party exploiters cases, and 11% in solo cases. Findings indicate law enforcement responses to juvenile prostitution are influential in determining whether such youth are viewed as victims of commercial sexual exploitation or as delinquents.
Cultural Moderation in the Formation of Recovery Satisfaction Judgments: A Cognitive-Affective Perspective
Authors: Schoefer Klaus
Published: November 2009

The present study places the formation of recovery satisfaction judgments in a cultural context and empirically assesses their susceptibility to cultural moderation. Specifically, the study investigates whether an individual consumer’s cultural value orientation along the Hofstede dimensions of individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term/short-term orientation moderates the cognitive-affective relationships that underlie the formation of recovery satisfaction judgments. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the study’s findings indicate that these cognitive-affective relationships are indeed subject to cultural moderation. Specifically, the findings document that individuals’ cultural value orientations significantly influence the impact of the cognitive (i.e., perceived justice-based) and affective (i.e., emotion-based) antecedents to recovery satisfaction. This supports the notion that conceptually accurate models of recovery satisfaction formation should incorporate culture as a moderating influence. Importantly, however, cultural moderation explains only an additional 2% to 4% of the variance in recovery satisfaction in the present study and none of the variance in positive/negative emotions. Accordingly, the managerial significance of variations in individuals’ cultural value orientations appears to be only minor, and firms may not necessarily stand a much better chance of implementing more appropriate recovery actions if they are sensitive to cultural differences in their customer base.
‘‘Living Like a King’’: Conspicuous Consumption, Virtual Communities, and the Social Construction of Paid Sexual Encounters by U.S. Sex Tourists
Authors: Katsulis Yasmina
Published: November 2009

Paid sex encounters are not simply about having sex, they are cultural acts informed by a complex sexual subjectivity at a particular historical moment and location. Sex tourism, as a practice of conspicuous consumption, enables the cultivation, and experience, of a particular form of subjectivity that relies upon (and exploits) historical differences in power and privilege. In this article, I discuss three interrelated discursive themes: sexual desire for Latinas as the sexual ‘‘Other,’’ a comparative lack of desire for U.S. women, and the use of consumer products (e.g., Viagra) and the cultivation of sexual techniques, as a way to create, experience, and maintain a positive sexual self. By participating in a virtual community dedicated to their interest in sex tourism, customers are able to create a complex, gendered subjectivity that is continually reimagined and reinscribed, as well as construct a set of shared meanings related to paid encounters.
A psycho-discursive approach to analysing qualitative interview data, with reference to a father—son relationship
Authors: Gough Brendan
Published: November 2009

I want to make a case, following some recent social psychological thinking (Georgaca; Frosh et al.; Hollway and Jefferson), for using psychoanalytic concepts to inform qualitative interviewing and (particularly) the analysis of interview data. More specifically, I wish to advocate the use of both discursive and psychoanalytic perspectives in facilitating qualitative data analysis: the deployment of psychoanalytic concepts directs us to interviewee biographies and subjectivity, complementing the discursive emphasis on the language use and function during interviews. To illustrate the benefits of this ‘psychodiscursive’ approach, I draw upon interview data on a father-son relationship, derived from a wider ESRC-sponsored Node project on family resemblances, to trace defensive as well as discursive patterns in the interview data. I will be arguing that both discursive and psychoanalytic frameworks can offer valuable, and not necessarily incompatible, levels of interpretation, while either perspective presented in isolation will lead to an impoverished analysis.
Parental Child Murder and Child Abuse in Anglo-American Legal System
Authors: Gurevich Liena
Published: November 2009

In this article, the sociological and historical approaches and literatures are synthesized to present the historical background of the treatment that child-abusing and child-killing parents are receiving in the legal system today. The roots of the formation of contemporary institutional responses to severe child abuse and child homicide are traced and latest developments are examined critically. Durkheim’s insights regarding the functions of law are highlighted by pointing out how, throughout history, crimes against children become stand-ins for larger societal problem. The latest innovations in the criminal branch of child protection consist of the specialized prosecution bureaus and court parts dealing with physical and sexual violence against children. Integral to the new developments in child protection are ‘‘multidisciplinary,’’ comprehensive approaches to the processing of criminal cases, involving teams consisting of representatives from the police, the prosecution, public and private social work and child protection agencies, and psychiatric, pediatric, and other medical practitioners and community partners. These developments exemplify heightened focus on criminal prosecution of parental crimes against children, inevitably leading to questions and policy concerns regarding resources geared toward punishment rather than prevention.
Nr1d1, an Important Circadian Pathway Regulatory Gene, Is Suppressed By Cigarette Smoke in Murine Lungs
Authors: Vasu Vihas T. , Cross Carroll E. , Gohil Kishorchandra
Published: November 2009

Nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D member 1 ( Nr1d1), also known as Rev-erb-α, belongs to the family of “orphan receptors” and functions as a member of clock gene family. In addition to being an important member of clock circuitry, Nr1d1, also regulates cell proliferation, lipid metabolism, and inflammation and is also touted as a tumor suppressor. Our focus on Nr1d1 was stimulated by data from a genome-wide search for mRNA correlates of cigarette smoke (CS) sensitive—whole smoke (WS) and filtered smoke (FS)—lung transcriptomes in tumor-resistant C57BL6 and tumor-susceptible AJ mice strains. Differential analysis of ~15 000 genes using Affymetrix 430A 2.0 high-density oligonucleotide arrays identified modulation of genes related to circadian pathways by CS in lungs of both mouse strains. Nr1d1 expression was downregulated by both WS and FS irrespective of mouse strain as compared to respective air-breathing controls. WS was more effective than FS on decreasing Nr1d1 expression. The present data suggest that transcriptional regulation of Nr1d1 by CS may affect circadian rhythmicity and thus may play a complementary role in CS-induced lung respiratory tract pathobiology and/or lung tumorigenesis.
Circadian Disruption, Per3, and Human Cytokine Secretion
Authors: Guess Jaclyn , Burch James B. , Ogoussan Kisito , Armstead Cheryl A. , Hongmei Zhang  , Wagner Sara , Hebert James R. , Wood Patricia , Youngstedt Shawn D. , Hofseth Lorne J. , Singh Udai P. , Dawen Xie  , Hrushesky William J. M.
Published: November 2009

Circadian disruption has been linked with inflammation, an established cancer risk factor. Per3 clock gene polymorphisms have also been associated with circadian disruption and with increased cancer risk. Patients completed a questionnaire and provided a blood sample prior to undergoing a colonoscopy (n = 70). Adjusted mean serum cytokine concentrations (IL-6, TNF-alpha, gamma-INF, IL-1ra, IL-1-beta, VEGF) were compared among patients with high and low scores for fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II), or sleep disruption (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), or among patients with different Per3 clock gene variants. Poor sleep was associated with elevated VEGF, and fatigue-related reduced activity was associated with elevated TNF-alpha concentrations. Participants with the 4/5 or 5/5 Per3 variable tandem repeat sequence had elevated IL-6 concentrations compared to those with the 4/4 genotype. Biological processes linking circadian disruption with cancer remain to be elucidated. Increased inflammatory cytokine secretion may play a role.
Circadian Clock Manipulation for Cancer Prevention and Control and the Relief of Cancer Symptoms
Authors: Hrushesky William J. M. , Grutsch James , Wood Patricia , Xiaoming Yang  , Oh Eun-Young , Ansell Christine , Kidder Stephanie , Ferrans Carol , Quiton Dinah Faith T. , Reynolds Justin , Du-Quiton Jovelyn , Levin Robert , Lis Christopher , Braun Donald
Published: November 2009

