bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Involvement of C‐jun NH2‐terminal kinase and apoptosis induced factor in apoptosis induced by deglycosylated bleomycin in laryngeal carcinoma cells
Authors: Brahim Souhir , Aroui Sonia , Abid Kaouthar , Kenani Abderraouf
Published: July 2009

In our previous studies, we demonstrated that the deglycosylation of bleomycin‐A2 (BLM‐A2) does not affect the capacity of this drug to induce cell death by apoptosis in a caspase‐independent manner in laryngeal cancer cells (HEp‐2), but suppresses the ability of BLM‐A2 to induce ROS formation. We have now investigated the consequence of BLM‐A2 deglycosylation in terms of the involvement of apoptotic pathways in HEp‐2 cells. Apoptosis induced by bleomycin‐A2 and deglyco‐BLM‐A2 is associated with the release of cytochrome c and AIF. Only Bax was oligomerized with BLM‐A2‐induced HEp‐2 cell death. BLM‐A2 and deglyco‐BLM‐A2‐induced apoptosis depended on JNK activation but was independent of death receptors expression. In contrast, both of these drugs would sensitize HEp‐2 cells to death receptor ligand‐induced cell death. These observations indicate that the deglycosylation of BLM does not impair the ability of the drug to trigger cell death through activation of the intrinsic pathway by the release of AIF responsible for mitochondrial permeability and chromatin condensation independent of caspases activation.
Referral practices in patients suffering from non‐malignant chronic pain
Authors: Schulte Erika , Hermann Katja , Berghöfer Anne , Hagmeister Hartmut , Schuh‐Hofer Sigrid , Schenk Michael , Kopf Andreas , Vilain Martyn , Martus Peter , Willich Stefan N. , Boemke Willehad
Published: July 2009

This paper presents the results of a prospective observational cohort study investigating referral practices to six specialized pain centres (SPCs) in 303 patients with headache (HD), low back pain (LBP), and neuropathic pain (NP). The study was divided into three parts. Part 1: The pain health care history (contacts with general practitioners and specialists, further referrals, time spans, therapies) before first contact with the SPC. Part 2: Reality of pain therapy and management in the SPC (patients’ attrition, interdisciplinarity of therapy and novel therapeutic strategies instigated). Part 3: Follow‐up and assessment of pain levels (NRS, SES), disability scores (PDI), QoL scores (SF 12), and anxiety and depression scores (HADS) at 0, 6 and 12 months. Using an ordinal linear regression model, factors predicting a good treatment outcome were identified.

On average it took 3 years of pain symptoms before first consultation with GP. The median time period from the first pain sensations until the appointment in the SPC was 12 years. Nearly half of the referrals to specialists or SPCs were initiated by a non‐professional. In the SPC the medication was changed in 71% of cases. Care was interdisciplinary in only 32%. At 6 and 12 months after the first contact with the SPC, only 20% of the patients had improved with respect to levels of pain and psychometric data. A high degree of chronicity, a history of pain‐associated surgeries and low social support were negative predictors for treatment outcome.
Thyroid hormones reverse the UV‐induced repression of APP in neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Cuesta Ascensión , Zambrano Alberto , López Eva , Pascual Angel
Published: June 2009

As a precursor of the neurotoxic amyloid‐β peptide, APP plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease. We have recently reported that the tumor suppressor p53 inhibits APP gene transcription through the same DNA sequences that mediate an inhibitory effect of thyroid hormones. Now, we have analyzed whether the thyroid hormone T3 can modulate the effects of p53 on APP expression. Exposition to UVC radiation leads to a marked decrease of intracellular APP levels that is paradoxically reversed by T3. Repression by UVC and reversion by the hormone are not observed in cells depleted of p53, demonstrating a p53‐dependent mechanism. These results suggest the existence of a cross‐talk between p53 and T3 that could play an important role in Alzheimer's disease.
N‐terminal amphipathic helix as a trigger of hemolytic activity in antimicrobial peptides: A case study in latarcins
Authors: Polyansky Anton A. , Vassilevski Alexander A. , Volynsky Pavel E. , Vorontsova Olga V. , Samsonova Olga V. , Egorova Natalya S. , Krylov Nicolay A. , Feofanov Alexei V. , Arseniev Alexander S. , Grishin Eugene V. , Efremov Roman G.
Published: June 2009

In silico structural analyses of sets of α‐helical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are performed. Differences between hemolytic and non‐hemolytic AMPs are revealed in organization of their N‐terminal region. A parameter related to hydrophobicity of the N‐terminal part is proposed as a measure of the peptide propensity to exhibit hemolytic and other unwanted cytotoxic activities. Based on the information acquired, a rational approach for selective removal of these properties in AMPs is suggested. A proof of concept is gained through engineering specific mutations that resulted in elimination of the hemolytic activity of AMPs (latarcins) while leaving the beneficial antimicrobial effect intact.
Magnetic resonance imaging study of cerebral sulci in low‐risk preterm children
Authors: Zubiaurre‐Elorza Leire , Soria‐Pastor Sara , Junqué Carme , Vendrell Pere , Padilla Nelly , Rametti Giuseppina , Bargalló Núria , Botet Francesc
Published: June 2009

