bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A positive compression ultrasonography of the lower limb veins is highly predictive of pulmonary embolism on computed tomography in suspected patients
Authors: Righini Marc , Sanchez Oliver , Roy Pierre-Marie , Baba-Ahmed Mohamed , Perrier Arnaud , Bounameaux Henri , Le Gal Grégoire
Published: May 2006

The presence of a clot – even asymptomatic – in the proximal lower limb veins of a patient with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) provides evidence for venous thromboembolism and indicates anticoagulant therapy in such patients. We aimed at assessing the diagnostic performance of compression ultrasonography as compared to multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) for the diagnosis of PE. We analyzed data from a large outcome management study that included consecutive outpatients referred to the emergency ward with clinically suspected PE. All high clinical probability patients, and all non-high clinical probability patients with a positive D-dimer test underwent both MSCT and CUS. Of the 756 included patients, 232 had PE ruled out on the basis of a negative D-dimer test, and 524 patients underwent both MSCT and CUS. PE was found in 187 out of the 511 patients witha conclusive MSCT. The sensitivity of CUS for the presence of PE on MSCT was 39% (95% confidence interval: 32 to 46%), and its specificity was 99% (95% CI:97 to 100%). Positive and negative likelihood ratios were 42.2 (95% CI: 13.5 to 131.9) and 0.6 (95% CI: 0.5 to 0.7), respectively. We conclude from that large study of unselected patients that CUS has high specificity but low sensitivity, for the diagnosis of PE at MSCT in suspected patients. It allows ruling in the diagnosis of PE without further invasive and/or expensive testing in suspected patients.
Endothelial cell biology: An update
Authors: Breier Georg , Morawietz Henning
Published: May 2006

The 5th International Symposium on the Biology of Endothelial Cells was held in Dresden, Germany. The meeting included sessions on endothelial cell differentiation, tumor and lymph angiogenesis, endothelial cell junctions and barrier function, biomechanical control of endothelial function, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, hypoxia and VEGF-induced signaling, inflammation and angiogenesis. This report summarizes the key findings of the platform presentations of the meeting.
Brachial Pressure–Independent Reduction in Carotid Stiffness After Long-Term Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition in Diabetic Hypertensives
Authors: Tropeano Anne-Isabelle , Boutouyrie Pierre , Pannier Bruno , Joannides Robinson , Balkestein Elisabeth , Katsahian Sandrine , Laloux Brigitte , Thuillez Christian , Struijker-Boudier Harry , Laurent Stéphane
Published: May 2006

Hypertension and diabetes are associated with an increased arterial stiffness. A direct blood pressure–independent effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on arterial stiffness has never been unequivocally demonstrated. In this mechanistic study, we used an experimental design in which patients responding to 1 month treatment with 4 mg perindopril were randomized double-blind to either 4 mg perindopril or 8 mg perindopril for 6 months. We determined carotid distensibility with echotracking and applanation tonometry at baseline and after the 7-month treatment period in 57 essential hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes (age 63±7 years). We monitored ambulatory blood pressure at baseline and after treatment. After 7 months treatment, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure significantly decreased, with no significant difference between 4 mg and 8 mg perindopril. Carotid distensibility increased more after 8 mg perindopril compared with 4 mg perindopril (8 mg: from 13.1±5.9 to 16.0±6.7 kPa
−1
×10
−3
; 4 mg: from 13.2±5.2 to 12.7±5.9 kPa
−1
×10
−3
; ANOVA, dose-period interaction,
P
<0.05). Carotid internal diameter and elastic modulus were significantly lower after 8 mg perindopril compared with 4 mg perindopril, independent of blood pressure reduction. These results indicate a dose-dependent and blood pressure–independent reduction in carotid stiffness under chronic treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. They suggest that arterial distensibility was increased through an inward remodeling, leading to a reduction in wall stress, thus reducing elastic modulus. They also suggest that long-term administration of high doses (8 mg) of perindopril is required to improve carotid structure and function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes.
Implementation of Guidelines Improves the Standard of Care
Authors: Kalla Karim , Christ Günter , Karnik Ronald , Malzer Reinhard , Norman Georg , Prachar Herbert , Schreiber Wolfgang , Unger Gerhard , Glogar Helmut D. , Kaff Alfred , Laggner Anton N. , Maurer Gerald , Mlczoch Johannes , Slany Joerg , Weber Heinrich S. , Huber Kurt
Published: May 2006

Background—

The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementation of recent guidelines improves in-hospital mortality from acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a metropolitan area.

