bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metre, History, Context: Introduction to the Metre Matters Cluster
Authors: Hall Jason David
Published: February 2009

This article introduces a cluster drawing material from the recent conference Metre Matters: New Approaches to Prosody, 1780–1914. It comprises this introduction by Jason David Hall and six articles presented at the conference, whose aim was to address renewed scholarly interest in versification and form across the long nineteenth century, as well as some of the methodologies underpinning it. The papers included in the cluster look both to the minutiae of Romantic and Victorian metres and to their cultural intertexts. The conference, hosted by the University of Exeter's Centre for Victorian Studies, was held 3–5 July 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

Jason David Hall, ‘Metre, History, Context: Introduction to the Metre Matters Cluster’.

Emma Mason and Rhian Williams, ‘Reciprocal Scansion in Wordsworth's “There Was a Boy” ’.

Ross Wilson, ‘Robert Browning's Compounds’.

Margaret A. Loose, ‘The Internationalism of Ernest Jones's Dialectical Prosody’.

Nancy Jiwon Cho, ‘Gender and Authority in British Women Hymn‐Writers’ Use of Metre, 1760–1900’.

Ashley Miller, ‘Involuntary Metrics and the Physiology of Memory’.

Summer Star, ‘ “For the Inscape's Sake”: Sounding the Self in the Metres of Gerard Manley Hopkins’.
Reciprocal Scansion in Wordsworth's ‘There Was a Boy’
Authors: Mason Emma , Williams Rhian
Published: February 2009

This article is part of a cluster that draws material from the recent conference Metre Matters: New Approaches to Prosody, 1780–1914. It comprises an introduction by Jason David Hall and six articles presented at the conference, whose aim was to address renewed scholarly interest in versification and form across the long nineteenth century, as well as some of the methodologies underpinning it. The papers included in the cluster look both to the minutiae of Romantic and Victorian metres and to their cultural intertexts. The conference, hosted by the University of Exeter's Centre for Victorian Studies, was held 3–5 July 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles: Jason David Hall, ‘Metre, History, Context: Introduction to the Metre Matters Cluster’.

Emma Mason and Rhian Williams, ‘Reciprocal Scansion in Wordsworth's “There Was a Boy” ’.

Ross Wilson, ‘Robert Browning's Compounds’.

Margaret A. Loose, ‘The Internationalism of Ernest Jones's Dialectical Prosody’.

Nancy Jiwon Cho, ‘Gender and Authority in British Women Hymn‐Writers’ Use of Metre, 1760–1900’.

Ashley Miller, ‘Involuntary Metrics and the Physiology of Memory’.

Summer Star, ‘ “For the Inscape's Sake”: Sounding the Self in the Metres of Gerard Manley Hopkins’.

***

In this two‐voiced paper, we conduct an experiment in ‘reciprocal scansion’: a process in which prosodic investigation and labelling becomes a site, not for fixing the terms of a poem's formal effects, but for communication and dialogue. The paper will overturn the assumed association between scansion and ‘naturalness’ (the iambic pentameter as human heartbeat, for example), one that often manifests as peremptory analysis based on cultural prescription (as implied in an Eton Latin master's rhetorical questions in 1840: ‘if you do not write good longs and shorts, how can you ever be a man of taste? If you are not a man of taste, how can you ever be of use in the world?’). By renouncing openness and dialogue for rote methods of formal measurement, predetermined ways of scanning poetry serve to distance readers from, rather than draw them to, a poem's formal effects. In order to undo this knot of formalism, we seek to locate dialogue, rather than singularity of effect, at the heart of our investigation. An examination of prosodic variations within larger frames of regularity allows us to access the different effects that prosodic choices enact upon readers. In particular, this paper illustrates how Wordsworth's frequent emphasis on movements between the ear and the eye traces thematically vital transitions between sight and sound, and in doing so, allegorizes the process of scansion used in prosody. By bringing this treatment to bear on ‘There Was a Boy’, we critique the ‘naturalness’ of prosody and bring out the ways in which Wordsworth's ‘intertexture of ordinary feeling’ involves the coalition of emotion and regulation through metre. This coalition also hints at meetings and encounters that, by virtue of prosody, can be reciprocally rewarding.
Gender and Authority in British Women Hymn‐Writers’ Use of Metre, 1760–1900
Authors: Cho Nancy Jiwon
Published: February 2009

This article is part of a cluster that draws material from the recent conference Metre Matters: New Approaches to Prosody, 1780–1914. It comprises an introduction by Jason David Hall and six articles presented at the conference, whose aim was to address renewed scholarly interest in versification and form across the long nineteenth century, as well as some of the methodologies underpinning it. The papers included in the cluster look both to the minutiae of Romantic and Victorian metres and to their cultural intertexts. The conference, hosted by the University of Exeter's Centre for Victorian Studies, was held 3–5 July 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles: Jason David Hall, ‘Metre, History, Context: Introduction to the Metre Matters Cluster’.

Emma Mason and Rhian Williams, ‘Reciprocal Scansion in Wordsworth's “There Was a Boy” ’.

Ross Wilson, ‘Robert Browning's Compounds’.

Margaret A. Loose, ‘The Internationalism of Ernest Jones's Dialectical Prosody’.

Nancy Jiwon Cho, ‘Gender and Authority in British Women Hymn‐Writers’ Use of Metre, 1760–1900’.

