bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Researching shareholding and investment in England and Wales: Approaches, sources and methods
Authors: Rutterford Janette , Maltby Josephine , Green David R. , Owens Alastair
Published: July 2009

There is considerable scope for increasing the understanding of the history of share ownership. Existing studies of shareholders in the UK are limited in the industries, time periods and shareholder populations they study. This article outlines the methods used by the authors in an ESRC-funded study of shareholders in companies in England and Wales from 1870 to 1930. Data were drawn from companies' shareholder records — the Form Es submitted annually to the Registrar of Companies and the share registers and ledgers maintained by companies. The article outlines the rationale for the industrial sectors selected for study, the choice of companies and the basis on which shareholder records were sampled. The resulting database contains details of over 29,000 individual shareholders who collectively had over 33,000 shareholdings, and is larger and more representative of the investor population than any previously compiled in the UK.
The census as accounting artefact: A research note with illustrations from the early Australian colonial period
Authors: Bisman Jayne Elizabeth
Published: July 2009

Carnegie and Napier (1996, p.7) call for studies in accounting history which expand or reinterpret the archive, contending that the results can provide “insight into accounting's present and future through its past”. In this article the census is revealed as specifically grounded within the domain of accounting, and is presented as an artefact arising from a range of necessities to account and to satisfy obligations to be accountable. The prior, limited use made of census data in accounting history studies is detailed, and a number of historical censuses examined from an accounting perspective. Particularly emphasized and exemplified are early colonial Australian censuses and musters. A discussion of the potential for using this largely unmined archive in informing a range of studies of accounting's past, based on a variety of historiographical approaches, is developed and offered as a means for extending and supplementing existing research agendas in accounting history.
Studying Narrative-in-Action in Women With Chronic Rheumatic Conditions
Authors: Alsaker Sissel , Bongaardt Rob , Josephsson Staffan
Published: July 2009

In this article we aim to sculpt a possible methodology for studying how a good everyday life comes about when living with chronic rheumatic conditions (CRC). Our “how” focus acknowledges a woman with CRC as one member of a diverse population, whereby we question the biomedically based view that she differs from the population. The more frequently asked “what” question colors study designs and results in categories and characteristics regarding what she is able to do and what adaptations she has made in everyday life as a consequence of her disease. Adopting a narrative approach, we ask how a good everyday life comes about, and illustrate this with ethnographic material of the everyday activities of women living with CRC. We conceptualize narrative as embedded in the process of enacting activities. Furthermore, we highlight hermeneutical interpretative processes of how meaning works in the stream of everyday action.
The Experience of Kidney Graft Failure: Patients' Perspectives
Authors: Ouellette Amélie , Achille Marie , Pâquet Michel
Published: July 2009

In this article we describe the phenomenon of kidney graft failure from the unique perspective of patients. Fifteen patients took part in semistructured interviews. We analyzed interviews using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The content analysis yielded five main emergent themes: life disruption, suffering, meaning making, resistance/acceptance, and social comparison. These results are discussed within the theoretical framework of psychosocial transition put forward by Parkes. A comprehensive description of the experience of kidney graft failure emerging from the patients' perspectives can provide a better understanding of the psychosocial aspects— not only the body aspects—of the phenomenon. It can help health care professionals better address patients' suffering, which is experienced by a person as a whole, and to offer support that promotes adaptation to kidney graft failure.
The Home Smoking Environment: Influence on Behaviors and Attitudes in a Racially Diverse Adolescent Population
Authors: Legge Muilenburg Jessica , Latham Teaniese , Annang Lucy , Johnson William D. , Burdell Alexandra C. , West Sabra J. , Clayton Dixie L.
Published: July 2009

Although studies indicate that public policy can influence the decrease in smoking behaviors, these policies have not necessarily transferred to home environments at the same rate. The authors surveyed 4,296 students in a southern urban area. African American students were 76.3% of the respondents and Caucasians accounted for 23.7%. African American homes are less likely to have full bans on smoking inside the home. Home smoking bans impact smoking behaviors, acceptance of smoking, susceptibility to smoking, smoking beliefs, and motivation to quit smoking. Along with home smoking bans, there are differences among African American and Caucasian youth in smoking exposure, behaviors, beliefs, and motivation to quit smoking. This study suggests that particularly in African American youth, educational efforts should be directed toward more restrictive home smoking policies to thwart the initiation of smoking in adolescents and to encourage positive attitudes toward smoking behaviors.
Acute Oral and Inhalation Toxicities in Rats With Cadmium Telluride
Authors: Zayed Joseph , Philippe Suzanne
Published: July 2009

