bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biosecurity: Progress and Challenges
Authors: Gaudioso Jennifer , Gribble Lisa Astuto , Salerno Reynolds M.
Published: May 2009

Bioscience facilities are essential to the efforts to combat both naturally occurring infectious diseases and bioterrorism. But both the general public and policy makers are questioning how bioscience institutions address the safety and security risks of handling infectious disease causing organisms. As a result, new regulations at the national level in many countries and international initiatives from the United Nations, World Health Organization, and others are having direct consequences for the operation of bioscience. In particular, laboratory biosecurity is a relatively new and evolving paradigm for bioscience facilities, which have an obligation to ensure their facilities operate safely and securely. However, although progress has been made in these areas, numerous challenges remain throughout the world, and much work remains. It is the responsibility of both the scientific community and policy makers to work collaboratively to ensure responsible use of pathogens and toxins, equipment, and expertise.
High-Throughput Screening at Biosafety Level 2 with High Flexibility: MicroStar BSL2
Authors: Dawson Jack
Published: May 2009

Screening compounds for potency against human etiologic agents represents a rapidly growing area in drug discovery. Running such assays at high throughput, however, poses unique challenges. First, automation procedures must be enclosed to protect both the operator and the environment. And second, these systems must be easily adaptable, so that technicians can take full advantage of evolving technology in this area.

This article will describe the MicroStar Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2), a new offering from HighRes Biosolutions (HighRes) that is the only fully automated BSL2 platform available to the life science community. The MicroStar BSL2 offers the unique benefits of the HighRes docking technology placed inside a fully certified Class II Biological Safety Cabinet, allowing the automated screening of microbial agents up to and including BSL2+.

This article will first present the main components of the MicroStar BSL2, before describing existing and future scientific applications for the system.
Laboratory Information Management System for Emergency Response: Validation and Quality Assurance of Analytical Methodologies
Authors: Sandlin Christopher S. , Johnson Rudolph C. , Swaim Leigh , Ashley David L.
Published: May 2009

The Emergency Response Management System is a customizable laboratory information management system (LIMS) developed to support chemical terrorism emergency response laboratory activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unique features of the LIMS include the following: (I) method profiles that provide an efficient tool for both validation and production experiments, (2) scalability of each assay to accommodate emergency surge-capacity needs, (3) standardized data formats for communicating between different instrument types and vendors, and (4) automated quality assurance communications that allow remote review and approval by CDC statisticians and supervisors. The system has been tested under exercise and real conditions for more than five years and has proved to be robust and effective.
Public Health Surveillance Meets Translational Informatics: A Desiderata
Authors: Mirhaji Parsa
Published: May 2009

“Public health surveillance (PHS) is the ongoing and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event for use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health.” As information technology gains acceptance as a core element of public health practice, many approaches to the design of PHS systems have been proposed, much has been spent implementing them, and expectations have been high. Unfortunately, the systems implemented so far have been criticized as having not met expectations, especially in the domain of early detection and bioterrorism readiness, or so-called syndromic surveillance (The term “syndromic surveillance” applies to monitoring health-related data that precede diagnosis to signal a sufficient probability of a case or an outbreak that warrants public health response.). There are no fully established frameworks to enable seamless interoperability, information sharing, and collaboration among PHS stakeholders and the technological and infrastructural requirements to fulfill the grand vision of initiatives such as the Public Health Information Network and National Health Information Network are poorly investigated and documented.

In this article, we examine the current state of the conceptualization, design, analysis, and implementation of PHS systems from a translational informatics perspective. Although most examples in this article are informed by the needs of public health preparedness (syndromic and bioterrorism detection and response), we believe the framework we introduce is generalizable and applicable to the broader context of PHS systems. We also apply concepts from cognitive science and knowledge engineering to suggest directions for improvement and further research.
Continuous-Flow, Rapid Lysis Devices for Biodefense Nucleic Acid Diagnostic Systems
Authors: Doebler Robert W. , Erwin Barbara , Hickerson Anna , Irvine Bruce , Woyski Denice , Nadim Ali , Sterling James D.
Published: May 2009

Two mechanical lysis devices have been developed as compact, robust components to provide rapid sample preparation for nucleic acid diagnostic systems. One such component, known as the Micro Bead-Beater™ (μBB™, BBTM, Claremont BioSolutions, Upland, CA), is a compact device that is capable of ultrarapid lysis (>90% lysis in 30 s) of micro volumes (<80 μL) of Bacillus spores in a continuous-flow format or in a disposable single-tube format. The μBB is also capable of processing much larger volumes of solutions containing spores or vegetative cells using a continuous-flow mode. A second mechanical lysis device designed as a disposable component is the microfluidic bead blender, which uses a small electric motor to spin vanes within the bead-laden solution. DNA quantification results using dsDNA-binding fluorescence dyes and real-time PCR are presented, comparing the lysis of Bacillus subtilis spores using the μBB™ with other well-known lysis techniques. Nanoscale imaging results obtained using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy on B. subtilis spores lyzed using the μBB™ are also presented
NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Certification Testing of Biosafety Cabinets
Authors: Roush Maren H. , Williams Stephen C.
Published: May 2009