Premature birth is associated with several brain dysfunctions including changes in the normal pattern of sulcal development. Previous studies on sulcal abnormalities were performed in subjects with perinatal brain complications. We selected a sample of preterm subjects with a low risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities with the aim of investigating the effects of prematurity per se. Surface and maximum depth measures of four sulci that develop at different gestational ages were obtained using Anatomist/Brain Visa 3.0.2 software. The sulci measured were the olfactory sulcus (16 weeks), the parieto‐occipital sulcus (22–23 weeks), the superior temporal sulcus (32 weeks) and the orbitofrontal sulcus (36–39 weeks). The sample comprised 17 low‐risk preterms (mean gestational age: 32 weeks) and 16 full‐term children who were matched for age at scan, gender, handedness and socio‐cultural status. Analysis of surface variance showed a significant group effect (P < 0.015), as well as an interaction between the type of sulcus and group (P < 0.001). The superior temporal sulcus surface was inferior in the low‐risk preterm group compared to controls. Our findings suggest that even without perinatal complications, premature birth affects sulcal morphology.
Early maternal separation and chronic variable stress in adulthood changes the neural activity and the expression of glucocorticoid receptor in limbic structures
Authors: Rivarola María Angélica , Suárez Marta Magdalena
Published: June 2009

There is increasing evidence that early adverse experience contributes to the development of stress susceptibility, and increases the onset of stress‐related psychiatric disorders in stressful environments in adulthood. This study addressed whether or not prolonged maternal separation, a well‐established model of early stress, affects adult limbic areas related to the regulation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis in exposure to chronic variable stress in adulthood. Rats were subjected to daily maternal separation for 4.5 h during postnatal days 1–21. As adults, the animals were exposed to a variable chronic stress paradigm of 24 days. Persistent changes were assessed in glucocorticoid receptor density and Fos activity in the anterodorsal thalamic nuclei, mammillary nuclei and retrosplenial cortex. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that adult maternally separated animals had increased levels of c‐Fos immunoreactivity in the anterodorsal thalamic nuclei as well as in the mammillary nuclei compared to normal non‐maternally separated animals. Chronic variable stress in maternally separated and non‐maternally separated animals diminished glucocorticoid receptor density in the anterodorsal thalamic nuclei but not in the rest of the nuclei analyzed. These results indicate that c‐Fos immunoreactivity as well as glucocorticoid receptor expression in the anterodorsal thalamic nuclei and mammillary nuclei exhibit long‐term alterations in adult rats following repeated maternal separation and subsequent stress exposure. Recognition of these adaptations helps to define the brain regions and neural circuitry associated with persistent alterations induced by early life environment and the development of stress‐associated disorders.
Hypoxia–ischemia causes persistent movement deficits in a perinatal rabbit model of cerebral palsy: assessed by a new swim test
Authors: Derrick Matthew , Drobyshevsky Alexander , Ji Xinhai , Chen Lina , Yang Yirong , Ji Haitao , Silverman Richard B. , Tan Sidhartha
Published: July 2009

The relationship of movement between different muscle groups has not been quantified before in the newborn period. Cerebral palsy (CP), which often occurs as a result of perinatal hypoxia–ischemia (H–I), is categorized depending on clinical presentation, brain region involvement and extent of involvement. In order to test different brain region involvement, this study investigates individual and multi‐joint involvement in a rabbit model of CP. Pregnant rabbits at 70% gestation were subjected to 40‐min uterine ischemia. Newborn rabbit kits were subjected to a swim test at 5 time points over the first 11 days of life. H–I kits were divided into hypertonic and non‐hypertonic groups based on muscle tone at birth. The ranges and velocity of angular movement of the forelimb and hind limb joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, knee and hip) during supported swimming were determined. Severely impaired (hypertonic) animals have significantly reduced range and angular velocity of joint motion, which do not improve over time. The non‐hypertonic group showed deficits in wrist and hind limb movements that were not evident on prolonged observation. Preventive treatment with an inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase decreased the incidence of severely impaired kits; the non‐hypertonic kits showed a different pattern of swimming. Supported swimming allows quantification of limb and joint motion in the principal plane of movement in the absence of weight bearing and decreases the need for balance control. Identification and quantification of milder deficits allows mechanistic studies in the causation of H–I injury as well as estimation of recovery with therapeutic agents.
Actions needed to improve maternal health
Authors: Al‐Saleh Eyad , Di Renzo Gian Carlo
Published: June 2009

The health of mothers and their children is of critical importance, both as a reflection of the current health status of a large segment of the world's population and as a predictor of the health of the next generation. A range of indicators of maternal and neonatal health exist—those primarily affecting pregnant and postpartum women, and those affecting the health and survival of infants. Pregnancy outcome may be affected by toxicant exposure, maternal habits, occupational hazards, psychosocial factors, socioeconomic status, racial disparity, chronic stress, and infections. An increase in obstetric pathologies related to lifestyle, environment, aging, and diet has been seen in Western countries. Large segments of the population are obese and this factor is associated with a great number of adverse reproductive health outcomes. In other countries, the most important objective is to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and their transmission from mother to fetus. AIDS remains the leading cause of death of children worldwide.
Perceiving images and telling tales: A visual and verbal analysis of the meaning of the internet
Authors: Joy Annamma , Sherry John , Venkatesh Alladi , Deschenes Jonathan
Published: July 2009