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film photovoltaic has become one of the leading technologies in the solar renewable energy market. Little is known about CdTe’s toxicological profile and regulatory agencies usually apply cadmium (Cd) criteria as a best approximation. However, CdTe may have different toxicological properties. The goal of this study is to determine the median lethal concentration/dose of CdTe and to compare these values with those of Cd. Using a rat model, the method followed conforms to that described in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines and in the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Health Effects Test Guidelines. The median lethal concentration of CdTe was established at 2.71 mg/L, showing a very low variability between genders. The median lethal dose was determined to be greater than 2000 mg/kg. These results clearly show that CdTe is less toxic than Cd.
Peri- and Postnatal Developmental Toxicity of Salcaprozate Sodium (SNAC) in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Riley M. Gary I. , York Raymond G.
Published: July 2009

Salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) (sodium 8-((2-hydroxybenzoyl) amino) octanoate, CAS RN 203787-91-1) is classified as an oral absorption promoter and may be a useful means for improving the absorption of certain nutrients and pharmaceutical agents. Presented herein is a subset of data from a larger study evaluating the potential effects of SNAC on the gestation, parturition, lactation, maternal behavior, and offspring development of rats. Pregnant Crl:CD BR VAF/Plus female rats (F0; n = 25) received SNAC at 1000 mg/kg/d orally (gavage) from implantation through lactation and weaning. F1 pups were exposed in utero and potentially through maternal milk; observations continued through sexual maturity. The study concluded with Caesarean sectioning of F1 dams for litter observations and fetal evaluations. No deaths, abortions, premature deliveries, or gross lesions occurred in (F0) dams. Excess salivation, red perivaginal substance, and slight reductions in body weights, body weight gains, and/or feed intake were noted in late gestation/early lactation. SNAC was associated with a prolonged gestation period, leading to a greater number of dams with stillborn pups, higher number of stillborn pups, and reduced live litter size. Offspring body weights/gains, feed consumption, age of sexual maturation, mating, fertility, behavioral parameters, and organ weights at necropsy were unaffected by SNAC. No gross external changes were observed in F1 or F2 pups. In summary, SNAC administered orally at 1000 mg/kg/d to pregnant rats from gestation to weaning resulted in a slight decrease in maternal body weights (−3.8%) and prolonged gestation, along with an increase in stillbirths, but had no effects on growth and development in surviving offspring.
Final Report of the Safety Assessment of Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, and Sodium Hyaluronate
Authors: Becker Lillian C. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, Washington, DC  , Andersen F. Alan
Published: July 2009

Hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, and potassium hyaluronate function in cosmetics as skin conditioning agents at concentrations up to 2%. Hyaluronic acid, primarily obtained from bacterial fermentation and rooster combs, does penetrate to the dermis. Hyaluronic acid was not toxic in a wide range of acute animal toxicity studies, over several species and with different exposure routes. Hyaluronic acid was not immunogenic, nor was it a sensitizer in animal studies. Hyaluronic acid was not a reproductive or developmental toxicant. Hyaluronic acid was not genotoxic. Hyaluronic acid likely does not play a causal role in cancer metastasis; rather, increased expression of hyaluronic acid genes may be a consequence of metastatic growth. Widespread clinical use of hyaluronic acid, primarily by injection, has been free of significant adverse reactions. Hyaluronic acid and its sodium and potassium salts are considered safe for use in cosmetics as described in the safety assessment.
Genotoxicity Studies of PolyGlycopleX (PGX)
Authors: Marone Palma Ann , Lyon Michael , Gahler Roland , Donath Claudia , Hofman-Hüther Hana , Wood Simon
Published: July 2009

PolyGlycopleX (PGX), a novel dietary fiber, produces no mutagenic effects in bacterial tester strains Salmonella typhimurium TA 98, TA 100, TA 1535, and TA 1537 and Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA at concentrations of 0.316, 1.00, 3.16, 10.0, 31.6, and 100 μg/plate. No biologically relevant increases in revertant colonies of any of the 5 strains are observed at any concentration; however, a reduction at 100 μg/plate in TA 1537 is noted. PGX, analyzed for polychromatic erythrocyte micronuclei induction in mice following a single 1×, 0.5×, and 0.2× maximum tolerable dose intraperitoneal treatment, produces no biologically relevant increase in any dose group. Males at 1× maximum tolerable dose show a reduction of micronuclei-containing cells. High-dose animals show signs of systemic toxicity, including a reduction of spontaneous activity, rough fur, palpebral closure, prone position, and constricted abdomen. These genotoxicity studies show PGX to be nonmutagenic in both the Ames bacterial reverse mutation assay and the mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test.
Reproductive and Fertility Effects of an Extract of Andrographis paniculata in Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Allan J. Joshua , Pore Mukul P. , Deepak M. , Murali B. , Mayachari Anand S. , Agarwal Amit
Published: July 2009