NSF International maintains NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Class II (laminar flow) biosafety cabinetry and also certifies that biosafety cabinets conform to the requirements of the standard. More than 20 tests are required during initial qualification testing; of these, the biological challenge tests are the most critical to ensuring that the model tested will provide personnel, product, and cross contamination protection.
Flow Cytometry: A Multipurpose Technology for a Wide Spectrum of Global Biosecurity Applications
Authors: Marrone Babetta L.
Published: May 2009

Flow cytometry, and its offspring-flow sorting, are extremely useful technologies for biosecurity and public health studies related to infectious disease. Applications range from environmental surveillance of pathogens to diagnosis and the development of vaccines and therapeutics for prevention and control of infectious diseases. Flow cytometers have been developed for laboratory analysis and field deployment. The current state of the art could enjoy more widespread use if instruments and data analysis were made simpler and had more automated functions, and if technology was modified to reduce biosafety concerns related to analysis and sorting of infectious organisms. The full spectrum of possible applications of flow cytometry technology to global biosecurity challenges has not yet been realized.
Coping repertoire: Integrating a new conceptualization of coping with transactional theory
Authors: Duhachek Adam , Kelting Katie
Published: May 2009

This research develops the construct of coping repertoire, a new trait‐based conceptualization of coping based on the number of strategies consumers use in coping with consumer stress. We posit that the number of strategies consumers use is an important determinant of consumers' coping confidence appraisals, a key determinant of consumers' ability to effectively manage stress. In five studies, we establish the importance of this construct and the mechanism through which it influences appraisal. These studies establish the theoretical importance of coping repertoire as an important moderator, and we conclude with a discussion of future research related to this coping perspective.
Understanding the influence of literacy on consumer memory: The role of pictorial elements
Authors: Viswanathan Madhubalan , Torelli Carlos J. , Xia Lan , Gau Roland
Published: May 2009

This research examines the relationship between literacy and consumer memory. The effects of a variety of stimuli at exposure (i.e., brand names, brand signatures, and products in usage) on memory (i.e., recognition, stem‐completion tasks) were examined for a range of literacy. In a series of experiments, we find that the use of pictorial representations of brands (i.e., brand signatures) results in superior brand memory for individuals with lower literacy levels when compared to those at higher literacy levels. This effect is shown to occur not due to pictorial elements per se, but due to pictorial elements with a 1‐to‐1 correspondence with reality, i.e., which match the form in which they were originally encoded in memory. Moreover, this effect does not persist with stimulus‐rich pictures of brands in usage, pointing to boundary conditions with the use of pictorial information.
Primary ocular melioidosis due to a single genotype of Burkholderia pseudomallei in two cats from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia
Authors: Parkes Helen M. , Shilton Catherine M. , Jerrett Ian V. , Benedict Suresh , Spratt Brian G. , Godoy Daniel , O'Brien Carolyn R. , Krockenberger Mark B. , Mayo Mark , Currie Bart J. , Malik Richard
Published: May 2009

Melioidosis was diagnosed in two domestic crossbred cats presented for unilateral ocular disease. One patient was born and bred in Nhulunbuy, Arnhem Land, while the other had moved there 6 months previously from Townsville, Queensland. Both patients were presented with sudden onset of a ‘red eye’ and blepharospasm, which progressed to an enlarged, painful, firm globe with loss of pupillary light reflexes and vision. An obvious primary focus of infection outside the eye was not detected in either cat. In both patients, the affected eye was surgically removed and vitreal culture revealed a pure growth of Burkholderia pseudomallei. In each instance, the infection had penetrated the sclera to produce retrobulbar cellulitis, and in one case frank retrobulbar abscessation. Histologically, there was a pyogranulomatous uveitis with extensive destruction of intraocular structures. The first case was still alive approximately 1 year following enucleation and limited antimicrobial therapy using amoxicillin clavulanate and doxycycline. The second was euthanased when a localised abscess developed on the same side of the face as the healed surgical incision, despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Both cases were caused by the same multilocus sequence type of B pseudomallei (ST 116), which had only been isolated previously from two human patients, both living in the same isolated geographical area as the cats of this report. Apart from the geographical clustering, no epidemiological links were evident between the two cats and/or the two people. The presumptive pathogenesis of these infections is discussed in relation to current knowledge about melioidosis in northern Australia.
Die STIKO-Impfempfehlungen – prä- und postexpositionelle Prophylaxemaßnahmen
Authors: Hofmann Friedrich
Published: May 2009

Einleitung

Die Ständige Impfkommission am Robert Koch-Institut (STIKO) gibt i.d.R. jährlich neue und aktualisierte Impfempfehlungen heraus. Derzeit werden 12 Impfungen für alle Säuglinge, Kinder und Jugendliche empfohlen. Ergänzend besteht eine weitere Impfindikation (HPV-Impfung) für 12–17 jährige Mädchen sowie die Empfehlung der Influenzaimpfung für Senioren (>60 Jahre). Hinzu kommen 20 Indikations- und Auffrischimpfungen. Schließlich finden sich in den STIKO-Empfehlungen auch für 13 Infektionen/Erkrankungen Anweisungen zur Postexpositionsprophylaxe.
Impfungen aus Sicht der Anthroposophischen Medizin
Authors: Schmidt-Troschke Stefan O.
Published: May 2009

