bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SHAPE OPTIMIZATION FOR HYDRODYNAMIC BEARINGS BASED ON GENERAL FILM THICKNESS EQUATION
Authors: PANG XIAOPING , CHEN JIN
Published: November 2008

In order to improve hydrodynamic journal bearings (HJB) performances, a novel shape optimization method for HJB based on the general film thickness equation was proposed. The general film thickness equation was studied which cannot only include the existing classical bearings shapes but can also be used to develop some other new shapes. An efficient mathematical model of shape optimization for HJB based on the general film thickness equation was established. Feasibility of shape optimization for hydrodynamic bearings based on the general film thickness equation was proved. An example was given and a new HJB shape with better performances was obtained.
RESEARCH ON GRAPH THEORY-BASED MANUFACTURING SETUP PLANNING
Authors: ZHANG FA PING
Published: November 2008

Automatic generation of manufacturing setup planning is studied in this work. The mathematical model to describe the tolerance information and datum-machining feature relationship has been formulated based on extended graphics. By means of the transformation between the feature tolerance relationship graph(FTG) and the datum-machining feature relationship graph (DMG), the algorithm to automatically generate setup planning has been given based on the tolerance analysis and manufacturing resources capability model. The algorithm can identify the machining feature and datum, optimize setup groups based on the manufacturing resource capability and tolerance analysis, as well as minimize the influence of the locating error stack-up on the machining quality. Finally, a case study of setup planning is presented to verify the feasibility of the methodology.
AN INTEGRATED INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT DESIGN CAE MODEL UTILIZING NEW JIT: APPLICATION TO AUTOMOTIVE HIGH RELIABILITY ASSURANCE
Authors: AMASAKA KAKURO
Published: November 2008

With a view to assisting corporations to survive in the "worldwide quality competition", the author has proposed the "Integrated Intelligence Development Design CAE Model" utilizing New JIT. This model consists of the "Total Quality Assurance (QA) High Cycle-ization Business Process System", the "Stratified Intelligence CAE Management System", and the "Intelligence CAE Development Design Approarch System". In an effort to verify the validity of this model, the author has analyzed an issue of worldwide concern, the oil seal leakage mechanism on an automobile transaxle with the cooperation of the Toyota and NOK, and has created the "Intelligence CAE Software-Oil Leakage Simulator" that incorporates CG Navigation in order to ensure "high reliability assurance of the automotive transaxle".
Influence of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger, circulating levels of acylated ghrelin, and peptide YY in healthy males
Authors: Broom David R. , Batterham Rachel L. , King James A. , Stensel David J.
Published: November 2008

Resistance (muscle strengthening) exercise is a key component of exercise recommendations for weight control, yet very little is known about the effects of resistance exercise on appetite. We investigated the effects of resistance and aerobic exercise on hunger and circulating levels of the gut hormones acylated ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY). Eleven healthy male students: age 21.1 ± 0.3 yr, body mass index 23.1 ± 0.4 kg/m2, maximum oxygen uptake 62.1 ± 1.8 ml·kg−1·min−1 (means ± SE) undertook three, 8-h trials, 1) resistance exercise: a 90-min free weight lifting session followed by a 6.5-h rest period, 2) aerobic exercise: a 60-min run followed by a 7-h rest period, 3) control: an 8-h rest, in a randomized crossover design. Meals were provided 2 and 5 h into each trial. Hunger ratings and plasma concentrations of acylated ghrelin and PYY were measured throughout. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant ( P < 0.05) interaction effects for hunger, acylated ghrelin, and PYY, indicating suppressed hunger and acylated ghrelin during aerobic and resistance exercise and increased PYY during aerobic exercise. A significant trial effect was observed for PYY, indicating higher concentrations on the aerobic exercise trial than the other trials (8 h area under the curve: control 1,411 ± 110, resistance 1,381 ± 97, aerobic 1,750 ± 170 pg/ml 8 h). These findings suggest ghrelin and PYY may regulate appetite during and after exercise, but further research is required to establish whether exercise-induced changes in ghrelin and PYY influence subsequent food intake.
Genioglossus and Intrinsic Electromyographic Activities in Impeded and Unimpeded Protrusion Tasks
Authors: Pittman Lora J. , Bailey E. Fiona
Published: November 2008