Methods and Results—

We organized a network that consisted of the Viennese Ambulance Systems, which is responsible for diagnosis and triage of patients with acute STEMI, and 5 high-volume interventional cardiology departments to expand the performance of primary percutaneous catheter intervention (PPCI) and to use the fastest available reperfusion strategy in STEMI of short duration (2 to 3 hours from onset of symptoms), either PPCI or thrombolytic therapy (TT; prehospital or in-hospital), respectively. Implementation of guidelines resulted in increased numbers of patients receiving 1 of the 2 reperfusion strategies (from 66% to 86.6%). Accordingly, the proportion of patients not receiving reperfusion therapy dropped from 34% to 13.4%, respectively. PPCI usage increased from 16% to almost 60%, whereas the use of TT decreased from 50.5% to 26.7% in the participating centers. As a consequence, in-hospital mortality decreased from 16% before establishment of the network to 9.5%, including patients not receiving reperfusion therapy. Whereas PPCI and TT demonstrated comparable in-hospital mortality rates when initiated within 2 to 3 hours from onset of symptoms, PPCI was more effective in acute STEMI of >3 but <12 hours’ duration.

Conclusions—

Implementation of recent guidelines for the treatment of acute STEMI by the organization of a cooperating network within a large metropolitan area was associated with a significant improvement in clinical outcomes.
Effects of Conjugated Equine Estrogen on Stroke in the Women’s Health Initiative
Authors: Hendrix Susan L. , Wassertheil-Smoller Sylvia , Johnson Karen C. , Howard Barbara V. , Kooperberg Charles , Rossouw Jacques E. , Trevisan Maurizio , Aragaki Aaron , Baird Alison E. , Bray Paul F. , Buring Julie E. , Criqui Michael H. , Herrington David , Lynch John K. , Rapp Stephen R. , Torner James
Published: May 2006

Background—

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen Alone trial assessed the balance of benefits and risks of hormone use in healthy postmenopausal women. The trial was stopped prematurely because there was no benefit for coronary heart disease and an increased risk of stroke. This report provides a thorough analysis of the stroke finding using the final results from the completed trial database.

Methods and Results—

The WHI Estrogen Alone hormone trial is a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in 10 739 women aged 50 to 79 years who were given daily conjugated equine estrogen (CEE; 0.625 mg; n=5310) or placebo (n=5429). During an average follow-up of 7.1 years, there were 168 strokes in the CEE group and 127 in the placebo group; 80.3% of strokes were ischemic. For all stroke the intention-to-treat hazard ratio [HR] (95% CI) for CEE versus placebo was 1.37 (1.09 to 1.73). The HR (95% CI) was 1.55 (1.19 to 2.01) for ischemic stroke and 0.64 (0.35, 1.18) for hemorrhagic stroke. The HRs indicate excess risk of ischemic stroke was apparent in all categories of baseline stroke risk, including younger and more recently menopausal women and in women with prior or current use of statins or aspirin.

Conclusions—

CEE increases the risk of ischemic stroke in generally healthy postmenopausal women. The excess risk appeared to be present in all subgroups of women examined, including younger and more recently menopausal women. There was no convincing evidence to suggest that CEE had an effect on the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
Focal Pharmacological Modulation of Atrioventricular Nodal Conduction via Implantable Catheter
Authors: Sigg Daniel C. , Hiniduma-Lokuge Prasanga , Coles James A. , Falkner Phillip , Rose Rebecca , Urban Jon F. , Ujhelyi Michael R.
Published: May 2006

Background—

Pharmacological ventricular rate control is an acceptable atrial fibrillation (AF) therapy limited by systemic toxicity. We postulate that focal catheter-based drug delivery into the atrioventricular nodal (AVN) region may effectively control ventricular rate during AF without systemic toxicity. This study evaluated the effects of focally administered acetylcholine on AVN conduction and refractoriness during sinus rhythm and AF.

Methods and Results—

Canines (n=7) were anesthetized and instrumented to assess cardiac electrophysiology and blood pressure. A custom drug delivery catheter was implanted in the AVN region. Incremental doses of acetylcholine starting at 10 μg/min were infused until complete AV block was achieved. Acetylcholine induced dose-dependent AV block. AF induction and electrophysiology measurements were performed during baseline and acetylcholine-induced first-degree and third-degree AV block. During AF, infusion of acetylcholine decreased ventricular rates from 182±32 to 77±28 and 28±8 bpm (first-degree and third-degree AV block, respectively;
P
<0.05). At the first-degree AV block dose, AVN effective refractory period increased from 186±37 to 282±33 ms, and Wenckebach cycle length increased from 271±29 to 378±58 ms (
P
<0.05). The first-degree AV block dose prolonged AV and AH intervals by 26% and 23% (
P
<0.05), whereas AA intervals and blood pressure remained unchanged, demonstrating a local effect. All effects were reversed 20 minutes after infusion was stopped.

