bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship of Reduced Peripheral Nerve Function and Diabetes With Physical Performance in Older White and Black Adults
Authors: Strotmeyer Elsa S. , de Rekeneire Nathalie , Schwartz Ann V. , Faulkner Kimberly A. , Resnick Helaine E. , Goodpaster Bret H. , Shorr Ronald I. , Vinik Aaron I. , Harris Tamara B. , Newman Anne B. ,   for the Health ABC Study
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—Poor peripheral nerve function is prevalent in diabetes and older populations, and it has great potential to contribute to poor physical performance.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Cross-sectional analyses were done for the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study participants (n = 2,364; 48% men; 38% black; aged 73–82 years). Sensory and motor peripheral nerve function in legs/feet was assessed by 10- and 1.4-g monofilament perception, vibration detection, and peroneal motor nerve conduction amplitude and velocity. The Health ABC lower-extremity performance battery was a supplemented version of the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly battery (chair stands, standing balance, and 6-m walk), adding increased stand duration, single foot stand, and narrow walk.

RESULTS—Diabetic participants had fewer chair stands (0.34 vs. 0.36 stands/s), shorter standing balance time (0.69 vs. 0.75 ratio), slower usual walking speed (1.11 vs. 1.14 m/s), slower narrow walking speed (0.80 vs. 0.90 m/s), and lower performance battery score (6.43 vs. 6.93) (all P < 0.05). Peripheral nerve function was associated with each physical performance measure independently. After addition of peripheral nerve function in fully adjusted models, diabetes remained significantly related to a lower performance battery score and slower narrow walking speed but not to chair stands, standing balance, or usual walking speed.

CONCLUSIONS—Poor peripheral nerve function accounts for a portion of worse physical performance in diabetes and may be directly associated with physical performance in older diabetic and nondiabetic adults. The impact of peripheral nerve function on incident disability should be evaluated in older adults.
Validation of Prediction of Diabetes by the Archimedes Model and Comparison With Other Predicting Models
Authors: Stern Michael , Williams Ken , Eddy David , Kahn Richard
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—To validate the ability of the Archimedes model to accurately predict the risk of developing diabetes in individuals.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Subjects were randomly selected from the San Antonio Heart Study population. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (aROC) curve derived from the Archimedes model was calculated and also compared with the aROCs from two published multiple logistic regression models designed to estimate diabetes risk.

RESULTS—The aROC for the Archimedes model was 0.818 (95% CI 0.739–0.899) compared with aROCs of 0.869 (0.801–0.936) and 0.870 (0.802–0.937) for the two logistic regression models, respectively. Risk estimates from the logistic models were highly correlated with the estimates derived from the Archimedes model.

CONCLUSIONS—The Archimedes model predicts individual diabetes risk with a high level of sensitivity and specificity, comparable with that of models designed specifically for that purpose. Unlike the latter models, Archimedes also predicts the risk of numerous other health outcomes.
Reciprocal Association of Plasma IGF-1 and Interleukin-6 Levels With Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Nondiabetic Subjects
Authors: Succurro Elena , Andreozzi Francesco , Sciaqua Angela , Hribal Marta Letizia , Perticone Francesco , Sesti Giorgio
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVE—To examine the relationship between plasma IGF-1 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in Caucasian nondiabetic subjects and evaluate the association of IGF-1 and IL-6 with the cardiometabolic risk factors characterizing metabolic syndrome (MetS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—The study group consisted of 186 Caucasian nondiabetic subjects who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and an euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. A logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age and sex, was used to determine the association between tertiles of IGF-1 and IL-6 and the MetS and its components.

RESULTS—After adjusting for age and sex, both IGF-1 and IL-6 were correlated with insulin resistance and individual components of MetS, but in opposite directions. In the logistic regression model adjusted for age and sex, higher IL-6 and lower IGF-1 levels confer increased risk of having MetS and its two underlying pathophysiological abnormalities, i.e., visceral obesity and insulin resistance.

CONCLUSIONS—The present results raise the possibility that lowered protection against inflammation, i.e., lower IGF-1 levels, may have a role in the development of MetS and its features, resulting in an imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins.
Impaired Chronotropic Response to Exercise Stress Testing in Patients With Diabetes Predicts Future Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Ho P. Michael , Maddox Thomas M. , Ross Colleen , Rumsfeld John S. , Magid David J.
Published: June 2008

OBJECTIVES— To assess the association between impaired chronotropic response (CR) and adverse events among patients with diabetes referred for exercise treadmill testing (ETT).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Impaired CR was defined as achievement of <80% of a patient's heart rate reserve. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the independent association between impaired CR and adverse outcomes adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and treadmill variables including the Duke Treadmill score.

RESULTS— Of 1,341 patients with diabetes, 35.7% (n = 479) demonstrated impaired CR during ETT. Patients with impaired CR were at increased risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization procedures. In multivariable analyses, impaired CR remained significantly associated with adverse outcomes (hazard ratio 1.53 [95% CI 1.10–2.14]).

