bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Olfaction and Taste: Invasive Odours and Disappearing Objects
Authors: Borthwick Fiona
Published: March 2010

The metaphorisation of sight and hearing, the objective senses, dominate the founding ideas, or philosophemes, of Western philosophy. The senses of taste and smell are of little relevance in the formation of conceptual knowledge or in classificatory systems; they are, by virtue of their dissolving objects, incapable of giving objective knowledge in Western metaphysics. Derrida and Ulmer developed a metaphorology that exploits the chemical basis of the subjective senses of taste and smell. The anthropology of the senses takes this questioning of metaphysics into issues of how olfaction and taste function in sociality. In the routine practices of everyday life, is olfaction able to create the sense of community that it does in rituals? Or, has the repression of smell in humanity's evolution towards ‘civilisation’ muted the connective ability of multiple odour particles? In a culture and metaphysics that presumes the separability of the self from the other and the self from the object, is there a place for senses that make a nonsense of separation and objectivity through their state of meaningful dissolution? Through philosophy's metaphorisation, has taste been stripped of its sensuousness and made a sense for aesthetics and not flavours and textures? In a metaphorics premised in judgement and discernment, can taste be a sense that founds sociality? In blurring the boundaries between self and other that are necessary to form and maintain the distinction, the dissolvability of smell and taste makes another metaphorics and other socialities possible.

Of all the senses, that of smell—which is attracted without objectifying—bears clearest witness to the urge to lose oneself in and become the ‘other’. As perception and the perceived—both are united—smell is more expressive than the other senses (Horkheimer and Adorno 1979:184).
Tradisi and Moderen, Village and State: Emergent Tensions in a Sasak Health Quest
Authors: Hunter Cynthia
Published: March 2010

On Lombok island, in the province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, indigenous medicine and biomedicine coexist. Nevertheless, biomedicine, a product of modernity and the development of the state has been superimposed on village life along with other state institutions such as education. In this paper I analyse the processes involved in Sasak villagers' quest for health. Operating within various and sometimes overlapping social fields and conflicting discourses, villagers utilise both local indigenous practices as well as the Indonesian national health system in their quest. Because local or ordinary knowledge is a rich resource for interpretation, I describe the health quest through the participant individuals: family members, neighbours, doctors and nursing personnel involved. The subjectivity of the individual participants contributes to the intricate unfolding of health seeking quests to expose the various tensions which emerge between tradition (tradisi [I]) and modernity (moderen [I]) and between state and village.
Star Wars: About Anthropology, Culture and Globalisation1
Authors: Kapferer Bruce
Published: March 2010

This paper explores the connection between debates within anthropology and larger political processes affecting the universities frequently relating to contemporary globalisation. Such connection is important in order to evaluate some directions in critical reflection within the discipline. It is claimed that anthropological positions concerning ‘fieldwork’ and ‘culture’, often devalued in the climate of current discourse, are significant epistemologically for the discipline and important for its radical potential as offering a continual challenge to the hegemony of metropolitan thought. This kind of challenge may be lost in certain redirections in anthropological approaches that often seem to be more dictated by the managerial revolution in universities than otherwise realised.
Celebrating and Advocating the Personalisation of the World: A Reply to Don Gardner
Authors: Rapport Nigel
Published: March 2010

In replying to a critique of my book Transcendent Individual: Towards a Literary and Liberal Anthropology (TAJA 2000, 11(1):59–77), I argue in this piece that a genuinely nuanced appreciation of the tension between the culturo‐symbolic forms of social life on the one hand and, on the other, the individual energies which animate the forms and afford them purpose and content, means more than merely paying lip service (á la Giddens or Bourdieu) to a notion of agency. The individual can be seen to be more than a conduit by which impersonal social structures reproduce in time. Indeed, it is the ‘personalisation of the world’—the way in which the individual makes environments personal to him or her (in terms of what they are and what they mean)—which provides social life with its logic(s), character(s) and cause(s). What is called for is an aesthetic appreciation both of the way individual consciousness works and of the way this is best represented in literary‐cum‐poetic forms. Placing the conscious individual at the centre of social theory is, however, an ethical and pedagogic matter as well as a methodological one. Celebrating the personalisation of the world is a route not only to understanding human interaction in socio‐cultural milieux but also to advocating liberal milieux where the human remains sovereign.
Profane Intuitions: Kurdish Diaspora in the Turkish City
Authors: Houston Christopher
Published: March 2010

Contemporary analysis of the ‘Kurdish question’ in Turkey has often enough noted the recent explosion of Kurdish refugees and immigrants to the major Turkish cities. Interest in the re‐constitution of Kurdish identity in the metropolis, however, has been less evident. This article seeks to identify some of the main themes that need to be addressed in any such investigation. It begins by arguing that discourse on the ‘Kurdish question’ often frames the Kurds, rather than the Turkish state, as the problem. The response of the Turkish Republic to such a problem has been to assimilate the Kurds. The struggle against assimilation then is the common theme binding the multiple visions and experiences of the Kurdish diaspora.
Syncretic Persons: Sociality, Agency and Personhood in Recent Charismatic Ritual Practices among North Mekeo (PNG)
Authors: Mosko Mark
Published: March 2010