Conclusions—

Focal acetylcholine delivery into the AVN increased AVN refractoriness and significantly decreased ventricular rate response during induced AF in a dose-related, reversible manner without systemic side effects. This may represent a novel therapy for AF whereby ventricular rate is controlled with the use of an implantable drug delivery system.
Impact of Completeness of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Revascularization on Long-Term Outcomes in the Stent Era
Authors: Hannan Edward L. , Racz Michael , Holmes David R. , King Spencer B. , Walford Gary , Ambrose John A. , Sharma Samin , Katz Stanley , Clark Luther T. , Jones Robert H.
Published: May 2006

Background—

The importance of completeness of revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with multivessel disease is unclear in that there is little information on the impact of incomplete revascularization outside of randomized trials. The objective of this study is to compare long-term mortality and subsequent revascularization for percutaneous coronary intervention patients receiving stents who were completely revascularized (CR) with those who were incompletely revascularized (IR).

Methods and Results—

Patients from New York State’s Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Reporting System were subdivided into patients who were CR and IR. Then subsets of IR patients were contrasted with CR patients. Differences in long-term survival and subsequent revascularization for CR and IR patients were compared after adjustment for differences in preprocedural risk. A total of 68.9% of all stent patients with multivessel disease who were studied were IR, and 30.1% of all patients had total occlusions and/or ≥2 IR vessels. At baseline, the following patients were at higher risk: those who were older and those with more comorbid conditions, worse ejection fraction, and more renal disease and stroke. After adjustment for these baseline differences, IR patients were significantly more likely to die at any time (adjusted hazard ratio=1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.30) than CR patients. IR patients with total occlusions and a total of ≥2 IR vessels were at the highest risk compared with CR patients (hazard ratio=1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.66).

Conclusions—

IR with stenting is associated with an adverse impact on long-term mortality, and consideration should be given to either achieving CR, opting for surgery, or monitoring percutaneous coronary intervention patients with IR more closely after discharge.
Suppression of Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression and Instability by Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2
Authors: Johnson Jason L. , Baker Andrew H. , Oka Kazuhiro , Chan Lawrence , Newby Andrew C. , Jackson Christopher L. , George Sarah J.
Published: May 2006

Background—

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)–associated extracellular matrix degradation is thought to contribute to the progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. However, direct evidence of this concept remains elusive. We hypothesized that overexpression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 or TIMP-2 would attenuate atherosclerotic plaque development and instability in high fat–fed apolipoprotein E–knockout (apoE
−/−
) mice.

Methods and Results—

Seventy male apoE
−/−
mice (n=10/group) fed a high-fat diet for 7 weeks were injected intravenously with first-generation adenoviruses expressing the gene for human TIMP-1 (RAdTIMP-1) or TIMP-2 (RAdTIMP-2) or a control adenovirus (RAd66) and were fed a high-fat diet for a further 4 weeks. Analysis of brachiocephalic artery plaques revealed that RAdTIMP-2 but not RAdTIMP-1 infection resulted in a marked reduction (48±13%,
P
<0.05) in lesion area compared with that in control animals. Markers associated with plaque instability, assessed by smooth muscle cell and macrophage content and the presence of buried fibrous caps, were significantly reduced by RAdTIMP-2. Effects on lesion size were not sustained with first-generation adenoviruses, but murine TIMP-2 overexpression mediated by helper-dependent adenoviral vectors exerted significant effects on plaques assessed 11 weeks after infection. In an attempt to determine the mechanism of action, we treated macrophages and macrophage-derived foam cells with exogenous TIMP-2 in vitro. TIMP-2 significantly inhibited migration and apoptosis of macrophages and foam cells, whereas TIMP-1 failed to exert similar effects.

Conclusions—

Overexpression of TIMP-2 but not TIMP-1 inhibits atherosclerotic plaque development and destabilisation, possibly through modulation of macrophage and foam cell behavior. Helper-dependent adenovirus technology is required for these effects to be maintained long term.
Private Legal Orders: Professional Markets and the Commodification of Financial Governance
Authors: Williams James W.
Published: May 2006

Notwithstanding recent paradigmatic shifts from regulation as a state function to governance as an emergent property of interorganizational networks, conceptions of economic ordering in socio-legal studies remain rather short-sighted. In part, this theoretical myopia stems from a tendency to conceive of economic ordering in terms of a normative project cast at a macro level of analysis and rooted in the activities of formal institutions and state bodies. What has been overlooked in these accounts is the role played by professional groups in the enactment and legitimation of localized modes of economic ordering. This article seeks to remedy this oversight through an analysis of one particular form of professional labour that has emerged as a key factor in the arbitration of economic disputes and the management of corporate disorder: the forensic accounting and corporate investigation (FACI) industry. By defining this industry in terms of a market in professional services and then exploring the contributions of this market to the production of ‘private legal orders’, this analysis sets the stage for a more sophisticated view of economic ordering in capitalist market economies, one which is rooted in the knowledge work of professionals labouring on the margins of law, politics, and business.
The Insanities of Reproduction: Medico-legal Knowledge and the Development of Infanticide Law
Authors: Kramar Kirsten Johnson , Watson William D.
Published: May 2006

