bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internet et société : reconfigurations du patient et de la médecine ?
Authors: Hardey Michael
Published: November 2010

Internet y sociedad : una nueva configuración del paciente y de la medicina ?

Este artículo muestra que la disponibilidad de informaciones médicas sobre Internet tiene una función importante en la transformación de los conocimientos médicos y en las relaciones que cada persona mantiene con la información y los consejos en materia de salud. La « e.salud », tal como está definida aquí, escapa a los modelos de organización médicos o tecnológicos que dieron lugar a la elaboración de denominaciones taies como la ciber-medicina, la tele-medicina o la informática médica. Apoyándonos en la teorización de las relaciones entre reflexividad, salud e información, ponemos en evidencia algunos puntos- clave en las evoluciones constatadas respecto a los peligros que pesan sobre el peritaje médico y la seguridad del público y las relaciones médico/paciente. Este análisis sugiere que la múltiplicidad de los conocimientos disponibles sobre Internet y la disolución de la frontera existente entre productores e utilizadores de información, conducen a cambios importantes en los conocimientos médicos.
Téléchirurgie et nouvelles pratiques professionnelles : les enjeux interactionnels d'opérations chirurgicales réalisées par visioconférence
Authors: Mondada Lorenza
Published: November 2010

Telesurgery and new professional practices

Telesurgery is one among the fields raising the question of the transformation of professional practices in the context of new technological environments. To give an anwer to this question implies to go into a detailed analysis of médical practices. In this paper, we propose to make such an analysis, studying the case of surgical teams performing operations with the distant collaboration of an expert, in the context of a telesurgery project. Drawing upon a corpus of video recordings of these operations, we will especially concentrate on the way interactions are organised during the surgical procedure, and on the way in which new technologies, redefinition of collectives implied in such activities, and reconfiguration of work space are articulated to each other within this professional practice.
Multi-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Resistant HIV Type-1 in a Patient from Sierra Leone Failing Stavudine, Lamivudine and Nevirapine
Authors: Hamers Raph L , Wensing Annemarie MJ , Back Nicole KT , Arcilla Maria S , Frissen Jos PH
Published: November 2010

We report a 33-year-old HIV type-1 (HIV-1)-infected male from Sierra Leone who harboured extensive drug resistance mutations to all nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-NRTIs, including the multi-NRTI-resistance Q151M complex, K65R, M184I and Y181I, after using standard first-line generic fixed-dose stavudine, lamivudine and nevirapine (Triomune™) for 36 months. In the context of non-B subtypes in resource-limited countries, first-line stavudine-containing regimens have been associated with more extensive and complex mutation patterns, compared with subtype B viruses. Whether the extensive and complex NRTI resistance patterns found among African patients failing first-line antiretroviral therapy is explained by viral genetic diversity or by different patient monitoring strategies remains to be elucidated. Emerging multi-NRTI resistance in sub- Saharan Africa would not only compromise second-line treatment options and the success of anti-retroviral rollout, but could also contribute to the spread of drug- resistant variants worldwide.
HIV Type-1 Drug Resistance in Treatment-Naive Patients Monitored Using Minority Species Assays: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Buckton Andrew J , Harris Ross J , Pillay Deenan , Cane Patricia A
Published: November 2010

Background

The detection of mutations associated with drug resistance in HIV type-1 might be increased by applying minority species assays capable of identifying low frequency mutations in comparison with the use of population sequencing alone. Because minority species assays are mutation-specific, the benefit of this approach differs depending on the mutation being detected.

Methods

We performed a systematic review of published data reporting detection of genotypic drug resistance using allele-specific (AS)-PCR minority assays and by standard DNA sequencing in drug-naive populations. We calculated the fold increase of mutation detection for each study and pooled these via meta-analysis, displaying results using Forest plots.

Results

Our studies revealed an increase in detection of 1.9-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3–2.7; P<0.0005) for K103N, 4.4-fold (95% CI 1.2–16.6; P=0.026) for Y181C, 4.8-fold (95% CI 1.5–15.1; P=0.008) for L90M and 8.7-fold (95% CI 4.0–18.6; P<0.0005) for M184V. We found no relationship between AS-PCR assay sensitivity and frequency of additional mutation detection.

Conclusions

Additional detection of drug resistance mutations using AS-PCR minority mutation assays vary significantly depending on the mutation examined; however, the most marked increase in detection of resistance mutations was observed for M184V, a mutation seldom detected by standard techniques in drug-naive patients. We suggest that the presence of drug resistance mutations can be more accurately estimated using a combination of AS-PCR and standard genotyping.
Lithistid sponges from submarine caves in the Mediterranean: taxonomy and affinities
Authors: Pisera Andrzej , Vacelet Jean
Published: November 2010

