bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imatinib Mesylate Resistance in a Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patient with a Novel e8a2 BCR-ABL Transcript Variant
Authors: Qin Ya Zhen , Jiang Bin , Jiang Qian , Zhang Yan , Jiang Hao , Li Jin Lan , Zhu Hong Hu , Li Ling Di , Liu Yan Rong , Chen Shan Shan , Huang Xiao Jun
Published: November 2008

Background: The vast majority of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients express the BCR-ABL transcript with the b2a2 (e13a2) and/or b3a2 (e14a2) junctions. However, some rare cases have atypical breakpoints. Methods and Results: We identified a CML patient with a unique e8a2 BCR-ABL transcript variant. It contained the first 114 nucleotides of BCR exon 8, with an insertion of 16 nucleotides from the 3′ end of ABL intron 1a, followed by ABL exon 2. Due to her uncontrolled thrombocytosis after 3 years of interferon-α treatment, the patient received imatinib at a dosage of 400 mg/day. Though achieving a sustained and complete hematological response after 3 months, she was resistant to imatinib during the entire 65-month imatinib treatment. That is, she failed to achieve major cytogenetic response and there was no significant decrease in her BCR-ABL transcript levels. Meanwhile, an M351T mutant was detected at 18 months after the start of imatinib treatment. Conclusion: ABL point mutation is also a mechanism of imatinib resistance for CML patients with the BCR-ABL transcript variant.
Primary Penile Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Treated by Local Excision Followed by Rituximab-Containing Chemotherapy
Authors: Kim Ha Yeon , Oh Sung Yong , Lee Suee , Lee Dong Mee , Kim Sung-Hyun , Kwon Hyuk-Chan , Hong Sook Hee , Yoon Jin Han , Kim Hyo-Jin
Published: November 2008

Primary penile lymphoma is rarely observed in cases of extranodal malignant lymphoma. Owing principally to its rarity, no definite treatment modality has been established. We report the case of a 42-year-old man who presented with hematuria and a painless palpable mass on the penis which had persisted for 2 months. A 1.5 × 1.4 cm round mass was detected in the shaft of the penis. Histopathological examination of the excisional biopsy revealed CD20+ diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient was classified as having a stage IAE lymphoma. Because radiation often causes considerable early morbidity and later loss of function of the penis, 6 cycles of combination chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone) with rituximab were administered at 3-week intervals. After treatment, the patient showed a complete response and has maintained this status for the past 7 months. Multiple options, such as surgical amputation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are available for treatment of this condition. However, in order to minimize treatment-related morbidity and to maintain quality of life after treatment, combination chemotherapy including rituximab could be considered the treatment of choice after local excision.
Clinical Correlates of Serum Pro-Major Basic Protein in a Spectrum of Eosinophilic Disorders and Myelofibrosis
Authors: Ho Ching-Liang , Kito Hirohito , Squillace Diane L. , Lasho Terra L. , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: November 2008

Background/Aims: Eosinophil cytoplasmic granules contain major basic protein (MBP), which is primarily translated from its precursor, proMBP. In this study, we evaluated the plasma level of proMBP in eosinophilic and chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPN). Methods: The levels of plasma proMBP were measured by radioimmunoassay in 25 healthy controls, 23 patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM), 11 patients with idiopathic eosinophilia (IE) and a cohort of 170 patients with MPN which included 76 patients with de novo myelofibrosis, 42 with polycythemia vera (PV), 17 with postpolycythemic myeloid metaplasia (Post-PV MF), 21 with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and 14 with postthrombocythemic myeloid metaplasia (Post-ET MF). Results: The plasma proMBP level was significantly higher in patients with SM with eosinophilia (p < 0.001), IE (p < 0.001) and MPN with eosinophilia (p = 0.002) than in healthy controls. The median proMBP level of Post-PV MF and Post-ET MF patients was significantly higher than in PV and ET patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). In IE patients, elevated proMBP was significantly correlated with the presence of splenomegaly (p < 0.05). In 76 de novo myelofibrosis patients, the proMBP level was correlated with spleen size and the presence of hypercatabolic symptoms. Conclusion: The significantly elevated levels of proMBP in myelofibrosis patients implies that proMBP could be an important stromal cytokine in bone marrow fibrosis.
Clinical Features of Hypersensitivity Reactions to Oxaliplatin: A 10-Year Experience
Authors: Polyzos Aristides , Tsavaris Nikolas , Gogas Hellen , Souglakos John , Vambakas Lambros , Vardakas Nikolaos , Polyzos Kostas , Tsigris Christos , Mantas Demetrios , Papachristodoulou Antonios , Nikiteas Nikolas , Karavokyros John G. , Felekouras Evangelos , Griniatsos John , Giannopoulos Athanasios , Kouraklis Gregory
Published: November 2008