Drawing on autopoiesis theory, Ward (1999) challenges the established view that the adoption of the English infanticide law in 1922 (amended 1938) is an example of the medicalization of law, insisting that the 1922 Act embodied a lay biological theory and that contemporary psychiatric theories of the ‘insanities of reproduction’ focused on socio-economic, rather than biological, stressors. Both the medicalization and autopoiesis interpretations of infanticide law are misplaced. A broader review of the medical literature discussed by Ward, and of a related anthropological literature he does not treat, reveals a more complex picture: while Ward’s critique of the medicalization thesis is broadly apposite, and an associated anthropological literature was also more socio-economic than bio-racist (Reekie, 1998), there was a bio-medical strand of thought, as well as an equally biological atavistic line of theory regarding infanticide, which ran alongside the socio-economic model. In addition, the expressed biologism of infanticide law, whatever its origins, can still be thought of as contributing to the medicalization of law subsequent to its passage and amendment, especially given the dominance of the bio-medical model in psychiatry since the 1960s.
Narrating Political Reconciliation: Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa
Authors: Moon Claire
Published: May 2006

This article enquires into the narration of reconciliation in South Africa and its political implications. It scrutinizes the subjects, objects and material practices that flow from the reconciliation story. The investigation turns on two crucial assumptions: (a) that discourse is an ideological system of meaning that constitutes and naturalizes the subjects and objects of political life, and (b) that narrative is a special discursive form, the structural features of which have specific political effects that are not illuminated by a more general discourse analytic approach. A narrative perspective is important because the TRC explicitly undertook the task of telling a story about South Africa’s transition from past violence to future reconciliation, and argued that storytelling was fundamental to catharsis, healing, and reconciliation on an individual and a national level. Narrative theory renders more specifically applicable some of the general claims of political discourse analysis; while the insights of political discourse analysis highlight the political contexts and effects of governing narratives to which most narrative theory, on its own, is blind. The combination of these two theoretical premises furnishes a powerful approach to understanding the story about reconciliation told by the TRC, and its political implications.
Surveying Deviance, Figuring Disgust: Locating the Homocriminal Body in Time and Space
Authors: Dalton Derek
Published: May 2006

This article is grounded in a critical appraisal of seminal archival documents pertaining to criminology’s knowledge of homosexual offences (and offensive behaviour) in Australia - the ‘Male Sex Offences in Public Places’ Proceedings of the Institute of Criminology (1970). It explores the role the legal gaze and the juridico-cultural imagination play in producing discourse that constructs gay male desirous bodies as flowing through the space of the city, posing the twin threats of corruption and engulfment to other, non-homosexual male bodies. My concern is to explore the theme of mapping (as a product of legal anxiety) and to elucidate how legal vision functions as a stigmatizing gaze that repudiates gay desire as a polluting flow requiring vigilance and continual regulation. To that end the article employs cartographic practices of analysis to explore how legal doctrine is mapped onto space. Additionally, it is argued that the Proceedings borrow tropes of monstrosity to chart the movement of homosexual bodies through the space of the city as imperilling other men at large.
Teaching and Leading in the Global Marketplace
Authors: Mendis Patrick
Published: May 2006

Education and leadership as an interdisciplinary and collaborative enterprise can further be enhanced by the use of integrated learning methods and the infusion of information technology. A teacher as a leader must work as a catalyst to facilitate the learning process. The creation of democratic environment has become increasingly easier with the use of information technology and the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet. Yet the right attitudes in leadership and the adaptive challenges are as equally important as the infusion of technology into classroom learning and teaching for greater democratic transformation in the knowledge society. A teacher then becomes a noble master and technology is a revolutionary servant in a more democratic learning environment for greater societal benefits.
The Conception of Wealth among the Merchants in Late Imperial China
Authors: Cheung Tak Sing , Hou Jie
Published: May 2006

This article reassesses Weber's position on the influence of Confucianism on China's failure to develop the modern form of capitalism by focusing on the conception of wealth among the merchants in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It starts with a review of the criticisms directed towards Weber's theses, including his claim about an affinity between Calvinism and the spirit of capitalism, and his assertion about the lack of moral tensions in Confucianism. We argue that despite the flaws in his analyses, Weber's position that ideas matter is still relevant. The main shortcoming of his argument about the link between the Confucian value system and the failure of China to develop a modern form of capitalism is that he overlooked a critical element in this value system. This was the idea, widely shared among the merchants in late imperial China, of the desirability of disposing of one's wealth. This had the effect of discouraging the accumulation of capital in a period of incipent capitalism. While this idea was intrinsic to the Confucian intellectual tradition, it was also reinforced by the vulnerable position of the merchants under the omnipotent structure of state political power during the Ming dynasty. This shows that while ideas were crucial in preventing China from developing modern capitalism, they did not operate in isolation from the socio-political context as a historical force.
Reflexive Judgement, Risk and Responses
Authors: Pick David , Dayaram Kandy
Published: May 2006

