bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No Relief in Sight: Postgraduate Training in Pain Management
Authors: Ogle Karen S. , McElroy Lisa , Mavis Brian
Published: April 2008

This study investigated training in pain management in postgraduate medical education programs. A mail survey of program directors was conducted, evaluating the format of training in pain management and the self-assessed adequacy of the training. The response rate was 70%, with 188 total respondents. It included all programs in a large Midwestern state, representing most specialties. Just over half of all programs offered any formal training in pain management, and even fewer required it. Less than one quarter required a clinical component to such training. Nonetheless, an overwhelming majority of program directors (85%) rated their training as adequate or excellent. Improvements are clearly needed in postgraduate training in pain management, and external incentives, such as requirements in the accreditation process, will be needed.
Does Enrollment in a CDHP Stimulate Cost-Effective Utilization?
Authors: Hibbard Judith H. , Greene Jessica , Tusler Martin
Published: April 2008

Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) are built on the assumption that with increased cost sharing consumers will select cost-effective evidence-based care. In this study, the authors explore whether patterns of utilization change after enrollment in a CDHP and whether the pattern reflects a shift toward evidence-based care. The study population is comprised of 18,025 employees and their adult dependents. The analysis uses a schema for categorizing claims data into high-priority (evidence-based care) and low-priority (limited or no evidence-based care) utilization. The findings indicate that enrollment in CDHPs resulted in a reduction of office visits in the 1st year of enrollment. These reductions in care appear to be indiscriminant, with patients cutting back in both high-and low-priority visits. The reductions in high- and low-priority visits were greater for employees with lower education and income.
The Men's Domestic Abuse Check-Up
Authors: Roffman Roger A. , Edleson Jeffrey L. , Neighbors Clayton , Mbilinyi Lyungai , Walker Denise
Published: April 2008

Batterer intervention programs primarily work with individuals mandated to participate. Commonly, attrition is high and outcomes are modest. Motivational enhancement therapy (MET), most widely studied in the substance abuse field, offers a potentially effective approach to improving self-referral to treatment, program retention, treatment compliance, and posttreatment outcomes among men who batter and who abuse substances. A strategy for using a catalyst variant of MET (a “check-up”) to reach untreated, nonadjudicated perpetrators is described in detail. Unique challenges in evaluating the success of this approach are discussed, including attending to victim safety and determining indicators of increased motivation for change.
Sexual Boundaries
Authors: Winslett Andrea H. , Gross Alan M.
Published: April 2008

This study examined a woman's clearly articulated sexual boundary and its effect on college students' discrimination of when a woman wants her date to stop making sexual advances. Male and female participants listened to an audio recording of a date rape vignette and signaled when the man should stop making sexual advances. Relative to participants in the no-boundary condition, participants who heard a discussion including a sexual boundary before intimate physical contact occurred displayed significantly shorter latencies to identify the inappropriateness of the man's behavior. No significant difference was observed between male and female participants.
Prevalence and Patterns of Sexual Assault Across the Life Span Among Incarcerated Women
Authors: Raj Anita , Rose Jennifer , Decker Michele R. , Rosengard Cynthia , Hebert Megan R. , Stein Michael , Clarke Jennifer G.
Published: April 2008

This study investigated the prevalence of and associations among sexual assault by life stage (childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) and perpetrator (family, stranger, friend, or partner) via a survey of a statewide sample of incarcerated women ( N = 484). Participants were 18 to 56 years old, and the majority were White (56%). Results demonstrate higher rates of sexual assault in childhood (35%) and adulthood (22%) as compared with adolescence (14%). Logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between childhood sexual assault by family and adulthood sexual assault by friend, stranger, and partner; adolescent sexual assault was not significantly associated with sexual assault in childhood or adulthood. These findings suggest that the lifetime sexual victimization pattern of incarcerated women differs from that seen in the general population.
Influences on the Sense of Neighborhood
Authors: Filipović Maša
Published: April 2008

A significant amount of research has been done in the United States and Western European countries regarding influences on the sense of neighborhood. However, it is less clear whether the influences discovered in the Western context also apply to Eastern European countries. Slovenia is a post-communist country which means that potentially different processes have been significant. In this article, the influence of individual and contextual factors on the sense of neighborhood in Slovenia is tested and compared. The analysis is made on the basis of a survey carried out in 2005 on a representative sample of Slovenian households. The findings are in some ways similar to those of the Western research. However, certain findings ran contrary to some of the cited research, like the absence of gender differences and the opposite influence of education and income. This might indicate different processes of establishing a sense of neighborhood in Central and Eastern Europe.
Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Significance
Authors: Houle Timothy T. , Stump David A.
Published: April 2008

Unfortunately, the data were statistically nonsignificant due to insufficient power and poor experimental design. Conversely, many large clinical trials obtain a high level of statistical significance with miniscule differences between groups, which are completely clinically irrelevant. However, with proper marketing, billions can be made from results of dubious clinical importance. In this article, the differences between statistical and clinical significance are briefly discussed.
The spectacle of suffering and death: the photographic representation of war in Greek newspapers
Authors: Konstantinidou Christina
Published: April 2008

