bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Über das Verhalten von Magensäuresekretion und morphologischem Magenschleimhautbefund bei Rosacea
Authors: Drunkenmölle R. , Schulz U.
Published: October 2009

Fifty patients with rosacea, 34 female and 16 male, had gastric mucosal biopsies and estimations of their gastric acidity following the injection of 0.02 mg of histamine-dichlorhydrate/kg body weight. Their findings were compared with two control groups, each of 100 individuals without skin disorders. Using the χ2 test no differences were found with either of these groups. These results accord with numerous other authors who failed to show any significant change in the gastric secretion in rosacea.
Expression of the Inhibitory CD200 Receptor Is Associated with Alternative Macrophage Activation
Authors: Koning Nathalie , van Eijk Marco , Pouwels Walter , Brouwer Michael S.M. , Voehringer David , Huitinga Inge , Hoek Robert M. , Raes Geert , Hamann Jörg
Published: October 2009

Classical macrophage activation is inhibited by the CD200 receptor (CD200R). Here, we show that CD200R expression was specifically induced on human in vitro polarized macrophages of the alternatively activated M2a subtype, generated by incubation with IL-4 or IL-13. In mice, peritoneal M2 macrophages, elicited during infection with the parasites Taenia crassiceps or Trypanosoma brucei brucei, expressed increased CD200R levels compared to those derived from uninfected mice. However, in vitrostimulation of mouse peritoneal macrophages and T. crassiceps infection in IL-4–/– and IL-4R–/– mice showed that, in contrast to humans, induction of CD200R in mice was not IL-4 or IL-13 dependent. Our data identify CD200R as a suitable marker for alternatively activated macrophages in humans and corroborate observations of distinct species- and/or site-specific mechanisms regulating macrophage polarization in mouse and man.
The Molecular Mechanisms of HDL and Associated Vesicular Trafficking Mechanisms to Mediate Cellular Lipid Homeostasis
Authors: Schmitz Gerd , Grandl Margot
Published: October 2009

HDL functions mainly as a cholesterol scavenger, facilitating transport of cholesterol to the liver for conversion to bile acids and secretion into the bile for elimination or recycling in the enterohepatic bile acid cycle. Because of its major function in cholesterol clearance, HDL is in general considered to be atheroprotective. From cell cholesterol can be removed by efflux especially to apoA-I and HDL as extracellular acceptors which transport the cholesterol to the liver for excretion. This process is called reverse cholesterol transport. In this context the ATP binding cassette transporter protein ABCA1 facilitates cellular cholesterol and phospholipid release to apoA-I-containing HDL precursors. In addition ABCA1 plays a role in vesicular lipid transport mechanisms required for HDL particle formation. In general to maintain intracellular lipid homeostasis, sterols and associated lipids move between cellular compartments by vesicular and nonvesicular pathways. However, cholesterol sorting on vesicle formation is poorly understood. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of HDL and associated vesicular trafficking mechanisms to mediate cellular lipid homeostasis.
An Empirical Study of Corpus-Based Response Automation Methods for an E-mail-Based Help-Desk Domain
Authors: Marom Yuval , Zukerman Ingrid
Published: October 2009

This article presents an investigation of corpus-based methods for the automation of help-desk e-mail responses. Specifically, we investigate this problem along two operational dimensions: (1) information-gathering technique, and (2) granularity of the information. We consider two information-gathering techniques (retrieval and prediction) applied to information represented at two levels of granularity (document-level and sentence-level). Document-level methods correspond to the reuse of an existing response e-mail to address new requests. Sentence-level methods correspond to applying extractive multi-document summarization techniques to collate units of information from more than one e-mail. Evaluation of the performance of the different methods shows that in combination they are able to successfully automate the generation of responses for a substantial portion of e-mail requests in our corpus. We also investigate a meta-selection process that learns to choose one method to address a new inquiry e-mail, thus providing a unified response automation solution.
Binarization of Synchronous Context-Free Grammars
Authors: Huang Liang , Zhang Hao , Gildea Daniel , Knight Kevin
Published: October 2009

Systems based on synchronous grammars and tree transducers promise to improve the quality of statistical machine translation output, but are often very computationally intensive. The complexity is exponential in the size of individual grammar rules due to arbitrary re-orderings between the two languages. We develop a theory of binarization for synchronous context-free grammars and present a linear-time algorithm for binarizing synchronous rules when possible. In our large-scale experiments, we found that almost all rules are binarizable and the resulting binarized rule set significantly improves the speed and accuracy of a state-of-the-art syntax-based machine translation system. We also discuss the more general, and computationally more difficult, problem of finding good parsing strategies for non-binarizable rules, and present an approximate polynomial-time algorithm for this problem.
Species-specific duplex PCR for the detection of Pratylenchus penetrans
Authors: Waeyenberge Lieven , Viaene Nicole , Moens Maurice
Published: October 2009