Ashley Miller, ‘Involuntary Metrics and the Physiology of Memory’.

Summer Star, ‘ “For the Inscape's Sake”: Sounding the Self in the Metres of Gerard Manley Hopkins’.
Genetics of resistance to the pink stem borer (Sesamia nonagrioides) in maize (Zea mays)
Authors: Butrón A. , Sandoya G. , Revilla P. , Malvar R.A.
Published: February 2009

Our knowledge of the genetics of resistance to the pink stem borer (Sesamia nonagrioides) in maize (Zea mays) is restricted to a few crosses among maize inbreds. The objectives of this study were to enlarge our understanding of the genetics of traits related to damage by pink stem borer and yield under infestation and to use generation means analyses to compare per se and testcross performance for detecting epistatic effects. All generations, either per se or crossed to testers, were evaluated in a 10 × 10 triple lattice design under artificial infestation with S. nonagrioides in 2005 and 2006. Most traits fit an additive–dominance model; but evidence for epistasis for resistance and yield under infestation was shown. Epistasis, in general, did not appear to play an important role in the inheritance of yield under pink stem borer infestation. However, the epistasis contribution to maize yield performance could be important in some outstanding crosses such as EP42 × A637. Testcross generation means revealed epistatic effects undetected by the generation means analysis, but neither method was able to eliminate dominance effects that could prevail over epistatic effects.
GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst
Authors: Kuin N. P. M. , Landsman W. , Page M. J. , Schady P. , Still M. , Breeveld A. A. , De Pasquale M. , Roming P. W. A. , Brown P. J. , Carter M. , James C. , Curran P. A. , Cucchiara A. , Gronwall C. , Holland S. T. , Hoversten E. A. , Hunsberger S. , Kennedy T. , Koch S. , Lamoureux H. , Marshall F. E. , Oates S. R. , Parsons A. , Palmer D. M. , Smith P. J.
Published: February 2009

We present the earliest ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) as observed with the Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). The GRB 081203A spectrum was observed for 50 s with the UV-grism starting 251 s after the Swift-Burst-Alert-Telescope (BAT) trigger. During this time, the GRB was ≈13.4 mag (u filter) and was still rising to its peak optical brightness. In the UV-grism spectrum, we find a damped Lyα line, Lyβ and the Lyman continuum break at a redshift z= 2.05 ± 0.01. A model fit to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log NH i= 22.0 ± 0.1 cm−2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (v≈ 14 mag) with moderate redshift (0.5 < z < 3.5) the UVOT is able to provide redshifts, and probe for damped Lyα absorbers within 4–6 min from the time of the Swift-BAT trigger.
Chemical Weathering of Detrital Sediments in the Taklamakan Desert, Northwestern China
Authors: ZHU BINGQI , YANG XIAOPING
Published: February 2009

Based on the analysis of major‐element compositions of detrital sediments from the Taklamakan Desert of northwestern China, this paper aims to study chemical weathering in a hyper‐arid desert environment. The major‐element compositions are basically similar to the Upper Continental Crust but show a clear enrichment of CaO and depletion of Na2O and K2O, indicating the enrichment of carbonates and the decomposition of sodium and potassium silicates. The indexes of chemical alteration are relatively low and correlate negatively with the content of Na2O, implying that the degree of chemical weathering is weak and mainly controlled by the weathering of sodium feldspars. An A‐CN‐K model demonstrates that the detrital sediments from the Taklamakan Desert have a high homogeneity in the trend of chemical weathering. They are weathered less than sands and soil in many other Chinese deserts, and also less than similar detrital sediments in many other countries. This evidence suggests a low degree of mineralogical maturity in the Taklamakan Desert. The aeolian sediments of different ages have similar indexes of chemical weathering, suggesting that the degree of chemical weathering was consistent in the Taklamakan Desert throughout the period of aeolian deposition. The low degree of chemical weathering is caused principally by extreme aridity, rapid rejuvenation of detrital sediments associated with strong aeolian processes, and an intensive input of fluvial deposits, as well as a lack of vegetation. Due to the high concentration of erodible minerals, the desert is quite vulnerable to soil erosion and land degradation.
Comparable length at weaning in cetaceans
Authors: Huang Shiang‐lin , Chou Lien‐Siang , Ni I‐Hsun
Published: February 2009

Abstract

Weaning represents the transition of mammalian life from maternal dependence to independence in both energetics and behavior. The length at weaning (Lw) is determined by the maternal investment during gestation and lactation. It affects calf survival and impacts on the long‐term persistence of species, but the measurement is not readily obtainable for many cetaceans. A general linear model and residual correlation were used to explore the correlations between the publishedLwand five other life history traits of cetaceans, including female asymptotic length (Lx), length at birth (Lb), lactation period (LP), gestation period (GP), and calving interval (CI).Lxwas a significant confounding parameter on the other five traits. By eliminating the confoundingLx, ANCOVA revealed that baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed cetaceans (Odontoceti) had comparableLw.By residual correlation, which factors the confoundingLx,Lwwas significantly correlated withLbbut not withGP,LP, andCI.AfterLbwas further eliminated, convergentLwin cetaceans could still be observed. Therefore, we proposed a generic expressionLw= 1.239Lx0.877, which allows us to further estimateLwof undocumented cetacean species.
Plasma levels of JAK2 mRNA in patients with chronic myeloproliferative diseases with and without V617F mutation: implications for prognosis and disease biology
Authors: MA W. , KANTARJIAN H. , ZHANG X. , YEH C.‐H. , ZHANG Z. J. , VERSTOVSEK S. , O’BRIEN S. , GILES F. , ALBITAR M.
Published: February 2009