Life has evolved on this planet with regular daily spans of direct solar energy availability alternating with nocturnal spans of dark. Virtually every earth-borne life form has factored this circadian pattern into its biology to ensure the temporal coordination with its resonating environment, a task essential for its individual survival and that of its species. The first whole genome inspections of mutations in human colon and breast cancer have observed specific retained clock gene mutations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the genes of clock, clock-controlled, and melatonin pathways have been found to confer excess cancer risk or protection from cancer. Experimental studies have shown that specific core clock genes ( Per2 and Per1) are tumor suppressors because their genetic absence doubles tumor numbers, and decreasing their expression in cancer cells doubles cancer growth rate, whereas their overexpression decreases cancer growth rate and diminishes tumor numbers. Experimental interference with circadian clock function increases cancer growth rate, and clinical circadian disruption is associated with higher cancer incidence, faster cancer progression, and shorter cancer patient survival. Patients with advanced lung cancer suffering greater circadian activity/sleep cycle disruption suffer greater interference with function, greater anxiety and depression, poorer nighttime sleep, greater daytime fatigue, and poorer quality of life than comparable patients who maintain good circadian integration. We must now determine whether strategies known to help synchronize the circadian clocks of normal individuals can do so in advanced cancer patients and whether doing so allows cancer patients to feel better and/or live longer. Several academic laboratories and at least 2 large pharmaceutical firms are screening for small molecules targeting the circadian clock to stabilize its phase and enhance its amplitude and thereby consolidate and coordinate circadian organization, which in turn is likely to help prevent and control human cancer. These drugs and strategies can, in turn, be used to make cancer patients with advanced disease feel and function more normally.
Media coverage and Israel’s ‘Four Mothers’ antiwar protest: agendas, tactics and political context in movement success
Authors: Lieberfeld Daniel
Published: November 2009

This article investigates conditions under which media coverage can enable antiwar protest to influence national security policy. Through a study of ‘Four Mothers — Leaving Lebanon in Peace’, an Israeli group that in the late 1990s protested against that country’s war in southern Lebanon, it demonstrates that: media attention was an essential factor in the group’s formation and development into a national movement; together with features of the political environment, media attention enabled the movement to mobilize public opposition to the war; important elements of the media opposed government policy and were therefore motivated to cover the movement; yet the movement’s ability to attract coverage also derived from its protest strategies and intensive media outreach. The article examines these efforts by movement leaders to increase coverage and the dilemmas that their media strategies posed for activists. The conclusions consider the case’s implications concerning the political efficacy of antiwar movements generally, and particularly those with gendered identities.
CONELRAD on the front line of Cold War defense
Authors: Brinson Susan L.
Published: November 2009

CONELRAD (a contraction of CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation) focused on radio technology for both military and civil defense during the early Cold War years of the 1950s. Conceived as a military defense system into which civil defense needs were incorporated, the civilian aspects were not developed equally. Understood within the context of national security, however, the inequity was the point. CONELRAD contributed to the illusion that a nuclear attack was survivable and helped the Truman and Eisenhower administrations pursue their foreign and military policies without significant public opposition. This article explains the development of CONELRAD and the technical difficulties it faced, and exposes the bureaucratic infighting that was a manifestation of the inherent and mutually exclusive goals of the system.
Evaluation of Renal Resistivity Index Before and After Voiding Cystoureterography Examination in Patients With Vesicoureteral Reflux
Authors: Avcu Serhat , Akpinar Ihsan , Biren Tugrul
Published: November 2009

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) occurs commonly in children and can cause significant renal damage. The purpose of this study is to assess the changes in renal vasculature with spectral Doppler sonography in patients with VUR. In addition, the possible effects of voiding cystoureterography (VCU) on the kidneys in patients with VUR are investigated by calculating renal resistivity index (RI) values before and after VCU using spectral Doppler sonography. In this prospective study, 114 kidneys of 58 children ages 0 to 16 years were included. The RI values that were calculated before and after VCU and RI values in different grades of VUR were compared statistically. In patients with VUR, the renal parenchymal RI values before and after VCU were significantly higher than those in patients without VUR ( P < .05). The mean pre-VCU RI values were 0.68 ± 0.03 and 0.65 ± 0.05 in patients with VUR and in the control group, respectively, and the mean post-VCU RI values were 0.68 ± 0.03 and 0.65 ± 0.04 in patients with VUR and in the control group, respectively. Calculating renal RI values from arcuate or interlobar renal arteries with spectral Doppler sonography while the patients are in a supine or lateral decubitus position is a useful technique in patients with VUR, being significantly higher in high-grade VUR patients than in low-grade VUR patients. There is no significant effect of the contrast agent reaching the renal calycial system during VCU examination on renal RI values.
K-Ar dating of the Lower Palaeozoic K-bentonites from the Baltic Basin and the Baltic Shield: implications for the role of temperature and time in the illitization of smectite
Authors: Środoń J. , Clauer N. , Huff W. , Dudek T. , Banaś M.
Published: November 2009