This paper explores the syncretic accommodations made by North Mekeo (PNG) villagers arising from recent historical encounters with Catholic (Sacred Heart) missionaries over issues of ritual authenticity and effectiveness, personhood, and agency in a wider field of Christian evangelism and globalisation. Through a careful examination and comparison of pre‐existing ritual notions and practices (e.g., sorcery techniques, mortuary ritual performance, gender rituals) and the recent trends of commodification and enthusiastic Catholic charismatic performance, what might appear to be incongruous religious beliefs and practices are shown to possess numerous remarkably compatible similarities at the level of explicit cultural categorisation and ritual enactment. In accord with long‐standing anthropological arguments, recent North Mekeo syncretism thus consists of an integrated, albeit transformed rather than ‘confused’, mixing of indigenous and exogenous religious elements. Further, in this analysis of recent Melanesian religious change syncretism implies a novel conceptual convergence between syncretic processes and the dynamics of personhood, sociality and agency as construed in the framework of the ‘new Melanesian ethnography’.
Syncretism and the Politics of the Tingkeban in West Java
Authors: Newland Lynda
Published: March 2010

For the rural Sundanese of West Java who identify with Nahdatul Ulama Islam, the tingkeban is considered a mandatory ritual to be conducted for a woman who is seven months pregnant. However, like other local practices around birth, the tingkeban has come under state and urban modernising influences that have attempted to displace some of its elements as ‘culture’ rather than ‘religion’ and to discredit many of these as superstitious and backward. This paper examines the ritual elements of the tingkeban that produce and reinforce local cosmological and ontological ideas about the nature of personhood and society, and, in particular, how the ritual highlights the ambivalent status of the villagers within broader relations of power such as the Indonesian State and other forms of Islam existing in Indonesia. The paper also explores how the assumptions within the ideology of modernisation propagated under the last years of the Suharto regime coincide with assumptions in scholarly work such as those underlying Geertz's depiction of the syncretic nature of Javanese religion.
Apocalypse Now? Hoa Hao Buddhism Emerging from the Shadows of War
Authors: Taylor Philip
Published: March 2010

Hoa Hao Buddhism, founded in the late French colonial era is, like the other religions of ethnic Vietnamese in the Mekong delta, an eclectic and creative approach to imagining existence in this newly settled region. This paper investigates the context in which this faith evolved and explores its main characteristics. These include its settler colonialist worldview, synthesis of diverse cultural currents, universalist outlook and construction of a moral community. It concludes by exploring the religion's contemporary relevance, uneasy relationship with the state and the perceived challenges faced as the integration of the delta into broader economic and cultural structures continues.
A. L. (Bill) Epstein's Works on Affect and Emotions in Melanesia
Authors: Glick Paula Brown
Published: March 2010

Book reviewed in this article:

A. L. Epstein. Gunantuna: Aspects of the Person, the Self and the Individual among the Tolai.
The Space of Encounter
Authors: Merlan Francesca
Published: March 2010

Book reviewed in this article:

Gillian Cowlishaw. Rednecks, Eggheads and Blackfellas: A Study of Racial Power and Intimacy in Australia.
Introduction: Reclaiming Paradigms Lost
Authors: Patterson Mary
Published: March 2010

This introduction is a critical response to claims made about the demise and revival of the sub‐discipline of kinship studies. Contemporary calls to a reclaimed and revitalised area rest, ironically, on a misplaced concentration on the preoccupations of dominant cultures, one of the grounds used to discard kinship in the past. It is argued that many of the issues debated up to the 1970s in the domain of kinship involve more general problems such as arguments about structure and process, gender and biology and the way in which indigenous categories are to be apprehended and accommodated in a genuinely comparative discipline. The case is also made that kinship's demise is largely an Anglocentric phenomenon and that the continuing importance of many of the issues debated in the past, such as the relationship between people and land and its local ideological representations and global consequences, make knowledge of kinship's more exotic manifestations vital to contemporary graduates. The final section introduces the papers in the volume, each of which addresses, in a contemporary and critical way, an area that was important to previous kinship debates and remains of interest in the present.
Explicit Kummer surface formulas for arbitrary characteristic
Authors: Müller Jan Steffen
Published: March 2010

If C is a curve of genus 2 defined over a field k and J is its Jacobian, then we can associate a hypersurface K in ℙ3 to J, called the Kummer surface of J. Flynn has made this construction explicit in the case when the characteristic of k is not 2 and C is given by a simplified equation. He has also given explicit versions of several maps defined on the Kummer surface and shown how to perform arithmetic on J using these maps. In this paper we generalize these results to the case of arbitrary characteristic.
Superior
Convective Heat Transport for Laminar Boundary Layer Flow Over a Flat Plate Using Binary Gas
Mixtures With Light Helium and Selected Heavier
Gases
Authors: Campo Antonio , Chikh Salah , Papari Mohammad M. , Mobinipouya Mohammad R.
Published: March 2010

