bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reflex UroVysion testing in suspicious urine cytology cases
Authors: Ferra Susana , Denley Ryan , Herr Harry , Dalbagni Guido , Jhanwar Suresh , Lin Oscar
Published: January 2009

BACKGROUND:

UroVysion is a US Food and Drug Administration–approved fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe set for use in the detection of recurrent urothelial carcinoma and in patients with hematuria. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the usefulness of UroVysion as a reflex test in patients with a suspicious urine cytology diagnosis. The rationale was that a more aggressive workup might be indicated in patients with a suspicious cytology diagnosis and positive UroVysion test.

METHODS:

The study population included 161 urine specimens diagnosed as suspicious over a period of 12 months. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (NPV) were calculated based on the histologic and cystoscopic correlation.

RESULTS:

The results using the reporting criteria suggested by the manufacturer demonstrated a sensitivity of 68.3%, a specificity of 39.7%, a PPV of 56.8%, and a NPV of 51.9%. The results using the presence of any cytogenetic abnormality as a positive FISH test demonstrated a sensitivity of 82.9%, a specificity of 21.7%, a PPV of 54.8%, and an NPV of 51.7%.

CONCLUSIONS:

A negative UroVysion test did not rule out the presence of low‐grade or high‐grade urothelial carcinoma in urine specimens diagnosed as suspicious. The use of less strict criteria dramatically increased the sensitivity of UroVysion FISH; however, there was a marked decrease in specificity noted. The results in this current study appear to indicate that a more aggressive workup of patients with a suspicious cytology, positive UroVysion result, and negative cystoscopic evaluation is not currently justified. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Cloning and immunoreactivity of the 5‐HT1Mac and 5‐HT2Mac receptors in the central nervous system of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Authors: Vázquez‐Acevedo Nietzell , Reyes‐Colón Dalynés , Ruíz‐Rodríguez Eduardo A. , Rivera Nilsa M. , Rosenthal Joshua , Kohn Andrea B. , Moroz Leonid L. , Sosa María A.
Published: January 2009

Biogenic amines are implicated in several mental disorders, many of which involve social interactions. Simple model systems, such as crustaceans, are often more amenable than vertebrates for studying mechanisms underlying behaviors. Although various cellular responses of biogenic amines have been characterized in crustaceans, the mechanisms linking these molecules to behavior remain largely unknown. Observed effects of serotonin receptor agonists and antagonists in abdomen posture, escape responses, and fighting have led to the suggestion that biogenic amine receptors may play a role in modulating interactive behaviors. As a first step in understanding this potential role of such receptors, we have cloned and fully sequenced two serotonin receptors, 5‐HT1Mac and 5‐HT2Mac, from the CNS of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and have mapped their CNS immunohistochemical distribution. 5‐HT1Mac was found primarily on the membranes of subsets of cells in all CNS ganglia, in fibers that traverse all CNS regions, and in the cytoplasm of a small number of cells in the brain and circum‐ and subesophageal ganglia (SEG), most of which also appear to contain dopamine. The pattern of 5‐HT2Mac immunoreactivity was found to differ significantly; it was found mostly in the central neuropil area of all ganglia, in glomeruli of the brain's olfactory lobes, and in the cytoplasm of a small number of neurons in the SEG, thoracic, and some abdominal ganglia. The observed differences in terms of localization, distribution within cells, and intensity of immunoreactive staining throughout the prawn's CNS suggest that these receptors are likely to play different roles. J. Comp. Neurol. 513:399–416, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Non‐structure‐specific intensity measure parameters and characteristic period of near‐fault ground motions
Authors: Yang Dixiong , Pan Jianwei , Li Gang
Published: January 2009

This paper focuses on the effects of long‐period pulse of near‐fault ground motions on the structural damage potential. Two sets of near‐fault ground motion records from Chi‐Chi, Taiwan earthquake and Northridge earthquake with and without distinct pulse are selected as the input, and the correlation analysis between 30 non‐structure‐specific intensity measure parameters and maximum inelastic displacements and energy responses (input energy and hysteretic energy) of bilinear single degree of freedom systems are conducted. Based on the frequency characteristic of near‐fault ground motions with remarkable long‐period components, two intensity indices are proposed, namely, the improved effective peak acceleration (IEPA) and improved effective peak velocity (IEPV). In addition a new characteristic period of these ground motions is defined based on IEPA and IEPV. Numerical results illustrate that the intensity measure parameters related to ground acceleration present the best correlation with the seismic responses for rigid systems; the velocity‐related and displacement‐related parameters are better for medium‐frequency systems and flexible systems, respectively. The correlation curves of near‐fault ground motions with velocity pulse differ from those of ground motions without pulse. Moreover, the improved parameters IEPA and IEPV of near‐fault impulsive ground motions enhance the performance of intensity measure of corresponding conventional parameters, i.e. EPA and EPV. The new characteristic period based on IEPA and IEPV can better reflect the frequency content of near‐fault ground motions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Working with youth on LGBT issues: why Gay–Straight Alliance advisors become involved
Authors: Valenti Maria , Campbell Rebecca
Published: January 2009

