bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Utility of Rapid Diagnosis of Lymph Node Metastasis in Gastric Cancer Using a Multiplex Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay
Authors: Yanagita Shigehiro , Natsugoe Shoji , Uenosono Yoshikazu , Arigami Takaaki , Funasako Yawara , Hirata Munetugu , Kozono Tsutomu , Ehi Katsuhiko , Arima Hideo , Green George , Wang Yixin , Aikou Takashi
Published: September 2009

Background: Lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in gastric cancer. However, diagnosis by hematoxylin and eosin staining or immunohistochemistry is not always sufficient for the detection of cancer cells because only representative number of slices are examined. Cancer cells may, therefore, be missed by traditional histological methods. Recently, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods have been introduced for improved detection of cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a prototype RT-PCR assay run on the Cepheid SmartCycler® system compared to conventional RT-PCR using the LightCycler® system. Patients and Methods: Forty-seven overt metastatic lymph nodes from 8 patients with advanced gastric cancer and 22 benign lymph nodes from patients without malignant tumor who received surgery were obtained with informed consent. We examined the lymph nodes by RT-PCR, using markers for CEA and CK19 and the LightCycler and SmartCycler systems. Results: In the singlex assay, the sensitivity of CEA and CK19 was 91.5 and 70.2% in the LightCycler system, and 97.9 and 95.7% in the SmartCycler system, respectively. In the multiplex assay, the sensitivity was 91.5% in the LightCycler system and 100% in the SmartCycler system, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, rapid diagnosis using RT-PCR by the SmartCycler system had higher accuracy for detecting lymph node metastasis than the conventional LightCycler system. The SmartCycler system is more effective for the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer when run with the prototype assay.
The Grandmother Effect: Implications for Studies on Aging and Cognition
Authors: Herndon James G.
Published: September 2009

Background: Women experience more years of vigorous life after ovulation has ceased than do females of other primate species. Is this an epiphenomenon of the greater life expectancy humans have enjoyed in the past century or so, or is long post-menopausal survival the result of an evolutionary selection process? Recent research implies the latter: Long post-menopausal survival came about through natural selection. One prominent line of thought explaining this selection process is the grandmother hypothesis. Objective: To evaluate the implications of the hypothesis for non-human primate studies of aging and cognition. Method: The author presents a synopsis of the hypothesis, evaluates the uniqueness of the ‘grandmother effect’ to humans, and discusses its implications for non-human primate models of cognitive aging. Results: The hypothesis contends that, in past epochs, women who remained vigorous beyond their fertile years may have enhanced their reproductive success by providing care for their grandchildren. This care would have enabled their daughters to resume reproduction sooner, endowing them with greater lifetime fertility. Genes of grandmothers possessing such old-age vigor would be more likely to persist in subsequent generations. Is midlife menopause a uniquely human phenomenon, or does the chimpanzee, our closest primate relative, also display this trait? If so, we might expect a grandmother effect in this species as well. However, female chimpanzees continue to cycle until near the end of their maximum life span of about 60 years. Conclusion: Long survival beyond fertility and a long life expectancy are distinctive human adaptations. The robustness of ancestral human grandmothers necessarily included resistance to cognitive decline through preservation of functions present in many primates but also development of processes of social cognition unique to our species. Cognitive traits such as language and social cognitive functions may function in our species in particular as mechanisms to compensate for age-related decline. This has significant implications for research in which non-human primates are considered as models of human cognitive aging; it also means that some processes can be studied only in humans.
Liability of the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Gene SCN2A R19K Polymorphism to Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Argyriou Andreas A. , Antonacopoulou Anna G. , Scopa Chrisoula D. , Kottorou Anastasia , Kominea Athina , Peroukides Stavros , Kalofonos Haralabos P.
Published: September 2009

Aim: It was the aim of this study to test the hypothesis that the voltage-gated sodium channel gene SCN2A R19K polymorphism confers liability to oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OXLIPN). Methods: Sixty-two patients with advanced colorectal cancer were genotyped, using allele-specific primers and SYBR green in real-time polymerase chain reaction. All patients had received adjuvant oxalipla-tin-based chemotherapy. The severity of OXLIPN was defined by means of the clinical total neuropathy score. Following the discontinuation of treatment, 36/62 patients (58.1%) developed OXLIPN. Grade I neurotoxicity was revealed in 14 (38.9%) patients and grade II neurotoxicity in 22 (61.1%) patients. Results: From patients without OXLIPN (n = 26), 80.8% (n = 21) were homozygous for G, 19.2% (n = 5) were heterozygous (AG) and none was homozygous for A. The corresponding percentages for patients developing any grade of OXLIPN (n = 36) were similar. Likewise, among patients experiencing OXLIPN, insignificant differences in R19K genotypes were revealed between those with grade I versus grade II neurotoxicity. Conclusion: Our study failed to provide evidence to support a causal relationship between the SCN2A R19K polymorphism and OXLIPN.
Repletion of factor XIII following cardiopulmonary bypass using a recombinant A-subunit homodimer
Authors: Gill Ravi , Nussmeier Nancy A. , Olsen Peter , Andersen Henning F. , Booth Frank V. McL. , Jespersen Christian M. , Levy Jerrold H.
Published: September 2009

