bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gestational Hypertension, Preeclampsia, and Risk of Testicular Cancer
Authors: Pettersson Andreas , Richiardi Lorenzo , Cnattingius Sven , Kaijser Magnus , Akre Olof
Published: October 2008

Altered levels of pregnancy hormones have been suggested to initiate testicular cancer prenatally in the male fetus. The placenta is the main source of pregnancy hormones, and pregnancy hypertension and preeclampsia are associated with placental malfunction, including altered levels of hormones such as estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin. We therefore evaluated fetal exposure to pregnancy hypertension and preeclampsia in relation to risk of testicular cancer in adolescent and adult life. We identified 293 cases of germ cell testicular cancer in the Swedish Cancer Register, and 861 controls in the Swedish Medical Birth Register. The standardized antenatal and delivery charts of the cases and controls were traced in the archives of the delivery units, and information about maternal and pregnancy characteristics such as gestational hypertension, proteinuria, anemia, and glucosuria were extracted. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. We found a strongly decreased risk of testicular cancer among subjects exposed to severe gestational hypertension (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.12–0.74, compared with no hypertension), whereas the risk was increased among those exposed to mild gestational hypertension (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 0.98–2.69) during the fetal period. The mechanism behind the association between pregnancy hypertension and testicular cancer is unclear, but our findings may reflect a potentially protective effect of the altered pregnancy hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin that occur in severe gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. [Cancer Res 2008;68(21):8832–6]
Plumbagin, a Medicinal Plant–Derived Naphthoquinone, Is a Novel Inhibitor of the Growth and Invasion of Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer
Authors: Aziz Moammir H. , Dreckschmidt Nancy E. , Verma Ajit K.
Published: October 2008

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Hormone-refractory invasive PCa is the end stage and accounts for the majority of PCa patient deaths. We present here that plumbagin (PL), a quinoid constituent isolated from the root of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L., may be a potential novel agent in the control of hormone-refractory PCa. Specific observations are the findings that PL inhibited PCa cell invasion and selectively induced apoptosis in PCa cells but not in immortalized nontumorigenic prostate epithelial RWPE-1 cells. In addition, i.p. administration of PL (2 mg/kg body weight), beginning 3 days after ectopic implantation of hormone-refractory DU145 PCa cells, delayed tumor growth by 3 weeks and reduced both tumor weight and volume by 90%. Discontinuation of PL treatment in PL-treated mice for as long as 4 weeks did not result in progression of tumor growth. PL, at concentrations as low as 5 μmol/L, inhibited in both cultured PCa cells and DU145 xenografts (a) the expression of protein kinase Cε (PKCε), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, phosphorylated AKT, phosphorylated Janus-activated kinase-2, and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3); (b) the DNA-binding activity of transcription factors activator protein-1, nuclear factor-κB, and Stat3; and (c) Bcl-xL, cdc25A, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The results indicate for the first time, using both in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, that PL inhibits the growth and invasion of PCa. PL inhibits multiple molecular targets including PKCε, a predictive biomarker of PCa aggressiveness. PL may be a novel agent for therapy of hormone-refractory PCa. [Cancer Res 2008;68(21):9024–32]
Somatostatin Receptor Subtypes 2 and 5 Are Associated with Better Survival in Well-Differentiated Endocrine Carcinomas
Authors: Corleto Vito D. , Falconi Massimo , Panzuto Francesco , Milione Massimo , De Luca Ottavia , Perri Pasquale , Cannizzaro Renato , Bordi Cesare , Pederzoli Paolo , Scarpa Aldo , Delle Fave Gianfranco
Published: October 2008

The majority of gastroenteropancreatic well-differentiated endocrine carcinomas (WDEC) express somatostatin receptors (SSTR). To correlate the expression of SSTR subtypes by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with clinicopathological features and survival in a group of WDEC patients, 42 WDEC tissue specimens from 33 patients were analysed. All patients were treated with somatostatin analogues and had a median follow-up period of 45 months (range 6–196). Neither SSTR2 and SSTR5 expression nor Ki-67 level alone correlated with survival. A significantly better survival rate was observed in patients with tumours expressing SSTR2, SSTR5 and Ki-67 <2%, compared to those with SSTR2– and SSTR5–negative tumours and Ki-67 ≥2% (p < 0.038), with 5-year survival rates of 91 vs. 43%, respectively. Expression of SSTR2 and SSTR5 appears to play a positive prognostic role, possibly correlated with the high affinity that the available somatostatin analogues display for these 2 specific SSTR subtypes.
Symmetrical Drug-Related Intertriginous and Flexural Exanthema Caused by Valacyclovir
Authors: Daito Junko , Hanada Keiji , Katoh Norito , Katoh Sayoko , Sakamoto Kakei , Asai Jun , Takenaka Hideya , Kishimoto Saburo
Published: October 2008

Drug-related eruptions that appear only on intertriginous or flexural folds and in gluteal areas have recently been termed symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE). We report a case of a 56-year-old woman with acute erythematous rash in the intertriginous areas after treatment with the L-valine ester of acyclovir, valacyclovir. Oral-challenge tests resulted in erythematous pruritic rash in the intertriginous area by valacyclovir. The patient was diagnosed as having SDRIFE due to valacyclovir.
Cellular Procoagulant Activity Dictates Clot Structure and Stability as a Function of Distance From the Cell Surface
Authors: Campbell Robert A. , Overmyer Katherine A. , Bagnell C. Robert , Wolberg Alisa S.
Published: October 2008

Background—

Thrombin concentration modulates fibrin structure and fibrin structure modulates clot stability; however, the impact of localized, cell surface-driven in situ thrombin generation on fibrin structure and stability has not previously been evaluated.