This phenomenological qualitative study explores motivation for citizen participation in a local context by exploring the experiences of Gay‐Straight Alliance (GSA) club advisors from public high schools. Fourteen advisors from one midwestern state were randomly recruited for participation. Inductive and deductive qualitative analyses elucidated themes and subthemes surrounding the motivation for becoming an advisor. Two major themes that emerged were a protective attitude toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, a personal connection with sexual minority people/issues. It became clear that deciding to become a GSA advisor was not necessarily an easy decision. Therefore, the decision‐making process was analyzed, elucidating themes surrounding worries (possible lack of credibility, fear of job loss, and being accused of recruiting youth to the ‘gay lifestyle’) and security (tenure or protections against being fired, and being married). Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Safety and efficacy of sonographic‐guided random real‐time core needle biopsy of the liver
Authors: Padia Siddharth A. , Baker Mark E. , Schaeffer Christopher J. , Remer Erick M. , Obuchowski Nancy A. , Winans Charles , Herts Brian R.
Published: January 2009

Purpose.

To determine the safety and efficacy of real‐time, sonographic‐guided, random percutaneous needle biopsy of the liver in a tertiary medical center.

Method.

From an IRB‐approved biopsy database, all patients who had random liver biopsy performed over a 24‐month period were selected. In 350 patients, 539 random percutaneous needle biopsies of the liver were performed under real‐time sonographic visualization. The following were recorded from the electronic medical record: patient demographics, indication for biopsy procedure; radiologist's name; needle type and gauge and number of passes; use and amount of IV sedation or anesthesia; adequacy of the specimen; and complications following the procedure.

Result.

Of 539 biopsies, 378 (70%) biopsy procedures were performed on liver transplant recipients. Of the biopsy procedures in nontransplant patients, 81/161 (50%) concurrently underwent biopsy of a focal liver mass. An 18‐gauge automated core biopsy needle was used in 536/539 (99%). Median number of passes per biopsy procedure was 1 (mean, 1.7; range, 1–6). Sedation using midazolam and fentanyl was used in 483/539 (90%). There were only 8 inadequate specimens (1.5%, [2.3, upper 95% confidence limit, fully described in Statistical Analysis]). Complications were identified in 11/539 biopsy procedures (2.0%, [2.6, upper 95% confidence limit]): 5 with severe postprocedural pain, 3 with symptomatic hemorrhage, 2 with infection, and 1 with a rash. There were no sedation‐related complications and no deaths related to the procedure.

Conclusion.

Real‐time, sonographic‐guided, random core‐needle liver biopsy is a safe and highly effective procedure. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 2009
Effects of scoparone on dopamine biosynthesis and L‐DOPA‐induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells
Authors: Yang Yoo Jung , Lee Hak Ju , Huang Hai Shan , Lee Byung Koo , Choi Hyun Sook , Lim Sung Cil , Lee Chong Kil , Lee Myung Koo
Published: January 2009

The effects of scoparone on dopamine biosynthesis and L‐DOPA‐induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells were investigated. PC12 cells treated with scoparone at concentrations of 100–200 μM showed a 128–136% increase in dopamine levels over the course of 24 hr. Scoparone significantly increased the secretion of dopamine into the culture medium. Under the same conditions, the activities of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and aromatic L‐amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) were enhanced by treatment with 200 μM scoparone for 6–48 hr, but the activity of TH was regulated for a longer period than that of AADC. The intracellular levels of cyclic AMP and Ca2+ were increased by treatment with 200 μM scoparone. The levels of TH mRNA and the phosphorylation of cyclic AMP‐response element‐binding protein (CREB) were also significantly increased by treatment with 200 μM scoparone. In addition, scoparone at a concentration of 200 μM stimulated the activities of cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), and Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II (CaMK II). Finally, pretreatment with 200 μM scoparone reduced the cytotoxicity induced by L‐DOPA (20–100 μM) at 24 hr. These results suggest that scoparone enhances dopamine biosynthesis by regulating TH activity and TH gene expression, which is mediated by the PKA, CREB, PKC, and CaMK II pathways, and protects cells from L‐DOPA‐induced cytotoxicity by inducing cyclic AMP‐PKA systems in PC12 cells. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decreased antioxidant enzyme activity and increased mitochondrial DNA damage in cellular models of Machado‐Joseph disease
Authors: Yu Ya‐Chun , Kuo Chen‐Ling , Cheng Wen‐Ling , Liu Chin‐San , Hsieh Mingli
Published: January 2009

