bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Luminally Originating Vasa Vasorum in Arterially Implanted Autogenous Vein Graft and Related Anastomosis in Dogs
Authors: Shrestha Dharma Raj , Kusaba Akira
Published: August 2008

Using light and scanning electron microscopes, the authors examined the development of luminally originating vasa vasorum in the course of intimal hyperplasia of vein grafts implanted to the canine femoral artery under conditions of abnormal blood flow with a high peripheral resistance. Five days after the implantation, the luminally originating vasa vasorum in the autogenous vein grafts developed dominantly near the anastomosis and often at the site of the area of valvular sinus. This vasa vasorum took the form of numerous small holes on the luminal surface of the graft and along the suture materials at the site of the anastomosis. These holes were lined with endothelial-like cells two weeks after the implantation, and four weeks later these cells were distributed in the thickened neointima connecting the vasa vasorum in the media and adventitia. This vasa vasorum observed on the thickened neointima at the area of the valvular sinus of the vein graft at more than five days after the implantation was considered to have developed in the course of organization of the mural thrombi deposited on the suture line at and on the area of the valvular sinus. Thus, numerous interstices of the vessel wall, formed along the suture materials at the anastomosis, and some clefts, formed with shrinkage of the deposited mural thrombi at the area of the valvular sinus, are the source of the luminally originating vasa vasorum.
Congenital Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm in a Child— A Case Presentation
Authors: Black Timothy L. , Miller James P. , D'Cruz Cyril
Published: August 2008

A three-and-a-half-year-old female presented with a pulsatile neck mass. Workup demonstrated an aneurysm of the extracranial internal carotid artery. An aneurysmectomy was performed with uneventful recovery. The pathologic findings as well as potential causative factors are discussed.
Fibromuscular Dysplasia of the External Iliac Artery: A Case Report
Authors: Adant J.Ph. , Sakalihasan N. , Dekoster G. , Limet R.
Published: August 2008

A case of fibromuscular dysplasia of the external iliac arteries in a seventy-one-year-old woman treated by percutaneous angioplasty is reported. External iliac artery fibrodysplasia exhibits the classic corrugated "string of beads" angiographic appearance. These lesions are symptomatic when the arterial lumen is sufficiently compromised to reduce blood flow or when superposed thrombosis and/or embolization occurs.

Treatment by percutaneous angioplasty gives excellent immediate morphologic results. Claudication symptoms were absent during a one-year follow-up.
Primary Venous Aneurysm—Case Reports
Authors: Hayashi Saihou , Hamanaka Yoshiharu , Sueda Taijiro , Matsuura Yuichiro
Published: August 2008

Venous aneurysm (VA) is a rare vascular lesion. The authors have experi enced 2 cases of VA: a seventy-year-old woman who had a 4 x 4 cm VA at the elbow and a forty-five-year-old woman who had a 1.5 x 1 cm VA in the long saphenous vein. In the second case, intraaneurysmal observation was per formed by angioendoscopy during surgery. Histologic examination of the re sected lesion proved that the basic structure of the venous wall was preserved in both cases, although a marked reduction in each component of wall was ob served.

The authors reviewed the reported cases of VA and classified them into type I VA (cystic ectasia) and type II VA (fusiform ectasia). Type I VA is predominant in extremities and internal organs, while type II VA predominates in the cervical region. Their analysis of the reported cases indicated that although VA and varicose veins are both venous ectasias, VA is distinguishable from varicose veins by the following features: no sex difference, occurrence even in children, occurrence anywhere in the body, occurrence as a single lesion, and lack of prolongation of the vein.
A New Application of Centrifugal Pump to Axilloiliac Temporary Bypass During Surgery of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm—A Case Report
Authors: Shimada Mitsuo , Okadome Kenichiro , Komori Kimihiro , Takeuchi Hideya , Sugimachi Keizo
Published: August 2008

In order to avoid postoperative renal failure, liver failure, and paraplegia due to a suboptimal perfusion of the organs, the authors applied a centrifugal pump to a temporary axilloiliac bypass during surgery for a thoracic aortic aneurysm and successfully conducted the intraoperative and postoperative management of a patient with severe renal dysfunction and moderate liver dys function. With the use of a centrifugal pump in the axilloiliac bypass, not only was optimal perfusion of the intraabdominal organs and spinal cord obtained, but also left ventricular afterload was reduced. This type of centrifugal pump application can thus provide a better operative field without any bypass circuit in it and also help in preventing postoperative renal and hepatic failure and paraplegia.
The Effect of Continuous Infusion of Dobutamine on the Maximal Forearm Skin Blood Flow and Plasma Neuropeptide Y Level in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Kwan Chi Ming , Chen Jyh-Hong , Teng Jeng-Kai , Tsai Liang-Miin , Lin Li-Jen , Lu Feng-Hwa , Cheng Juei-Tang
Published: August 2008

To investigate whether continuous infusion of therapeutic doses of dobu tamine will influence the plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the vasodilator capacity of nonacral skin in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, the authors measured plasma NPY, norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (Epi) in 21 CHF patients, New York Heart Association (NYHA) function class III-IV, before and after four consecutive days' treatment by continuous infusion of dobutamine. Nine of these patients underwent laser Doppler flowmetry with a modified heat ing probe to measure the forearm skin blood flow for seventy minutes. They were measured at rest from room temperature to locally heated temperature of 42°C, a maneuver known to selectively and maximally vasodilate skin. Another 9 age-matched CHF patients, NYHA function class II, not requiring dobu tamine treatment, were treated with placebo to follow the same protocol.

Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate did not change significantly before and during treatment in both groups. The maximal forearm skin blood flow changed significantly from the control after dobutamine treatment in all the following four days (12.3 ± 2.4 versus 21.8 ± 4.4, 21.2±2.9, 22.3 ± 4.9, 23.0 ± 5.1 Volt, p < 0.05), but this was not observed in the placebo group (11. 8 ± 2 . 9 versus 13 .3 ± 2.4, 11.6 ± 1.8, 14.6 ± 2 .5, 10. 0 ± 1.5, p = NS) . The NPY, NE, and Epi did not show any alteration before and during four days' treat ments with dobutamine in 9 patients. Plasma NPY, NE, and Epi of 21 patients before dobutamine treatment were all elevated when compared with 115 age- matched control subjects (40 ± 3.0 versus 23.2 ± 0.9 pmole/L, p < 0.0005 for NPY; 3.7 ± 0.1 versus 2.4 ± 0.1 pmole/mL, p < 0.0005 for NE: and 1.9 ± 0.1 ver sus 1.6 ± 0.1 pmole/mL, p < 0.03 for Epi). Plasma NPY correlated better with NE than with Epi after dobutamine treatment.

Hence the authors conclude: (1) the increment of skin blood flow by dobu tamine may be due to increased cardiac output or direct vasodilator effect. (2) NPY, NE, and Epi elevated in CHF, but they were not affected by acute stimula tion of sympathetic activity by dobutamine treatment. (3) The better correlation between NPY and NE indicates its origin from sympathetic nerve terminals, and NPY may play a role in the pathophysiology of CHF.
Baseline and Post-Acetazolamide SPECT Evaluation of Carotid Endarterectomy Cases
Authors: Taşçioğlu Ali Oguz , Aras Tulin
Published: August 2008

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) of 21 symptomatic patients with significant carotid stenoses was studied by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with technetium 99m hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime (Tc 99m HMPAO) at rest as baseline and during cerebral vasodilation after IV administration of acetazolamide (ACZ). Seventeen patients with significant internal carotid artery stenosis who showed increased cerebral perfusion after ACZ administration over their baseline low focal and global SPECT values were selected for surgery. A similar baseline study was done in the postoperative sixth week to assess the effect of surgery on regional and hemispheric CBF. Twelve patients with significant carotid stenoses who showed cerebral reserve in SPECT studies benefited most from the operation, and 3 patients with totally occluded left carotid arteries showed less increased CBF on their occluded sides. Endarterectomy operations were done to their contralateral stenotic arteries and their improvement varied on their occluded sides with variations of the Willis Polygon.

This study showed that Tc 99m HMPAO SPECT study with ACZ-stimulated vasodilation, done following an initial baseline study, is an adequate selection criterion for carotid endarterectomy.
Effect of Pentoxifylline on Treatment of Lower Limb Ulcers in Patients with Thalassemia Major
Authors: Angelides N.S. , Angastiniotis Ch. , Pavlides N.
Published: August 2008

The possible healing effect of deferoxamine and pentoxifylline on persisting lower limb ulcers was studied in 51 patients with thalassemia major.

The results indicated that the regular use of deferoxamine at an intravenous dose of 20 mg/kg did not affect the healing progress and the recurrence rate of these ulcers significantly. On the contrary, the oral administration of pentoxifylline at a dose of 1,200 mg daily during the ulcer's healing time and at a low long-term maintenance dose of 400 mg daily during the ulcer-free intervals improved their healing ability impressively and diminished their recurrence rate significantly.
Surgical Correction of Double Congenital Coronary—Pulmonary Artery Fistulas and Rheumatic Mitral and Aortic Valve Disease—A Case Report
Authors: Barrios Vivencio , Jiménez-Nácher José-Julio , Ojeda José-Luis , Jiménez-Mena Manuel , Epeldegui Antonio , Oliva Enrique , de Dios Ramiro Martin
Published: August 2008

A sixty-seven-year-old woman suffering from combined mitral and aortic rheumatic valve disease was shown by coronary angiography to have two congenital coronary artery fistulas, one originating from the proximal left anterior descending artery, the other from the right coronary artery, and both draining into the pulmonary trunk. Surgical correction of the fistulas and implantation of two mechanical prosthetic valves were successfully performed. As far as the authors know, this is the first reported case of a surgical correction of double congenital coronary artery fistulas and rheumatic mitral and aortic valve disease.
Acute Aortic Dissection (Type II) in a Pregnant Woman with the Marfan's Syndrome: Case Study and Literature Review
Authors: Maurer Iris C. , Bernhard Alexander
Published: August 2008