Background: Oxaliplatin has become one of the major cytotoxic agents for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. As a result, several cases of the so-called oxaliplatin-associated hypersensitivity reaction have been documented. Patients and Methods: We have retrospectively evaluated and characterized these reactions in our patient group by reviewing the files of 1,224 patients exposed to an oxaliplatin-containing regimen in order to provide useful clinical information for diagnosis and management. Results: Three hundred and eight (308) patients who have never been exposed to platinum compounds developed symptoms compatible with a reaction to oxaliplatin that was verified by manifestation of at least similar symptoms on rechallenging. The reactions occurred after the first 5 courses, with a median course number of 9 (range 1–24). These reactions could be distinguished as (1) mild reactions occurring in 195 (63%) patients manifesting with itching and small area erythema either during treatment or within the next hours, and (2) severe reactions occurring in 113 (37%) patients within minutes of drug infusion manifesting with diffuse erythroderma, facial swelling, chest tightness, bronchospasm and changes in blood pressure. Oxaliplatin withdrawal was not required in patients with a mild reaction. Forty-eight (42%) patients having a severe reaction with appropriate premedication and prolongation of the infusion duration could tolerate 2–4 subsequent courses. For the remaining 65 (58%) patients, oxaliplatin withdrawal was inevitable because of the very severe reactions occurring on rechallenging. In addition, 3 patients presented with thrombocytopenia and 3 others with hemolytic anemia, all reversible upon oxaliplatin discontinuation. Conclusions: Hypersensitivity reactions to oxaliplatin are underestimated. Although the reactions are not frequent during first courses, in extensively pretreated patients, they may become a serious problem. In the majority of patients, drug discontinuation might not be necessary. In patients manifesting a severe reaction, re-exposure to oxaliplatin should be considered only if the patient can tolerate the reaction and there has been clinical benefit from this therapy. Physicians and nursing staff should be aware of the risk and be well prepared.
Combination Therapy with Paricalcitol and Enalapril Ameliorates Cardiac Oxidative Injury in Uremic Rats
Authors: Husain Kazim , Ferder Leon , Mizobuchi Masahide , Finch Jane , Slatopolsky Eduardo
Published: November 2008

Aims: This study investigated the protective effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, and the vitamin D analog, paricalcitol, alone or in combination, on cardiac oxidative stress in uremic rats. Methods: Rats were made uremic by 5/6 nephrectomy and treated for 4 months as follows: (1) uremic + vehicle (n = 11); (2) uremic + enalapril (30 mg/l in drinking water, n = 13); (3) uremic + paricalcitol (200 ng 3× week, n = 6); (4) uremic + enalapril + paricalcitol (n = 14), and (5) controls (n = 6). Results: Cardiac NADPH oxidase activity increased by 300% in uremic rats compared to normal controls. Treatment with enalapril, paricalcitol or the combination of the two protected uremic rats from cardiac oxidative stress by inhibiting enzyme activity. Cardiac malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in uremic rats compared to normal controls. Only the combination therapy inhibited the increase in MDA levels in uremic rats. Cardiac glutathione was significantly reduced in uremic rats compared to normal controls. Enalapril, paricalcitol or the two in combination all protected against this reduction in glutathione. Cardiac copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) activity decreased whereas manganese (Mn-SOD) activity increased in uremic rats compared to controls. Both mono and combination therapies ameliorated the alterations in cardiac SOD activity seen in uremic rats. Conclusion: Enalapril, paricalcitol and their combined therapy afford protection against cardiac oxidative stress in uremia.
Splenomegaly as a Primary Manifestation of Gaucher Disease in a Young Adult Woman
Authors: Merra Giuseppe , Dal Lago Antonio , Ricci Roberta , Antuzzi Daniela , Gasbarrini Giovanni , Gasbarrini Antonio , Ghirlanda Giovanni
Published: November 2008

Gaucher disease is the most common lysosomal storage disease. It is caused by the defective activity of acid β-glucosidase, which results in the accumulation of lipid glucocerebroside in macrophages throughout the body. In this case report we describe the case of a young adult woman with splenomegaly as the primary manifestation of this pathology. This is a case of type 1 Gaucher disease because there is a lack of primary neurological involvement but we have, instead, an age-independent involvement of the visceral organs. It is very important to classify or characterize these patients in a precise manner and to make a complete diagnosis with the help of the many diagnostic resources now at our disposal, especially with genetics, radiology and new techniques of advanced microscopy, also because Gaucher disease requires a long and complex management from early life to adulthood.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Annular Pancreas: Reliability of the Double Bubble Sign with Periduodenal Hyperechogenic Band
Authors: Dankovcik Robert , Jirasek Jan E. , Kucera Eduard , Feyereisl Jaroslav , Radonak Jozef , Dudas Marek
Published: November 2008

Objective: To evaluate the power of prenatal 2-D ultrasound examination in the 2nd trimester as a method of choice for accurate diagnosis of annular pancreas. Methods: Co-incidence of the double bubble sign (often accompanying gastroduodenal dilatation) together with a hyperechogenic band around the duodenum (corresponding with the tissue of annular pancreas) was used as a diagnostic criterion. Findings from postnatal surgery served for verification. Results: From 7,897 screened pregnancies, annular pancreas was proven in the cases where both signs were present, but never without the hyperechogenic band (N1 = 3, N2 = 3, p ≤ 0.05). Sensitivity and specificity were 100%. Conclusions: More multicentric studies are required to test this approach. The following diagnostic strategy is reasonable at the present time: when the double bubble sign is discovered, always suspect annular pancreas and look for the second sign: hyperechogenic bands around the duodenum. Also look for known associated anomalies, and vice versa, if any of associated anomalies are noted, also search specifically for the signs of annular pancreas.
Disseminated Peritoneal Leiomyomatosis Responds to Systemic Chemotherapy
Authors: Lin Y.-C. , Wei L.-H. , Shun C.-T. , Cheng A.-L. , Hsu C.-H.
Published: November 2008