CONCLUSIONS— Among patients with diabetes, impaired CR is common during ETT and is associated with adverse outcomes. Impaired CR can be used as another noninvasive tool to risk-stratify patients with diabetes following ETT.
Novel pH responsive luminescent poly(oxyethylene phosphate) tris(β-diketonate) europium (III) complexes
Authors: Stanimirov Stanislav , Petkov Ivan
Published: June 2008

The paper reports on the dependence of the absorbance and luminescent intensity from pH of novel poly(oxyethylene phosphate) tris(β-diketonate) europium (III) complexes. The photophysical data obtained allow some preliminary assumptions about the nature of this phenomenon. Increase in luminescent efficiency is a consequence of enhanced efficiency of energy transfer caused by structural changes in complexes after water deprotonation. Remarkable change has been observed in photophysical properties of the polymer complexes by studying the fluorescent emission and excitation spectra and absorption recorded at various pH both in solution and in the solid state. Some of the complexes derivative of the dibenzoylmethane (DBM) show more than hundred times increase in the luminescence after alkalization. The pH value, at which the maximum luminescent efficiency appears, depends on the type of the fourth ligand. The difference between luminescent efficiency of the complexes in alkaline and neutral environment depends on the β-diketonate ligands and on polymer type as well.
The dissociated properties of dislocation in two-dimensional triangular lattice
Authors: Xiaozhi Wu , Shaofeng Wang , Huili Zhang
Published: June 2008

The dissociated core structure of dislocation in two-dimensional triangular lattice is determined by the variational method within lattice theory. The dissociation effect leads to a narrower core width of partial dislocations than the compact one. The equilibrium separation between two partial dislocations is not very sensitive to the intrinsic stacking fault energy and there exists deviation from the intrinsic stacking fault energy criterion in the continuous elastic theory of dislocation. The relationship between the equilibrium separation and intrinsic stacking fault energy is analogous in lattice theory and the Peierls-Nabarro model. But the equilibrium separation obtained in lattice theory is wider than that obtained in the Peierls-Nabarro model for the same intrinsic stacking fault energy.
Sensation Seeking, Culture, and the Valuation of Experiential Services
Authors: Agrusa Jerome F. , Maples Glenn , Kitterlin Miranda , Tanner John R.
Published: June 2008

The Honolulu Marathon provides a significant economic impact to the state of Hawaii's economy. This type of service may be classified as an experiential service—customers largely purchase these services due to the value of the experiences they provide. This research proposes a
framework based on cultural and personality traits to explain differing participant valuation of the service. Consistent with this framework, higher valuation is associated with collectivism and high sensation seeking. Implications for practitioners are provided. Analyses and findings are
based on the questionnaire responses of 932 Japanese participants and 605 Western participants in the 2006 Honolulu Marathon.
Impacts of Events on the Brand Germany: Perspectives from Younger Korean Consumers
Authors: Woo Jun Jong , Lee Hyoungdong
Published: June 2008

This study explores the impacts of various events on country as a brand. Collecting Korean college students as a sample, this study is designed to examine the roles of events on attitudes toward Germany and subsequent relationships between brand Germany and German companies and visit
intentions. This study categorizes various German events into four groups: sports events, business events, cultural festivals, and art events. The findings indicate that the more consumers develop favorable attitudes toward special events held in Germany (e.g., the 2006 FIFA World Cup Soccer
Games and art events), the more likely they are to have positive attitudes toward Germany, which in turn leads to more favorable attitudes toward German companies and visit intentions.
Networked Gold‐Nanoparticle Coatings on Polyethylene: Charge Transport and Strain Sensitivity
Authors: Vossmeyer Tobias , Stolte Carsten , Ijeh Michael , Kornowski Andreas , Weller Horst
Published: June 2008

Networked films, comprising gold nanoparticles (ca. 4 nm core diameter) and 1,9‐nonanedithiol, are deposited onto oxidized low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) substrates via layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images reveal a compact coating with a granular, nanoscale morphology. Conductance measurements at variable temperature are consistent with an Arrhenius‐type activation of charge transport (activation energy: 52 meV). The excellent mechanical robustness of the coatings allows for studying their potential application as strain gauges. Expanding the films by up to 3% is accompanied by a reversible and approximately linear increase in resistance of up to approximately 50% (gauge factor ca. 17). Analyzing the results with an activated tunneling model suggests that the average increase in interparticle distances is significantly smaller than the geometric expansion at the substrate surface.
Cobalt‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reaction between Functionalized Primary and Secondary Alkyl Halides and Aliphatic Grignard Reagents
Authors: Cahiez Gérard , Chaboche Christophe , Duplais Christophe , Giulliani Arianna , Moyeux Alban
Published: June 2008