Acute dissection of the thoracic aorta that occurs during pregnancy in Marfan's syndrome is often fatal. To date, 3 cases of successful surgical treatment have been reported worldwide. The case described herein serves as a basis for a discussion of the pathologic features, diagnosis, timing, and extent of the surgical procedures that may be employed.
Technique for Temporal Artery Biopsy
Authors: Ikard Robert W.
Published: August 2008

Temporal artery biopsy is generally considered an easy or routine operation. However, documented low-benefit yield of the procedure may be influenced by shoddy surgical sampling. A method of temporal artery biopsy is presented that allows efficient harvesting and handling of adequate vessel length to aid in assessment of possible temporal arteritis. When the procedure is properly selected, predictable clinical benefit is obtainable with little difficulty for surgeons and low risk for patients.
Allen's Test in Unconscious Patients
Authors: Asimacopoulos Panayiotis J. , Ioannou Nikolaos I. , Toumbis/Ioannou Eugenia , Morris Monica R.
Published: August 2008

The authors present a version of the original Allen test for use in unconscious patients. The original Allen test requires the cooperation of the conscious patient. The authors' version is a fast, simple, cost-effective method that produces the same results in an unconscious patient as in a conscious patient without the use of instruments.
Late Detection of Asymptomatic Chronic Perigraft Aortic Pseudoaneurysm
Authors: Kwan Tak , Huber Michael S. , Feit Alan
Published: August 2008

A fifty-five-year-old man presented with pseudoaneurysm five years after composite aortic graft replacement for aortic dissection. The transthoracic echocardiogram appeared to show a right atrial mass. Transesophageal echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging correctly delineated the pseudoaneurysm. Cardiac catheterization and superior vena cavagraphy were confirmatory The diagnostic features and natural history of this complication are discussed.
Erythromycin lacks colon prokinetic effect in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders: a retrospective study
Authors: Venkatasubramani Narayanan , Rudolph Colin D , Sood Manu R
Published: August 2008

Background

Motilin, a peptide hormone has a direct excitatory effect on circular smooth muscle strips derived from the human colon. Reduced plasma motilin concentration has been reported in adults with chronic constipation. Erythromycin, a non-peptide motilin receptor agonist, induces phase 3 of the migrating motor complex (MMC) in the antro-duodenum and also reduces oro-cecal transit time. A pediatric study has reported an improvement in clinical symptoms of constipation following erythromycin administration, but the effect on colon motility in children has not been formally evaluated. We used colon manometry to study the effect of intravenous erythromycin lactobionate at 1 mg/kg on colon motiltiy in ten children.

Methods

We selected patients with normal antroduodenal and colon manometry studies that were performed simultaneously. All studies were performed for clinically indicated reasons. We quantified the effect of erythromycin on colon contraction by calculating the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

The mean (SE of mean) AUC in the colon during the fasting, post-erythromycin and postprandial phases of the study was 2.1 mmHg/sec (0.35), 0.99 mmHg/sec (0.17) and 3.05 mmHg/sec (0.70) respectively. The AUC following erythromycin was significantly less compared to the fasting phase of the study (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Erythromycin lacks colon prokinetic effect in children with chronic constipation evaluated by colon manometry.
Increased deposition of C3b on red cells with low CR1 and CD55 in a malaria-endemic region of western Kenya: Implications for the development of severe anemia
Authors: Odhiambo Collins O , Otieno Walter , Adhiambo Christine , Odera Michael M , Stoute José A
Published: August 2008

Background

Severe anemia due toPlasmodium falciparummalaria is a major cause of mortality among young children in western Kenya. The factors that lead to the age-specific incidence of this anemia are unknown. Previous studies have shown an age-related expression of red cell complement regulatory proteins, which protect erythrocytes from autologous complement attack and destruction. Our primary objective was to determine whether in a malaria-endemic area red cells with low levels of complement regulatory proteins are at increased risk for complement (C3b) depositionin vivo. Secondarily, we studied the relationship between red cell complement regulatory protein levels and hemoglobin levels.

Methods

Three hundred and forty-two life-long residents of a malaria-holoendemic region of western Kenya were enrolled in a cross-sectional study and stratified by age. We measured red cell C3b, CR1, CD55, and immune complex binding capacity by flow cytometry. Individuals who were positive for malaria were treated and blood was collected when they were free of parasitemia. Analysis of variance was used to identify independent variables associated with the %C3b-positive red cells and the hemoglobin level.

Results

Individuals between the ages of 6 and 36 months had the lowest red cell CR1, highest %C3b-positive red cells, and highest parasite density. Malaria prevalence also reached its peak within this age group. Among children ≤ 24 months of age the %C3b-positive red cells was usually higher in individuals who were treated for malaria than in uninfected individuals with similarly low red cell CR1 and CD55. The variables that most strongly influenced the %C3b-positive red cells were age, malaria status, and red cell CD55 level. Although it did not reach statistical significance, red cell CR1 was more important than red cell CD55 among individuals treated for malaria. The variables that most strongly influenced the hemoglobin level were age, the %C3b-positive red cells, red cell CR1, and red cell CD55.