The association of V617F JAK2 expression levels with disease behavior has not been studied in patients with nonchronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) myeloproliferative disease (MPD). We found plasma levels of total JAK2 mRNA to be higher in patients with non‐CML MPD (n = 175) than in CML patients (n = 45) and normal controls (n = 58) (each P < 0.001). Overall survival was studied in 68 patients and showed positive correlation with levels of total and mutant JAK2 mRNA in patients with the V617F mutation, but not those without the mutation. These findings suggest that total JAK2 expression levels play a role in the biology of the disease in V617F‐positive patients, and a therapy aiming at downmodulating the expression of the total JAK2 mRNA should be considered. In conclusion, we studied JAK2 total and V6217F mutant mRNA levels in plasma. We show high levels of JAK2 expression in MPD patients and these levels correlate with survival.
The effects of proteasome inhibitor bortezomib on a P‐gp positive leukemia cell line K562/A02
Authors: LÜ S. , CHEN Z. , YANG J. , CHEN L. , ZHOU H. , XU X. , LI J. , HAN F. , WANG J.
Published: February 2009

The aim of this study is to clarify the efficacy of proteasome inhibitor bortezomib to multidrug resistant (MDR) acute leukemia cells. We observed the effects of bortezomib on a P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) positive leukemia line K562/A02. The results showed that bortezomib has significant effects on P‐gp positive K562/A02 cells including cytotoxicity (48 h IC50: 171.36 nm), induction of apoptosis (31.71 ± 1.07% apoptotic cells after 24 h treatment at 100 nm), and inhibition of proteasome chymotrypsin‐like activity (relative activity to untreated controls: 20.07 ± 0.66% at 24 h with 10 nm bortezomib). These effects were lower than those observed in K562 cells (IC50, percentage of apoptotic cells, relative chymotrypsin‐like activity to untreated controls were 56.28 nm, 77.95 ± 0.35%, 5.35 ± 2.05% after the same treatments, respectively). No synergy between daunorubicin and bortezomib was shown in the killing of K562/A02 cells (synergistic ratios were <1). P‐gp expression levels did not decrease in K562/A02 cells after bortezomib treatment. Pretreatment with bortezomib does not improve the intracellular anthracycline concentration in K562/A02 cells. Bortezomib shows a promising effect for the treatment of refractory/relapsed leukemia, but it does not improve the effect of anthracycline to MDR leukemia cells.
Potential Hepatotoxicity of Efavirenz and Saquinavir/Ritonavir Coadministration in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Jamois Candice , Riek Myriam , Schmitt Christophe
Published: February 2009

Objective.  This study was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetic effects of coadministration of saquinavir/ritonavir with efavirenz at steady state.

Methods.  Healthy volunteers in this open‐label, two‐arm, one‐sequence, two‐period crossover study (planned enrollment of 40 participants) were randomized to one of two treatment arms: those in Arm 1 were scheduled to receive saquinavir/ritonavir 1,000/100 mg orally twice daily for 29 days and efavirenz 600 mg orally once daily starting on day 15 and continuing through day 29; participants randomized to Arm 2 were to receive efavirenz once daily for 29 days and saquinavir/ritonavir 1,000/100 mg twice daily starting on day 15 through day 29. Assessments included vital signs, laboratory analyses, electrocardiography, and blood levels of total saquinavir, ritonavir, and efavirenz. Pharmacokinetic parameters included Cmax (maximum observed plasma concentration), tmax (time to reach the maximum observed plasma concentration), (apparent elimination half‐life), and AUC0‐τ (area‐under‐the‐plasma‐concentration‐time curve over one dosing interval).

Results.  Eight participants (four in each arm) were enrolled; only two (one from each treatment arm) reached day 15 of the study and received the concurrent initial doses of saquinavir/ritonavir and efavirenz. The study was terminated prematurely after these two participants experienced nonserious adverse events. The participant in Arm 1 experienced mild abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, sleep disorder, and headache and the participant in Arm 2 experienced moderate‐intensity abdominal pain and mild vomiting with leukocytosis accompanied by elevated pancreatic and hepatic enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase values of 2‐fold and 3.5‐fold the upper limit of normal, respectively). Both participants recovered completely following treatment discontinuation. Only limited pharmacokinetic data were generated on these two participants.