This paper addresses the laminar boundary layer flow of certain binary gas mixtures along a heated flat plate. To form the binary gas mixtures, light helium (He) is the primary gas and the heavier secondary gases are nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), xenon (Xe), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), tetrafluoromethane (CF4), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The central objective of this paper is to investigate the potential of this group of binary gas mixtures for heat transfer intensification. From fluid physics, two thermophysical properties, i.e., viscosity η and density ρ, influence the fluid flow, whereas four thermophysical properties, i.e., viscosity η, thermal conductivity λ, density ρ, and heat capacity at constant pressure Cp, affect the forced convective heat transfer. The heat transfer augmentation from the flat plate is pursued by stimulating the forced convection mode as a whole. In this regard, it became necessary to construct a specific correlation equation to handle binary gas mixtures owing Prandtl number Pr∊(0.1,1). Whenever there is heat transfer invigoration in forced flow, drag force accretion seems to be inevitable. A standard formula for estimating the drag force Fd exerted on the flat plate is available from the fluid dynamics literature. The descriptive equations for the heat transfer rate Qmix and drag force Fd,mix associated with the seven binary gas mixtures are channeled through the four thermophysical properties, i.e., density ρmix, viscosity ηmix, thermal conductivity λmix, and heat capacity at constant pressure Cp,mix, which depend on the molar gas composition w. Two case studies suffice to elucidate the modified convective heat and momentum transport that the binary gas mixtures bring forward. At a film temperature Tf=300 K and 1 atm, the He+SF6 mixture delivers the absolute maximum for the relative heat transfer Qmix,abs max/B=16.71 at an optimal molar gas composition wopt=0.96. When compared with the light primary He gas with a relative heat transfer rate QHe/B=12.04, the He+SF6 mixture generates a significant heat transfer enhancement of 39%. At a film temperature Tf=600 K and the same 1 atm, the relative heat transfer QHe/B for the light primary gas He comes down to 10.77. In reference to this, the He+SF6 mixture furnishes an absolute maximum heat transfer Qmix,abs max/B=18.11 at an optimal molar gas composition wopt=0.96, yielding a remarkable heat transfer enhancement of 68%. In the global context, the usage of exotic binary gas mixtures with light helium and selected heavier gases may be envisioned for special tasks in industries that demand high heat transfer rates.
The Effect of Local Thermal Nonequilibrium on the Onset of Convection in a Nanofluid
Authors: Nield D. A. , Kuznetsov A. V.
Published: March 2010

The onset of convection in a horizontal layer of a nanofluid is studied analytically. The model used for the nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis, and allows for local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) between the particle and fluid phases. The analysis reveals that in some circumstances, the effect of LTNE can be significant, but for a typical dilute nanofluid (with large Lewis number and with small particle-to-fluid heat capacity ratio), the effect is small.
Mutual Suppression by Internalization
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: March 2010

Stimulation by parathyroid hormone promotes endocytosis of its receptor in complex with the TGF-β receptor.
Worldwide Experience with the Use of Doripenem against Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing and Ciprofloxacin-Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
: Analysis of Six Phase 3 Clinical Studies
Authors: Kaniga Koné , Flamm Robert , Tong Shin-Yir , Lee Michael , Friedland Ian , Redman Rebecca
Published: March 2010

The worldwide increase in fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
pathogens has led to doripenem and other carbapenems assuming a greater role in the treatment of serious infections. We analyzed data from 6 phase 3 multinational doripenem clinical trials on ciprofloxacin-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates consisting of all genera (CIPRE) and ESBL-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates consisting of
Escherichia coli
,
Klebsiella
spp., and
Proteus
spp. with ceftazidime MICs of ≥2 μg/ml (ESBLE) for prevalence by geographic region and disease type,
in vitro
activities of doripenem and comparator agents, and clinical or microbiologic outcomes in doripenem- and comparator-treated patients across disease types (complicated intra-abdominal infection [cIAI], complicated urinary tract infection [cUTI], and nosocomial pneumonia [NP]). Of 1,830 baseline
Enterobacteriaceae
isolates, 88 (4.8%) were ESBLE and 238 (13.0%) were CIPRE. The incidence of ESBLE was greatest in Europe (7.8%); that of CIPRE was higher in South America (15.9%) and Europe (14.4%). ESBLE incidence was highest in NP (12.9%) cases; that of CIPRE was higher in cUTI (18.3%) and NP (14.9%) cases. Against ESBLE and CIPRE, carbapenems appeared more active than other antibiotic classes. Among carbapenems, doripenem and meropenem were most potent. Doripenem had low MIC
90
s for CIPRE (0.5 μg/ml) and ESBLE (0.25 μg/ml). Doripenem and comparators were highly clinically effective in infections caused by
Enterobacteriaceae
, irrespective of their ESBL statuses. The overall cure rates were the same for doripenem (82%; 564/685) and the comparators (82%; 535/652) and similar for ESBLE (73% [16/22] versus 72% [21/29]) and CIPRE (68% [47/69] versus 52% [33/64]). These findings indicate that doripenem is an important therapeutic option for treating serious infections caused by ESBLE and CIPRE.
Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance of
Acinetobacter baumannii
Isolates from a Metropolitan Detroit Health System
Authors: Reddy Tara , Chopra Teena , Marchaim Dror , Pogue Jason M. , Alangaden George , Salimnia Hossein , Boikov Dina , Navon-Venezia Shiri , Akins Robert , Selman Philip , Dhar Sorabh , Kaye Keith S.
Published: March 2010