Conclusion

Increasing malaria prevalence among children >6 to ≤ 36 months of age in western Kenya, together with low red cell CR1 and CD55 levels, results in increased C3b deposition on red cells and low hemoglobin. The strong contribution of age to C3b deposition suggests that there are still additional unidentified age-related factors that increase the susceptibility of red cells to C3b deposition and destruction.
Midkine promoter-based conditionally replicative adenovirus therapy for midkine-expressing human pancreatic cancer
Authors: Toyoda Eiji , Doi Ryuichiro , Kami Kazuhiro , Mori Tomohiko , Ito Daisuke , Koizumi Masayuki , Kida Atsushi , Nagai Kazuyuki , Ito Tatsuo , Masui Toshihiko , Wada Michihiko , Tagawa Masatoshi , Uemoto Shinji
Published: August 2008

Background

To develop a novel therapeutic strategy for human pancreatic cancer using a midkine promoter-based conditionally replicating adenovirus.

Methods

We examined midkine mRNA expression and midkine protein expression by seven human pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, CFPAC-1, HPAC, MIAPaCa-2, PANC-1, and Suit-2), as well as by non-cancerous pancreatic tissue and pancreatic cancers. Midkine promoter activity was measured in cancer cell lines by the dual luciferase reporter assay. Adenoviral transduction efficiency was assessed by fluorescent staining of cancer cell lines using adenovirus type 5 containing the green fluorescent protein gene (Ad5GFP). Replication of adenovirus type 5 containing the 0.6 kb midkne promoter (Ad5MK) was assessed by the detection of E1 protein in cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity of Ad5MK for cancer cells was evaluated from the extent of growth inhibition after viral infection. Infection and replication were also assessed in nude mice with subcutaneous Suit-2 tumors by intratumoral injection of Ad5MK, Ad5GFP, or vehicle. E1a mRNA expression in the treated tumors and expression of the replication-specific adenoviral hexon protein were evaluated. Finally, the anti-tumor activity of Ad5MK against intraperitoneal xenografts of Suit-2 pancreatic cancer cells was examined after intraperitoneal injection of the virus.

Results

Both midkine mRNA expression and midkine protein expression were strong in AsPC-1 and CFPAC-1 cell liens, moderate in BxPC-3, HPAC, and Suit-2 cell lines, and weak in PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2 cell lines. Expression of midkine mRNA was significantly stronger in pancreatic cancers than in non-cancerous pancreatic tissues. The relative luciferase activity mediated by the 0.6 kb midkne fragment in AsPC-1, PANC-1, and Suit-2 cell lines was approximately 6 to 20 times greater than that in midkne-negative MIAPaCa-2 cell lines. Pancreatic cancer cell lines exhibited a heterogeneous adenoviral transduction profile. E1A expression was higher in cell lines with strong midkine expression than in cell lines with weak midkine expression. Ad5MK showed much greater cytotoxicity for midkine-expressing Suit-2 and PANC-1 cell lines than for midkine-negative MIAPaCa-2 cell lines. In the Suit-2 subcutaneous xenograft model, expression of E1A was detected in Ad5MK-treated tumors, but not in untreated and Ad5GFP-treated tumors. In the Suit-2 intraperitoneal xenograft model, the Ad5MK group survived for significantly longer than the Ad5GFP, PBS, and untreated groups.

Conclusion

Ad5MK has an anti-tumor effect against human pancreatic cancer cell lines that express midkine mRNA. Midkine promoter-based conditionally replicative adenovirus might be a promising new gene therapy for pancreatic cancer.
Computerized tomographic angiography for preoperative assessment of the superficial temporal artery for external carotid artery to internal carotid artery bypass: Case illustration
Authors: Farsad Khashayar , Hayek Reyaad A , Mamourian Alexander C , Friedman Jonathan A
Published: August 2008

Introduction

While catheter angiography has traditionally been used to assess the caliber and course of the superficial temporal artery prior to its use as a conduit for external carotid artery to internal carotid artery (EC-IC) bypass, computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has become increasingly used in the diagnostic assessment of cerebral vasculature. We demonstrate the application of CTA for evaluation of the superficial temporal artery as a vascular conduit for EC-IC bypass.

Case presentation

A female in the fourth decade of life presented with the chief complaint of headache. CTA of the Circle of Willis revealed an unruptured fusiform aneurysm of the M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). We performed CTA for the preoperative assessment of the STA for a putative EC-IC bypass procedure, and correlated this to conventional external carotid angiography. Reformatted CTA provided excellent surface visualization of the STA and its course in relationship to the cranial and zygomatic surfaces, and correlated well with findings on the conventional angiogram.

Conclusion

CTA may eventually prove sufficient for use in assessing the STA in preparation for EC-IC bypass.
Molecular evolution of neuropeptides in the genus Drosophila
Authors: Wegener Christian , Gorbashov Anton
Published: August 2008

Background

Neuropeptides comprise the most diverse group of neuronal signaling molecules. They often occur as multiple sequence-related copies within single precursors (the prepropeptides). These multiple sequence-related copies have not arisen by gene duplication, and it is debated whether they are mutually redundant or serve specific functions. The fully sequenced genomes of 12 Drosophila species provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of neuropeptides.