Einleitung

In der Anthroposophischen Medizin (AM) wie auch der Homöopathie begegnen sie Ausprägungen der Medizin, deren Anspruch per se darin besteht, eine individualisierte Perspektive gegenüber dem Patienten einzunehmen. Der Gestus, sich als Patient der AM zuzuwenden, ist daher bereits von bestimmten Erwartungen getragen: Routine- oder Serieninterventionen, wie Impfungen, werden nicht regelhaft abgelehnt, aber mit dem Anspruch versehen, eine Maßnahme zu sein, die sich sinnvoll in den individuellen biologischen, sozialen und biographischen Kontext einpasst. Patienten, die eine komplementärmedizinische Behandlung in Anspruch nehmen, sind darüber hinaus häufig an der nachhaltigen Wirksamkeit von therapeutischen Interventionen interessiert.
HPV-Impfung: Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen in Europa
Authors: Hillemanns Peter
Published: May 2009

Einleitung

Seit März 2007 empfiehlt die Ständige Impfkommission die Impfung gegen Humane Papillomviren (HPV) für Mädchen von 12 bis 17 Jahren (STIKO, 2007). Neben der Wirksamkeit wird auch die Kosteneffektivität der Impfung diskutiert; d.h. die Frage, ob der Nutzen der Impfung die höheren Kosten im Vergleich zum alleinigen Screening rechtfertigt. Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage wurden zahlreiche Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen durchgeführt. In diesem Review sollen Methodik und Ergebnisse der Analysen dargestellt werden, die bei nationalen Erstattungsentscheidungen in Europa zugrunde gelegt wurden.
Impfungen von Senioren in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Authors: Hallauer Johannes F.
Published: May 2009

Einleitung

Schutzimpfungen zählen zu den effektivsten und kostengünstigsten Präventionsmaßnahmen in der modernen Medizin (Schneeweiß et al., 2008). Auch wenn Impfungen im Kindesalter häufig im Focus der Aufmerksamkeit stehen, bedarf die Impfprävention im Erwachsenenalter zunehmender Beachtung. Gerade Senioren und chronisch Kranke benötigen einen guten Impfschutz, da die Leistungsfähigkeit des Immunsystems im Alter abnimmt (Ghendon, 2007; Madjid et al., 2008).
Hybridisation of business norms as intercultural dialogue: The case of two post-Soviet countries
Authors: Miazhevich Galina
Published: May 2009

This article provides an in-depth exploration of the nature of the cultural shift in business norms in two former Soviet Union republics: Estonia and Belarus. While questioning the linearity of existing models describing social—cultural change and, drawing on Lotman’s model (1990), the paper points to a complex interplay of past and present, Western and local traditions in the transformational context of the post-Soviet countries. The analysis is based on a set of semi-structured in-depth interviews with Belarusian and Estonian entrepreneurs, who conveyed their attitudes towards transition and current management practices in the region. Exploring the issue on both a temporal (pre-Soviet and post-Soviet) and a spatial (Western/non-Western) axis the paper discusses the relationship between the ‘importing’ and ‘exporting’ of values, which take place across each of them, and concludes with what the analysis can tell us about cultural transformation more generally.
Holocene fire and vegetation dynamics in a montane forest, North Cascade Range, Washington, USA
Authors: Prichard Susan J. , Gedalof Ze'ev , Oswald W. Wyatt , Peterson David L.
Published: May 2009

We reconstructed a 10,500-yr fire and vegetation history of a montane site in the North Cascade Range, Washington State based on lake sediment charcoal, macrofossil and pollen records. High-resolution sampling and abundant macrofossils made it possible to analyze relationships between fire and vegetation. During the early Holocene (> 10,500 to ca. 8000 cal yr BP) forests were subalpine woodlands dominated by Pinus contorta. Around 8000 cal yr BP, P. contorta sharply declined in the macrofossil record. Shade tolerant, mesic species first appeared ca. 4500 cal yr BP. Cupressus nootkatensis appeared most recently at 2000 cal yr BP. Fire frequency varies throughout the record, with significantly shorter mean fire return intervals in the early Holocene than the mid and late Holocene. Charcoal peaks are significantly correlated with an initial increase in macrofossil accumulation rates followed by a decrease, likely corresponding to tree mortality following fire. Climate appears to be a key driver in vegetation and fire regimes over millennial time scales. Fire and other disturbances altered forest vegetation at shorter time scales, and vegetation may have mediated local fire regimes. For example, dominance of P. contorta in the early Holocene forests may have been reinforced by its susceptibility to frequent, stand-replacing fire events.
Geomorphology and glacial history of Rauer Group, East Antarctica
Authors: White Duanne A. , Bennike Ole , Berg Sonja , Harley Simon L. , Fink David , Kiernan Kevin , McConnell Anne , Wagner Bernd
Published: May 2009