This paper uses visual and verbal analysis to delve into the multi‐faceted ways in which individuals construct their own meanings and shape their own experiences with the Internet. We build on the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, and the principles of visual rhetoric to show how perceptual processes affect picture choices, and how these choices contribute to the narrative imagination. Numerous perceptual principles [abstraction, concept formation, perceptual problem solving, constancy, closure, symmetry and balance]are identified in the choice and organization of visual images. The argument we make is that images and words (visual and textual processes) provide deeper insights into our understanding of consumer online experiences.
Spatiotemporal and Kinematic Effect of Peroneal Nerve Stimulation Versus an Ankle‐Foot Orthosis in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series
Authors: Sheffler Lynne R. , Bailey Stephanie Nogan , Chae John
Published: July 2009

Objective

To compare the effect of a surface peroneal nerve stimulator (PNS) versus an ankle‐foot orthosis (AFO) on spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of gait in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Design

This was a case series design.

Participants

Four subjects with multiple sclerosis and dorsiflexion weakness.

Intervention

Quantitative gait analysis with the use of (1) no device, (2) AFO, and (3) PNS as a single point‐in‐time assessment.

Outcome Measures

Included walking speed, stride length, cadence, and double support time; kinematic parameters included peak pelvic obliquity during swing, peak contralateral hip abduction during stance, peak knee flexion and hip flexion during swing, ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, and peak ankle internal rotation during swing.

Results

One‐way analysis of variance was used to compare intrasubject performance under the 3 device conditions. The PNS significantly increased ankle dorsiflexion angle at initial contact, as compared with both no device and the AFO, in 3 of the 4 subjects. However, other spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters were more variably affected by the device conditions.

Conclusions

With the exception of ankle dorsiflexion angle at initial contact, PNS and AFO have a variable effect on spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters in individual subjects with multiple sclerosis. Further studies are indicated to determine the clinical significance of intrasubject differences between device conditions.
Efficacy of Lumbosacral Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections: A Systematic Review
Authors: Roberts Scott T. , Willick Stuart E. , Rho Monica E. , Rittenberg Joshua D.
Published: July 2009

Objective

To critically review the best available studies evaluating the efficacy of lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) in the treatment of radicular pain.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database were searched for the period between 1950 and May 2008. Search terms included epidural steroid injection (ESI), transforaminal ESI, foraminal ESI, selective nerve root block, nerve root injection (NRI), selective NRI, periradicular infiltration, and periradicular injection. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published in English, which evaluated the efficacy of fluoroscopically guided TFESIs were reviewed.

Study Selection

Studies were analyzed with a quality checklist modeled after the 2001 CONSORT Statement: Revised Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Reports of Parallel‐Group Randomized Trials. Nine studies were found to include a majority of these items.

Data Extraction

Data included study design, inclusion criteria, symptom duration, randomization protocol, blinding protocol, intervention, control, outcomes, follow‐up, dropout, statistical analysis, and conclusions.

Data Synthesis

Each article was assigned a level of evidence: I (high‐quality RCT) or II (RCT with <80% follow‐up, no blinding or improper randomization). Studies were divided according to control, and overall evidence was graded as A (good), B (fair), C (conflicting/poor quality), or I (insufficient).

Conclusions

There is fair evidence supporting TFESIs as superior to placebo for treating radicular symptoms. There is good evidence that TFESIs should be used as a surgery‐sparing intervention, and that TFESIs are superior to interlaminar ESIs (ILESIs) and caudal ESIs for radicular pain. In patients with subacute or chronic radicular symptoms, there is good evidence that a single TFESI has similar efficacy as a single transforaminal injection of bupivacaine or saline. Future studies should address the ideal number of injections. While more placebo‐controlled trials are needed to conclusively define the role of TFESIs, current studies support their use in the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain.
Long-term oral administration of cows' milk improves insulin sensitivity in rats fed a high-sucrose diet
Authors: Matsumoto Megumi , Inoue Ryo , Tsuruta Takeshi , Hara Hiroshi , Yajima Takaji
Published: July 2009