This article analyses the visual construction of human suffering in war, with special reference to the signifying practices of the photographs published in Greek newspapers during the Second Iraq War. The author carries out a socio-semiotic analysis, arguing that the overall construction of the Second Iraq War in the Greek press — illustrated by two case studies which are examined in detail — combines contradictory elements and assumptions. Representations of the war are `framed' by the `overpoliticization' of the Greek public sphere and the dominant political culture synthesizing themes of `anti-Americanism', `anti-globalization' and `pro-Third Worldism', but also a particular version of what Said called `Orientalism'. More specifically, the insistence on spectacular images of suffering, and the combination of a humanitarian discourse of compassion for the `innocent distant victims of war' with populist and Greek Christian Orthodox conceptualizations of the self are constitutive elements of the newspapers' signifying practices, which aid the Greek press to be critical of the hegemonic western discourse regarding the Second Iraq War without, however, slipping to the other side of `Orientalist binary oppositions'. On the contrary, this persistence on the humanitarian discourse of compassion towards victims is pivotal in identifying with the western moral virtues of `civilized' humanity.
Perceiving hierarchy through intrinsic color structure
Authors: Puhalla Dennis M.
Published: April 2008

Color is an intrinsic visual attribute of form that functions as language and message. The purpose of this study was to investigate objectively structured color combinations as a means to communicate visual order for the purpose of reinforcing information hierarchy. Controlling the visual relationships of hue, value and chroma contrast can significantly assist a person's cognitive ability to assign importance and dominance to a controlled color structure. This research study provided significant findings supporting the hypothesis that intrinsic color structures can be formulated objectively; represent a visual hierarchy; and be perceived in an understandable order.

Chi-square analysis for 99 participants was calculated for task effectiveness. To analyze task efficiency, three distinct ANOVA calculations were made for time variations. The documented findings of this study presented explicit evidence that addresses specific mechanisms for objective color ordering. The natural inferences of the study support the proposition that there is a natural relationship between objective color ordering principles and human perception.
New Testament Greek Language and Linguistics in Recent Research
Authors: Porter Stanley E. , Pitts Andrew W.
Published: April 2008

This article examines developments in research on the linguistic and grammatical analysis of the language and literature of the New Testament since the publication of James Barr's important work in 1961. While there have been a large number of important advances since this time, the present survey restricts its analysis to research that has been significantly informed by modern linguistics. It considers four areas, in particular: verb structure, case structure, syntax and discourse analysis. Verbal aspect theory has been treated in more detail than any other aspect of the Greek verb. Most investigation of case structure has been informed by case grammar, originating in Fillmore's work. Syntactic theories that have been applied to the language of the New Testament draw mostly from the generative tradition of linguistics, but the OpenText.org project has recently implemented a functional and relational dependency model. Discourse analysis has typically been divided into four schools, but in recent research we see a fifth, eclectic approach, emerging.
Stop the Sores: The Making and Evaluation of a Successful Social Marketing Campaign
Authors: Plant Aaron , Montoya Jorge A. , Rotblatt Harlan , Kerndt Peter R. , Mall Karen L. , Pappas Les G. , Kent Charlotte K. , Klausner Jeffrey D.
Published: April 2008

Los Angeles County has experienced a rapid increase in early syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in recent years, with the number of cases rising from 126 in 2000 to 809 in 2005. As part of the public health response to this outbreak, a sustained social marketing campaign was launched in 2002, with the objectives of increasing syphilis testing, knowledge, and awareness among MSM in Los Angeles. This campaign, as implemented, exemplified key principles of social marketing, including market research, audience segmentation, and branding. A cross-sectional study conducted in 2004 to evaluate the campaign found that those MSM who were aware of the campaign were nearly twice as likely to have tested for syphilis in the past 6 months as those MSM who were not aware of the campaign. Those MSM who were aware of the campaign also had more syphilis awareness and knowledge in key areas.
Novel Use of Patient-Derived Vignettes to Foster Self-Efficacy in an Asthma Self-Management Workbook
Authors: Mancuso Carol A. , Sayles Wendy , Robbins Laura , Allegrante John P.
Published: April 2008

This article describes the development of an interactive self-management workbook to increase asthma knowledge and self-efficacy. Its format encourages readers to write in their own personal experiences and perspectives. The knowledge component was developed from standard materials and organized into thematic chapters. The self-efficacy component was developed from interviews with patients in the outpatient setting, emergency room, and hospital; it consists of three sections explaining why confidence is necessary to be an effective self-manager and offers techniques to increase confidence. The component’s cornerstone is vignettes of patients describing what triggers their asthma and what behaviors they use to successfully manage it. This novel approach to fostering self-efficacy allows patients to see themselves in others’ success stories. Although not a substitute for self-management courses, the workbook promotes self-management by offering a practical and readily available option to in-person instruction and peer contact, which are accessible to only a small number of patients.
Enhanced Robotic Surgical Training Using Augmented Visual Feedback
Authors: Judkins Timothy N. , Oleynikov Dmitry , Stergiou Nick
Published: April 2008