Several lithistid sponges are described from Mediterranean caves occurring in the northwestern and Adriatic basins. In the Corallistidae, Neoschrammeniella bowerbanki and Neophrissospongia nolitangere are recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean, whereas Neophrissospongia radjae n. sp. and Neophrissospongia endoumensis n. sp. are described as new. In the Theonellidae, the common sponge previously identified as Discodermia polydiscus is described as Discodermia polymorpha n. sp. Fossil specimens from the 3PP cave are tentatively attributed to Neoschrammeniella bowerbanki. The distribution and affinities of this lithistid fauna are discussed.
Differences in the constitutive terpene profile of lodgepole pine across a geographical range in British Columbia, and correlation with historical attack by mountain pine beetle
Authors: Clark Erin L. , Carroll Allan L. , Huber Dezene P.W.
Published: November 2010

The mountain pine beetle,Dendroctonus ponderosaeHopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a destructive insect pest in western Nearctic conifer forests. Currently, British Columbia, Canada, is experiencing the largest recorded outbreak of this insect, including areas that historically have had low climatic suitability for it. We analyzed 26 constitutive resin terpenes in phloem samples from British Columbia lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) populations to test for differential resistance to mountain pine beetle attack, based upon the likelihood of previous exposure to mountain pine beetle. We assessed sampled trees for number of mountain pine beetle attacks, number of pupal chambers, and tree survival the following spring. Significant differences were found when levels of certain terpenes in lodgepole pine populations that had likely experienced substantial mountain pine beetle infestations in the past were compared with those in populations that likely had not experienced large outbreaks of mountain pine beetle. Although we expected southern pine populations to contain more total terpenes than northern populations, owing to higher historical exposure to the beetle, the converse was found. Northern populations generally had higher levels of constitutive terpenes and beetle attack than southern populations. Because several terpenes are kairomones to the mountain pine beetle and also serve as precursors for the synthesis of pheromones, the lower levels of terpenes expressed by lodgepole pines from the historical range of the mountain pine beetle may render them less chemically perceptible to foraging beetles.
Molecular comparisons of alphabaculovirus-based products: Gypchek with Disparvirus (Lymantria dispar) and TM BioControl-1 with Virtuss (Orgyia pseudotsugata)
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Lapointe Renée , Thumbi David , Morin Benoit , Lucarotti Christopher J.
Published: November 2010

Gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV) has been registered as a microbial pest-control product in the United States (Gypchek®) and Canada (Disparvirus®). Similarly, Douglas-fir tussock moth, Orgyia pseudotsugata (McDunnough) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV) is registered in the United States and Canada as TM BioControl-1® and a product derived from TM BioControl-1 (Virtuss®) is also registered in Canada. To determine changes that may have occurred in these products over time, we compared DNA from Gypchek with Disparvirus and DNA from TM BioControl-1 with Virtuss using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Gypchek and Disparvirus showed the same RFLP banding patterns when viral genomic DNA was digested with BamH I, EcoR V, and Hind III and only a single band difference at approximately 1.6 kilobase (kb) when digested with Bgl II. TM BioControl-1 and Virtuss showed no differences in genomic DNA when digested with Bgl II, Sam I or Hind III. Twelve viral open reading frames (ORFs) were amplified from Gypchek and Disparvirus and nine from TM BioControl-1 and Virtuss by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). The amplified ORFs ranged from highly conserved (polyhedrin) to least conserved (vp91 capsid associated protein). The products were sequenced and the deduced protein products compared. Amino acid sequences deduced from the sequenced PCR products indicated that 8 of the 12 proteins were identical in the two LdMNPV products. The four proteins showing minor sequence variations were DNA polymerase, LEF-8, P74 envelope protein, and VP 91 capsid associated protein. No differences were detected in the protein products deduced from the nine sequenced ORFs from TM BioControl-1 and Virtuss. Comparative RFLP and protein phylogenetic analyses of Gypchek with Disparvirus and TM BioControl-1 with Virtuss revealed little difference between the respective LdMNPV and OpMNPV populations that make up these product pairs.
Observation operator for the assimilation of aerosol type resolving satellite measurements into a chemical transport model
Authors: Schroedter-Homscheidt M. , Elbern H. , Holzer-Popp T.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. Modelling of aerosol particles with chemical transport models is still based mainly on static emission databases while episodic emissions cannot be treated sufficiently. To overcome this situation, a coupling of chemical mass concentration modelling with satellite-based measurements relying on physical and optical principles has been developed. This study deals with the observation operator for a component-wise assimilation of satellite measurements. It treats aerosol particles classified into water soluble, water insoluble, soot, sea salt and mineral dust containing aerosol particles in the atmospheric boundary layer as separately assimilated aerosol components. It builds on a mapping of aerosol classes used both in observation and model space taking their optical and chemical properties into account. Refractive indices for primary organic carbon particles, anthropogenic particles, and secondary organic species have been defined based on a literature review. Together with a treatment of different size distributions in observations and model state, this allows transforming the background from mass concentrations into aerosol optical depths. A two-dimensional, variational assimilation is applied for component-wise aerosol optical depths. Error covariance matrices are defined based on a validation against AERONET sun photometer measurements. Analysis fields are assessed threefold: (1) through validation against AERONET especially in Saharan dust outbreak situations, (2) through comparison with the British Black Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide Network for soot-containing particles, and (3) through comparison with measurements of the water soluble components SO4, NH4, and NO3 conducted by the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) network. Separately, for the water soluble, the soot and the mineral dust aerosol components a bias reduction and subsequent a root mean square error reduction is observed in the analysis for a test period from July to November 2003. Additionally, examples of an improved analysis during wildfire and dust outbreak situations are shown.
An investigation of methods for injecting emissions from boreal wildfires using WRF-Chem during ARCTAS
Authors: Sessions W. R. , Fuelberg H. E. , Kahn R. A. , Winker D. M.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) is considered a "next generation" mesoscale meteorology model. The inclusion of a chemistry module (WRF-Chem) allows transport simulations of chemical and aerosol species such as those observed during NASA's Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) in 2008. The ARCTAS summer deployment phase during June and July coincided with large boreal wildfires in Saskatchewan and Eastern Russia. One of the most important aspects of simulating wildfire plume transport is the height at which emissions are injected. WRF-Chem contains an integrated one-dimensional plume rise model to determine the appropriate injection layer. The plume rise model accounts for thermal buoyancy associated with fires and the local atmospheric stability. This study compares results from the plume model against those of two more traditional injection methods: Injecting within the planetary boundary layer, and in a layer 3–5 km above ground level. Fire locations are satellite derived from the GOES Wildfire Automated Biomass Burning Algorithm (WF_ABBA) and the MODIS thermal hotspot detection. Two methods for preprocessing these fire data are compared: The prep_chem_sources method included with WRF-Chem, and the Naval Research Laboratory's Fire Locating and Monitoring of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE). Results from the simulations are compared with satellite-derived products from the AIRS, MISR and CALIOP sensors. Results show that the FLAMBE pre-processor produces more realistic injection heights than does prep_chem_sources. The plume rise model using FLAMBE provides the best agreement with satellite-observed injection heights. Conversely, when the planetary boundary layer or the 3–5 km AGL layer were filled with emissions, the resulting injection heights exhibit less agreement with observed plume heights. Results indicate that differences in injection heights produce different transport pathways. These differences are especially pronounced in areas of strong vertical wind shear and when the integration period is long.
Accuracy of Prenatal Diagnosis in Elective Termination of Pregnancy: 385 Cases from 2000 to 2007
Authors: Ramos Fabiana , Maia Sofia , Branco Miguel , Raposo Joana , Sá Joaquim , Sousa Sérgio , Venâncio Margarida , Pina Raquel , Galhano Eulália , Ramos Lina , Saraiva Jorge
Published: November 2010