A phenotypic and genotypic analysis of
Acinetobacter baumannii
was conducted from 2003 to 2008 in Detroit, MI. The incidence of
A. baumannii
increased from 1.7 to 3.7/1,000 patient days during the study period. Susceptibility to ampicillin-sulbactam and imipenem decreased from ∼90% to ∼40%. Genotyping revealed polyclonality, suggesting either emergence of multiple resistant strains or spread of a common genetic element. The sharp rise mandates major multidisciplinary interventions to optimize management of this multidrug-resistant pathogen.
Role of the (p)ppGpp Synthase RSH, a RelA/SpoT Homolog, in Stringent Response and Virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Geiger Tobias , Goerke Christiane , Fritz Michaela , Schäfer Tina , Ohlsen Knut , Liebeke Manuel , Lalk Michael , Wolz Christiane
Published: March 2010

In most bacteria, nutrient limitations provoke the stringent control through the rapid synthesis of the alarmones pppGpp and ppGpp. Little is known about the stringent control in the human pathogenStaphylococcus aureus, partly due to the essentiality of the major (p)ppGpp synthase/hydrolase enzyme RSH (RelA/SpoT homolog). Here, we show that mutants defective only in the synthase domain of RSH (rshsyn) are not impaired in growth under nutrient-rich conditions. However, these mutants were more sensitive toward mupirocin and were impaired in survival when essential amino acids were depleted from the medium. RSH is the major enzyme responsible for (p)ppGpp synthesis in response to amino acid deprivation (lack of Leu/Val) or mupirocin treatment. Transcriptional analysis showed that the RSH-dependent stringent control inS. aureusis characterized by repression of genes whose products are predicted to be involved in the translation machinery and by upregulation of genes coding for enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism and transport which are controlled by the repressor CodY. Amino acid starvation also provoked stabilization of the RNAs coding for major virulence regulators, such as SaeRS and SarA, independently of RSH. In an animal model, thershsynmutant was shown to be less virulent than the wild type. Virulence could be restored by the introduction of acodYmutation into thershsynmutant. These results indicate that stringent conditions are present during infection and that RSH-dependent derepression of CodY-regulated genes is essential for virulence inS. aureus.
Understanding risk in living donor nephrectomy
Authors: Maple Najma H , Hadjianastassiou Vassilis , Jones Roger , Mamode Nizam
Published: March 2010

Objectives

To investigate risk perception relating to living kidney donation, to compare the risk donors would accept with current practice and identify influential factors.

Design

An observational study consisting of questionnaires completed by previous living donors and the general public. Participants selected the risk they would accept from a list of options, in various scenarios. Risk communication was investigated by randomly dividing the sample and presenting risk differently.

Setting

Primary care (two centres) and secondary care (one centre), London.

Participants

175 questionnaires were sent to patients who had previously undergone living-donor nephrectomy and to members of the public consulting a general practitioner. The living-donor sample comprised 77 consecutive donors at Guy's Hospital from May 2003 to January 2005. The general-public sample was recruited from two London healthcare centres. Of the eventual 151 participants, 61 were living donors and 90 were from the general public.

Main outcome measure

The amount of risk a participant would accept to donate a kidney.

Results

74% of participants were willing to accept a risk of death higher than 1/3000. The most commonly accepted risk was 1/2 (29%). Those presented with a ‘chance of survival’ accepted higher risks than those presented with a ‘risk of death’ (p<0.01). Greater risks were accepted when the recipient was closely related and, for some, when the recipient's prognosis was worse. No difference was observed between the living-donor and general-public groups.

Conclusions

Kidney donors will accept a higher risk of death than is currently quoted, especially if risks are presented in terms of chance of survival.
Deprivation of liberty safeguards: how prepared are we?: Table 1
Authors: Lepping Peter , Sambhi Rajvinder Singh , Williams-Jones Karen
Published: March 2010

The Mental Health Act 2007 introduced Deprivation of Liberty safeguards into the Mental Capacity Act 2005 with potentially far reaching resource implications. There appears to be no scientific data regarding the prevalence of deprivation of liberty in clinical settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. We examined how many patients across a whole Trust area in Wales were subject to some lack of capacity, how well documented this was and how many were potentially deprived of their liberty. We found that no patient was deprived of their liberty, but 8% lacked capacity to make either basic or complex decisions; another 5% lacked capacity to make complex decisions. Documentation was good in mental health and community directorates, but there were gaps in documentation (not practice) in the medical and surgical directorates. Routine collection of data improved documentation regarding deprivation of liberty criteria. There is a high likelihood that senior nursing staff underestimate the number of patients who lack capacity.
Assisted suicide by oxygen deprivation with helium at a Swiss right-to-die organisation
Authors: Ogden Russel D , Hamilton William K , Whitcher Charles
Published: March 2010

Background

In Switzerland, right-to-die organisations assist their members with suicide by lethal drugs, usually barbiturates. One organisation, Dignitas, has experimented with oxygen deprivation as an alternative to sodium pentobarbital.

Objective

To analyse the process of assisted suicide by oxygen deprivation with helium and a common face mask and reservoir bag.