Conclusions.  The early termination of this study precluded drawing any definitive conclusions regarding the pharmacokinetics at steady state of coadministered saquinavir/ritonavir and efavirenz.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite primers for Ceratosolen fusciceps, the fig‐pollinating wasp of Ficus racemosa, and amplification in two populations
Authors: KOBMOO N. , VIGNES H. , HOSSAERT‐MCKEY M. , WEI Z. , KJELLBERG F.
Published: February 2009

Ten microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for Ceratosolen fusciceps, the pollinating wasp of Ficus racemosa, based on individuals from Xishuangbanna (China) and Chiangmai (Thailand). High levels of variation were found among loci for both populations; allelic number varied from two to 18 (respectively from two to 22), expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.362 to 0.890 (respectively from 0.430 to 0.930).
Microsatellite markers for the roman, Chrysoblephus laticeps (Teleostei: Sparidae), an overexploited seabream from South Africa
Authors: TESKE PETER R. , COWLEY PAUL D. , FORGET FABIEN R. G. , BEHEREGARAY LUCIANO B.
Published: February 2009

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from an enrichment library of the roman, Chrysoblephus laticeps, and characterized for 40 individuals collected in Africa's largest and oldest Marine Protected Area (MPA), the Tsitsikamma National Park. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 19, and heterozygosities ranged from 0.20 to 0.85. A significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was detected for one locus, and linkage disequilibrium was identified among three pairs of loci. The markers will be useful to detect whether populations resident in MPAs along the South African coast are genetically connected, and whether there is spillover of recruits into adjacent exploited areas.
Microsatellite loci isolation in the Canarian common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) and their utility in other Canarian finches
Authors: SUÁREZ N. M. , BETANCOR E. , PESTANO J. J.
Published: February 2009

The taxonomic classification of the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) that inhabits the Canary Islands has been under debate for decades, mainly due to the absence of nuclear DNA analyses. In this study we describe the isolation and characterization of ten microsatellite loci (AAAG, AAAT and GT) from a La Palma specimen using an enrichment protocol. Two loci were monomorphic in the populations analysed (La Gomera and La Palma), but the remaining ones presented 2 or more alleles, with an average of 11.63 alleles per locus and an average observed heterozygosity of 0.735 (n = 44). All loci were tested for their utility in other Canarian populations and other finch species.
The Aspects and Mechanisms of Cognitive Alterations in Epilepsy: The Role of Antiepileptic Medications
Authors: Hamed Sherifa A.
Published: February 2009

Epilepsy is a major health problem. Several studies suggest a significant influence of epilepsy and its treatment on dynamic and functional properties of brain activity. Epilepsy can adversely affect mental development, cognition, and behavior. Epileptic patients may experience reduced intelligence, attention, and problems in memory, language, and frontal executive functions. Neuropsychological, functional, and quantitative neuroimaging studies revealed that epilepsy affect the brain as a whole. Mechanisms of epilepsy‐related cognitive dysfunction are poorly delineated. Cognitive deficits with epilepsy may be transient, persistent, or progressive. Transient disruption of cognitive encoding processes may occur with paroxysmal focal or generalized epileptic discharges, whereas epileptogenesis‐related neuronal plasticity, reorganization, sprouting, and impairment of cellular metabolism are fundamental determinants for progressive cognitive deterioration. Also antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have differential, reversible, and sometimes cumulative cognitive adverse consequences. AEDs not only reduce neuronal irritability but also may impair neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release, enzymes, and factors critical for information processing and memory. The present article serves as an overview of recent studies in adult and childhood epilepsy literatures present in PubMed that highlighted cognitive evaluation in epilepsy field (publications till 2008 were checked). We also checked the reference lists of the retrieved studies for additional reports of relevant studies, in addition to our experience in this field. Our search revealed that although the aspects of cognitive dysfunction, risk factors, and consequences have been explored in many studies; however, the mechanisms of contribution of epilepsy‐related variables, including AEDs, to patients' cognition are largely unexplored. In this review, we discussed the differential effect of AEDs in mature and immature brains and the known mechanisms underlying epilepsy and AEDs adverse effects on cognition. The nature, timing, course, and mechanisms of cognitive alteration with epilepsy and its medications are of considerable clinical and research implications.
Treatment of high‐energy tibial shaft fractures with internal fixation and early prophylactic NovaBone grafting
Authors: Sun Jun‐ying , Hao Si‐chun , Sun Rong‐bin , Yang Yu‐sheng
Published: February 2009

Objective:  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of early NovaBone grafting in accelerating healing of high‐energy tibial shaft fractures.

Methods:  In a prospective, randomized, controlled study 78 patients with open or closed tibial shaft fractures were treated with reamed interlocking nails, combined with NovaBone grafting. Forty patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group (with NovaBone grafting at fracture site), and 38 to the control group (without NovaBone grafting).

Results:  All patients were followed up for an average of 8 months (range 6–18 months). The average fracture healing time was 12 weeks (range 8–16 weeks) in the experimental group, and 19 weeks (range 12–36 weeks) in the control group (P < 0.01). No delayed union or nonunion was found in the experimental group, but four cases (10.5%) in the control group were found to heal spontaneously between 7 and 8 months. When the data were analyzed at week 12 and week 26 according to the criteria of Johner and Wruhs, 88% and 100% of the cases in the experimental group were rated as excellent and good respectively, but in the control group, 50% and 89% were rated as excellent and good respectively, these being significant differences (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Internal fixation supplemented with early prophylactic NovaBone grafting of high‐energy tibial shaft fractures is a safe and effective treatment which accelerates fracture healing.
Analysis of the relationship between morphology of intervertebral disc and some correlated factors following discography in patients with chronic low back pain
Authors: Zhang Ji‐dong , Xia Qun , Hu Yong‐cheng , Miao Jun , Feng Qi‐jin
Published: February 2009

Objective:  To evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of discography in discogenic low back pain (LBP).