Bleeding following cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains a major concern. Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) functions as a clot-stabilising factor by cross-linking fibrin. Low post-operative levels of FXIII correlate with increased post-operative blood loss. To evaluate preliminary safety and pharmacokinetics of recombinant FXIII (rFXIII-A2) in cardiac surgery, patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting were randomised to receive a single dose of either rFXIII-A2 (11.9,25,35 or 50 IU/kg) or placebo in a 4:1 ratio.Study drug was given post-CPB within 10 to 20 minutes after first protamine dose. Patients were evaluated until day 7 or discharge, with a follow-up visit at weeks 5–7.The primary end-point was incidence and severity of adverse events.Thirty-five patients were randomised to rFXIII-A2 and eight to placebo. Eighteen serious adverse events were reported.These were all complications well recognised during cardiac surgery. Although one patient required an implantable defibrillator, all recovered without sequelae. One myocardial infarction in a patient receiving 35 IU/ kg rFXIII-A2 was identified by the Data Monitoring Committee after reviewing ECGs and cardiac enzymes. No other thromboembolic events were seen. Dosing with 25–50 IU/kg rFXIII-A2 restored levels of FXIII to pre-operative levels, with a tendency towards an overshoot in receiving 50 IU/kg. rFXIII-A2, in doses from 11.9 IU/kg up to 50 IU/kg, was well tolerated. For postoperative FXIII replenishment, 35 IU/kg of rFXIII-A2 may be the most appropriate dose.
Identification of a protein S-interactive site within the A2 domain of the factor VIII heavy chain
Authors: Takeyama Masahiro , Saenko Evgueni L. , Nishiya Katsumi , Ogiwara Kenichi , Shima Midori , Nogami Keiji
Published: September 2009

We have recently demonstrated that protein S impairs the intrinsic tenase complex, independent of activated protein C, in competitive interactions between the A2 and A3 domains of factor VIIIa and factor IXa. In the present study, we have identified a protein S-interactive site in the A2 domain of factor VIIIa. Anti-A2 monoclonal antibody recognising a factor IXa-functional region (residues 484–509) on A2, and synthetic peptide inhibited the A2 binding to protein S by ∼60% and ∼70%, respectively, in solid-phase binding assays. The 484–509 peptide directly bound to protein S dose-dependently. Covalent cross-linking was observed between the 484–509 peptide and protein S following reaction with EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide). The cross-linked adduct was consistent with 1:1 stoichiometry of reactants. Cross-linking formation was blocked by addition of the 484–497 peptide, but not by the 498–509 peptide. Furthermore, N-terminal sequence analysis of the 484–509 peptide-protein S adduct showed that three sequential residues (S488, R489, and R490) in A2 were not identified, suggesting that these residues participate in cross-link formation. Mutant A2 molecules where these residues were converted to alanine were evaluated for the binding of protein S. The S488A, R489A, and R490A mutants demonstrated ∼four-fold lower affinity than wild-type A2.These results indicate that the 484–509 region in the A2 domain of factor VIIIa, in particular sequential residues at positions 488–490, contributes to a unique protein S-interactive site.
The influence of meteorological variables on the development of deep venous thrombosis
Authors: Brown Helen K. , Simpson John A. , Murchison John T.
Published: September 2009

The influence of weather on deep venous thrombosis (DVT) incidence remains controversial. We aimed to characterize the temporal association between DVT and meteorological variables including atmospheric pressure. Data relating to hospital admissions with DVT in Scotland were collected retrospectively for a 20 year period for which corresponding meteorological recordings were available. Weather variables were calculated as weighted daily averages to adjust for variations in population density. Seasonal variation in DVT and short-term effects of weather variables on the relative risk of developing DVT were assess using Poisson regression modelling. The models allowed for the identification of lag periods between variation in the weather and DVT presentation. A total of 37,336 cases of DVT were recorded. There was significant seasonal variation in DVT with a winter peak. Seasonal variation in wind speed and temperature were significantly associated with seasonal variation in DVT. When studying more immediate meteorological influences, low atmospheric pressure, high wind speed and high rainfall were significantly associated with an increased risk of DVT approximately 9–10 days later. The effect was most strikingly demonstrated for atmospheric pressure, every 10 millibar decrease in pressure being associated with a 2.1% increase in relative risk of DVT. Alterations in weather have a small but significant impact upon the incidence of DVT. DVT is particularly associated with reduction in atmospheric pressure giving weight to the hypothesis that reduced cabin pressure in long haul flights contributes to DVT. These findings have implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of DVT.
Differences in prethrombin-1 activation with human or bovine factor Va can be attributed to the heavy chain
Authors: Kim Paul Y. , Manuel Reginald , Nesheim Michael E.
Published: September 2009

