bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Residual elastic strain due to laser shock peening: Synchrotron diffraction measurement
Authors: Korsunsky A M , Liu J , Laundy D , Golshan M , Kim K
Published: April 2006

Residual elastic strain in a thin slice parted off from a laser shock peened plate of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V was measured using high-energy diffraction on station 16.3 at SRS Daresbury. Diffraction peaks were collected for reflections (00.2), (10.1), (10.2), and (11.0) from the hcp (hexagonal close-packed) α-phase of the titanium alloy. Reference values of the lattice spacing for each of the reflections were found from the diffraction pattern collected from a stress-free sampling volume. The residual elastic strain values calculated on the basis of each reflection were then computed and plotted as a function of distance from the treated surface. Residual strain profiles show significant differences, reflecting the variation in the elastic and plastic with orientation of the grain, i.e. anisotropy. The average macroscopic residual elastic strain was therefore computed using an appropriate average, taking into account multiplicity of each reflection. Since the greatest contrast in elastic and plastic properties exists between directions (00.2) and (11.0), the difference between residual elastic strains measured for these reflections was plotted, together with the ‘difference strain’ between (00.2) and (10.1). These showed a very good correlation with the plastic strain profile introduced by laser shock peening.
Analysis of stick–slip and contact-edge behaviour in a simplified fretting fatigue test
Authors: Banerjee N , Hills D. A
Published: April 2006

The behaviour of a frictional, complete contact has been studied by the finite element method, aided by asymptotic solutions. Conditions for the onset of slip and separation under monotonic loading are established, as is the steady state fully adhered loading range (the shakedown limit), under cyclic loading.
Power quality in high-tech campus: A case study
Authors: Moreno-Muñoz A , Redel M. D. , González M
Published: April 2006

This paper presents preliminary results from a power-quality audit conducted at a high-tech campus over the last year. Voltage and current were measured at various R&D buildings; it was found that the main problems for the equipment installed were voltage sags and surges. The paper examines the causes and effects of power disturbances that affect computer or any other microprocessor-based equipment and analyses the auto-protection capabilities of modern power supplies. The convenience of ‘enhanced power supply’ or ‘low-cost customer-side’ protection solutions is also discussed. Finally, it addresses the role of the standards on the protection of electronic equipment and the implications for the final customer.
Binary and ternary liquid metal—steam cycles for high-efficiency coal power stations
Authors: Angelino G , Invernizzi C
Published: April 2006

Since in the use of coal the direct recourse to combined cycles is impractical, binary alkali metal steam cycles are recognized as an interesting and feasible option. Past attempts to employ metal vapour conversion cycles for power generation are surveyed. After selecting potassium and cesium as possible candidate fluids, the binary cycle is optimized taking as variables the top temperature, the number of condensation levels of the metal vapour cycle, and the characteristics of the bottoming steam cycle. At vaporization temperatures in the range of 750—850 °C, metal vapour cycle efficiencies of about 20—24 per cent and binary cycle efficiencies of 57—61 per cent seem achievable.

A survey of available building materials in the steel and in the super-alloy class showed that top temperatures of 800–850 °C could be reached with state-of-the-art alloys. Metal vapour turbines are recognized as a key issue of binary plant design in that exhaust volume flows are very large even for a moderate turbine capacity. For a double flow solution, limiting turbine dimensions to those of existing 1500 r/min steam low pressure stages leads to metal vapour turbine capacity of 120 MW for potassium and 170 MW for cesium.

Assuming that in the future, better materials will be available allowing alkali metal vaporization temperatures in the range of 1400–1500 °C, a ternary solution is proposed which employs lithium, potassium, and steam as working fluids. At 1450 °C top temperature, a cycle efficiency in excess of 70 per cent is attained.
Extensive study on the control of centrifugal compressor surge
Authors: Arnulfi G. L. , Blanchini F , Giannattasio P , Micheli D , Pinamonti P
Published: April 2006

This paper reports the results of an extensive study concerning surge instability in an industrial compression system and its dynamic suppression. Both numerical simulations and experiments have been used to analyse the system behaviour under unstable operating conditions and to compare different control devices for surge suppression. First, the characterization of surge is performed over the whole unstable operating range of a compression system based on a four-stage centrifugal compressor. The unsteady energy associated with the surge cycle is employed as an index of the surge intensity to allow for a quantitative approach to the problem. Subsequently, the behaviour and performance of a passive-type control system and of an active-type one are analysed and compared. The former consists of an innovative device based on an oscillating water column, whereas the latter is a high-gain type of feedback device implemented digitally. Experimental data show that the proposed passive device is effective not only in inhibiting surge development, but also in suppressing fully developed instability. The active device turns out to be more effective than the passive one, but under severe conditions it may fail because of actuator limitations and noise amplification. Finally, the relative merits and limitations of the two control systems are discussed with reference to their effectiveness range, flexibility, steady-state performance, installation, maintenance, and costs.
Theoretical prediction of hydrodynamic effect by tailored boundary slippage
Authors: Guo F , Wong P. L.
Published: April 2006