We evaluated the effects of long-term daily cows' milk (CM) administration on insulin resistance induced by a high-sucrose diet. F344 rats, aged 3 weeks, were divided into two groups according to diet (dextrin-fedv.sucrose-fed). These groups were further divided into two groups receiving either CM or artificial milk (AM; isoenergetic emulsion of egg white protein, maltose, lard and minerals). Rats were fed a sucrose- or dextrin-based diet for 7 weeks and orally administered CM or AM at 25 ml/kg following an 8 h fast on a daily basis. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated via postprandial changes in serum glucose and insulin, oral glucose tolerance tests, and fasting serum insulin and fructosamine concentrations. The sucrose-fed rats showed an overall decrease in insulin sensitivity, but postprandial insulin levels were lower in the CM-treated subgroup than in the AM-treated subgroup. Peak serum glucose and insulin concentrations were highest in the sucrose-fed rats, but CM administration reduced peak glucose and insulin values in comparison with AM administration. By area under the curve analysis, insulin levels after feeding and glucose loads were significantly lower in the CM-treated groups than in the AM-treated groups. The CM-treated groups also demonstrated lower fasting insulin and fructosamine levels than the AM-treated groups. Improved insulin sensitivity due to CM administration seemed to be associated with reduced duodenal GLUT2 mRNA levels and increased propionate production within the caecum.
Cluster Theory: Resurrection
Authors: Alward Peter
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT: The cluster theory of names is generally thought to have been to have been utterly discredited by the objections raised against it by Kripke in Naming and Necessity. In this paper, I develop a new version of the cluster theory in which the role played by clusters of associated descriptions is occupied by teams of cognitive relations. And I argue that these teams of relations find a home in an account of the meanings of expressions in epistemic sentence frames, and in a more general theory of the reference of proper names.
Problems with a Constitution Account of Persons
Authors: Hershenov David B.
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT: There are some problems with Lynne Baker’s constitution account of personal identity that become evident when we consider brain transplant thought experiments and two kinds of rare cases of conjoined twins — the first appears to be one organism but two persons and the second seems to involve two organisms associated with one person. To handle the problems arising from brain transplants, the constitution theorist must admit an additional level of constitution between the organism and the person. To resolve the problems posed by the two kinds of conjoined twins, the constitution theorist must accept that constitution is not always a one-to-one relationship.
Discourse Ethics and Moral Rationalism
Authors: Powell Brian K.
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT: In this paper, I raise the following question: can the ethical thought of Jurgen Habermas and Karl-Otto Apel provide us with a way of showing that morality is a rational requirement? The answer I give is that (unfortunately) it cannot. I argue for this claim by showing that a decisive objection to Alan Gewirth’s line of thought in Reason and Morality also applies to discourse ethical arguments that try to show an inescapable commitment to a moral principle.
Effective, simple treatment for perichondritis and pinna haematoma
Authors: Pattanaik S
Published: July 2009

Objective:

To describe a new treatment for perichondritis and haematoma of the pinna. At present, the existing treatment for these conditions is initially medical (which usually fails), followed by surgery (incision, drainage and compression to prevent recurrence) with accompanying medical management. However, the result is often a failure, resulting in partial or complete ‘cauliflower ear’ deformity.

Procedure:

The described treatment involves draining the site of infection and irrigating with streptomycin solution. The cavity is then filled with a solution of streptomycin, hyaluronidase and triamcinolone.

Result:

The described treatment avoids the conventional surgical procedure, which is cumbersome for surgeons and harrowingly painful for patients.

Conclusion:

The new treatment may be recommended for universal use.
History of parathyroid gland surgery: an historical case series
Authors: Giddings C E B , Rimmer J , Weir N
Published: July 2009

The history of the parathyroid glands is a fascinating one full of famous medical names. The discovery of the glands was followed by laborious research into their anatomy, embryology and pathology and into the physiology of calcium metabolism; this led to the manufacture of hormone substitutes and, finally, to the refinement of surgical techniques. The glands were first identified in 1850 by Sir Richard Owen, conservator of the Hunterian Museum, but it was not until 1880 that the term ‘glandulae parathyroideae’ was first used. The physiology of parathyroid hormone and calcium metabolism eluded physicians and the forefathers of thyroid surgery alike for several decades more. Patients were treated as curiosities and were documented as untreatable medical patients or as inexplicable thyroid surgery complications. Halsted noticed the ‘disastrous results from the loss of the glands’ and the resulting tetany, as did Billroth. It is the patients, however, who best illustrate the journey of discovery. In this review, we discuss three cases, highlighting their contributions.
Endoscopic resection of low grade, subglottic chondrosarcoma
Authors: Oestreicher-Kedem Y , Dray T G , Damrose E J
Published: July 2009

Introduction:

This paper evaluates the feasibility of transoral, endoscopic resection of macroscopically localised, low grade, subglottic chondrosarcoma.

Method:

Retrospective case study including patients diagnosed with low grade, subglottic laryngeal chondrosarcoma. Tumours were resected endoscopically via direct laryngoscopy with microlaryngeal technique, under jet ventilation. The post-operative course, vocal fold function, airway patency and oncological results were evaluated.

Results:

Two male patients aged 49 and 60 years underwent endoscopic, translaryngeal, en bloc resection of low grade chondrosarcoma of the cricoid cartilage. Extubation was performed immediately after surgery. Neither patient required tracheostomy or developed subglottic stenosis. No tumour recurrence was noted after an average follow up of 10.5 months. Voice quality was stable and dyspnoea improved.