The possible effect of extract of Andrographis paniculata Nees ( A paniculata) standardized to ≥10% andrographolide, the main bioactive component, on male fertility in albino Wistar rats was evaluated, by orally administering 0, 20, 200, and 1000 mg/kg of body weight per day, for 65 days prior to mating and 21 days during mating. The treated groups showed no signs of dose-dependent toxicity. The body weight gain and feed consumption were not affected at any of the dose levels. The testosterone levels and fertility indices in treatment groups were found to be comparable with that of the control indicating no effect on fertility. Total sperm count and sperm motility were not affected. The testes and epididymides did not show any gross and histopathological changes. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the no-observed adverse effect level of extract of A paniculata (≥10% andrographolide) was found to be more than 1000 mg/kg per day.
Final Amended Report on the Safety Assessment of Ammonium Thioglycolate, Butyl Thioglycolate, Calcium Thioglycolate, Ethanolamine Thioglycolate, Ethyl Thioglycolate, Glyceryl Thioglycolate, Isooctyl Thioglycolate, Isopropyl Thioglycolate, Magnesium Thioglycolate, Methyl Thioglycolate, Potassium Thioglycolate, Sodium Thioglycolate, and Thioglycolic Acid
Authors: Burnett Christina L. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: July 2009

This safety assessment includes Ammonium and Glyceryl Thioglycolate and Thioglycolic Acid Butyl, Calcium, Ethanolamine, Ethyl, Isooctyl, Isopropyl, Magnesium, Methyl, Potassium, and Sodium Thioglycolate, as used in cosmetics. Thioglycolates penetrate skin and distribute to the kidneys, lungs, small intestine, and spleen; excretion is primarily in urine. Thioglycolates were slightly toxic in rat acute oral toxicity studies. Thioglycolates are minimal to severe ocular irritants. Thioglycolates can be skin irritants in animal and in vitro tests, and can be sensitizers. A no-observable-adverse-effect level for reproductive and developmental toxicity of 100 mg/kg per day was determined using rats. Thioglycolates were not mutagenic, and there was no evidence of carcinogenicity. Thioglycolates were skin irritants in some clinical tests. Clinically significant adverse reactions to these ingredients used in depilatories are not commonly seen, suggesting current products are formulated to be practically nonirritating under conditions of recommended use. Formulators should take steps necessary to assure that current practices are followed.
Subject and Object in a Vanuatu Social Ontology
Authors: Rio Knut
Published: July 2009

In this article, the author addresses the social effects of material exhibitions in Melanesia. He suggests that people in Vanuatu perceive subjects and objects within a totalizing mode of production, in which the material object takes on the capacity of encompassing social relations. He introduces the Vanuatu case as countering some of the analytical problems with materiality, especially efforts to dismantle the subject/object distinction or to understand the role of agency and will in objects.
Tournaments of Value
Authors: Andermann Jens
Published: July 2009

The `Age of Exhibitions' included the newly independent Latin American nation-states almost from the very outset. This article studies the complex strategies of material and visual display, architecture and writing through which representations of Argentina and Brazil were fashioned at the world fairs. It argues that, as peripheral affiliates of the emergent capitalist world-system, Latin Americans had to negotiate the material and symbolic value of their commodities and cultural samples with a host of agents, including not just foreign audiences but also exhibition organizers, artists, architects, and so on. National pavilions, therefore, rather than being seen as material texts authored by state governments, could be understood as `contact zones', performative spaces for the exchange of objects, gazes and words. The article concludes by comparing the world fairs with trade and industry exhibitions held in Brazil and Argentina themselves. In these, it observes the emergence of a dissident figure of national modernity as `development', challenging hegemonic regimes of value.
The Material Culture of Children and Childhood
Authors: Brookshaw Sharon
Published: July 2009

This article examines the issues and problems surrounding the material culture of children and childhood, with the aim of making children more visible within material culture studies. It presents results from recent research examining such material culture within the accredited museum collections of mainland Britain, and compares the data from this study to expectations and statements made in the small body of existing literature in this field. Evidence is offered to both challenge and confirm ideas, and new perspectives on this area are offered, notably that `the material culture of children' and `the material culture of childhood' should be considered distinguishable and separate entities.
The `Social Death' of Unused Gifts
Authors: Daniels Inge
Published: July 2009

This article investigates the circulation and consumption of gifts in contemporary, urban Japan. It sets out to challenge key anthropological debates about gifting that, firstly, focus on the inalienable connection between the donor and the gift and, secondly, emphasize the symbolic potential and historical depth of things. The Japanese gifts under discussion, employed in the production and reproduction of the social, cosmic and economic order, are commodities. They can be easily disentangled from the donor and are imbued with the spirit of the recipient through everyday consumption. Moreover, because these gifts are supposed to disappear through use, this article also draws attention to the significance of material loss in the creation of value.
Why Research Leadership in Higher Education? Exploring Contributions from the UK's Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
Authors: Middlehurst Robin , Goreham Helen , Woodfield Steve
Published: July 2009