Results

We data-mined the 12 Drosophila genomes for homologs of neuropeptide genes identified in Drosophila melanogaster. We then predicted peptide precursors and the neuropeptidome, and biochemically identified about half of the predicted peptides by direct mass spectrometric profiling of neuroendocrine tissue in four species covering main phylogenetic lines of Drosophila. We found that all species have an identical neuropeptidome and peptide hormone complement. Calculation of amino acid distances showed that ortholog peptide copies are highly sequence-conserved between species, whereas the observed sequence variability between peptide copies within single precursors must have occurred prior to the divergence of the Drosophila species.

Conclusion

We provide a first genomic and chemical characterization of fruit fly neuropeptides outside D. melanogaster. Our results suggest that neuropeptides including multiple peptide copies are under stabilizing selection, which suggests that multiple peptide copies are functionally important and not dispensable. The last common ancestor of Drosophila obviously had a set of neuropeptides and peptide hormones identical to that of modern fruit flies. This is remarkable, since drosophilid flies have adapted to very different environments.
Polycomb-dependentUltrabithoraxHox gene silencing induced by high Ultrabithorax levels inDrosophila
Authors: Garaulet Daniel L. , Foronda David , Calleja Manuel , Sánchez-Herrero Ernesto
Published: August 2008

The Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene of Drosophilaspecifies the third thoracic and first abdominal segments. Ubxexpression is controlled by several mechanisms, including negative regulation by its own product. We show here that if Ubx expression levels are inappropriately elevated, overriding the auto-regulatory control, a permanent repression of Ubx is established. This continuous repression becomes independent of the presence of exogenous Ubx and leads to the paradoxical result that an excess of Ubx results in a phenotype of Ubx loss. The mechanism of permanent repression depends on Polycomb-group genes. Absence of endogenous Ubxtranscription when Ubx levels are highly elevated probably activates Polycomb complexes on a Polycomb response element located in the Ubx major intron. This, in turn, brings about permanent repression of Ubx transcription. Similar results are obtained with the gene engrailed, showing that this mechanism of permanent repression may be a general one for genes with negative auto-regulation when levels of expression are transitorily elevated.
GATA transcription factors integrate Wnt signalling during heart development
Authors: Afouda Boni A. , Martin Jennifer , Liu Fei , Ciau-Uitz Aldo , Patient Roger , Hoppler Stefan
Published: August 2008

Cardiogenesis is inhibited by canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling and stimulated by non-canonical Wnt11/JNK signalling, but how these two signalling pathways crosstalk is currently unknown. Here, we show that Wnt/β-catenin signalling restricts cardiogenesis via inhibition of GATA gene expression, as experimentally reinstating GATA function overrides β-catenin-mediated inhibition and restores cardiogenesis. Furthermore, we show that GATA transcription factors in turn directly regulate Wnt11 gene expression, and that Wnt11 is required to a significant degree for mediating the cardiogenesis-promoting function of GATA transcription factors. These results demonstrate that GATA factors occupy a central position between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling in regulating heart muscle formation.
Spray and mixture properties of evaporating fuel spray injected by hole-type direct injection diesel injector
Authors: Nishida K , Gao J , Manabe T , Zhang Y
Published: August 2008

The spray and mixture properties are the vital factors that control the fuel—air mixing formation, subsequent combustion, and exhaust emission processes in direct injection (DI) diesel engines. In the current study, by means of the ultraviolet-visible laser absorption-scattering (LAS) technique, the spray and mixture properties of the evaporating fuel spray injected by hole-type DI diesel injector are quantitatively investigated under various injection conditions in terms of spray tip penetration, spray cone angle, equivalence ratio distributions of liquid/vapour phases, mass of ambient gas entrained, and evaporation ratio etc. The principle and imaging procedures of the LAS technique are first summarized and discussed. Then, the effects of injection pressure and nozzle hole diameter on the spray and mixture properties are examined in particular. The results show that — for the injection system and ambient conditions in this study — increasing the injection pressure from 90 MPa to 120 MPa results in approximately 40 per cent more ambient gas being entrained into the spray on average, and the effect of nozzle hole diameter on the mixture properties shows two contrasting trends.
Optimization study of the effects of bowl geometry, spray targeting, and swirl ratio for a heavy-duty diesel engine operated at low and high load
Authors: Shi Y , Reitz R D
Published: August 2008

Optimization tools are used to recommend low-emission engine combustion chamber designs, spray targeting, and swirl ratio levels for a heavy-duty diesel engine operated at low load and high load. A non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA II) was coupled with the KIVA computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, as well as with an automated grid generation technique to conduct the multi-objective optimizations with goals of low emissions and improved fuel economy. The study identifies the aspects of the combustion and pollution formation that are affected by mixing, and offers guidance for better matching of the piston geometry with the spray plume geometry for enhanced mixing. By comparing the optimal results of low-load and high-load cases, the study reveals that different injection strategies and matching of the piston geometry with the spray plume are needed for different operating conditions. A non-parametric regression analysis tool was also used to post-process the optimized results in order to provide an understanding of the effects of each optimized parameter on fuel economy and pollutant formation. It was found that an optimal combination of spray targeting, swirl ratio, and bowl geometry exists that simultaneously minimizes emissions formation and offers improved fuel consumption.
Willingness to Pay in an Open Source Software Environment
Authors: Raghu T. S. , Sinha Rajiv , Vinze Ajay , Burton Orneita
Published: August 2008