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare disease entity characterized by multiple peritoneal tumors composed of benign but proliferative smooth muscle cells. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for LPD. We present a 50-year-old woman who had previously undergone several surgical resections including bilateral oophorectomy for recurrent LPD. Because of progressive tumors in the peritoneum and metastatic tumors in the liver and lungs, systemic chemotherapy with doxorubicin and dacarbazine was prescribed. Objective tumor response was achieved and sustained for 1 year. This case presentation suggests that systemic chemotherapy may be considered as a treatment option for LPD patients developing unresectable or metastatic disease.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients on Conventional and Short Daily Hemodialysis
Authors: Elias Rosilene Motta , Castro Manuel Carlos Martins , de Queiroz Eduardo Lyra , Abensur Hugo , Romão-Junior João Egidio , Lorenzi-Filho Geraldo
Published: November 2008

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. However, the factors associated with the origin of OSA as well as the cardiovascular consequences in this population are not completely understood. We evaluated, by standard overnight polysomnography, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and echocardiography in 30 patients (14 males, age 34 ± 11 years, BMI 23.2 ± 5.2) – 15 on short daily hemodialysis (SDH) and 15 matched patients on conventional hemodialysis (CHD). The hemodialysis dose (standard Kt/V) was higher in patients on SDH than on CHD (p = 0.001). OSA (apnea-hypopnea index >5 events/h) was present in 13 patients (43%). Patients with OSA were predominantly males (77 vs. 44%), presented a higher BMI (25.5 ± 6.2 vs. 21.5 ± 3.6), a larger neck circumference (38 ± 1 vs. 34 ± 1 cm) and a lower Kt/V (2.6 ± 0.3 vs. 2.2 ± 0.1) than patients with no OSA (p < 0.05). Neck circumference and lower Kt/V were independently associated with OSA on multivariate analysis. No patient with Kt/V >2.5 (n = 10) presented OSA. On the other hand, hypertensive patients with OSA needed more BP control pills (p = 0.03). Despite similar BP control, patients with OSA presented a higher interventricular septum thickness (11.5 ± 0.5 vs. 9.9 ± 0.3 mm; p = 0.011). In conclusion, among patients on maintenance hemodialysis, the traditional risk factors for OSA are present and interact with hemodialysis efficiency. Among these patients, OSA is associated with difficult BP control and heart remodeling suggesting that OSA may contribute to poor cardiovascular outcome.
Honoring the Divine as Virtue and Practice in Maimonides
Authors: Seeman Don
Published: November 2008

Honoring the divine is central to Maimonides' ethical and religious phenomenology. It connotes the recognition of radical divine incommensurability and points to the hard limits of human ability to know God. Yet it also signals the importance of philosophical speculation within those limits, indicating the intellectual and ethical telos of human life. For Maimonides, to honor or show kavod to God is closely related to the meaning of the divine glory (also known as kavod) that Moses demands to see in Exodus 33. Moses' demand to see the kavod is usually interpreted as a quest for some visible sign of God's presence or, at least, for a created light whose existence could testify to the authenticity of Moses' prophecy. Maimonides is alone among early interpreters in treating Exodus 33 as a parable of the philosophical quest to apprehend divine uniqueness, which leads first to negative theology and then to imitatio Dei. This article argues that the theme of divine kavod links Maimonides' philosophical, literary, and even medical concerns with his practical religious teaching, and connects the Guide of the Perplexed with his other legal and interpretive works. Maimonides' consistent fascination with Exodus 33 helps to organize his reflections on human perfection, ethics, and the relationship between idolatry and everyday religious language, distinguishing him from dominant trends in both Judaeo-Arabic and later kabbalistic thought.
The Inner Cathedral: Mental Architecture in High Scholasticism
Authors: King Peter
Published: November 2008

Mediaeval psychological theory was a “faculty psychology”: a confederation of semiautonomous sub-personal agents, the interaction of which constitutes our psychological experience. One such faculty was intellective appetite, that is, the will. On what grounds was the will taken to be a distinct faculty? After a brief survey of Aristotle's criteria for identifying and distinguishing mental faculties, I look in some detail at the mainstream mediaeval view, given clear expression by Thomas Aquinas, and then at the dissenting views of John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham. I conclude with some reflections on why the mainstream mediaeval view was discarded by Descartes.
Ame intellective, âme cogitative: Jean de Jandun et la duplex forma propria de l'homme
Authors: Brenet Jean-Baptiste
Published: November 2008