Methods:  Ninety‐six cases of chronic LBP with or without referred thigh pain were enrolled in this study. All these cases received CT scan following discography once conservative treatment for at least 6 months had failed. There were 42 men and 54 women, aged from 24 to 67 years (average 46.4). Discography was performed on 218 discs. The positive discs were classified morphologically according to the Dallas Discogram Description (DDD).

Results:  (i) The 56 cases (58.3%) which were positive on discography were divided into two subgroups of age less or more than 50 years. Positive rates for the two subgroups were 33.3% and 66.7%, respectively; (ii) one hundred and twenty‐two discs, of which 62 (50.8%) were positive on discography, showed morphologic abnormality, whereas all the discography positive discs showed morphologic abnormality. No complication related to discography was found in any case.

Conclusion:  (i) Compared with the younger patients, older LBP patients have a lower positive rate of discography despite the presence of more serious degenerative disc changes; (ii) outer layer disruption of the annulus fibrous correlates with positive discography; (iii) MRI intensity changes are not specific in diagnosing discogenic pain. Additional discography is needed to identify the painful disc; and (iv) the contrast volume injected into discs can be affected by a variety of factors which restrict its diagnostic value.
Artificial nucleus replacement: surgical and clinical experience
Authors: Zhang Zhong‐min , Zhao Liang , Qu Dong‐bin , Jin Da‐di
Published: February 2009

Objective:  To assess long‐term clinical results of prosthetic disc nucleus (PDN) replacement for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Methods:  Seventy‐two patients with lumbar disc herniation were implanted with a single PDN device from March 2002 to December 2003. Fifty‐eight (80.6%) patients attended clinical, functional, and radiographic follow‐up examinations for more than 48 months. Independent analysis was performed by careful review of the interviews, operative reports, preoperative and postoperative radiographs, and computed tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results:  After implantation, a significant proportion of patients experienced pain relief. Improvements were noted in pain intensity, walking distance, neurological weakness, Oswestry and Prolo scores, intervertebral disc height and lumbar mobility. Intervertebral disc height was not well maintained, compared with the preoperative height it decreased 18% (P < 0.001). Several complications were associated with the implantation of PDN, including transient low‐back pain, implant dislocation, malposition of the implant, damage to the end plates and subsidence of implant.

Conclusion:  The clinical data show that PDN is preferred and can effectively increase the range of lumbar motion in patients with lumbar disc herniation. However, this study only represents cases in our centre.
Trabecular bone micro‐architecture and bone mineral density in adolescent idiopathic and congenital scoliosis
Authors: Zhu Feng , Qiu Yong , Yeung Hiu Yan , Lee Kwong Man , Cheng Chun‐yiu Jack
Published: February 2009

Objective:  To investigate the microstructure of trabecular bone in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and age‐matched congenital scoliosis (CS), and to evaluate the bone mineral status of CS patients compared with normal controls and AIS patients.

Methods:  This study included 15 AIS and 16 CS female patients and 35 healthy female adolescents. Corrective surgery was indicated for the AIS and CS patients, from whom iliac crest biopsies were collected during autograft harvesting, and scanned by micro‐computer tomography. Bone mineral status was assessed at the lumbar and hip areas in every patient by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Results:  Significantly lower lumbar and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) was found in AIS patient compared with normal controls. All BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) parameters were significantly lower in CS patients compared with age‐matched normal controls. Under DEXA assessment significant associations between bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) and BMD values were observed. In the 3D model, BV/TV was significantly higher in AIS (19.9% ± 3.4%) than in CS (13.3% ± 3.0%, P < 0.05). Significant differences between AIS and CS were also found in trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) (155.5 ± 54.9 µm vs. 108.1 ± 17.4 µm and 16.4% ± 3.3% vs. 22.0% ± 3.4% respectively, P < 0.05 in both).

Conclusion:  Lower bone mineral status and weak trabecular bone structure observed in AIS and CS justify further investigation of the bone mineral status in scoliosis of various etiologies.
Low dose erythropoietin‐beta improves anemia and maintains ribavirin dose in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving combination therapy with ribavirin plus pegylated interferon Alfa‐2b
Authors: Tseng Kuo‐Chih , Chen Li‐Hsuan , Chen Chi‐Yi , Chang Ting‐Tsung , Chou An‐Liang , Wu I‐Chin , Cheng Pin‐Nan
Published: February 2009

Aim: Anemia during combination therapy with pegylated interferon alfa‐2b plus ribavirin (RBV) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients usually leads to RBV dose reduction or discontinuation. This study evaluated the effect of erythropoietin‐beta (EPO‐β) to maintain RBV dose and hemoglobin (Hb) level in chronic HCV patients treated with antiviral combination therapy.

Methods: Eighty‐eight chronic HCV patients who developed anemia during therapy were enrolled into this retrospective study: 55 in the EPO‐β group and 33 in the untreated group. The study endpoints were to assess the RBV maintenance and the changes in Hb.

Results: A higher percentage of patients with RBV maintenance was observed in the EPO‐β group compared with the untreated group (nadir Hb level <10.5 g/dL; 70% vs. 38%,P = 0.020; nadir Hb < 10 g/dL; 62% vs. 27%,P = 0.046). The mean Hb change from week 12 to week 20 was higher in the EPO‐β group when compared with the untreated group, especially for patients receiving a total EPO‐β dose of more than 16 000 U (+0.70 g/dL vs. −0.32 g/dL,P = 0.023) and of 10 000 U‐14 000 U (+0.60 g/dL vs. −0.32 g/dL,P = 0.023).