Classical sliding bearings usually rely on the converging geometrical wedge to generate desirable hydrodynamic lubricating effects. This article proposes a novel approach to the generation of efficient hydrodynamic effects in sliding bearings, including those running without the apparently indispensable geometrical wedge. In the new bearing prototype, the stationary bounding surface is modified in such a way that lubricant boundary slippage occurs in the upstream region. It results in a smaller flow resistance in the inlet than in the outlet. Thus, a hydrodynamic effect is generated. To theoretically validate the proposed idea, a one-dimensional model with the critical shear-stress criterion of slippage is built and closed-form solutions are obtained. The result shows a triangular distribution of pressure similar to that of Rayleigh bearings. The load capacity and friction behaviour are studied under different critical shear stresses and surface-tailored parameters. In addition, it is shown that even with a diverging gap, positive hydrodynamic pressure can also be produced through tailored boundary slippage.
Cryptic splice site usage in exon 7 of the human fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene is regulated by a naturally silent SF2/ASF binding site within this exon
Authors: Spena Silvia , Tenchini Maria Luisa , Buratti Emanuele
Published: April 2006

In this work we report the identification of a strong SF2/ASF binding site within exon 7 of the human fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene (FGB). Its disruption in the wild-type context has no effect on exon recognition. However, when the mutation IVS7 + 1G>T—initially described in a patient suffering from congenital afibrinogenemia—is present, this SF2/ASF binding site is critical for cryptic 5′ss (splice site) definition. These findings, besides confirming and extending previous results regarding the effect of SF2/ASF on cryptic splice site activation, identify for the first time an enhancer sequence in theFGBgene specific for cryptic splice site usage. Taken together, they suggest the existence of a splicing-regulatory network that is normally silent in theFGBnatural splicing environment but which can nonetheless influence splicing decisions when local contexts allow. On a more general note, our conclusions have implications for the evolution of alternative splicing processes and for the development of methods to control aberrant splicing in the context of disease-causing mutations.
Induction of the interferon response by siRNA is cell type– and duplex length–dependent
Authors: Reynolds Angela , Anderson Emily M. , Vermeulen Annaleen , Fedorov Yuriy , Robinson Kathryn , Leake Devin , Karpilow Jon , Marshall William S. , Khvorova Anastasia
Published: April 2006

Long (27–29-bp dsRNA) Dicer-dependent substrates have been identified as potent mediators of RNAi-induced gene knockdown in HEK293 and HeLa cells. As the lengths of these molecules are reported to be below the threshold generally regarded as necessary for induction of the mammalian interferon (IFN) response, these long siRNA are being considered as RNAi substrates in both research and therapeutic settings. In this report, we demonstrate that >23-bp dsRNA can influence cell viability and induce a potent IFN response (highlighted by a strong up-regulation of the dsRNA receptor, Toll-like receptor 3) in a cell type-specific manner. This finding suggests that the length threshold for siRNA induction of the IFN response is not fixed but instead varies significantly among different cell types. Given the diversity of cell types that comprise whole organisms, these findings suggest great care should be taken when considering length variations of dsRNA molecules for RNAi experimentation, especially in therapeutic applications.
Human P2X7 Pore Function Predicts Allele Linkage Disequilibrium
Authors: Denlinger Loren C , Coursin Douglas B , Schell Kathleen , Angelini Giuditta , Green Dawn N , Guadarrama Arturo G , Halsey Jennifer , Prabhu Usha , Hogan Kirk J , Bertics Paul J
Published: April 2006

Background: Innate immune response amplification is achieved by leukocyte expression of the purinergic nucleotide receptor P2X7, an extracellular nucleotide-gated pore. Previously, low P2X7 pore activity in whole blood was associated with loss-of-function genotypes in correlation with a decreased ratio of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tumor necrosis factor-α to interleukin-10, of relevance to a variety of infectious and inflammatory disorders. We hypothesized that evaluation of participants with discordance between the P2X7 genotype and pore status would disclose additional alleles, linkage disequilibrium, and novel functional correlates of genotype to phenotype.

Methods: Comparison of whole-blood pore results with restriction fragment length polymorphism data for known loss-of-function genotypes from 200 healthy participants optimized the diagnostic threshold for low pore activity by ROC curve analysis. We identified novel alleles and inferred haplotypes by sequencing outlier genomic templates and by linkage analysis.

Results: With a refined threshold of low activity, a normal pore result had only a 2% probability of association with known loss-of-function variants. By contrast, the positive predictive value of low pore activity was 59% for identifying known alleles. DNA samples from this discordant group contained 28 P2X7 sequence variations. Linkage analysis demonstrated that A1513C, T1729A, and G946A are inherited independently from one another, although these loss-of-function variants are in disequilibrium with other alleles. When we segregated pore activity data according to genotypes, nonsynonymous sequence variations (G474A and A1405G) appeared to exhibit modulatory effects on P2X7 pore activity.