The coupling of primary and secondary unactivated alkyl bromides with alkyl‐Grignard reagents was performed in good yields under mild conditions by using a new catalytic system: consisting of cobalt chloride and tetramethylethylenediamine (CoCl2⋅2 LiI, 4 TMEDA). The reaction is very chemoselective since ketone, ester and nitrile functions are tolerated.
Phase behavior and kinetics of polystyrene degradation in supercritical toluene
Authors: Jie H. , Ke H. , Lihua T. , Jiachun W. , Zibin Z. , Weiyong Y.
Published: June 2008

The phase behavior of polystyrene (PS) degradation in toluene was investigated in a visual high‐pressure reactor. The system of PS and toluene was heated from room temperature and atmospheric pressure to 350°C and 5.0 MPa. It was observed that during this process, PS dissolved quickly, and then, the system appeared to be a homogeneous phase, and PS degradation occurred in this system. With another high‐pressure batch reactor, PS degradation was studied in the temperature range 275–360°C and the pressure ranges 4.5–10.5 MPa. The drop‐in molecular weights in the temperature ranges and the amount of PS converted into volatile products were observed. Moreover, the effects of the temperature, pressure, and ratio of toluene to PS on the rate of PS degradation are discussed. The kinetic studies showed that the rate of PS degradation in supercritical toluene increased substantially because the degradation occurred in a homogeneous phase. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Preparation and applicability of functionalized polyethylene with an ethylene/1,7‐octadiene copolymer
Authors: Park Eun‐Soo
Published: June 2008

The copolymerization of ethylene and 1,7‐octadiene was carried out to synthesize polyethylene with unreacted vinyl groups. The prepared copolymer [poly (ethylene‐co‐1,7‐octadiene) (PEOD)] was epoxidized with peracetic acid, m‐chloroperbenzoic acid, or formic acid/H2O2. Of these, peracetic acid gave the best results. Epoxidized PEOD was subjected to a reaction with 2‐mercaptobenzimidazole and poly(L‐lactic acid). The bromination of PEOD was also performed in the presence of a Br2/HBr solution at room temperature. The brominated poly(ethylene‐co‐1,7‐octadiene) (PEOD‐Br) was used as a macroinitiator for atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymerization of styrene, butyl methacrylate, and glycidyl methacrylate was performed in bulk or solution at 120°C with a PEOD‐Br/CuBr/2,2′‐dipyridyl initiator system. The thermal properties of the graft copolymers and the efficiency of the graft polymerization were investigated. These graft copolymers have potential applications as interfacial modifiers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
An optimal investment and consumption model with stochastic returns
Authors: Wang Xikui , Yi Yanqing
Published: June 2008

We consider a financial market consisting of a risky asset and a riskless one, with a constant or random investment horizon. The interest rate from the riskless asset is constant, but the relative return rate from the risky asset is stochastic with an unknown parameter in its distribution. Following the Bayesian approach, the optimal investment and consumption problem is formulated as a Markov decision process. We incorporate the concept of risk aversion into the model and characterize the optimal strategies for both the power and logarithmic utility functions with a constant relative risk aversion (CRRA). Numerical examples are provided that support the intuition that a higher proportion of investment should be allocated to the risky asset if the mean return rate on the risky asset is higher or the risky asset return rate is less volatile. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dem Himmel entgegen – Klimadesign für den Federation Tower Moskau
Authors: Reiser Claudius
Published: June 2008

In der Entwicklung des Klimakonzeptes der Turmkappe Ost des Federation Towers in Moskau wurden modernste Simulationswerkzeuge eingesetzt. Die vollständig gläserne Turmkappe in 365 m Höhe soll Raum für einen der schönsten und exklusivsten Bereiche des Hotels geben. Diverse Restaurants, Bars und Lounges sowie ein Sky Dance Club sollen einmal zum Verweilen und zur nächtlichen Vergnügung einladen und dabei stets einen traumhaften Blick über die gesamte Stadt ermöglichen. Mit Hilfe der Simulation wurde für die Turmkappe ein Klimakonzept entwickelt und überprüft, das die thermische Behaglichkeit unter Berücksichtigung von Architektur, Klima und Nutzung gewährleistet. Dazu wurde die Architektur inklusive der Klimatechnik in einem 3D‐Modell abgebildet und für den Sommer‐ und Winterfall berechnet. Der vorliegende Beitrag vollzieht den Planungsablauf von der Lastberechnung bis hin zur Erstellung und Bewertung des Klimakonzeptes in der Simulation.
Bauordnungsrechtliche Anforderungen an die Nutzung sakraler Bauten über die ursprüngliche Zweckbestimmung hinaus – Betrachtungen am Beispiel der Cottbuser Oberkirche
Authors: Meyer Simone
Published: June 2008