This article first presents a historical examination of leadership and leadership research in higher education, placing it in the context of increasing interest and activity in relation to leadership and leadership development across various public sector bodies in the UK. It then examines why research (on leadership, management and governance) is regarded as an important activity for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education and what role it plays in the Foundation's agenda. A brief overview of the research commissioned between 2005 and 2008 is presented and questions — `is there something special and different about leadership in higher education?' and `how has the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education research contributed to policy, practice and development?' — are discussed. The article concludes by consideration of the role of research in mediating between political and institutional perspectives on leadership in higher education.
Leadership Configurations
Authors: Gronn Peter
Published: July 2009

In this article I argue for a revised unit of analysis in leadership. I refer to this unit as a configuration. The need for this revision arises out of a reconsideration of `distributed' as a valid and accurate means of representing leadership. While aggregated, rather than holistic, understandings of distributed leadership have assumed prominence in educational circles and the public sector, aggregation is an indiscriminate approach to demonopolizing the idea of solo leadership and decentring `the' leader. By treating pluralities of leaders as numerically equivalent or all-of-a-piece, for example, an aggregated understanding makes little allowance for different levels of leadership and for qualitative differences among leading units. In a number of empirical accounts of distributed leadership, however, individual leaders still figure prominently as agents of influence, although they frequently do so in company with a variety of emergent `small number' formations. For this reason, the totality of such arrangements represents a time-, space-, context- and membership-bound configuration of influence-based relationships, the dynamics of which, due to the mixed patterning of the formations, are most accurately characterized as `hybrid'. Some suggestions are made concerning the significance of this proposed unit revision along with their implications for research into leadership practice.
Personal power and positional power in a power-full `I': a discourse analysis of doctoral dissertation supervision
Authors: Chiang Shiao-Yun
Published: July 2009

This article explicates the specific manners in which professorial power is indexed and implemented in the first personal pronoun `I' in academic discourse. The matter of analytic interest is to find out how the semiotic sign `I' acquires its semantic property of power in the pragmatic context of doctoral supervision. The data under consideration consist of two dyadic interactions conducted respectively by a PhD candidate with her two supervisors in an American university. The data analyses reveal that professorial power may be performed in two different ways (personal and positional) in three types of communicative acts — directive, evaluative, and explanative. The findings here may have some important implications for academic supervision in terms of the relationship between language and power.
Strategy as text and discursive practice: a genre-based approach to strategizing in city administration
Authors: Pälli Pekka , Vaara Eero , Sorsa Virpi
Published: July 2009

Despite the acknowledged importance of strategic planning in business and other organizations, there are few studies focusing on strategy texts and the related processes of their production and consumption. In this article, we attempt to partially fill this research gap by examining the institutionalized aspects of strategy discourse: what strategy is as genre. Combining textual analysis and analysis of conversation, the article focuses on the official strategy of the City of Lahti in Finland. Our analysis shows how specific communicative purposes and lexico-grammatical features characterize the genre of strategy and how the actual negotiations over strategy text involve particular kinds of intersubjectivity and intertextuality.
Wal-Mart's presentation to the community: discursive practices in mitigating risk, limiting public discussion, and developing a relationship
Authors: Buttny Richard
Published: July 2009

This study examines Wal-Mart representatives' presentation to the community on their site plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Given the ongoing controversy and criticisms from local residents, it is interesting to see Wal-Mart's strategies in attenuating these risks and negative impacts. The discursive practices found here are: formulating prior citizen complaints by a neutral-sounding, legalistic language which works euphemistically or as a gloss. Citizen concerns are fitted into a problem-solution format where the solutions involve engineering technology. The Wal-Mart representatives display their expertise through describing these technological answers. Scientific documents or tests are presented which point to counter-intuitive results. They draw on a discourse of `facts' and `information', but use these to make arguments in support of their proposals. In addition to displaying scientific-technological expertise, they avow openness to dialogue and willingness to work with the town. The Wal-Mart representatives present themselves as both technical experts and trustworthy partners, but they also may be seen as rhetor in using facts, findings, and documents to make an argument for their project.
Organizational decision-making, discourse, and power: integrating across contexts and scales
Authors: Kwon Winston , Clarke Ian , Wodak Ruth
Published: July 2009

Research has downplayed the complex discursive processes and practices through which decisions are constructed and blurs the relationship between macro- and micro-levels. The article argues for a critical and ecologically valid approach that articulates how discursive practices are influenced by, and in turn shape, the organizational settings in which they occur. It makes a methodological contribution using decision-making episodes of a senior management team meeting of a multinational company to demonstrate the insights that can be obtained from embedding the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) within a longitudinal ethnography. The approach illuminates the latent and intricate power dynamics and range of potentials of agents, triangulating micro-level discursive strategies with macro-level historical sources and background knowledge on the social and political fields. The article also makes a theoretical contribution by demonstrating the dependency of decision outcomes on often unpredictable and subtle changes in the power—context relationship.
Don't shoot the messenger: prospects for protecting journalists in conflict situations
Authors: Lisosky Joanne M. , Henrichsen Jennifer
Published: July 2009