The article analyses the idea that according to the averroist Jean de Jandun, Master of Arts in Paris at the beginning of the 14th century, human beings are composed of a «double form» the separated intellect on the one hand, the cogitative soul on the other hand. After recalling several major accounts of the time, we explore Jean's reading of Averroes' major conceptions concerning the problem. Finally, we challenge the idea according to which we observe in his writings the radical thesis of a sometimes cogitating sometimes thinking «double human being» that makes of the homo intelligens a punctual and exclusive new being, which is accidentally produced while the thinking takes place.
Cardano's Eclectic Psychology and its Critique by Julius Caesar Scaliger
Authors: Maclean Ian
Published: November 2008

This paper examines the theories of the soul proposed by Girolamo Cardano in his De immortalitate animorum (1545) and his De subtilitate (1550-4), Julius Caesar Scaliger's comprehensive critique of these views in the Exercitationes exotericae de subtilitate of 1557, and Cardano's reply to this critique in his Actio in calumniatorem of 1559. Cardano argues that the passive intellect is individuated and mortal, and that the agent intellect is immortal but subject to constant reincarnation in different human beings. His theory of cognition leads him to claim that at its highest level, the intellect is converted into the object of its perception. In his refutation of the various elements of Cardano's theories, Scaliger uses his knowledge of the Greek text of Aristotle to stress the reflexive faculty of the soul, its ability to conceive of objects greater than itself, and its status as the individuating principle of the hylemorphic human being. In spite of Cardano's pretention to novelty and Scaliger's humanist credentials, both thinkers are shown to conduct their discussions in an inherited scholastic matrix of thought.
Off to Work At Home: Egyptian Midwives Blur Public-Private Boundaries
Authors: Abugideiri Hibba
Published: November 2008

This article uncovers the invaluable work of midwives as medical professionals in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Egyptian society. It challenges the public-private distinction as a way of demonstrating its obscuring effect on measuring Arab women's participation in society. In fact, relying on this conceptualization of space, and by implication, gendered power, can lead to a misleading conclusion. Because Egyptian midwives participated publicly in society, they consequently were unshackled from those social and cultural forces that otherwise segregated them to the private confines of the home. By challenging this construct, this study interrogates what societal participation means to the study of Middle Eastern gender. More specifically, the process of medical modernization in colonial Egypt provides an ideal case study to argue that by becoming modern working women whose profession brought them out into the public in order to work at home, midwives' participation in Egyptian society blurred any neat demarcation of public and private space. Indeed, the public-private paradigm has little analytical value in studying turn-of-the-century Egyptian midwives other than to expose the glaring ways that "public," as buoyed by Western liberal thinking, does not translate into a universal historical experience; if anything, it obscures the powerful agency of these Arab women.
Between Hardships and Respect: A Collective Biography of Arab Women Teachers in British-ruled Palestine
Authors: Greenberg Ela
Published: November 2008

This article examines the lives of Arab women who worked as teachers in government schools in Palestine between 1920 and 1948. Through a prosopographic study of over 200 employment files of these women, I highlight certain variables as well as shared experiences. My findings show that Arab women teachers were a diverse group, hailing from all over Palestine, and from different religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Teaching was considered a respectable job, as it did not require women to have contact with men, and it provided them with a significant income, which many teachers used to support family members or purchase property. Nonetheless, many women faced difficulties, and had to negotiate working in unfamiliar places, where they posed challenges to gender norms or had to succumb to social demands to marry.
The 2007 Constitutional Amendments in Egypt, and Their Implications on the Balance of Power
Authors: Bernard-Maugiron Nathalie
Published: November 2008

Though its constitution had already been amended in 2005, Egypt went through a new constitutional revision in 2007. The amendments were officially justified by the need to modernize the constitution, and to reestablish a balance between the state powers. Through an analysis of the request presented by President Mubarak, and of the text of the amendments, of the counter proposals presented by opposition and civil society groups, of articles published in governmental and independent newspapers, this article will examine the content of the constitutional amendments of 2005 and 2007. If some revisions, aiming at diminishing the presidential nature of the regime, and increasing its parliamentary dimension, were generally well received, other amendments were often perceived as reinforcing the authoritarian character of the regime.
Harvey's and Highmore's Accounts of Chick Generation
Authors: Ekholm Karin
Published: November 2008

Harvey and Highmore experimented together on chick fetuses at Oxford in the early 1640s, yet in 1651 published significantly different treatises on generation that emphasize their reliance on observations and dissections of fetal chicks at different stages of incubation. The key differences follow from their views on matter and souls. Harvey conceives of living bodies as governed by Aristotelian souls and faculties. Highmore views matter as made of corpuscles and describes organs as involved in chemical procedures. Highmore's treatise is a response to Digby's claim that heat, moisture, and pressure could explain generation. Although Digby's treatment lacks Harvey's and Highmore's attention to detail, it offers a point of comparison that leads to a more nuanced understanding of their explanation. Moreover, Highmore's dedication of his work to Boyle provides a new perspective on both men's intellectual evolution from the latter part of the 1640s to 1651.
Experimenting with Chymical Bodies: Reinier de Graaf's Investigations of the Pancreas
Authors: Ragland Evan
Published: November 2008