In den zurückliegenden zwei Jahren wurde die Cottbuser Pseudobasilika Sankt Nikolai modernisiert; dabei waren die Anforderungen zum Brandschutz zu werten und denkmalverträglich einer Lösung zu zuführen. Umgesetzt wurden die Belange des Personenschutzes. Nutzungsspektren außerhalb des Gottesdienstes, wie die touristische Besteigung des Westturms, haben bis dahin unterschätzte Sachverhalte zur Klärung aufgezwungen. Der Artikel soll zum Nachdenken anregen, welche Anforderungspalette sich auftut, wenn sakrale Bauten anderen Nutzungsspektren geöffnet werden.
Zum Einsatz von Verpresspfählen an Stelle von Verpressankern zur Rückverankerung von Spundwänden
Authors: Quast Arne , Milzner Thorsten , Thieken Klaus , Achmus Martin
Published: June 2008

Seit einiger Zeit werden häufig Verpresspfähle statt Verpressanker für die Rückverankerung von Spundwänden eingesetzt. Diese werden meist in gleicher Weise wie Verpressanker gemäß DIN 4125 eignungsgeprüft. Es wird das Tragverhalten von Verpresspfählen und Verpressankern in Sandböden während der Prüfung und im Gebrauchszustand untersucht und verglichen. Zunächst wird auf die statische Wirkungsweise von Verpressankern sowie Verpresspfählen eingegangen und deren Unterschiede im Tragverhalten kurz beschrieben. Daneben wird der aktuelle Stand der Normung vorgestellt. Schließlich werden mit der Finite‐Elemente‐Methode erhaltene Ergebnisse dargestellt. Verpresspfähle zeigen bei der Probebelastung ein signifikant anderes, nämlich deutlich günstigeres Tragverhalten als im Endzustand. Wesentlicher Grund dafür ist, dass bei der Probebelastung im Gegensatz zum Endzustand innerhalb des Gleitkeils Kräfte in den Boden übertragen werden, was durch eine Verspannung zwischen Wand und Boden durch die Abstützung der Prüfpresse gegen die Spundwand noch verstärkt wird. Diese Effekte sind bei der Auswertung einer Verpresspfahlprüfung unbedingt zu berücksichtigen.
Nachweis der Sicherheit gegen Aufschwimmen bei Baugruben mit verankerten Betonsohlen
Authors: Hettler Achim , Morgen Karl
Published: June 2008

Ausgangspunkt für den folgenden Beitrag waren Diskussionen im Arbeitskreis 2.1 “Pfähle” über die Nachweise bei Baugruben mit verankerten Betonsohlen, die unter Auftrieb stehen. Eine der Hauptfragen ist die Einleitung von seitlichen Kräften in die Sohle und deren Verteilung. Bei den in der Regel unbewehrten Sohlen ist nur für den Sonderfall von relativ schmalen und dicken Konstruktionen eine gleichmäßige Verteilung über die gesamte Breite möglich. Bei breiten Baugruben mit relativ dünnen Sohlen ist zwischen dem Mittelbereich, wo nur das Eigengewicht und rückhaltende Kräfte dem Auftrieb entgegenwirken, und dem Randbereich, wo seitliche Kräfte angesetzt werden dürfen, zu unterscheiden. Der Beitrag berücksichtigt den neuesten Stand der DIN 1054. Alle wesentlichen Fragen werden ausführlich diskutiert und in einem Beispiel erläutert.
Integration of enzyme, strain and reaction engineering to overcome limitations of baker's yeast in the asymmetric reduction of α‐keto esters
Authors: Kratzer Regina , Egger Sigrid , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: June 2008

We report on the development of a whole‐cell biocatalytic system based on the popular host Saccharomyces cerevisiae that shows programmable performance and good atom economy in the reduction of α‐keto ester substrates. The NADPH‐dependent yeast reductase background was suppressed through the combined effects of overexpression of a biosynthetic NADH‐active reductase (xylose reductase from Candida tenuis) to the highest possible level and the use of anaerobic reaction conditions in the presence of an ethanol co‐substrate where mainly NADH is recycled. The presented multi‐level engineering approach leads to significant improvements in product optical purity along with increases in the efficiency of α‐keto ester reduction and co‐substrate yield (molar ratio of formed α‐hydroxy ester to consumed ethanol). The corresponding α‐hydroxy esters were obtained in useful yields (>50%) with purities of ≥99.4% enantiomeric excess. The obtained co‐substrate yield reached values of greater than 1.0 with acetate as the only by‐product formed. Biotechnol. Bioeng. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhanced differentiation of embryonic stem cells using co‐cultivation with hepatocytes
Authors: Moore Rebecca N. , Dasgupta Anouska , Rajaei Nayyereh , Yarmush Martin L. , Toner Mehmet , Larue Lionel , Moghe Prabhas V.
Published: June 2008