Objective. To evaluate the quality of prenatal results in all cases of termination of pregnancy (TOP) due to fetal abnormalities in a tertiary prenatal diagnosis center.Material and Methods. Retrospective analysis of the 385 TOP performed on our department due to fetal abnormalities between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2007. We compared all data for agreement between the ultrasound, genetic, and postmortem findings, regarding the abnormalities identified in the etiological diagnosis and its prognosis.Results. Chromosome abnormalities were the most common indication for TOP (39%), followed by abnormalities of CNS (20%), monogenic disorders (11%), sequences (9.6%), polimalformative syndromes (5.2%), and isolated congenital heart diseases (4%). Total agreement was 21%. Further abnormalities were identified in 79%. The data collected after TOP changed the etiologic diagnosis in 21% but the prognosis was changed in only one fetus.Discussion. This study corroborates the necessity of a multidisciplinary team in prenatal diagnosis centers. Their work remarkably improves the genetic counseling and represents an important aspect in quality control of the information given to a couple previously to a TOP.
Philadelphia chromosome‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Lee Hun J. , Thompson James E. , Wang Eunice S. , Wetzler Meir
Published: November 2010

The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) is the most common cytogenetic abnormality associated with adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Before the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), Ph‐positive ALL carried a dismal prognosis and was characterized by a poor response to most chemotherapy combinations, short remission durations, and poor survival rates. Outcomes for patients with Ph‐positive ALL improved substantially with the introduction of TKIs, and the TKI imatinib induced complete remissions in >95% of patients with newly diagnosed Ph‐positive ALL when it was combined with chemotherapy. However, imatinib resistance remains a problem in a substantial proportion of patients with Ph‐positive ALL, and multiple molecular mechanisms that contribute to imatinib resistance have been identified. Second‐generation TKIs (eg, dasatinib and nilotinib) have demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of imatinib‐resistant, Ph‐positive ALL. Future strategies for Ph‐positive ALL include novel, molecularly targeted treatment modalities and further evaluations of TKIs in combination with established antileukemic agents. For this article, the authors reviewed past, current, and future treatment approaches for adult and elderly patients with Ph‐positive ALL with a focus on TKIs and combined chemotherapeutic regimens. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Temperature effects on snapping performance in the common snapper Chelydra serpentina (Reptilia, Testudines)
Authors: Vervust Bart , Brecko Jonathan , Herrel Anthony
Published: November 2010