Conclusions: Direct analysis of pore activity demonstrates functional interactions between P2X7 alleles. The performance characteristics of the whole-blood pore assay enables correlation of genomic variation with concomitant investigation of functional performance in clinical studies.
The Evolution of Best Ethical Practices in Human Research
Authors: Sieber Joan E.
Published: April 2006

Ideally, best practices in human research would evolve quickly in the wake of new ethical challenges, but in reality such challenges sometimes evoke Procrustean new oversight requirements that benefit neither human subjects nor science. The rapid advance of new topics, methods and ethical challenges in human research inevitably raises questions about the appropriateness of time-honored research practices, and about the most intelligent application of ethical principles to these new contexts. Such questions typically call for an insightful and nuanced understanding of the new context, rather than debate based on older conceptions. JERHRE serves as a forum to promote and publish meritorious empirical research on ethical issues, designed to enable us to learn from these challenges, and thereby hasten the evolution of best ethical practices in human research.
Cognitive Interviewing as a Tool for Improving the Informed Consent Process
Authors: Willis Gordon
Published: April 2006

Consent materials often contain complex information, legalese, and other features that render them difficult to comprehend in such a way that consent is truly informed. I propose that researchers adapt cognitive interviewing, normally used for the pretesting of survey questionnaires, to evaluate the understandability of consent materials and the way in which subjects use this information to make decisions regarding participation. Cognitive interviewing involves the intensive probing of small samples of volunteer subjects to elucidate thought processes that otherwise remain hidden. Cognitive interviewing can be applied: (a) to further the basic science of informed consent; (b) to pretest materials for a specific study; and (c) as an embedded procedure for assessing subject thought processes in the course of obtaining consent.
The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Metals on the Nervous System Function in Welders
Authors: Wang Xianliang , Yang Yongjian , Wang Xiaoli , Xu Shunqing
Published: April 2006

The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Metals on the Nervous System Function in Welders: Xianliang Wang, et al. MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China—We explored the relationship between metals exposure and nervous impairment in welders. The metals exposure of 82 welders and 51 operators were evaluated for blood Pb, Cd and Mn by atomic absorption spectrometry, and the nervous system impairment was evaluated with the neurobehavioral core test battery and electromyography. Pb (geometric mean: 117.31 µg/L; range: 0.5–327.6 µg/L) and Cd (geometric mean: 3.54 µg/L; range: 0.2–12.5 µg/L) in welders were significantly higher than those in operators. Welders had higher prevalence of nervous system symptoms and worse standard scores of 8 items such as depression‐dejection than operators. Significant difference of nervous performance in welders only existed in different concentration groups of Pb and Mn. The performances of fatigue‐inertia and some others had negative correlations with Pb and digit span with Mn. Therefore, the nervous system impairment in welders could be attributed to occupational exposure of Pb and Mn, but not Cd, concomitantly.
Mental and Physical Effects of Tanshin funin, Posting without Family, on Married Male Workers in Japan
Authors: Nakadaira Hiroto , Yamamoto Masaharu , Matsubara Toh
Published: April 2006

Mental and Physical Effects of Tanshin funin, Posting without Family, on Married Male Workers in Japan: Hiroto Nakadaira, et al. Division of Social and Environmental Medicine, Department of Community Preventive Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences—This paper investigates the effects of tanshin funin, a posting without family, on the health of married male workers. A prospective study using the pair‐matched method was performed. One hundred and twenty‐nine married male tanshin funin workers in their 40s and 50s and as many matched workers living with their family (regular workers) participated. Fewer tanshin funin workers took breakfast everyday (OR=3.3, p<0.001). Tanshin funin workers more frequently suffered from stress due to daily chores (OR=3.6, p<0.001) and from stress‐related health problems, namely headache (OR=4.7, p=0.013) and gastric/ duodenal ulcers (OR=8.7, p<0.001). They also developed more frequently common cold/bronchitis (OR=14.5, p<0.001). The levels of γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase for workers reluctant to work under tanshin funin and workers who spent less than two years in tanshin funin increased significantly from the fiscal year 1997 to year 2001 (46.7 to 67.5 IU/l, p<0.001, and 36.9 to 72.4 IU/l, p=0.005, respectively), although those of their matched regular workers did not show significant changes. The daily alcohol intake of reluctant tanshin funin workers (the equivalent of approximately 817 ml of beer) was higher than that of the matched regular workers (582 ml, p=0.026). In summary, abrupt changes in lifestyle and elevated mental stress were thus important effects of tanshin funin. Tanshin funin workers should be provided with health and lifestyle education programs and mental health care before and during tanshin funin. Doctors and nurses in the healthcare departments of companies should play a leading role.
T-Cell/Histiocyte-Rich B-Cell Lymphoma: Biology, Diagnosis, and Management
Authors: Abramson Jeremy S.
Published: April 2006