In the late seventeenth century, traditions in anatomy and chymistry came together to ground new theoretical and experimental approaches to understanding the animal body. The researches of Dutch experimenters Reinier de Graaf and his mentor Franciscus Sylvius provide keen insight into the ways experiments were constructed, negotiated, and thought about by leading anatomists and physicians of the time. The objects and approaches de Graaf used in the laboratory—ligature, inflation, injection, tubes, vessels, tasting—were derived from broadly Harveian anatomical and Helmontian chymical traditions. Experimental traditions and a comprehensive and materialistic chymical theory of acid-alkali interactions unified the artificial and the natural and allowed de Graaf to create and use hybrid animal-apparatus constructions as tools to collect and assay the key ingredients of digestion and disease.
The Collaboration between Anatomists and Mathematicians in the mid-Seventeenth Century with a Study of Images as Experiments and Galileo's Role in Steno's Myology
Authors: Meli Domenico Bertoloni
Published: November 2008

Moving from Paris, Pisa, and Oxford to London, Amsterdam, and Cambridge, this essay documents extensive collaborations between anatomists and mathematicians. At a time when no standard way to acknowledge collaboration existed, it is remarkable that in all the cases I discuss anatomists expressed in print their debt to mathematicians. The cases I analyze document an extraordinarily fertile period in the history of anatomy and science and call into question historiographic divisions among historians of science and medicine. I focus on Steno's Myology, showing how his collaboration with mathematician Viviani led to a geometrical treatment of muscular contraction and to an epistemology inspired by Galileo. The collaboration between Steno and Viviani enables us to interpret a major text in the history of anatomy, one whose implications had so far eluded historians.
Theoretical Modeling of Large Shear Deformation and Wrinkling of Plain Woven Composite
Authors: Zhu B. , Yu T.X. , Teng J. , Tao X.M.
Published: November 2008

In hot stamping operations, the primary deformation mode of plain woven textile composite is shear deformation between yarns. In-plane picture frame test is an effective method to characterize the material's shear behavior. By proposing theoretical models based on our experimental study [19,20], the present article estimates the non-linear stiffness of the textile fabric during large shear deformation and the onset of wrinkling under additional yarn tension/compression at various temperatures. The relevant properties of materials are determined from experiments, and general mathematical expressions are formulated to predict the shear energy and the critical shear angle for textile composite fabrics of similar types. In addition, the size effect of the test sample is also investigated.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Copoly(aryl ether sulfone) Containing Phthalazinone and Biphenyl Moieties
Authors: Lihong Xiao  , Cheng Liu  , Gongxiong Liao  , Yuan Zhang  , Xigao Jian
Published: November 2008

A series of poly(ether sulfone)s copolymers (BP-COPPESs) based on phthalazinone and biphenyl moieties were synthesized by nucleophilic displacement reaction from 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-phthalazin-1-one (DHPZ), biphenol (BP) and bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone (BCS). The experimental results indicated that the higher initial concentration of the polymerization reaction resulted in lower cyclics content and narrower molecular weight distribution of resultant copolymers. Moreover, the molecular weight decreased with increasing content of phthalazinone moiety of the main chain. These copolymers showed high glass transition temperatures ( Tg values) together with superior thermal properties. These copolymers were soluble in various aprotic solvents and were amorphous as evidenced by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The molecular weights of BP-COPPES64 (60% phthalazinone moiety) could be controlled by utilizing excess molar content of BCS monomer. The rheological property test of copolymers indicated that the torque values decreased with increasing biphenyl group and ether linkage content.
Ultra-Low CTE and Improved Toughness of PMDA/PDA Polyimide-based Molecular Composites Containing Asymmetric BPDA-type Polyimides
Authors: Sensui Nobuyuki , Ishii Junichi , Takata Aya , Oami Yoko , Hasegawa Masatoshi , Yokota Rikio
Published: November 2008

A completely amorphous polyimide (PI) derived from 2,3,3′,4 ′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA) with 4,4′ -oxydianiline (4,4′-ODA) (i.e. a-BPDA/ODA) was used as a matrix polymer for a rod-like polyimide structure derived from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) with p-phenylenediamine (PDA) (i.e. PMDA/PDA) to improve the toughness without sacrificing its ultra-low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) characteristics. A matrix effect of a-BPDA/ODA was investigated by comparing with an isomer PI system, s-BPDA/ODA (s-BPDA: 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride). Neither of the PMDA/PDA-based blend systems with a minor fraction of these flexible PIs showed any distinct glass transitions during dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The unique fluorescence behavior of perylenetetracarboxydiimide (PEDI), which became almost non-fluorescent by intimate intermolecular contact with the PMDA/PDA chains, was applied to study the miscibility of the PMDA/PDA-based blend systems. For this purpose, a- and s-BPDA/ODA was labeled by copolymerization using a trace amount of difunctional PEDI. The results revealed that the a-BPDA/ODA-containing blend system was miscible over the entire blend composition whereas the s-BPDA/ODA-containing counterpart was essentially immiscible. The a-BPDA/ODA was much more effective as a flexible component than s-BPDA/ODA for reducing the crystallinity of PMDA/PDA and, as a result, significantly improved the film toughness. Blending of only small amounts of a-BPDA/ODA (5—10 wt.%) into PMDA/PDA caused an unexpected further decrease in the ultra-low CTE (2.8 ppm/K) of homo PMDA/PDA film. A mechanism is proposed to reasonably explain the results obtained in the present study. The blend system composed of PMDA/PDA (90 wt/%) and a-BPDA/ODA (10 wt.%) achieved an ultra-low CTE of 0.9 ppm K—1 in addition to sufficient film flexibility.
Structurally Graded Monolithic Piezoelectric Actuators, Modeling and Optimization with FEM
Authors: Heinonen Esa , Juuti Jari , Moilanen Veli-Pekka , Palosaari Jaakko , Jantunen Heli
Published: November 2008