The goal of this study was to enhance robotic surgical training via real-time augmented visual feedback. Thirty novices (medical students) were divided into 5 feedback groups (speed, relative phase, grip force, video, and control) and trained during 1 session in 3 inanimate surgical tasks with the da Vinci Surgical System. Task completion time, distance traveled, speed, curvature, relative phase, and grip force were measured immediately before and after training and during a retention test 2 weeks after training. All performance measures except relative phase improved after training and were retained after 2 weeks. Feedback-specific effects showed that the speed group was faster than other groups after training, and the grip force group applied less grip force. This study showed that the real-time augmented feedback during training can enhance the surgical performance and can potentially be beneficial for both training and surgery.
Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy Curriculum for Surgical Residents
Authors: Hoover Susan J. , Berry Michael P. , Rossick Lesa , Rege Robert V. , Jones Daniel B.
Published: April 2008

Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy has emerged as a common method for lesion diagnosis. This study sought to instruct and measure surgical residents' performance in ultrasound-guided breast biopsy and evaluate their thoughts regarding it. Thirteen (n = 13) senior residents completed a written pretest or questionnaire and 2.5 hours of simulated breast core and vacuum needle biopsies. Residents then completed the same written exam, and their biopsy performance was rated. There was 13% overall improvement of written test scores, and 73% resident improved comfort levels with performing biopsies. Successfully performed core biopsies and vacuum biopsies were 86% and 83%, respectively. All residents reported that instruction in ultrasound-guided breast biopsy is very important and should be mandatory in residency training programs. With concentrated instruction, residents are able to learn ultrasound-guided breast biopsy with improvement in objective measures and self-confidence levels. Resident feedback was positive and emphasized the importance of this training in surgical residency curriculums.
Innovative Use of Quality-of-Life Data: Correlating Physiologic Parameters With Patient-Centered Symptoms— The Example of Anemia on the Vitality of Surgical Oncology Patients
Authors: Velanovich Vic
Published: April 2008

Background: It has been difficult to correlate quality of life with physiologic parameters. This may be because of the multitude of factors that lead to a symptom. An example of a cause of fatigue, lassitude, and lack of vitality is anemia. This study explores whether a generic quality-of-life instrument's measure of vitality is correlated with anemia. Methods: Surgical oncology patients were asked to complete the SF-36. One of the domains is vitality (VT), which is a measure of fatigue (best possible score 100, worst possible score 0). Hemoglobin (Hb, gm/dL) and hematocrit (Hct, %) levels from the same period were recorded. Results: A total of 319 patients were assessed, 114 postoperative patients with no evidence of disease (NED) and 205 patients with active disease. There were no differences in Hb or Hct levels, but VT was slightly higher in NED patients. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that for overall VT, VT in patients with active malignant disease, and VT in NED patients the regression slopes were statistically significantly different from 0, although the regression coefficients ( r) were all less than .5. Conclusions: There are direct correlations between Hb and Hct levels and the VT domain of the SF-36. This correlation was stronger in NED patients. The low r2 values reflect that anemia is one of many factors affecting VT.
Decision-making Algorithm for the STARR procedure in Obstructed Defecation Syndrome: Position statement of the group of STARR Pioneers
Authors: Schwandner Oliver , Stuto Angelo , Jayne David , Lenisa Leonardo , Pigot François , Tuech Jean-Jacques , Scherer Roland , Nugent Karen , Corbisier Fabrice , Basany Eloy E. , Hetzer Franc H.
Published: April 2008

Internal rectal prolapse (rectal intussusception) and rectocele are frequent clinical findings in patients suffering from refractory constipation that may be best characterized as obstructive defecation syndrome. However, there is still no clear evidence whether the stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) procedure provides a safe and effective surgical option for symptom resolution in patients with obstructive defecation syndrome, as evidence-based guidelines and functional long-term results are still missing. On the basis of the need for objective evaluation, a European group of experts was founded (Stapled Transanal Rectal Resection Pioneers). Derived from 2 meetings (October 26-28, 2006, Gouvieux, France and November 28-29, 2007, St Gallen, Switzerland) a concept for treatment options in patients suffering from obstructive defecation syndrome was developed, including a clear decision-making algorithm specifically focusing on the role of the stapled transanal rectal resection procedure based on clinical symptoms and dynamic imaging and inclusion and exclusion criteria for the stapled transanal rectal resection procedure.
Sequestration and homing of bone marrow-derived lineage negative progenitor cells in the lung during pneumococcal pneumonia
Authors: Suzuki Hisashi , Hogg James C , van Eeden Stephan F
Published: April 2008

Background

Bone marrow (BM)-derived progenitor cells have been shown to have the potential to differentiate into a diversity of cell types involved in tissue repair. The characteristics of these progenitor cells in pneumonia lung is unknown. We have previously shown that Streptococcus pneumoniae induces a strong stimulus for the release of leukocytes from the BM and these leukocytes preferentially sequester in the lung capillaries. Here we report the behavior of BM-derived lineage negative progenitor cells (Lin- PCs) during pneumococcal pneumonia using quantum dots (QDs), nanocrystal fluorescent probes as a cell-tracking technique.