Methods and Results—

Human fibroblasts were incubated with factors Xa, Va, prothrombin and fibrinogen, or plasma. Fibrin formation, structure, and lysis were examined using laser scanning confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In situ thrombin generation on the cell surface produced clots with a significantly denser fiber network in a 10-μm region proximal versus distal to (40 to 50 μm) the cell surface. This morphology was not altered by addition of integrin-blocking RGDS peptide and was not apparent in clots made by exogenous thrombin addition, suggesting that spatial morphology was dictated predominantly by localized thrombin generation on the fibroblast surface. The fibrin network lysed more rapidly distal versus proximal to the cell surface, suggesting that the structural heterogeneity of the clot affected its fibrinolytic stability.

Conclusions—

In situ thrombin generation on the cell surface modulates the three-dimensional structure and stability of the clot. Thrombus formation in vivo may reflect the ability of the local cell population to support thrombin generation and, therefore, the three-dimensional structure and stability of the fibrin network.
ANGPTL4
E40K and T266M
Authors: Talmud Philippa J. , Smart Melissa , Presswood Edward , Cooper Jackie A. , Nicaud Viviane , Drenos Fotios , Palmen Jutta , Marmot Michael G. , Boekholdt S. Matthijs , Wareham Nicholas J. , Khaw Kay-Tee , Kumari Meena , Humphries Steve E.
Published: October 2008

Background—

Angiopoietin-like 4 is a dual-function protein: an inhibitor of LPL, influencing plasma triglycerides (TGs), with angiogenic properties. We examined the association of common
ANGPTL4
variants with CHD traits and risk in 5 studies (13 527 individuals).

Methods and Results—

The effects on plasma lipids of 6 tagging SNPs and the recently identified E40K were examined in a study of 2772 men. Only T266M (rs1044250, MAF=30%) and E40K (MAF=2%) were significantly associated with TG-lowering (−10.4%,
P
<0.004 and −20.4%,
P
<0.0001), respectively. T266M no longer showed significant associations when K40 carriers (K40+) were excluded (
P
=0.2). Combining data from 5 studies confirmed the TG-lowering effect of K40+ (weighted mean difference: −0.12 [95% CI −0.18, −0.05] mmol/L TG
P
=0.0001). Surprisingly, in the 3 prospective studies, the combined OR for CHD was 1.48 (1.11 to 1.96,
P
=0.007), independent of TG. In individuals with a paternal history of MI (n=332) T266M, but not E40K, showed effects on postprandial AUC TG and glucose (
P
=0.009 and
P
=0.017, respectively) compared to controls (n=370).

Conclusion—

Although associated with an atheroprotective lipid profile, E40K was associated with increased CHD risk, suggesting Angptl4 influences parameters beyond lipid levels. T266M showed effects only under conditions of postprandial stress. The functionality of these potential “loss-of-function” variants needs validation.
Differential Structure of Atrial and Ventricular K
ATP
Authors: Flagg Thomas P. , Kurata Harley T. , Masia Ricard , Caputa George , Magnuson Mark A. , Lefer David J. , Coetzee William A. , Nichols Colin G.
Published: October 2008

The isoform-specific structure of the ATP-sensitive potassium (K
ATP
) channel endows it with differential fundamental properties, including physiological activation and pharmacology. Numerous studies have convincingly demonstrated that the pore-forming Kir6.2 (
KCNJ11
) and regulatory SUR2A (
ABCC9
) subunits are essential elements of the sarcolemmal K
ATP
channel in cardiac ventricular myocytes. Using a novel antibody directed against the COOH terminus of SUR1 (
ABCC8
), we show that this K
ATP
subunit is also expressed in mouse myocardium and is the dominant SUR isoform in the atrium. This suggests differential sarcolemmal K
ATP
composition in atria and ventricles, and, to test this, K
ATP
currents were measured in isolated atrial and ventricular myocytes from wild-type and SUR1
−/−
animals. K
ATP
conductance is essentially abolished in SUR1
−/−
atrial myocytes but is normal in SUR1
−/−
ventricular myocytes. Furthermore, pharmacological properties of wild-type atrial K
ATP
match closely the properties of heterologously expressed SUR1/Kir6.2 channels, whereas ventricular K
ATP
properties match those of heterologously expressed SUR2A/Kir6.2 channels. Collectively, the data demonstrate a previously unappreciated K
ATP
channel heterogeneity: SUR1 is an essential component of atrial, but not ventricular, K
ATP
channels. Differential molecular make-up of the 2 channels underlies differential pharmacology, with important implications when considering sulfonylurea therapy or dissecting the role of cardiac K
ATP
pharmacologically, as well as for understanding of the role of diazoxide in preconditioning.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Mediates Apolipoprotein CIII–Induced Monocyte Activation: Retracted
Authors: Kawakami Akio , Osaka Mizuko , Aikawa Masanori , Uematsu Satoshi , Akira Shizuo , Libby Peter , Shimokado Kentaro , Sacks Frank M. , Yoshida Masayuki
Published: October 2008