Studies on the effect of temperature on whole‐animal performance traits other than locomotion are rare. Here we investigate the effects of temperature on the performance of the turtle feeding apparatus in a defensive context. We measured bite force and the kinematics of snapping in the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) over a wide range of body temperatures. Bite force performance was thermally insensitive over the broad range of temperatures typically experienced by these turtles in nature. In contrast, neck extension (velocity, acceleration, and deceleration) and jaw movements (velocity, acceleration, and deceleration) showed clear temperature dependence with peak acceleration and deceleration capacity increasing with increasing temperatures. Our results regarding the temperature dependence of defensive behavior are reflected by the ecology and overall behavior of this species. These data illustrate the necessity for carefully controlling Tb when carrying out behavioral and functional studies on turtles as temperature affects the velocity, acceleration, and deceleration of jaw and neck extension movements. More generally, these data add to the limited but increasing number of studies showing that temperature may have important effects on feeding and defensive performance in ectotherms. J. Exp. Zool. 315:41–47, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
RNA interference as a resistance mechanism against crop parasites in Africa: a ‘Trojan horse’ approach
Authors: Runo Steven , Alakonya Amos , Machuka Jesse , Sinha Neelima
Published: November 2010

Biological crop pests cause serious economic losses. In Africa, the most prevalent parasites are insect pests, plant pathogenic root‐knot nematodes, viruses and parasitic plants. African smallholder farmers struggle to overcome these parasitic constraints to agricultural production. Crop losses and the host range of these parasites have continued to increase in spite of the use of widely advocated control methods. A sustainable method to overcome biological pests in Africa would be to develop crop germplasm resistant to parasites. This is achievable using either genetic modification (GM) or a non‐GM approach. However, there is a paucity of resistant genes available for introduction. Additionally, the biological processes underpinning host parasite resistance are not sufficiently well understood. The authors review a technology platform for using RNA‐mediated interference (RNAi) as bioengineered resistance to important crop parasites in Africa. To achieve acquired resistance, a host crop is stably transformed with a transgene that encodes a hairpin RNA targeting essential parasitic genes. The RNAi sequence is chosen in such a way that it shares no homology with the host's genes, so it remains ‘inactive’ until parasitism. Upon parasitism, the RNAi sequence enters the parasite and post‐transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) mechanisms are activated, leading to the death of the parasite. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Mortality and reproductive effects of ingested spinosad on adult bollworms
Authors: López Juan D , Latheef Mohamed A , Hoffmann Wesley C
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND: Upon emergence from their pupal cells, bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), adults actively seek and feed on plant exudates before they disperse and reproduce on suitable host plants. This nocturnal behavior of the bollworm may be exploited as a pest management strategy for suppression of the insect by using an attractant/stimulant mixed with an insecticide to induce feeding to cause adult mortality or reproductive reduction/inhibition. This study aimed to determine in the laboratory whether or not spinosad when mixed with sucrose solution as a feeding stimulant and ingested by bollworm could influence mortality and reproduction of the insect.

RESULTS: Sublethal concentrations of spinosad fed to laboratory‐reared females confined with males significantly reduced percentage hatch of eggs at 0.1 mg L−1, and it was reduced to near zero at 2.5 mg L−1 when compared with females fed 2.5 M sucrose solutions only. The lethal concentration (LC99) for males captured from the field in sex‐pheromone‐baited traps was 73 mg L−1 for 24 h response. Proboscis extension response was not inhibited significantly even at 10 g L−1. In spite of a 137‐fold increase in lethal dose concentration, spinosad did not inhibit feeding.

CONCLUSION: A detailed study of laboratory‐reared and field‐collected bollworm adults relative to mortality and reproduction after ingestion of spinosad indicates that spinosad would be useful in an attract‐and‐kill strategy to control the insect when mixed with a feeding attractant/stimulant. Field validation of the data is warranted. Published 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Energy band structure and the half‐filling of the intermediate band in the quantum‐dot solar cell
Authors: Hu W. G. , Inoue T. , Kojima O. , Kita T.
Published: November 2010

The net generation balance equation is incorporated into the Poisson equation and the continuty equation to deduce the IB quasi‐Fermi EfIB and filling factor f. The QD state density is not enough high to pin the IB quasi‐Fermi level EfIB at the position of the IB level EIB so that EfIB depends on the QD position and the operation voltage. In the case of the quasi‐uniform absorption (the weak absorption and the same absorption coefficient constants of sub‐bandgap photons), a rough approximation is that EfIB approximately parallels to EIB, and clamps in some equilibrium position. In addition, in the case of the nonuniform absorption, the proper ratio αIC0/αVI0 can effectively enhance the conversion efficiency. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Temporal frequency requirements for tissue velocity imaging of the fetal heart
Authors: Elmstedt N. , Lind B. , Ferm‐Widlund K. , Westgren M. , Brodin L. Å.
Published: November 2010

Objectives

The high velocity and short duration of myocardial motion requires a high sampling rate to obtain adequate temporal resolution; this issue becomes even more important when taking into consideration the high fetal heart rate. In this study we have established optimal sampling requirements for assessing the duration of various cardiac cycle events and myocardial velocities of the fetal heart using color‐coded tissue velocity imaging (TVI).