Machado‐Joseph disease (MJD)/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine expansion in the ataxin‐3 protein that confers a toxic gain of function. Because of the late onset of the disease, we hypothesize that the accumulated oxidative stress or/and defective antioxidant enzyme ability may be contributory factors in the pathogenesis of MJD. In this study, we utilized SK‐N‐SH and COS7 cells stably transfected with full‐length MJD with 78 polyglutamine repeats to examine any alterations in the antioxidant activity. We demonstrated a significant reduction in the ratio of GSH/GSSG and total glutathione content (GSH + 2× GSSG) in mutant MJD cells compared with the wild‐type cells under normal or stressful conditions. We also showed that both SK‐N‐SH‐MJD78 and COS7‐MJD78‐GFP cell lines have lower activities of catalase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase compared with the wild‐type cell lines. In addition, it is known that, when cells are under oxidative stress, the mitochondrial DNA is prone to damage. Our results demonstrated that mitochondrial DNA copy numbers are decreased in mutant cells and SCA3 patients' samples compared with the normal controls. Furthermore, the amount of common mitochondrial DNA 4,977‐bp deletion is higher in SCA3 patients compared with that in normal individuals. Overall, mutant ataxin‐3 may influence the activity of enzymatic components to remove O2− and H2O2 efficiently and promote mitochondrial DNA damage or depletion, which leads to dysfunction of mitochondria. Therefore, we suggest that the cell damage caused by greater oxidative stress in SCA3 mutant cells plays an important role, at least in part, in the disease progression. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Complicated recessive dystonia parkinsonism syndromes
Authors: Schneider Susanne A. , Bhatia Kailash P. , Hardy John
Published: January 2009

In addition to pure PD and pure dystonic syndromes, there are a group of disorders with overlapping features. The differential diagnosis of these dystonia parkinsonism syndromes can be complex. In view of the growing list of recognized disorders and recent advances in genetics, we review the autosomal recessive forms of dystonia parkinsonism, summarizing clinical presentations, results of investigations, and response to treatment of gene‐proven cases. We concentrate on PANK2‐, PLA2G6‐, ATP13A2‐, FBX07, TAF1‐, and PRKRA‐associated neurodegeneration. Parkin, PINK1, and DJ‐1 are also briefly reviewed. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
The effect of growth on stable nitrogen isotope ratios in subadult bone collagen
Authors: Waters‐Rist A. L. , Katzenberg M. A.
Published: January 2009

Stable nitrogen isotopes have been used to reconstruct infant feeding practices as nursing infants have elevated δ15N ratios compared with their mothers. However, infancy is also a time of rapid growth, which may alter nitrogen isotope diet‐to‐tissue spacing. Several studies have documented a decrease in δ15N during growth in tissues with relatively fast accretion rates. This study investigates the effect that the growth of long bones, via collagen accretion, has on δ15N ratios. Long bones from individuals aged seven to nineteen years were obtained from a protohistoric ossuary in Ontario, Canada. Analysis of juveniles and adolescents permitted the examination of growth in a group who were not also nursing. It is concluded that a nitrogen isotope growth effect is not detectable in bone collagen from juveniles and adolescents, because: (1) δ15N ratios are not significantly different among the epiphyses, metaphyses and diaphysis of a growing long bone; (2) δ15N ratios are not significantly different between faster‐growing versus slower‐growing metaphyses; and (3) δ15N ratios are not significantly different between bones (or areas of a bone) that are still undergoing growth, versus bones that have ceased growing. The relatively slow speed of collagen accretion may explain why a growth effect is not manifested. Ultimately this research lends support to the use of nitrogen isotopes from bone collagen for infant feeding reconstructions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diffusion and morphological properties of syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) films
Authors: Yamashita Kohtaro , Fujiwara Narumi , Fujikawa Yuichiro , Nakaoki Takahiko , Chiu Wen‐Yen , Stroeve Pieter
Published: January 2009

Four different fabrication procedures were used for casting thin films of syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP). A hot press system operated at 200°C and 30 MPa pressure was used to melt polypropylene powder and make the cast films. Different cooling procedures were used to anneal the films, including cooling in liquid nitrogen (LN), ice water, and air at room temperature (RT). The morphological and mass transfer properties of the films were studied with XRD, polarized optical microscopy, bulk flow, and diffusion experiments. All sPP films contained amorphous and crystalline phases. The crystalline phase was determined to be disordered Form I. The sPP films annealed with LN had the lowest crystallinity whereas the sPP films cooled in air at RT had the highest crystallinity. Diffusion of toluene in the films and comparison with Maxwell's equation indicated that the crystalline phase mass permeability is much lower than the amorphous phase, which causes films with low crystallinity to have a higher effective diffusion constant and permeability compared with high crystallinity films. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Post‐translational modifications of orphan nuclear receptor TR2 – new insights into drug targets for stem cell therapy and the effect of retinoic acid
Authors: Wei Li‐Na
Published: January 2009