Apolipoprotein (apo)CIII predicts risk for coronary heart disease. We recently reported that apoCIII directly activates human monocytes. Recent evidence indicates that toll-like receptor (TLR)2 can contribute to atherogenesis through transduction of inflammatory signals. Here, we tested the hypothesis that apoCIII activates human monocytoid THP-1 cells through TLR2. ApoCIII induced the association of TLR2 with myeloid differentiation factor 88, activated nuclear factor (NF)-κB in THP-1 cells, and increased their adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Anti-TLR2 blocking antibody, but not anti-TLR4 blocking antibody or isotype-matched IgG, inhibited these processes (
P
<0.05). ApoCIII bound with high affinity to human recombinant TLR2 protein and showed a significantly higher (
P
<0.05) and saturable binding to 293 cells overexpressing human TLR2 than to parental 293 cells with no endogenous TLR2. Overexpression of TLR2 in 293 cells augmented apoCIII-induced NF-κB activation and β
1
integrin expression, processes inhibited by anti-apoCIII antibody as well as anti-TLR2 antibody. Exposure of peripheral blood monocytes isolated from C57BL/6 (wild-type) mice to apoCIII activated their NF-κB and increased their adhesiveness to HUVECs. In contrast, apoCIII did not activate monocytes from TLR2-deficient mice. Finally, intravenous administration to C57BL/6 mice of apoCIII-rich very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), but not of apoCIII-deficient VLDL, activated monocytes and increased their adhesiveness to HUVECs, processes attenuated by anti-TLR2 or anti-apoCIII antibody. ApoCIII-rich VLDL did not activate monocytes from TLR2-deficient mice. In conclusion, apoCIII activated monocytes at least partly through a TLR2-dependent pathway. The present study identifies a novel mechanism for proinflammatory and proatherogenic effects of apoCIII and a role for TLR2 in atherosclerosis induced by atherogenic lipoproteins.
αB-Crystallin Suppresses Pressure Overload Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Kumarapeli Asangi R.K. , Su Huabo , Huang Wei , Tang Mingxin , Zheng Hanqiao , Horak Kathleen M. , Li Manxiang , Wang Xuejun
Published: October 2008

αB-Crystallin (CryAB) is the most abundant small heat shock protein (HSP) constitutively expressed in cardiomyocytes. Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that CryAB can protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the role of CryAB or any HSPs in cardiac responses to mechanical overload is unknown. This study addresses this issue. Nontransgenic mice and mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted transgenic overexpression of CryAB or with germ-line ablation of the CryAB/HSPB2 genes were subjected to transverse aortic constriction or sham surgery. Two weeks later, cardiac responses were analyzed by fetal gene expression profiling, cardiac function analyses, and morphometry. Comparison among the 3 sham surgery groups reveals that CryAB overexpression is benign, whereas the knockout is detrimental to the heart as reflected by cardiac hypertrophy and malfunction at 10 weeks of age. Compared to nontransgenic mice, transgenic mouse hearts showed significantly reduced NFAT transactivation and attenuated cardiac hypertrophic responses to transverse aortic constriction but unchanged cardiac function, whereas NFAT transactivation was significantly increased in cardiac and skeletal muscle of the knockout mice at baseline, and they developed cardiac insufficiency at 2 weeks after transverse aortic constriction. CryAB overexpression in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes significantly attenuated adrenergic stimulation-induced NFAT transactivation and hypertrophic growth. We conclude that CryAB suppresses cardiac hypertrophic responses likely through attenuating NFAT signaling and that CryAB and/or HSPB2 are essential for normal cardiac function.
Hemorrhage From Cavernous Malformations of the Brain
Authors: Al-Shahi Salman Rustam , Berg Michel J. , Morrison Leslie , Awad Issam A.
Published: October 2008

Background and Purpose—

Cavernous malformations of the brain (CMs) cause intracranial hemorrhage, but its reported frequency varies, partly attributable to study design. To improve the validity of future research, we aimed to develop a robust definition of CM hemorrhage.

Methods—

We systematically reviewed the published literature (Ovid Medline and Embase to June 1, 2007) for definitions of CM hemorrhage used in studies of the untreated clinical course of ≥20 participants with CM(s), to inform the development of a consensus statement on the clinical and imaging features of CM hemorrhage at a scientific workshop of the Angioma Alliance.