Methods

Recordings from 30 fetuses were acquired at an initial frame rate of 180–273 frames/s. All TVI recordings were performed from an apical four‐chamber view and stored as cineloops of five to 10 consecutive cardiac cycles for subsequent offline analysis using software enabling a reduction in frame rate. Different components of the myocardial velocity curve, obtained from the basal part of the ventricular septum, were measured at the initial frame rate and compared with their equivalents at gradually decreased frame rates.

Results

As acquisition frame rate was reduced, there was a marked increase in deviation from the initial values, resulting in an underestimation of all systolic and diastolic velocities. For the measured durations, there was a clear tendency to underestimate isovolumetric contraction and relaxation, and a clear tendency to overestimate ventricular ejection and diastolic E‐wave and A‐wave. An acceptable ⩽ 5% deviation from the value obtained at the highest frame rate corresponded to measurements obtained at above 150–200 frames/s.

Conclusions

A high sampling rate of at least 200 frames/s is necessary for adequate reconstruction of TVI data for the fetal heart. Frame rates that are too low result in considerable loss of temporal and velocity information. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Narrowing of Vision: Hardy L. Brian and the Fate of Louisiana Populism
Authors: Sipress Joel
Published: November 2010

In the 1890s, Hardy L. Brian was among Louisiana's leading Populists. He was a key founder of the Louisiana People's Party and served as state party secretary and editor of the organization's weekly newspaper. Son of a prominent agrarian dissident from the Louisiana piney woods, Brian believed deeply in the power of an aroused populace to bring fundamental changes to American political and economic life. Over time, however, he abandoned social movement organizing in favor of conventional party politics. The climax of this journey came in 1896, when Brian joined fellow delegates to the Populist national convention to give the People's Party presidential nomination to Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan. The Bryan nomination cost the Populists their independent political identity and precipitated a collapse of their party organization. Hardy L. Brian's journey from agrarian rebel to conventional reform politician reflects a loss of faith in the power of the Populist vision. While he never abandoned the goal of fundamental change, Brian lost faith in the power of this goal to inspire and arouse. Instead, he embraced the logic of conventional party politics, and upon that logic the Populist vision foundered.
Publishing Calendar
Authors: Lyman Charles
Published: November 2010

Most trade magazines have an annual schedule of featured topics slated for certain issues. This publishing calendar helps readers, authors, and advertisers know in advance that a certain topic will be emphasized at least once a year. For Microscopy Today, the March, July, and November issues will feature, respectively, microanalysis, light microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy. The other three issues during the year will contain the usual variety of topics concerning all microscopy methods.
Localizing Channels for Learning
Authors: Carmichael Stephen W.
Published: November 2010

The most widely accepted model of learning at the level of the cell involves associative synaptic plasticity in brain neurons that include cortical pyramidal cells (PC). To oversimplify, for a neuron to “learn” from information coming into it, electrical events need to occur in a fairly precise pattern throughout the cell membrane.
HEAT: a New Tool for Gene Set Enrichment Analysis Using Comprehensive Annotation of Human Genes in H-InvDB
Authors: Imanishi Tadashi , Noda Akiko , Sera Miho
Published: November 2010

H-InvDB Enrichment Analysis Tool (HEAT) is a new data-mining tool for gene set enrichment analysis based on comprehensive annotations of human genes in H-InvDB. HEAT searches for H-InvDB annotations that are significantly enriched in a user-defined gene set, as compared with the entire H-InvDB representative transcripts. The advantage of HEAT is the wide variety of annotation items used for its analysis: chromosomal bands, InterPro functional domains, Gene Ontology terms, KEGG pathways, H-InvDB gene families/groups, SCOP structural domains, subcellular localization predicted by using the Wolf-PSORT program, tissue-specific gene expression as defined in the H-ANGEL database, and transcription factor binding sites in promoter regions based on JASPAR. HEAT accepts lists of human gene identifiers (IDs) including HUGO gene symbols, accession numbers of INSD (DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank), UniProt accession numbers, Gene IDs, Ensembl Gene IDs, H-InvDB Transcript IDs (HIT) and Locus IDs (HIX), etc. Then, HEAT converts the accepted IDs into HIX using the ID Converter System ("http://biodb.jp/":http://biodb.jp/), collects various annotations of H-InvDB representative transcripts, and conducts statistical tests by using Fisher's exact probability. The output of HEAT is a simple report of annotations commonly found among the query genes, which is very useful to grasp the property of a particular gene set. HEAT is freely available at "http://hinv.jp/HEAT/":http://hinv.jp/HEAT/.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Wave Rotor Refrigerators
Authors: Yuqiang Dai , Jiupeng Zou , Che Zhu , Peiqi Liu , Jiaquan Zhao , Liming Zhang , Dapeng Hu
Published: November 2010