In this work, novel structurally graded piezoelectric disc actuators are proposed. The monolithic gradient actuators had nonuniform thickness profiles, which caused distribution of the electric field and resulted in bending of the discs. The geometry and clamping conditions of the actuators were varied and the displacement properties were optimized using ATILA and Comsol Multiphysics finite element modeling (FEM) softwares. The material parameters of commercial PZT-5H were used in the modeling of the actuators — 25 mm in diameter with an original thickness of 0.5mm. Additional steel layers with different thicknesses were introduced under the actuators in `unimorph-fashion' in order to study their effect on the displacements and stresses of the actuators. The modeling results showed that the bending of the monolithic actuators could be realized without any additional passive layers and also that the utilization of clamping further improved the displacement capabilities. For example, ~53 μm axial displacements were enabled with a 1 V/μm electric field (corresponding to the thinnest part of the actuator) without any passive layers. The modeled displacement results were comparable to displacements obtained by pre-stressed PRESTO (~50 μm), THUNDER (~60 μm) and RAINBOW (~70 μm) actuators of 25 mm in diameter with a 1 V/μm electric field.
Monte Carlo Matching Pursuit Decomposition Method for Damage Quantification in Composite Structures
Authors: Das S. , Kyriakides I. , Chattopadhyay A. , Papandreou-Suppappola A.
Published: November 2008

In wave-based approach, the presence of damage is visualized in terms of the changes in the signature of the resultant wave that propagates through the structure. In structural health monitoring, the fundamental goal is to detect, localize, and quantify these damage signatures. The current approach uses matching pursuit decomposition (MPD) to compare signals from healthy and damaged structures. However, the major drawback of the MPD is that, in the decomposition process, it performs an exhaustive search over a large dictionary of elementary functions. Therefore, this method of decomposition is associated with a large computational expense. In this research, the Monte Carlo matching pursuit decomposition (MCMPD) is proposed, that adapts a smaller dictionary to the signal structure, thus avoiding the exhaustive search over the time-frequency plane. The proposed algorithm, sequentially estimates a dictionary that contains only those components that match the waveform structure, uses the matching pursuits for the decomposition of the signal and if necessary, adapts the dictionary to the structure of the residues for further decomposition. Finally, we demonstrate using real life data that the MCMPD retains the ability of the matching pursuit to decompose waveforms and quantify them accurately while reducing computational expense.
Piezoresistive Performance of Long-Fiber Composites with Carbon Nanotube Doped Matrix
Authors: Fernberg Patrik , Nilsson Greger , Joffe Roberts
Published: November 2008

The electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) doped epoxy resin and composites based on this matrix were studied. The investigation was carried out on neat nanocomposites and on structural composites i.e., when the nanocomposite is used as matrix in composite materials reinforced with long continuous fibers. Tensile tests showed that CNT doped epoxy exhibited clear piezoresistive behavior. It was, however, also shown that geometrical changes of the specimen also contribute significantly to resistance changes during tensile loading. Particular effort was made to establish the relations between transverse cracking in glass fiber cross-ply laminates with nanotube doped matrix and changes of electrical resistance. It was shown that changes of electrical resistance during tensile loading of composites containing CNT doped matrix gives highly relevant information about the damage state of the material. In an unloaded state the resistance change is proportional to the relative change of stiffness. This work demonstrates that there are three different mechanisms, which contribute to changes of electrical resistance of a composite specimen subjected to tensile strain. These three mechanisms are: (a) geometrical changes of the specimen (b) piezoresistive material response, and (c) accumulation of micro-damage.
Refined 2D Models for the Analysis of Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Plates
Authors: Brischetto S. , Carrera E.
Published: November 2008

This article investigates the static analysis of a single-layered functionally graded piezoelectric plate, in both sensor and actuator configurations. Refined theories (order of expansion in the thickness direction from linear to fourth order) are compared with classical ones, such as the first order shear deformation theory, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these theories in the case of functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs). Both elastic and electrical properties in FGPMs are described via opportune thickness functions, which are a combination of Legendre polynomials, with an order of expansion in thickness direction equal to 10. Such types of functions permit any functional variation of the FGPM properties to be described efficiently in the thickness direction.
Design of a Robust, High-rate Wireless Sensor Network for Static and Dynamic Structural Monitoring
Authors: Whelan Matthew J. , Janoyan Kerop D.
Published: November 2008