Human and bovine factor Va (FVa) function similarly in the activation of prothrombin but differently in the activation of prethrombin-1 (Pre-1). Pre-1 activation with human FVa proceeds at about 22 percent of the rate with bovine FVa. The dependencies of initial rates on the FVa and Pre-1 concentrations indicate that the differential activity is expressed in kcat differences, rather than differences in the assembly of prothrombinase or the Km
value of the substrate. The heavy and light chains of both species of FVa were separated and interspecies hybrids were constructed in the presence of Ca++. Studies of the activation of Pre-1 with these hybrids indicate that the species difference can be attributed specifically to the heavy chain of FVa. Analyses of the reactions by SDS-PAGE indicated that cleavage at Arg271 occurs at about the same rate with both species of FVa, but cleavage at Arg320 with human FVa is specifically retarded. A major difference in primary structure between the human and bovine FVa heavy chains comprises 10 residues at COOH-terminus, adjacent to the negatively charged hirudin-like DYDYQ sequence. These residues have pI values of 12.5 and 4.26 in human and bovine FVa, respectively. The lower value would complement the negatively charged DYDYQ sequence but the higher value would counteract it. Thus, we suggest that the differences in the COOH-terminus of the heavy chain are responsible for the differences in Pre-1 activation, and that it specifically influences cleavage at Arg320 in Pre-1.
Vascular Responses to Hypoxia and Ischemia
Authors: Semenza Gregg L.
Published: September 2009

Blood vessels function as conduits for the delivery of O
2
and nutrients. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mediates adaptive transcriptional responses to hypoxia/ischemia that include expression of angiogenic cytokines/growth factors by hypoxic cells and expression of cognate receptors for these ligands by vascular cells and their progenitors. Impairment of HIF-1–dependent responses to hypoxia is a major factor contributing to the impaired vascular responses to ischemia that are associated with aging and diabetes.
Activation of Nrf2 in Endothelial Cells Protects Arteries From Exhibiting a Proinflammatory State
Authors: Zakkar Mustafa , Van der Heiden Kim , Luong Le Anh , Chaudhury Hera , Cuhlmann Simon , Hamdulay Shahir S. , Krams Rob , Edirisinghe Indika , Rahman Irfan , Carlsen Harald , Haskard Dorian O. , Mason Justin C. , Evans Paul C.
Published: September 2009

Objective—

Proinflammatory mediators influence atherosclerosis by inducing adhesion molecules (eg, VCAM-1) on endothelial cells (ECs) via signaling intermediaries including p38 MAP kinase. Regions of arteries exposed to high shear stress are protected from inflammation and atherosclerosis, whereas low-shear regions are susceptible. Here we investigated whether the transcription factor Nrf2 regulates EC activation in arteries.

Methods and Results—

En face staining revealed that Nrf2 was activated in ECs at an atheroprotected region of the murine aorta where it negatively regulated p38–VCAM-1 signaling, but was expressed in an inactive form in ECs at an atherosusceptible site. Treatment with sulforaphane, a dietary antioxidant, activated Nrf2 and suppressed p38–VCAM-1 signaling at the susceptible site in wild-type but not Nrf2
−/−
animals, indicating that it suppresses EC activation via Nrf2. Studies of cultured ECs revealed that Nrf2 inactivates p38 by suppressing an upstream activator MKK3/6 and by enhancing the activity of the negative regulator MKP-1.

Conclusions—

Nrf2 prevents ECs at the atheroprotected site from exhibiting a proinflammatory state via the suppression of p38–VCAM-1 signaling. Pharmacological activation of Nrf2 reduces EC activation at atherosusceptible sites and may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent or reduce atherosclerosis.
Is the Doomsday of International Law Looming Around in the Twenty-First Century?: A Response to the Sceptics of Efficacy of International Law
Authors: Islam Md. Rizwanul
Published: September 2009

The question whether or not international law is really 'law' has haunted legal minds for ages and has been the subject of a large volume of academic works. This recurring question and the fairness of international law have been addressed in this article building on the existing literature. This article argues that despite all its structural and functional limitations, international law is 'real law' and 'fair'. This article also discusses the future role of international law in a uni-polar world. This article shows that contrary to the argument of waning of international law, it indeed is gaining prominence as it never has before and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Seismic Retrofit of Concrete Block Wall Intersections Using Composite Laminates
Authors: El-Dakhakhni Wael W. , George Steve , Shedid Marwan T.
Published: September 2009