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Distinguish T/HRBCL from other lymphomas based on clinical characteristics.Distinguish T/HRBCL from other lymphomas based on immunohistochemical features.Discuss the importance of a prompt diagnosis of T/HRBCL and select an appropriate treatment.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA category 1 credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphoma (T/HRBCL) is an uncommon morphologic variant of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Pathologically, it is distinguished by <10% malignant B cells amid a majority population of reactive T lymphocytes and histiocytes. Diagnosis of this entity is occasionally difficult, as it may appear similar to other lymphoid diseases, such as nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma and classic Hodgkin's lymphoma. Accurate diagnosis therefore rests with careful immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor cells and the inflammatory microenvironment. Clinically, T/HRBCL occurs in younger patients, predominantly affects men, and involves the liver, spleen, and bone marrow with greater frequency than traditional DLBCL. Despite the unique clinical features and robust host inflammatory response, T/HRBCL follows a natural history similar to those of other DLBCLs and responds similarly to therapy. Recent gene expression analysis demonstrates that a productive relationship with the host immune response may extend beyond this small DLBCL variant to include as many as one third of all DLBCLs. At present, T/HRBCL should be treated similarly to other stage-matched DLBCLs, though future therapies will likely be targeted at the relationship of the tumor cells with their inflammatory microenvironment.
The Promise of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Does Not Confer Immunity Against Ethical Reflection
Authors: de Melo-Martín Inmaculada
Published: April 2006

The recent announcement of an experimental vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) has raised great hopes and expectations. Promising trial results, however, should not obscure ethical issues related to a vaccine's ultimate dissemination. Although lay media might view an HPV vaccine as a panacea, a more complicated ethical reality exists, touching upon public knowledge, health care disparities, and parental consent for childhood vaccination.
Ghrelin stimulates phagocytosis and superoxide production in fish leukocytes
Authors: Yada T , Kaiya H , Mutoh K , Azuma T , Hyodo S , Kangawa K
Published: April 2006

To clarify the role of ghrelin in the fish immune system, the in vitro effect of ghrelin was examined in phagocytic leukocytes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Administration of trout ghrelin and des-VRQ-trout ghrelin, in which three amino acids are deleted from trout ghrelin, increased superoxide production in zymosan-stimulated phagocytic leukocytes from the head kidney. Gene expression of growth hormone (GH) secretagogue-receptor (GHS-R) was detected by RT–PCR in leukocytes. Pretreatment of phagocytic leukocytes with a GHS-R antagonist, [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6, abolished the stimulatory effects of trout ghrelin and des-VRQ-trout ghrelin on superoxide production. Ghrelin increased mRNA levels of superoxide dismutase and GH expressed in trout phagocytic leukocytes. Immunoneutralization of GH by addition of anti-salmon GH serum to the medium blocked the stimulatory effect of ghrelin on superoxide production. These results suggest that ghrelin stimulates phagocytosis in fish leukocytes through a GHS-R-dependent pathway, and also that the effect of ghrelin is mediated, at least in part, by GH secreted by leukocytes.
Forkhead transcription factor FOXO1A is critical for induction of human decidualization
Authors: Grinius L , Kessler C , Schroeder J , Handwerger S
Published: April 2006

Experiments utilizing RNA interference technology were performed to determine whether the forkhead transcription factor FOXO1A, a member of the FOXO family of proteins, plays a critical role in the induction of human uterine decidualization. Human decidual fibroblast cells were decidualized in vitro for 6 days with medroxyprogester-one, estradiol, and dibutyryl cAMP in the presence or absence of a highly specific FOXO1A small interfering RNA (siRNA) that inhibits FOXO1A mRNA and protein expression by more than 80%. RNA and proteins were extracted from the cells at 0, 2, 4, and 6 days. FOXO1A and IGFBP-1 proteins were determined by immunoblotting; and intracellular mRNA levels for several decidualization marker genes were determined by real-time PCR. Exposure of the cells to FOXO1A siRNA in five separate experiments resulted in a 40–75% inhibition of prolactin, IGFBP-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3), somatostatin and endometrial bleeding-associated factor (EBAF) mRNAs, all of which are markedly induced during the decidualization process. In contrast, actin and GAPDH mRNA levels did not change during decidualization. The inhibition of mRNA levels was first noted at day 2 and persisted for the remainder of each experiment. Western blot analysis indicated that the FOXO1A siRNA inhibited IGFBP-1 protein expression by 60–80%. Decidual fibroblast cells exposed in an identical manner to a control RNA that had no effect on FOXO1A expression caused only a 0–15% inhibition of the marker genes and IGFBP-1 protein. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest a critical role for FOXO1A in the induction of human decidualization.
Atrial natriuretic peptide modulates cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel expression in rat proximal colon and human intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Novaira H J , Ornellas D S , Ortiga-Carvalho T M , Zhang X M , Souza-Menezes J , Guggino S E , Guggino W B , Morales M M
Published: April 2006