ITS1, the 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS2 of the rDNA region were sequenced from 20
different Pratylenchus species. Additionally, the same region was sequenced
from seven populations of P. penetrans. After purifying, cloning and
sequencing the PCR products, all sequences were aligned in order to find
unique sites suitable for the design of species-specific primers for P.
penetrans. Since ITS regions showed variability between and even within
populations of P. penetrans, only three small DNA sequences were suitable
for the construction of three potentially useful species-specific primers.
New species-specific primers were paired with existing universal ITS primers
and tested in all possible primer combinations. The best performing primer
set, supplemented with a universal 28S rDNA primer set that served as an
internal control, was tested in duplex PCR. The ideal annealing temperature,
Mg2+ concentration and primer ratios were then determined for the most
promising primer set. The optimised duplex PCR was subsequently tested on a
wide range of different Pratylenchus spp. and 25 P. penetrans populations
originating from all over the world. To test the sensitivity, the duplex PCR
was conducted on DNA extracted from a single P. penetrans nematode mixed
with varying amounts of nematodes belonging to another Pratylenchus species.
Results showed that a reliable and sensitive P. penetrans species-specific
duplex PCR was constructed.
Commentary: The Burden of the National Debt
Authors: Weale Martin
Published: October 2009

Most discussion of the Government's fiscal position seems to focus on the immediate risks associated with a rising national debt. There is concern that the UK's credit rating will be reduced and fear that this might lead to a further fall of the exchange rate. It is sometimes suggested that if the budget deficit is not reduced sharply in the reasonably near term there will be a significant risk that the UK might default on its debt.
The World Economy: Consumer Spending and the Financial Crisis
Authors: Holland Dawn , Barrell Ray , Fic Tatiana , Hurst Ian , Liadze Iana , Orazgani Ali , Whitworth Rachel
Published: October 2009

The lack of adequate banking regulation by supervisors and flawed assessment of risk by financial institutions over the past several years has proved extremely costly. We estimate that the level of global output declined by a cumulative 2.4 per cent between the onset of the crisis triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the first quarter of 2009, with a decline of 4 per cent in the OECD economies over the same period. This is equivalent to a loss of roughly $850 billion relative to what was then considered potential output. We estimate that government debt levels in the OECD economies have risen by about 25 per cent in aggregate, entailing many years of higher tax burdens to come, a rise in long-term real interest rates and lower levels of income-generating wealth. The level of employment in the OECD economies declined by 2.2 per cent between the second quarter of 2008 and the second quarter of 2009, and we expect a further 2.5 million people will lose their jobs in the OECD economies by early 2010. While we expect growth to resume by the end of this year in most countries, the level of output in the OECD will remain permanently lower than was expected fifteen months ago. The degree of scarring in individual economies depends on the extent to which lenders underestimated risk before the crisis and the recent rise in the economy's government debt burden. This is discussed in greater detail in a note on pp. 36–8.
Long-Term Scarring from the Financial Crisis
Authors: Barrell Ray
Published: October 2009

It is useful to look at the distinction between transitory and permanent effects of a crisis. Financial crises normally bring on a recession, and the output costs can be large, as Hoggarth and Saporta (2001) discuss. In the majority of cases since 1970 in the OECD countries output returns to its trend level and there is no permanent effect. However, there may have been a permanent scar on the level of output in Japan after its crisis in the early 1990s, making the crisis and subsequent recession much more costly. This may reflect the nature and length of the crisis, as the banking sector was left to flounder for some years before its rescue toward the end of the crisis period. This appears to have left a permanent scar because risk premia were subsequently higher, and real asset prices have not fully recovered.
Poverty, Race, and Parental Involvement During the Transition to Elementary School
Authors: Cooper Carey E. , Crosnoe Robert , Suizzo Marie-Anne , Pituch Keenan A.
Published: October 2009

Using multilevel models of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Cohort ( N = 20,356), the authors find that parental involvement in education partially mediates the association between family poverty and children’s math and reading achievement in kindergarten, but differences exist across race. In Asian families, poor and nonpoor children have similar levels of achievement. Poverty is not related to Black children’s participation in organized activities, but these activities are not associated with Black children’s achievement. Home-learning activities predict reading achievement in Hispanic families only. The findings provide support for application of the family process model to educational outcomes during the transition to elementary school and underscore the need to examine developmental models across racial subsets of the population.
Forced marriage in the UK: Religious, cultural, economic or state violence?
Authors: Chantler Khatidja , Gangoli Geetanjali , Hester Marianne
Published: October 2009