Conclusions: Low‐dose EPO‐β can maintain RBV dose and increase Hb levels in anemic chronic HCV patients receiving combination therapy.
Special stain and X‐ray probe microanalysis of livers with Wilson disease
Authors: Hayashi Hisao , Fujita Yoshikazu , Tatsumi Yasuaki , Hattori Ai , Hayashi Kazuhiko , Katano Yoshiaki , Wakusawa Shinya , Yano Motoyoshi , Itoh Masafumi , Mizutani Naoki , Goto Hidemi
Published: February 2009

Aim:  Primary copper toxicosis due to Wilson disease is clinically complex, often leading to delayed diagnosis. Because the metabolic disorder is frequently complicated by iron overload due to hypoceruloplasminemia, either a special stain or microanalysis has been recommended for liver biopsy specimens.

Methods:  Liver biopsy was performed in three patients in whom Wilson disease was highly suspected. Light microscopic study included rubeanic acid stain for copper and Berlin blue stain for iron. To improve the resolution of ultra‐structures and preservation of toxic metals, short‐term fixation with a 0.1% osmic acid solution was applied for X‐ray probe microanalysis. Their diagnosis was confirmed by genetic study and copper chelation therapy.

Results:  Two patients at the age of 17 and 23 years, respectively, demonstrated cirrhotic livers surrounded by fibrous septa, while a 7‐year‐old patient demonstrated fatty liver with mildly expanded portal tracts. Both copper grains stained with rubeanic acid and cuprothionein by microanalysis were found in the cirrhotic livers of aged patients. However, either morphological method failed to detect copper deposition in fatty liver tissues from the young patient. Iron deposits were also found in the cirrhotic livers of aged patients. The molecular basis of Wilson disease was confirmed by gene analysis. All patients responded to copper chelation therapy.

Conclusion:  A morphological method of special staining or microanalysis improved with a new fixative may be unreliable for detecting diffusely distributed copper in the early stage of Wilson liver disease.
Managing White‐Collar Work: An Operations‐Oriented Survey
Authors: Hopp Wallace J. , Iravani Seyed M. R. , Liu Fang
Published: February 2009

Although white‐collar work is of vast importance to the economy, the operations management (OM) literature has focused largely on traditional blue‐collar work. In an effort to stimulate more OM research into the design, control, and management of white‐collar work systems, this paper provides a systematic review of disparate streams of research relevant to understanding white‐collar work from an operations perspective. Our review classifies research according to its relevance to white‐collar work at individual, team, and organizational levels. By examining the literature in the context of this framework, we identify gaps in our understanding of white‐collar work that suggest promising research directions.
Comparison of quantitative immunoturbidimetric and semiquantitative latex‐agglutination assays for D‐dimer measurement in canine plasma
Authors: Boutet Philippe , Heath Fred , Archer Joy , Villiers Elizabeth
Published: February 2009

Background: D‐dimer measurement in dogs is considered the most reliable test for detecting disseminated intravascular coagulation or thromboembolism.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to compare 2 D‐dimer assays, a quantitative immunoturbidimetric and a semiquantitative latex agglutination assay, and to assess the effect of hemolysis and storage conditions on D‐dimer concentration using the quantitative assay.

Methods: The immunoturbidimetric assay was validated using canine citrated plasma samples containing different concentrations of D‐dimer. The effect of storage at various temperatures and times was assessed. Hemolysis was produced by adding lysed RBCs to the samples for a final hemoglobin concentration of 0.35 g/dL.

Results: For clinically relevant values (>250 μg/L), intra‐assay and interassay coefficients of variation were 6.8% and 7.2%. The assay was linear (r2=1.00), and the tests had good agreement (κ=0.685, P<.001). Storage at 4 °C and −20 °C and hemolysis had no significant effect on D‐dimer concentrations. In hemolyzed samples stored at room temperature for ≥48 hours, fine clots were noted and often resulted in falsely increased D‐dimer concentrations.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the immunoturbidimetric assay validated in this study is reliable and accurate for the measurement of D‐dimer in canine plasma. Samples can be stored for up to 1 month at −20 °C and moderate hemolysis does not significantly affect the D‐dimer concentration in frozen or refrigerated samples.
Comparison of flow cytometry with the Sysmex XT2000iV automated analyzer for the detection of reticulated platelets in dogs
Authors: Pankraz Alexander , Bauer Natali , Moritz Andreas
Published: February 2009

Background: Immature (reticulated) platelets (r‐PLT) are not routinely assessed by hematology analyzers, but may be useful in the evaluation of the bone marrow response to thrombocytopenia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the Sysmex XT2000iV hematology analyzer with standard flow cytometry for the determination of r‐PLT percentage in dogs.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 40 healthy dogs, 12 thrombocytopenic dogs, and 6 dogs with normal platelet counts but with disorders associated with increased thrombopoiesis. The percentage of r‐PLT was determined with a FACscan flow cytometer (r‐PLT[F]) using CD61‐phycoerythrin antibody and thiazole orange, and with the PLT‐O channel of the Sysmex analyzer (r‐PLT[S]). Mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet large cell ratio were also determined on the Sysmex. Repeatability (intra‐assay precision) and effect of storage were tested for the automated analyzer.