Competition from open source software and free software (OSS/FS) alternatives is causing proprietary software producers to reevaluate product strategies. OSS/FS alternatives complicate an already complex information goods market plagued by piracy concerns. Although producer perspectives on software pricing and piracy controls have been addressed extensively, consumers' perspective and willingness to pay for commercial software is not very well understood. This paper empirically determines willingness to pay for a leading commercial software application (Microsoft Office) in the presence of an OSS/FS alternative. A contingent valuation approach is used to elicit willingness to pay for the application. The research design employs a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment to investigate the impact of preventive control, deterrence control, and OSS/FS alternative. The results indicate that the availability of an OSS/FS alternative has little impact on willingness to pay for Microsoft Office. However, piracy controls significantly increase willingness to pay for Microsoft Office, even in the presence of OSS/FS alternatives.
Top Management Team Diversity and Firm Performance: Moderators of Functional-Background and Locus-of-Control Diversity
Authors: Boone Christophe , Hendriks Walter
Published: August 2008

Past research on the relationship between top management team (TMT) compositional diversity and organizational performance has paid insufficient attention to the nature of TMT team processes in interaction with TMT diversity. We fill this gap by studying how three team mechanisms (collaborative behavior, accurate information exchange, and decision-making decentralization) moderate the impact of TMT diversity on financial performance of 33 information technology firms. We focus on two fundamentally different forms of TMT diversity: functional-background (FB) and locus-of-control (LOC). We argue that the former has the potential to enhance decision quality and organizational performance, whereas the latter might trigger relational conflict, and is, therefore, potentially detrimental to firm effectiveness. The ultimate aim of our study is to analyze which team processes help to transform distributed FB knowledge into high-quality decisions and organizational effectiveness, and which help avoid the potential detrimental effects of LOC diversity. We find that a TMT's collaborative behavior and information exchange are necessary conditions to unleash the performance benefits of FB diversity, but do not interact with LOC diversity. In addition, decentralized decision making spurs the effectiveness of functionally diverse teams, while at the same time reinforces the negative consequences of LOC diversity on firm performance.
Third-World Copycats to Emerging Multinationals: Institutional Changes and Organizational Transformation in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Chittoor Raveendra , Sarkar MB , Ray Sougata , Aulakh Preet S.
Published: August 2008

This article investigates how Indian pharmaceutical firms, facing discontinuous institutional changes in their domestic environment due to economic liberalization and intellectual property reforms, have undertaken organizational transformation. Internationalization of resources and product markets constitutes an important component of organizational transformation for local firms in emerging economies. Using longitudinal data on 206 Indian pharmaceutical firms from 1995–2004, we find that firms' access to international technological and financial resources enables product market internationalization. Furthermore, we theorize and find support for our predictions that the association between international resources and markets is conditioned by time and business group affiliation, and product market internationalization affects financial performance. Several implications thus emerge for theory and practice associated with the sources of competitiveness in emerging economy firms and their transformation into globally competitive multinational firms.
Are autistic traits autistic?
Authors: Barbeau Elise B. , Mendrek Adrianna , Mottron Laurent
Published: August 2008

According to the extreme male brain theory of autism (Baron‐Cohen, 2002), autistic traits would be extreme manifestations of typical male behaviours. The Auyeung et al. (2009) paper establishes a link between autistic traits and higher fetal testosterone (fT) levels in typically developing children. We argue that the construct behind this relationship needs further investigation. First, the link between fT levels and sexually dimorphic traits, that are for example, associated with empathizing and systemizing, is controversial. Likewise, describing autistic behaviours as being extreme male‐like is debatable. The cerebral hemisphere laterality pattern of individuals with autism also seems to differ from the pattern typically observed in males. Moreover, the parallel that should exist, according to the fT theory, between individuals with autism and individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), because of their high fT levels, is unclear. The theory implying fT levels in autism fails to account for a big part of autism, and the link between fT and normal ‘autistic traits’ hardly demonstrates the causal link between fT and autism.
Work–life balance and subjective well‐being: The mediating role of need fulfilment
Authors: Gröpel Peter , Kuhl Julius
Published: August 2008

The relationship between work–life balance (WLB) (i.e. the perceived sufficiency of the time available for work and social life) and well‐being is well‐documented. However, previous research failed to sufficiently explain why this relationship exists. In this research, the hypothesis was tested that a sufficient amount of the time available increases well‐being because it facilitates satisfaction of personal needs. Using two separate samples (students and employees), the mediating role of need fulfilment in the relationship between WLB and well‐being was supported. The results suggest that perceived sufficiency of the time available for work and social life predicts the level of well‐being only if the individual's needs are fulfilled within that time.
Post‐traumatic growth and life threatening physical illness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature
Authors: Hefferon Kate , Grealy Madeleine , Mutrie Nanette
Published: August 2008