As a novel generation of rotary thermal separators, a wave rotor refrigerator (WRR) is an unsteady flow device used for refrigeration in whose passages pressured streams directly contact and exchange the energy due to the movement of pressure waves. In this work, the working procedure and wave diagram of WRR are investigated thoroughly. Based on this, a novel WRR thermodynamic analysis model has been established and validated by experiments. This performance assessment model shows the main contributing factors of expansion and compression processes. A particular analysis of WRR refrigeration system has revealed that expansion efficiency can be adversely affected by excessive high compression efficiency, which means that particular emphasis should be laid on wave rotors for supercharging or refrigeration.
Antitumor Activities of Extracts and Compounds from Water Decoctions of Taxus cuspidata
Authors: Jiang Shougang , Zhang Yu , Zu Yuangang , Wang Zhuo , Fu Yujie
Published: November 2010

Water decoctions from the leaves of Taxus cuspidata are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cancer, suggesting that water soluble constituents from these leaves may possess anticancer properties. Interestingly, hydrophilic paclitaxel derivatives, as opposed to paclitaxel itself, can be detected by high pressure liquid chromatography in water decoctions from these leaves. The remainder extracts, which are free of paclitaxel and hydrophilic paclitaxel derivatives, from the T. cuspidata leaves were investigated for antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro for the first time in this study. EE80B, 7-xylosyl-10-deacetylpaclitaxel and 7-xylosyl-10-deacetylpaclitaxel C displayed the most antitumor activity in vivo. However, in vitro studies with tumor cell lines showed that EE80B had a significantly smaller antitumor effect than paclitaxel. We hypothesize that water decoctions from T. cuspidata leaves exhibit antitumor effects in vivo, which may be aided by the activation of specific host mechanisms (e.g. stimulation of antitumor immunity) which are not present in vitro.
GAUGE-HIGGS UNIFICATION: STABLE HIGGS BOSONS AS COLD DARK MATTER
Authors: HOSOTANI YUTAKA
Published: November 2010

In the gauge-Higgs unification the 4D Higgs field becomes a part of the extra-dimensional component of the gauge potentials. In the SO(5) × U(1) gauge-Higgs unification in the Randall-Sundrum warped spacetime the electroweak symmetry is dynamically broken through the Hosotani mechanism. The Higgs bosons become absolutely stable, and become the dark matter of the universe. The mass of the Higgs boson is determined from the WMAP data to be about 70 GeV.
False-Positive Results in the Randomized Controlled Trial of Mammographic Screening from Age 40 (“Age” Trial)
Authors: Johns Louise E. , Moss Sue M.
Published: November 2010

Background: False-positive recall is a recognized disadvantage of mammographic breast screening, and the rate of such recalls may be higher in younger women, potentially limiting the value of screening below age 50.

Methods: Attendance and screening outcome data for 53,884 women in the intervention arm of the U.K. Age trial were analyzed to report observed false-positive recall rates during 13 years of trial fieldwork. The Age trial was a randomized controlled trial of the effect of mammographic screening from age 40 on breast cancer mortality, conducted in 23 National Health Service screening centers between 1991 and 2004. Women randomized to the intervention arm were offered annual invitation to mammography from age 40 or 41 to age 48.

Results: Overall, 7,893 women (14.6% of women the intervention arm and 18.1% of women attending at least one routine screen) experienced one or more false-positive screen during the trial. The rates of false-positive mammography at first and subsequent routine screens were 4.9% and 3.2%, respectively. The cumulative false-positive rate over seven screens was 20.5%. Eighty-nine percent of women who had a false-positive recall at their previous screen attended their next invitation to routine screening.

Conclusions: The rates of false-positive recall in the Age trial were comparable with the national screening program; however, the positive predictive value of referral was lower. Experiencing a false-positive screen did not seem to lessen the likelihood of re-attendance in the trial.

Impact: The question of greatly increased false-positive rates in this age group and of their compromising re-attendance is refuted by the findings of this study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(11); 2758–64. ©2010 AACR.
Smad7 Blocks Transforming Growth Factor‐β1–Induced Gingival Fibroblast–Myofibroblast Transition via Inhibitory Regulation of Smad2 and Connective Tissue Growth Factor
Authors: Sobral Lays M. , Montan Patrick Franz , Zecchin Karina Gottardello , Martelli‐Junior Hercílio , Vargas Pablo Agustin , Graner Edgard , Coletta Ricardo D.
Published: November 2010

Background: Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), its downstream signaling mediators (Smad proteins), and specific targets, including connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), play important roles in tissue remodeling and fibrosis via myofibroblast activation. We investigated the effect of overexpression of Smad7, a TGF‐β1 signaling inhibitor, on transition of gingival fibroblast to myofibroblast. Moreover, we analyzed the participation of CTGF on TGF‐β1–mediated myofibroblast transformation.

