bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxicity of Older and Younger Patients Treated With Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer: The Cancer and Leukemia Group B Experience
Authors: Muss Hyman B. , Berry Donald A. , Cirrincione Constance , Budman Daniel R. , Henderson I. Craig , Citron Marc L. , Norton Larry , Winer Eric P. , Hudis Clifford A.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Older node-positive patients treated with newer adjuvant chemotherapy regimens have improvements in relapse-free and overall survival similar to younger patients. We compared toxicity of older and younger patients in three randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Toxicity data were available for 93% of 6,642 patients enrolled. The three trials included: Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 8541, a comparison of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil in three dose schedules; CALGB 9344: cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin with or without paclitaxel; and CALGB 9741: cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel every 2 versus every 3 weeks. National Cancer Institute grade 3 to 5 toxicities were compared among age groups.

Results

Seven percent of patients (n = 458) were age 65 or older, 3% were 70 or older, 38% were 51 to 64, and 55% were 50 or younger. Twenty-four deaths (0.4%) were attributed to treatment; seven (1.5%) of 486 in patients 65 or older, 10 (0.40%) of 2,480 in patients who were 51 to 64 years, and seven (0.19%) of 3,676 occurred in patients younger than 50. In multivariate analysis, older patients were significantly more likely to have grade 4 hematologic toxicity, to have discontinued treatment for toxicity, or to have died of acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome. There were no significant differences in grade 3 to 4 nonhematologic toxicity.

Conclusion

Healthy older patients who met the strict eligibility criteria for these trials had a higher rate of hematologic toxicity and treatment-related deaths than younger patients, but no increase in nonhematologic toxicity. Elderly patients treated with newer adjuvant chemotherapy regimens derive the same benefits from newer chemotherapy regimens as younger patients but should be cautioned about the increased risk of toxicity and treatment-related death.
Combination of Polymorphisms From Genes Related to Estrogen Metabolism and Risk of Prostate Cancers: The Hidden Face of Estrogens
Authors: Cussenot Olivier , Azzouzi Abdel Rhamene , Nicolaiew Nathalie , Fromont Gaelle , Mangin Philippe , Cormier Luc , Fournier Georges , Valeri Antoine , Larre Stephane , Thibault Frederic , Giordanella Jean-Pierre , Pouchard Michel , Zheng Yan , Hamdy Freddie C. , Cox Angela , Cancel-Tassin Geraldine
Published: August 2007

Purpose

The association between common functional polymorphisms from the CYP17, CYP19, CYP1B1, and COMT genes involved in the estrogen metabolism and the risk of prostate carcinoma was evaluated.

Patients and Methods

The study investigated 1,983 white French men (1,101 patients with prostate cancer and 882 healthy controls) aged between 40 and 98 years. The different alleles and genotypes were analyzed according to case-control status, aggressiveness pattern of the tumors, age at onset, and family history of cancers.

Results

The VV (high activity) genotype of the V432L polymorphism from CYP1B1 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.79; P = .031), and the long allele (> 175 bp) of the TTTA repeat from CYP19 (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.47; P = .003) were significantly associated with the risk of prostate cancer. An additive effect was observed when we combined the two at-risk alleles (OR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.13; P < .001). The association was stronger for the CYP1B1 VV genotype (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.13; P = .007) among the group of patients with highly aggressive disease. Stratification by age at onset showed that the associations of CYP1B1 and CYP19 variants were largely confined to the younger prostate cancer patients.

Conclusion

This association between polymorphisms from genes related to estrogen metabolism and prostate cancer risk suggest new clinical considerations in the management of prostate cancer: the development of new prevention trials based on genetic profiling and the evaluation of specific inhibitors involving the estrogen pathways.
Role of Human Papillomavirus Genotype in Prognosis of Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Undergoing Primary Surgery
Authors: Lai Chyong-Huey , Chang Chee-Jen , Huang Huei-Jean , Hsueh Swei , Chao Angel , Yang Jung-Erh , Lin Cheng-Tao , Huang Shang-Lang , Hong Ji-Hong , Chou Hung-Hsueh , Wu Tzu-I , Huang Kuan-Gen , Wang Chun-Chieh , Chang Ting-Chang
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype in early-stage cervical carcinoma primarily treated with surgery in a large tertiary referral medical center.

Patients and Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent primary surgery for invasive cervical carcinoma of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I to IIA between 1993 and 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a general primer set followed by reverse-blot detection of 38 types of HPV DNA in a single reaction was performed for genotyping. E6 type-specific PCR was performed to validate multiple types.

Results

A total of 1,067 eligible patients were analyzed. HPV DNA sequences were detected in 95.1% of the specimens, among which 9.6% contained multiple types. HPV 16 was detected in 63.8% of the samples, and HPV 18 was detected in 16.5% of the samples. The median follow-up time of surviving patients was 77 months. By multivariate analysis, FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, depth of cervical stromal invasion, grade of differentiation, and HPV 18 positivity were significantly related to cancer relapse. FIGO stage II, deep stromal invasion, parametrial extension, HPV 18 positivity, and age older than 45 years were significant predictors for death. Using the seven selected variables from either recurrence-free or overall survival analysis, death-predicting (P < .0001) and relapse-predicting (P < .0001) models classifying three risk groups (low, intermediate, and high risk) were constructed and endorsed by internal validation.