Mixed-layer illite-smectite samples from the Ordovician and Silurian K-bentonites of the Baltic Basin and the Baltic Shield (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Estonia) were dated by K-Ar on several grain fractions and were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), both on oriented and random preparations, in order to reveal the conditions of smectite illitization in the area. Authigenic K-feldspar was also dated. The geographic pattern of the degree of illitization (% smectite in illite-smectite measured by XRD) is consistent with other indicators of palaeotemperatures (acritarchs, conodont alteration index, vitrinite reflectance, apatite fission track ages). It reveals the highest maximum palaeotemperatures (up to at least 200ºC) along the Norwegian and the German-Polish branches of the Caledonides and the lowest palaeotemperatures (120ºC) in the central part of the studied area. The distribution of K-Ar ages is not well correlated with this pattern, revealing a zone of older ages (Lower Devonian-Lower Carboniferous) between Denmark and Estonia, and areas of younger ages (Upper Devonian to Carboniferous/Permian boundary) to the north and south of this zone. The zone of older ages is interpreted as the result of illitization induced by a thermal event in front of the Caledonian orogenic belt (migration of hot metamorphic fluids?). The areas of younger ages are considered as representing deep burial illitization under a thick Silurian-Carboniferous sedimentary cover, perhaps augmented by a tectonic load. The K-Ar dates invalidate the hypothesis of a long-lasting low-temperature illitization as the mechanism of formation of the Estonian Palaeozoic illite-smectite. The ammonium content of illite-smectite from the Baltic K-bentonites reflects the proximity of organic-rich source rocks that underwent thermal alteration at the time of illite crystallization.
Expression profiling of rainbow trout testis development identifies evolutionary conserved genes involved in spermatogenesis
Authors: Rolland Antoine D , Lareyre Jean-Jacques , Goupil Anne-Sophie , Montfort Jérôme , Ricordel Marie-Jo , Esquerré Diane , Hugot Karine , Houlgatte Rémi , Chalmel Fréderic , Le Gac Florence
Published: November 2009

Background

Spermatogenesis is a late developmental process that involves a coordinated expression program in germ cells and a permanent communication between the testicular somatic cells and the germ-line. Current knowledge regarding molecular factors driving male germ cell proliferation and differentiation in vertebrates is still limited and mainly based on existing data from rodents and human. Fish with a marked reproductive cycle and a germ cell development in synchronous cysts have proven to be choice models to study precise stages of the spermatogenetic development and the germ cell-somatic cell communication network. In this study we used 9K cDNA microarrays to investigate the expression profiles underlying testis maturation during the male reproductive cycle of the trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

Results

Using total testis samples at various developmental stages and isolated spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids, 3379 differentially expressed trout cDNAs were identified and their gene activation or repression patterns throughout the reproductive cycle were reported. We also performed a tissue-profiling analysis and highlighted many genes for which expression signals were restricted to the testes or gonads from both sexes. The search for orthologous genes in genome-sequenced fish species and the use of their mammalian orthologs allowed us to provide accurate annotations for trout cDNAs. The analysis of the GeneOntology terms therefore validated and broadened our interpretation of expression clusters by highlighting enriched functions that are consistent with known sequential events during male gametogenesis. Furthermore, we compared expression profiles of trout and mouse orthologs and identified a complement of genes for which expression during spermatogenesis was maintained throughout evolution.

Conclusion

A comprehensive study of gene expression and associated functions during testis maturation and germ cell differentiation in the rainbow trout is presented. The study identifies new pathways involved during spermatogonia self-renewal or rapid proliferation, meiosis and gamete differentiation, in fish and potentially in all vertebrates. It also provides the necessary basis to further investigate the hormonal and molecular networks that trigger puberty and annual testicular recrudescence in seasonally breeding species.
Effects of consuming a high carbohydrate diet after eight weeks of exposure to a ketogenic diet
Authors: Honors Mary Ann , Davenport Brandon M , Kinzig Kimberly P
Published: November 2009

Background

Ketogenic diets have been utilized for weight loss and improvement in metabolic parameters. The present experiments examined the effects of returning to a chow diet after prolonged ingestion of a ketogenic diet.