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is one of the most intensively investigated Cl− channels. Different mutations in the CFTR gene cause the disease cystic fibrosis (CF). CFTR is expressed in the apical membrane of various epithelial cells including the intestine. The major organ affected in CF patients is the lung, but it also causes an important dysfunction of intestinal ion transport. The modulation of CFTR mRNA expression by atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was investigated in rat proximal colon and in human intestinal CaCo-2 cells by RNase protection assay and semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR techniques. Groups of rats subjected to volume expansion or intravenous infusion of synthetic ANP showed respective increases of 60 and 50% of CFTR mRNA expression in proximal colon. CFTR mRNA was also increased in cells treated with ANP, reaching a maximum effect at 10−9 M ANP, probably via cGMP. ANP at 10−9 M was also able to stimulate both the CFTR promoter region (by luciferase assay) and protein expression in CaCo-2 cells (by Western blot and immunoprecipitation/phosphorylation). These results suggested the involvement of ANP, a hormone involved with extracellular volume, in the expression of CFTR in rat proximal colon and CaCo-2 intestinal cells.
Depletion of resting zone chondrocytes during growth plate senescence
Authors: Schrier Lenneke , Ferns Sandra P , Barnes Kevin M , Emons Joyce A M , Newman Eric I , Nilsson Ola , Baron Jeffrey
Published: April 2006

With age, the growth plate undergoes senescent changes that cause linear bone growth to slow and finally cease. Based on previous indirect evidence, we hypothesized that this senescent decline occurs because growth plate stem-like cells, located in the resting zone, have a finite proliferative capacity that is gradually depleted. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that the proliferation rate in rabbit resting zone chondrocytes (assessed by continuous 5-bromo-2′-deoxy-uridine labeling) decreases with age, as does the number of resting zone chondrocytes per area of growth plate.

Glucocorticoid excess slows growth plate senescence. To explain this effect, we hypothesized that glucocorticoid inhibits resting zone chondrocyte proliferation, thus conserving their proliferative capacity. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that dexamethasone treatment decreased the proliferation rate of rabbit resting zone chondrocytes and slowed the numerical depletion of these cells. Estrogen is known to accelerate growth plate senescence. However, we found that estradiol cypionate treatment slowed resting zone chondrocyte proliferation.

Our findings support the hypotheses that growth plate senescence is caused by qualitative and quantitative depletion of stem-like cells in the resting zone and that growth-inhibiting conditions, such as glucocorticoid excess, slow senescence by slowing resting zone chondrocyte proliferation and slowing the numerical depletion of these cells, thereby conserving the proliferative capacity of the growth plate. We speculate that estrogen might accelerate senescence by a proliferation-independent mechanism, or by increasing the loss of proliferative capacity per cell cycle.
A GH receptor antisense oligonucleotide inhibits hepatic GH receptor expression, IGF-I production and body weight gain in normal mice
Authors: Tachas G , Lofthouse S , Wraight C J , Baker B F , Sioufi N B , Jarres R A , Berdeja A , Rao A M , Kerr L M , d’Aniello E M , Waters M J
Published: April 2006

Diabetic retinopathy and acromegaly are diseases associated with excess action of GH and its effector IGF-I, and there is a need for improved therapies. We have designed an optimised 2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-modified phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide, ATL 227446, and demonstrated its ability to suppress GH receptor mRNA in vitro. Subcutaneous injections of ATL 227446 reduced GH receptor mRNA levels, GH binding activity and serum IGF-I levels in mice after seven days of dosing. The reduction in serum IGF-I could be sustained for over ten weeks of dosing at therapeutically relevant levels, during which there was also a significant decrease in body weight gain in antisense-treated mice relative to saline and mismatch control-treated mice. The findings indicate that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide to the GH receptor may be applicable to human diseases in which suppression of GH action provides therapeutic benefit.
Phylogeny and evolution of class-I helical cytokines
Authors: Huising Mark O , Kruiswijk Corine P , Flik Gert
Published: April 2006

The class-I helical cytokines constitute a large group of signalling molecules that play key roles in a plethora of physiological processes including host defence, immune regulation, somatic growth, reproduction, food intake and energy metabolism, regulation of neural growth and many more. Despite little primary amino acid sequence similarity, the view that all contemporary class-I helical cytokines have expanded from a single ancestor is widely accepted, as all class-I helical cytokines share a similar three-dimensional fold, signal via related class-I helical cytokine receptors and activate similar intracellular signalling cascades. Virtually all of our knowledge on class-I helical cytokine signalling derives from research on primate and rodent species. Information on the presence, structure and function of class-I helical cytokines in non-mammalian vertebrates and non-vertebrates is fragmentary. Consequently, our ideas about the evolution of this versatile multigene family are often based on a limited comparison of human and murine orthologs. In the last 5 years, whole genome sequencing projects have yielded draft genomes of the early vertebrates, pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes), spotted green pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fuelled by this development, fish orthologs of a number of mammalian class-I helical cytokines have recently been discovered. In this review, we have characterised the mammalian class-I helical cytokine family and compared it with the emerging class-I helical cytokine repertoire of teleost fish. This approach offers important insights into cytokine evolution as it identifies the helical cytokines shared by fish and mammals that, consequently, existed before the divergence of teleosts and tetrapods. A ‘fish–mammalian’ comparison will identify the class-I helical cytokines that still await discovery in fish or, alternatively, may have been evolutionarily recent additions to the mammalian cytokine repertoire.
Ultradeepwater Hydraulics and Well-Control Tests with Extensive Instrumentation: Field Tests and Data Analysis
Authors: Rommetveit Rolv , Bjørkevoll Knut S. , Gravdal Jan Einar , Goncalves Clemente J.C. , Lage Antonio Carlos V.M. , Campos Jose E.A. , Aragão Átila F.L. , Arcelloni Alberto , Ohara Shiniti
Published: April 2006