One of the greatest threats to freedom of expression around the world is the violence committed against journalists practicing their profession in conflict situations. During the last 20 years, an alarming number of journalists have been targeted or killed when reporting about war. This situation has prompted several international organizations to offer suggestions on how to protect the messengers who report about war. In this study, the authors provide a historical overview of journalist protection. In addition, they explore a number of recent declarations, resolutions and strategies introduced to protect journalists targeted in conflict zones. One particularly controversial strategy, the Press Emblem Campaign, is examined by interviewing various international stakeholders. The authors demonstrate that while no clear comprehensive method to protect journalists has yet to be universally accepted, this global problem has generated increased international attention.
'American' in crisis: opinion discourses, the Iraq War and the politics of identity
Authors: Ismail Amani , Yousef Mervat , Berkowitz Dan
Published: July 2009

During the Iraq War, news of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and the beheading of American citizen Nick Berg disturbed Americans, as they were left trying to negotiate the meanings of these events, wondering what `we' (Americans) stand for versus what `they' (Iraqis) do. These events — and the news media's communication of them to the American public — created a situation we call `nationalistic ambiguity', where occurrences present a mixed message to the public mind about national identity and purpose. This article investigates how opinion columns and letters in US newspapers, which addressed these events, reconciled the paradox of America's mission to liberate a people with the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and the beheading of Nick Berg.
The cultural framing hypothesis: cultural conflict indicators in The New York Times from 1981 to 2007
Authors: Bantimaroudis Philemon , Kampanellou Eleni
Published: July 2009

The authors investigated attributes related to a `cultural framing hypothesis', the notion that mass media have promoted Samuel Huntington's `clash of civilizations' theory, establishing its `salience' outside the academic environment. Media salience of cultural attributes can be linked to several public outcomes: (1) an overall attribution of importance — the fact the `clash of civilizations' paradigm is recognizable and important in the public mind; (2) the theory may be used as a tool for interpretation for whatever conflicts happen around the globe, overshadowing various other plausible and scientifically sound explanations; (3) the theory may be leading to notions of expanded inter-ethnic or `civilization' identities as described by Huntington. To assess the existence of cultural framing, the authors conducted a quantitative content analysis of five different micro-frames, derived from Huntington's seminal work, over a 27-year period. The authors examined two main hypotheses: H1: cultural frames will be predominantly traceable in media content after Huntington's theory appeared in the early 1990s; and H2: cultural frames will be salient in newspaper content during periods of intense terrorist activities, mainly after the year 2001. Both hypotheses were supported by the data.
The art of shoe-throwing: shoes as a symbol of protest and popular imagination
Authors: Ibrahim Yasmin
Published: July 2009

The art of shoe-throwing has captured popular imagination and is here to stay as a form of popular political protest. In a recent incident, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao became a near-victim of a notorious flying shoe during his visit to London in February 2009. Shoe-throwing has become a celebrated art form ever since an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at then US President George W. Bush, eternally sealing Bush's last presidential moments with the iconic image of the shoe. Popular acts of communication and protests enter new forms of relationships with audiences and global spectators beyond the political context and the shoe-throwing incident is no exception. It has been consummately appropriated into popular culture and entertainment in the multimedia platforms of the internet, transforming political images and political protests into voyeuristic entertainment for the masses.
Hotel Rebranding and Rescaling
Authors: Hanson Bjorn , Mattila Anna S. , O'Neill John W. , Kim Yonghee
Published: July 2009

An exploratory study of ninety-five hotels that rebranded or rescaled their operations revealed the possibility of long-term financial benefit after the change. In many cases the hotels saw an initial decline in financial results, but that was followed by a gradual recovery. Hotels that moved upscale generally saw increases in average daily rates. Hotels that merely changed brands without also changing their scale reported no significant change in financial results.
A pluripotency signature predicts histologic transformation and influences survival in follicular lymphoma patients
Authors: Gentles Andrew J. , Alizadeh Ash A. , Lee Su-In , Myklebust June H. , Shachaf Catherine M. , Shahbaba Babak , Levy Ronald , Koller Daphne , Plevritis Sylvia K.
Published: July 2009

Histologic transformation (HT) of follicular lymphoma to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL-t) is associated with accelerated disease course and drastically worse outcome, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We show that a network of gene transcriptional modules underlies HT. Central to the network hierarchy is a signature strikingly enriched for pluripotency-related genes. These genes are typically expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), including MYC and its direct targets. This core ESC-like program was independent of proliferation/cell-cycle and overlapped but was distinct from normal B-cell transcriptional programs. Furthermore, we show that the ESC program is correlated with transcriptional programs maintaining tumor phenotype in transgenic MYC-driven mouse models of lymphoma. Although our approach was to identify HT mechanisms rather than to derive an optimal survival predictor, a model based on ESC/differentiation programs stratified patient outcomes in 2 independent patient cohorts and was predictive of propensity of follicular lymphoma tumors to transform. Transformation was associated with an expression signature combining high expression of ESC transcriptional programs with reduced expression of stromal programs. Together, these findings suggest a central role for an ESC-like signature in the mechanism of HT and provide new clues for potential therapeutic targets.
Vascular complications after splenectomy for hematologic disorders
Authors: Crary Shelley E. , Buchanan George R.
Published: July 2009