We examined the effects of co‐cultivated hepatocytes on the hepatospecific differentiation of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. Utilizing an established mouse ES cell line expressing high or low levels of E‐cadherin, that we have previously shown to be responsive to hepatotrophic growth factor stimulation (Dasgupta et al., 2005. Biotechnol Bioeng 92(3):257–266), we compared co‐cultures of cadherin‐expressing ES (CE‐ES) cells with cultured rat hepatocytes, allowing for either paracrine interactions (indirect co‐cultures) or both juxtacrine and paracrine interactions (direct co‐cultures, random and patterned). Hepatospecific differentiation of ES cells was evaluated in terms of hepatic‐like cuboidal morphology, heightened gene expression of late maturation marker, glucose‐6‐phosphatase in relation to early marker, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), and the intracellular localization of albumin. Hepatocytes co‐cultured with growth factor primed CE‐ES cells markedly enhanced ES cell differentiation toward the hepatic lineage, an effect that was reversed through E‐cadherin blockage and inhibited in control ES cells with reduced cadherin expression. Comparison of single ES cell cultures versus co‐cultures show that direct contact co‐cultures of hepatocytes and CE‐ES cells maximally promoted ES cell commitment towards hepatodifferentiation, suggesting cooperative effects of cadherin‐based juxtacrine and paracrine interactions. In contrast, E‐cadherin deficient mouse ES (CD‐ES) cells co‐cultured with hepatocytes failed to show increased G6P expression, confirming the role of E‐cadherin expression. To establish whether albumin expression in CE‐ES cells was spatially regulated by co‐cultured hepatocytes, we co‐cultivated CE‐ES cells around micropatterned, pre‐differentiated rat hepatocytes. Albumin localization was enhanced “globally” within CE‐ES cell colonies and was inhibited through E‐cadherin antibody blockage in all but an interfacial band of ES cells. Thus, stem cell based cadherin presentation may be an effective tool to induce hepatotrophic differentiation by leveraging both distal/paracrine and contact/juxtacrine interactions with primary cells of the liver. Biotechnol. Bioeng. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
One‐Pot Oxidative Esterification and Amidation of Aldehydes
Authors: Ekoue‐Kovi Kekeli , Wolf Christian
Published: June 2008

During recent years, the direct transformation of aldehydes into esters or amides has developed into a vigorous research area and powerful one‐pot oxidative esterification and amidation procedures have been reported. Several concepts that are often complementary in substrate scope, functional group tolerance, and reaction outcome have emerged, thus providing a wide range of alternatives to classical ester and amide synthesis via carboxylic acid intermediates.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the New High‐Pressure Phase CdB2O4
Authors: Knyrim Johanna S. , Emme Holger , Döblinger Markus , Oeckler Oliver , Weil Matthias , Huppertz Hubert
Published: June 2008

The use of high‐pressure/high‐temperature conditions (7.5 GPa and 1100 °C; Walker‐type multianvil apparatus) led to the synthesis of a new cadmium borate CdB2O4, starting from stoichiometric mixtures of the oxides. The crystal structure was determined on the basis of single crystal X‐ray diffraction data, to reveal the hexagonal space group P63 with a=885.2(2), c=716.72(8) pm, Z=8, R1=0.0178, and wR2=0.0388 (all data). CdB2O4 is built up from interconnected layers of BO4‐tetrahedra and exhibits for the first time the basic structure of a family of compounds, represented by BaGa2O4, KAlSiO4, KGeAlO4, KCoPO4, CaP2N4 and the recently discovered SrP2N4. The lack of superstructure ordering in CdB2O4 was confirmed by electron diffraction. Additionally, a BOB angle of 180° was found in this borate for the first time.
Predicting disease progression after nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma: The utility of prognostic models and molecular biomarkers
Authors: Crispen Paul L. , Boorjian Stephen A. , Lohse Christine M. , Leibovich Bradley C. , Kwon Eugene D.
Published: June 2008

Disease progression after nephrectomy for pathologically localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a significant mortality rate, given the limited efficacy of available treatment regimens for metastatic disease. As such, several adjuvant trials have been designed to treat patients at particularly high risk for postsurgical RCC progression. Several different prognostic models designed to identify patients at high risk of disease progression are available. Although these available predictive models provide a reasonable assessment of patients' risks of disease progression, the accuracy of these models may further be improved via the incorporation of molecular prognostic biomarkers. Although numerous candidate molecules have been described, few have been specifically assessed for the association with disease progression after nephrectomy. IMP‐3, CXCR3, p53, Survivin, cIAP1, B7‐H1, and B7‐H4 have all been associated with disease progression after nephrectomy. The incorporation of 1 or several of these biomarkers may increase the accuracy of currently available prognostic models and thereby facilitate the appropriate use of adjuvant therapies aimed at preventing future disease progression. As such, the authors review the current prognostic tools for predicting disease progression for localized RCC, and detail studies to date that have evaluated various biomarkers in this setting. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
On probabilistic yielding of materials
Authors: Jeremić Boris , Sett Kallol
Published: June 2008

Uncertainty in material properties can have large effect on numerical modeling of solids and structures. This is particularly true as all natural and man‐made materials exhibit spatial non‐uniformity and point‐wise uncertainty in their behaviors.