Method

This study examined four cases of assisted suicide by oxygen deprivation using helium delivered via a face mask. Videos of the deaths were provided by the Zurich police. Dignitas provided protocol and consent information.

Results

One man and three women were assisted to death by oxygen deprivation. There was wide variation in the time to unconsciousness and the time to death, probably due to the poor mask fit. Swiss law prevented attendants from effectively managing the face mask apparatus. Purposeless movements of the extremities were disconcerting for Dignitas attendants, who are accustomed to assisting suicide with barbiturates. None of the dying individuals attempted self-rescue.

Conclusions

The dying process of oxygen deprivation with helium is potentially quick and appears painless. It also bypasses the prescribing role of physicians, effectively demedicalising assisted suicide. Oxygen deprivation with a face mask is not acceptable because leaks are difficult to control and it may not eliminate rebreathing. These factors will extend time to unconsciousness and time to death. A hood method could reduce the problem of mask fit. With a hood, a flow rate of helium sufficient to provide continuous washout of expired gases would remedy problems observed with the mask.
Calibration of the osmotic technique of controlling suction with respect to temperature using a miniature tensiometer
Authors: Tang Anh-Minh , Cui Yu-Jun , Qian Li-Xin , Delage Pierre , Ye Wei-Min
Published: March 2010

The osmotic technique was calibrated at various temperatures (20–40 °C) using a high-capacity tensiometer. The effect of temperature on the calibration curve of the high-capacity tensiometer in the positive range has been found to be insignificant, i.e., about 0.03%/°C. The measurement at ambient temperature shows that the suction value is not significantly dependent either on the molar mass of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or on the molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) of the semipermeable cellulose membrane. On the other hand, the matric suction measured in the present work by tensiometer was lower than the total suction found in the literature measured by psychrometer. This shows that the so-called membrane effects must be characterized by not only the crossing of PEG molecules but also other complex phenomena. The calibration at controlled temperatures showed a slight suction decrease of 1%/°C. One possible explanation for this decrease is that increasing the temperature decreases the viscosity of PEG solutions, possibly accelerating the crossing of PEG molecules. It is also possible that increasing the temperature changes the physicochemical properties of the PEG solutions, resulting in a suction decrease.
ROLE OF PULLING DIRECTION IN UNDERSTANDING THE ANISOTROPY OF THE RESISTANCE OF PROTEINS TO FORCE-INDUCED MECHANICAL UNFOLDING
Authors: JENSEN I. , GIRI D. , KUMAR S.
Published: March 2010

Recent advances in single molecule experiments have made it possible to investigate the mechanical anisotropy of protein stability in greater detail. It has been found that proteins can exhibit a diverse range of responses when pulled in different directions. We review some of the experimental and numerical work related to the study of the resistance of proteins to force-induced mechanical unfolding. Based on model studies in the framework of statistical mechanics, we discuss the possible molecular origin of the anisotropy of protein resistance to unfolding.
DNA Oxidative Cleavage Induced by the Novel Peptide Derivatives of 3‐(quinoxalin‐6‐yl)alanine in Combination with Cu(II) or Fe(II) Ions
Authors: Szczepanik Wojciech , Kucharczyk-Klamińska Marzena , Stefanowicz Piotr , Staszewska Anna , Szewczuk Zbigniew , Skała Jacek , Mysiak Andrzej , Jeżowska-Bojczuk Małgorzata
Published: March 2010

Three model dipeptides containing 3‐(2,3‐di(pyridin‐2‐yl)quinoxalin‐6‐yl)alanine, 3‐(dipyrido[3,2‐a:2,3‐c]phenazin‐11‐yl)alanine, and 3‐(2,3‐diphenylquinoxalin‐6‐yl)alanine were studied with respect to their ability to bind selected transition metal ions, such as Cu(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Mn(II), and Cr(III). It was found that only Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions could form stable complex species with the studied compounds. The ability to form the complexes correlated well with DNA damage experiments. Only the ferrous and cupric complexes are capable of generating both single‐ and double‐strand scissions. However, double‐strand breakages appear to be dominating lesions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, especially for copper(II) containing systems. The quantity of breakage products in the presence of N‐(3‐(dipyrido[3,2‐a:2,3‐c]phenazine‐11‐yl)alanyl)glycine complexes was the highest as compared to the complexes of the remaining compounds. Moreover, this ligand was the only one that cleaved DNA in the absence of either Cu(II) or Fe(II) ions.
Local Biasing and the Use of Nullator-Norator Pairs in Analog Circuits Designs
Authors: Hashemian Reza
Published: March 2010

A new technique is presented for biasing of analog circuits. The biasing design begins with local biasing of the nonlinear components (transistors), done according to the pre-specified operating points (OPs) and for the best performance of the circuit. Next, the transistors are replaced with their linear models to perform the AC design. Upon finishing with the AC design we need to move from the local biasing to global (normal) biasing while the OPs are kept unchanged. Here fixators—nullators plus sources—are shown to be very instrumental and with norators—as the place holders for the DC supplies in the circuit—they make pairs. The solution of the circuit so prepared provides the DC supplies at the designated locations in the circuit. The rules to engage in circuit analysis with fixator-norator pairs are discussed, and numerous pitfalls in this line are specified. Finally, two design examples are worked out that clearly demonstrate the capability and power of the proposed technique for biasing any analog circuit.
Sign‐Changing Solutions for Discrete Second‐Order Three‐Point Boundary Value Problems
Authors: He Tieshan , Yang Wei , Yang Fengjian
Published: March 2010