The presence of glacial sediments across the Rauer Group indicates that the East Antarctic ice sheet formerly covered the entire archipelago and has since retreated at least 15 km from its maximum extent. The degree of weathering of these glacial sediments suggests that ice retreat from this maximum position occurred sometime during the latter half of the last glacial cycle. Following this phase of retreat, the ice sheet margin has not expanded more than ∼ 1 km seaward of its present position. This pattern of ice sheet change matches that recorded in Vestfold Hills, providing further evidence that the diminutive Marine Isotope Stage 2 ice sheet advance in the nearby Larsemann Hills may have been influenced by local factors rather than a regional ice-sheet response to climate and sea-level change.
The Evolution of Modern Psychology
Authors: O’Connell Daniel C. , Kowal Sabine
Published: May 2009

The phrase becoming a science, as applied to the history of psychology, is at best a tendentious formulation of the status quaestionis. It presumes quite clearly that the direction of development has, indeed, been toward becoming more scientific. This presumption is engaged critically here. The American Psychological Association (APA), flagship of psychological organizations in the modern era, has undoubtedly become an empire. Whether the brand of psychology fostered currently by the APA is also the asymptote or endpoint of a developmental motion toward being more scientific merits inquiry and discussion. Schism and discontent in our midst have not been entirely political; there have also been aberrations and fads that have stunted growth and have accordingly fostered protests. Here, we consider some pioneers whose wisdom regarding the science of psychology has been, from time to time, influential, neglected, or even misguided. Modern psychology cannot, without further ado, be considered the inevitable projection of lines laid down by, for example, Wilhelm Wundt and/or William James. We, ourselves, wish to include both Hans Hörmann and C.F. Graumann as pioneers in their own right during the second half of the 20th century.
Substance P is Associated with the Development of Brain Edema and Functional Deficits after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Donkin James J , Nimmo Alan J , Cernak Ibolja , Blumbergs Peter C , Vink Robert
Published: May 2009

Brain edema and swelling is a critical factor in the high mortality and morbidity associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite this, the mechanisms associated with its development are poorly understood and interventions have not changed in over 30 years. Although neuropeptides and neurogenic inflammation have been implicated in peripheral edema formation, their role in the development of central nervous system edema after brain trauma has not been investigated. This study examines the role of the neuropeptide, substance P (SP), in the development of edema and functional deficits after brain trauma in rats. After severe diffuse TBI in adult male rats, neuronal and perivascular SP immunoreactivity were increased markedly. Perivascular SP colocalized with exogenously administered Evans blue, supporting a role for SP in vascular permeability. Inhibition of SP action by administration of the neurokinin-1 (NIC,) antagonist, N-acetyl-l-tryptophan, at 30 mins after trauma attenuated vascular permeability and edema formation. Administration of the NIC, antagonist also improved both motor and cognitive neurologic outcomes. These findings suggest that SP release is integrally linked to the increased vascular permeability and edema formation after brain trauma, and that treatment with an NIC, receptor antagonist reduces edema and improves neurologic outcome.
The (new) nature and essence of the firm
Authors: Pitelis Christos N. , Teece David J.
Published: May 2009

Abstract Extant explanations of the nature and scope of firms, such as transaction costs, property rights, metering and ‘resources' can be integrated into a more general (capability‐based) theory of the nature and essence of the firm that recognizes the importance to the firm of creating (and capturing) value from innovation. We note that the appropriability of returns from creative and innovative activity often requires the entrepreneurial creation and co‐creation of markets. Accordingly, market failure and transaction costs approaches need to be revamped to capture the essence of entrepreneurial and managerial activity that extends beyond the mere exercise of authority. We suggest that the nature and objective of the firm in an economy with innovation and incomplete markets is to capture value (profit) from its advantages and actions; and that the way in which the firm tries to achieve this (by establishing quasi‐sustainable competitive advantage) is its essence. This is non‐separable from its nature and objectives. It often involves market co‐creation.
Product and process innovation: Persistence and complementarities
Authors: Martínez‐Ros Ester , Labeaga Jose M.
Published: May 2009

Abstract Using a Spanish database, we have explored the role of persistence in the decision of firms to implement product and process innovations and to develop those innovations. We assume that a company that is continuously engaged in some type of innovation activity will be encouraged to innovate, either for investment reasons or to enhance its market image. Because of the effects of persistence (state dependence) could be contaminated by unobserved heterogeneity, we use panel data, and make an effort to separate these effects. We demonstrate that persistence is important in both innovation decisions. Persistence in innovation increases at least 15% the probability to develop more innovations. A second important result is that the introduction of the alternative innovation increases the probability to innovate in a range from 2 to 4%; it implies that complementarities between innovations are also important in the decision to continue innovating in terms of absorbed synergies and capacities generated by the firm.
Design and characterization of broadband magnetoelectric sensor
Authors: Park Chee-Sung , Ahn Cheol-Woo , Ryu Jungho , Yoon Woon-Ha , Park Dong-Soo , Kim Hyoun-Ee , Priya Shashank
Published: May 2009