Detailed measurements of downhole pressures and temperatures have been performed during simulated drilling operations at ultradeepwater offshore Brazil. Sensors were placed at six different positions along the drillstring,which made high-frequency recordings of pressure and temperature during

Surges and swabs at different depths. Gel-breaking tests. Circulation sweeps. Migration of gas in the riser.

It was expected that the special conditions in ultradeep wells with low temperature along most of the very long riser would cause some significant deviations from corresponding measurements in more-normal wells. The measurements aimed at identifying, understanding, and quantifying such effects. This is considered very important because a narrow window between pore and fracture pressure is common in very deep waters.

Advanced transient models were used to identify the most interesting effects. Effects that are reliably reproduced by advanced transient models are also important, but operators are able to do calculations to prepare for them.

A remote-operated vehicle (ROV) recorded temperature outside the riser during experiments to give input to a detailed study of heat transfer from drilling fluid inside the riser to the seawater outside.

The purpose of the tests was to obtain detailed measurements of physical effects that may be important in ultradeepwater wells.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the recorded data, including comparing them to advanced computer models for transient pressure and temperature during drilling, circulation, and surge/swab. In addition, the gas migration is simulated with an advanced kick simulator.
Predicting and Monitoring Fluid Invasion in Exploratory Drilling
Authors: Waldmann A. T. A. , Martins A. L. , Aragão Á. F. L. , Lomba R. F. T.
Published: April 2006

This study proposes, through the coupling of a linear filtration formulation (laboratory configuration) and a radial single-phase formulation (wellbore vicinity), to predict fluid-invasion depth-of-drilling fluid filtrate in the reservoir rock. Modeling is validated with linear and radial laboratory tests, as well as with resistivity logs run in offshore wells from Campos basin, offshore Brazil.

The proposed methodology is required for optimum drilling-fluid design to be used in the drilling of reservoir sections in both exploratory and developmental wells in Campos basin.
Evaluation of Heave-Induced Dynamic Loading on Deepwater Landing Strings
Authors: Everage S. DeWayne , Zheng Nanjiu , Ellis Sean
Published: April 2006

With current landing-string tensile loads approaching 1,500 klbf, deepwater drilling programs are quickly eliminating comfortable design margins. Consideration of static loading alone in these cases can sometimes be insufficient. This paper provides a mathematical model to predict dynamic axial loads imposed on a deepwater landing string by a drillship's response to ocean waves. The model can be adapted to a given landing string's geometric and mechanical constraints. The model will help the user identify the correct opportunity for pausing a landing operation when seastates are increasing in intensity, or alternatively, may enable the user to continue deepwater landing operations with increased confidence during what may be considered marginal conditions.
Hydraulic Optimization of Foam Drilling For Maximum Drilling Rate in Vertical Wells
Authors: Kuru E. , Okunsebor O. M. , Li Y.
Published: April 2006

A transient-mechanistic model of cuttings transport with foam has been recently developed and solved numerically. In this study, the new model has been used to revisit the classical theory of hydraulic optimization (i.e.,maximum bit-hydraulic-horsepower/jet-impact-force criteria).

A new methodology has been suggested to determine the optimum gas-/liquid-injection rates for maximizing drilling rates when drilling withfoam in vertical wells while keeping the bottomhole pressure at minimum.

The new method can be easily used in the field to determine the bestcombination of gas-/liquid-injection rates and total-bit flow area (i.e.,jet-nozzle sizes), such that the maximum drilling rate is achieved.
Catalytic Wet‐Air Oxidation of a Chemical Plant Wastewater over Platinum‐Based Catalysts
Authors: Cybulski Andrzej , Trawczyński Janusz
Published: April 2006