Methods

Rats were maintained on chow (CH) or a ketogenic diet (KD) for 8 weeks, after which the KD rats were given access to chow only (KD:CH) for 8 additional weeks. Caloric intake, body weight, and plasma leptin, insulin and ghrelin were measured before and after the dietary switch.

Results

After 8 weeks of consuming a ketogenic diet, KD rats had increased adiposity and plasma leptin levels, and reduced insulin, as compared to CH controls. One week after the diet switch, fat pad weight and leptin levels remained elevated, and were normalized to CH controls within 8 weeks of the dietary switch. Switching from KD to chow induced a transient hypophagia, such that KD:CH rats consumed significantly fewer calories during the first week after the dietary switch, as compared to calories consumed by CH rats. This hypophagia was despite significantly increased plasma ghrelin in KD:CH rats. Finally, KD:CH rats developed hyperphagia over time, and during weeks 6-8 after the diet switch consumed significantly more calories per day than did CH-fed controls and gained more weight than CH-fed controls.

Conclusion

Collectively, these data demonstrate that returning to a carbohydrate-based diet after a period of consuming a ketogenic diet has post-diet effects on caloric intake, body weight gain, and insulin levels.
Signature amino acids enable the archaeal L7Ae box C/D RNP core protein to recognize and bind the K-loop RNA motif
Authors: Gagnon Keith T. , Zhang Xinxin , Qu Guosheng , Biswas Shyamasri , Suryadi Jimmy , Brown Bernard A. , Maxwell E. Stuart
Published: November 2009

The archaeal L7Ae and eukaryotic 15.5kD protein homologs are members of the L7Ae/15.5kD protein family that characteristically recognize K-turn motifs found in both archaeal and eukaryotic RNAs. In Archaea, the L7Ae protein uniquely binds the K-loop motif found in box C/D and H/ACA sRNAs, whereas the eukaryotic 15.5kD homolog is unable to recognize this variant K-turn RNA. Comparative sequence and structural analyses, coupled with amino acid replacement experiments, have demonstrated that five amino acids enable the archaeal L7Ae core protein to recognize and bind the K-loop motif. These signature residues are highly conserved in the archaeal L7Ae and eukaryotic 15.5kD homologs, but differ between the two domains of life. Interestingly, loss of K-loop binding by archaeal L7Ae does not disrupt C′/D′ RNP formation or RNA-guided nucleotide modification. L7Ae is still incorporated into the C′/D′ RNP despite its inability to bind the K-loop, thus indicating the importance of protein–protein interactions for RNP assembly and function. Finally, these five signature amino acids are distinct for each of the L7Ae/L30 family members, suggesting an evolutionary continuum of these RNA-binding proteins for recognition of the various K-turn motifs contained in their cognate RNAs.
Arginine methylation of Aubergine mediates Tudor binding and germ plasm localization
Authors: Kirino Yohei , Vourekas Anastassios , Sayed Nabil , de Lima Alves Flavia , Thomson Travis , Lasko Paul , Rappsilber Juri , Jongens Thomas A. , Mourelatos Zissimos
Published: November 2009

Piwi proteins such as Drosophila Aubergine (Aub) and mouse Miwi are essential for germline development and for primordial germ cell (PGC) specification. They bind piRNAs and contain symmetrically dimethylated arginines (sDMAs), catalyzed by dPRMT5. PGC specification in Drosophila requires maternal inheritance of cytoplasmic factors, including Aub, dPRMT5, and Tudor (Tud), that are concentrated in the germ plasm at the posterior end of the oocyte. Here we show that Miwi binds to Tdrd6 and Aub binds to Tudor, in an sDMA-dependent manner, demonstrating that binding of sDMA-modified Piwi proteins with Tudor-domain proteins is an evolutionarily conserved interaction in germ cells. We report that in Drosophila tud1 mutants, the piRNA pathway is intact and most transposons are not de-repressed. However, the localization of Aub in the germ plasm is severely reduced. These findings indicate that germ plasm assembly requires sDMA modification of Aub by dPRMT5, which, in turn, is required for binding to Tudor. Our study also suggests that the function of the piRNA pathway in PGC specification may be independent of its role in transposon control.
Economic Lot-Sizing for Integrated Production and Transportation
Authors: Hwang Hark-Chin
Published: November 2009