Testicular receptor 2 (TR2) belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily that constitutes one of the largest transcription factor families. Due to the lack of specific ligands for TR2 and because TR2 gene knockout mice exhibited no apparent pathological phenotypes in laboratories, it has been a challenge to pursue studies of this mysterious nuclear receptor. Recently, using gene knockdown approaches, we were able to detect its specific biological activity, primarily, in the maintenance of proliferation potential of embryonic stem cells. Further, with proteomic approaches, we have uncovered extensive PTMs of TR2. Specific PTMs of TR2 could differentially regulate its biological activity mediated by multiple signaling pathways including one elicited by the nongenomic action of retinoic acid. These PTMs are involved in TR2 activation, repression, DNA‐binding, protein stability, and subcellular distribution. The confirmed PTMs that have a functional consequence on the activity/property of TR2 include phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation. This review summarizes the effects of PTMs, as well as their signaling pathways, on TR2 receptor protein stability, recruitment of coregulators, and subcellular partition, and discusses the potential of developing therapeutics targeting at the regulatory components of stem/precursor cells.
Proteomics: New insights into rheumatic diseases
Authors: Camafeita Emilio , Lamas José Ramón , Calvo Enrique , López Juan Antonio , Fernández‐Gutiérrez Benjamín
Published: January 2009

Tremendous advances undergone in electrophoresis, chromatography, and MS have led proteomic research to unprecedented achievement over the last decade. Proteomics is presently employed for assessing protein expression levels, for monitoring cellular activities and for determination of biochemical pathways, revolutionizing the way we study disease by opening up the possibility to decipher the pathogenesis of clinical manifestations. Over 200 disorders including osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoporosis are considered rheumatic diseases (RDs), which affect the musculoskeletal system (joints and other supporting structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones) and are a leading cause of disability among older adults. Despite that an autoimmune origin has been proposed for some RDs like RA, the pathogenesis of most of these diseases is still unclear. Therefore, proteomic research on RDs, notably OA and RA, can help clarify underlying disease mechanisms, develop biomarkers to improve early detection, measure response to treatment, and devise new therapies. Achievements in the field of proteomics research on RDs are summarized in this work.
Novel biomarkers of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in autoimmune diseases: Genomics and proteomics approaches
Authors: López‐Pedrera Chary , Barbarroja Nuria , Villalba Jose Manuel
Published: January 2009

Atherosclerosis (AT) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are enhanced in autoimmune diseases such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The reason for this accelerated process is still debatable and, although traditional risk factors are more prevalent in those patients than in general population, they do not fully explain that enhanced risk. Inflammatory components of the immune response, mainly interleukins, TNF‐α, and IFN‐γ, as well as some autoantibodies, including anti‐oxidized low density lipoproteins (anti‐oxLDL), anti‐beta‐2‐Glycoprotein 1 (anti‐ β2GPI), anti‐Heat shock proteins 60/65 (anti‐HSP60/65), and anti‐oxLDL/β2GPI have been shown to play a leading role in the pathogenesis of both, AT and CVD. However, the role of the autoantibodies in accelerated AT in autoimmune disease patients is still controversial. Recently, DNA microarray and proteomic‐based approaches have made substantial breakthrough into the study of various rheumatic diseases, thus allowing for the discovery of previously unknown proteins involved in CVD including some that may be suitable to be used as biomarkers. Herein, we review recent genomics and proteomic approaches that have been applied to the study of autoimmune diseases with atherosclerotic and CV risk. The pharmacogenomics and pharmacoproteomics studies given over to the analysis of ancient and new drugs used to relieve the physiopathology associated to these complex diseases are also discussed.
Sources of water vapour contributing to the Elbe flood in August 2002—A tagging study in a mesoscale model
Authors: Sodemann H. , Wernli H. , Schwierz C.
Published: January 2009

In this study we investigate the contribution of various moisture sources to the Elbe flood that occurred in Central Europe during August 2002. An 8‐day simulation with the mesoscale numerical weather prediction model CHRM, including newly implemented water vapour tracers, has been performed. According to the simulation, rather than drawing moisture from one single dominant source region, water vapour from widely separated moisture sources contributed to the extreme precipitation in the most affected area, notably at distinct, subsequent periods of time, and each in significant amounts. These moisture sources include the Atlantic and Mediterranean ocean areas inside the model domain, evapotranspiration from land areas, and long‐range advection from subtropical areas outside the model domain.

The results highlight the importance of the concurrent upper‐level circulation and the mesoscale flow structures associated with the cyclone for producing extreme precipitation in parts of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic during that period. Furthermore, the numerical and technical problems of implementing water vapour tracers into a limited‐area model are discussed, including conservative tracer advection, initialization, boundary treatment, and the handling of precipitation parametrizations. An evaluation of the consistency of the method in terms of water vapour, cloud water, and precipitation is provided, with generally satisfying results. The model with its detailed water vapour tracer implementation can now be used for further case‐studies and climatological simulations, and serve as a reference for evaluating the performance of other moisture tracking methods, such as those based on backward trajectories. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Cell proteomic footprint
Authors: Lokhov Petr , Balashova Elena , Dashtiev Maxim
Published: January 2009