Our paper is based on a qualitative empirical study of forced marriage in the UK and offers a multidimensional view which challenges four key points that are currently central in the forced marriage debate. First, the study explores the problematic of current UK and European Union policies on preventing forced marriage which focus on raising the age of sponsorship and marriage age for non-EU nationals migrating to the UK. Second, current conceptualizations of forced marriage focus on consent at the entry point into marriage. In contrast, survivors of forced marriage, and women’s organizations experienced in providing services to this group, both attach equal importance to exiting (forced) marriages. Third, within the forced marriage debate, South Asian and Muslim communities are perceived as being largely responsible for forced marriages, whilst our research demonstrates that the range of communities in which forced marriage occurs is much wider. Fourth, forced marriage is often seen as a product of a ‘backward’ culture or religion in a pathologizing manner. The narratives in our study illustrate the interplay between culture, religion, poverty and state practices including immigration practices which points to the need for a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of forced marriage. We end our paper by outlining measures that could be put into place to support women experiencing forced marriage.
Second-Look Arthroscopic Findings and Clinical Outcomes after Microfracture for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus
Authors: Lee Keun-Bae , Bai Long-Bin , Yoon Taek-Rim , Jung Sung-Taek , Seon Jong-Keun
Published: October 2009

Background

Arthroscopic microfracture is frequently used to repair osteochondral lesions of the talus. However, despite the popularity of this technique, no study has been conducted on cartilage repair after microfracture by second-look arthroscopy.

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate cartilage repair in osteochondral lesions of the talus by second-look arthroscopy and to compare arthroscopic findings with clinical outcomes 12 months postoperatively.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Second-look arthroscopies were performed in 20 ankles of 19 patients at 12 months postoperatively. Arthroscopic findings were classified using the Ferkel and Cheng staging system, and cartilage repair was assessed using the International Cartilage Repair System (ICRS). Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale.

Results

According to the Ferkel and Cheng staging at second-look arthroscopy, 7 of the 20 ankles (35%) showed incomplete healing (stage D). In terms of ICRS overall repair grades, 8 ankles (40%) were abnormal (grade III). Mean AOFAS scores for Ferkel and Cheng stages A to C (n 5 13) and stage D (n 5 7) were 88.5 and 82.0 points, and those for ICRS repair grades I and II (n 5 12) and grade III (n 5 8) were 88.7 and 82.5, respectively. Good correlations were found between AOFAS scores and Ferkel and Cheng stages and ICRS grades. Overall, 90% of ankles achieved an excellent or good AOFAS score of over 80 points.

Conclusion

Second-look arthroscopic findings at 12 months postoperatively after microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus revealed that 40% of lesions were incompletely healed. Nevertheless, the majority of patients achieved a good clinical outcome. Furthermore, postoperative clinical scores were found to be correlated with ICRS repair grades.
Experiencing “The Other Side”: A Study of Empathy and Empowerment in General Practitioners Who Have Been Patients
Authors: Fox Fiona E. , Rodham Karen J. , Harris Michael F. , Taylor Gordon J. , Sutton Jane , Scott Jenny , Robinson Brian
Published: October 2009

Work-related pressures and susceptibility to health problems mean that many general practitioners (GPs) will, at some stage, experience the role of patient. However qualitative evidence about their experiences of illness and patienthood is sparse. Our study offers an interpretative perspective on GPs’ experiences of illness and the influence that this has had on their practice. Seventeen GPs who had experienced significant illness took part in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings highlight the relationship between empathy and empowerment and explore the role of self-disclosure of GP status by GPs in consultations. We make suggestions as to how empathy in doctor—patient relationships can be developed through consideration of power and status as well as through interaction with patients from similar backgrounds. Future research should focus on more specific ways to integrate these ideas into medical training.
Review Article: Palliative Oncology: Thalidomide
Authors: Prommer Eric E.
Published: October 2009

After decades of disuse because of its teratogenic effects, thalidomide has had a resurgence of use as a promising therapeutic agent for multiple myeloma. Its mechanism of action involves activation of the immune system, antiangiogenic effects, and inhibition of cytokines. Thalidomide does not interact with the cytochrome oxidase system. It is not significantly metabolized, but it does undergo nonenzymatic hydrolysis in plasma. The resulting products are inactive. Despite the potential adverse effects of peripheral neuropathy, constipation, deep vein thrombosis, somnolence, rash, and orthostatic hypotension, thalidomide is an effective first-line agent for multiple myeloma in combination with dexamethasone or melphalan and prednisone. It has also been studied in the palliative care of patients with cytokine-based syndromes such as anorexia-cachexia syndrome. This review describes its use in oncology, hematology, and palliative care.
Superordinate Categorization as a Moderator of Mutual Infrahumanization
Authors: Gaunt Ruth
Published: October 2009

This research applies the Common Ingroup Identity Model (Gaertner & Dovidio, 2000) to explore the moderating role of superordinate categorization in infrahumanization. Two studies were conducted within the context of an inter-racial intergroup conflict. As hypothesized, perceived outgroup identification with the superordinate category (Study 1) or identification with the superordinate category (Study 2) was related to a weaker tendency to infrahumanize the outgroup by attributing it a lesser degree of secondary emotions. In addition, weak ingroup identification eliminated infrahumanization in Study 2. The implications of these findings for infrahumanization research are discussed.
Multinomial-Poisson models subject to inequality constraints
Authors: Cazzaro Manuela , Colombi Roberto
Published: October 2009