In this study, improved and new algorithms are developed for economic lot-sizing problems with integrated production and transportation operations. To model the economies of scale in production with the effect of shipment consolidation in transportation, we assume concave production costs and stepwise transportation costs. More specifically, we consider concave/fixed-charge/nonspeculative cost functions in production, and nonstationary/stationary delivery cost functions in transportation. The cost functions in production are always assumed to be nonstationary. To achieve a cost-effective production and shipment schedule over time, inventories are considered for carrying and backlogging items. Efficient solution procedures are provided for all the models with or without backlogging under assumed cost structures.
Information Sharing in a Long-Term Supply Chain Relationship: The Role of Customer Review Strategy
Authors: Ren Z. Justin , Cohen Morris A. , Ho Teck H. , Terwiesch Christian
Published: November 2009

In this paper, we study the practice of forecast sharing and supply chain coordination with a game-theoretical model. We find that in a one-shot version of the game, forecasts are not shared truthfully by the customer. The supplier will rationally discount the forecast information in her capacity allocation. This results in Pareto suboptimality for both supply chain parties. However, we show that a more efficient, truth-sharing outcome can emerge as an equilibrium from a long-term relationship. In this equilibrium, forecast information is transmitted truthfully and trusted by the supplier, who in turn allocates the system-optimal capacity. This leaves both the customer and the supplier better-off, compared to the nontruthful-sharing equilibrium.

We identify a multiperiod review strategy profile that supports the truthful-sharing equilibrium. The key element of this strategy is that the supplier computes a scoring index of the customer's behavior that is updated over time and used to evaluate if the customer has sufficient incentive to share his private information truthfully in each transaction of the repeated game. Compared to trigger strategies, review strategies are more tolerant but require diligence and more monitoring effort.
Full-Length Characterization of Proteins in Human Populations
Authors: Borges Chad R , Rehder Doug S , Jarvis Jason W , Schaab Mathew R , Oran Paul E , Nelson Randall W
Published: November 2009

Background: Diversity in human proteins often gives rise to pluralities of structurally similar but functionally distinct proteins. Such microheterogeneity generally escapes proteomics discovery technologies, as well as conventional immunometric assays. As an intermediate between these 2 technological approaches, targeted, full-length characterization of proteins using mass spectrometry is a suitable means of defining microheterogeneity evident in human populations.

Content: We describe and explore the implications of microheterogeneity using the exemplar of human vitamin D binding protein (Gc-Globulin) as observed in cohorts of 400 individuals. Our investigations yielded: (a) population frequency data comparable to genotyping; (b) population frequency data for protein variants, with and without genotype linkage; (c) reference values for the different protein variants per cohort and genotype; and (d) associations between variant, frequency, relative abundance, and diseases.

Summary: With the exception of the genotype frequency, such population data are unique and illustrate a need to more fully understand the exact full-length qualitative and quantitative idiosyncrasies of individual proteins in relation to health and disease as part of the standardized biomarker development and clinical proteomic investigation of human proteins.
Discussion paper from the Working Group on Situational Fiction, Chelsea College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London: On the value of Situational Fiction for an artist's writing
Authors: Francis Mary Anne
Published: November 2009

This article takes the issue of epistemology in writing for (performance) art to ask: What is the value of using fictional as in novelistic writing in reflective discourse on creative practice generally?

Using Susan Sontag's seminal essay Against Interpretation as a starting point,
the article argues that much writing on art assumes art's will-to-signify its value as a form of meaning and consequently explanation as the purpose of art writing. The problems with this reflex are discussed, including its suppression of alternative responses, which may include acknowledging
that art is an affective entity: it has a function (if, in Kant's phrase, it is without purpose) and it has an ontology that may be more than its identity as signification.