Results: The reference interval (mean±1.96 X SD) for r‐PLT(F) was 1.91±1.29% (range 0.78–3.68%) and for r‐PLT(S) was 0.56±0.82% (range 0.11–2.16%). For both flow cytometry and the Sysmex, the patient group had a significantly higher mean percentage of r‐PLT compared with the control group (P<.0001, unpaired Student's t‐tests). Fair correlation (r=0.71; Spearman's regression analysis) was found for r‐PLT results between the 2 methods, and a negative proportional systematic bias of −6.26 was found for the Sysmex (Bland–Altman analysis). Based on receiver operating characteristic curves and a cut‐off of ≥0.975%, a sensitivity of 94.7% and a specificity of 85.7% were obtained for detecting r‐PLT on the Sysmex, using flow cytometry as the reference method. Blood samples stored at 4 °C and 25 °C had a significant increase in the percentage of r‐PLT after 24 and 48 hours, respectively.

Conclusions: The PLT‐O channel of the Sysmex XT2000iV is capable of detecting immature platelets in healthy, thrombocytopenic, and nonthrombocytopenic ill dogs.
Hemolysis, myopathy, and cardiac disease associated with hereditary phosphofructokinase deficiency in two Whippets
Authors: Gerber Karen , Harvey John W. , D'Agorne Sara , Wood Jonathan , Giger Urs
Published: February 2009

Abstract:Two male castrated Whippet littermates were presented at 1 year of age for pallor, tachycardia, systolic heart murmur, dark yellow to orange feces, intermittent lethargy, pigmenturia, and muscle shivering or cramping after exercise. Persistent macrocytic hypochromic anemia with marked reticulocytosis and metarubricytosis was found when CBC results were compared with reference values for Whippets. Increased serum creatine kinase activity and hyperkalemia also were sometimes present over the 4‐year period of evaluation. Progressively increasing serum concentrations of N‐terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide suggested cardiac disease. Erythrocytes from the whippets were less osmotically fragile but more alkaline fragile than those from control dogs. Erythrocyte phosphofructokinase (PFK) activities and 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate concentrations were decreased. Restriction enzyme‐based DNA test screening and DNA sequencing revealed the same mutation in the muscle‐PFK gene of the Whippets as seen in English Springer Spaniel dogs with PFK deficiency. This is the first report of PFK deficiency in Whippet dogs. In addition to causing hemolysis and exertional myopathy, heart disease may be a prominent clinical component of PFK deficiency in this breed and has not been previously recognized in PFK‐deficient English Springer Spaniels.
What is your diagnosis? Abdominal mass aspirate in a cat with an increased Na:K ratio
Authors: Renschler Janelle S. , Dean Gregg A.
Published: February 2009

Abstract: A 13‐year‐old domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of pollakiuria. Laboratory abnormalities included mild hypercholesterolemia, moderate hypertriglyceridemia, and a mild increase in the Na:K ratio (43, reference interval 32–41). Abdominal ultrasonography revealed urinary calculi and a soft tissue mass between the right caudate liver lobe and the right kidney. Surgery was done to remove the cystic calculi, and aspirates of the mass were obtained. Cytologic specimens contained a population of large, round to angular cells with round nuclei, coarse irregularly stippled chromatin, 1–2 prominent round to angular nucleoli, and abundant pale basophilic cytoplasm distended by numerous well‐delineated vacuoles. Rare binucleated cells and micronuclei, and moderate anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, and anisonucleoleosis were noted. The cytologic interpretation was adrenal neoplasia, consistent with adrenal carcinoma. Approximately 4 months later, the cat developed vomiting, dehydration, weakness, and cervical ventroflexion. Serum biochemical alterations at that time included marked hypokalemia (2.4 mmol/L, reference interval 3.4–5.6 mmol/L) and a markedly increased Na:K ratio (65, reference interval 32–41). Mean systolic blood pressure was 205 mmHg. Surgical removal of the mass was accomplished via right adrenalectomy and a diagnosis of adrenal carcinoma was confirmed histologically. Plasma aldosterone concentration (measured preoperatively) was 1358 pmol/L (reference interval 194–388 pmol/L). Primary hyperaldosteronism caused by a functional adrenal carcinoma is an uncommon condition in cats.
Development of a Tracer Fluid in a Vertical Tube With Gravity-Assisted and Resisted Motions
Authors: Zhou Chong , Majdalani Joseph , Dawson Christopher A.
Published: February 2009

This study provides procedural tools that can be used in concert with a computer algorithm to simulate the two-phase flow development of a higher density, tracer fluid inside a vertical tube. The problem arises in the context of a tracer fluid (e.g., a contrast agent) being injected into a neutral fluid such as blood. Based on cell fractions of tracer fluid obtained numerically, absorbency profiles are extrapolated. These are shown to compare favorably with laboratory x-ray samples realized under similar flow conditions. At low Reynolds numbers, one finds that a downward profile exhibits a more elongated frontal boundary than predicted by laminar flow theory of a single-phase, Newtonian fluid. The observed stretching of the denser fluid is confirmed experimentally and can be attributed to the combined effects of gravity assistance near the core and viscous resistance near the wall. In gravity-resisted flow, a reverse behavior is observed. A blunter frontal boundary is established during upward motion. In both cases, the role of gravity is weakened with successive increases in the Reynolds number. This behavior suggests the existence of a Reynolds number above which gravitational bias can be neglected in any flow orientation. It is hoped that this study will set the pace for a broader investigation of two-phase motion characterization of a tracer fluid under various flow conditions and orientations.
Design and Simulation of Silicon-Based Ultrasonic Nozzles for Production of Monodispersed Droplets
Authors: Cheng C. H. , Wang N. , Song Y. L. , Tsai S. C. , Chou Y. F. , Lee C. T. , Tsai C. S.
Published: February 2009