Results—

A systematic review of 1426 publications about CMs in humans, revealed 15 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Although 14 (93%) studies provided a definition of CM hemorrhage, data were less complete on the confirmatory type(s) of imaging (87%), whether CM hemorrhage should be clinically symptomatic (73%), and whether hemorrhage had to extend outside the CM or not (47%). We define a CM hemorrhage as requiring acute or subacute onset symptoms (any of: headache, epileptic seizure, impaired consciousness, or new/worsened focal neurological deficit referable to the anatomic location of the CM) accompanied by radiological, pathological, surgical, or rarely only cerebrospinal fluid evidence of recent extra- or intralesional hemorrhage. The definition includes neither an increase in CM diameter without other evidence of recent hemorrhage, nor the existence of a hemosiderin halo.

Conclusions—

A consistent approach to clinical and brain imaging classification of CM hemorrhage will improve the external validity of future CM research.
Lithium Upregulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Brain Endothelial Cells and Astrocytes
Authors: Guo Shuzhen , Arai Ken , Stins Monique F. , Chuang De-Maw , Lo Eng H.
Published: October 2008

Background and Purpose—

We recently reported that delayed lithium therapy can improve stroke recovery in rats by augmenting neurovascular remodeling. We tested the hypothesis that lithium can promote the expression of growth factors in brain endothelial cells and astrocytes.

Methods—

Human brain microvascular endothelial cells and primary rat cortical astrocytes were exposed to lithium chloride in serum-free medium. We examined 2 representative growth factors: brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Cell lysates were collected for Western blot analysis. Conditioned media was analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. SB-216763 and LY294002 were used to assess the roles of the glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and PI3-K signaling in the lithium-induced responses.

Results—

No consistent responses were observed for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. However, lithium (0.2 to 20 mmol/L) increased the phosphorylation of GSK-3β and promoted VEGF secretion in a concentration-dependent manner in both endothelial and astrocyte cells. For endothelial cells, the potent GSK-3β inhibitor SB-216763 upregulated VEGF, whereas inhibition of PI3-K with LY294002 suppressed lithium-induced responses in both phospho-GSK-3β and VEGF. In contrast, neither inhibition of GSK-3β nor inhibition of PI3-K had any detectable effects on VEGF levels in astrocytes.

Conclusions—

Lithium promotes VEGF expression through PI3-K/GSK-3β-dependent and -independent pathways in brain endothelium and astrocytes, respectively. This growth factor signaling mechanism may contribute to lithium’s reported ability to promote neurovascular remodeling after stroke.
A Fast, Streaming SIMD Extensions 2, Logistic Squashing Function
Authors: Milner J. J. , Grandison A. J.
Published: October 2008

Schraudolph proposed an excellent exponential approximation providing increased performance particularly suited to the logistic squashing function used within many neural networking applications. This note applies Intel's streaming SIMD Extensions 2 (SSE2), where SIMD is single instruction multiple data, of the Pentium IV class processor to Schraudolph's technique, further increasing the performance of the logistic squashing function. It was found that the calculation of the new 32-bit SSE2 logistic squashing function described here was up to 38 times faster than the conventional exponential function and up to 16 times faster than a Schraudolph-style 32-bit method on an Intel Pentium D 3.6 GHz CPU.
Autonomic control of heart rate exhibits diurnal shifts in a crocodilian
Authors: Micheli Mariana , Campbell Hamish
Published: October 2008

Over the diurnal cycle most reptiles show large changes in internal body temperature and heart rate (fH). The raising of fH, as the surface of a heliothermic reptile warms, increases cardiac output and facilitates in optimising the preferred daily body temperature (PDBT). In mammals, the fine tuning of cardiac output by the autonomic system can be observed through distinct oscillatory patterns in fH. This study examined Caiman latirostris (n = 6) to determine if similar oscillations in fH were present, and to assess if they exhibited a diurnal component associated with daily shifts in body temperature. A surgically implanted miniature datalogger recorded every heart beat and the dorsal surface temperature (Tds) of animals free-ranging in a semi-natural habitat. All C. latirostris exhibited rapid warming of Tds between 0700 and 1200. This was correlated with a rapid increase in fH, accompanied by erratic beat-to-beat oscillations in instantaneous fH. As Tds cooled, fH decreased and the short-term oscillations were abolished, resulting in a much slower rate of change in instantaneous fH. The two distinct fH rhythms may serve to optimise the PDBT over the diurnal cycle.
Responses of Blood Lipids to Aerobic, Resistance, and Combined Aerobic with Resistance Exercise Training: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence
Authors: Tambalis Konstantinos , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B. , Kavouras Stavros A. , Sidossis Labros S.
Published: October 2008

This review considers the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training with different intensities (moderate and high) as well as the type of exercise (aerobic, resistance, and combined aerobic with resistance) in altering the blood lipids. We reviewed various trials via a systematic search of PubMed, published reviews, and references from original articles. We selected studies that involved aerobic and/or resistance and/or combined exercise training in healthy adults over a limit of 12 weeks and had examined the response of training to one or more of the following: triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We selected a total of 84 studies, 58 were randomized controlled trials. Comparisons between intensities of aerobic exercise programs resulted in favorable effects only for high intensity. The most frequently observed alteration was an increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, whereas reductions in triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol appeared less often. Moreover, the evidence of the positive effect of resistance exercise marks out a trend mainly for the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, whereas for combined exercise, results extracted from a short list of published studies show improvements in values of both the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. High-intensity aerobic training results in improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For resistance and combined exercise, the results are inconsistent. The heterogeneity between the types of exercise did not allow reliable comparisons.
Environmental Issues for Team Physicians
Authors: DeFranco Michael J. , Baker Champ L , DaSllva Jerome J. , Plasecki Dana P. , Bernard R. Bach
Published: October 2008