Transoral, endoscopic resection of low grade, subglottic chondrosarcoma is a viable technique with good functional outcomes. Extensive resection of subglottic disease is possible, which may afford patients an alternative to total laryngectomy.
Approximation of muscle remnants improves cosmesis following hemimandibulectomy
Authors: Chaturvedi P
Published: July 2009

Hemimandibulectomy should be avoided whenever possible, as it results in significant deterioration in quality of life. If hemimandibulectomy is unavoidable, attempts should be made to reconstruct the bone and soft tissue defect by free tissue transfer or a pedicled flap such as a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Bony reconstruction may become challenging when oncological safety mandates removal of the vertical ramus or the condyle. Elderly patients and those with significant co-morbidity are not suitable for prolonged microvascular surgery. Oral cancer is a disease of impoverished nations, where most health institutions may not have the infrastructure to offer microvascular reconstruction. The pectoralis major myocutaneous flap, the workhorse for reconstruction of such defects, occasionally has limitations in terms of bulk, limited arc of rotation, shoulder dysfunction etc. Therefore, hemimandibulectomy and primary mucosal closure continues to be a common procedure in developing nations. A simple technique is proposed with which to improve cosmesis following hemimandibulectomy, utilising the locally available muscle remnants. In highly selected patients, the remaining muscles can be approximated to prevent the lateral hollow that is a common but unacceptable sequel to hemimandibulectomy.
‘Steam-boat’ supraglottic laryngoplasty for treatment of chronic refractory aspiration: a modification of Biller's technique
Authors: Ku P K M , Abdullah V J , Vlantis A C , Lee K Y S , van Hasselt A C , Tong M C F
Published: July 2009

Objective:

The surgical treatment of intractable aspiration usually requires sacrifice of the patient's natural voice to prevent food entering the airway. Biller described a tubed supraglottic laryngoplasty to control aspiration while allowing patients to phonate with their larynx. Our preliminary experience with this technique in Chinese patients has been disappointing, as tension in the mucosa on wound closure led to wound dehiscence. Our objective was to modify Biller's technique in order to achieve a better outcome.

Method:

We modified Biller's technique by trimming the epiglottic cartilage and by inserting a tibial periosteal graft to reinforce closure of the mucosa, creating an arrangement resembling a Chinese steam boat.

Results:

Three Chinese patients underwent the modified Biller's technique. No wound dehiscence occurred, the surgery controlled aspiration, and the patients were able to phonate with their own larynx. All patients resumed oral feeding, and previously placed gastrostomy tubes were removed.

Conclusion:

The ‘steam-boat’ supraglottic laryngoplasty is a viable surgical alternative to total laryngectomy or tracheal diversion for controlling intractable aspiration, and preserves a phonating larynx.
A rare variant of first branchial cleft fistula
Authors: Ramnani S , Mungutwar V , Goyal N K , Bansal A
Published: July 2009

Objective:

We report an extremely rare variant of first branchial cleft anomaly.

Case report:

A 15-year-old girl presented with a history of recurrent mucopurulent discharge from an opening in the left infra-auricular region, since birth. Computed tomography fistulography showed a tortuous tract measuring approximately 4.61 cm, extending anteroinferiorly and medially from the external inframeatal opening to the lateral nasopharyngeal wall (anterior to the fossa of Rosenmuller). The tract was connected to the deep lobe of the parotid gland and lay 0.67 cm anterior to the carotid artery and posterior to the medial pterygoid muscle.

Conclusion:

This was an extremely rare variant of first branchial cleft fistula. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of its type to be reported. Computed tomography fistulography is the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of branchial cleft fistula, and will also assist surgical planning.
Combined approach branchial sinusectomy: a new technique for excision of second branchial cleft sinus
Authors: Olusesi A D
Published: July 2009

Objective:

Branchial cleft anomalies are well described, with the second arch anomaly being the commonest. Following surgical excision, recurrence occurs in 2 to 22 per cent of cases, and is believed to be due largely to incomplete resection. This report aims to describe a simple surgical technique for treatment of second branchial cleft sinus in the older paediatric age group and adults.

Methodology:

An 11-year-old girl underwent surgical excision of a second branchial sinus. Prior to surgery, she was assessed by means of an imaging sonogram, and by direct methylene blue dye injection into the sinus on the operating table, followed by insertion of a metallic probe. Dissection was of the ‘step ladder’ incision type, but the incision was completed via an oropharyngeal approach. Histological examination of the lesion after excision established the diagnosis. No recurrence had been observed at the time of writing.

Conclusions:

Although they are congenital lesions, second branchial cleft abnormalities usually present in the older paediatric age group or even in adulthood. In the case reported, a simple combined approach ensured completeness of resection.
Extrapolating cosmic ray variations and impacts on life: Morlet wavelet analysis
Authors: Zarrouk N. , Bennaceur R.
Published: July 2009

Exposure to cosmic rays may have both a direct and indirect effect on Earth's organisms. The radiation may lead to higher rates of genetic mutations in organisms, or interfere with their ability to repair DNA damage, potentially leading to diseases such as cancer. Increased cloud cover, which may cool the planet by blocking out more of the Sun's rays, is also associated with cosmic rays. They also interact with molecules in the atmosphere to create nitrogen oxide, a gas that eats away at our planet's ozone layer, which protects us from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. On the ground, humans are protected from cosmic particles by the planet's atmosphere.