Lang’s Multinomial-Poisson Homogeneous (MPH) models and Homogeneous Linear Predictor (HLP) Multinomial-Poisson models include as special cases many models for contingency table analysis that have been introduced in the effort to overcome well-known limitations of the log-linear models. Here the definitions of MPH and HLP models are extended to include inequality constraints. It is shown that inequality constrained MPH and HLP models are very flexible and rich family of models for contingency table analysis. The inequality constrained hierarchical multinomial marginal models which are an important sub-class of MPH models are also examined.
Male obesity: impact on fertility
Authors: Kay Vanessa J , Barratt Christopher L R
Published: October 2009

Obesity has been shown to adversely affect male fertility, by reducing spermatogenesis. There are several aetiological theories including endocrine abnormalities, genetic, sexual dysfunction and testicular hyperthermia. Of these, endocrine abnormalities are likely to be the most important, involving increased oestrogen and increased insulin resistance, reduced androgens and reduced inhibin B levels. Possible management options include weight reduction by dieting or surgery and medical treatment to correct specific endocrine abnormalities, but as yet none has been proven to be effective.
Metformin: an important tool for endocrinology in the West Indies. New tricks for an old drug
Authors: Teelucksingh Surujpal , Pinto Pereira Lexley M
Published: October 2009

Against the backdrop of an obesity pandemic, comes an increasing prevalence of metabolic (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus) and reproductive abnormalities (e.g. polycystic ovarian syndrome) mediated by the phenomenon of insulin resistance. Metformin is an inexpensive and widely available drug which partly through an insulin sensitising action has an antidiabetic action with unique cardioprotective effects and which has value in preventing progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes. Despite mounting favourable data its role in polycystic ovarian syndrome remains unsettled. The recent finding for its safety and efficacy in gestational diabetes, however, will no doubt lift concerns over its use in women in the reproductive age group. One immediate result would be its earlier and greater therapeutic application in under-resourced environments where cost and emotional barriers to insulin exist.
Appearance of peripheral blood plasma cells and memory B cells in a primary and secondary immune response in humans
Authors: Blanchard-Rohner Geraldine , Pulickal Anoop S. , Jol-van der Zijde Cornelia M. , Snape Matthew D. , Pollard Andrew J.
Published: October 2009

In humans, the kinetics of the appearance of memory B cells and plasma cells during primary immunization are not well defined. In this study, we assessed the primary B-cell response of rabies-antigen naive volunteers during a 3-dose course of rabies vaccine compared with the B-cell response to a booster dose of rabies vaccine given to previously immunized volunteers. After a single dose of vaccine, in the naive group plasma and memory B cells appeared later (peak at day 10) than in the primed group (peak at day 7) and were at lower frequency. The most rapid responses (day 4) were detected after a third immunization in the naive group. This is the first study to document the detailed kinetics of the plasma cell and memory B-cell responses to immunization in adult humans and to demonstrate differences in the responses that relate to the preexisting immune status of the persons.
IL-21 blockade reduces graft-versus-host disease mortality by supporting inducible T regulatory cell generation
Authors: Bucher Christoph , Koch Lisa , Vogtenhuber Christine , Goren Emily , Munger Meghan , Panoskaltsis-Mortari Angela , Sivakumar Pallavur , Blazar Bruce R.
Published: October 2009

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) enhances T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17 differentiation while inhibiting the conversion of inducible regulatory T cells (Tregs) from naive T cells. To determine the role of IL-21 in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), anti–IL-21 antibody (Ab) was given to recipients of CD25−CD4+ or CD4+ and CD8+ T-effectors. IL-21 neutralization attenuated GVHD-related weight loss and prolonged survival. Likewise, a majority of mice receiving IL-21−/− CD25− T-effectors survived long term, whereas those receiving wild-type T cells died. The latter recipients had higher grades of GVHD in the ileum and colon. Surprisingly, disruption of IL-21 signaling did not affect IL-17 production, although colon-infiltrating T-effector cells had decreased interferon γ (IFNγ) and increased IL-4 production. FoxP3+ Tregs were increased in colons of anti–IL-21 Ab-treated recipients of FoxP3− IL-21−/− T cells, indicating Treg conversion. Recipients of FoxP3-deficient T-effectors isolated from chimeras were resistant to the GVHD protective effects of IL-21 blockade. Whereas graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) can occur in the absence of IL-21, loss of both IL-21 and perforin expression abrogated GVL. Together, these data indicate that IL-21 suppresses inducible Treg conversion and further suggest that IL-21 blockade is an attractive strategy to reduce GVHD-induced injury.
KAIKObase: An integrated silkworm genome database and data mining tool
Authors: Shimomura Michihiko , Minami Hiroshi , Suetsugu Yoshitaka , Ohyanagi Hajime , Satoh Chikatada , Antonio Baltazar , Nagamura Yoshiaki , Kadono-Okuda Keiko , Kajiwara Hideyuki , Sezutsu Hideki , Nagaraju Javaregowda , Goldsmith Marian R , Xia Qingyou , Yamamoto Kimiko , Mita Kazuei
Published: October 2009