This paper reports the design and simulation of Si-based ultrasonic nozzles (or atomizers) that consist of multiple Fourier horns at ultrasonic frequency ranging from 0.57 to 2.75 MHz. Such high frequency ultrasonic nozzles should produce monodispersed droplets (or drops) 2 to 6 μm in diameter, which are ideal to efficiently target medications to different locations within the respiratory system depending on the site of disease. 3-D simulations on vibration mode shape and impedance of the nozzles using a commercial finite element method (FEM) program, ANSYS, yield resonant frequencies of pure longitudinal vibration in good agreement with the measured values. The mode shape simulation also shows that at the resonant frequency the longitudinal vibration amplitude gain at the nozzle tip for 3-horn nozzle is 8, four times that for a single-horn nozzle.
A Virtual Apparatus for Design and Testing of New Drug Formulations and Devices for Inhalation Therapy
Authors: Mendes Pedro J. , Sousa Joa˜o M. M. , Pinto Joa˜o F.
Published: February 2009

Delivery of drugs to the lungs as aerosols is regarded as an excellent route for local or systemic administration of drugs. Aerosols have been used traditionally for treating illnesses of the respiratory tract (e.g. asthma), but new perspectives and needs on inhalation therapy have recently emerged (e.g. insulin). The percentage of drug that reaches the targeted region, the so-called respirable fraction (RF), is in average only 30% of the dose provided to the patient. Thus, the development of more efficient formulations and devices remains an important issue.
A Novel Robotic System to Study the Upper Limb Strategy During Reaching of a Moving Target
Authors: Cappa Paolo , Patane` Fabrizio , Zanelli Giulia , Petrarca Maurizio
Published: February 2009

The study of the rehabilitation of the upper arm is an important issue in the Rehabilitation field due to: (i) the rapid growth of the older population [1, 2] and (ii) traumatic brain injury [3]. More specifically, the increase of the elderly at 2.4% per year and the increase in the probability of a stroke with age; in fact, this pathology is the first cause of invalidity in Europe where it occurs at a rate 60% higher than in the US. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account other degenerative pathologies, such as Parkinson’s. MIT-MANUS is the robotic system developed at the MIT Lab to rehabilitate the upper limb by means of exercises which guide or perturb the spontaneous movement of the brain-injured subject [4]. Its disadvantages are: (i) the loss of reality, because the patient reaches a visual target with the robot handle, which does not correspond to a 3D movement, and, especially, (ii) the high cost. The study of reaching is divided in two branches: reaching towards a still or a moving target. In the first case, it is preferable to explore the working space [5] to investigate the possible residual movements [6] and to recuperate the functions of the shoulder joint. Instead, as regards the moving target, there has been much research done because significant performance improvements were obtained in pathological patients [7]. So, the use of a ball projection machine is proposed [8]; it has the advantage to allow 3D trajectories but many disadvantages: (i) control only on initial impulse; (ii) not-reproducibility of trajectory; and (iii) risk in using with non-collaborative subjects. Instead, a system with magnetic coupling to move the object in 2D is proposed [7]; it allows the production of many trajectories and the control of dynamic parameters. The coordination between elbow and shoulder joints has been studied in the unconstrained reaching towards a still target [9].
Modeling Energy Deposition in Very Thin Layered Media by Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Eze Reginald , Rahman Anisur , Kumar Sunil
Published: February 2009

A Monte Carlo model with special features for modeling of radiation transport through very thin layers has been presented. Over the decades traditional Monte Carlo model has been used to model highly scattering thin layers in skin and may inaccurately capture the effect of thin layers since their interfaces are not perfectly planar and thicknesses non-uniform. If the Monte Carlo model is implemented without special features then the results of the simulation would show no effect of the outer thin layer since the path length of most photons would be significantly larger than the layer thickness and the resulting predicted photon travel would simply not notice the presence of the layer. Examples of multi-layered media are considered where the effect of a very thin absorbing layers is systematically examined using both the traditional Monte Carlo and that with new features incorporated. The results have profound implications in the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of laser in biomedicine and surgery.
Drug Eluting Stents: A New Class of Combination Product
Authors: Dutta Debashis
Published: February 2009

Drug Eluting Stent (DES) is a drug-device combination product. It is a metal stent coated with a pharmacological agent (drug). The drug interferes with the process of restenosis and prevents the reblocking of the artery. DES has been shown to reduce the incidence of restenosis from 20–30% range to single digits. A polymer is usually mixed -in with the drug to control the release of the drug into the vessel wall.
A Steerable Mechanism for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy
Authors: Mohseni Kamran
Published: February 2009

Gastrointestinal (GI) disease affects millions of people worldwide and costs billions of dollars annually. Because the symptoms of GI diseases are often vague, physicians are often presented with gastrointestinal disease in advanced stages. Because conventional endoscopes often cannot reach all the way through the 20-foot small bowel, exploratory surgery previously was necessary to enable physicians to complete their diagnosis.