In this study, we present a broadband magnetoelectric (ME) sensor design comprising of Metglas and piezoelectric ceramic laminate composite. A systematic study was conducted to elucidate the role of various composite variables toward the ME response [longitudinal-transverse (LT) mode] over the applied range of magnetic dc bias. The broadband behavior was characterized by flat ME responses over a wide range of magnetic dc bias at frequency of 1 kHz. The variation in ME coefficient as a function of magnetic dc bias was found to be significantly dependent on the size and shape of the laminate composites, the number of Metglas layers, and composite structure of sandwich versus unimorph. By adjusting these variables, we were able to achieve near-flat ME response over a magnetic bias range of 90–220 Oe. ME coefficient was also measured as a function of frequency, and at electromechanical resonance the peak value was found to be almost independent of applied magnetic bias in the range of 90–220 Oe.
Optical and magnetic properties of the 5f1AnX6q− series: A theoretical study
Authors: Notter François-Paul , Bolvin Hélène
Published: May 2009

The ground and first excited states of PaX62− (X=F,Cl,Br,I), UX6− (X=F,Cl,Br) and NpF6 are calculated using the spin-orbit complete active space perturbation theory at second order method and the g-factors are deduced. The isotropic g-matrix is built from first principles, and the g-factors are found to be negative. Results are analyzed in the frame of crystal field theory. It is shown that it is more appropriate to consider the spin-orbit coupling before the crystal field interaction and that g-factors are principally governed by the metal-ligand distance. The complexes of the series with the longest bond length, even with a high covalent character, exhibit g-factors close to the free ion value.
Foliar anatomy of the subfamily Myrtoideae (Myrtaceae)
Authors: Cardoso C. M. V. , Proença S. L. , Sajo M. G.
Published: May 2009

The foliar structure of 44 species of Myrtoideae Nied. (Myrtaceae) was described to characterise the anatomy of the leaves in this subfamily and also to recognise particular features in each genus and/or subtribe. In the present study, nine genera of the subtribe Myrtinae, five genera of the subtribe Myrciinae and eight genera of the subtribe Eugeniinae were examined. All of them have dorsiventral and hypostomatic leaves, with stomata slightly protruded in relation to other epidermal cells; the leaves also present secretory cavities, idioblasts containing druses and vascular bundles with phloem on both adaxial and abaxial sides. Some surface features have diagnostic value for all genera of these three subtribes, such as the percentage of palisade parenchyma, the presence or absence of an adaxial hypodermis, the occurrence of an extension to the vascular bundle sheath, and the shape and position of the vascular system of the midrib. These features are described for each of the species studied and the results are discussed in a taxonomical context.
Soviet Patriotism and its Discontents among Higher Education Students in Khrushchev-Era Russia and Ukraine
Authors: Tromly Benjamin
Published: May 2009

What was Soviet patriotism? A definition of the term offered by the Soviet ideological apparatus in 1953—a “social, historically conditioned feeling of love for one's motherland“—raises more questions than it answers. Patriotism was a concept foreign to classical Marxism; indeed, the concept, along with the corresponding term “the Soviet people,” entered mass usage only in the mid-1930s, when the Soviet government moved away from class as the dominant paradigm for interacting with its society. The relationship of Soviet patriotism to nationalism, the predominant political identity in twentieth-century Europe, was also ideologically fraught. Patriotism was sharply distinguished from nationalism(natsionalizm)in the Soviet lexicon. The first referred to a healthy allegiance to a community that was consistent with universal values of enlightenment, justice and democracy; the second was a jingoistic and reactionary ideology utilized by the bourgeoisie to mislead the working class. Despite this distinction, Soviet patriotism was supra-national, not anti-national, as it “harmoniously combined” the national traditions of the different Soviet nations with “the common, fundamental interests of all working people in the USSR.”
Agreement in the interpretation of magnetic resonance images of the lumbar spine
Authors: Kovacs F. M. , Royuela A. , Jensen T. S. , Estremera A. , Amengual G. , Muriel A. , Galarraga I. , Martínez C. , Arana E. , Sarasíbar H. , Salgado R. M. , Abraira V. , López Ó. , Campillo C. , Gil del Real M. T. , Zamora J.
Published: May 2009

Background: Correlation between clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings is essential in low-back-pain patients. Most previous studies have analyzed concordance in the interpretation of lumbar MRI among a few radiologists who worked together. This may have overestimated concordance.

Purpose: To evaluate intra- and interobserver agreement in the interpretation of lumbar MRI performed in an open 0.2T system.

Material and Methods: Seven radiologists from two different geographic settings in Spain interpreted the lumbar MRIs of 50 subjects representative of the general Danish population aged 40 years. The radiologists interpreted the images in routine clinical practice, having no knowledge of the clinical and demographic characteristics of the subjects and blinded to their colleagues’ assessments. Six of the radiologists evaluated the same MRIs 14 days later, having no knowledge of the previous results. Data on the existence of disc degeneration, high-intensity zones, disc contour, Schmorl nodes, Modic changes, osteophytes, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis were collected in the Nordic Modic Consensus Group Classification form. Intra- and interobserver agreement was analyzed for variables with a prevalence ≥10% and ≤90% by means of the kappa statistic.