Background

The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is one of the most economically important insects in many developing countries owing to its large-scale cultivation for silk production. With the development of genomic and biotechnological tools, B. mori has also become an important bioreactor for production of various recombinant proteins of biomedical interest. In 2004, two genome sequencing projects for B. mori were reported independently by Chinese and Japanese teams; however, the datasets were insufficient for building long genomic scaffolds which are essential for unambiguous annotation of the genome. Now, both the datasets have been merged and assembled through a joint collaboration between the two groups.

Description

Integration of the two data sets of silkworm whole-genome-shotgun sequencing by the Japanese and Chinese groups together with newly obtained fosmid- and BAC-end sequences produced the best continuity (~3.7 Mb in N50 scaffold size) among the sequenced insect genomes and provided a high degree of nucleotide coverage (88%) of all 28 chromosomes. In addition, a physical map of BAC contigs constructed by fingerprinting BAC clones and a SNP linkage map constructed using BAC-end sequences were available. In parallel, proteomic data from two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in various tissues and developmental stages were compiled into a silkworm proteome database. Finally, a Bombyx trap database was constructed for documenting insertion positions and expression data of transposon insertion lines.

Conclusion

For efficient usage of genome information for functional studies, genomic sequences, physical and genetic map information and EST data were compiled into KAIKObase, an integrated silkworm genome database which consists of 4 map viewers, a gene viewer, and sequence, keyword and position search systems to display results and data at the level of nucleotide sequence, gene, scaffold and chromosome. Integration of the silkworm proteome database and the Bombyx trap database with KAIKObase led to a high-grade, user-friendly, and comprehensive silkworm genome database which is now available from URL: http://sgp.dna.affrc.go.jp/KAIKObase/.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans regulate the growth, differentiation and migration of multipotent neural precursor cells through the integrin signaling pathway
Authors: Gu Wen-Li , Fu Sai-Li , Wang Yan-Xia , Li Ying , Lü He-Zuo , Xu Xiao-Ming , Lu Pei-Hua
Published: October 2009

Background

Neural precursor cells (NPCs) are defined by their ability to proliferate, self-renew, and retain the potential to differentiate into neurons and glia. Deciphering the factors that regulate their behaviors will greatly aid in their use as potential therapeutic agents or targets. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are prominent components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the central nervous system (CNS) and are assumed to play important roles in controlling neuronal differentiation and development.

Results

In the present study, we demonstrated that CSPGs were constitutively expressed on the NPCs isolated from the E16 rat embryonic brain. When chondroitinase ABC was used to abolish the function of endogenous CSPGs on NPCs, it induced a series of biological responses including the proliferation, differentiation and migration of NPCs, indicating that CSPGs may play a critical role in NPC development and differentiation. Finally, we provided evidence suggesting that integrin signaling pathway may be involved in the effects of CSPGs on NPCs.

Conclusion

The present study investigating the influence and mechanisms of CSPGs on the differentiation and migration of NPCs should help us to understand the basic biology of NPCs during CNS development and provide new insights into developing new strategies for the treatment of the neurological disorders in the CNS.
The relationship of bottle feeding and other sucking behaviors with speech disorder in Patagonian preschoolers
Authors: Barbosa Clarita , Vasquez Sandra , Parada Mary A , Gonzalez Juan Carlos Velez , Jackson Chanaye , Yanez N David , Gelaye Bizu , Fitzpatrick Annette L
Published: October 2009

Background

Previous studies have shown that children's nonnutritive sucking habits may lead to delayed development of their oral anatomy and functioning. However, these findings were inconsistent. We investigated associations between use of bottles, pacifiers, and other sucking behaviors with speech disorders in children attending three preschools in Punta Arenas (Patagonia), Chile.

Methods

Information on infant feeding and sucking behaviors, age starting and stopping breast- and bottle-feeding, pacifier use, and other sucking behaviors, was collected from self-administered questionnaires completed by parents. Evaluation of speech problems was conducted at preschools with subsequent scoring by a licensed speech pathologist using age-normative standards.

Results

A total of 128 three- to five-year olds were assessed, 46% girls and 54% boys. Children were breastfed for an average of 25.2 (SD 9.6) months and used a bottle 24.4 (SD 15.2) months. Fifty-three children (41.7%) had or currently used a pacifier for an average of 11.4 (SD 17.3) months; 23 children (18.3%) were reported to have sucked their fingers. Delayed use of a bottle until after 9 months appeared to be protective for subsequent speech disorders. There was less than a one-third lower relative odds of subsequent speech disorders for children with a delayed use of a bottle compared to children without a delayed use of a bottle (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.10-0.98). A three-fold increase in relative odds of speech disorder was found for finger-sucking behavior (OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.10-8.00) and for use of a pacifier for 3 or more years (OR: 3.42, 95% CI: 1.08-10.81).