We consider the second‐order three‐point discrete boundary value problem. By using the topological degree theory and the fixed point index theory, we provide sufficient conditions for the existence of sign‐changing solutions, positive solutions, and negative solutions. As an application, an example is given to demonstrate our main results.
Radiation Therapy for Palliation of Sarcoma Metastases: A Unique and Uniform Hypofractionation Experience
Authors: Soyfer Viacheslav , Corn Benjamin W. , Kollender Yehuda , Tempelhoff Haim , Meller Isaac , Merimsky Ofer
Published: March 2010

Radiotherapy (RT) is our preferred modality for local palliation of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). A short and intense course of RT is usually needed for rapid palliation and local control of metastatic disease. Seventeen patients at a median age of 61 had symptomatic metastatic sarcoma and required rapid palliation. The symptoms related to the metastases were either pain or discomfort. All patients were treated by a short and intensive course of administration: 39 Gy were given in 13 fractions of 3 Gy/day, 5 times a week. Median follow-up period was 25 weeks. The treatment was well tolerated. Acute side effects included grade one skin toxicity. No wound complications were noted among those undergoing surgery. Late side effects included skin pigmentation and induration of irradiated soft tissues. Durable pain control was achieved in 12 out 15 cases treated for gross metastases. Tumor progression was seen in the 3 other cases within a period of two to nine months. Among 5 lesions which were irradiated as an adjunctive treatment following resection, no local recurrence was observed. The results of this series, although limited in size, point to the safety and feasibility of hypofractionated RT for palliation of musculoskeletal metastases from sarcoma
Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Maternal Plasma in Down Syndrome Pregnancies Using Isobaric Tagging Reagent (iTRAQ)
Authors: Kolla Varaprasad , Jenö Paul , Moes Suzette , Tercanli Sevgi , Lapaire Olav , Choolani Mahesh , Hahn Sinuhe
Published: March 2010

Currently no specific biomarkers exist for the screening of pregnancies at risk for down syndrome (DS). Since a quantitative proteomic approach with isobaric labelling (iTRAQ) has recently been suggested to be highly suitable for the discovery of novel plasma biomarkers, we have now used this method to examine for potential quantitative changes in the plasma proteome of the pregnancies bearing DS fetuses in comparison to normal healthy babies. In our study, we used plasma from six women with DS pregnancies and six with uncomplicated pregnancies care were taken to match cases and controls for gestational and maternal age, as these could be a confounder. In our quantitative proteomics analysis we were able to detect 178 proteins using iTRAQ labelling in conjunction with 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF. Amongst these we observed changes inβHCG, a known screening marker for DS, indicating that our assay was functional. We found a number of elevated proteins Ig lambda chain C region, serum amyloid P-component, amyloid beta A4, and under expressed proteins like gamma-actin and titin in DS pregnancies. These proteins are also found in the sera of patients with Alzheimer disease, which share similar pathologies of DS. Our study therefore indicates that the iTRAQ labelling approach may be indeed useful for the detection of novel biomarkers.
Smoking, Gender, and Ethnicity Predict Somatic BRAF Mutations in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Rozek Laura S. , Herron Casey M. , Greenson Joel K. , Moreno Victor , Capella Gabriel , Rennert Gad , Gruber Stephen B.
Published: March 2010

Approximately 5% to 15% of all colorectal cancers (CRC) have an activating BRAF somatic mutation, which may be associated with a distinct risk profile compared with tumors without BRAF mutations. Here, we measured the prevalence and epidemiologic correlates of the BRAF V600E somatic mutation in cases collected as a part of a population-based case-control study of CRC in northern Israel. The prevalence of BRAF V600E was 5.0% in this population, and the mutation was more likely to be found in tumors from cases who were of Ashkenazi Jewish descent [odds ratio (OR), 1.87; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.01-3.47], female (OR, 1.97; P = 1.17-3.31), and older (73.8 years versus 70.3 years; P < 0.001). These results were similar when restricting to only tumors with microsatellite instability. Whether smoking was associated with a BRAF somatic mutation depended on gender. Although men were less likely to have a tumor with a BRAF somatic mutation, men who smoked were much more likely to have a tumor with a somatic BRAF mutation (ORinteraction, 4.95; 95% CI, 1.18-20.83) than women who never smoked. We note the strong heterogeneity in the reported prevalence of the BRAF V600E mutation in studies of different ethnicities, with a lower prevalence in Israel than other Western populations but a higher prevalence among Jewish than non-Jewish Israeli cases. Epidemiologic studies of CRC should incorporate somatic characteristics to fully appreciate risk factors for this disease. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 838–43
A Segregation Analysis of Barrett's Esophagus and Associated Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Sun Xiangqing , Elston Robert , Barnholtz-Sloan Jill , Falk Gary , Grady William M. , Kinnard Margaret , Mittal Sumeet K. , Willis Joseph E. , Markowitz Sanford , Brock Wendy , Chak Amitabh
Published: March 2010