Methods

Whole BM cells or purified Lin- PCs, harvested from C57/BL6 mice, were labeled with QDs and intravenously transfused into pneumonia mice infected by intratracheal instillation of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Saline was instilled for control. The recipients were sacrificed 2 and 24 hours following infusion and QD-positive cells retained in the circulation, BM and lungs were quantified.

Results

Pneumonia prolonged the clearance of Lin- PCs from the circulation compared with control (21.7 ± 2.7% vs. 7.7 ± 0.9%, at 2 hours, P < 0.01), caused preferential sequestration of Lin- PCs in the lung microvessels (43.3 ± 8.6% vs. 11.2 ± 3.9%, at 2 hours, P < 0.05), and homing of these cells to both the lung (15.1 ± 3.6% vs. 2.4 ± 1.2%, at 24 hours, P < 0.05) and BM as compared to control (18.5 ± 0.8% vs. 9.5 ± 0.4%, at 24 hours, P < 0.01). Very few Lin- PCs migrated into air spaces.

Conclusion

In this study, we demonstrated that BM-derived progenitor cells are preferentially sequestered and retained in pneumonic mouse lungs. These cells potentially contribute to the repair of damaged lung tissue.
EST Express: PHP/MySQL based automated annotation of ESTs from expression libraries
Authors: Smith Robin P , Buchser William J , Lemmon Marcus B , Pardinas Jose R , Bixby John L , Lemmon Vance P
Published: April 2008

Background

Several biological techniques result in the acquisition of functional sets of cDNAs that must be sequenced and analyzed. The emergence of redundant databases such as UniGene and centralized annotation engines such as Entrez Gene has allowed the development of software that can analyze a great number of sequences in a matter of seconds.

Results

We have developed "EST Express", a suite of analytical tools that identify and annotate ESTs originating from specific mRNA populations. The software consists of a user-friendly GUI powered by PHP and MySQL that allows for online collaboration between researchers and continuity with UniGene, Entrez Gene and RefSeq. Two key features of the software include a novel, simplified Entrez Gene parser and tools to manage cDNA library sequencing projects. We have tested the software on a large data set (2,016 samples) produced by subtractive hybridization.

Conclusion

EST Express is an open-source, cross-platform web server application that imports sequences from cDNA libraries, such as those generated through subtractive hybridization or yeast two-hybrid screens. It then provides several layers of annotation based on Entrez Gene and RefSeq to allow the user to highlight useful genes and manage cDNA library projects.
Identification of transcription factor contexts in literature using machine learning approaches
Authors: Yang Hui , Nenadic Goran , Keane John A
Published: April 2008

Background

Availability of information about transcription factors (TFs) is crucial for genome biology, as TFs play a central role in the regulation of gene expression. While manual literature curation is expensive and labour intensive, the development of semi-automated text mining support is hindered by unavailability of training data. There have been no studies on how existing data sources (e.g. TF-related data from the MeSH thesaurus and GO ontology) or potentially noisy example data (e.g. protein-protein interaction, PPI) could be used to provide training data for identification of TF-contexts in literature.

Results

In this paper we describe a text-classification system designed to automatically recognise contexts related to transcription factors in literature. A learning model is based on a set of biological features (e.g. protein and gene names, interaction words, other biological terms) that are deemed relevant for the task. We have exploited background knowledge from existing biological resources (MeSH and GO) to engineer such features. Weak and noisy training datasets have been collected from descriptions of TF-related concepts in MeSH and GO, PPI data and data representing non-protein-function descriptions. Three machine-learning methods are investigated, along with a vote-based merging of individual approaches and/or different training datasets. The system achieved highly encouraging results, with most classifiers achieving an F-measure above 90%.

Conclusions

The experimental results have shown that the proposed model can be used for identification of TF-related contexts (i.e. sentences) with high accuracy, with a significantly reduced set of features when compared to traditional bag-of-words approach. The results of considering existing PPI data suggest that there is not as high similarity between TF and PPI contexts as we have expected. We have also shown that existing knowledge sources are useful both for feature engineering and for obtaining noisy positive training data.
New challenges for text mining: mapping between text and manually curated pathways
Authors: Oda Kanae , Kim Jin-Dong , Ohta Tomoko , Okanohara Daisuke , Matsuzaki Takuya , Tateisi Yuka , Tsujii Jun'ichi
Published: April 2008

Background

Associating literature with pathways poses new challenges to the Text Mining (TM) community. There are three main challenges to this task: (1) the identification of the mapping position of a specific entity or reaction in a given pathway, (2) the recognition of the causal relationships among multiple reactions, and (3) the formulation and implementation of required inferences based on biological domain knowledge.