Conclusion

The results suggest extended use of sucking outside of breastfeeding may have detrimental effects on speech development in young children.
Cytokeratin 8 ectoplasmic domain binds urokinase-type plasminogen activator to breast tumor cells and modulates their adhesion, growth and invasiveness
Authors: Obermajer Nataša , Doljak Bojan , Kos Janko
Published: October 2009

Background

Generation of plasmin is a characteristic of tumor cells, promoting the degradation of extracellular matrix, tumor progression and metastasis. The process is accelerated if plasminogen and plasminogen activator are bound to their cell surface receptors.

Results

In this study we show that the monoclonal antibody that recognizes an epitope on the cytokeratin 8 (CK8) ectoplasmic domain (anti-CK MAb) inhibits plasminogen activation mediated by urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in MCF-7 and MCF-10A neoT cells. The ectoplasmic domain of CK8 acts as a binding site for plasminogen, however, by using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that it is also co-localized with uPA. CK8, therefore, function also as a receptor for uPA on the cell surface, and the presence of anti-CK MAb may prevent the binding of uPA to a designated CK8 motif. The consequent inhibition of plasmin generation resulted in changed cell morphology, enhanced cell adhesion to fibronectin, reduced invasion potential, and an enhanced G1/S transition. Moreover, surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the synthetic dodecapeptide corresponding to the epitope sequence (VKIALEVEIATY), binds uPA in the nanomolar range.

Conclusion

These novel findings suggest a model in which CK8, together with uPA, plasminogen and fibronectin, constitutes a signaling platform capable of modulating cell adhesion/growth-dependent signal transduction in breast tumor cells. Anti-CK MAb, which competes for the binding site for uPA, could be used as an agent to reduce the invasive potential of breast tumor cells.
Inter‐rater reliability of the Foot Posture Index (FPI‐6) in the assessment of the paediatric foot
Authors: Morrison Stewart C , Ferrari Jill
Published: October 2009

Background

Reliability is an integral component of clinical assessment and necessary for establishing baseline data, monitoring treatment outcomes and providing robust research findings. In the podiatric literature traditional measures of foot assessment have been shown to be largely unreliable. The Foot Posture Index (FPI‐6) is a clinical tool used in the assessment of foot and to date, there is limited research published which evaluates the reliability of this tool in children and adolescents.

Method

Thirty participants aged 5 ‐ 16 years were recruited for the research. Two raters independently recorded the FPI‐6 score for each participant.

Results

Almost perfect agreement between the two raters was identified following weighted kappa analysis (Kw = 0.86).

Conclusion

The FPI‐6 is a quick, simple and reliable clinical tool which has demonstrated excellent inter‐rater reliability when used in the assessment of the paediatric foot.
Human RPA phosphorylation by ATR stimulates DNA synthesis and prevents ssDNA accumulation during DNA-replication stress
Authors: Vassin Vitaly M. , Anantha Rachel William , Sokolova Elena , Kanner Shlomo , Borowiec James A.
Published: October 2009

ATR is an essential kinase activated in response to DNA-replication stress, with a known target being the RPA2 subunit of human replication protein A (RPA). We find that S33-RPA2 phosphorylation by ATR occurs primarily in the late-S and G2 phases, probably at sites of residual stalled DNA-replication forks, with S33-P-RPA2 contained within nuclear repair centers. Although cells in which endogenous RPA2 was `replaced' with an RPA2 protein with mutations T21A and S33A (T21A/S33A-RPA) had normal levels of DNA replication under non-stress conditions, the mutant cells were severely deficient in the amount of DNA synthesis occurring during replication stress. These cells also had abnormally high levels of chromatin-bound RPA, indicative of increased amounts of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and showed defective recovery from stress. Cells replaced with the mutant RPA2 also generated G1 cells with a broader DNA distribution and high levels of apoptosis following stress, compared with cells expressing wild-type RPA2. Surprisingly, cells expressing the wild-type RPA2 subunit had increased levels of stress-dependent DNA breaks. Our data demonstrate that RPA phosphorylation at the T21 and S33 sites facilitates adaptation of a DNA-replication fork to replication stress.
Dynamics and molecular interactions of linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex proteins
Authors: Östlund Cecilia , Folker Eric S. , Choi Jason C. , Gomes Edgar R. , Gundersen Gregg G. , Worman Howard J.
Published: October 2009

The linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is situated in the nuclear envelope and forms a connection between the lamina and cytoskeletal elements. Sun1, Sun2 and nesprin-2 are important components of the LINC complex. We expressed these proteins fused to green fluorescent protein in embryonic fibroblasts and studied their diffusional mobilities using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. We show that they all are more mobile in embryonic fibroblasts from mice lacking A-type lamins than in cells from wild-type mice. Knockdown of Sun2 also increased the mobility of a short, chimeric form of nesprin-2 giant (mini-nesprin-2G), whereas the lack of emerin did not affect the mobility of Sun1, Sun2 or mini-nesprin-2G. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments showed Sun1 to be more closely associated with lamin A than is Sun2. Sun1 and Sun2 had similar affinity for the nesprin-2 KASH domain in plasmon surface resonance (Biacore) experiments. This affinity was ten times higher than that previously reported between nesprin-2 and actin. Deletion of the actin-binding domain had no effect on mini-nesprin-2G mobility. Our data support a model in which A-type lamins and Sun2 anchor nesprin-2 in the outer nuclear membrane, whereas emerin, Sun1 and actin are dispensable for this anchoring.
Optimum selection and design of reciprocating compressor for petroleum services
Authors: Almasi A
Published: October 2009

Reciprocating compressors are flexible, efficient, have wide range of applications, and can generate high head independent of gas density. Optimum configuration of reciprocating compressor regarding design, performance, reliability, maintainability, availability, and commercial conditions are discussed.
Improved Reactive Power Capability of Grid Connected Doubly-Fed Induction Generators
Authors: Singh Bharat , Singh S. N.
Published: October 2009

Due to increasing wind power generation in the electric power system, the reactive power generation by the wind farms is a major concern during both steady state and faulty conditions. This paper, first, presents the reactive power capability (RPC) curve of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) considering three limitations (rotor voltage, rotor current and stator current) for reactive power production/consumption, for the complete operating range which is obtained by optimal rotor speed employing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. It is established that the total reactive power generation is limited by rotor voltage at low speeds and by rotor current at higher speed. However, the total reactive power consumption is limited by stator current, for entire operating region. Selection of partial rated converter rating is crucial in terms of cost, efficiency, operating speed range and reactive power capability. The effect of converters rating on the enhancement of RPC of doubly fed induction generation is analyzed. Complete capability curves of DFIG for different stator voltages are developed considering grid-side converter (GSC) contribution towards reactive power capability.
Potential Sites for Off-Shore Wind Power in Australia
Authors: Messali Eleonora , Diesendorf Mark
Published: October 2009

This study identifies potential sites for off-shore wind power in Australia. It uses a systematic framework, a type of multi-criteria analysis with constraints. The method fosters a transparent, participatory process for inputting criteria. The key parameters considered are the annual mean wind speeds, the depth of water, distance from the shore, and locations of existing transmission lines, centres of electricity demand and protected areas. Although ocean depth increases rapidly around most of the long Australian coastline and many regions are almost uninhabited, we find several regions of high potential near populated areas. The best sites are located off the Western Australian coast near the South-West Integrated System (grid). There are also several possible site regions off the coasts of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
Maximizing Wind Turbine Energy Capture Using Multivariable Extremum Seeking Control
Authors: Creaby Justin , Li Yaoyu , Seem John E.
Published: October 2009

Maximizing energy capture has become an important issue as more turbines are installed in low wind areas. This paper investigates the application of extremum seeking control (ESC) to maximizing the energy capture of variable speed wind turbines. The optimal control torque and pitch angle are searched via ESC based on the measurement of the rotor power. The advantage of this method is the independency from accurate turbine modelling and wind measurement. Simulation was conducted on FAST for a wind turbine dynamic model, under smooth, turbulent and field recorded wind profiles. The simulation results demonstrated significant improvement in energy capture compared to the standard control with fixed reference. An anti-windup ESC was applied to overcome the integral windup due to actuator saturation which would otherwise disable the ESC process. Finally, the integrator and high-pass filter resetting schemes were applied to improve the transient under the abrupt changes of wind.
A Dynamic Programming Decomposition Method for Making Overbooking Decisions Over an Airline Network
Authors: Erdelyi Alexander , Topaloglu Huseyin
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we develop a revenue management model to jointly make the capacity allocation and overbooking decisions over an airline network. Our approach begins with the dynamic programming formulation of the capacity allocation and overbooking problem and uses an approximation strategy to decompose the dynamic programming formulation by the flight legs. This decomposition idea opens up the possibility of obtaining approximate solutions by concentrating on one flight leg at a time, but the capacity allocation and overbooking problem that takes place over a single flight leg still turns out to be intractable. We use a state aggregation approach to obtain high-quality solutions to the single-leg problem. Overall, our model constructs separable approximations to the value functions, which can be used to make the capacity allocation and overbooking decisions for the whole airline network. Computational experiments indicate that our model performs significantly better than a variety of benchmark strategies from the literature.
Fluid Limits for Shortest Remaining Processing Time Queues
Authors: Down Douglas G. , Gromoll H. Christian , Puha Amber L.
Published: October 2009