The most widely recognized long-term risk of splenectomy is overwhelming bacterial infection. More recently, thrombosis has become appreciated as another potential complication of the procedure. Because of these long-term risks, the indications for and timing of splenectomy are debated in the medical community. Accordingly, the adverse effects and benefits of splenectomy for hematologic disorders and other conditions demand further study. This comprehensive review summarizes the existing literature pertaining to vascular complications after splenectomy for hematologic conditions and attempts to define the potential pathophysiologic mechanisms involved. This complex topic encompasses diverse underlying conditions for which splenectomy is performed, diverse thrombotic complications, and multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms.
The spectrum of Evans syndrome in adults: new insight into the disease based on the analysis of 68 cases
Authors: Michel Marc , Chanet Valérie , Dechartres Agnès , Morin Anne-Sophie , Piette Jean-Charles , Cirasino Lorenzo , Emilia Giovanni , Zaja Francesco , Ruggeri Marco , Andrès Emmanuel , Bierling Philippe , Godeau Bertrand , Rodeghiero Francesco
Published: July 2009

Evans syndrome (ES) is a rare disease characterized by the simultaneous or sequential development of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and/or immune neutropenia. To better describe the characteristics and outcome of ES in adults, a survey was initiated in 2005. The data from 68 patients (60% of them women) fulfilling strict inclusion criteria for ES are reported. The mean age at time of ITP and/or AIHA onset was 52 plus or minus 33 years, both cytopenias occurred simultaneously in 37 cases (54.5%). ES was considered as “primary” in 34 patients (50%) but was associated with an underlying disorder in half of the cases, including mainly systemic lupus, lymphoproliferative disorders, and common variable immunodeficiency. All patients were given corticosteroids, but 50 of them (73%) required at least one “second-line” treatment, including splenectomy(n = 19) and rituximab (n = 11). At time of analysis, after a mean follow-up of 4.8 years, only 22 patients (32%) were in remission off treatment; 16 (24%) had died. In elderly patients, the risk of cardiovascular manifestations related to AIHA seems to be higher than the ITP-related risk of severe bleeding. In conclusion, ES is a potentially life-threatening condition that may be associated with other underlying autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders.
Developmental expression profile of the yy2 gene in mice
Authors: Drews David , Klar Martin , Dame Christof , Bräuer Anja U
Published: July 2009

Background

The transcription factor Yin Yang 2 (YY2) shares a structural and functional highly homologue DNA-binding domain with the ubiquitously expressed YY1 protein, which has been implicated in regulating fundamental biological processes. However, the biological relevance of YY2 has not been identified yet.

Results

Towards the understanding of YY2 biology, we analyzed in detail the expression pattern of yy2 in various organs during embryonic and postnatal mouse development till adulthood. Thereby, a constant yy2 level was detected in heart and lung tissue, whereas in different brain regions yy2 expression was dynamically regulated. Interestingly, in any analyzed tissue neither the homologue yy1 nor the mbtps2 gene showed changes in mRNA expression levels like yy2, although the intronless yy2 gene is located within the mbtps2 locus.

Furthermore, we detected yy1, yy2, and mbtps2 mRNA in primary mouse neurons, microglia cells, and astrocytes. In comparison to yy2 and mbtps2, yy1 revealed the highest expression level in all cell types. Again, only yy2 showed significantly altered gene expression levels among the cell types. Higher yy2 expression levels were detected in microglia cells and astrocytes than in primary neurons.

Conclusion

Yy2 expression in the heart and lung is constitutively expressed during embryogenesis and in adult mice. For the first time, developmental changes of yy2 transcription became obvious in various areas of the brain. This suggests that yy2 is involved in developmental gene regulation.
PIK3CA alterations in Middle Eastern ovarian cancers
Authors: Abubaker Jehad , Bavi Prashant , Al-Haqawi Wael , Jehan Zeenath , Munkarah Adnan , Uddin Shahab , Al-Kuraya Khawla S
Published: July 2009

Background

PI3K/AKTsignaling pathway plays an important role in cell growth, proliferation, and tumorgenesis of various malignancies. This signaling pathway has been shown to be frequently altered in several human cancers including ovarian cancers. However the role of this oncogenic signaling pathway has not been explored in the Middle Eastern epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Therefore, we investigated PI3K/AKT genetic alterations such as PIK3CA amplification, PIK3CA mutation, PTEN protein loss and their relationships with various clinicopathological characteristics in 156 EOCs.