A methodology that accounts for the probabilistic yielding of elastic–plastic materials is presented. The recently developed Eulerian–Lagrangian form of the Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation is used to obtain a second‐order exact solution to elastic–plastic constitutive differential equations. In this paper that solution is used in deriving the weighted probabilities of elastic, elastic–plastic behavior and yielding. A number of examples for two commonly used material models, von Mises and Drucker–Prager, illustrated the findings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A stabilized smoothed finite element method for free vibration analysis of Mindlin–Reissner plates
Authors: Nguyen‐Xuan H. , Nguyen‐Thoi T.
Published: June 2008

A free vibration analysis of Mindlin–Reissner plates using the stabilized smoothed finite element method is studied. The bending strains of the MITC4 and STAB elements are incorporated with a cell‐wise smoothing operation to give new proposed elements, the mixed interpolation and smoothed curvatures (MISCk) and SMISCk elements. The corresponding bending stiffness matrix is computed along the boundaries of the smoothing elements (smoothing cells). Note that shearing strains and the shearing stiffness matrix of the proposed elements are unchanged from the original elements, the MITC4 and STAB elements. It is confirmed by numerical tests that the present method is free of shear locking and has the marginal improvements compared with the original elements. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A metadata management framework for dynamic information integration
Authors: Göres Jürgen , Dessloch Stefan
Published: June 2008

One necessary factor in the success of data grid technology to share structured and semi‐structured data across organizational boundaries is the availability of convenient, easy‐to‐use information integration services that provide an application‐specific, integrated view over the relevant data sources. To deal with the many challenges of information integration in such a dynamic environment, the integrated handling of metadata is an essential factor. In this paper, we present the PALADIN integration framework, a platform providing the common infrastructure on top of which the different integration services can be built. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parallel tiled QR factorization for multicore architectures
Authors: Buttari Alfredo , Langou Julien , Kurzak Jakub , Dongarra Jack
Published: June 2008

As multicore systems continue to gain ground in the high‐performance computing world, linear algebra algorithms have to be reformulated or new algorithms have to be developed in order to take advantage of the architectural features on these new processors. Fine‐grain parallelism becomes a major requirement and introduces the necessity of loose synchronization in the parallel execution of an operation. This paper presents an algorithm for the QR factorization where the operations can be represented as a sequence of small tasks that operate on square blocks of data (referred to as ‘tiles’). These tasks can be dynamically scheduled for execution based on the dependencies among them and on the availability of computational resources. This may result in an out‐of‐order execution of the tasks that will completely hide the presence of intrinsically sequential tasks in the factorization. Performance comparisons are presented with the LAPACK algorithm for QR factorization where parallelism can be exploited only at the level of the BLAS operations and with vendor implementations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a Noah's ark for the upcoming data deluge
Authors: Bassi Alessandro , Denazis Spyros , Giacomin Pierpaolo
Published: June 2008

In this paper, we would like to present our work about a framework to manage the massive quantity of data that services and application will be handling in the future. The ever‐growing need for data is already pushing the current infrastructure to the limit, and we believe that mechanisms developed for a totally different kind and size of traffic will not be able to cope with upcoming requests. Data grids seem to provide a sustainable architecture for the data‐hungry application needs, allowing the development of high‐performance solutions, although no current solution seems to have found the silver bullet yet. We would like to present our ideas about how to solve this problem, argumenting why we need a copernican revolution to the way we look at network and storage. The approach we will be presenting is layered, going from a new generation of network devices to a standard interface to applications and services, passing through a novel middleware based on peer‐to‐peer concepts and a stack of data transfer protocols. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Head region of unconventional myosin I family members is responsible for the organ‐specificity of their roles in left–right polarity in Drosophila
Authors: Hozumi Shunya , Maeda Reo , Taniguchi‐Kanai Maiko , Okumura Takashi , Taniguchi Kiichiro , Kawakatsu Yasuhiro , Nakazawa Naotaka , Hatori Ryo , Matsuno Kenji
Published: June 2008

In Drosophila, Myosin31DF (Myo31DF), encoding a Myosin ID protein, has crucial roles in left–right (LR) asymmetric development. Loss of Myo31DF function leads to laterality inversion for many organs, including the embryonic gut. Here, we found that Myo31DF was required before LR asymmetric morphogenesis in the hindgut, suggesting it functions in LR patterning instead of directly in hindgut morphological changes. Myosin61F (Myo61F) encodes another Myosin I, and Myo31DF or Myo61F overexpression reverses the laterality of different organs. Myo31DF and Myo61F have domains conserved in Myosin proteins, particularly in the proteins' head regions. We studied the roles of these domains in LR patterning using overexpression analysis. The Actin‐binding and ATP‐binding domains were essential for both proteins, but the IQ domains, binding sites for Myosin light chains, were required only by Myo31DF. Our results also suggest that the organ specificities of the Myo31DF and Myo61F activities depended on their head regions. Developmental Dynamics 237:3528–3537, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The representation and processing of familiar faces in dyslexia: differences in age of acquisition effects
Authors: Smith‐Spark James H. , Moore Viv
Published: June 2008