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of strengthening the intersection of flanged concrete block shear walls using surface-bonded composite laminates. A total of 15 specially designed flange-web intersecting wall specimens were tested using four different retrofit schemes. Tests included wall intersections reinforced with unidirectional laminate with the fibers oriented perpendicular to loading direction (90°), and bi-directional laminate with orientations of (90°/0°), (90°/0°) 2, and (45°/135°) to the applied load direction. The behavior of each specimen type is discussed with respect to its failure mode, strength, and deformation characteristics. Results showed that the composite laminates significantly increased the shear strength of concrete block shear wall intersections. In addition, the fiber orientation influenced the failure mode and controlled the development of the post-peak deformation capacity of the flange-web intersection. The improved post-peak behavior demonstrated the benefits of retrofitting concrete block wall intersections for strength enhancement. The retrofit scheme resulted in 100%—400% increase in strength compared to non-retrofitted specimens constructed with traditional steel joint reinforcement.
Carbon Coatings for Cardiovascular Applications: Physico-Chemical Properties and Blood Compatibility
Authors: Fedel Mariangela , Motta Antonella , Maniglio Devid , Migliaresi Claudio
Published: September 2009

Two different types of carbon coatings for cardiovascular applications were characterized both as regards to their physico-chemical properties and blood compatibility upon contact with human plasma and platelets. The samples were analyzed by means of a wide range of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle goniometry, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Multiple tests have been performed to evaluate plasma protein adsorption and platelets adhesion and activation, and to investigate possible correlations between the surface properties of the materials and their blood compatibility. We proposed a similar mechanism of blood/material interaction for the carbon-based materials tested. It has been suggested that the characteristic wettability and surface heterogeneity of the coatings guide protein adsorption and retention onto the carbon surfaces, promoting a preferential, extensive and tight adsorption of albumin molecules, that in turn leads to surface passivation and inhibits subsequent platelets adhesion and activation.
Client, Employer and Employee: Mapping a Complex Triangulation
Authors: Havard Christelle , Rorive Brigitte , Sobczak André
Published: September 2009

Many studies in the fields of law, sociology and management point to the transformation of subordination in the employment relationship. This is often explained by the triangulation of the traditionally bilateral employment relation between employer and employees by the involvement of clients or their representatives in the operational and organizational conditions of work. Such studies rarely distinguish between the various types of clients, nor between the reality and rhetoric of their role and influence. Our objective is to propose a classification of the triangular situations between employer, employees and clients based on the concept of power and to analyse the impacts of clients on conditions of work and employment relations.
Acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Tabriz, Iran
Authors: Islambulchilar M , Islambulchilar Z , Kargar-Maher MH
Published: September 2009

The aim of our study was to investigate the etiological and demographical characteristics of acute adult poisoning cases admitted to a university hospital in Tabriz, Iran. This retrospective study was performed on 1342 poisoning admissions to a university hospital from 2003 to 2005, by data collection from the medical records of patients. Poisonings were 5.40% of the total admissions. There was a predominance of female patients (55.7%) compared to male patients (44.3%) with a female-to-male ratio of 1.2:1. Most poisonings occurred in the age range of 11–20 years (38.9%). Drugs were the most common cause of poisonings (60.8%). Among the drug poisonings, benzodiazepines (40.31%) were the most frequent agents, followed by antidepressants (31.98%). The seasonal distribution in poisoning patients suggested a peak in spring (28%) and summer (27.5%). In 9.8% of cases accidental and in 90.2% intentional poisonings were evident. Most suicide attempts were made by women (58.51%) and unmarried people (51.4%).The mean duration of hospitalization was 3.02 ± 2.8 days. There were 28 (2.3%) deaths; the majority (13 cases) was due to pesticides. This was a university hospital-based study, so these results may not be representative of the general population. Despite this drawback, these data still provide important information on the characteristics of the poisoning in this part of Iran. To prevent such poisonings, the community education about the danger of central nervous system-acting drugs and reducing the exposure period of people to pesticides are recommended.
The Generalized Social Body: Distance and Technology
Authors: Cooper Robert
Published: September 2009

The social context of the human body is discussed as a generalized field of energy and action in which the body reflects and transmits itself as a living part of its wider field of social and cultural action. A definitive feature of the generalized social body is action at a distance. All human action finds its source in the making present and immediate of that which is distant and faraway. Distance is discussed as an immanent absence which keeps human action forever on the move. Distance moves the generalized social body as a field of continuous dispersal and dissemination. The human body is thus viewed as an incomplete part which is forever trying to complete itself in a generalized field that continually recedes from human appropriation. The generalized social body also means that the conventional boundaries between the individual and its context dissolve in a fluctuating field of continuous movement. The ancient meaning of technology is discussed as a means by which the human body translates the mute and anonymous (i.e. distant and remote) matter of the world into meaningful human forms and objects. Technology in this sense is disclosive rather than simply instrumental: it reveals the mute and mutable matter of the world as a distant source of infinite potential. Significantly, the human agent is an ongoing product of this process.
Never Employable Enough: The (Im)possibility of Satisfying the Boss’s Desire
Authors: Cremin Colin
Published: September 2009