In this paper we give estimated results of wavelet analysis from solar modulation and cosmic ray data incorporated in time-dependent cosmic ray variation. Since solar activity can be described as a non-linear chaotic dynamic system, methods such as neural networks and wavelet methods should be very suitable analytical tools. Thus we have computed our results using Morlet wavelets. Many have used wavelet techniques for studying solar activity. Here we have analysed and reconstructed cosmic ray variation, and we have better depicted periods or harmonics other than the 11-year solar modulation cycles.
AMBIGUITY AND AMBIVALENCE IN THE VOTING BOOTH AND BEYOND
Authors: Peery Destiny , Bodenhausen Galen V.
Published: July 2009

The issue of race has followed Barack Obama since he emerged on the national political scene, continuing unabated throughout his successful 2008 presidential campaign. Although the issue of race is not always explicitly acknowledged or discussed by Obama himself, the implications of his successful candidacy for U.S. politics and the ways people in the United States think about race more generally have been of great interest to media pundits, social scientists, and laypersons alike. Race has been considered a substantial barrier to the electoral success of previous non-White political candidates; therefore Obama's success requires reconsideration of how race can be expected to influence political outcomes in the future. In addition, his biracial identity also raises questions about how his role as a prominent cultural figure will affect existing racial categories in the United States. A review of social psychological evidence highlights the importance of understanding the ambivalence that characterizes contemporary racial attitudes, as well as the ways in which definitions of race and racial categories may be changing, in order to understand the impact that Obama could have on the future of racial politics. We conclude that Obama's victory represents a large step in the direction of increasingly positive racial attitudes and more sophisticated public conceptualizations of race, but steady progress in the coming years is not guaranteed. We consider some of the opportunities and obstacles that may affect the trajectory of future gains in the struggle for racial equality in the Obama era.
CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN?
Authors: Eibach Richard P. , Purdie-Vaughns Valerie
Published: July 2009

Barack Obama's election as the first Black president of the United States has stimulated much discussion about progress toward racial equality in the United States. Opinion surveys document that White Americans reliably perceive the rate of progress toward racial equality as greater than do Black Americans. We focus on two psychological factors that contribute to these diverging perceptions: (1) the tendency of White Americans and Black Americans to adopt different reference points to assess racial progress, and (2) the general tendency to frame social change as a zero-sum game in which Black Americans' gains entail losses for White Americans. We review research examining how these two factors contribute to racial polarization on the topic of progress toward equality. We also draw on excerpts from Barack Obama's speeches and writings to demonstrate that he often frames issues in ways that, our research suggests, has the potential to substantially bridge these racial divisions.
BARACK IS THE NEW BLACK
Authors: Ford Richard Thompson
Published: July 2009

Barack Obama's political strategies during the 2008 presidential election were those of a cohort of younger, new Black politicians, who have rewritten the playbook by which Blacks can win election. Their success suggests that White racism is no longer the insuperable barrier to Black success that it has been for all of American history and that the old style of Black politics, which relied heavily on racial bloc voting and influence peddling within the Black community, may be obsolete. However, Obama's strategy of not appealing to narrow racial solidarities but instead of drawing broad support from voters of all races cast a shadow of doubt on Obama's racial loyalties. It remains unclear whether the Obama phenomenon will mark the renewal of civil rights or the repudiation of its historical commitment to the most disadvantaged.
Gradual increase of energetic radiation associated with thunderstorm activity at the top of Mt. Fuji
Authors: Torii Tatsuo , Sugita Takeshi , Tanabe Sachiko , Kimura Yoshihisa , Kamogawa Masashi , Yajima Kazuaki , Yasuda Hiroshi
Published: July 2009

Fluctuations of energetic radiation that seemed to be caused by a summer thunderstorm were observed at the top of Mt. Fuji. The largest of such fluctuations was gradual and lasted for about 20 minutes, and was found to be high‐energy gamma rays having a continuous energy spectrum up to 10 MeV or more. As for the feature of these fluctuations, it seems naturally that such fluctuations are caused by the bremsstrahlung photons generated by the energetic electrons produced continuously with an intense electric field in the thundercloud rather than originated in the process of lightning discharge.
On the precipitation susceptibility of clouds to aerosol perturbations
Authors: Sorooshian Armin , Feingold Graham , Lebsock Matthew D. , Jiang Hongli , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: July 2009

Atmospheric aerosol particles act as cloud condensation nuclei, affording them the ability to influence cloud microphysics, planetary albedo, and precipitation. Models of varying complexity and satellite observations from NASA's A‐Train constellation of satellites are used to determine what controls the precipitation susceptibility of warm clouds to aerosol perturbations. Three susceptibility regimes are identified: (i) clouds with low liquid water path (LWP) generate very little rain and are least susceptible to aerosol; (ii) clouds with intermediate LWP where aerosol most effectively suppress precipitation; and (iii) clouds with high LWP, where the susceptibility begins to decrease because the precipitation process is efficient owing to abundant liquid water. Remarkable qualitative agreement between remote sensing observations and model predictions provides the first suggestions that certain regions of the Earth might be more vulnerable to pollution aerosol. Targeted pollution control strategies in such regions would most benefit water availability via precipitation.
Normal heartbeat series are nonchaotic, nonlinear, and multifractal: New evidence from semiparametric and parametric tests
Authors: Baillie Richard T. , Cecen Aydin A. , Erkal Cahit
Published: July 2009