As outdoor sports continue to gain popularity, understanding the environmental factors that may influence athletes is becoming a more important aspect of medical care for team physicians. Temperature, ultraviolet light, lightning, and altitude are some of the most common elements that cause illness. Understanding how to prevent, diagnose, and promptly treat conditions caused by environmental factors is essential to optimizing athletic performance in outdoor sports and avoiding morbidity.
The External Limitations to Democracy
Authors: Rouanet Sérgio Paulo
Published: October 2008

This paper claims that what needs reinventing is not democracy as an ideal model, but rather the prevailing reality in terms of a set of obstacles hindering the realization of this model. Democracy can only be adapted to the new realities of the world if these realities are also transformed in such a way as to make it possible for democracy to properly function. The absence of norms on an international scale is manifested by a de facto hegemonic power accruing to certain states. This paper attempts a philosophical description of this situation through the difference between globalization, that tends to reduce all individual difference, and universalization, pluralist as its purposes can only be attained through a rationality of communication. Their respective actors are also different, as well as the different models provided for the evolution of the UN system.
African Women: Inventing New Forms of Solidarity
Authors: Boni Tanella
Published: October 2008

In contemporary African cultures women are going beyond domestic areas and getting involved in public affairs. They are acting in the social sphere. They are taking an active part in campaigns during the election process. Although in contemporary Africa these new ways of participating in public affairs are still closely associated with the religious domain, women are a major factor of social change in today's Africa.
Heritage, Culture and Democracy in Mexico
Authors: López Morales Gloria
Published: October 2008

This short paper deals with the difficult articulation of a diverse cultural heritage within a society and the democratic forms of assuring its social cohesion. Special attention is paid to the links between immaterial culture and the environment that transforms it into a structural element of social cohesion. Culture is seen as a ‘mould' which shapes a shared behaviour, and democracy can be conceived as a system made up of elements of a cultural nature that go as far as implying safeguarding pluralism, respect and tolerance of all kinds of difference. This is the case with those countries where the structures of the modern state are in the process of disappearing and being redefined in new forms, whose essential feature is acceptance of cultural diversity. If we conceive democracy in terms of heritage and in terms of non-exclusion of cultures dominated by a dominant culture, then it results that Mexico has not experienced true democracy - either in the past or nowadays.
Optimal Harmony, Mutual Enrichment and Strangification
Authors: Shen Vincent
Published: October 2008

This paper studies the relation between modern democracy and Chinese cultural patterns. It introducing the concept of ‘Multiple Others' to explain how the classical concept of harmony can help integrating cultural and social differences within a social body, thus allowing social cohesion to integrate diversity. The main classical concepts of ren, li, and yi are analyzed in both Confucianism and Daoism, and compared to the concepts of recognition and dialogue developed by modern political theorists like Ch. Taylor and J. Habermas.
Modeling the Relationships Between Cognitive and Reading Measures in Third and Fourth Grade Children
Authors: Wood David E.
Published: October 2008

The relationships between cognitive and reading measures in third and fourth grade children were analyzed using path modeling. Third graders were tested in word identification, pseudo word reading, orthographic speed, rapid naming, and oral vocabulary knowledge. In third and fourth grades, the students were tested in oral reading fluency and in reading comprehension with a statewide reading test. Path modeling using word identification, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension as dependent variables indicated a very good fit (normed fit index of .99 for both third and fourth grades). The pattern of predictors differed depending on the reading outcome variable. The independent predictors of oral reading fluency were oral vocabulary knowledge, pseudo word reading, rapid naming, and a novel test of orthographic speed. The test of orthographic speed also made a unique contribution to word identification. Oral vocabulary knowledge was a unique predictor of reading comprehension for both models.
A Simple Quartz Crystal Microbalance Nucleic Acid Sensor for Detection of Telomerase
Authors: Öztürk K. , Durusoy M. , Pişkin E.
Published: October 2008