Despite global acknowledgement of HIV/AIDS reaching pandemic proportions with 37.8 million people (WHO/UNAIDS 2004) living with the infection, progress towards developing effective international responses to curb its spread has been slow. The focus of current debate tends to focus on the medical treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, leading to emphasis being placed on the rapid increase in HIV infection as well as opportunistic diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. The traditional view of responding to these challenges has been probing the high cost factors associated with antiretroviral treatment and burgeoning medical care needs. This article argues that these responses are limited in their effect as they have a narrow, medical focus. This article presents a broader perspective. It investigates the implications of HIV/AIDS to the goals of national sustainable development using theoretical standpoints provided by reflexive modernization, namely, the concepts of risk and reflexive judgement. Attention is given to those regions of the world—Africa and Asia—where HIV/AIDS are acute policy issues.
Is an Indian Ethics of Virtue Possible?
Authors: Chakraborty Dipasikha
Published: May 2006

The recent revival of interest in the importance of virtues marks a shift of substance and method in thinking about it. The shift is away from discussion of rules and principles and focused on a discussion of traits, character and conditions of their excellence. This article attempts at unfolding the exact nature of an Indian ethics of virtue, which is yet to be explored in a systematic way. This enquiry into the exciting terrain of Indian philosophy inevitably leads to the interesting debate regarding the very possibility of an Indian ethics of virtue.
Old and New Forms of Clustering and Production Networks in Changing Technological Regimes
Authors: Guerrieri Paolo , Pietrobelli Carlo
Published: May 2006

The selected evidence discussed in this paper suggests three interrelated propositions. First, there is no one best model for organising an industrial district or an industrial cluster, since a diversity of institutional arrangements is possible and each has proved successful in different circumstances. Second, clusters are not cast in iron, but they evolve over time. Third, globalisation reshapes the upgrading options for SME-based clusters, by providing a variety of international knowledge linkages. In a nutshell, globalisation changes both the concept of proximity and the scope of competition: a necessary prerequisite for competitive survival is the capacity to foster the co-evolution of local and global linkages and networks, and to develop new interactive modes of knowledge creation. This paper presents original evidence on Taiwanese and Italian SME-based clusters. A key explanation of the success of SMEs competing in globalised high-tech industries, supported by our survey evidence, is the co-evolution of domestic and international knowledge linkages.
Regions, Absorptive Capacity and Strategic Coupling with High-Tech TNCs
Authors: Vang Jan , Asheim Bjørn
Published: May 2006

This article is concerned with what conditions successful development of high-tech regions in developing countries. It argues that the recent regional turn in development studies should be welcomed as regions play an increasingly important role for high-tech industries in developed and developing countries. While acknowledging the insights stemming from the regional turn the article nevertheless argues the need to extent the theoretical perspectives and to apply a regional innovation systems (RIS) approach. RIS has its strength in theoretically linking regions and high-tech industries. This article contextualises RIS to the situations characterising developing countries. Special attention is paid to how regions in developing countries can engage in a strategic coupling with high-tech TNCs. The importance of RIS as an analytical approach and tool for policy prescription is illustrated by two Asian high-tech cases, namely Bangalore's IT RIS in India and Shanghai's high-tech RIS in China.
Changing the Shanghai Innovation Systems
Authors: Chen Yun-Chung
Published: May 2006

This article intends to explain the interaction between the local innovation systems and the knowledge intensive type of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China since the mid-1990s.1 Since this period, more than thirty large multinational corporations (MNCs) have located their wholly-owned R&D centers in Shanghai because of its rich knowledge assets, competitive market, agglomeration of IT industrial cluster, and effective and flexible local governance. More importantly, the localisation of these R&D centers does not result in an isolated high-tech colony, but technology spillover in the form of new spin-offs, the mobility of trained engineers between MNCs and local firms, and the creation of a new technology research field through MNCs-University joint research labs. This in turn enriches and restructures Shanghai's existing innovation systems.
Technological Capabilities and Innovation in Southeast Asia
Authors: Berger Martin , Diez Javier Revilla
Published: May 2006

An essential part of the catching-up process by firms in late industrialising countries is the development of technological capabilities. It can be assumed that these capabilities correlate with firms’ innovation activities (including cooperation with external partners). At the same time, it can be assumed that the quality of the national or regional innovation system influences the development of firms’ technological capabilities. Consequently, this article compares groups of firms with different technological capabilities in three innovation systems. Analysing innovation activities, cooperation behaviour and the perception of the business environment, conspicuous differences between the innovation systems are found. Contrary, the comparison of the different technological capability-groups brings about less conclusive results, which indicate only a limited interrelation between technological capabilities and innovation-related activities.
Technological Capabilities in Industrial Clusters
Authors: Gulrajani Mohini
Published: May 2006