Results

To address these challenges, we constructed new resources to link the text with a model pathway; they are: the GENIA pathway corpus with event annotation and NF-kB pathway. Through their detailed analysis, we address the untapped resource, ‘bio-inference,’ as well as the differences between text and pathway representation. Here, we show the precise comparisons of their representations and the nine classes of ‘bio-inference’ schemes observed in the pathway corpus.

Conclusions

We believe that the creation of such rich resources and their detailed analysis is the significant first step for accelerating the research of the automatic construction of pathway from text.
Gene Ontology density estimation and discourse analysis for automatic GeneRiF extraction
Authors: Gobeill Julien , Tbahriti Imad , Ehrler Frédéric , Mottaz Anaïs , Veuthey Anne-Lise , Ruch Patrick
Published: April 2008

Background

This paper describes and evaluates a sentence selection engine that extracts a GeneRiF (Gene Reference into Functions) as defined in ENTREZ-Gene based on a MEDLINE record. Inputs for this task include both a gene and a pointer to a MEDLINE reference. In the suggested approach we merge two independent sentence extraction strategies. The first proposed strategy (LASt) uses argumentative features, inspired by discourse-analysis models. The second extraction scheme (GOEx) uses an automatic text categorizer to estimate the density of Gene Ontology categories in every sentence; thus providing a full ranking of all possible candidate GeneRiFs. A combination of the two approaches is proposed, which also aims at reducing the size of the selected segment by filtering out non-content bearing rhetorical phrases.

Results

Based on the TREC-2003 Genomics collection for GeneRiF identification, the LASt extraction strategy is already competitive (52.78%). When used in a combined approach, the extraction task clearly shows improvement, achieving a Dice score of over 57% (+10%).

Conclusions

Argumentative representation levels and conceptual density estimation using Gene Ontology contents appear complementary for functional annotation in proteomics.
Limited functional conservation of a global regulator among related bacterial genera: Lrp in Escherichia, Proteus and Vibrio
Authors: Lintner Robert E , Mishra Pankaj K , Srivastava Poonam , Martinez-Vaz Betsy M , Khodursky Arkady B , Blumenthal Robert M
Published: April 2008

Background

Bacterial genome sequences are being determined rapidly, but few species are physiologically well characterized. Predicting regulation from genome sequences usually involves extrapolation from better-studied bacteria, using the hypothesis that a conserved regulator, conserved target gene, and predicted regulator-binding site in the target promoter imply conserved regulation between the two species. However many compared organisms are ecologically and physiologically diverse, and the limits of extrapolation have not been well tested. In E. coli K-12 the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) affects expression of ~400 genes. Proteus mirabilis and Vibrio cholerae have highly-conserved lrp orthologs (98% and 92% identity to E. coli lrp). The functional equivalence of Lrp from these related species was assessed.

Results

Heterologous Lrp regulated gltB, livK and lrp transcriptional fusions in an E. coli background in the same general way as the native Lrp, though with significant differences in extent. Microarray analysis of these strains revealed that the heterologous Lrp proteins significantly influence only about half of the genes affected by native Lrp. In P. mirabilis, heterologous Lrp restored swarming, though with some pattern differences. P. mirabilis produced substantially more Lrp than E. coli or V. cholerae under some conditions. Lrp regulation of target gene orthologs differed among the three native hosts. Strikingly, while Lrp negatively regulates its own gene in E. coli, and was shown to do so even more strongly in P. mirabilis, Lrp appears to activate its own gene in V. cholerae.

Conclusion

The overall similarity of regulatory effects of the Lrp orthologs supports the use of extrapolation between related strains for general purposes. However this study also revealed intrinsic differences even between orthologous regulators sharing >90% overall identity, and 100% identity for the DNA-binding helix-turn-helix motif, as well as differences in the amounts of those regulators. These results suggest that predicting regulation of specific target genes based on genome sequence comparisons alone should be done on a conservative basis.
Comparative BAC end sequence analysis of tomato and potato reveals overrepresentation of specific gene families in potato
Authors: Datema Erwin , Mueller Lukas A , Buels Robert , Giovannoni James J , Visser Richard GF , Stiekema Willem J , van Ham Roeland CHJ
Published: April 2008

Background

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) and potato (S. tuberosum) are two economically important crop species, the genomes of which are currently being sequenced. This study presents a first genome-wide analysis of these two species, based on two large collections of BAC end sequences representing approximately 19% of the tomato genome and 10% of the potato genome.

Results

The tomato genome has a higher repeat content than the potato genome, primarily due to a higher number of retrotransposon insertions in the tomato genome. On the other hand, simple sequence repeats are more abundant in potato than in tomato. The two genomes also differ in the frequency distribution of SSR motifs. Based on EST and protein alignments, potato appears to contain up to 6,400 more putative coding regions than tomato. Major gene families such as cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases and serine-threonine protein kinases are significantly overrepresented in potato, compared to tomato. Moreover, the P450 superfamily appears to have expanded spectacularly in both species compared toArabidopsis thaliana, suggesting an expanded network of secondary metabolic pathways in theSolanaceae. Both tomato and potato appear to have a low level of microsynteny withA. thaliana. A higher degree of synteny was observed withPopulus trichocarpa, specifically in the region between 15.2 and 19.4 Mb onP. trichocarpachromosome 10.