Extending, or restoring, the scope of art's reflective discourse in this way, the paper also notes, via reference
to George Steiner, that a reciprocal extension for the media of this discourse is also possible, and it seeks to map the two extensions as the axes of a grid that offers varied combinations of the content-form dimensions of art writing. One of these conjunctions produces fictional writing
as a possible response to art. Seeming to dispel the problem of reductionism in explanatory discourse, the article then goes on to argue that the use of fiction in the spaces of art writing Situational Fiction may be valuable in other ways as well.

Hence, this is an argument for knowledge
of creative practice in creative form. But Situational Fiction may pursue this ethos of creative knowledge in another way as well: as its reflexive dimension implicates the reader in deciding whether any aspect of this academic paper designates this work as fictional, as the paper understands
this.
Getting at and into place: writing as practice and research
Authors: Orley Emily
Published: November 2009

This paper describes a cross-disciplinary method of encountering place and place-specific art work. This involves two stages: a close sensory observation of the place's details followed by a remembering of this engagement through writing. I suggest that, as a method, it offers a way
of negotiating the distinct roles of critic and practitioner by juxtaposing creative modes of writing alongside more traditional academic forms. By drawing on the work of five writers in particular, I will demonstrate how they influenced and inspired me to develop my own writing practice.
They are anthropologist Clifford Geertz, cultural theorist Walter Benjamin, novelist and psychogeographer Iain Sinclair, cultural critic and art writer Mieke Bal, and architectural designer, historian and theorist Jane Rendell. I will also provide a sample of my practice in the form of a written
tour of the Princelet Street House Museum in London.
Pilot study on the assessment of the setpoint of the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis in healthy volunteers
Authors: Benhadi N , Fliers E , Visser T J , Reitsma J B , Wiersinga W M
Published: November 2009

Objective

To determine the log-linear relationship between TSH and free thyroxine in healthy subjects, and the variation in baseline TSH/free thyroxine (FT4) combination in each individual.

Subjects and methods

Twenty-one healthy volunteers (nine males and 12 females; mean age 60 years, range 51–74) were randomized to receive at 2300 h with 2-week intervals a single dose of placebo, 125 μg T4 and 250 μg T4 (arm 1, n=10), or placebo, 25 μg triiodothyronine (T3) and 50 μg T3 (arm 2, n=11). Blood samples were taken in the morning (0800–1100 h) before and following the administration of the drug for the assessment of TSH, FT4 and T3.

Results

Intra- and inter-individual variation and the individuality index of the four baseline serum samples were respectively 21.6%, 41.9% and 0.52 for TSH; 9.9%, 16.5% and 0.60 for FT4; and 9.3%, 16.0% and 0.58 for T3. Substantial differences existed in the location of individual working points within the reference range. T4 administration increased FT4 (but not T3) and decreased TSH, resulting in a log-linear relationship (log TSH=1.50–0.059×FT4, P<0.05) for the whole group. T3 administration increased T3 and decreased TSH (but not FT4), resulting in a log-linear relationship (log TSH=0.790–0.245×T3, P<0.001) for the whole group. Log-linear relationships were not always significant when assessed for each subject separately.

Conclusion

Individuality indices of TSH, FT4 and T3 are all ≤0.6, thereby limiting the usefulness of the population-based reference values. Accurate assessment of individual setpoints of the HPT axis was not possible with the applied single doses of T4 or T3, and will require either prolonged administration or higher single doses of thyroid hormone.
Treatment with the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone downregulates interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in individuals with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Halvorsen Bente , Heggen Eli , Ueland Thor , Smith Camilla , Sandberg Wiggo J , Damås Jan K , Otterdal Kari , Tonstad Serena , Aukrust Pål
Published: November 2009

Objectives

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) reduce insulin resistance, but also have pleiotropic properties including effects on inflammation. The balance between protective and proatherogenic effects may differ in various patient populations. We studied the effect of rosiglitazone on inflammatory markers in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn).

Methods

In a cross-over randomized controlled trial, 23 subjects with MetSyn were assigned to treatment with rosiglitazone that was uptitrated from 4 mg/day for 6 weeks followed by 8 mg/day for 6 weeks or matching placebo for 12 weeks, and then to the opposite treatment for 12 weeks. Plasma levels of inflammatory and metabolic markers were measured during follow-up.