Conclusion

The independent prognostic value of HPV genotype is confirmed in this study. The prognostic models could be useful in counseling patients and stratifying patients in future clinical trials.
High Incidence of Cetuximab-Related Infusion Reactions in Tennessee and North Carolina and the Association With Atopic History
Authors: O'Neil Bert H. , Allen Robert , Spigel David R. , Stinchcombe Thomas E. , Moore Dominic T. , Berlin Jordan D. , Goldberg Richard M.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

To confirm the anecdotal observation that patients in North Carolina (NC) and Tennessee (TN) treated with cetuximab experience hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) at a much higher rate than are reported nationally and internationally (≤ 3%).

Patients and Methods

Data from patients treated with cetuximab on clinical trials (n = 88) at three research sites were analyzed for grade 3 or 4 HSR. Additional information was obtained from medical records for patients treated with cetuximab at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) to determine whether history of other significant allergy was a risk factor for HSR to cetuximab.

Results

Data for 88 patients on clinical trials and an additional 55 patients treated outside of trials were included in this analysis. Patients had a variety of tumor types. For the clinical trial group (n = 88), the overall rate of grade 3 to 4 HSR was 22%, significantly higher than the rate noted in any large published trial. All HSRs occurred during the first dose. There was a strong relationship between prior allergy history and chance of HSR.

Conclusion

At the sites in neighboring NC and TN studied, HSR was far more common than reported in national studies. History of prior allergy is a strong predictor of HSR. Further investigation of more specific predictors of HSR in the US middle south region is warranted, and patients being treated with cetuximab in this area should be observed particularly closely during their first infusion.
Phase III Study Comparing a Semimonthly With a Monthly Regimen of Fluorouracil and Leucovorin As Adjuvant Treatment for Stage II and III Colon Cancer Patients: Final Results of GERCOR C96.1
Authors: André Thierry , Quinaux Emmanuel , Louvet Christophe , Colin Philippe , Gamelin Erik , Bouche Olivier , Achille Emmanuel , Piedbois Pascal , Tubiana-Mathieu Nicole , Boutan-Laroze Arnaud , Flesch Michel , Lledo Gérard , Raoul Yves , Debrix Isabelle , Buyse Marc , de Gramont Aimery
Published: August 2007

Purpose

This randomized, 2 × 2 factorial study compared a semimonthly regimen (fluorouracil [FU] and leucovorin [LV] semi-monthly is LV5FU2) with a monthly regimen of FU and LV (mFU/LV) as well as 24 weeks versus 36 weeks of each regimen as adjuvant treatment of stage II and III colon cancer.

Patients and Methods

LV5FU2 was administered semimonthly for 2 days as racemate (dl) or levogyre (l-; 200 or 100 mg/m2) as a 2-hour infusion, followed by 400 mg/m2 FU bolus and a 600-mg/m2 FU 22-hour continuous infusion. FU and LV were administered monthly (mFU/LV) for 5 days as dl- or l-LV 15-minute infusion, followed by a 400 mg/m2 FU 15-minute infusion. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Between September 1996 and November 1999, 905 patients with stage II (43%) and III (57%) colon cancer were enrolled. The median follow-up was 6 years. There was no statistically significant difference between mFU/LV and LV5FU2 in terms of DFS (150 v 148 events; hazard ratio [HR],1.01; 95% CI, 0.806 to 1.269; P = .94) and overall survival (OS; 104 v 103 events; HR,1.02; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.34; P = .91). No statistical difference was observed between 24 or 36 weeks of chemotherapy. Median survival from metastatic relapse was 24 months. The survival of patients with metastatic relapse (n = 243) was significantly longer for patients with a longer time from random assignment to relapse (< 1, 1 to 2, ≥ 2 years; log-rank test for trend P, .0497).

Conclusion

DFS and OS were not statistically different between treatment groups and treatment durations. These data confirm the value of LV5FU2 as control arm in the Multicenter International Study of Oxaliplatin/5FU-LV in the Adjuvant Treatment of Colon Cancer and Pan-European Trials in Adjuvant Colon Cancer studies.
Fish Glucose Transporter (GLUT)-4 Differs from Rat GLUT4 in Its Traffic Characteristics but Can Translocate to the Cell Surface in Response to Insulin in Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Díaz Mònica , Antonescu Costin N. , Capilla Encarnación , Klip Amira , Planas Josep V.
Published: August 2007