A simple, fast, inexpensive sensitive/selective nucleic acid sensor based on the quartz crystal microbalance system (QCM) was developed for the detection of telomerase. A specially designed oligonucleotide probe, that is complementary to the template region of the telomerase enzyme, was immobilized onto the silver electrodes of piezoelectric crystals with polyethyleneimine adhesion cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Optimum coating and immobilization conditions were determined. The QCM nucleic acid sensor was used for the detection of telomerase enzyme in human cervix carcinoma cell (HeLa) lysates. A significant difference between the telomerase negative cells (BHK) from HeLa cells, which was used for qualitative and quantitative detection of telomerase. An almost a linear correlation with the protein concentration was obtained with a R 2 value of 0.9621. The linear correlation coefficients (R2) for HeLa and BHK cell lysate obtained by applying Langmuir adsorption model, were 0.9630 and 0.9766, respectively. Telomerase activity was confirmed by stretch-PCR and fluorometric (F)-TRAP within HeLa extracts. The results obtained both with the QCM system developed in this study and F-TRAP method applied is significantly correlated (r = 0.968, p<0.001).
Plasma Protein Adsorption and Platelet Adhesion on Heparin-Immobilized Polyurethane Films
Authors: Aksoy Eda Ayse , Hasirci Vasif , Hasirci Nesrin , Motta Antonella , Fedel Mariangela , Migliaresi Claudio
Published: October 2008

Polyurethane surfaces were modified by covalent immobilization of different molecular weight heparins (fractionated Mw ~3000 Da, and unfractionated Mw ~17,000—19,000 Da) and examined by ESCA, AFM, and contact angle goniometer. The effect of these different surface-immobilized heparins on blood protein adsorption and on platelet adhesion, were examined after incubating the samples with platelet-poor and platelet-rich plasma. Protein adsorption kinetics was studied by electrophoresis and the platelets adhered on the surfaces were examined by SEM after incubation. The two heparin types clearly showed different behavior with respect to protein adsorption, especially in the early stages of blood plasma interaction. After a 5-min incubation in plasma, low molecular weight heparin-immobilized polyurethanes (PU-LMWH) showed three times less protein adsorption compared to unfractionated heparin-immobilized polyurethanes (PU-UFH). The total amount of adhered protein became more similar as the incubation time was extended. The morphology of adhered platelets on material surfaces demonstrated differences: PU-UFH had clusters with some pseudopodia extensions, while PU-LMWH surfaces had round-shaped platelets with little clustering. For contact times >15 min, the amount of adsorbed proteins and adhered platelets on the heparinized PU surfaces decreased.
Immobilization of Lipase by Entrapment in Ca-alginate Beads
Authors: Bhushan Indu , Parshad Rajinder , Ghulam Nabi Qazi  , Vijay Kumar Gupta
Published: October 2008

The lipase-producing strain, Arthrobacter sp. (ABL), isolated was immobilized in Ca-alginate beads by entrapment. The alginate beads were prepared as an aqueous mixture of sodium alginate, the cells and CaCl2 to increase its reusability, and overall enzyme stability. Various parameters like alginate and CaCl2 concentration, lipase units loading and bead size were evaluated for optimum immobilization yield. It was observed that with the increase in alginate concentration, the yield of immobilized enzyme also increased up to a limit. A similar pattern was observed with CaCl2 addition; the optimum concentrations of alginate and CaCl2 observed were 1.5% (w/v) and 2%, respectively. The concentration of enzyme entrapped in the beads with an activity of 5 units per gram of wet beads was obtained by the addition of 100 units in 10 mL of slurry; beyond this amount a very little increase in activity was observed. The maximum immobilization yield was observed with a 1.2 mm bead size; increased bead sizes decreased the yield of immobilization. After optimization of all the parameters, a 40% yield of lipase (ABL) activity was observed in the Ca-alginate beads. These lipase beads were used for 10 cycles for the hydrolysis of triglycerides without any loss in activity. The entrapped lipase was more stable over a wide range of temperatures, pH, and storage time as compared to free enzyme.
Is Sialyl Lewis x Antigen Expression a Prognostic Factor in Patients With Breast Cancer?
Authors: Sozzani Prisca , Arisio Riccardo , Porpiglia Mauro , Benedetto Chiara
Published: October 2008

Sialyl Lewis x (sLe x) carbohydrate antigen acts as an adhesion molecule expressed on the surface of cancer cells and is the most important ligand of the selectins present on endothelial cells. sLex expression was correlated to the metastatic potential of breast cancer. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the prognostic value of sLex in a series of breast carcinomas with long-term follow-up. A total of 127 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer were enrolled and followed for a median of 140 months. Tumor grade, mitotic index, histotype, vascular invasion, and tumor extension and sLex were recorded and used in multivariate analysis. sLex antigen was expressed in 37 specimens (21%). Survival was similar for sLex-positive and sLex-negative tumors (62% vs 60%) for overall survival and for disease-free survival (59% vs 56%). Expression of sLex antigen in breast cancer is not associated with breast cancer survival.
Selective Attention in Normal and Impaired Hearing
Authors: Shinn-Cunningham Barbara G. , Best Virginia
Published: October 2008