Over recent years, there has been much interest in the use of low-cost wireless transceivers for communication of sensor data to alleviate the expense of widely distributed cable-based sensors in structural monitoring systems. However, while the number of unique wireless sensor platforms has continued to expand rapidly, the lack of success in replicating the number of deployed sensors and sampling rates utilized in previous cable-based systems has led to disillusionment over their use for this application. This article presents a wireless sensing system designed for concurrent measurement of both static and dynamic structural response through strain transducers, accelerometers, and temperature sensors. The network protocol developed supports real-time, high-rate data acquisition from large wireless sensor arrays with essentially no data loss. The current network software enables high-rate acquisition of up to 40 channels across 20 wireless units on a single peer-to-peer network with system expansion enabled through additional networks operating simultaneously on adjacent communication channels. Elements of the system design have been specifically tailored towards addressing condition assessment of highway bridges through strain-based load ratings as well as vibration-based dynamic analysis. However, the flexible system architecture enables the system to serve essentially as an off-the-shelf solution for a wide array of wireless sensing tasks. The wireless sensing units and network performance have been validated through laboratory tests as well as dense large-scale field deployments on an in-service highway bridge.
Ultrasonic Active Fiber Sensor based on Pulse-echo Method
Authors: Lim Seung-Hyun , Oh Il-Kwon , Lee Jung-Ryul
Published: November 2008

In this study, the concept of the ultrasonic active fiber sensor (UAFS) system based on the pulse-echo method was newly proposed for several mechanical and environmental sensors. A piezoelectric transducer, which was attached onto the end of the optical fiber, can be used for the ultrasonic wave generator and receiver. The piezoelectric patch was excited at its resonance frequency in the direction of length to generate the longitudinal ultrasonic wave, and was used for sensing the reflected signal on the end of the optical fiber. The emitted ultrasonic wave was propagated along the optical fiber and then reflected by a mechanical stimulus on the way. The time interval of the reflected ultrasonic wave was used to predict the location of the stimulus from the piezoelectric transducer. The UAFS was applied to monitor the cure conditions and to measure liquid level. In terms of the attenuation of the ultrasonic wave by the damping properties and the degree of coupling between the surrounding medium, the cure condition of the solder was successfully monitored and the water level was measured based on the linear relationship between liquid height and output signal.
Current pharmacotherapeutic concepts for the treatment of obesity in adults
Authors: Idelevich Evgeny , Kirch Wilhelm , Schindler Christoph
Published: November 2008

Obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges of the twenty-first century. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese. The prevalence of obesity is still continuing to increase dramatically. Overweight and obese people carry a higher risk for a variety of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral occlusive artery disease. Weight loss is considered to be the initial step which helps to prevent or to control the clinical consequences of obesity. In a great number of patients who are not able to reduce weight by means of non-pharmacological measures, drug therapy can assist in reaching the weight management targets. Drug treatment should only be considered as part of a systematic weight management program including dietary and lifestyle changes. This review summarizes current pharmacotherapeutic concepts for the treatment of obesity in adults focusing on efficacy and safety of anti-obesity drugs.
Cancer survival among children of Turkish descent in Germany 1980–2005: a registry-based analysis
Authors: Spix Claudia , Spallek Jacob , Kaatsch Peter , Razum Oliver , Zeeb Hajo
Published: November 2008

Background

Little is known about the effect of migrant status on childhood cancer survival. We studied cancer survival among children of Turkish descent in the German Cancer Childhood Registry, one of the largest childhood cancer registries worldwide.

Methods

We identified children of Turkish descent among cancer cases using a name-based approach. We compared 5-year survival probabilities of Turkish and other children in three time periods of diagnosis (1980–87, 1988–95, 1996–2005) using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests.

Results

The 5-year survival probability for all cancers among 1774 cases of Turkish descent (4.76% of all 37.259 cases) was 76.9% compared to 77.6% in the comparison group (all other cases; p = 0.15). We found no age- or sex-specific survival differences (p-values between p = 0.18 and p = 0.90). For the period 1980–87, the 5-year survival probability among Turkish children with lymphoid leukaemia was significantly lower (62% versus 75.8%; p < 0.0001), this remains unexplained. For more recently diagnosed leukaemias, we saw no survival differences for Turkish and non-Turkish children.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that nowadays Turkish migrant status has no bearing on the outcome of childhood cancer therapies in Germany. The inclusion of currently more than 95% of all childhood cancer cases in standardised treatment protocols is likely to contribute to this finding.
Immunomodulatory effects of recombinant BCG expressing pertussis toxin on TNF-alpha and IL-10 in a bladder cancer model
Authors: Chade Daher C , Borra Ricardo C , Nascimento Ivan P , Villanova Fabiola E , Leite Luciana CC , Andrade Enrico , Srougi Miguel , Ramos Kátia L , Andrade Priscila M
Published: November 2008

Background

Since successful treatment of superficial bladder cancer with BCG requires proper induction of Th1 immunity, we have developed a rBCG-S1PT strain that induced a stronger cellular immune response than BCG. This preclinical study was designed to compare the modulatory effects of BCG and rBCG-S1PT on bladder TNF-α and IL-10 expression and to evaluate antitumour activity.