In mammals, glucose transporter (GLUT)-4 plays an important role in glucose homeostasis mediating insulin action to increase glucose uptake in insulin-responsive tissues. In the basal state, GLUT4 is located in intracellular compartments and upon insulin stimulation is recruited to the plasma membrane, allowing glucose entry into the cell. Compared with mammals, fish are less efficient restoring plasma glucose after dietary or exogenous glucose administration. Recently our group cloned a GLUT4-homolog in skeletal muscle from brown trout (btGLUT4) that differs in protein motifs believed to be important for endocytosis and sorting of mammalian GLUT4. To study the traffic of btGLUT4, we generated a stable L6 muscle cell line overexpressing myc-tagged btGLUT4 (btGLUT4myc). Insulin stimulated btGLUT4myc recruitment to the cell surface, although to a lesser extent than rat-GLUT4myc, and enhanced glucose uptake. Interestingly, btGLUT4myc showed a higher steady-state level at the cell surface under basal conditions than rat-GLUT4myc due to a higher rate of recycling of btGLUT4myc and not to a slower endocytic rate, compared with rat-GLUT4myc. Furthermore, unlike rat-GLUT4myc, btGLUT4myc had a diffuse distribution throughout the cytoplasm of L6 myoblasts. In primary brown trout skeletal muscle cells, insulin also promoted the translocation of endogenous btGLUT4 to the plasma membrane and enhanced glucose transport. Moreover, btGLUT4 exhibited a diffuse intracellular localization in unstimulated trout myocytes. Our data suggest that btGLUT4 is subjected to a different intracellular traffic from rat-GLUT4 and may explain the relative glucose intolerance observed in fish.
Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB by High Molecular Weight and Globular Adiponectin
Authors: Haugen Fred , Drevon Christian A.
Published: August 2007

Adipose tissue secretes a wide range of hormones named adipokines, and these may play a role in obesity-related inflammation. Adiponectin is an exceptional adipokine because low plasma concentrations are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. It has been observed that plasma adiponectin concentrations are elevated during inflammatory conditions like preeclampsia and arthritis. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is an essential transcription factor for expression of inflammation-related proteins. We have used U937 cells stably transfected to express luciferase under the control of NF-κB to examine if adiponectin may modulate NF-κB activity. Physiological concentrations of native adiponectin induced NF-κB activity. This effect was relatively strong compared with proinflammatory adipokines like leptin, resistin, and IL-6. The enhanced NF-κB activity was attributed to the high molecular weight adiponectin isoforms. NF-κB was not activated by mutated adiponectin that is unable to form high molecular weight complexes. Furthermore, the C-terminal fragment, globular adiponectin, markedly increased NF-κB reporter activity, cytokine release, and mRNA expression of inflammation marker genes, at higher levels than stimulation with TNF-α and lipopolysaccharide. NF-κB activation by globular adiponectin was not affected by antibody inhibition of toll-like receptor 4 or TNF receptors 1 and 2 but was attenuated by inhibitors of p38 MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and protein kinase C. Analyses of the p65 subunit of NF-κB in different leukocyte cell lines showed activation of two monocytic cell lines (U937 and THP-1) by native and globular adiponectin. Our results indicate that adiponectin has proinflammatory properties in monocytic cells.
A Role for Androgens in Regulating Circadian Behavior and the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Authors: Karatsoreos Ilia N. , Wang Alice , Sasanian Jasmine , Silver Rae
Published: August 2007

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is the locus of a master circadian clock controlling behavioral and physiological rhythms, including rhythmic secretion of gonadal hormones. Gonadectomy results in marked alteration of circadian behaviors, including lengthened free-running period, decreased precision of daily onset of running, and elimination of early-evening but not late-night activity bouts. Androgen replacement restores these responses. These aspects of rhythmicity are thought to be regulated by the brain clock, although the site of androgen action remains unknown. Anatomically, the rodent SCN is composed of a ventrolateral core and a dorsomedial shell, and the present studies show that androgen receptors (AR) are localized to the ventrolateral core SCN. Using a transgenic mouse bearing dual reporter molecules driven by the AR targeted to both membrane and nucleus, we find that projections of AR-containing cells form a dense plexus in the core, with their fibers appearing to exit the SCN dorsally. In a second transgenic strain, in which the retinorecipient gastrin-releasing peptide cells express a green fluorescent protein reporter, we show that gastrin-releasing peptide cells contain AR. Through immunocytochemistry, we also show that SCN AR cells express FOS after a light pulse. Importantly, gonadectomy reduces the FOS response after a phase-shifting light pulse, whereas androgen replacement restores levels to those in intact animals. Taken together, the results support previous findings of a hypothalamic neuroendocrine feedback loop. As such, the SCN regulates circadian rhythms in gonadal hormone secretion, and in turn, androgens act on their receptors within the SCN to alter circadian function.
Antarctic fish can compensate for rising temperatures: thermal acclimation of cardiac performance in Pagothenia borchgrevinki
Authors: Franklin Craig E. , Davison William , Seebacher Frank
Published: August 2007

Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki in McMurdo Sound,Antarctica, inhabit one of the coldest and most thermally stable of all environments. Sea temperatures under the sea ice in this region remain a fairly constant –1.86°C year round. This study examined the thermal plasticity of cardiac function in P. borchgrevinki to determine whether specialisation to stable low temperatures has led to the loss of the ability to acclimate physiological function. Fish were acclimated to–1°C and 4°C for 4–5 weeks and cardiac output was measured at rest and after exhaustive exercise in fish acutely transferred from their acclimation temperature to –1, 2, 4, 6 and 8°C. In the–1°C acclimated fish, the factorial scope for cardiac output was greatest at –1°C and decreased with increasing temperature. Increases in cardiac output with exercise in the –1°C acclimated fish was achieved by increases in both heart rate and stroke volume. With acclimation to 4°C, resting cardiac output was thermally independent across the test temperatures; furthermore, factorial scope for cardiac output was maintained at 4, 6 and 8°C, demonstrating thermal compensation of cardiac function at the higher temperatures. This was at the expense of cardiac function at –1°C, where there was a significant decrease in factorial scope for cardiac output in the 4°C acclimated fish. Increases in cardiac output with exercise in the 4°C acclimated fish at the higher temperatures was achieved by changes in heart rate alone, with stroke volume not varying between rest and exercise. The thermal compensation of cardiac function in P. borchgrevinki at higher temperatures was the result of a change in pumping strategy from a mixed inotropic/chronotropic modulated heart in –1°C acclimated fish at low temperatures to a purely chronotropic modulated heart in the 4°C acclimated fish at higher temperatures. In spite of living in a highly stenothermal cold environment, P. borchgrevinki demonstrated the capacity to thermally acclimate cardiac function to elevated temperatures, thereby allowing the maintenance of factorial scope and the support of aerobic swimming at higher temperatures.
Distance, shape and more: recognition of object features during active electrolocation in a weakly electric fish
Authors: von der Emde Gerhard , Fetz Steffen
Published: August 2007

In the absence of light, the weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii detects and distinguishes objects in the environment through active electrolocation. In order to test which features of an object the fish use under these conditions to discriminate between differently shaped objects,we trained eight individuals in a food-rewarded, two-alternative,forced-choice procedure. All fish learned to discriminate between two objects of different shapes and volumes. When new object combinations were offered in non-rewarded test trials, fish preferred those objects that resembled the one they had been trained to (S+) and avoided objects resembling the one that had not been rewarded (S–). For a decision, fish paid attention to the relative differences between the two objects they had to discriminate. For discrimination, fish used several object features, the most important ones being volume, material and shape. The importance of shape was demonstrated by reducing the objects to their 3-dimensional contours, which sufficed for the fish to distinguish differently shaped objects. Our results also showed that fish attended strongly to the feature `volume', because all individuals tended to avoid the larger one of two objects. When confronted with metal versus plastic objects, all fish avoided metal and preferred plastic objects, irrespective of training. In addition to volume, material and shape,fish attended to additional parameters, such as corners or rounded edges. When confronted with two unknown objects, fish weighed up the positive and negative properties of these novel objects and based their decision on the outcome of this comparison. Our results suggest that fish are able to link and assemble local features of an electrolocation pattern to construct a representation of an object, suggesting that some form of a feature extraction mechanism enables them to solve a complex object recognition task.
Temperature adaptation in two bivalve species from different thermal habitats: energetics and remodelling of membrane lipids
Authors: Pernet Fabrice , Tremblay Réjean , Comeau Luc , Guderley Helga
Published: August 2007

We compared lipid dynamics and the physiological responses of blue mussels Mytilus edulis, a cold-adapted species, and oysters Crassostrea virginica, a warmer-water species, during simulated overwintering and passage to spring conditions. To simulate overwintering, animals were held at 0°C, 4°C and 9°C for 3 months and then gradually brought to and maintained at 20°C for 5 weeks to simulate spring–summer conditions. Changes in lipid class and fatty acid composition were related to clearance rate and oxygen consumption.

We found major differences between species in triglyceride (TAG) metabolism during overwintering. Mussels used digestive gland TAG stores for energy metabolism or reproductive processes during the winter, whereas oysters did not accumulate large TAG stores prior to overwintering. Mussel TAG contained high levels of 20:5n-3 compared to levels in oysters and in the diet. This may help to counteract the effect of low temperature by reducing the melting point of TAG and thus increasing the availability of storage fats at low temperature. Mussels seemed better able to mobilise 20:5n-3 and 18:4n-3 than other fatty acids.

We also found that both bivalves underwent a major remodelling of membrane phospholipids. The unsaturation index decreased in the gills and digestive glands of both species during the early stages of warming, principally due to decreases in 22:6n-3 and 20:5n-3. In digestive glands, the unsaturation index did not increase with decreasing temperature beyond a threshold attained at 9°C whereas a perfect negative relationship was observed in gills, as predicted by homeoviscous adaptation. The presence of digestive enzymes and acids in the digestive gland microenvironment may lead to specific requirements for membrane stability. That oysters had lower metabolic rates than mussels coincides with a lower unsaturation index of their lipids, as predicted by Hulbert's theory of membranes as metabolic pacemakers. Both species showed increased 20:4n-6 levels in their tissues as temperature rose,suggesting an increasing availability of this fatty acid for eicosanoid biosynthesis during stress responses.