Familial aggregation of esophageal adenocarcinomas, esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas, and their precursor Barrett's esophagus (BE) has been termed familial BE (FBE). Numerous studies documenting increased familial risk for these diseases raise the hypothesis that there may be an inherited susceptibility to the development of BE and its associated cancers. In this study, using segregation analysis for a binary trait as implemented in S.A.G.E. 6.0.1, we analyzed data on 881 singly ascertained pedigrees to determine whether FBE is caused by a common environmental or genetic agent and, if genetic, to identify the mode of inheritance of FBE. The inheritance models were compared by likelihood ratio tests and Akaike's A Information Criterion. Results indicated that random environmental and/or multifactorial components were insufficient to fully explain the familial nature of FBE, but rather, there is segregation of a major type transmitted from one generation to the next (P < 10−10). An incompletely dominant inheritance model together with a polygenic component fits the data best. For this dominant model, the estimated penetrance of the dominant allele is 0.1005 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.0587-0.1667] and the sporadic rate is 0.0012 (95% CI, 0.0004-0.0042), corresponding to a relative risk of 82.53 (95% CI, 28.70-237.35) or odds ratio of 91.63 (95% CI, 32.01-262.29). This segregation analysis provides epidemiologic evidence in support of one or more rare autosomally inherited dominant susceptibility allele(s) in FBE families and, hence, motivates linkage analyses. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 666–74
Higher Bone Density is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Colon Adenomas in Women
Authors: Nock NL , Patrick-Melin A , Cook M , Thompson C , Kirwan JP , Li L
Published: March 2010

Purpose: Bone mass has been proposed as a biomarker of the cumulative exposure to calcium, vitamin D and endogenous and exogenous estrogens. Postmenopausal women with higher levels of bone mass have a decreased risk of colon cancer. No prior studies, however, have examined the role between bone mass and the risk of colon adenomas, which are precursor lesions that, if not removed, may lead to colon cancer.

Methods: We evaluated the potential association between bone mass, as measured by bone mineral density (BMD) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and colon adenomas in 167 patients who underwent colonoscopy screening at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio.

Results: We found that women with a total body BMD exceeding 1.294 g/cm2 (third tertile) compared to those with a total body BMD less than 1.167 g/cm2 (first tertile) had a much lower risk of colon adenomas (OR = 0.10; 95% C.I.: 0.02-0.74; P = 0.02). Similarly, women with a total body BMD between 1.167 and 1.294 g/cm2 (second tertile) compared to those with a BMD less than 1.167 g/cm2 had a decreased risk for colon adenomas (OR = 0.15; 95% C.I.: 0.03-0.80; P = 0.03; p-trend = 0.01). Postmenopausal women with a total body BMD in the second and third highest tertiles combined compared to those in the first tertile also had a decreased risk of colon adenomas.

Conclusions: Our results show, for the first time, that bone mass, as measured by total body BMD, is inversely associated with colon adenomas in women, which suggests the mechanisms underlying the synergistic actions of calcium, vitamin D, estrogen exposure and other factors affecting BMD including exercise are key to preventing the development of colonic lesions, particularly among women.
Test of a Weight Gain Prevention Intervention in Stage II and III Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Basen-Engquist K , Perkins H , Carmack C , Hughes D , Jovanovic J , Arun B , Murray J
Published: March 2010

Purpose: Weight gain is common in women with breast cancer and is worrisome, as it may affect prognosis and risk of other chronic diseases. This randomized pilot test was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a weight gain prevention intervention for breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Method: Breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to the weight gain prevention intervention or usual care. The intervention used a size acceptance approach, which emphasized changes in diet (low energy density food) and exercise behavior (resistance training) rather than focusing on weight loss. It was administered in weekly sessions delivered in-person and by telephone. Assessments were done at baseline, mid-chemotherapy, end of chemotherapy, after surgical recovery, after a post-surgical booster intervention, and 6 months after surgery. The data from baseline (BL), mid-chemotherapy (MC), and end of chemotherapy (EC) are presented.

Results: 38 participants were randomized to the intervention (n = 19) or usual care (n = 19). 68% had stage II and 32% had stage III breast cancer. Their mean age was 50.0 (SD = 11.0), and 55% were premenopausal. Mean BMI was 29.1 (SD = 6.2) and 69% were physically inactive. The sample was diverse with regard to self-reported ethnicity (58% white, 27% African-American, 8% Hispanic, 6% other). Data collected at MC and EC indicated a trend toward greater reduction in BMI in the intervention than the control group (intent to treat analysis, P = 0.10). When the analysis was conducted without the 4 intervention participants who attended less than 60% of the sessions (analyze as treated) the differences were more marked (group difference: 0.5 kg/m2 at MC and 0.9 kg/m2 at EC, P = 0.025). Similar results were found for waist circumference and SF-36 physical component score, but no differences were found in the SF-36 mental component score.