Two under‐explored areas of developmental dyslexia research, face naming and age of acquisition (AoA), were investigated. Eighteen dyslexic and 18 non‐dyslexic university students named the faces of 50 well‐known celebrities, matched for facial distinctiveness and familiarity. Twenty‐five of the famous people were learned early in life, while the remaining 25 were first encountered more recently. There was no overall difference between the dyslexics and the non‐dyslexics in the speed or the accuracy with which they named faces, suggesting that face naming is unimpaired in dyslexic adults. In keeping with previous findings, the results indicated a speed and accuracy advantage for early‐acquired over late‐acquired faces. In addition, a significant participant group × AoA interaction demonstrated that the non‐dyslexic group was significantly faster to name early‐ than late‐acquired faces, while the dyslexic group showed a much smaller and non‐significant effect of AoA. The results suggest that there are differences in representation in dyslexia and that these may be linked to problems with attentional/executive function and automaticity. It is proposed that a more fine‐grained approach to investigating dyslexia in adulthood should be adopted, in order to uncover cognitive as well as behavioural differences between dyslexics and non‐dyslexics. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristics and key findings for ‘Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in children’
Authors: van Dalen E. C. , Kremer L. C. M.
Published: June 2008

These are the characteristics and key findings for a Cochrane review published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Matheson NJ, Harnden AR, Perera R, Sheikh A, Symmonds‐Abrahams M. Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD002744. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002744.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Commentary and EBCH Summary articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Commentary on ‘Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in children’
Authors: Barton Michelle A. , Allen Upton D.
Published: June 2008

This is a commentary on a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Matheson NJ, Harnden AR, Perera R, Sheikh A, Symmonds‐Abrahams M. Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD002744. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002744.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Summary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Summary of ‘Psychological interventions for needle‐related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents’
Authors: Milne Andrea
Published: June 2008

This is a summary of a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Uman LS, Chambers CT, McGrath PJ, Kisely S. Psychological interventions for needle‐related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD005179. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005179.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Commentary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Summary of ‘Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis’
Authors: Milne Andrea
Published: June 2008

This is a summary of a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: van de Beek D, de Gans J, McIntyre P, Prasad K. Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004405. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004405.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Commentary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Summary of ‘Recombinant growth hormone for idiopathic short stature in children and adolescents’
Authors: Milne Andrea
Published: June 2008

This is a summary of a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Bryant J, Baxter L, Cave CB, Milne R. Recombinant growth hormone for idiopathic short stature in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004440. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD004440.pub2

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Commentary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Characteristics and key findings for ‘Recombinant growth hormone for idiopathic short stature in children and adolescents’
Authors: van Dalen E. C. , Offringa M.
Published: June 2008

These are the characteristics and key findings for a Cochrane review published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Bryant J, Baxter L, Cave CB, Milne R. Recombinant growth hormone for idiopathic short stature in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art.No.:CD004440. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD004440.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Summary and Commentary articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Summary of ‘Nasal saline irrigations for the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis’
Authors: Milne Andrea
Published: June 2008

This is a summary of a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Harvey R, Hannan SA, Badia L, Scadding G. Nasal saline irrigations for the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD006394. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD006394.pub2.

Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Commentary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables articles. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Clonally expanded plasma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients produce myelin‐specific antibodies
Authors: von Büdingen Hans‐Christian , Harrer Melanie D. , Kuenzle Sandra , Meier Mirjam , Goebels Norbert
Published: June 2008

Clonally expanded plasma cells (cePC) and their presumed products, oligoclonal immunoglobulin G bands (OCB), are characteristic findings in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). While cePC and OCB strongly suggest an involvement of B cell‐dependent immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of MS, their actual pathological relevance and target antigens remain unknown. To further understand the potential role played by cePC, we generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MS‐mAb) from CSF‐derived cePC from four patients with early or definite MS. Single‐cell RT‐PCR of correctly paired heavy and light chain immunoglobulin genes from individual cePC ensured the subsequent resurrection of their original antigen specificity. Immunofluorescence stainings of MS lesion tissue with MS‐mAb revealed myelin reactivity in the cePC repertoire of all four patients and intracellular filament reactivity in one patient. While myelin staining by MS‐mAb was only rarely detectable in non‐MS CNS white matter tissue, it was greatly enhanced at the edge of demyelinating lesions in MS brain tissue. Our findings provide conclusive evidence for the presence of an antigen‐driven B cell response in the CSF of MS patients directed against epitopes present in areas of myelin degradation.
Yaa autoimmune phenotypes are conferred by overexpression of TLR7
Authors: Fairhurst Anna‐Marie , Hwang Sun‐hee , Wang Andrew , Tian Xiang‐Hong , Boudreaux Christopher , Zhou Xin J. , Casco Jose , Li Quan‐Zhen , Connolly John E. , Wakeland Edward K.
Published: June 2008