We present new evidence that normal heartbeat series are nonchaotic, nonlinear, and multifractal. In addition to considering the largest Lyapunov exponent and the correlation dimension, the results of the parametric and semiparametric estimation of the long memory parameter (long-range dependence) unambiguously reveal that the underlying process is nonstationary, multifractal, and has strong nonlinearity.
A direct micropipette-based calibration method for atomic force microscope cantilevers
Authors: Liu Baoyu , Yu Yan , Yao Da-Kang , Shao Jin-Yu
Published: July 2009

In this report, we describe a direct method for calibrating atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers with the micropipette aspiration technique (MAT). A closely fitting polystyrene bead inside a micropipette is driven by precisely controlled hydrostatic pressures to apply known loads on the sharp tip of AFM cantilevers, thus providing a calibration at the most functionally relevant position. The new method is capable of calibrating cantilevers with spring constants ranging from 0.01 to hundreds of newtons per meter. Under appropriate loading conditions, this new method yields measurement accuracy and precision both within 10%, with higher performance for softer cantilevers. Furthermore, this method may greatly enhance the accuracy and precision of calibration for colloidal probes.
Rigidity, conformation, and solvation of native and oxidized tannin macromolecules in water-ethanol solution
Authors: Zanchi Dražen , Konarev Petr V. , Tribet Christophe , Baron Alain , Svergun Dmitri I. , Guyot Sylvain
Published: July 2009

We studied by light scattering and small angle x-rays scattering (SAXS) conformations and solvation of plant tannins (oligomers and polymers) in mixed water-ethanol solutions. Their structures are not simple linear chains but contain about 6% of branching. Ab initio reconstruction reveals that monomers within a branch are closely bound pairwise. The chains are rather rigid, with the Kuhn length b=13±3 nm, corresponding to about 35 linearly bound monomers. Contribution of solvation layer to SAXS intensity varies in a nonmonotonic way with ethanol content ϕA, which is an indication of amphipathic nature of tannin molecules. Best solvent composition ϕAB is a decreasing function of polymerization degree N, in agreement with increasing water solubility of tannins with N. Polymers longer than b present a power-law behavior I∼Q−d in the SAXS profile at high momentum transfer Q. The monotonic decrease in d with increasing ϕA (from 2.4 in water to 1.9 in ethanol) points that the tannins are more compact in water than in ethanol, presumably due to attractive intramolecular interactions in water. Tannins were then oxidized in controlled conditions similar to real biological or food systems. Oxidation does not produce any intermolecular condensation, but generates additional intramolecular links. Some oxidation products are insoluble in water rich solvent. For that reason, we identify these species as a fraction of natural tannins called “T1” in the notation of Zanchi et al. [Langmuir 23, 9949 (2007)]. Within the fraction left soluble after oxidation, conformations of polymeric tannins, despite their higher rigidity, remain sensitive to solvent composition.
Superconducting qubit systems come of age
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: July 2009

The precision control demonstrated in two recent experiments makes those systems serious contenders in the long race for a quantum computer.
Vascular plant distribution in relation to topography, soils and micro-climate at five GLORIA sites in the Snowy Mountains, Australia
Authors: Pickering C. M. , Green K.
Published: June 2009

As part of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments program, the relative contribution of abiotic variables in explaining alpine vegetation was determined for five summits on a spur of Mount Clarke in the Snowy Mountains, Australia. The composition of vascular plant species and life-forms, and topography were determined, and soil nutrients and soil temperature were measured on each aspect of each summit by standardised methods. Ordinations were performed on the composition of vascular plant species and life-forms, topography, soil nutrients and soil temperature-derived variables. Abiotic variables were tested against the biotic dissimilarity matrices to determine which were best correlated with current plant composition. Summits differed in plant composition, with a decrease in the cover of shrubs, and an increase in herbs and graminoids with increasing altitude. Altitude was the main determinant of species composition, accounting for more than 80% of the variation among summits. Soil temperature variables accounted for more than 40% of the variation in composition among summits. Soils were not significantly different among summits, although certain soil variables, principally calcium, were important in predicting plant composition. Because temperature is correlated with current vegetation on these five summits, predicted increased temperatures and decreased snow cover are likely to affect future plant composition in this mountain region.
Causes of stability in the alpine treeline in the Snowy Mountains of Australia - a natural experiment
Authors: Green Ken
Published: June 2009