Lacan refers to an excessive or mad desire of the subject to overcome its alienation in the world, to be at one with it, as the drive conditioning its existence. The mad desire for surplus profit is the drive of the capitalist as the condition for its existence. In this article, it is argued that subjective desire and capitalist desire enter into a dialectical synthesis, an enjoyment derived from improving employability. This is the conceptual framework for an analysis of employability as a condition that can never be fulfilled. The argument is developed through Slavoj Žižek’s notion of false disidentification. This concept is utilized to show how subordination to capital (the material fact of labour) is defused by the sense we have of our independence from the employer (an identification that is not associated with the act of labour). Employability is augmented through the use values we derive from the ‘life outside of the job’ (spatial disidentification) that we willingly commit to the employer in order to improve prospects for employment (temporal disidentification). The critical purchase of the concepts of surplus value, surplus enjoyment and false disidentification are demonstrated against the background of Boltanski and Chiapello’s leading analysis on the ideology of employability.
Misfortunes, memories and sunsets
Authors: Pantti Mervi , Bakker Piet
Published: September 2009

• In the professional news media, invitations to submit photos and video material are the most common means of allowing citizens to participate in the content production, as opposed to merely commenting on professional material. Based on interviews with leading journalists in different media in the Netherlands, this study examines how professional journalists respond to the phenomenon of amateur photography, how it is assessed in terms of journalism’s values and how amateur images are used in the established news media, both in the online context and in the broadcast or print context. 1 Our primary question is what amateur photography means for ‘participatory journalism’, understood in terms of conversation, collaboration and the democratization of news media. •
What is Law (Good) For? Tactical Maneuvers of the Legal War at Home
Authors: Delaney David
Published: September 2009

This commentary offers an analysis of some of the ways in which one war — the American War in Vietnam — and its legal context can be understood as mutually constitutive. The focus is on efforts of anti-war legal activists to use elements of legality to reconstitute that war and the effects these engagements had on transformatively re-constituting the cultural domain of the legal itself. After presenting a brief catalog of skirmishes and tactical maneuvers I conclude with the suggestion that this journal and the kinds of scholarship that finds expression here might be counted as part of the “legacy” of the legal war at home.
Regulation of cerebrospinal fluid production by caffeine consumption
Authors: Han Myoung-Eun , Kim Hak-Jin , Lee Young-Suk , Kim Dong-Hyun , Choi Joo-Taek , Pan Chul-Sik , Yoon Sik , Baek Sun-Yong , Kim Bong-Seon , Kim Jae-Bong , Oh Sae-Ock
Published: September 2009

Background

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psycho-stimulant in the world. The effects of caffeine on the body have been extensively studied; however, its effect on the structure of the brain has not been investigated to date.

Results

In the present study we found that the long-term consumption of caffeine can induce ventriculomegaly; this was observed in 40% of the study rats. In the caffeine-treated rats with ventriculomegaly, there was increased production of CSF, associated with the increased expression of Na+, K+-ATPase and increased cerebral blood flow (CBF). In contrast to the chronic effects, acute treatment with caffeine decreased the production of CSF, suggesting 'effect inversion' associated with caffeine, which was mediated by increased expression of the A1adenosine receptor, in the choroid plexus of rats chronically treated with caffeine. The involvement of the A1adenosine receptor in the effect inversion of caffeine was further supported by the induction of ventriculomegaly and Na+, K+-ATPase, in A1agonist-treated rats.

Conclusion

The results of this study show that long-term consumption of caffeine can induce ventriculomegaly, which is mediated in part by increased production of CSF. Moreover, we also showed that adenosine receptor signaling can regulate the production of CSF by controlling the expression of Na+, K+-ATPase and CBF.
The Hawaiian Algal Database: a laboratory LIMS and online resource for biodiversity data
Authors: Wang Norman , Sherwood Alison R , Kurihara Akira , Conklin Kimberly Y , Sauvage Thomas , Presting Gernot G
Published: September 2009

Background

Organization and presentation of biodiversity data is greatly facilitated by databases that are specially designed to allow easy data entry and organized data display. Such databases also have the capacity to serve as Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). The Hawaiian Algal Database was designed to showcase specimens collected from the Hawaiian Archipelago, enabling users around the world to compare their specimens with our photographs and DNA sequence data, and to provide lab personnel with an organizational tool for storing various biodiversity data types.

Description

We describe the Hawaiian Algal Database, a comprehensive and searchable database containing photographs and micrographs, geo-referenced collecting information, taxonomic checklists and standardized DNA sequence data. All data for individual samples are linked through unique accession numbers. Users can search online for sample information by accession number, numerous levels of taxonomy, or collection site. At the present time the database contains data representing over 2,000 samples of marine, freshwater and terrestrial algae from the Hawaiian Archipelago. These samples are primarily red algae, although other taxa are being added.