Conclusion

The findings in this paper present a first glimpse into the evolution of Solanaceous genomes, both within the family and relative to other plant species. When the complete genome sequences of these species become available, whole-genome comparisons and protein- or repeat-family specific studies may shed more light on the observations made here.
Apoptosis induction in Jurkat cells and sCD95 levels in women's sera are related with the risk of developing cervical cancer
Authors: Aguilar-Lemarroy Adriana , Romero-Ramos Jose E , Olimon-Andalon Vicente , Hernandez-Flores Georgina , Lerma-Diaz Jose M , Ortiz-Lazareno Pablo C , Morgan-Villela Gilberto , del Toro-Arreola Susana , Bravo-Cuellar Alejandro , Jave-Suarez Luis F
Published: April 2008

Background

Currently, there is clear evidence that apoptosis plays an important role in the development and progression of tumors. One of the best characterized apoptosis triggering systems is the CD95/Fas/APO-1 pathway; previous reports have demonstrated high levels of soluble CD95 (sCD95) in serum of patients with some types of cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. As a first step in an attempt to design a minimally invasive test to predict the risk of developing cervical cancer in patients with precancerous lesions, we used a simple assay based on the capacity of human serum to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells. We evaluated the relationship between sCD95 levels and the ability to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells in cervical cancer patients and controls.

Methods

Jurkat cells were exposed to serum from 63 women (20 healthy volunteers, 21 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I [CIN 1] and 22 with cervical-uterine carcinoma). The apoptotic rate was measured by flow cytometry using Annexin-V-Fluos and Propidium Iodide as markers. Serum levels of sCD95 and soluble CD95 ligand (sCD95L) were measured by ELISA kits.

Results

We found that serum from almost all healthy women induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells, while only fifty percent of the sera from women with CIN 1 induced cell death in Jurkat cells. Interestingly, only one serum sample from a patient with cervical-uterine cancer was able to induce apoptosis, the rest of the sera protected Jurkat cells from this killing. We were able to demonstrate that elimination of Jurkat cells was mediated by the CD95/Fas/Apo-1 apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, the serum levels of sCD95 measured by ELISA were significantly higher in women with cervical cancer.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that there is a strong correlation between low levels of sCD95 in serum of normal women and higher apoptosis induction in Jurkat cells. We suggest that an analysis of the apoptotic rate induced by serum in Jurkat cells and the levels of sCD95 in serum could be helpful during the prognosis and treatment of women detected with precancerous lesions or cervical cancer.
Interleukin-6 Inhibits Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κB Ligand-Induced Osteoclastogenesis by Diverting Cells into the Macrophage Lineage: Key Role of Serine727 Phosphorylation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3
Authors: Duplomb Laurence , Baud’huin Marc , Charrier Céline , Berreur Martine , Trichet Valérie , Blanchard Frédéric , Heymann Dominique
Published: April 2008

Osteoclasts are bone-resorptive cells that differentiate from hematopoietic precursors upon receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) activation. Previous studies demonstrated that IL-6 indirectly stimulates osteoclastogenesis through the production of RANKL by osteoblasts. However, few data described the direct effect of IL-6 on osteoclasts. To investigate this effect, we used several models: murine RAW264.7 cells, mouse bone marrow, and human blood monocytes. In the three models used, the addition of IL-6 inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, IL-6 decreased the expression of osteoclast markers and up-modulated macrophage markers. To elucidate this inhibition, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, the main signaling molecule activated by IL-6, was analyzed. Addition of two STAT3 inhibitors completely abolished RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, revealing a key role of STAT3. We demonstrated that a basal level of phosphorylated-STAT3 on Serine727 associated with an absence of phosphorylation on Tyrosine705 is essential for osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, a decrease of Serine727 phosphorylation led to an inhibition of osteoclast differentiation, whereas an increase of Tyrosine705 phosphorylation upon IL-6 stimulation led to the formation of macrophages instead of osteoclasts. In conclusion, we showed for the first time that IL-6 inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by diverting cells into the macrophage lineage, and demonstrated the functional role of activated-STAT3 and its form of phosphorylation in the control of osteoclastogenesis.
Jorge Basadre’s “Peruvian History of Peru,” Or the Poetic Aporia of Historicism
Authors: Thurner Mark
Published: April 2008

This article examines the historicist thought of Jorge Basadre (1903–1980). Basadre was Peru’s leading twentieth-century historian, and his brilliant and voluminous opus continues to exert a strong influence in Peru today. Basadre developed a “theory of Peru” that creatively drew upon concepts developed by European philosophers (Pascal, Fichte, Hegel, Dilthey, Renan, Ortega y Gasset, and Croce) but which was singularly Peruvian, since as an affirmative historicist apprehension of the collective subject or self named “Peru” it was “homologous with its own formation.” Nevertheless, this article argues that Basadre’s homologous “Peruvian history of Peru” admits ahistorical heterogeneity or “the abyss” as its founding (un)reason for being.
Teaching and Presence
Authors: Farber Jerry
Published: April 2008