The contrast between the species in TAG dynamics and the similarity of their phospholipid remodelling emphasises the essential functional role of membrane phospholipid structure and the contrasting use of TAG by oysters and mussels during overwintering.
Preferences based on spectral differences in acoustic signals in four species of treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae)
Authors: Gerhardt H. Carl , Martínez-Rivera Carlos C. , Schwartz Joshua J. , Marshall Vincent T. , Murphy Christopher G.
Published: August 2007

Frogs have two inner ear organs, each tuned to a different range of frequencies. Female treefrogs (Hylidae) of three species in which males produce calls with a bimodal spectrum (Hyla chrysoscelis, H. versicolor, H. arenicolor) preferred alternatives with a bimodal spectrum to alternatives with a single high-frequency peak. By contrast,females of H. avivoca, in which males produce calls with a single,high-frequency peak, preferred synthetic calls with a single high-frequency peak to calls with a bimodal spectrum. These results are consistent with the expectations of the matched-filter hypothesis and run counter to the predictions of the pre-existing bias hypothesis. At moderate to high playback levels (85–90 dB), females of H. avivoca and of two of three mtDNA-defined lineages of H. versicolor preferred unimodal signals with a high-frequency peak to those with a low-frequency peak. Females of H. chrysoscelis, H. arenicolor and the third lineage of H. versicolor did not show a preference, indicating that receiver mechanisms may be at least as evolutionarily labile as call structure. Spectral-peak preferences of gray treefrogs from Missouri, USA were intensity-dependent. Whereas females chose low-frequency calls at 65 dB spl, there was either no preference (H. chrysoscelis) or a preference for high-frequency calls (H. versicolor) at 85 and 90 dB spl. These non-linear effects indicate that there is an increasing influence of high-frequency energy on preferences as females approach calling males, and these results serve to emphasize that playback experiments conducted at a single level may have limited generality.
Increased non-linear locomotion alters diaphyseal bone shape
Authors: Carlson Kristian J. , Judex Stefan
Published: August 2007

Comparative studies of vertebrate morphology that link habitual locomotor activities to bone structural properties are often limited by confounding factors such as genetic variability between groups. Experimental assessment of bone's adaptive response to altered activity patterns typically involves superimposing exercise onto a normal locomotor repertoire, making a distinction between qualitative changes to locomotor repertoires and quantitative increases in activity level difficult. Here, we directly tested the hypothesis that an increase in turning activity, without the application of exercise per se, will alter femoral cross-sectional shape. Thirty day-old female BALB/cByJ mice (n=10 per group) were single-housed for 8 weeks in custom-designed cages that either accentuated linear or turning locomotion or allowed subjects to freely roam standard cages. Consistent with a lack of difference in physical activity levels between groups, there were no significant differences in body mass, femoral length, midshaft cortical area,and individual measures of mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) bending rigidity. However, the ratio of ML to AP diaphyseal rigidity, an indicator of cross-sectional shape, was significantly greater (P<0.05) in turning subjects than in linear or control subjects. Considering that across all groups mice were genetically identical and had equivalent levels of bone quantity and physical activity, differences in femoral shape were attributed to qualitative differences in locomotor patterns (i.e. specific locomotor modes). These data indicate that increased turning can alter distribution of bone mass in the femoral diaphysis, and that turning should be considered in efforts to understand form–function relationships in vertebrates.
Small but powerful: the oribatid miteArchegozetes longisetosusAoki (Acari, Oribatida) produces disproportionately high forces
Authors: Heethoff Michael , Koerner Lars
Published: August 2007

We investigated the holding and pulling forces generated by claws of the microarthropod Archegozetes longisetosus (Chelicerata, Acari,Oribatida) on three substrates with different roughness(Ra=0.05 μm, 1 μm, 30 μm). Holding forces were measured perpendicular to the substrate using a strain gage force transducer;pulling forces were measured parallel to the substrate using an analytical scale. We found a significant positive correlation of surface roughness and the forces generated. Mites produced holding forces on horizontal rough surfaces (Ra=30 μm) of up to 1180 times their weight;on vertical rough surfaces (Ra=30 μm) they can pull with 530 times their weight, effectively involving only two pairs of legs. The relative forces are five times higher than theoretically expected for organisms of this size (<1 mm, 100 μg) and higher than any relative forces reported for insect claws. Muscles involved in claw action produced stresses up to 1170 kN m–2, a value that is only excelled by decapod crustacean claw closer muscles. Ours is the first study of performance by chelicerate apoteles and claws and also the first to measure forces generated by any microarthropod.
Exhaust emissions and energy release rates from a controlled spark ignition engine using ethanol blends
Authors: Varde K , Jones A , Knutsen A , Mertz D , Yu P
Published: August 2007