Conclusion

The Hawaiian Algal Database is a digital repository for Hawaiian algal samples and acts as a LIMS for the laboratory. Users can make use of the online search tool to view and download specimen photographs and micrographs, DNA sequences and relevant habitat data, including georeferenced collecting locations. It is publicly available at http://algae.manoa.hawaii.edu.
Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use amongst same-sex attracted women: results from the Western Australian Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Health and Well-Being Survey
Authors: Hyde Zoë , Comfort Jude , McManus Alexandra , Brown Graham , Howat Peter
Published: September 2009

Background

The prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use has been reported to be higher amongst lesbian and bisexual women (LBW) than their heterosexual counterparts. However, few studies have been conducted with this population in Australia and rates that have been reported vary considerably.

Methods

A self-completed questionnaire exploring a range of health issues was administered to 917 women aged 15-65 years (median 34 years) living in Western Australia, who identified as lesbian or bisexual, or reported having sex with another woman. Participants were recruited from a range of settings, including Perth Pride Festival events (67.0%, n = 615), online (13.2%, n = 121), at gay bars and nightclubs (12.9%, n = 118), and through community groups (6.9%, n = 63). Results were compared against available state and national surveillance data.

Results

LBW reported consuming alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than women in the general population. A quarter of LBW (25.7%, n = 236) exceeded national alcohol guidelines by consuming more than four standard drinks on a single occasion, once a week or more. However, only 6.8% (n = 62) described themselves as a heavy drinker, suggesting that exceeding national alcohol guidelines may be a normalised behaviour amongst LBW. Of the 876 women who provided data on tobacco use, 28.1% (n = 246) were smokers, nearly double the rate in the female population as a whole. One third of the sample (33.6%, n = 308) reported use of an illicit drug in the previous six months. The illicit drugs most commonly reported were cannabis (26.4%, n = 242), meth/amphetamine (18.6%, n = 171), and ecstasy (17.9%, n = 164). Injecting drug use was reported by 3.5% (n = 32) of participants.

Conclusion

LBW appear to use alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs at higher rates than women generally, indicating that mainstream health promotion messages are not reaching this group or are not perceived as relevant. There is an urgent need for public health practitioners working in the area of substance use to recognise that drug consumption and use patterns of LBW are likely to be different to the wider population and that special considerations and strategies are required to address the unique and complex needs of this population.
Genome-wide prioritization of disease genes and identification of disease-disease associations from an integrated human functional linkage network
Authors: Linghu Bolan , Snitkin Evan S , Hu Zhenjun , Xia Yu , DeLisi Charles
Published: September 2009

We integrate 16 genomic features to construct an evidence-weighted functional-linkage network comprising 21,657 human genes. The functional-linkage network is used to prioritize candidate genes for 110 diseases, and to reliably disclose hidden associations between disease pairs having dissimilar phenotypes, such as hypercholesterolemia and Alzheimer's disease. Many of these disease-disease associations are supported by epidemiology, but with no previous genetic basis. Such associations can drive novel hypotheses on molecular mechanisms of diseases and therapies.
Long-wavelength P-wave and S-wave propagation in jointed rock masses
Authors: Cha Minsu , Cho Gye-Chun , Santamarina J. Carlos
Published: September 2009

Field data suggest that stress level and joint condition affect shear-wave propagation in jointed rock masses. However, the study of long-wavelength propagation in a jointed rock mass is challenging in the laboratory, and limited data are available under controlled test conditions. Long-wavelength P-wave and S-wave propagation normal to joints, using an axially loaded jointed column device, reproduces a range of joint conditions. The effects of the normal stress, loading history, joint spacing, matched surface topography (i.e., joint roughness), joint cementation (e.g., after grouting), joint opening, and plasticity of the joint filling on the P-wave and S-wave velocities and on S-wave attenuation are notable. The ratio [Formula: see text] in jointed rock masses differs from that found in homogeneous continua. The concept of Poisson’s ratio as a function of [Formula: see text] is unwarranted, and [Formula: see text] can be interpreted in terms of jointed characteristics. Analytic models that consider stress-dependent stiffness and frictional loss in joints as well as stress-independent properties of intact rocks can model experimental observations properly and extract joint properties from rock-mass test data. Thus, joint properties and normal stress have a prevalent role in propagation velocity and attenuation in jointed rock masses.
Lauchlin Currie, Pump Priming, and New Deal Fiscal Policy, 1934-1936
Authors: Jones Byrd L.
Published: September 2009

20. My list of American economists would include Leon Keyserling, Walter Heller, and Arthur Okun in addition to Currie.
French Engineers, Welfare Economics, and Public Finance in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Ekelund Robert B. , Hébert Robert F.
Published: September 2009