Meso-level studies dealing with specific regions and industrial clusters (ICs) have rarely incorporated the concept of technological capabilities (TCs) at the level of ICs in understanding the links between technological capabilities and the long-term dynamism of a cluster. It is important for researchers on ICs to recognise the importance of technological capabilities of the cluster in the process of innovation and technological change. This is particularly so because a large number of policy makers, all over the world are promoting cluster-based policies. This study attempts to draw on literature from cluster-based and innovation studies to articulate a relevant theoretical framework in an effort to explore the role of TCs in an industrial textile cluster in northern India.
Globalisation of Innovative Capabilities
Authors: Ariffin Norlela , Figueiredo Paulo N.
Published: May 2006

The focus of this article is to examine the extent to which firms in the electronics industry in Malaysia and Brazil (Manaus) have developed significant levels of innovative technological capabilities (TCs). By examining whether innovative capabilities have spread to these two late-industrialising countries, the article seeks to add new evidence to the debate of globalisation of innovative capabilities and to argue against existing generalisations. It draws on empirical evidence from eighty-two electronics firms—TNC subsidiaries and local firms: fifty-three in Malaysia (twenty-five in Penang and twenty-eight in Klang Valley) and twenty-nine in Manaus (Northern Brazil). Contrary to common generalisations, the study has found that the capabilities of most of the sampled firms in Malaysia and Manaus have been upgraded to carry out diverse types of innovative technological activities. Additionally, these capability-building efforts are strongly associated with higher capabilities for local decision making and control, automation level, and efforts to increase exports. Indeed, the study has found pockets of innovative firms that innovate to be competitive by reducing costs, being more productive, reducing lead time and producing better products—regardless of whether they are in a domestic market-oriented country or in an export-oriented country. Finally, the findings and analysis in this study challenge the relevance of some of the existing perspectives on the globalisation of innovative capabilities to the late-industrialising context.
Contribution of alpha- and beta-defensins to lung function decline and infection in smokers: an association study
Authors: Wallace Alison M , He Jian-Qing , Burkett Kelly M , Ruan Jian , Connett John E , Anthonisen Nicholas R , Paré Peter D , Sandford Andrew J
Published: May 2006

Background

Alpha-defensins, which are major constituents of neutrophil azurophilic granules, and beta-defensins, which are expressed in airway epithelial cells, could contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by amplifying cigarette smoke-induced and infection-induced inflammatory reactions leading to lung injury. In Japanese and Chinese populations, two different beta-defensin-1 polymorphisms have been associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease phenotypes. We conducted population-based association studies to test whether alpha-defensin and beta-defensin polymorphisms influenced smokers' susceptibility to lung function decline and susceptibility to lower respiratory infection in two groups of white participants in the Lung Health Study (275 = fast decline in lung function and 304 = no decline in lung function).

Methods

Subjects were genotyped for the alpha-defensin-1/alpha-defensin-3 copy number polymorphism and four beta-defensin-1 polymorphisms (G-20A, C-44G, G-52A and Val38Ile).

Results

There were no associations between individual polymorphisms or imputed haplotypes and rate of decline in lung function or susceptibility to infection.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that, in a white population, the defensin polymorphisms tested may not be of importance in determining who develops abnormally rapid lung function decline or is susceptible to developing lower respiratory infections.
Bounded search for de novo identification of degenerate cis-regulatory elements
Authors: Carlson Jonathan M , Chakravarty Arijit , Khetani Radhika S , Gross Robert H
Published: May 2006

Background

The identification of statistically overrepresented sequences in the upstream regions of coregulated genes should theoretically permit the identification of potential cis-regulatory elements. However, in practice many cis-regulatory elements are highly degenerate, precluding the use of an exhaustive word-counting strategy for their identification. While numerous methods exist for inferring base distributions using a position weight matrix, recent studies suggest that the independence assumptions inherent in the model, as well as the inability to reach a global optimum, limit this approach.

Results

In this paper, we report PRISM, a degenerate motif finder that leverages the relationship between the statistical significance of a set of binding sites and that of the individual binding sites. PRISM first identifies overrepresented, non-degenerate consensus motifs, then iteratively relaxes each one into a high-scoring degenerate motif. This approach requires no tunable parameters, thereby lending itself to unbiased performance comparisons. We therefore compare PRISM's performance against nine popular motif finders on 28 well-characterized S. cerevisiae regulons. PRISM consistently outperforms all other programs. Finally, we use PRISM to predict the binding sites of uncharacterized regulons. Our results support a proposed mechanism of action for the yeast cell-cycle transcription factor Stb1, whose binding site has not been determined experimentally.