A common complaint among listeners with hearing loss (HL) is that they have difficulty communicating in common social settings. This article reviews how normal-hearing listeners cope in such settings, especially how they focus attention on a source of interest. Results of experiments with normal-hearing listeners suggest that the ability to selectively attend depends on the ability to analyze the acoustic scene and to form perceptual auditory objects properly. Unfortunately, sound features important for auditory object formation may not be robustly encoded in the auditory periphery of HL listeners. In turn, impaired auditory object formation may interfere with the ability to filter out competing sound sources. Peripheral degradations are also likely to reduce the salience of higher-order auditory cues such as location, pitch, and timbre, which enable normal-hearing listeners to select a desired sound source out of a sound mixture. Degraded peripheral processing is also likely to increase the time required to form auditory objects and focus selective attention so that listeners with HL lose the ability to switch attention rapidly (a skill that is particularly important when trying to participate in a lively conversation). Finally, peripheral deficits may interfere with strategies that normal-hearing listeners employ in complex acoustic settings, including the use of memory to fill in bits of the conversation that are missed. Thus, peripheral hearing deficits are likely to cause a number of interrelated problems that challenge the ability of HL listeners to communicate in social settings requiring selective attention.
Book Review: Les Bell (2007) Perspectives on Educational Management and Leadership
Authors: Torrance Deirdre
Published: October 2008

Humes, W. & Bryce, T. (2003) The distinctiveness of Scottish education. In W. Humes & T. Bryce (eds) Scottish Education: Second Edition Post-Devolution. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Teaching assistants' perceptions of their professional role and their experiences of doing a Foundation Degree
Authors: Dunne Linda , Goddard Gillian , Woolhouse Clare
Published: October 2008

This article discusses the interim findings of a three-year ongoing research study that investigates the professional roles and personal experiences of teaching assistants who are also doing a Foundation Degree. We explore the perceptions of teaching assistants to question the official rhetoric and almost mandatory optimism surrounding Foundation Degrees and the skills culture promoted by the government in England. We show that Foundation Degrees are not necessarily regarded as `real degrees' by those who undertake them and they can be seen in an instrumental way that resonates with information, training and doing, rather than with knowledge or education. In making our analysis we also note that across groups of both primary and secondary teaching assistants there was a level of disillusionment regarding notions of professionality, status and views on becoming a teacher following a Foundation Degree. This rejection of teaching as a potential career was accompanied by a tangible resistance to the present emphasis on standards and standardized models of curriculum delivery.
Sources of Vietnam's economic growth
Authors: Ngoc Phan Minh
Published: October 2008

This article first estimates Cobb-Douglas production functions for Vietnam's economy using annual data in 1975–2003. Then, the article measures the contribution of capital formation, labour, and technological progress to the growth of the economy, the effects of major internal and external shocks on output, the impact of economic reforms (doi moi) since the end of 1986, the rates of returns to capital and labour. Two major findings are: (1) technological progress was statistically absent in the growth of the Vietnamese economy throughout the study period; (2) the most important source of economic growth is capital accumulation.
Planning for the deployment of development in Bangladesh
Authors: Bhuiyan Abul Hossain Ahmed , Faraizi Aminul Haque , McAllister Jim
Published: October 2008

One may observe a fundamental disjuncture that occurred in the operation of power by the West in governing the Third World population since the Second World War. Pre-war management was based on exercise of sovereign power by the former colonial masters; post-colonial or contemporary power is exercised through the production of self-governing docile subjects, who internalize Western ideals as their own. This form of subjugation is more subtle and effective than colonial governance. This article uses the development planning process in Bangladesh as an example to demonstrate how that process enables the deployment of endless institutions and strategies for development to bring the general masses under disciplinary control.
Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning (IRAP)
Authors: Sarkar Ashoke K. , Ghosh Dipak
Published: October 2008

This is a case study based on an application of the Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning (IRAP) methodology in a rural area in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The article adopts a participatory approach to quantify accessibility needs for water source, education and health care for all 13 villages in the study area. The villages were then prioritized according to their needs for better accessibility. Villages with the worst accessibility levels in all three sectors are identified. A number of alternative proposals, generated in consultation with the representatives of the villagers, are evaluated and then the most suitable solutions are identified.
Circadian Modulation of Mentally Simulated Motor Actions: Implications for the Potential Use of Motor Imagery in Rehabilitation
Authors: Gueugneau Nicolas , Mauvieux Benoit , Papaxanthis Charalambos
Published: October 2008

Background. Mental practice through motor imagery improves subsequent motor performance and thus mental training is considered to be a potential tool in neuromotor rehabilitation. Objective. The authors investigated whether a circadian fluctuation of the motor imagery process occurs, which could be relevant in scheduling mental training in rehabilitation programs. Methods. The executed and imagined durations of walking and writing movements were recorded every 3 hours from 8 AM to 11 PM in healthy participants. The authors made a cosinor analysis on the temporal features of these movements to detect circadian rhythms. Temporal differences between executed and imagined movements as well as their variability during the day were also quantified. Results. Circadian rhythms were detected for both the executed and the imagined movements. Furthermore, these rhythms covaried between them and with body temperature. The participants' ability to internally simulate their movements also fluctuated significantly during the day. The isochrony between the executed and the imagined movements was exclusively observed between 2 PM and 8 PM. In the morning (8 AM and 11 AM) and the evening (11 PM), the durations of the imagined movements were significantly longer than the durations of executed movements. Conclusions . Predictive internal models fluctuate in a circadian basis, as do many other physiological parameters. It could be important to take into consideration the time of day in the planning of rehabilitation programs using physical or mental training.
Meeting the Mixed Methods Challenge of Integration in a Sociological Study of Structure and Agency
Authors: Woolley Claire M.
Published: October 2008