Methods: To study the inhibitory effect of Smad7 on TGF‐β1/CTGF‐mediating gingival fibroblast transition into myofibroblasts, we stably overexpressed Smad7 in normal gingival fibroblasts and in myofibroblasts from hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF). Myofibroblasts were characterized by the expression of the specific marker isoform α of the smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) by Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for type I collagen was performed to measure myofibroblast activity. CTGF's role on myofibroblast transformation was examined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and small interference RNA.

Results: TGF‐β1 induced the expression of α‐SMA and CTGF, and small interference RNA–mediating CTGF silencing prevented fibroblast‐myofibroblast switch induced by TGF‐β1. In Smad7‐overexpressing fibroblasts, ablation of TGF‐β1–induced Smad2 phosphorylation marked decreased α‐SMA, CTGF, and type I collagen expression. Similarly, HGF transfectants overexpressing Smad7 demonstrated low levels of α‐SMA and phospho‐Smad2 and significant reduction on CTGF and type I collagen production.

Conclusions: CTGF is critical for TGF‐β1–induced gingival fibroblast‐myofibroblast transition, and Smad7 overexpression is effective in the blockage of myofibroblast transformation and activation, suggesting that treatments targeting myofibroblasts by Smad7 overexpression may be clinically effective in gingival fibrotic diseases, such as HGF.
Innovations in the foreign and security policy of the European Union after the Lisbon treaty
Authors: Novicic Zaklina
Published: November 2010

The article deals with institutional innovations introduced with Lisbon
Treaty in the EU common foreign and security policy. The pillar structure of
EU was abolished, but main features of intergovernmental decision-making
procedures and unanimity would de facto remain. That is the main structural
constrain of a single and bolder European outbreak an international scene. An
novelty is the some kind of presidentialization (personalization) of the
field in the new posts of President of European Council and the High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. New
procedures and structures are introduced also in a realm of Common Security
and Defense Policy. A special hope of Eurocrats are put on the ongoing
process of setting up new European External Action Serves as de facto new
diplomatic service of the Union. However, there is the main paradox of the
Lisbon arrangement in that it is supposed to confirm integration through
foreign policy success at a same time when Europe is divided over a number of
domestic as well as foreign policy issues, and all that at a time of the
manifold global financial and economic crises.
China-European union relations: A developing geoeconomic axis
Authors: Babic Blagoje
Published: November 2010

China and the European Union are very interested in developing their mutual
relations. They strengthen their positions in the world business by their
co-ordinated acting. In their mutual relations, they apply Geoeconomics?
methods. They do not regard each other as a military threat but as one of the
main economic partners. Their economies are highly complementary. ?The common
economic interests? have a decisive role in China EU policy and EU China
policy, respectively. EU is China?s largest economic partner. It is its
largest export market, the largest source of new technologies and equipment
and one of the largest sources for foreign investments. China is the second
important source of industrial products import to EU and the fastest growing
export market for EU. The EU enlargement to the East both favourably and
unfavourably affects China?s interests. The main cause of friction in
China-EU relations is a high Chinese surplus in their mutual trade, high
competitiveness of Chinese products on the EU market and China?s pursuit of
energy sources in the parts of the world that Western countries, including
the leading EU member states, regard as traditionally ?forbidden? such as the
Middle East and Africa. China and EU have created mechanisms to settle
conflicts of interest in their mutual trade through dialogue.
Langzeit-Feuerökologie der Schweiz | Long-term fire ecology of Switzerland
Authors: Conedera Marco , Tinner Willy
Published: November 2010

Understanding past natural and anthropogenically induced forest fires and their long-term impact on the environment is a prerequisite for modern fire management. Thanks to modern paleoecological approaches it was possible to reconstruct the long-term role of fire for ecosystems, landscape properties and functions in various parts of Switzerland. In order to test and calibrate the paleoecological approach on a local scale, we compared the forest-fire statistics of the last 70 years around the small Lago di Origlio (southern Switzerland) with the yearly charcoal influx in the lake sediments. We demonstrated that the yearly deposition of microscopic charcoal particles (0.01−0.2 mm) correlates well with the regional forest-fire frequency 20 to 50 km around the lake, whereas macroscopic charcoal particles (> 0.2 mm) matched local fire events within a 2 km distance. Furthermore, the pilot study of lake Origlio provided insights into the different origins of forest fires and their long-term impact on vegetation. Studies in other areas in Switzerland suggest that that the long-term effects of forest fire are not limited to the southern slope of the Alps, but also concern the forests of the Swiss Plateau and the Alps. There, the diffusion of fire-sensitive tree species such as Ulmus spp., Tilia spp., Fraxinus spp., Acer spp. at the colline to mountain level, as well as Abies alba and Pinus cembra at the subalpine level was significantly reduced compared to the natural environmental conditions prior to the beginning of widespread slash and burn practices. The abundance reduction of tree species during the past millennia occurred in the southern and the northern Alps, on the Swiss Plateau, but not in the fire-prone dry valleys of the central Alps, where forest fires were more frequent naturally and exerted relevant ecosystem functions. Our results show that without considering sedimentary paleoenviromental information it is hardly possible to gain correct assessments of current and future fire, environmental and forest dynamics. The implementation of paleoecological results into practical management activities is thus indispensable, especially in the view of the expected climatic changes.
Using multi-media to enhance history education: Glasgow, A Tale of Two Cities? and Tiree, Famine and Clearance 1840–1900
Authors: Hillis Peter
Published: November 2010

Advances in information technology raise issues central to history education. Debates have focused on how pupils learn history by emphasising the development of critical thinking which in turn provides the basis of a theoretical framework for the use of IT in history.