The authentication of mammalian cell cultures and their subpopulations is of great demand in biotechnology and cell therapy. However, current techniques are either not efficient or can be very complex and expensive. Here we report a simple and straightforward approach for authentication of biological cells and their subpopulations with high speed, high throughput, low sample cost, and high sensitivity. We discovered that cell cultures treated with protease under soft, ‘non‐killing’ conditions release fragments of cell surface proteins, whose composition is a strong characteristic of the cells. Mass spectrometric analysis of the released fragments allows a direct comparison of the produced mass spectrum with the mass spectrum of known cells. As an example, we applied this technique to verify subpopulations of human fibroblasts with different origins and which exhibit different medical characteristics. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Composite measures for hospital quality using quality‐adjusted life years
Authors: Timbie Justin W. , Shahian David M. , Newhouse Joseph P. , Rosenthal Meredith B. , Normand Sharon‐Lise T.
Published: January 2009

Developing clinically meaningful summary measures of health‐care quality is key to inferring quality of care. Current summary measures use a number of different approaches to weight their individual measures but rarely use weights based on clinical ‘importance’. Such an approach would help to focus quality improvement efforts on areas likely to have the largest impact on health outcomes. Using coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery as a case study, we weight and combine 11 process, complication, and survival measures to summarize differences in quality‐adjusted life expectancy 1 year following surgery for a sample of hospitals. We use a fully Bayesian analysis to estimate 1‐year survival outcomes using a hierarchical exponential survival model. We then estimate the expected utility of the year following surgery for each patient using complication probabilities fitted from hierarchical models and utility values from the literature. We estimate quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) for each hospital as the utility‐weighted average 1‐year survival probability and then estimate ‘incremental QALYs’ by taking the difference in QALYs for each hospital relative to a comparison group that reflects the average performance of all hospitals in the state. We illustrate our framework by estimating incremental QALYs for 14 hospitals performing CABG surgery in Massachusetts in 2003 and find that a composite measure based on QALYs can change the classification of quality outliers relative to conventional mortality measures. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
C/EBPβ Mediates Synergistic Upregulation of Gene Expression by Interferon-γ and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Xu Guangwu , Zhang Yingyu , Zhang Liying , Roberts Arthur I. , Shi Yufang
Published: January 2009

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potent immunoregulators and have shown clinical utility in suppressing immunity. MSC function is modulated by cytokines, since inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-γ (IFNγ) concomitant with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), induce their immunoregulatory capability. Here, we show that IFNγ and TNFα act synergistically to induce high levels of expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and several other immune-related molecules in MSCs in vitro. We further found that, while either IFNγ or TNFα alone induced minor expression of C/EBPβ in MSCs, this transcription factor was dramatically upregulated when these cytokines were added together. A causal relationship between C/EBPβ upregulation and IL-6 expression was demonstrated by small interfering RNA knockdown of C/EBPβ. C/EBPβ knockdown also inhibited the synergistic expression of CXCL1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and CCL5 in response to concomitant IFNγ and TNFα. We conclude that C/EBPβ is a key transcription factor in synergistic gene upregulation by IFNγ and TNFα. Importantly, C/EBPβ similarly mediated synergistic gene induction in response to IFNγ accompanied by IL-1β or lipopolysaccharide, suggesting that synergy between IFNγ and other stimuli share C/EBPβ as common mechanism. Furthermore, while STAT1 is critical in IFNγ signaling, we found that STAT1 knockdown in MSCs did not affect C/EBPβ expression or the synergistic induction of IL-6 and CXCL1 by IFNγ and TNFα. Thus, C/EBPβ is not regulated by STAT1. These results demonstrate the importance of cytokine interactions in MSC immunobiology, a better understanding of which will allow improved clinical application of these cells.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
System aspects of 1100 kV AC transmission technologies in Japan
Authors: Zaima Eiichi
Published: January 2009

This paper describes the system aspects of 1100 kV AC transmission technologies with the UHV transmission project in Japan. For realization of technical and economical optimization throughout the design of the transmission line and the substation, solutions for network problems and insulation coordination specific to UHV AC transmission systems were studied in Japan. They include fast multiphase reclosing systems by HSGS (High Speed Grounding Switch) and overvoltage control by the application of surge arresters and circuit breakers with closing/opening resistors. These sophisticated technologies provide highly reliable and economical 1100 kV substations and transmission lines. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
High‐voltage testing on UHV equipment: Overshoot and base curve for oscillating lightning impulse
Authors: Matsumoto Satoshi , Kawamura Tatsuo
Published: January 2009

As the higher impulse testing voltage, residual inductance of the test circuit or the stray capacitance of the test object increases with size. This means that the overshoot superposed on standard lightning impulse voltage would not be neglected because of its larger value during the lightning test. This paper describes the analysis of overshoot and oscillation based on the equivalent circuit containing a residual inductance. The waveform parameters such as relative overshoot magnitude, oscillation frequency are also derived to evaluate the influence of the residual inductance in the impulse testing circuit. The oscillating impulse waveform is related to the base curve of the standard lightning impulse. Furthermore, the base curve for oscillating impulse is proposed by the analysis. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Plasmids with E2 epitope tags: tagging modules for N‐ and C‐terminal PCR‐based gene targeting in both budding and fission yeast, and inducible expression vectors for fission yeast
Authors: Tamm Tiina
Published: January 2009