Methods

For Experiment I, the MB49 bladder cancer cell line was used in C57BL/6 mice. Chemical cauterization of the bladder was performed to promote intravesical tumor implantation. Mice were treated by intravesical instillation with BCG, rBCG-S1PT or PBS once a week for four weeks. After 35 days the bladders were removed and weighed. TNF-〈 and IL-10 cytokine responses were measured by qPCR. Experiment II was performed in the same manner as Experiment I, except the animals were not challenged with MB49 tumor cells. Results: rBCG-S1PT immunotherapy resulted in bladder weight reduction, compared to the BCG and control group. There were increases in TNF-α in the BCG-treated group, as well as increases in TNF-α and IL-10 mRNA in the rBCG-S1PT group.

Conclusion

These data indicate a significant reduction of bladder tumor volume for the rBCG group, compared to the BCG and PBS groups. This suggests that rBCG could be a useful substitute for wild-type BCG and that the potential modulation between TNF-α and IL-10 cytokine productions may have therapeutic value.
Interferon-γ-mediated pathways andin vitroPBMC proliferation in HIV-infected patients
Authors: Schroecksnadel Katharina , Winkler Christiana , Werner Ernst R. , Sarcletti Mario , Romani Nikolaus , Ebner Susanne , Schennach Harald , Fuchs Dietmar , Zangerle Robert
Published: November 2008

HIV infection is characterized by progressive immunodeficiency: HIV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cannot properly react to stimulation with allo-antigens and mitogens. In this study, we examined interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-mediated pathways and the proliferative response of mitogen-stimulated HIV-infected PBMCsin vitro. PBMCs of 30 HIV-infected patients were stimulated with the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Mitogen stimulation induced expression of IFN-γ, GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH-I), and indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase (IDO) resulting in enhanced neopterin formation and tryptophan degradation by HIV-infected and control PBMCs. IFN-γ concentrations correlated with neopterin levels and tryptophan degradation. Proliferative responses to PHA and PWM cytokine were lower in HIV patients, with IFN-γ formation predicting proliferative responses. Higher mRNA expression of IFN-γ, GCH-I and IDO after 6 h was related to better proliferative responses in HIV-infected PBMCs. In conclusion, induction of IFN-γ and subsequent enzymes appears to importantly influence the proliferative response of HIV-infected PBMCsin vitro, suggesting a prominent role of the cytokine in the development of immunodeficiency.
Primary sequence, together with other factors, influence peptide deimination by peptidylarginine deiminase-4
Authors: Stensland Maria E. , Pollmann Sylvie , Molberg Øyvind , Sollid Ludvig M. , Fleckenstein Burkhard
Published: November 2008

Enzymes of the peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) family catalyze the posttranslational deimination of polypeptide-bound arginine residues. Here, we report the selection of peptide substrates by PAD-4, an isoform thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. First, we investigated whether PAD-4-mediated deimination is influenced by the nature of amino acid residues flanking the targeted arginine. Using two peptide substrates, residues in positions -2, -1, +1, and +2 relative to the central arginine targeted by PAD-4 were systematically replaced by all natural l-amino acids except cysteine. Each peptide was treated with recombinant human PAD-4 and deimination was analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In all four flanking positions, amino acids which positively or negatively influenced deimination were identified. We next designed peptides with expected high or low deimination rates and determined their K
m and k
cat values. These peptides showed PAD-4 substrate behavior as predicted, demonstrating that residues flanking the targeted arginine are important for deimination. Further truncation of peptide substrates suggested additional effects on deimination by residues outside the -2 to +2 region. Finally, we observed that a methylated lysine residue flanking the targeted arginine influences PAD-4-mediated deimination, also suggesting that posttranslational modifications can affect substrate efficiency.
Identification of novel mutations of the WFS1 gene in Brazilian patients with Wolfram syndrome
Authors: Gasparin Maria Regina R , Crispim Felipe , Paula Sílvia L , Freire Maria Beatriz S , Dalbosco Ivaldir S , Manna Thais Della , Salles João Eduardo N , Gasparin Fábio , Guedes Aléxis , Marcantonio João M , Gambini Márcio , Salim Camila P , Moisés Regina S
Published: November 2008

Objective

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. The gene for WS, WFS1, was identified on chromosome 4p16 and most WS patients carry mutations in this gene. However, some studies have provided evidence for genetic heterogeneity and the genotype–phenotype relationships are not clear. Our aim was to ascertain the spectrum of WFS1 mutations in Brazilian patients with WS and to examine the phenotype–genotype relationships in these patients.

Design and methods

Clinical characterization and analyses of the WFS1 gene were performed in 27 Brazilian patients with WS from 19 families.

Results

We identified 15 different mutations in the WFS1 gene in 26 patients, among which nine are novel. All mutations occurred in exon 8, except for one missense mutation which was located in exon 5. Although we did not find any clear phenotype–genotype relationship in patients with mutations in exon 8, the homozygous missense mutation in exon 5 was associated with a mild phenotype: onset of diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy during adulthood with good metabolic control being achieved with low doses of sulfonylurea.

Conclusions

Our data show that WFS1 is the major gene involved in WS in Brazilian patients and most mutations are concentrated in exon 8. Also, our study increases the spectrum of WFS1 mutations. Although no clear phenotype–genotype relationship was found for mutations in exon 8, a mild phenotype was associated with a homozygous missense mutation in exon 5.