Results: Intra- and interobserver agreement was excellent for variables related to Modic changes, and fair to good for disc contour, high-intensity zones, and Schmorl nodes. The evaluations for disc degeneration and osteophytes were found to have fair to good intraobserver agreement and poor interobserver agreement. The agreement for the evaluations of spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis was not analyzed because they were observed in <10% of reports.

Conclusion: Images from 0.2T MRIs appear to lead to good agreement in the reporting of disc contour, high-intensity zones, Schmorl nodes, and, in particular, Modic changes, suggesting that they can possibly be reliably used for clinical research purposes. In contrast, assessment of osteophytes and disc degeneration is not reliable.
Book Review
Authors: Witwit Alaa Kasid
Published: May 2009

Practical Differential Diagnosis for CT and MRI. By E. C. Lin, E. J. Escott, K. D. Garg, A. G. Bleicher, & D. Alexander. Edited by T. Hiscock. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, 2008. ISBN number: 978-1-58890-655-7. 350 pages. Price (paperback): USD 49.95
Limitations of single slice dynamic contrast enhanced MR in pharmacokinetic modeling of bone sarcomas
Authors: Toms Andoni P. , White Lawrence M. , Kandel Rita , Bleakney Robert R. , Noseworthy Michael , Lee Shepstone , Blackstein Martin E. , Wunder Jay
Published: May 2009

Background: Single slice dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) appears to provide perfusion data about sarcomas in vivo that correlate with tumor necrosis on equivalent pathological sections. However, sarcomas are heterogeneous and therefore single slice DCE-MRI may not correlate with total tumor necrosis.

Purpose: To determine whether changes in pharmacokinetic modeling of DCE-MRI, during chemotherapy for primary bone sarcomas correlated with histological measures of total tumor necrosis.

Material and Methods: Twelve patients with appendicular primary bone sarcomas were included in the study. Each patient had DCE-MRI before, and after completion, of pre-operative chemotherapy. The mean arterial slope (A), endothelial permeability coefficient (Ktrans), and extravascular extracellular volume (Ve) were derived from each data set using a modified two compartment pharmacokinetic model. Total tumor necrosis rates were compared with changes in A, Ktrans, and Ve.

Results: Six patients had total tumor necrosis of ≥90% and six had a measure of <90%. The median percentage changes in A, Ktrans, and Ve for the ≥90% necrosis group were −52.5% (−83 to 6), −66% (−82 to 26), and 23.5% (−26 to 40), respectively. For the <90% necrosis group, A = − 35% (−75 to 132), Ktrans= − 53 (−66 to 149) and Ve= − 14.5% (−42 to 40). One patient with >90% necrosis had increases in all three measures. Comparison of the two groups generated P-values of 0.699 for A, 0.18 for Ktrans, and 0.31 for Ve.

Conclusion: There was no statistically significant correlation between changes in pharmacokinetic perfusion parameters and total tumor necrosis. When using single slice DCE-MRI heterogeneous histology of primary bone sarcomas and repair mediated angiogenesis might both be confounding factors.
Adaptive Sensor Activity Scheduling in Distributed Sensor Networks: A Statistical Mechanics Approach
Authors: Srivastav Abhishek , Ray Asok , Phoha Shashi
Published: May 2009

This article presents an algorithm for adaptive sensor activity scheduling ( A-SAS) in distributed sensor networks to enable detection and dynamic footprint tracking of spatial-temporal events. The sensor network is modeled as a Markov random field on a graph, where concepts of Statistical Mechanics are employed to stochastically activate the sensor nodes. Using an Ising-like formulation, the sleep and wake modes of a sensor node are modeled as spins with ferromagnetic neighborhood interactions; and clique potentials are defined to characterize the node behavior. Individual sensor nodes are designed to make local probabilistic decisions based on the most recently sensed parameters and the expected behavior of their neighbors. These local decisions evolve to globally meaningful ensemble behaviors of the sensor network to adaptively organize for event detection and tracking. The proposed algorithm naturally leads to a distributed implementation without the need for a centralized control. The A-SAS algorithm has been validated for resource-aware target tracking on a simulated sensor field of 600 nodes.
pGenTHREADER and pDomTHREADER: new methods for improved protein fold recognition and superfamily discrimination
Authors: Lobley Anna , Sadowski Michael I. , Jones David T.
Published: May 2009

Motivation: Generation of structural models and recognition of homologous relationships for unannotated protein sequences are fundamental problems in bioinformatics. Improving the sensitivity and selectivity of methods designed for these two tasks therefore has downstream benefits for many other bioinformatics applications.

Results: We describe the latest implementation of the GenTHREADER method for structure prediction on a genomic scale. The method combines profile–profile alignments with secondary-structure specific gap-penalties, classic pair- and solvation potentials using a linear combination optimized with a regression SVM model. We find this combination significantly improves both detection of useful templates and accuracy of sequence-structure alignments relative to other competitive approaches. We further present a second implementation of the protocol designed for the task of discriminating superfamilies from one another. This method, pDomTHREADER, is the first to incorporate both sequence and structural data directly in this task and improves sensitivity and selectivity over the standard version of pGenTHREADER and three other standard methods for remote homology detection.