A single‐step PCR‐based epitope tagging enables fast and efficient gene targeting with various epitope tags. This report presents a series of plasmids for the E2 epitope tagging of proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. E2Tags are 10‐amino acids (epitope E2a: SSTSSDFRDR)‐ and 12 amino acids (epitope E2b: GVSSTSSDFRDR)‐long peptides derived from the E2 protein of bovine papillomavirus type 1. The modules for C‐terminal tagging with E2a and E2b epitopes were constructed by the modification of the pYM‐series plasmid. The N‐terminal E2a and E2b tagging modules were based on pOM‐series plasmid. The pOM‐series plasmids were selected for this study because of their use of the Cre–loxP recombination system. The latter enables a marker cassette to be removed after integration into the loci of interest and, thereafter, the tagged protein is expressed under its endogenous promoter. Specifically for fission yeast, high copy pREP plasmids containing the E2a epitope tag as an N‐terminal or C‐terminal tag were constructed. The properties of E2a and E2b epitopes and the sensitivity of two anti‐E2 monoclonal antibodies (5E11 and 3F12) were tested using several S. cerevisiae and Sz. pombe E2‐tagged strains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Familial Parathyroid Tumors: Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Stålberg Peter , Carling Tobias
Published: January 2009

Background

The management of hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in the familial setting is complex. Due to the rarity of familial HPT and its different presentation within and between the familial syndromes and individual kindreds, treatment recommendations based on high levels of evidence cannot be made. However, based on the molecular genetic studies and case series from institutions with significant experience, important management principles (grade C recommendations) have been developed.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using evidence‐based criteria.

Results

Issue 1: initial operation in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), a grade C recommendation can be made for subtotal parathyroidectomy. Issue 2: initial surgery in MEN 2A, a grade C recommendation can be made for excision of enlarged glands only. Issue 3: surgery in familial isolated HPT and HPT‐jaw tumor (HPT‐JT) syndrome may be treated with parathyroidectomy that is subtotal or less, although the risk of parathyroid cancer in HPT‐JT requires attention (no grade of recommendation). Issue 4: parathyroid surgery in familial HPT syndromes in the setting of underlying mutations in the calcium receptor (CASR) gene involves subtotal parathyroidectomy (no grade of recommendation). Issue 5: the use of intraoperative PTH measurements in familial HPT may guide the extent of parathyroid resection (no grade of recommendation).

Conclusions

The goals of parathyroidectomy in familial HPT are to achieve and maintain normocalcemia for the longest time possible, avoid both iatrogenic hypocalcemia and operative complications, and facilitate future surgery for recurrent disease.
Rescue of the neuroblastoma mutant of the human nucleoside diphosphate kinase A/nm23‐H1 by the natural osmolyte trimethylamine‐N‐oxide
Authors: Georgescauld Florian , Mocan Iulia , Lacombe Marie-Lise , Lascu Ioan
Published: January 2009

The point mutation S120G in human nucleoside diphosphate kinase A, identified in patients with neuroblastoma, causes a protein folding defect. The urea‐unfolded protein cannot refold in vitro, and accumulates as a molten globule folding intermediate. We show here that the trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO) corrects the folding defect and stimulated subunit association. TMAO also substantially increased the stability to denaturation by urea of both wild‐type and S120G mutant. A non‐native folding intermediate accumulated in the presence of 4.5–7 M urea and of 2 M TMAO. It was inactive, monomeric, contained some secondary structure but no tertiary structure and displayed a remarkable stability to denaturation.
Stability, participation and transparency in renewable energy policy: Lessons from Denmark and the United States
Authors: Mendonça Miguel , Lacey Stephen , Hvelplund Frede
Published: January 2009

The expansion and long-term sustainability of the renewable energy industry will depend on many factors. Energy demand, energy access, energy security, the green collar jobs agenda and climate protection will all drive the industry forward. Public opposition and insufficient financial support can hold it back. To facilitate steady, sustainable growth of the renewable energy market, careful consideration of promotion policies will be necessary to ensure that the inherently distributed nature of renewable energy sources translates into diverse ownership, with broad support. Such support will drive the rapid deployment of these socially and economically beneficial and environmentally necessary technologies. This acceleration can be created through innovative democracy, which attempts to bring all actors into the decision-making process. When considered as a market driver for renewable energy, this equitable, participatory approach must be considered in conjunction with stable financial support schemes which allow diverse actors to engage the market. Lessons from Denmark and the United States show why this combination of conditions is central to the rapid deployment of renewable energy. Policymakers can assess the effectiveness of this approach by analysing which groups benefit most from the design of different policies. The authors suggest several criteria for performing this analysis.
Virtues with Reason
Authors: Jackson Jennifer
Published: January 2009