Division of labor, in research as well as in teaching, has produced, in economics as elsewhere, an indefinite number of specialities that are usually described as “applied fields.” … These fields may accumulate “private” stocks of facts and methods that are of little or no use outside their boundaries. Beyond this, however, they have repeatedly developed accumulations of facts and conceptual schemata that should be recorded as contributions to general economic analysis, even though the appointed wardens of the latter have sometimes been slow to welcome them.—J. A. Schumpeter, History of Economic Analysis, pp. 22 and 24
Henry George and Austrian economics
Authors: Yeager Leland B.
Published: September 2009

Henry George has been widely pigeonholed and dismissed as a singletaxer. Actually, he was a profound and original economist. He independently arrived at several of the most characteristic insights of the ‘Austrian’ School, which is enjoying a revival nowadays. Yet George scorned the Austrians of his time, and their present-day successors show scant appreciation of his work. An apparent lapse in intellectual communication calls for repair.
Marshall on Market Price
Authors: Stigler George J.
Published: September 2009

Editor's note: We regret to report that George J. Stigler died on 1 December 1991 and A. K. Dasgupta died on 14 January 1992.
Schumpeter on Monetary Determinacy
Authors: Shah Parth J. , Yeager Leland B.
Published: September 2009

1. A notable exception is Reclam (1984). He refers to the 1970 book to appraise the evolution of money from a simple medium of exchange to a complex credit mechanism.
The a Posteriori Method and the Creation of New Theory: W. C. Mitchell as a Case Study
Authors: Hirsch Abraham
Published: September 2009

Abraham Hirsch is Professor of Economics at Brooklyn College.
William Bradford Greene and his System of “Mutual Banking”
Authors: Hall Bowman N.
Published: September 2009

Bowman Hall is Temporary Senior Lecturer of Social Science at the Western Australian Institute of Technology in South Bentley and Assistant Professor of Economics at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.
The Rehabilitation of the Peasant Proprietor in Nineteenth-Century Economic Thought: A Comment
Authors: Martin David E.
Published: September 2009

David Martin is Lecturer in Economic History in the University of Sheffield.
Keynes’ Employment Function Reexamined
Authors: Henneberry Barbara , Witte James G.
Published: September 2009

Barbara Henneberry is a research economist; James Witte is Professor of Economics at Indiana University (Bloomington).
Comic Visions of the City: New York and the Television Sitcom
Authors: Marc David
Published: September 2009

The following, with a bit of editing, is a talk I gave at the American Studies Association convention in a session entitled “New York Naked: The City and Commercial Culture.” My subject, the portrayal of New York City on television sitcoms, intersects with two other important themes in the history of the medium: the rise and decline of ethnic humor and television depictions of gender.
Numerical investigation of flow in the liner of a model reverse-flow gas turbine combustor
Authors: Shojaeefard M H , Ariafar K , Goudarzi K
Published: September 2009

Designing a combustion chamber for a gas turbine engine requires expensive tests with many iterations. A numerical analysis can be employed to reduce the number of design iterations by providing an insight into the characteristics of the flow. This present article describes a three-dimensional numerical investigation of flow inside a model reverse-flow gas turbine combustor. In this computational work the entire model including the swirler has been selected for better accuracy. A finite volume non-staggered grid approach has been used and the pressure—velocity coupling is resolved using the SIMPLE algorithm. Comparisons are made between the standard k—ɛ turbulence model and the Reynolds stress turbulence model. Studies are performed to assess the velocity and pressure distributions at different locations in the combustor liner as well as the flow split through various holes on the liner surface. Overall, the predicted flow characteristics are found to be in reasonable agreement with the available experimental data.
Biomimetics — a review
Authors: Vincent J F V
Published: September 2009

Biology can inform technology at all levels (materials, structures, mechanisms, machines, and control) but there is still a gap between biology and technology. This review itemizes examples of biomimetic products and concludes that the Russian system for inventive problem solving (teoriya resheniya izobreatatelskikh zadatch (TRIZ)) is the best system to underpin the technology transfer. Biomimetics also challenges the current paradigm of technology and suggests more sustainable ways to manipulate the world.
Deformation mechanisms and impact attenuation characteristics of thin-walled collapsible air chambers used in head protection
Authors: Lamb L , Hoshizaki T B
Published: September 2009