Results

Our main findings were i) compared to placebo, rosiglitazone significantly decreased the plasma levels of the naturally occurring interleukin (IL)1 inhibitor, IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1Ra; P=0.001), potentially reflecting inflammatory effects on the IL1 system; ii) parallel to this, rosiglitazone decreased plasma levels of IL10 (P=0.029) further suggesting inflammatory effects; iii) rosiglitazone decreased uric acid levels (P=0.001), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (P=0.05) and C-reactive protein (P=0.06) tended to be lower after rosiglitazone than placebo, suggesting potential pro- and anti-inflammatory effects simultaneously and iv) in vitro, rosiglitazone enhanced IL1Ra and decreased IL1β in THP-1 monocytes, illustrating the complex effects of these medications, potentially exhibiting anti-inflammatory effects on the IL1 system in certain tissues or cells at least at certain concentrations.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest inflammatory effects on the IL1 system during rosiglitazone therapy in MetSyn. However, anti-inflammatory effects were also observed, and the net effect of TZDs in MetSyn should be further investigated.
HDL cholesterol response to GH replacement is associated with common cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene variation (−629C>A) and modified by glucocorticoid treatment
Authors: Dullaart Robin P F , van den Berg Gerrit , van der Knaap Aafke M , Dijck-Brouwer Janneke , Dallinga-Thie Geesje M , Zelissen Peter M J , Sluiter Wim J , van Beek André P
Published: November 2009

Objective

GH replacement lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in GH-deficient adults, but effects on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C) are variable. Both GH and glucocorticoids decrease cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, which is important in HDL metabolism. We determined the extent to which the changes in HDL-C in response to GH replacement are predicted by the −629C>A CETP promoter polymorphism, and questioned whether this association is modified by concomitant glucocorticoid treatment.

Design and methods

A total of 91 GH-deficient adults (63 receiving glucocorticoids) were genotyped for the −629 CETP C>A polymorphism. Fasting serum lipids were measured before and after 1.2±0.4 years of GH treatment (Genotropin, Pfizer Inc., Stockholm, Sweden).

Results

In the whole group, total cholesterol and LDL-C decreased (P<0.05) after GH treatment, but the changes in HDL-C were not significant. In CC carriers receiving glucocorticoids (n=19), HDL-C rose by 0.15±0.25 mmol/l (P=0.02; P<0.03 from unchanged HDL-C in −629 AA+CA carriers on glucocorticoids and from CC homozygotes not receiving glucocorticoids). Multivariate regression analysis showed that individual changes in HDL-C were predicted by the CETP polymorphism (CC versus AA+CC, P=0.006) in glucocorticoid users, independently of baseline HDL-C and other variables including apolipoprotein E4 carrier status; an opposite association with the CETP polymorphism was found in patients not receiving glucocorticoids (P=0.053).

Conclusions

We suggest a common CETP variant-glucocorticoid treatment interaction concerning the effect of GH replacement on HDL-C. This may explain some of the reported variation in the HDL-C response to GH.
Collaborative Essay Testing: Group Work That Counts
Authors: Gallagher Peggy A
Published: November 2009

Because much of a nurse's work is accomplished through working in groups, nursing students need an understanding of group process as well as opportunities to problem-solve in groups. Despite an emphasis on group activities as critical for classroom learning, there is a lack of evidence in the nursing literature that describes collaborative essay testing as a teaching strategy. In this class, nursing students worked together in small groups to answer examination questions before submitting a common set of answers. In a follow-up survey, students reported that collaborative testing was a positive experience (e.g., promoting critical thinking, confidence in knowledge, and teamwork). Faculty were excited by the lively dialog heard during the testing in what appeared to be an atmosphere of teamwork. Future efforts could include providing nursing students with direct instruction on group process and more opportunities to work and test collaboratively.
Evidence-Based, Open-Minded: Counseling and Collaborating With Patients Who Use CAM Therapies
Authors: Geil Patti
Published: November 2009

In Brief

As more individuals with diabetes incorporate complementary and alternative medicine therapies in to their health care routines, clinicians often find themselves acting as resources in an area that is unfamiliar, controversial, and rapidly changing. This article outlines an evidence-based, open-minded, and collaborative approach to counseling designed to promote safe and effective therapies while respecting patients' individual beliefs.