Post‐traumatic growth (PTG) is the phenomenon of positive change through the experience of trauma and adversity (O'Leary & Ickovics, 1995). Research suggests that the type of trauma sustained could have differing processes and outcomes from each other (Demark‐wahnefried et al., 2000; Sabiston, McDonough, and Crocker, 2007). The aim of this study was to synthesize qualitative data on PTG and illness related trauma. Fifty‐seven published journal articles dating from before November 1st, 2007 in PsychINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge and from the authors own knowledge of the area were reviewed. Key words included PTG; benefit finding; thriving and positive changes. Key themes included: ‘reappraisal of life and priorities’; ‘trauma equals development of self’; ‘existential re‐evaluation’; and ‘a new awareness of the body’. Findings suggest that there are unique elements to illness related PTG and a need for additional research into the processes and outcomes of physical illness related trauma.
NICE guidance and mental health: Supporting change
Authors: Leng Gillian. , Baillie Nick. , Raj Thara.
Published: August 2008

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to give those in the psychology and psychotherapy fields an overview of the work the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is doing to encourage change in response to its guidance.

Methods. A summary is provided of the work NICE undertakes to motivate others to use guidance and the practical support that is made available. Findings of selected studies are highlighted that demonstrate some of the successes and challenges relating to the uptake of NICE guidance.

Results. Key aspects of NICE work include liaison with partners at a national level to ensure work programmes are aligned and provision of practical support, such as the commissioning guide on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). A range of studies show that there have been successes in increasing the provision of psychological therapies but there are still variations which present challenges.

Conclusions. NICE provides a substantial programme of support for the implementation of guidance which impacts on psychologists and psychotherapists. Successes in the uptake of guidance can be demonstrated but it is acknowledged that this is challenging area. NICE is keen to provide the most effective support possible for implementation so continually evaluates and seeks feedback on its implementation programme.
Preliminary evidence for a fronto‐parietal dysfunction in able‐bodied participants with a desire for limb amputation
Authors: Blanke Olaf. , Morgenthaler Florence D. , Brugger Peter. , Overney Leila S.
Published: August 2008

Background. Reports of able‐bodied participants with the persisting desire for limb amputation raise legal and ethical questions that are partly due to insufficient empirical knowledge about the condition. Here, we searched for potential neurological mechanisms in participants with desire for limb amputation in order to help develop adequate nosological classifications, diagnosis, and treatment.

Methods. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 20 participants who self‐identified themselves as able‐bodied individuals desiring amputation of a limb.

Results. The results suggest that amputation desire is not unspecific, but in most cases specific for a circumscribed part of the body. Most frequently affected was the leg, mostly on the left, non‐dominant side. Left‐sidedness and limb specificity was associated with elementary and complex somatosensory disturbances of the affected limb akin to those reported by neurological patients. The most frequent neurological co‐morbidity was migraine headache.

Conclusions. These results document the existence of an unusual condition in able‐bodied participants characterized by a person's desire for the amputation of one or more particular limbs. Left‐sidedness, limb specificity and somatosensory disturbances of the affected limb are suggestive of abnormal brain mechanisms in right fronto‐parietal cortex. Based on this association we suggest that desire for limb amputation may be conceptualized as asomatognosia due to disturbed integration of multi‐sensory information of the affected body parts into a coherent cerebral representation of the own body. This suggestion has to be regarded with caution as we did not perform any neurological examination.
Analysis of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Fine-Needle Aspirates Can Classify Benign and Malignant Tissues
Authors: Szafranska Anna E , Doleshal Martina , Edmunds Hayward S , Gordon Stuart , Luttges Jutta , Munding Johanna B , Barth Richard J , Gutmann Edward J , Suriawinata Arief A , Marc Pipas J , Tannapfel Andrea , Korc Murray , Hahn Stephan A , Labourier Emmanuel , Tsongalis Gregory J
Published: August 2008

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are RNA molecules that are involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including those related to human cancers. The aim of this study was to determine, as a proof of principle, whether specific candidate miRNAs could be detected in fine-needle aspirate (FNA) biopsies of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and could accurately differentiate malignant from benign pancreatic tissues.

Methods: We used TaqMan® assays to quantify miRNA levels in FNA samples collected in RNARetain (n = 16) and compared the results with a training set consisting of frozen macrodissected pancreatic samples (n = 20).

Results: Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR analysis confirmed that miRNA levels are affected in PDAC FNAs and correlate well with the changes observed in the training set of frozen pancreatic samples. Analysis of the amounts produced for a few specific miRNAs enabled identification of PDAC samples. The combination of miR-196a and miR-217 biomarkers further improved the ability to distinguish between healthy tissue, PDAC, and chronic pancreatitis in the training set (P = 8.2 × 10−10), as well as segregate PDAC FNA samples from other FNA samples (P = 1.1 × 10−5). Furthermore, we showed that miR-196a production is likely specific to PDAC cells and that its incidence paralleled the progression of PDAC.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the diagnostic potential of miRNAs in a clinical setting and has shown that miRNA analysis of pancreatic FNA biopsy samples can aid in the pathologic evaluation of suspicious cases and may provide a new strategy for improving the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.
‘News media’-media events: Terrorist acts as media events
Authors: Nossek Hillel
Published: August 2008