Results

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique and DNA sequencing were used to analyze PIK3CA amplification and mutation respectively. Expression of PIK3CA protein expression (p110 α), PTEN, p-AKT and Ki-67 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. PIK3CA amplification was seen in 54 of 152 (35.5%) EOC cases analyzed; PIK3CA gene mutations in 6/153 EOC (3.9%); KRAS mutations in 3/154 EOC (1.9%), BRAF mutations in 3/156 EOC (1.9%), p53 mutation in 50/154 EOC (32.5%), and loss of PTEN protein expression in 33/144 EOC (22.9%). p110 α overexpression was associated with increased phosphorylation of AKT-Ser 473 and with the proliferation marker Ki-67.

Conclusion

Our data showed mutual exclusivity between the molecular event of PIK3CA amplification and mutations in PIK3CA, KRAS, BRAF genes, which suggests that each of these alterations may individually be sufficient to drive ovarian tumor pathogenesis independently. High prevalence of genetic alterations in PI3K/AKT pathway in a Middle Eastern ovarian carcinoma provides genetic evidence supporting the notion that dysregulated PI3K/AKT pathways play an important role in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancers.
Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase–Positive Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Rare Clinicopathologic Entity With Poor Prognosis
Authors: Laurent Camille , Do Catherine , Gascoyne Randy D. , Lamant Laurence , Ysebaert Loïc , Laurent Guy , Delsol Georges , Brousset Pierre
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) –positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a rare variant of DLBCL that has been described only in small case reports. To shed more light on the clinical and pathologic features and outcome of these tumors, we reviewed data from 38 patients.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 38 patients with ALK-positive DLBCL treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP) or CHOP-like regimens from different institutions to better define the presenting features, clinical course, and response to treatment.

Results

The histologic findings in all patients were similar. All patients expressed ALK fusion proteins, but virtually all were CD30 and CD20 negative. The median age was 43 years with a 5:1 ratio of males to females. Most patients (60%) followed an aggressive clinical course with advanced stage at diagnosis, frequent marrow infiltration, and poor outcome. Overall survival was 20.3 months (95% CI, 12.2 to 42.6 months). Of note, the median survival was only 12.2 months (95% CI, 9.1 to 32.5 months) in patients with advanced-stage disease.

Conclusion

ALK-positive DLBCLs display clinicopathologic features that distinguish them from common DLBCL. Conventional therapy, as used for typical DLBCL, is of limited efficacy. Recognition of this new entity and the characteristic lack of CD20 expression are paramount. Novel front-line intensive chemotherapy regimens should be evaluated in this group of patients.
Talampanel With Standard Radiation and Temozolomide in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial
Authors: Grossman Stuart A. , Ye Xiaobu , Chamberlain Marc , Mikkelsen Tom , Batchelor Tracy , Desideri Serena , Piantadosi Steven , Fisher Joy , Fine Howard A.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Recent data suggest that the glutamatergic system is important in the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma. Talampanel is a well-tolerated, oral α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor blocker that could be beneficial in this disease.

Patients and Methods

This trial was designed to estimate overall survival in adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated with talampanel in addition to standard radiation (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ). A secondary purpose was to evaluate talampanel toxicity in this setting. Talampanel was initiated with RT + TMZ and discontinued for toxicity or disease progression. Survival was compared with historical controls.

Results

Seventy-two patients were enrolled from December 2005 to July 2006. Their median age was 60 years (range, 37 to 85 years, with 17% > 70 years), median Karnofsky performance score was 90 (range, 70 to 100), and 77% had a debulking procedure. With a median follow-up time of 18 months, 55 patients (76%) have died, yielding a median survival time of 18.3 months (95% CI, 14.6 to 22.5 months). When the 60 patients who were 18 to 70 years old were compared with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) RT + TMZ data, the median survival (20.3 v 14.6 months, respectively) and percentage of patients surviving at 24 months (41.7% v 26.5%, respectively; P = .02) seemed superior. The percentage of patients methylated at O6-methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase was lower than on the EORTC study (29% v 43%, respectively). Talampanel was well tolerated and did not increase the known hematologic or nonhematologic toxicities of TMZ.

Conclusion

Talampanel can be added to RT + TMZ without significant additional toxicity. The encouraging survival results in methylated and unmethylated patients suggest that blocking AMPA receptors may be a useful strategy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Racial Differences in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Outcomes and Pharmacogenetics: A Subgroup Analysis of a Large Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Sanoff Hanna K. , Sargent Daniel J. , Green Erin M. , McLeod Howard L. , Goldberg Richard M.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival are documented, but there are few data on comparative response to chemotherapy. A subgroup analysis of a multisite National Cancer Institute–sponsored trial (N9741) was performed comparing outcomes of black and white patients with metastatic CRC receiving uniform treatment.