Large areas of treeline in the Snowy Mountains of south-eastern Australia burnt in wildfires in 2003, providing the opportunity to quantify seedling establishment at the treeline after disturbance, by comparing burnt and unburnt sites. Eucalyptus pauciflora niphophila (Maiden and Blakely) L. Johnson and Blakely, (snowgum) generally responds to fire by resprouting from lignotubers rather than by the death of the tree, hence the location of the pre-fire treeline was unaffected. Burnt and unburnt sites along the treeline therefore differed in the removal of immediate competition from understorey plants and loss of a protective canopy shelter. Five years after these fires, 27 sites were examined to determine whether the resulting conditions led to increased establishment of snowgums above the treeline. Paired plots 15 m wide were established, extending a distance of 15 m above and below the treeline in 15 unburnt and 12 burnt sites. There were significantly more seedlings in burnt than unburnt plots below the treeline. However, even in burnt areas, there were significantly fewer seedlings found above the treeline than below the treeline. Although conditions for seedling establishment at the treeline were good at burnt sites (as indicated by seedling recruitment within 15 m of the treeline), this major disturbance by fires resulted in no pulse of seedling establishment above the treeline. It is concluded that stability in the treeline of the Snowy Mountains is likely to be due to the failure of seeds to disperse uphill.
Planting conditions improve translocation success of the endangered terrestrial orchid Diuris fragrantissima (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Smith Zoë F. , James Elizabeth A. , McDonnell Mark J. , McLean Cassandra B.
Published: June 2009

By conducting reintroductions of the endangered terrestrial orchid Diuris fragrantissima D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. we compared planting at the following three stages of the natural perennial growth cycle: as actively growing symbiotic plants in spring and autumn and as dormant tubers in summer. Plants reintroduced in spring and autumn were incorporated into randomised treatments involving soil aeration and addition of a mycorrhizal fungus. The addition of a mycorrhizal fungus and soil aeration together significantly increased survival and flowering of plants reintroduced in spring, whereas they had no significant effect on plants reintroduced in autumn. Addition of a fungus without soil aeration did not improve plant survival or flowering. Reintroducing actively growing plants was more successful than reintroducing dormant tubers, with 32.5% and 29.1% plants (reintroduced in spring and autumn, respectively) and 11.0% of tubers persisting after 4 years. Although survival of reintroduced plants declined at a rate of 16.9% per year for 4 years following reintroduction, survival of remnant plants remained relatively constant, ranging from 80.0 to 93.0%. Tuber size was positively correlated with survival and flowering of reintroduced plants for 2 years following reintroduction. A general trend was observed towards the increased likelihood of re-emergence and flowering of plants that flowered in previous seasons.
Met induces diverse mammary carcinomas in mice and is associated with human basal breast cancer
Authors: Graveel Carrie R. , DeGroot Jack D. , Su Yanli , Koeman Julie , Dykema Karl , Leung Samuel , Snider Jacqueline , Davies Sherri R. , Swiatek Pamela J. , Cottingham Sandra , Watson Mark A. , Ellis Matthew J. , Sigler Robert E. , Furge Kyle A. , Vande Woude George F.
Published: July 2009

Understanding the signaling pathways that drive aggressive breast cancers is critical to the development of effective therapeutics. The oncogene MET is associated with decreased survival in breast cancer, yet the role that MET plays in the various breast cancer subtypes is unclear. We describe a knockin mouse with mutationally activated Met (Met
mut
) that develops a high incidence of diverse mammary tumors with basal characteristics, including metaplasia, absence of progesterone receptor and ERBB2 expression, and expression of cytokeratin 5. With gene expression and tissue microarray analysis, we show that high MET expression in human breast cancers significantly correlated with estrogen receptor negative/ERBB2 negative tumors and with basal breast cancers. Few treatment options exist for breast cancers of the basal or trastuzumab-resistant ERBB2 subtypes. We conclude from these studies that MET may play a critical role in the development of the most aggressive breast cancers and may be a rational therapeutic target.
GNRH1
mutations in patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
Authors: Chan Yee-Ming , de Guillebon Adelaide , Lang-Muritano Mariarosaria , Plummer Lacey , Cerrato Felecia , Tsiaras Sarah , Gaspert Ariana , Lavoie Hélène B. , Wu Ching-Hui , Crowley William F. , Amory John K. , Pitteloud Nelly , Seminara Stephanie B.
Published: July 2009

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is a condition characterized by failure to undergo puberty in the setting of low sex steroids and low gonadotropins. IHH is due to abnormal secretion or action of the master reproductive hormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Several genes have been found to be mutated in patients with IHH, yet to date no mutations have been identified in the most obvious candidate gene,
GNRH1
itself, which encodes the preprohormone that is ultimately processed to produce GnRH. We screened DNA from 310 patients with normosmic IHH (nIHH) and 192 healthy control subjects for sequence changes in
GNRH1
. In 1 patient with severe congenital nIHH (with micropenis, bilateral cryptorchidism, and absent puberty), a homozygous frameshift mutation that is predicted to disrupt the 3 C-terminal amino acids of the GnRH decapeptide and to produce a premature stop codon was identified. Heterozygous variants not seen in controls were identified in 4 patients with nIHH: 1 nonsynonymous missense mutation in the eighth amino acid of the GnRH decapeptide, 1 nonsense mutation that causes premature termination within the GnRH-associated peptide (GAP), which lies C-terminal to the GnRH decapeptide within the GnRH precursor, and 2 sequence variants that cause nonsynonymous amino-acid substitutions in the signal peptide and in GnRH-associated peptide. Our results establish mutations in
GNRH1
as a genetic cause of nIHH.