Based on longitudinal research on the media coverage of terrorist attacks, this article suggests a model of how the coverage of these attacks may be conceptualized as a media event and explores the function this serves within society. The main assumption of the model is that journalists change their ritual of news coverage when dealing with exceptional terrorist attacks; they abandon their usual normative professional frame that encompasses such activities as critical scrutiny of governmental actions, and assume a national-patriotic coverage frame that seeks to reestablish normality and restore order. The model can be useful in clarifying the media's role following terror event. While media run the risk of reinforcing the terror event by giving it the public stage its perpetrators seek, by acting as patriots and not as professionals, journalists subvert the message of the terrorists, so that instead of passing on a message of terror, dread, and alarm, the media give the attacked country and society a message of solidarity, partnership, and stubborn endurance against the terrorist threat. The model may also be useful for understanding media coverage of other crisis situations apart from massive terror attacks.
Mediated events in political communication: A case study on the German European Union Council Presidency 2007
Authors: Hahn Julia , Mok Kathrin , Roessler Patrick , Schmid Michaela , Schwendemann Nicolas
Published: August 2008

This case study provides a multi-perspective view on the power of political events as a strategy to influence public opinion-building regarding the European Union and the European Idea. To achieve this purpose, it examines one prominent political issue of 2007, namely the German Presidency of the Council of the EU. Looking at three different groups of actors, the German Government, the media, and the audience, the public perception of events is analyzed according to their varying degree of mediatization. The case study compares the three main objectives of the German Presidency on the actors' agendas and describes how issues were framed during three different time periods. The findings suggest that the media agenda was heavily influenced by the government's scheduled events. Regarding the frames identified in the public sphere, the media offered different interpretations, somewhat varying from the political leaders' intentions and from the citizens' perceptions.
Single‐Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Allozyme Differences between Inland and Coastal Rainbow Trout
Authors: Brunelli Joseph P. , Thorgaard Gary H. , Leary Robb F. , Dunnigan James L.
Published: August 2008

Native inland populations of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri, particularly resident populations, often hybridize with introduced populations of the widely cultured coastal form of the species, O. m. irideus. The inland and coastal subspecies differ genetically from each other by allozyme polymorphisms at the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH‐B2*) and superoxide dismutase loci (sSOD‐1*) that can be detected using protein electrophoresis. Fewer laboratories, however, are now using allozyme technology, and most genetic studies from wild organisms are now being conducted using DNA rather than protein analyses. We have identified the single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences responsible for the protein variations by sequencing the complementary DNA for the LDH‐B2* and sSOD‐1* genes in a large number of individuals whose genotypes were also determined by protein electrophoresis. The genetic differences causing the allozyme polymorphisms have been converted into SNP allelic discrimination assays. This should allow simple, efficient tests to be conducted in a large number of laboratories as an aid to assessing the level of hybridization between inland and coastal rainbow trout. It should also allow DNA studies to be more directly related to previous allozyme studies. High variability was also found at other sites in the superoxide dismutase gene.
O enquadramento das Missões de Paz (PKO) nas teorias da guerra e de polícia
Authors: Proença Júnior Domício
Published: August 2008

A clareza original do que sejam as operações de manutenção, ou Missões de Paz - PKO - já não existe, se é que algum dia ela de fato existiu. No decorrer desse artigo Busca-se enquadrar as PKO nas teorias de guerra e de polícia, com base no entendimento sobre força e violência, uso da força, guerra e paz. Ao final, há algumas observações sobre a utilidade desses enquadramentos.
Rui Barbosa e a política externa brasileira: considerações sobre a Questão Acreana e o Tratado de Petrópolis (1903)
Authors: Andrade José H. Fischel de , Limoeiro Danilo
Published: August 2008

O artigo trata do papel que Rui Barbosa teve - direta e indiretamente - na solução da Questão Acreana, finalizada com o Tratado de Petrópolis, em 1903, e sugere que a sua participação no processo de negociação teve influência em suas atividades futuras, apesar de seu posicionamento contrário ao desfecho da questão.
Malaria outbreaks in a non-endemic area of Brazil, 2005
Authors: Limongi Jean Ezequiel , Chaves Kátia Maria , Paula Márcia Beatriz Cardoso de , Costa Fabíola Corrêa da , Silva Alcides de Assis e , Lopes Íris de Sousa , Pajuaba Neto Adalberto de Albuquerque , Sales José Maria , Rodrigues Fernando , Resende Maria Angélica Montes , Ferreira Marcelo Simão
Published: August 2008

In March 2005, a resident of the municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, State of Minas Gerais, without any history of traveling to endemic areas for malaria, was diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax infection and local mosquito-borne transmission was suspected. The epidemiological investigation identified another 10 cases with local transmission and all of them were related to the imported malaria case that was detected in this region. The potential exposure site was the banks of the river Tejuco, an area frequented by mineral prospectors. Some of these prospectors were known to have come from states with malaria transmission. In the autochthonous cases, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum were diagnosed. Entomological investigation identified Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis, Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) triannulatus and Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) parvus. After the first outbreak, another three autochthonous cases were notified in municipality of Monte Alegre de Minas, in the same year. The occurrence of these outbreaks highlights the importance of surveillance systems in areas that are nonendemic for malaria.