Conclusions: Based on a preliminary analysis, there was a trend toward improvements in body composition and physical aspects of quality of life from a diet and exercise intervention based on the size acceptance approach. These results indicate this intervention should be tested in a larger randomized controlled trial.
The Effect of Smoking on Side Effects Among Cancer Patients Throughout Treatment: a URCC CCOP Study of 947 Patients
Authors: Peppone L , Mustian K , Palesh O , Piazza K , Janelsins M , Roscoe J , Sprod L , Morrow G
Published: March 2010

Background: Cigarette smoking during cancer treatment adversely affects overall survival, disease-free survival, and disease recurrence. Very few studies investigated the effect of smoking on cancer-related side effects, but smoking in cancer patients represents an important problem because it may exacerbate side effects, which could lead to treatment interruptions and compromised treatment efficacy.

Purpose: To examine the influence of cigarette smoking on side effects among 947 cancer patients throughout treatment.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with cancer and scheduled to receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy reported on current smoking status (yes, no) and the severity (on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 gNot Presenth to 10 = “As Bad as You Can Imagineh) of 12 side effects (fatigue, hair loss, memory, nausea, depression, sleep, pain, concentration, hot flashes, weight loss, skin problems, and shortness of breath) at pre-treatment, during treatment, and 6-month follow-up. The total mean of the aforementioned side-effects was determined for self-reported smokers (S) and non-smokers (NS) using ANCOVA controlling for sociodemographic variables, treatment, cancer site, and Karnofsky score.

Results: S were more likely to be non-Caucasian, younger, single, and less educated (all P < 0.05) than NS. S reported a higher total mean side effect severity than NS prior to treatment (S = 1.73 vs. NS = 1.47; P = 0.02), during treatment (S = 3.91 vs. NS = 3.43; P = 0.03), and at 6-month follow-up (S = 2.34 vs. NS = 1.80; P < 0.01). S also reported a greater increase in total mean side effect severity from pre-treatment to treatment (S = +2.48 vs. NS = +2.05; P = 0.04). S who quit smoking (Q) between baseline and 6-month follow-up reported lower total mean side effect severity than S who continued to smoke at 6-month follow-up (Q = 1.36 vs. S = 2.34; P = 0.04).

Conclusion: S reported greater side effect severity compared to NS prior to treatment, during treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. S also experienced a greater increase in side effect severity than NS from pre-treatment to treatment. S who quit reported lower side effect severity than S who continued smoking. Targeted cessation efforts for S to decrease side effect severity may limit the likelihood of treatment interruptions.
Laser Doppler Flowmetry of Hepatic Microcirculation during Pringle’s Maneuver: Determination of Spatial and Temporal Liver Tissue Perfusion Heterogeneity
Authors: Richter S. , Sperling J. , Kollmar O. , Menger M.D. , Schilling M.K. ,   Chirurgische Arbeitsgemeinschaft OP-Technik und OP-Strukturen of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie
Published: March 2010

Background: Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is frequently used for non-invasive microvascular perfusion measurements. The aim of the present study was to analyze liver blood flow heterogeneity in detail using LDF devices under normal and low-flow conditions. Materials and Methods: In 5 anesthetized and laparotomized Suabian-Hall strain pigs, systemic hemodynamics and hepatic arterial/portal venous blood flow were constantly recorded. Hepatic microcirculation was assessed by 2 different LDF devices, analyzing microvascular flow and velocity before, during and after inducing a Pringle’s maneuver for hepatic inflow occlusion. Offline data analysis comprised differentiation between the two LDF devices used as well as calculation of temporal and spatial heterogeneity of liver perfusion. Results: Pringle’s maneuver induced complete inflow occlusion, confirmed by hepatic arterial/portal venous blood flow measurement. Laser Doppler signals showed a significant decrease during Pringle’s maneuver. Spatial heterogeneity of flow and velocity increased more than temporal heterogeneity during Pringle’s maneuver. Conclusion: Both LDF devices proved suitable for assessing hepatic microvascular perfusion during normal perfusion and low-flow conditions. Reduced microvascular perfusion induces a significant increase in temporal and spatial perfusion heterogeneity. In particular, the pronounced spatial heterogeneity requires measurements at different places when assessing hepatic microcirculation by LDF during impaired perfusion conditions.
Association between a Common Variant near MC4R and Change in Body Mass Index Develops by Two Weeks of Age
Authors: Petry Clive J. , López-Bermejo Abel , Díaz Marta , Sebastiani Giorgia , Ong Ken K. , de Zegher Francis , Dunger David B. , Ibáñez Lourdes
Published: March 2010

Background/Aims: The common polymorphism rs17782313 lying 188 kb downstream of the MC4R gene has recently been found to be unequivocally associated with body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk in adults and children. Our objective was to test the association between rs17782313 and neonatal weight gain in a contemporary population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study using 278 healthy Caucasian newborns [142 girls; gestational age (mean ± SD) 39.3 ± 1.4 weeks, birth weight 3.1 ± 0.6 kg]. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at ∼13 days (range 9–20) and rs17782313 was genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results: rs17782313 was not associated with weight, length or ponderal index at birth. However, it was associated with changes in BMI (p = 0.0004) over the first 2 weeks of life and with body weight (p = 0.02) and BMI (p = 0.007) at age 2 weeks. Despite this, DXA measures of fat and lean mass failed to show any simple associations. Conclusion: Similar to other genetic variants associated with childhood and adult obesity, the association between rs17782313 genotype and body weight develops rapidly during the first 2 weeks of life, once caloric intake is regulated by the infant’s appetite.