Although alcohols have been considered and used as fuels for internal combustion engines for decades, their use in automotive transportation systems has been rather limited. In the past few years, ethanol has received varying amounts of attention in the United States owing to the increasing cost of gasoline fuel and legislative mandates in some states requiring the sale of alcohol-blended gasoline for light-duty vehicles. This may, in the end, help the agricultural economy in the United States. If alcohol blends are to be used in spark ignition (SI) engines designed to operate on gasoline, then it is important that engines be tuned for the fuel that is being utilized at that instant. This requires knowledge of the combustion characteristics of alcohol blends so that the engine control system can make appropriate changes according to the quality of the blend. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the combustion and exhaust emissions characteristics of ethanol-gasoline blends in a two-valve automotive SI engine. Ethanol blends improved the specific energy consumption relative to pure gasoline fuel. At stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, the alcohol blends improved exhaust CO emissions marginally. However, there were consistent reductions in NO x levels, particularly with the E-85 blend. The use of E-85 in the engine also resulted in a reduction in HC levels relative to neat gasoline, but E-85 produced significantly higher levels of acetaldehydes by comparison with neat gasoline and lower ethanol blends, particularly at lighter engine loads. The E-85 blend required a longer time to develop and set up the flame in the combustion chamber relative to neat gasoline. This was particularly true at lower engine loads, probably owing to cooling effects of the inducted charge. However, the rapid combustion duration did not exhibit much difference between the blends and gasoline.
Modulization of four-stroke single-cylinder spark-ignition air-cooled engine models
Authors: Wu Y-Y , Chen B-C , Hsieh F-C
Published: August 2007

In order to satisfy different requirements for engine design and real-time simulation, modulization technology is used in this paper to establish the engine model for small-scale engines. The model consists of simple and complex modules of charging, torque, friction, and crankshaft dynamics, which are established in Matlab/Simulink and verified using the experimental data. Different sets of these modules can be selected for various applications. For engine design, a complex model, which consists of the wave-action charging module and the mean-value combustion module, is employed to study the effects of inlet and exhaust systems on torque output performance. For real-time simulation, different levels of complexity can be selected according to the hardware-in-the-loop requirement of the control verification.
Impact of military JP-8 fuel on heavy-duty diesel engine performance and emissions
Authors: Fernandes G , Fuschetto J , Filipi Z , Assanis D , McKee H
Published: August 2007

Investigating the impact of jet fuel on diesel engine performance and emissions is very important for military vehicles, due to the US Army Single Fuel Forward Policy mandating that deployed vehicles must refuel with aviation fuel JP-8. There is a known torque and fuel economy penalty associated with the operation of a diesel engine with JP-8 fuel, due to its lower density and viscosity. On the other hand, a few experimental studies have suggested that kerosene-based fuels have the potential for lowering exhaust emissions, especially particulate matter, compared to diesel fuel #2 (DF-2). However, studies so far have typically focused on quantifying the effects of simply replacing the regular DF-2 with JP-8, rather than fully investigating the reasons behind the observed differences. This research evaluates the effect of using JP-8 fuel in a heavy-duty diesel engine on fuel injection, combustion, performance, and emissions, and subsequently utilizes the obtained insight to propose changes to the engine calibration to mitigate the impact of the trade-offs. Experiments were carried out on a Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) S60 engine outfitted with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The results indicate that torque and fuel economy of diesel fuel can be matched, without smoke or NO x penalty, by increasing the duration of injection to compensate for the lower fuel density. The lower cetane number of JP-8 caused an increased ignition delay and increased premixed combustion, and their cumulative effect led to relatively unchanged combustion phasing. Under almost all conditions, JP-8 led to lower NO x and particulate matter (PM) emissions and shifted the NO x-PM trade-off favourably.
Experimental investigation of the combustion characteristics of a biodiesel (rice-bran oil methyl ester)-fuelled direct-injection transportation diesel engine
Authors: Sinha S , Agarwal A K
Published: August 2007

Increased environmental awareness and depletion of fossil petroleum resources are driving industry to develop alternative fuels that are environmentally more acceptable. Transesterified vegetable oil derivatives called ‘biodiesel’ appear to be the most convenient way of utilizing bio-origin vegetable oils as substitute fuels in diesel engines. The methyl esters of vegetable oils do not require significant modification of existing engine hardware. Previous research has shown that biodiesel has comparable performance and lower brake specific fuel consumption than diesel with significant reduction in emissions of CO, hydrocarbons (HC), and smoke but slightly increased NO x emissions. In the present experimental research work, methyl ester of rice-bran oil is derived through transesterification of rice-bran oil using methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) catalyst. Experimental investigations have been carried out to examine the combustion characteristics in a direct injection transportation diesel engine running with diesel, biodiesel (rice-bran oil methyl ester), and its blends with diesel. Engine tests were performed at different engine loads ranging from no load to rated (100 per cent) load at two different engine speeds (1400 and 1800 r/min). A careful analysis of the cylinder pressure rise, heat release, and other combustion parameters such as the cylinder peak combustion pressure, rate of pressure rise, crank angle at which peak pressure occurs, rate of pressure rise, and mass burning rates was carried out. All test fuels exhibited similar combustion stages as diesel; however, biodiesel blends showed an earlier start of combustion and lower heat release during premixed combustion phase at all engine load-speed combinations. The maximum cylinder pressure reduces as the fraction of biodiesel increases in the blend and, at higher engine loads, the crank angle position of the peak cylinder pressure for biodiesel blends shifted away from the top dead centre in comparison with baseline diesel data. The maximum rate of pressure rise was found to be higher for diesel at higher engine loads; however, combustion duration was higher for biodiesel blends.
Improvement of engine performance using an optimization procedure
Authors: Kegl B , Pehan S , Kegl M
Published: August 2007