This essay argues that presence—the condition of being fully present in the classroom to students and to oneself—is an essential element in good teaching. The essay identifies major obstacles to presence and explores means of achieving it.
Service Learning, Multiculturalism, and the Pedagogies of Difference
Authors: Jay Gregory
Published: April 2008

This essay argues that a pedagogy of “dialogue across differences” should be infused into the core curriculum and function as the link joining multicultural education to service learning. Close examination of student reflections and journal writings reveals how such dialogue can enhance learning, strengthen community partnerships, and enrich antiracist pedagogy.
Tutoring Is Real: The Benefits of the Peer Tutor Experience for Future English Educators
Authors: Alsup Janet , Conard-Salvo Tammy , Peters Scott J.
Published: April 2008

In this article, an English education professor, a university writing center administrator, and a recent graduate of an undergraduate English education program discuss the role peer tutoring might play in enhancing the education of preservice teachers of writing. The authors argue that by providing additional, authentic field experiences which reflect constructivist, student-centered philosophies often adhered to in English education programs, university peer tutoring can provide undergraduate students with authentic experience in learning collaboratively, developing rapport with students, and conducting student-centered, one-to-one writing conferences.
MALS-3 regulates polarity and early neurogenesis in the developing cerebral cortex
Authors: Srinivasan Karpagam , Roosa Jason , Olsen Olav , Lee Soung-Hun , Bredt David S. , McConnell Susan K.
Published: April 2008

Apicobasal polarity plays an important role in regulating asymmetric cell divisions by neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in invertebrates, but the role of polarity in mammalian NPCs is poorly understood. Here, we characterize the function of the PDZ domain protein MALS-3 in the developing cerebral cortex. We find that MALS-3 is localized to the apical domain of NPCs. Mice lacking all three MALS genes fail to localize the polarity proteins PATJ and PALS1 apically in NPCs, whereas the formation and maintenance of adherens junctions appears normal. In the absence of MALS proteins, early NPCs progressed more slowly through the cell cycle, and their daughter cells were more likely to exit the cell cycle and differentiate into neurons. Interestingly, these effects were transient; NPCs recovered normal cell cycle properties during late neurogenesis. Experiments in which MALS-3 was targeted to the entire membrane resulted in a breakdown of apicobasal polarity, loss of adherens junctions, and a slowing of the cell cycle. Our results suggest that MALS-3 plays a role in maintaining apicobasal polarity and is required for normal neurogenesis in the developing cortex.
Wollknäuel is required for embryo patterning and encodes theDrosophilaALG5 UDP-glucose:dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase
Authors: Haecker Achim , Bergman Mattias , Neupert Christine , Moussian Bernard , Luschnig Stefan , Aebi Markus , Mannervik Mattias
Published: April 2008

N-linked glycosylation is a prevalent protein modification in eukaryotic cells. Although glycosylation plays an important role in cell signaling during development, a role for N-linked glycosylation in embryonic patterning has not previously been described. In a screen for maternal factors involved in embryo patterning, we isolated mutations in Drosophila ALG5, a UDP-glucose:dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase. Based on the embryonic cuticle phenotype, we designated the ALG5 locus wollknäuel(wol). Mutations in wol result in posterior segmentation phenotypes, reduced Dpp signaling, as well as impaired mesoderm invagination and germband elongation at gastrulation. The segmentation phenotype can be attributed to a post-transcriptional effect on expression of the transcription factor Caudal, whereas wol acts upstream of Dpp signalin by regulating dpp expression. The wol/ALG5 cDNA was able to partially complement the hypoglycosylation phenotype of alg5mutant S. cerevisiae, whereas the two wol mutant alleles failed to complement. We show that reduced glycosylation in wolmutant embryos triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). As a result, phosphorylation of the translation factor eIF2α is increased. We propose a model in which translation of a few maternal mRNAs, including caudal, are particularly sensitive to increased eIF2α phosphorylation. According to this view, inappropriate UPR activation can cause specific patterning defects during embryo development.
Negative Spillover in Brand Portfolios: Exploring the Antecedents of Asymmetric Effects
Authors: Lei Jing , Dawar Niraj , Lemmink Jos
Published: April 2008

Marketers cultivate brand relatedness in their brand portfolios to increase marketing efficiency through positive spillover of brand equity. However, creating linkages between brands may also make them vulnerable to negative spillover. This research investigates the structure of relatedness in a brand portfolio to understand the nature of spillover effects. The results of two experiments show that the magnitude of spillover between brands is a function of not only the strength of brand associations but also their directionality. The results also show that the directional strength of association is influenced by the number and salience of associations linked to each brand. The authors draw implications for a theoretical understanding of spillover effects in marketing, as well as for the management of brand portfolios.
Segmented Switchers and Retailer Pricing Strategies
Authors: Koçaş Cenk , Bohlmann Jonathan D.
Published: April 2008