Catalytic wet‐air oxidation (CWAO) of wastewater (chemical oxygen demand [COD] = 1800 mg O2/dm3) from a fine chemicals plant was investigated in a fixed‐bed reactor at T = 393–473 K under total pressure of 5.0 or 8.0 MPa. Catalysts containing 0.3% wt. of platinum deposited on two supports, mixed silica‐titania (SM1) and carbon black composites (CBC) were used. The CBC‐supported catalyst appeared to be more active than the SM1‐supported one. A slow decrease of activity of the platinum on SM1 (Pt–SM1) during the long‐term operation is attributed to recrystallization of titania and leaching of a support component, while the Pt–CBC catalyst is deteriorated, owing to combustion of the support component. The power‐law‐kinetic equations were used to describe the rate of COD removal at CWAO over the catalysts. The kinetic parameters of COD reduction for the wastewater were determined and compared with the kinetic parameters describing phenol oxidation over the same catalysts. Rates of COD removal for the wastewater were found higher than those for phenol oxidation over the same catalysts and under identical operating conditions.
Enhanced Biodegradation of Azo Dyes Using an Integrated Elemental Iron‐Activated Sludge System: I. Evaluation of System Performance
Authors: Saxe Jennie Perey , Lubenow Brian L. , Chiu Pei C. , Huang Chin‐Pao , Cha Daniel K.
Published: April 2006

The objective of this research is to evaluate an integrated system coupling zero‐valent iron (Fe0) and aerobic biological oxidation for the treatment of azo dye wastewater. Zero‐valent (elemental) iron can reduce the azo bond, cleaving dye molecules into products that are more amenable to aerobic biological treatment processes. Azo dye reduction products, including aniline and sulfanilic acid, were shown to be readily biodegradable at concentrations up to approximately 25 mg/L. Batch reduction and biodegradation data support the proposed integrated iron pretreatment and activated sludge process for the degradation of the azo dyes orange G and orange I. The integrated system was able to decolorize dye solutions and yield effluents with lower total organic carbon concentrations than control systems without iron pretreatment. The success of the bench‐scale integrated system suggests that iron pretreatment may be a feasible approach to treat azo dye containing wastewaters.
The Oppression Argument on Foreign Investment in China, 1895–1937
Authors: Hou Chi-Ming
Published: April 2006

Few would deny that one of the most important factors shaping the Chinese economy in the past hundred years or so was the economic contact between China and the West. This external economic confrontation has been widely held by the Chinese as a factor detrimental to the development of the Chinese economy. First, it is argued that foreign trade and foreign investment in China upset the Chinese economy by ruining handicraft industries and disrupting agriculture. Secondly, foreign trade and investment in China are alleged to have drained the Chinese economy of its wealth because of the secular unfavorable balance of trade of China and the large amount of income made or remitted to their home countries by Western enterprises in China. Thirdly, it is maintained that foreign enterprises in China were so effective in their competitive power or enjoyed so many advantages secured on their behalf by their respective governments that the Chinese-owned modern enterprises were hopelessly oppressed and had little chance, if any, to grow.
Preliminary Notes on Sung Archaeology
Authors: Rudolph R. C.
Published: April 2006

We have heard much about the Sung archaeologists' mistakes but little about their important work, upon which much of our work in some fields is based today. They did not make spectacular discoveries of buried cities through the use of classical sources as did Heinrich Schliemann less than one hundred years ago. But they did use the early literature, together with a critical sense of judgment, some eight or nine centuries ago to discover much truth about the remote past and to dispel misinformation which had accumulated in the ensuing centuries. Many of the Sung scholars had a most enlightened and what might even be called a modern approach in their attitude towards this work. They had progressed far beyond the “cabinet of curiosities” stage, still current in Europe at a much later date, and were engaged in intelligent research concerned with identification, etymology, dating, and interpretation. Moreover, they practiced, within the limitations imposed upon them by the advancement of science at that time, most of the critical methods and devices used in modern archaeological work.
The Philippine Sugar Industry and the Politics of Independence, 1929–1935
Authors: Friend Theodore
Published: April 2006

Independence was an old question in Philippine-American relations, free trade a middle-aged one, and sugar production a very young one when all three converged in 1929. They remained tangled until an independence bill, a redefinition of Philippine-American trade, and the combined limitation and allocation of Philippine sugar production straightened them out again by 1935. The struggles of the intervening years involved every phase of American colonial policy and every phase of Philippine public life. Here I single out for examination the Philippine place in America's sugar market and the place of sugar in the Philippine political economy.
Bhāgavata Mēḷa Nāṭakam, a Traditional Dance-Drama Form
Authors: Jones Clifford R.
Published: April 2006

In the present renaissance of India's traditional arts, a great deal of attention is being focused upon dance and dance-drama. Much has been done for their revival, and several attempts have been made to relate the present survivals of traditional dance and dance-drama to the Sastric literature of antiquity, principally to the Bharata Nāṭyaśāstra. In the West, the study of Sanskrit plays and Sanskrit dramaturgy has been limited mostly to the literature per se and to those aspects of it that could yield historical or philological material. Only in the last thirty years or so has the general social stigma attached to the traditional profession of dance in India been substantially removed, bringing about a new resurgence in practice and scholarship. We are indebted to a number of recent Indian scholars who have done valuable work in tracing the theoretical, and in some cases practical, relationships of the current forms of dance and dance-drama to the precedents and usages of dramaturgy as described in the Bharata Nātyaśāstra and allied works.
The William Elliot Griffis Collection
Authors: Burks Ardath W. , Cooperman Jerome
Published: April 2006