This paper presents a simple and effective approach to improve engine performance of a racing car with special requirements. Attention is focused on optimal design of the intake system, using a gradient-based approximation method of mathematical programming. Since optimization relies on accurate numerical analysis of engine processes, the sub-models and parameters needed in the analysis software are carefully determined by experiment. Subsequently, the influence of different design parameters of intake and exhaust systems on engine performance is investigated numerically. The most influencing parameters are selected to be the design variables in the optimization process. In order to improve engine power at several engine speeds, two different forms of the optimal design problem are proposed, solved, and compared as a means to identify the most appropriate one. Since the analysis software is a black-box program, the optimization procedure is implemented by employing the optimization software as a master (driver) program while the analysis software acts as the slave program. The data exchange between these programs is established by XML data files and suitable wrapper programs. The results obtained confirm the usefulness of the approach presented.
On the intelligent slope shift strategy
Authors: Jin Hui , Ge Anlin
Published: August 2007

The vehicle longitudinal dynamics was investigated and a slope recognition method based on reference tables was proposed, to overcome the problems encountered when a vehicle with conventional automatic transmission travels on slopes. Shift strategies on uphill and downhill slopes were also developed. The intelligent slope shift strategy is significant because it can improve the performance on slopes of not only conventional automatic transmissions, but also many other vehicle control systems, such as engine management systems, electric power steering, and shock absorbers.
An experimental study of the dual-fuel performance of a small compression ignition diesel engine operating with three gaseous fuels
Authors: Stewart J , Clarke A , Chen R
Published: August 2007

A dual-fuel engine is a compression ignition (CI) engine where the primary gaseous fuel source is premixed with air as it enters the combustion chamber. This homogenous mixture is ignited by a small quantity of diesel, the ‘pilot’, that is injected towards the end of the compression stroke. In the present study, a direct-injection CI engine, was fuelled with three different gaseous fuels: methane, propane, and butane. The engine performance at various gaseous concentrations was recorded at 1500 r/min and quarter, half, and three-quarters relative to full a load of 18.7 kW. In order to investigate the combustion performance, a novel three-zone heat release rate analysis was applied to the data. The resulting heat release rate data are used to aid understanding of the performance characteristics of the engine in dual-fuel mode.

Data are presented for the heat release rates, effects of engine load and speed, brake specific energy consumption of the engine, and combustion phasing of the three different primary gaseous fuels.

Methane permitted the maximum energy substitution, relative to diesel, and yielded the most significant reductions in CO2. However, propane also had significant reductions in CO2 but had an increased diffusional combustion stage which may lend itself to the modern high-speed direct-injection engine.
An automatic gear-shifting strategy for manual transmissions
Authors: Mashadi B , Kazemkhani A , Lakeh R Baghaei
Published: August 2007

Based on two different criteria, namely the engine working conditions and the driver's intention, the governing parameters in decision making for gear shifting of an automated manual transmission are discussed. The gear-shifting strategy was designed by taking into consideration the effects of these parameters, with the application of a fuzzy control method. The controller structure is formed in two layers. In the first layer, two fuzzy inference modules are used to determine the necessary outputs. In the second layer a fuzzy inference module makes the decision of shifting by upshift, downshift, or maintain commands. The behaviour of the fuzzy controller is examined by making use of ADVISOR software. It is shown that at different driving conditions the controllers make correct decisions for gear shifting accounting for the dynamic requirements of the vehicle. It is also shown that the controller based on both the engine state and the driver's intention eliminates unnecessary shiftings that are present when the intention is overlooked. A microtrip is designed in which a required speed in the form of a step function is demanded for the vehicle on level or sloping roads. Both strategies for the vehicle to reach the maximum speed starting from rest allow the gear shift to be made consecutively. Considerable differences are observed between the two strategies in the deceleration phase. The engine-state strategy is less sensitive to downshift, taking even unnecessary upshift decisions. The state intention strategy, however, interprets the driver's intention correctly for decreasing speed and utilizes engine brake torque to reduce the vehicle speed in a shorter time.
Reference adjustment for a high-acceleration and high-precision platform via A-type of iterative learning control
Authors: Wu J. H. , Ding H
Published: August 2007

This paper studies the repetitive motion control of a high-acceleration and high-precision platform driven by linear motors. The control scheme comprises an anticipatory iterative learning control (A-ILC) component and a cascaded control structure including an inner-loop velocity PI controller and an outer-loop position P controller. During the motion process, the cascaded controller remains invariant while the A-ILC adjusts the reference command cycle by cycle to achieve better performance. Experiments are carried out to validate the proposed control structure. The results confirm that the proposed control scheme can improve the system performance significantly in both low-speed trajectory tracking motions and fast point-to-point motion. In the experiments, P-type and D-type ILCs are also utilized to adjust the reference command. Compared with the A type, P-type ILC leads to larger tracking error bounds and D-type ILC lacks a fast convergence rate for low-speed motions, while for fast point-to-point motion these two types of ILC are unable to work well.
Sliding-mode control with passivity for a continuously stirred tank reactor
Authors: Koshkouei A. J.
Published: August 2007