The question why we are ‘bound’ by moral requirements is as old as it is fundamental. Its interest is both practical and theoretical. Its practical interest comes out in this way: nothing is easier—at least on occasion—than to disregard the restraints imposed by morality. In submitting to them we must often forgo what we would otherwise desire. A man may have sacrificed much in the interests of ‘behaving well’. He may wish therefore to know whether his sacrifice has been foolish. It is only reasonable to ask why we are ‘bound’, if indeed we are. Scepticism on this point is not merely playful. We want to know the reason (at least in outline) for accepting moral restraints. I say ‘at least in outline’ because just as it may be reasonable to act on your doctor's advice although you do not understand his reasons in detail, so it may be reasonable to accept advice on some moral matter although you do not understand its justification in detail.
Is Nuclear Deterrence Ethical?
Authors: Stevenson Leslie
Published: January 2009

We are morally perplexed about nuclear weapons. Popular debate oscillates tediously between an apparently impractical idealism which would have nothing to do with the things, and a military and political realism which insists that we have to use such means to attain our legitimate ends. The choice, it too often seems, is between laying down our nuclear arms–thus avoiding the moral odium of resting our defence policies on threats to vaporize millions of civilians–but leaving ourselves open to domination by those who do not feel such scruples, and on the other hand, retaining such weapons as long as our potential enemies possess them, constantly maintaining parity with the other side–in other words, proceeding with the arms race. The respective proponents of principle and of prudence typically fail to understand how others can possibly neglect the considerations which loom so large in their own minds. Each has at bottom a deeply held ethical view–that certain means (deployment of nuclear weapons) may not be used for any end, or that certain ends (defending our freedom and national sovereignty) are so important that they justify the use of almost any means. The disagreement is so irreconcilable that it spills out from TV studios and newspaper editorial pages on to the streets and the missile bases, and into the courts and the prisons.
Aristotle on Species Variation
Authors: Franklin James
Published: January 2009

The whole numbers and the chemical elements varydiscretely: 5 is the next number to 4 and there is no number between them; silver is next to gold in the atomic table and there is no element between them. On the other hand, colours varycontinuously: between red and yellow there is another colour, orange, between orange and yellow there is another colour, and so on. Between any two colours, no matter how close, there is an intermediate colour–indeed, an infinite number of intermediate colours. A surface may change gradually over time from red to yellow, assuming all the colours in between. Or again, a surface may be red at one edge and yellow at the other, changing gradually (over space) and assuming all the colours in between.
Appearance and Reality
Authors: Wisdom John
Published: January 2009

1. ‘How do we know the material world?’, ‘What is it to know the material world?’, ‘In what ways is knowledge of the material world like and in what ways is it unlike other sorts of knowledge?’

We know how we know the material world and what it is to know the material world and in what ways such knowledge is like and unlike other sorts of knowledge. But a man who knows what poetry is like and how it is like and unlike prose may ask ‘What is poetry?’, and a mathematician who knows what it is like to do mathematics may ask ‘What is mathematics?’ It is in a rather like way that we ask ‘What is knowledge of the material world?’ The ways in which knowledge of the material world is like and unlike other sorts of knowledge are familiar to us but we wish for a still better grasp of these likenesses and unlikenesses.
Consciousness and Life
Authors: Matthews Gareth B.
Published: January 2009

In L. Frank Baum's story, Ozma of Oz, which is a sequel to Baum's much more famous story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her companion come upon a wound-down mechanical man bearing a label on which are printed the following words:

Smith and Tinker's

Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive, Thought-Creating

Perfect-Talking

MECHANICAL MAN

Fitted with our Special Clock-Work Attachment Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live

(Ozma of Oz, Chicago, 1907, p. 43)

As Dorothy and her companion are made to discover when they wind up this man (‘Tik-Tok’ is his name), he is indeed capable of doing all the things of which his label boasts—acting, speaking and even thinking. But as Tik-Tok himself insists, and no one in the story casts doubt on the matter, he is not alive.
Prior and Particulars
Authors: Godfrey-Smith William
Published: January 2009

Arthur Prior is perhaps best known for his contributions to the philosophy of time. I shall argue here that his views about reference are not easily reconciled with his views about time, and suggest that his views about existence and his acceptance of some dubious Cartesian epistemological principles led him to increasingly bizarre and counter-intuitive claims about the sufficient conditions for successful reference to particulars. First he seems to have claimed that we cannot refer to individuals which no longer exist; then that we can refer only to individuals which stand in a direct perceptual relationship to us; and finally that one can really only talk about oneself. In this paper I shall trace the development in Prior's thought which led him to this extraordinary conclusion.
Vive la Différence
Authors: Lucas J. R.
Published: January 2009