Empirical studies reveal a surprisingly wide variety of pricing strategies among retailers, even among Internet sellers of undifferentiated homogeneous goods, such as books and music CDs. Several empirical findings remain puzzling; for example, within the same market, some small retailers decide to discount deeply, whereas others forgo the price-sensitive switchers and price high. The authors present theoretical and empirical analyses that address these varied pricing strategies. A model of three asymmetric firms shows that under multiple switcher segments, in which different switchers compare prices at different retailers, firm-specific loyalty is not sufficient to explain the variety of pricing strategies. The authors demonstrate that a retailer's strategy to discount deeply or frequently is driven by the ratio of the size of switcher segments for which the retailer competes to its loyal segment size. The relative switcher-to-loyal ratios among retailers explain situations in which a small retailer finds it optimal to price high, despite having few loyals, or to discount and go for the switchers. The results of two empirical studies confirm the model's predictions for varied pricing strategies in the context of Internet booksellers. The analyses also present several implications. A small retailer can sometimes benefit from strategically limiting its access to switchers to soften price competition. A midsized retailer can benefit from targeting its switcher acquisition activities toward its larger rival, given the shallower discounts involved. When most switchers widely compare prices, a large retailer should offer few shallow discounts because other firms will more aggressively discount. The importance of switcher segmentation suggests that managers should carefully measure switching behavior in devising pricing strategies.
Association of an A/C single nucleotide polymorphism in programmed cell death-ligand 1 gene with Graves' disease in Japanese patients.
Authors: Hayashi Mina , Kouki Tsuyoshi , Takasu Nobuyuki , Sunagawa Sumito , Komiya Ichiro
Published: April 2008

Objective

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) inhibit T-cell proliferation and activation. This inhibition down-regulates the immune responses. The association of a PD-L1 polymorphism with Graves' disease (GD) was studied.

Design

The association of an A/C polymorphism at position 8923 in PD-L1 intron 4 with GD was studied.

Patients

The study included 327 GD patients and 192 controls, of which 252 GD patients were followed over 5–10 years.

Measurements

PD-L1 intron 4 position 8923 A/C polymorphism was typed using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.

Results

The A/C genotype frequencies were significantly different between GD patients and controls. The A/C and C/C frequencies were higher in GD patients than in controls. The A/A frequencies were lower in GD patients than in controls. C-allele frequency was higher in GD patients than in controls. A total of 252 GD patients were followed over 5–10 years; 200 had discontinued antithyroid drugs (ATD) while 52 continued to take ATD. Of these 200, 176 continued to be in remission and 24 had relapsed into hyperthyroidism. Significant differences in the duration of positive TBII, positive thyroid-stimulating antibodies, and ATD treatment were noted between the patients in remission and those that had relapsed. Significant differences in the A- and C-allele frequencies were noted between the two. The C-allele frequency was higher in GD patients who did not achieve remission than in those who achieved remission.

Conclusion

An A/C polymorphism at position 8923 in PD-L1 is associated with GD. The PD-L1 polymorphism plays a role in GD development. GD patients with the C allele at position 8923 in PD-L1 gene had difficulty in achieving remission.
Characterization of the RET protooncogene transmembrane domain mutation S649L associated with nonaggressive medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Authors: Colombo-Benkmann Mario , Li Zhenpeng , Riemann Burkhard , Hengst Karin , Herbst Hermann , Keuser Roger , Groß Ute , Rondot Susanne , Raue Friedhelm , Senninger Norbert , Pützer Brigitte M , Frank-Raue Karin
Published: April 2008

Context

For rare and novelRETmutations associated with hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), clinical and functional studies are needed to classify theRETmutation into one of the three clinical risk groups.

Objective

We analyzed proliferative properties and clinical implications associated with theRETprotooncogene transmembrane domain mutation S649L.

Design

The transforming potential and mitogenic properties of S649L mutation were investigated clinically and by evaluating kinase activity, cell proliferation, and colony formation.

Patients

Fifteen individuals from five kindreds were identified as carriers of aRETprotooncogene mutation in exon 11 codon 649 (TCGSer→TTGLeu). In two out of five index patients, a secondRETmutation (C634W or V804L) was detected.

Results

Eight gene carriers were operated on. Histology revealed MTC and C-cell hyperplasia in three index and three screening patients respectively. In all other gene carriers (aged 41–64 years), calcitonin levels were in the normal range, and pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin levels were <100 pg/ml. Therefore, thyroidectomy had not yet been performed. In one index patient carrying the S649L mutation, hyperparathyroidism was confirmed histologically.RETS649L-expressing NIH3T3 cells exhibited a clear increase of phosphotyrosine and proliferation rate when compared with parental NIH3T3 cells but a significantly lower kinase activity and cell growth rate when compared withRETC634R-expressing cells. When compared withRETC634R, the S649L mutant showed moderate transforming potential with small-sized colonies.

Conclusions

Our clinical and in vitro findings indicate that the transmembraneRETS649L mutation is associated with late-onset non-aggressive disease. Recommendations for prophylactic thyroidectomy should be individualized depending on stimulated calcitonin levels.