In this paper, adaptive feedback passivation is studied for a class of non-linear systems. Passivity is the property stating that any storage energy in a system is not higher than energy supplied to it from external sources. An appropriate updated estimate law is obtained so that the new transformed system is passive. In fact the system is passive via feedback if the unknown parameters are replaced with suitable estimates. Sliding-mode control is designed so that the states track the desired values. The passivation of a continuously stirred tank reactor model is considered as an application.
Comparative studies of the set up of two-dimensional pneumatic arm systems by muscle and rotational actuators
Authors: Wang Y-T , Wong R-H , Lu J-T
Published: August 2007

As opposed to traditional pneumatic linear actuators, muscle and rotational actuators are newly developed actuators in rotational and specified applications. In the current paper, these actuators are used to set up two-dimensional pneumatic arms, which are used mainly to simulate the excavator's motion. Fuzzy control algorithms are typically applied in pneumatic control systems owing to their non-linearities and ill-defined mathematical model. The self-organizing fuzzy controller, which includes a self-learning mechanism to modify fuzzy rules, is applied in these two-dimensional pneumatic arm control systems. Via a variety of trajectory tracking experiments, the present paper provides comparisons of system characteristics and control performances.
Real-time in vivo imaging by high-speed spectral optical
coherence tomography
Authors: Wojtkowski Maciej , Bajraszewski Tomasz , Targowski Piotr , Kowalczyk Andrzej
Published: August 2007

An improved spectral optical coherence tomography technique is used to
obtain cross-sectional ophthalmic images at an exposure time of
64 µs per A-scan. This method allows real-time
images as well as static tomograms to be recorded in
vivo.
Einleitung / Editorial
Authors: Pollmann Karla
Published: August 2007

Augustin ist wohl der einflußreichste Kirchenlehrer des Lateinischen Westens, und seine Gedanken vermögen immer noch zu inspirieren, zu beunruhigen oder auch zu Widerspruch herauszufordern. Kaum jemand, der sich auch nur ansatzweise mit seiner Gedankenwelt auseinandersetzt, vermag ihr gleichgültig gegenüberzustehen. Diese imposante Stellung Augustins in der (nicht nur europäischen) Geistesgeschichte ist im wesentlichen unbestritten, jedoch nur zu Teilen erforscht. Daher befaßt sich ein interdisziplinäres und internationales, vom britischen Leverhulme Trust gefördertes und an der University von St Andrews (Schottland) beheimatetes Projekt „After Augustine. A Survey of His Reception from 430 to 2000“ mit dieser Thematik, wobei ein möglichst breites Spektrum der Rezeption Augustins durch die Jahrhunderte auch über die Theologie hinaus abgedeckt werden soll. Weitere Informationen zu diesem Projekt finden sich auf der Website www.st-and.ac.uk/classics/after-augustine. Im Rahmen dieses Projektes fand im Mai 2006 an der Universität von St Andrews ein Workshop unter dem Titel „Probing Augustine in the 21st Century – Icon or Taboo?“ statt. Es hatte zum Ziel, aktuelle Forschungspositionen zu Augustin zu skizzieren, wobei besonderes Augenmerk darauf gerichtet werden sollte, inwieweit zum einen Augustins Werke selbst die Sichtweise der Forschung in ihrer Beurteilung beeinflussen, und inwieweit zum anderen diese Beurteilung auch von vorgefaßten Meinungen oder Wertvorstellungen bestimmt werden kann. Drei der dort gehaltenen Vorträge sind in diesen Band aufgenommen worden (Baker-Brian, Elliott, Lössl). Die restlichen Beiträge wurden im Nachhinein rekrutiert, um auf einer umfassenderen chronologischen Basis noch weitere Aspekte einbeziehen zu können.
Augustin-Rezeption im Reich der Vandalen. Die Altercatio sancti Augustini cum Pascentio Arriano
Authors: Heil Uta
Published: August 2007

The essay deals with the so called Altercatio sancti Augustini cum Pascentio Arriano, a dialogue of an unknown author, and describes how the information of the preserved correspondence between Augustine and Pascentius (ep. 238–341) was used to create a dialogue between these combatants, supervised by a iudex Laurentius. Augustine and Pascentius were discussing the “Arian” question in many aspects as one can see from their extant letters, but the author of the Altercatio mainly concentrated on the term “homoousios” and made ‘Augustine’ successfully defending this term against “homoian” criticism. In all probability the Altercatio was written during the time of the Vandal kingdom in North-Africa at the end of the 5th century (the ascription to Vigil of Thapsus must remain undecided) and can be judged as a hint at the growing prestige of Augustine in this region.