Contact:  d.jones@cs.ucl.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
ESG: extended similarity group method for automated protein function prediction
Authors: Chitale Meghana , Hawkins Troy , Park Changsoon , Kihara Daisuke
Published: May 2009

Motivation: Importance of accurate automatic protein function prediction is ever increasing in the face of a large number of newly sequenced genomes and proteomics data that are awaiting biological interpretation. Conventional methods have focused on high sequence similarity-based annotation transfer which relies on the concept of homology. However, many cases have been reported that simple transfer of function from top hits of a homology search causes erroneous annotation. New methods are required to handle the sequence similarity in a more robust way to combine together signals from strongly and weakly similar proteins for effectively predicting function for unknown proteins with high reliability.

Results: We present the extended similarity group (ESG) method, which performs iterative sequence database searches and annotates a query sequence with Gene Ontology terms. Each annotation is assigned with probability based on its relative similarity score with the multiple-level neighbors in the protein similarity graph. We will depict how the statistical framework of ESG improves the prediction accuracy by iteratively taking into account the neighborhood of query protein in the sequence similarity space. ESG outperforms conventional PSI-BLAST and the protein function prediction (PFP) algorithm. It is found that the iterative search is effective in capturing multiple-domains in a query protein, enabling accurately predicting several functions which originate from different domains.

Availability: ESG web server is available for automated protein function prediction at http://dragon.bio.purdue.edu/ESG/

Contact:  cspark@cau.ac.kr; dkihara@purdue.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Measurement and visual verification of fish target strength using an acoustic-optical system attached to a trawlnet
Authors: Ryan Tim E. , Kloser Rudy J. , Macaulay Gavin J.
Published: May 2009

Ryan, T. E., Kloser, R. J., and Macaulay, G. J. 2009. Measurement and visual verification of fish target strength using an acoustic-optical system attached to a trawlnet. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1238–1244. It is difficult to make acoustic target-strength (TS) measurements of fish behaving naturally in deep-water habitats. The fish may avoid the acoustic instrumentation, and, if measured, there is uncertainty about their species and their orientation relative to the incident sound. To address these issues, a novel acoustic-optical system (AOS) has been developed, which combines a battery-powered, dual-frequency, split-beam acoustic system with a low-light video camera. The AOS attaches to the headline of a commercial deep-water demersal trawlnet that herds fish past the AOS and to the codend. This paper describes initial trials of the AOS to measure calibrated TS of New Zealand orange roughy, validated with video images. The fish species were visually identified, and their behaviour and orientation were approximated. The trawl catch provided associated samples for species identification and measurements of their length and other biological metrics. The combination of acoustics and optics in a net-mountable system constitutes a powerful sampling tool with broader applications in fishery research and ecosystem investigations.
Nectar, not colour, may lure insects to their death
Authors: Bennett Katherine F. , Ellison Aaron M.
Published: May 2009

We experimentally demonstrate in the field that prey of the carnivorous plant
Sarracenia purpurea
are attracted to sugar, not to colour. Prey capture (either all taxa summed or individual common taxa considered separately) was not associated with total red area or patterning on pitchers of living pitcher plants. We separated effects of nectar availability and coloration using painted ‘pseudopitchers’, half of which were coated with sugar solution. Unsugared pseudopitchers captured virtually no prey, whereas pseudopitchers with sugar solution captured the same amount of prey as living pitchers. In contrast to a recent study that associated red coloration with prey capture but that lacked controls for nectar availability, we infer that nectar, not colour, is the primary means by which pitcher plants attract prey.
Overexpression of the Transcription FactorAP37in Rice Improves Grain Yield under Drought Conditions
Authors: Oh Se-Jun , Kim Youn Shic , Kwon Chang-Woo , Park Hye Kyong , Jeong Jin Seo , Kim Ju-Kon
Published: May 2009

Transcription factors with an APETELA2 (AP2) domain have been implicated in various cellular processes involved in plant development and stress responses. Of the 139 AP2 genes predicted in rice (Oryza sativa), we identified 42 genes in our current study that are induced by one or more stress conditions, including drought, high salinity, low temperature, and abscisic acid. Phylogenic analysis of these 42 stress-inducible AP2 genes revealed the presence of six subgroups (I–VI) with distinct signature motifs. Two genes, AP37 and AP59, representing subgroups I and II, respectively, were functionally characterized. Both genes were found to be induced upon 2 h of exposure to drought and high-salinity conditions but to differ in their expression profile upon exposure to low temperature and abscisic acid. The overexpression of AP37 and AP59 in rice under the control of the constitutive promoter OsCc1 increased the tolerance to drought and high salinity at the vegetative stage. Increased tolerance to low temperatures was observed only in OsCc1:AP37 plants. More importantly, the OsCc1:AP37 plants showed significantly enhanced drought tolerance in the field, which increased grain yield by 16% to 57% over controls under severe drought conditions, yet exhibited no significant difference under normal growth conditions. In contrast, grain yield in OsCc1:AP59 plants in the field was reduced by 23% to 43% compared with controls under both normal and drought stress conditions. Microarray experiments identified 10 and 38 genes that are up-regulated by AP37 and AP59, respectively, in addition to 37 genes that are commonly induced by both factors. Our results suggest that the AP37 gene has the potential to improve drought tolerance in rice without causing undesirable growth phenotypes.
The Nematode Resistance Allele at the rhg1 Locus Alters the Proteome and Primary Metabolism of Soybean Roots
Authors: Afzal Ahmed J. , Natarajan Aparna , Saini Navinder , Iqbal M. Javed , Geisler Matt , El Shemy Hany A. , Mungur Rajsree , Willmitzer Lothar , Lightfoot David A.
Published: May 2009

Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), causes the most damaging chronic disease of soybean (Glycine max). Host resistance requires the resistance allele at rhg1. Resistance destroys the giant cells created in the plant's roots by the nematodes about 24 to 48 h after commencement of feeding. In addition, 4 to 8 d later, a systemic acquired resistance develops that discourages later infestations. The molecular mechanisms that control the rhg1-mediated resistance response appear to be multigenic and complex, as judged by transcript abundance changes, even in near isogenic lines (NILs). This study aimed to focus on key posttranscriptional changes by identifying proteins and metabolites that were increased in abundance in both resistant and susceptible NILs. Comparisons were made among NILs 10 d after SCN infestation and without SCN infestation. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis resolved more than 1,000 protein spots on each gel. Only 30 protein spots with a significant (P < 0.05) difference in abundance of 1.5-fold or more were found among the four treatments. The proteins in these spots were picked, trypsin digested, and analyzed using quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Protein identifications could be made for 24 of the 30 spots. Four spots contained two proteins, so that 28 distinct proteins were identified. The proteins were grouped into six functional categories. Metabolite analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 131 metabolites, among which 58 were altered by one or more treatment; 28 were involved in primary metabolism. Taken together, the data showed that 17 pathways were altered by the rhg1 alleles. Pathways altered were associated with systemic acquired resistance-like responses, including xenobiotic, phytoalexin, ascorbate, and inositol metabolism, as well as primary metabolisms like amino acid synthesis and glycolysis. The pathways impacted by the rhg1 allelic state and SCN infestation agreed with transcript abundance analyses but identified a smaller set of key proteins. Six of the proteins lay within the same small region of the interactome identifying a key set of 159 interacting proteins involved in transcriptional control, nuclear localization, and protein degradation. Finally, two proteins (glucose-6-phosphate isomerase [EC 5.3.1.9] and isoflavone reductase [EC 1.3.1.45]) and two metabolites (maltose and an unknown) differed in resistant and susceptible NILs without SCN infestation and may form the basis of a new assay for the selection of resistance to SCN in soybean.
Undergraduate research in the public domain: the evaluation of non‐academic sources online
Authors: Dahl Candice
Published: May 2009

Purpose

This paper seeks to suggest that criteria commonly used to teach undergraduates to evaluate online resources are inadequate when dealing with non‐academic items in the public domain. It aims to argue that these resources should not be ignored by librarians or undergraduates, but that they must still be evaluated. An alternative method of evaluation, based on the concepts of comparison, corroboration, motivation and purpose is to be proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

Inadequacies of current evaluative standards are revealed, specifically in relation to the current context of how and where undergraduates conduct research. Drawing on Meola's contextual framework for evaluation, as well as the thoughts of Metzger, ways to handle the evaluation of non‐academic resources online emerge.

Findings

Librarians must consider the place of non‐academic public domain items in current undergraduate research projects, and the challenges these items pose to common guidelines for the evaluation of sources. Evaluation methods must be rethought and based on a more context‐specific approach in order to be relevant when working with non‐academic resources online.

Originality/value

Librarians who focus mainly on the “peer‐reviewed” designation or other standard evaluative criteria to help students determine what an appropriate research resource is, and who are unsure of how to guide students in their use of non‐academic public domain items, will find here suggestions to guide their thinking and inform their practices.
The information and learning commons: a selective guide to sources
Authors: Held Tim
Published: May 2009

Purpose

This bibliography aims to give citations and annotations for a core selection of sources on the information and learning commons trend in academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

Articles, books, and web sites relevant to this topic were found in the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database; Library Literature Index; WorldCat; and on the internet. Sources were chosen that contribute to an overview of the concepts or cover practical considerations in implementation.

Findings

Libraries are developing best practices as they experiment with learner‐centered service models, but they apply these best practices differently according to their unique needs. Early implementations focus on technology and access, while later implementations focus on more collaborations surrounding learner‐centered pedagogies.

Research limitations/implications

This bibliography selects from English language books, web sites, and peer reviewed journals about US, British, Canadian, and Oceania academic libraries, large and small.

Originality/value

This survey of the literature will help librarians and administrators understand the theoretical trends and collaboration that influence how libraries can change service, space, and technology to meet emerging needs.