Head injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, many resulting from sporting activities. There is a constant need in the head protection industry for improved methods to manage impacts and to reduce the risk of mild and severe head injuries. Contemporary head protection primarily consists of foam with several inherent disadvantages, including a limited ability to provide effective energy absorption under both low and high impact velocities. Recently, thin-walled collapsible chambers were engineered to address this problem and have been implemented into sport helmets. The chambers consist of four engineering elements which define their dynamic performance: geometry, air volume, material, and venting system. This research analysed the contribution of air flow through an orifice to the chamber's management of impact energy. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the chamber's vent diameter and material stiffness on peak force and venting rate during an impact. Two material stiffnesses (thermoplastic polyurethane 45D and thermoplastic polyurethane 90A) and five vent diameters (1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm) were tested at three inbound velocities (1.3 m/s, 2.3 m/s, and 3.0 m/s). Each chamber was impacted ten times using a monorail drop system. Analysis of the results revealed that the material stiffness, vent diameter, and inbound velocity all had a significant effect on peak force and venting rate ( p<0.001). Under low inbound velocities the largest vent diameters transmitted a lower force than the smallest vent, while this relationship reversed at high inbound velocities. Under low velocities the air flowrate was negatively correlated and the flow duration was positively correlated to the peak force. Under high velocities, the air flowrate was positively correlated and the duration was negatively correlated to the peak force. This suggested that, under low velocities, chambers performed optimally when air was dissipated quickly, for a short duration; however, as the chamber approached a critical failure region, the increased duration and decreased velocity of air released prevented higher peak forces. This research confirmed that the differences in vent diameter and material stiffness significantly affected the impact force characteristics of engineered thin-walled collapsible chambers.
Effect of surface temperature rise on friction characteristics for sliding speed under unlubricated condition
Authors: Nakahara T , Momozono S , O-Rui A
Published: September 2009

This article presents a theoretical model of the kinetic friction characteristics for sliding velocity under mild wear condition, assuming a simple effective hardness at asperity contacts. The proposed model depends on the surface temperature distribution obtained by using Jaeger's estimation for a moving homogeneous heat source with an infinitely long band on a semi-infinite solid and a relation between steel hardness and temperature measured by Tominaga. Further, the model takes into consideration the stochastic model of a rough surface contact that was proposed by Greenwood and Williamson. The calculation results show that the surface temperature increases and the surface hardness and the friction coefficient decrease as the sliding velocity increases. However, the variation in the friction coefficient is less than that in the surface hardness. The initial value of the friction coefficient and the contact pressure has a great influence on the relation between the friction coefficient and the sliding velocity. In contrast, the standard deviation of the asperity summit heights has little influence on the relation.
The effect of the addition of graphite on tribological properties of glass fibre-reinforced polyimide composites
Authors: Li J
Published: September 2009

The glass fibre (GF)-reinforced polyimide (PI) composites filled with graphite powders were fabricated by means of hot press moulding technique. The friction and wear properties of the resulting composites sliding against GCr15 steel were investigated on a model ring-on-block test rig at dry sliding condition. The wear mechanisms were also discussed based on scanning electron microscopic examination of the worn surface of the PI composites and the transfer film formed on the counterpart. With the increasing normal loads, the friction coefficient of the composites decreased under the dry sliding, owing to inconsistent influences of shear strength and real contact areas. Experimental results revealed that the incorporation of graphite significantly improves the wear resistance of the GF-reinforced PI composites. For best combination of friction coefficient and wear rate, the optimal volume content of graphite in the composites appears to be 30 per cent.
Hindsight, Foresight, and Insight: An Experimental Study of a Small-Market Investment Game with Common and Private Values
Authors: Ivanov Asen , Levin Dan , Peck James
Published: September 2009

We experimentally test an endogenous-timing investment model in which subjects privately observe their cost of investing and a signal correlated with the common investment return. Subjects overinvest, relative to Nash. We separately consider whether subjects draw inferences, in hindsight, and use foresight to delay profitable investment and learn from market activity. In contrast to Nash, cursed equilibrium, and level-k predictions, behavior hardly changes across our experimental treatments. Maximum likelihood estimates are inconsistent with belief-based theories. We offer an explanation in terms of boundedly rational rules of thumb, based on insights about the game, which provides a better fit than quantal response equilibrium. (JEL C72, D82, D83, G11)
Solving Truckload Procurement Auctions Over an Exponential Number of Bundles
Authors: Chen Richard Li-Yang , AhmadBeygi Shervin , Cohn Amy , Beil Damian R. , Sinha Amitabh
Published: September 2009

Truckload carriers provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services to shippers in the United States alone each year. Internet auctions provide these shippers with a fast and easy way to negotiate potential contracts with a large number of carriers. Combinatorial auctions have the added benefit of allowing multiple lanes to be considered simultaneously in a single auction. This is important because it enables carriers to connect multiple lanes in continuous moves or tours, decreasing the empty mileage that must be driven, and therefore increasing overall efficiency. On the other hand, combinatorial auctions require bidding on an exponential number of bundles to achieve full economies of scope and scale, which is not tractable except for very small auctions. In most real-world auctions, bidding is instead typically limited to a very small subset of the potential bids. We present an implicit bidding approach to combinatorial auctions for truckload procurement that enables the complete set of all possible bids to be considered implicitly, without placing the corresponding burden of an exponential number of bids on the bidders or the auctioneer. We present the models needed to solve this problem. We then provide extensive computational results to demonstrate the tractability of our approach. Finally, we conclude with numerical analysis to assess the quality of the solutions that are generated and to demonstrate the benefits of our approach over existing bidding methods in practice.