The William Elliot Griffis Collection in the Rutgers University Library, New Brunswick, New Jersey, embraces material on Japan, Korea, and China. It is contained in twenty-nine legal-size manuscript file cases: twenty relate to Japan; four to Korea; three to China; and one contains miscellaneous data. The collection is now in shelf order and the following is a summary of the arrangement of the Griffis papers.
The Beginnings of Bureaucracy in China: The Origin of theHsien
Authors: Creel H. G.
Published: April 2006

Accounts of China's contributions to world culture have progessed far beyond the “paper and gunpowder” stage, but even today they seldom emphasize the Chinese role in developing techniques essential to what is known as “the modern, centralized, bureaucratic state.” This is somewhat curious, since complex organization on a vast scale is more characteristic of our age than any other activity, and it is in precisely this field that the Chinese have probably made their most important contribution.
Aspects of the Power of Darkness in Lu Hsün
Authors: Hsia T. A.
Published: April 2006

As the legend goes, the reign of Sui Yang-ti was a great heroic age. The heroes were destined to fight either on the side of or against the great emperor to come, T'ang T'ai-tsung. Before the fall of Sui, however, Sui Yang-ti summoned all the rebels to Yangchow for a tournament. The champion was to win'the title of the Supreme Rebel, to whom would be accorded the honors due a king. The plot was to let the rebels kill each other with their own hands, and the survivors would then be killed by mines set off soon after the contest was over. If there were still some survivors left, a gate which weighed one thousand chin would be lowered into the city wall to block their retreat so that a massacre might be carried out by the Imperial troops. But since Sui Yang-ti was to lose the mandate of heaven, his plot did not work. An insufficient number of rebels were killed in the arena, and the mines did not explode as planned, thanks to the happy intervention of an ancient fox who had to save the life of the true dragon, T'ang T'ai-tsung, among all the rebels. When the gate was lowered, it was caught by a giant-like bandit who supported it long enough to let the eighteen princes and the lesser rebels from all over China escape to safety. But the gate proved too much of a burden even for such a hero, and he was crushed to death.
A Reconsideration of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Authors: Crowley James B.
Published: April 2006

On July 7, 1937 a handful of Chinese and Japanese soldiers exchanged rifle-fire in the vicinity of the Marco Polo Bridge about thirty miles from Peking. This, minor fracas precipitated a sequence of events that soon propelled Japan into full-scale hostilities on the mainland—a war that was significantly to influence the course of Japanese-American negotiation in the fateful months leading up to the Pacific War. Many historians have portrayed the China incident as the consequence of a conspiracy by the Japanese military and as a repetition of a pattern of aggression identical with that of the Mukden Incident of 1931. With this approach, the Sino-Japanese war presents little apparent difficulty to our ascertaining why the fighting at the Marco-Polo Bridge occasioned a major war. The culprit is the Japanese military.
Reflection on the Asian Scene
Authors: Galbraith J. K.
Published: April 2006

Mr. Chairman; My Friends:

I much appreciate your invitation to speak today. And I appreciate it even more as the result of coming to know so many of your members in these last years. Our disposition is to attach a good deal of importance to practical economic, political, social, and diplomatic experience in areas of overseas study. I, by contrast, have emerged from these last years, which have been fairly rich in practical experience, with a much enhanced respect for the role of scholarship.
Zaibatsu, Prewar and Zaibatsu, Postwar
Authors: Yamamura Kozo
Published: April 2006

The Zaibatsu are said to be reviving in Japan. In his widely-readNippon Keizai Nyumon (Introduction to the Japanese Economy)Professor Nagasu wrote in 1959:

The Zaibatsu have steadily built their power and have revived. No, more than that. Before the war, the Zaibatsu had to share their hegemony with large landowners and were under the Emperor and the militarists, but now there are no militarists or large landowners. The Emperor, too, has become an accessory. The power of Japan now rests squarely in the hands of the Zaibatsu, the sponsors of the Conservative Party.
Marketing and Social Structure in Rural China, Part III
Authors: Skinner G. William
Published: April 2006

Even before the completion of land reform, the Communist regime had introduced in most parts of China the two new institutions through which it planned eventually to socialize rural trade, namely the state trading companies and the supply and marketing cooperatives. The former, wholly owned by the state and controlled by governmental departments of commerce, were normally established in cities and central market towns. Each company specialized in certain lines—e.g., grain, edible oils, marine products, stationery supplies—and established branches in nearby market towns as required for sales or purchases. With few exceptions, free competition obtained between the state trading companies and private firms until November 1953, when the companies began to acquire official monopolies of important commodities. By the end of 1954, state concerns had absorbed a number of larger private firms and captured a major share of the wholesale market.