Substantial integration of quantitative and qualitative data and findings in mixed methods studies is seldom seen, although maximizing the potential of the approach depends on this. An absence of exemplars has been identified as among a number of factors that currently impede integration in studies carried out by researchers using the approach. This article offers an example of how maximum integration of data sets can be achieved. The sociological study discussed used a combination of methods—questionnaire survey, group interviews, and individual interviews—to obtain a fuller view of young people's perspectives on their lives. Aspects of the project's research design and analyses that were instrumental to achieving a genuinely integrated mixed methods approach are identified.
Child Geopolitical Agency
Authors: Habashi Janette , Worley Jody
Published: October 2008

This study examines the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Mixed methodology was used to identify the etiologies contributing to processes of political socialization. Both qualitative and qualitative methods are equally distributed throughout this research. Focus groups and interviews with 12 Palestinian children, aged 10 to 13 years, living in refugee camps, villages, and cities in the West Bank were used to develop a survey instrument. The survey was administrated to 1% of the students attending school, Grades 5 to 7, in the West Bank, Palestine. The use of mixed methodology revealed the interconnectedness of formal and informal political socialization that produces the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Findings elaborated on the processes and the relationships used to describe children's geopolitical agency.
Information Operations `Blowback'
Authors: Winseck Dwayne
Published: October 2008

The US's adoption of the broad doctrine of `information operations' (IO) in 2003 put information and media strategies on a par with conventional means of military power and made them pivotal to achieving `full-spectrum dominance'. This article focuses on the role of IO in shaping the global media ecology and in the battle for hearts and minds, especially in Muslim-majority countries. However, the author also argues that the impact of such operations at home may be their most important legacy. IO `blowback' occurs as surveillance and propaganda campaigns targeting foreign audiences spill back into the US because of the nature of the global media and information flows. The all-encompassing doctrine also blurs the boundaries between `normal' media spin and public affairs, on the one hand, and propaganda and covert media operations, on the other. The convergence of commercial media and the military and government in such operations is also yielding what some call the military—information—media—entertainment (MIME) complex. Lastly, the US military's heavy reliance on the Internet and other public communication networks means that cyberspace is being retooled to meet national security, surveillance, propaganda and cyberwarfare needs.
Picturing the Iraq War
Authors: Fahmy Shahira , Kim Daekyung
Published: October 2008

This study reports the findings of a visual content analysis of 1305 Iraq War-related photographs appearing in the US press, represented by The New York Times, and the British press, represented by The Guardian . Overall, the two newspapers visually portrayed the Iraq War differently. Further, the more spontaneous or direct coverage of actually ongoing events were rare at best, and were exclusively found in photographs that ran in The Guardian. One aspect of the pictorial coverage, however, seems unprecedented: the emphasis on the human cost of the war focusing on Iraqi civilians. Moreover, images of loss of military life were scarce but still available.
Journalistic Self-Regulation in Australia
Authors: Breit Rhonda A.
Published: October 2008

This article examines the system of journalistic accountability in Australia, evaluating its capacity to promote `the highest ethical and professional standards' seen as fundamental to achieving the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) vision for an inclusive information society. First, it outlines the approach to media and journalistic accountability adopted in Australia. It then analyses a representative sample of journalism codes of ethics and codes of practice, classifying them according to their approaches to self-regulation, the key characteristics of the codes and the approaches to dispute resolution adopted. The findings of this analysis are then compared with best practice in self-regulation criteria distilled from the Taskforce on Industry Self-Regulation to identify potential problems with the current scheme of journalistic self-regulation. These criteria are then critiqued, identifying a range of problems in relation to the scheme's capacity to promote information society objectives as articulated by the WSIS in relation to the role of traditional and new media.
Trends in International Internet Defamation Suits
Authors: Adedayo Ladigbolu Abah
Published: October 2008

Emerging trends in international Internet defamation suits from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, and international efforts in the European Union, American Law Institute, International Bar Association and the Hague Convention to harmonize the laws in international Internet defamation are evaluated to see emerging areas of commonality that might be useful in harmonizing the laws in the phenomenon of global Internet defamation liability. This study proposes the utilization of existing commonalities in laws, as well as emerging standards from the efforts to harmonize laws by the EU and current international judicial dispositions, as parameters for an international agreement on Internet torts.
Examining Peace-Oriented Media in Areas of Violent Conflict
Authors: Bratic Vladimir
Published: October 2008

While the relationship between war and media is examined in literature, the cases of the positive use of mass communication channels in the reconciliation of post-conflict societies are virtually unknown. The goal of this study is to respond to the gap in literature by examining theoretical evidence and practical case studies describing media promotion of peace across the world. As a result, a total of 40 media projects in 18 countries are documented and two case studies are examined in detail. Initial lessons from the practical projects in conjunction with historical developments of media in wars suggest that the current practice would benefit from: integration of all available media channels and practices, incorporation of media into other social institutions and processes and regulation of hate media as well as production of peace-oriented media.