The Y‐linked autoimmune accelerating (Yaa) locus drives the transition to fatal lupus nephritis when combined with B6.Sle1 in our C57BL/6J (B6)‐congenic model of systemic autoimmunity. We and others recently demonstrated that the translocation of a cluster of X‐linked genes onto the Y chromosome is the genetic lesion underlying Yaa (Subramanian, S. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2006. 103: 9970–9975; Pisitkun, P. et al., Science 2006. 312: 1669–1672). In male mice carrying Yaa, the transcription of several genes within the translocated segment is increased roughly twofold. Although the translocated X chromosome segment in Yaa may contain as many as 16 genes, the major candidate gene for causation of the Yaa‐associated autoimmune phenotypes has been TLR7. To confirm the role of TLR7 in Yaa‐mediated autoimmune phenotypes, we introgressed a targeted disruption of TLR7 (TLR7–) onto B6.Sle1Yaa to produce B6.Sle1YaaTLR7– and examined evidence of disease at 6 and 9 months of age. Our results demonstrate that the up‐regulation of TLR7 in the B6.Sle1Yaa strain is responsible for splenomegaly, glomerular nephritis and the majority of the cellular abnormalities of B, T and myeloid cells. The up‐regulation of TLR7 was also responsible for driving the infiltration and activation of leukocytes in the kidney, in which activated T cells were a primary component. However, the resolution of TLR7 up‐regulation did not eliminate the enhanced humoral autoimmunity observed in B6.SleYaa, suggesting that additional elements in the translocation may contribute to the disease phenotype.

See accompanying commentary http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200838478
Interaction with XIAP prevents full caspase‐3/‐7 activation in proliferating human T lymphocytes
Authors: Paulsen Maren , Ussat Sandra , Jakob Marten , Scherer Gudrun , Lepenies Inga , Schütze Stefan , Kabelitz Dieter , Adam‐Klages Sabine
Published: June 2008

Caspases are essential mediators of cytokine release and apoptosis. Additionally, caspase activity is required for the proliferation of naive T lymphocytes. It remained unclear how proliferating cells are able to cope with the pro‐apoptotic activity especially of effector caspases‐3 and ‐7. Possible reasons might include limited subcellular localization of active caspases or inhibition by endogenous caspase inhibitors. Here, we compared the activation of various caspases in proliferating human T cells with that in apoptotic cells. We show that cleaved caspases‐3/‐7 appear to be widely distributed in apoptotic cells while they are largely confined to the cytoplasm in proliferating cells. Additionally, in proliferating T cells caspase‐3 remains incompletely cleaved, while in apoptotic cells fully mature caspase‐3 is generated. We provide evidence that during T cell proliferation the intracellular caspase inhibitor X‐linked inhibitor‐of‐apoptosis protein (XIAP) interacts with caspases‐3/‐7, thereby blocking their full activation, substrate cleavage, and cell death. The lack of substrate cleavage might also lead to the observed limited subcellular distribution of caspases‐3/‐7. After induction of apoptosis, second mitochondria‐derived activator of caspases/direct inhibitor of apoptosis‐binding protein with low isoelectric point (Smac/DIABLO) is released from mitochondria, resulting in the abrogation of the inhibitory effect of XIAP, full activation of caspases‐3/‐7, and apoptosis.
Facile Gram‐Scale Growth of Single‐Crystalline Nanotetrapod‐Assembled ZnO Through a Rapid Process
Authors: Li Jianye , Peng Hongying , Liu Jie , Everitt Henry O.
Published: June 2008

From a rapid combustion and catalyst‐free method, puresingle‐crystalline nanotetrapod‐assembled bulk nano‐ZnO was grown on a gram‐scale for the first time. The gram‐scale bulk nano‐ZnO is synthesized from ZnO powder with great reliability and repeatability, and also a high conversion efficiency. All four arms of the nanotetrapods are cone shaped and grow in the [001] direction. The photoluminescence properties of the nanotetrapod‐assembled ZnO were studied and a mechanism was suggested for the growth of the bulk nanotetrapod‐assembled ZnO. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Synthesis and Characterisation of Some New Zinc Carbamate Complexes Formed by CO2 Fixation and Their Use as Precursors for ZnO Particles under Mild Conditions
Authors: Domide Dan , Kaifer Elisabeth , Mautz Jürgen , Walter Olaf , Behrens Silke , Himmel Hans‐Jörg
Published: June 2008

Herein we report on CO2 fixation by insertion into the Zn–N bonds of the two molecular compounds EtZnN(iPr)2 and EtZnN(iBu)2. The tetrameric carbamate complexes [EtZn(O2CNR2)]4 (R = iPr and iBu) were found to be the products of these reactions. The structures of the complexes were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Thermal decomposition of the carbamate complexes was studied by applying a variety of different analytical techniques. These studies show that the compounds are suitable precursors for nanosized ZnO particles of ca. 10 nm diameter synthesised under mild conditions (< 200 °C) with the oxygen atoms originating from the reactant CO2. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)