Conclusion

The relationship between statistical measures of the binding sites and the set as a whole leads to a simple means of identifying the diverse range of cis-regulatory elements to which a protein binds. This approach leverages the advantages of word-counting, in that position dependencies are implicitly accounted for and local optima are more easily avoided. While we sacrifice guaranteed optimality to prevent the exponential blowup of exhaustive search, we prove that the error is bounded and experimentally show that the performance is superior to other methods. A Java implementation of this algorithm can be downloaded from our web server at http://genie.dartmouth.edu/prism.
Prediction of amphipathic in-plane membrane anchors in monotopic proteins using a SVM classifier
Authors: Sapay Nicolas , Guermeur Yann , Deléage Gilbert
Published: May 2006

Background

Membrane proteins are estimated to represent about 25% of open reading frames in fully sequenced genomes. However, the experimental study of proteins remains difficult. Considerable efforts have thus been made to develop prediction methods. Most of these were conceived to detect transmembrane helices in polytopic proteins. Alternatively, a membrane protein can be monotopic and anchoredviaan amphipathic helix inserted in a parallel way to the membrane interface, so-called in-plane membrane (IPM) anchors. This type of membrane anchor is still poorly understood and no suitable prediction method is currently available.

Results

We report here the "AmphipaSeeK" method developed to predict IPM anchors. It uses a set of 21 reported examples of IPM anchored proteins. The method is based on a pattern recognition Support Vector Machine with a dedicated kernel.

Conclusion

AmphipaSeeK was shown to be highly specific, in contrast with classically used methods (e.g. hydrophobic moment). Additionally, it has been able to retrieve IPM anchors in naively tested sets of transmembrane proteins (e.g. PagP). AmphipaSeek and the list of the 21 IPM anchored proteins is available on NPS@, our protein sequence analysis server.
Gene expression alterations in brains of mice infected with three strains of scrapie
Authors: Skinner Pamela J , Abbassi Hayet , Chesebro Bruce , Race Richard E , Reilly Cavan , Haase Ashley T
Published: May 2006

Background

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders which occur in humans and various animal species. Examples include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk, and scrapie in sheep, and experimental mice. To gain insights into TSE pathogenesis, we made and used cDNA microarrays to identify disease-associated alterations in gene expression. Brain gene expression in scrapie-infected mice was compared to mock-infected mice at pre-symptomatic and symptomatic time points. Three strains of mouse scrapie that show striking differences in neuropathology were studied: ME7, 22L, and Chandler/RML.

Results

In symptomatic mice, over 400 significant gene expression alterations were identified. In contrast, only 22 genes showed significant alteration in the pre-symptomatic animals. We also identified genes that showed significant differences in alterations in gene expression between strains. Genes identified in this study encode proteins that are involved in many cellular processes including protein folding, endosome/lysosome function, immunity, synapse function, metal ion binding, calcium regulation and cytoskeletal function.

Conclusion

These studies shed light on the complex molecular events that occur during prion disease, and identify genes whose further study may yield new insights into strain specific neuropathogenesis and ante-mortem tests for TSEs.
Cell-type specific gene expression profiles of leukocytes in human peripheral blood
Authors: Palmer Chana , Diehn Maximilian , Alizadeh Ash A , Brown Patrick O
Published: May 2006

Background

Blood is a complex tissue comprising numerous cell types with distinct functions and corresponding gene expression profiles. We attempted to define the cell type specific gene expression patterns for the major constituent cells of blood, including B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, lymphocytes and granulocytes. We did this by comparing the global gene expression profiles of purified B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, granulocytes, and lymphocytes using cDNA microarrays.

Results

Unsupervised clustering analysis showed that similar cell populations from different donors share common gene expression profiles. Supervised analyses identified gene expression signatures for B-cells (427 genes), T-cells (222 genes), CD8+ T-cells (23 genes), granulocytes (411 genes), and lymphocytes (67 genes). No statistically significant gene expression signature was identified for CD4+ cells. Genes encoding cell surface proteins were disproportionately represented among the genes that distinguished among the lymphocyte subpopulations. Lymphocytes were distinguishable from granulocytes based on their higher levels of expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins, while granulocytes exhibited characteristic expression of various cell surface and inflammatory proteins.

Conclusion

The genes comprising the cell-type specific signatures encompassed many of the genes already known to be involved in cell-type specific processes, and provided clues that may prove useful in discovering the functions of many still unannotated genes. The most prominent feature of the cell type signature genes was the enrichment of genes encoding cell surface proteins, perhaps reflecting the importance of specialized systems for sensing the environment to the physiology of resting leukocytes.
Caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in mice that constitutively overexpress Reg/PAPgenes
Authors: Norkina Oxana , Graf Rolf , Appenzeller Philippe , De Lisle Robert C
Published: May 2006

Background

The cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse pancreas has constitutively elevated expression of the Reg/PAP cell stress genes (60-fold greater Reg3α, and 10-fold greater PAP/Reg3β and Reg3γ). These genes are suggested to be involved in protection or recovery from pancreatic injury.

Methods

To test this idea the supramaximal caerulein model was used to induce acute pancreatitis in wild type and CF mice. Serum amylase, pancreatic water content (as a measure of edema), pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity, and Reg/PAP expression were quantified.