Some of my best friends are women, but I would not want my sister to marry one of them. Modern-minded persons criticize me for manifesting such out-dated prejudices, and would like to send me to Coventry for a compulsory course of reindoctrination. They may be right. It could conceivably be the case that in due course the Sex Discrimination Act will be tightened up, even to the extent of our recognizing that there are no ‘good reasons why the State should not recognize contracts which are in all respects like marriage, except for the sex of the parties concerned’. We can envisage a society so enlightened that the relations between men and women will be purely platonic and it will be a matter of no concern whether two people are members of the opposite sex or not: or, alternatively, our feelings could be so completely homogenized, that it will make no difference to an emotional relationship whether Leslie and Julian have only one Y-chromosome between them, or two, or none at all. In that event I shall be shown to be wrong, and my critics entitled to erect a monument to female equality on my grave. But I have doubts, and suspect that long after I am dead men will go on falling in love with women and women will continue to find their hearts wooed and won by men. And this fact, if it is a fact, makes a profound difference to our social institutions. I want to follow out the logic of social differentiation, relying as little as I can on putative facts about the differences between the sexes. Scientifically attested knowledge is scarce in this field. Many academics take refuge in a safe suspension of judgment, but this is a craven dereliction of duty. We have yet to develop an adequate theory of knowledge in social matters, and only by thrashing out the apparently telling arguments on this and similar issues can we clear our minds about the nature of social knowledge. Moreover, if those who might argue rationally draw back from doing so, they leave the field clear for others who suffer from fewer inhibitions and fewer scruples. And finally, serious social consequences can follow from public confusion about the logic of a situation, and what things are possible and what desirable. There is a danger that in our attempts to remedy the real wrongs done to women we shall only succeed, as with much modern legislation, in making a bad case worse.
Memory and Self: A Neuropathological Approach
Authors: Puccetti Roland
Published: January 2009

[We understand by ‘person’] a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself, as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places… (John Locke).

There has been a tendency among philosophers ever since Locke to conflate the problem of the self with the problem of personal identity, and since memory is clearly essential to a sense of one's identity through time, it is easy to suppose that having a concept of self requires memory too.
Kant's View of Reason in Politics
Authors: Gallie W. B.
Published: January 2009

The political writings of Kant and of Hegel present two contrasts, whose connection and explanation have (so far as I know) never been adequately explored. The first contrast is in respect of the quality of their discussions of ‘home’ politics—in Kant's language, the ‘problem of establishing a perfect civic constitution’. Here Hegel shines. However much one may dislike the tone of voice, the vocabulary, the style and the arrangement of its arguments, his Philosophy of Right, especially when supplemented by his more topical political writings, presents an array of dicta, judgments and arguments of notable penetration, balance and prescience. Consider for instance his account of the very different political functions of free associations and of representative bodies, and his perception of the symbolic—but crucially symbolic—role of head of state. On these, as on many other issues, Hegel's views deserve the credit that has of late begun to be restored to them. Whatever his philosophical failings, he had a remarkable sense of the key junctures of different strands in the life of politics; so that, although the kind of state he describes and admires retains little practical relevance today, his exposition of it remains a valuable training-ground in political appreciation. By contrast Kant's philosophy of the state, as we find it in Part II of his Philosophy of Right (itself being Part I of his Metaphysics of Morals), in Part II of Theory and Practice and in Appendices I and II of Perpetual Peace, is at first sight little more than an academic exercise. It amounts to a restatement, in dehistoricized terms and in accordance with Kant's rationalist theory of morals, of Rousseau's central political teachings, viz. that an original, unanimous, unrescindable contract explains political allegiance, and that the idea of a General Will is a sufficient criterion of political justice within the state. From these two basic positions Kant develops a theory of civic obedience far more restrictive than that of Rousseau or indeed than that of Hobbes. Throughout, Kant accepts—in the spirit which one might accord to revelation—Rousseau's assumptions that government can be confined to issues that fall under a General Will, and that such a Will can be ‘found’ for the resolution of every political issue, so that honest men need never disagree about what the General Will is. But to say this is to say that Kant's concern with home politics is little more than academic.
Dissolving the Moral Contract
Authors: Snare Frank
Published: January 2009

What response is to be given to the immoralist's question ‘Why should I be just?’? I say ‘response’ because it is not clear that the immoralist is looking for an answer. His question seems to be rhetorical, even contemptuous. It nevertheless presents a challenge to morality. The immoralist's position is that it is irrational to take justice and fairness seriously and that his own advantage or self-interest (perhaps in a very wide sense) is the only rational consideration for him. This is not a moral position although it is a normative position; the immoralist has an alternative to the moral life but not an alternative morality. (Compare how some lifestyles are appropriately presented as alternatives to religion but not as alternative religions.) The immoralist is not a moralist with idiosyncratic views on what is just and fair—what he might call ‘true’ justice or ‘natural’ justice. On the contrary, where some co-operative mutually beneficial project is involved he presumably recognizes what is fair (or at least what is patently unfair) much as we all do. What he does not recognize is the rationality of being fair. Nor is this because he thinks there is some other consideration (moral or otherwise) which overrides justice in this particular case. He does not deal with our complaint ‘But that isn't fair!’ by presenting other, allegedly overriding, considerations. Rather, such a complaint is not granted an initial relevance. ‘Why should I be just?’ he says.