Martyn Wild identifies seven areas of teaching and learning enhanced through IT ranging from childcentred learning to pedagogy. James Schick argues that appropriate software brings out the absorbing, fascinating and enjoyable nature of history. This article discusses how two multi-media computer programs, Glasgow, A Tale of Two Cities? and Tiree, Famine and Clearance 1840-1900 enhance the delivery of history in Scottish Primary and Secondary Schools within the criteria established by Martyn Wild. These programs relate to recent curricular changes in Scotland and help satisfy current demands for more Scottish history within overall history syllabuses. Moreover, it will be argued that appropriate software motivates pupils and enhances the central role of the classroom teacher.
Making connections: exploring time, space and social relations in Quenza
Authors: Bagg Janet
Published: November 2010

An experimental graphical browsing system using dynamic hyperlinks was developed in connection with an historical and ethnographic project in southern Corsica. Temporal and spatial models designed for this project were implemented using an advanced database system with specialised data types.
A Toolbox for Historical Computing
Authors: Lind Gunner
Published: November 2010

This section aims to keep historians informed about the wide range of computer software and equipment suitable for historyresearch and teaching. Because our audience includes many who have had little experience with computers, we try to avoid excessive use ofjargon and include occasional introductory articles. Software reviews focus on features which historians will find useful. Reviews are intended both to reveal the potential of software and to give readers more to rely on than the promise ofmanufacturers and dealers, thus saving them time and money. Readers interested in writing software reviews should contact the editor of History and Computing. We also welcome letters and suggestions ofitems for review.
Du stylo à l'ordinateur : la médication comme pratique sociotechnique
Authors: Olesen Finn , Markussen Randi
Published: November 2010

From pen to computer: writing medicine as a sociotechnical practice

This paper is devoted to the analysis of what may appear at first glance as a micro-innovation in the field of medical information technology, i.e. the implementation of an electronic medication module in a Danish hospital. Drawing upon a careful semiotic analysis of the module and its use, we show that, even in this case, in order to get the module functionning correctly and to perform the simplification work it has been designed for, it implies a whole set of local transformations, ranging from transformations in the knowledge and practices of the various actors implied in the tasks it is supposed to coordinate, to transformations in the relationships between these actors and even to transformations into patients' life.
One function of sex — an empirical study of genetic and ecological variation
Authors: Gilbert N. , Raworth D.A. , Allen G.R.
Published: November 2010

The question “why sex?” is a longstanding fundamental puzzle in biology. Although there may be several answers, no satisfactory theory has emerged. We present an argument in favour of one function of sex, derived from a study of the population genetics and ecology of the cabbage butterfly,Pieris rapae(L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), on three continents between 1984 and 2009, and from previously published studies of other organisms. We provide evidence that responsiveness to directional selection (RDS), a measure related to “narrow-sense heritability”, can be dramatically reduced by truncation selection in a single generation and rapidly restored within a few generations. Viewing a population as a collection of sexual families, we show that rapid restoration of RDS after truncation selection is essential to maintain population variance. The only known mechanism that will rapidly restore RDS is sexual recombination. We therefore conclude that inP. rapae, sex restores the genetic variation that a population needs to match unpredictable environmental variation, despite selection tending to reduce that genetic variation.
Behaviour of Sitodiplosis mosellana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on spring wheat spikes with and without oviposition deterrence
Authors: Gharalari A.H. , Smith M.A.H. , Fox S.L. , Lamb R.J.
Published: November 2010

Wheat, Triticum L. (Poaceae), varieties with deterrence to oviposition by the wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), can be useful in reducing seed damage. The behaviour of ovipositing females on spring wheat, T. aestivum L., with and without oviposition deterrence was investigated to account for observed differences in oviposition on deterrent and nondeterrent hosts. On deterrent wheat, 34% of females landing oviposited compared with 100% of females landing on nondeterrent wheat. The sequence of female behaviours just prior to egg-laying on deterrent spikes was similar to that on nondeterrent spikes. The length of time required to lay an egg and mean egg-batch size were similar on deterrent and nondeterrent wheat, but females spent nearly twice as long on the latter. After landing on deterrent wheat, females took longer to begin ovipositing and longer to leave after the last oviposition event than did females on nondeterrent wheat, which further reduced the time available for oviposition on deterrent compared with nondeterrent wheat. As a result of these behavioural differences, deterrence reduced oviposition by more than 60%.