Results

In both wild type and CF mice caerulein induced similar elevations in serum amylase (maximal at 12 h), pancreatic edema (maximal at 7 h), and pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity (MPO, a marker of neutrophil infiltration; maximal at 7 h). By immunohistochemistry, Reg3α was strongly expressed in the untreated CF pancreas but not in wild type. During pancreatitis, Reg3α was intensely expressed in foci of inflamed tissue in both wild type and CF.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that the severity of caerulein-induced pancreatitis is not ameliorated in the CF mouse even though the Reg/PAP stress genes are already highly upregulated. While Reg/PAP may be protective they may also have a negative effect during pancreatitis due to their anti-apoptotic activity, which has been shown to increase the severity of pancreatitis.
Periodontal disease and atherosclerosis from the viewpoint of the relationship between community periodontal index of treatment needs and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity
Authors: Miyaki Koichi , Masaki Katsunori , Naito Mariko , Naito Toru , Hoshi Keika , Hara Asako , Tohyama Shugo , Nakayama Takeo
Published: May 2006

Background

It has been suggested that periodontal disease may be an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to assess the effects of periodontal disease on atherosclerosis.

Methods

The study design was a cross-sectional study. Subjects were 291 healthy male workers in Japan. We used the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) score, average probing depth and gingival bleeding index (rate of bleeding gums) to assess the severity of periodontal disease. We also used the Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV) as the index for the development of atherosclerosis.

Results

The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of atherosclerosis in relation to the CPITN score was 1.41 [95% CI: 1.16–1.73]. However, after adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure and smoking, the CPITN score had no relationship with atherosclerosis (adjusted OR: 0.91 [0.68–1.20]).

Conclusion

Our results show no relationship between mild periodontal disease and atherosclerosis after appropriate adjustments.
Characterization of the family of Mistic homologues
Authors: Roosild Tarmo P , Vega Mark , Castronovo Samantha , Choe Senyon
Published: May 2006

Background

Mistic is a unique Bacillus subtilis protein with virtually no detectable homologues in GenBank, which appears to integrate into the bacterial membrane despite an overall hydrophilic composition. These unusual properties have been shown to be useful for high-yield recombinant expression of other membrane proteins through fusion to the C-terminus of Mistic. To better understand the structure and function of Mistic, we systematically searched for and characterized homologous proteins among closely related bacteria.

Results

Three homologues of Mistic were found with 62% to 93% residue identity, all only 84 residues in length, corresponding to the C-terminal residues of B. subtilis Mistic. In every case, the Mistic gene was found partially overlapping a downstream gene for a K+ channel protein. Residue variation amongst these sequences is restricted to loop regions of the protein's structure, suggesting that secondary structure elements and overall fold have been conserved. Additionally, all three homologues retain the functional ability to chaperone fusion partners to the membrane.

Conclusion

The functional core of Mistic consists of 84 moderately conserved residues that are sufficient for membrane targeting and integration. Understanding the minimal structural and chemical complexity of Mistic will lead to insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of Mistic-chaperoned membrane integration, as well as how to optimize its use for the recombinant heterologous expression of other integral membrane proteins of interest.
Radiation-induced sterility for pupal and adult stages of the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis
Authors: Helinski Michelle EH , Parker Andrew G , Knols Bart GJ
Published: May 2006

Background

In the context of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), radiation-induced sterility in the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) was studied. Male mosquitoes were exposed to gamma rays in the pupal or adult stage and dose-sterility curves were determined.

Methods

Pupae were irradiated shortly before emergence (at 22–26 hrs of age), and adults <24 hrs post emergence. Doses tested ranged between 0 and 100 Gy. The effects of irradiation on adult emergence, male survival, induced sterility and insemination capability were evaluated. Emergence and insemination data were analysed using independent t-tests against the control. Correlation analyses were performed for insemination rate and dose and insemination and fecundity. Male survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. Finally, the calculated residual fertility values were inverse-normal transformed and linear regression analyses performed.

Results

Irradiation of pupae, for all doses tested, had no effect on adult emergence. Survival curves of males irradiated as pupae or adults were similar or even slightly higher than non-irradiated males. Overall, adults appeared to be slightly more susceptible to irradiation, although no significant differences for individual doses were observed. In the pupal stage, a significant negative correlation was found between insemination and dose, but the correlation-coefficient was associated with less than 25% of the total variation. A review of the literature indicated that An. arabiensis is more radiation resistant than other anopheline mosquitoes.

Conclusion

The optimal dose for male insects to be released in an SIT programme depends on their level of sterility and competitiveness. The use of semi-sterilizing doses to produce more competitive insects is discussed. The most convenient developmental stage for mosquito irradiation on a mass-scale are pupae, but pupal irradiation resulted in a lower insemination rate at the highest dose compared to adult irradiation. On the basis of this study, a suitable dose range that includes semi-sterilizing doses is identified to initiate competitiveness experiments for males irradiated at both developmental stages.