We consider a single-server queue with renewal arrivals and i.i.d. service times in which the server uses the shortest remaining processing time policy. To describe the evolution of this queue, we use a measure-valued process that keeps track of the residual service times of all buffered jobs. We propose a fluid model (or formal law of large numbers approximation) for this system and, under mild assumptions, prove the existence and uniqueness of fluid model solutions. Furthermore, we prove a scaling limit theorem that justifies the fluid model as a first-order approximation of the stochastic model. The state descriptor of the fluid model is a measure-valued function whose dynamics are governed by certain inequalities in conjunction with the standard workload equation. In particular, these dynamics determine the evolution of the left edge (infimum) of the state descriptor's support, which yields conclusions about response times. We characterize the evolution of this left edge as an inverse functional of the initial condition, arrival rate, and service time distribution. This characterization reveals the manner in which the growth rate of the left edge depends on the service time distribution. By considering varying examples, the authors show that the rate can vary from logarithmic to polynomial.
Evaluation of Cell Surface Expression of Phosphatidylserine in Ovarian Carcinoma Effusions Using the Annexin-V/7-AAD Assay
Authors: Dong Hiep Phuc , Holth Arild , Kleinberg Lilach , Ruud Marit Gunhild , Elstrand Mari Bunkholt , Tropé Claes G. , Davidson Ben , Risberg Björn
Published: October 2009

Phosphatidylserine cell surface exposure during apoptosis can be detected by its binding to the protein annexin-V. We investigated annexin-V expression in 76 ovarian carcinoma effusions using flow cytometry. Results were analyzed for association with clinicopathologic parameters and survival. Annexin-V expression was additionally compared with the previously studied apoptotic markers cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8, and deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) incorporation into DNA fragments. Annexin-V was expressed in all specimens and was more frequently detected compared with cleaved caspases and dUTP incorporation (P < .001). Annexin-V expression was higher in grade 3 vs grades 1 and 2 tumors (P = .014). A higher percentage of annexin-V–expressing cells in postchemotherapy specimens was associated with poor overall (P = .005) and progression-free (P = .013) survival. We present the first evidence of annexin-V expression in ovarian carcinoma effusions. The higher annexin-V expression compared with other apoptosis parameters and its association with high-grade disease and poor survival in postchemotherapy patients suggest a role in cell survival rather than apoptosis in effusions.
Accuracy of Urine Cytology and the Significance of an Atypical Category
Authors: Brimo Fadi , Vollmer Robin T. , Case Bruce , Aprikian Armen , Kassouf Wassim , Auger Manon
Published: October 2009

The “atypical urothelial cell” cytologic category is nonstandardized. We subclassify atypical cases to “atypical, favor a reactive process” or “atypical, unclear if reactive or neoplastic.” We evaluated the predictive significance of atypical cases by looking at their histologic follow-up. Among the 1,114 patients and 3,261 specimens included, 282 specimens had histologic follow-up. An atypical diagnosis did not carry a significant increased risk of urothelial neoplasia compared with the benign category. Although an “atypical unclear” diagnosis carried a higher rate of detection of high-grade cancer on follow-up biopsy in comparison with “atypical reactive” or “negative” diagnoses (26/58 [45%] vs 15/52 [29%] and 16/103 [15.5%], respectively), this difference was not statistically significant. These results suggest that dividing atypical cases into 2 categories based on the level of cytologic suspicion of cancer does not add clinically relevant information within the atypical category. They also raise the question of the significance of the atypical category altogether.
Significant CD5 Expression on Normal Stage 3 Hematogones and Mature B Lymphocytes in Bone Marrow
Authors: Fuda Franklin S. , Karandikar Nitin J. , Chen Weina
Published: October 2009

B-cell maturation from hematogones to mature B cells in bone marrow exhibits a consistent, complex spectrum of sequential antigen expression. CD5 expression, however, has not been characterized. We studied the dynamics of CD5 expression on developing B cells by 4-color flow cytometry in 32 patients, aged 9 months to 63 years, with hematogone hyperplasia (>3.5% of total events). The mean percentage of hematogones was 8.1%. We demonstrate consistent CD5 expression on normal, polytypic B cells in a continuum, predominantly at later stages of maturation, specifically on stage 3 hematogones and mature B cells. Awareness of this normal pattern of CD5 expression on B-cell subsets has implications in the analysis of minimal residual disease of CD5+ B-lineage non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
Peer Relationship Problems of Children With AD/HD: Risk Factors and New Directions in Interventions
Authors: Ozdemir Selda
Published: October 2009

This review integrates and evaluates research conducted on possible contributing factors to peer relationship problems of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Substantial evidence suggests that children with AD/HD have serious problems in multiple aspects of their relationships with peers. Difficulties resulting from inattention, impulsivity, and over activity negatively affect these children's performance in the peer group and as a result, children with the disorder are often rated as less popular and more rejected by their non-AD/HD peers. This article critically reviews risk factors for peer relationship problems of children with AD/HD including family, school, and child-specific factors. The implications of AD/HD research are examined with an emphasis on developing an ecological perspective to addressing the peer relationship problems of children with the disorder.