Patients and Methods

Adverse events (AEs), response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and dose-intensity were examined as a function of self-reported race in 1,412 patients treated with irinotecan/fluorouracil, fluorouracil/oxaliplatin, or irinotecan/oxaliplatin. Pharmacogenetic analysis was performed on 486 patients with blood available for germline DNA analysis.

Results

OS was 1.5 months shorter and TTP was 0.6 months shorter in black than white patients (OS: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.42; TTP: HR = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.13); neither difference was statistically significant. RR was significantly higher in whites (41%) than blacks (28%; P = .008). Grade 3 or greater AEs were also higher in whites (48%) than blacks (34%; P = .004). These relationships were maintained in multivariate models adjusting for arm, age, sex, and performance status. There was no difference in dose-intensity of delivered therapy. Significant racial differences in prevalence of pharmacogenetic variants were observed, although small sample size precluded investigating the relationship between treatment, race, and genotype.

Conclusion

OS and TTP are similar in black and white patients treated per protocol with standardized therapy for metastatic CRC. However, RR and AEs vary considerably by race. The marked racial differences in relevant pharmacogenetics, a potential explanation for differing RR and AEs, are worthy of future study.
Technologies for tomorrow's electric power generation
Authors: Lawn C J
Published: July 2009

In order to glean some insight into the likely trends in the next 50 years of power generation, the major trends of the last 50 years are reviewed first of all. It is noted that not only were all the power generating systems in operation today being researched in the 1960s, but so were most of those now being discussed for the future. The major trends in generation have all been driven by political and environmental considerations rather than by radically new ideas.

For the next 50 years, in a new environment of concern about climate change and security of electricity supply, new technology must be developed to make some more of the options economically viable. This article surveys most of the systems now being considered and picks out a few of the enabling technologies. With such a broad subject, selectivity in the choice of sources is inevitable: this review draws preferentially upon papers published in the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy over the last 10 years.
A numerical study of projectile impact on thin aluminium plates
Authors: Raguraman M , Deb A , Jagadeesh G
Published: July 2009

This article deals with a simulation-based study of the impact of projectiles on thin aluminium plates using LS-DYNA by modelling plates with shell elements and projectiles with solid elements. In order to establish the required modelling criterion in terms of element size for aluminium plates, a convergence study of residual velocity has been carried out by varying mesh density in the impact zone. Using the preferred material and meshing criteria arrived at here, extremely good prediction of test residual velocities and ballistic limits given by Gupta et al. (2001) for thin aluminium plates has been obtained. The simulation-based pattern of failure with localized bulging and jagged edge of perforation is similar to the perforation with petalling seen in tests. A number of simulation-based parametric studies have been carried out and results consistent with published test data have been obtained. Despite the robust correlation achieved against published experimental results, it would be prudent to conduct one's own experiments, for a final correlation via the present modelling procedure and analysis with the explicit LS-DYNA 970 solver. Hence, a sophisticated ballistic impact testing facility and a high-speed camera have been used to conduct additional tests on grade 1100 aluminium plates of 1 mm thickness with projectiles of four different nose shapes. Finally, using the developed numerical simulation procedure, an excellent correlation of residual velocity and failure modes with the corresponding test results has been obtained.
Solution of contact problems for a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to an elastic half-space
Authors: Fabrikant V I
Published: July 2009

The idea, first used by the author for the case of crack problems, is applied here to solve a contact problem for a transversely isotropic elastic layer bonded to an elastic halfspace, made of a different transversely isotropic material. A rigid punch of arbitrary shape is pressed against the layer's free surface. The governing integral equation is derived; it is mathematically equivalent to that of an electrostatic problem of an infinite row of coaxial charged discs in the shape of the domain of contact. As a comparison, the method of integral transforms is also used to solve the problem. The main difference of our integral transform approach with the existing ones is in separating of our half-space solution from the integral transform terms. It is shown that both methods lead to the same results, thus giving a new interpretation to the integral transform as a sum of an infinite series of generalized images.
Investigation of turbulence and blade orientation effects in a radial diffuser pump by laser Doppler velocimetry
Authors: Feng J , Benra F-K , Dohmen H J
Published: July 2009

In this article, the unsteady flow field in a radial diffuser pump has been investigated by laser Doppler velocimetry measurements at the design condition Qdes and also at three off-design conditions 0.5 Qdes, 0.75 Qdes, and 1.15 Qdes. Both the upstream effect and the downstream effect originating from the unsteady interactions are quantitatively examined, and these effects are also compared with the turbulence effect. The analysis of the experimental results shows that the upstream effect is only limited to the impeller rear part for all examined flowrates. The downstream effect is comparable to the turbulence effect before the diffuser inlet throat at Qdes and 1.15 Qdes. However, the turbulence effect dominates totally over the downstream effect at part-flow conditions 0.5 Qdes and 0.75 Qdes.