Eight muscles invest the human tongue: four extrinsic muscles have external origins and insert into the tongue body and four intrinsic muscles originate and terminate within the tongue. Previously, we noted minimal activation of the genioglossus tongue muscle during impeded protrusion tasks (i.e., having subjects push the tongue against a force transducer), suggesting that other muscles play a role in the production of tongue force. Accordingly, we sought to characterize genioglossus tongue muscle activities during impeded and unimpeded protrusion tasks (i.e., having subjects slowly and smoothly move the tongue out of their mouth). Electromyographic (EMG) and single motor-unit potentials of the extrinsic genioglossus muscle were recorded with tungsten microelectrodes and EMG activities of intrinsic tongue muscles were recorded with hook-wire electrodes inserted into the anterior tongue body. Tongue position was detected by an isotonic transducer coupled to the tongue tip. Protrusive force was detected by a force transducer attached to a rigid bar. Genioglossus and intrinsic tongue muscles were simultaneously active in both impeded and unimpeded protrusion tasks. Genioglossus whole muscle EMG and single motor-unit activities changed faithfully as a function of tongue position, with increased discharge associated with protrusion and decreased discharge associated with retraction back to the rest position. In contrast, during the impeded protrusion task drive the genioglossus muscle remained constant as protrusion force increased. Conversely, intrinsic tongue muscle activities appropriately followed changes in both tongue position and force. Importantly, we observed significantly higher levels of intrinsic muscle activity in the impeded protrusion task. These observations suggest that protrusion of the human tongue requires activation of the genioglossus and intrinsic protrudor muscles, with the former more important for establishing anterior–posterior tongue location and the latter playing a greater role in the generation of protrusive force. A biomechanical model of these actions is provided and discussed.
KIF5B gene sequence variation and response of cardiac stroke volume to regular exercise
Authors: Argyropoulos George , Stütz Adrian M. , Ilnytska Olha , Rice Treva , Teran-Garcia Margarita , Rao D. C. , Bouchard Claude , Rankinen Tuomo
Published: November 2008

A genome-wide linkage scan for endurance training-induced changes in stroke volume detected a quantitative trait locus on chromosome 10p11 in white families of the HERITAGE Family Study. Dense microsatellite mapping narrowed down the linkage region to a 7 Mb area containing 16 known and 14 predicted genes. Association analyses with 90 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provided suggestive evidence ( P values from 0.03 to 0.06) for association in the kinesin heavy chain ( KIF5B) gene locus in the whole cohort. The associations at the KIF5B locus were stronger ( P values from 0.001 to 0.008) when the analyses were performed on linkage-informative families only (family-specific logarithm of the odds ratio scores >0.025 at peak linkage location). Resequencing the coding and regulatory regions of KIF5B revealed no new exonic SNPs. However, the putative promoter region was particularly polymorphic, containing eight SNPs with at least 5% minor allele frequency within 1850 bp upstream of the start codon. Functional analyses using promoter haplotype reporter constructs led to the identification of sequence variants that had significant effects on KIF5B promoter activity. Analogous inhibition and overexpression experiments showed that changes in KIF5B expression alter mitochondrial localization and biogenesis in a manner that could affect the ability of the heart to adjust to regular exercise. Our data suggest that KIF5B is a strong candidate gene for the response of stroke volume to regular exercise. Furthermore, training-induced changes in submaximal exercise stroke volume may be due to mitochondrial function and variation in KIF5B expression as determined by functional SNPs in its promoter.
Differential gene expression in a coculture model of angiogenesis reveals modulation of select pathways and a role for Notch signaling
Authors: Lilly Brenda , Kennard Simone
Published: November 2008

Communication between endothelial and mural cells (smooth muscle cells, pericytes, and fibroblasts) can dictate blood vessel size and shape during angiogenesis, and control the functional aspects of mature blood vessels, by determining things such as contractile properties. The ability of these different cell types to regulate each other's activities led us to ask how their interactions directly modulate gene expression. To address this, we utilized a three-dimensional model of angiogenesis and screened for genes whose expression was altered under coculture conditions. Using a BeadChip array, we identified 323 genes that were uniquely regulated when endothelial cells and mural cells (fibroblasts) were cultured together. Data mining tools revealed that differential expression of genes from the integrin, blood coagulation, and angiogenesis pathways were overrepresented in coculture conditions. Scans of the promoters of these differentially modulated genes identified a multitude of conserved C promoter binding factor (CBF)1/CSL elements, implicating Notch signaling in their regulation. Accordingly, inhibition of the Notch pathway with γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT or NOTCH3-specific small interfering RNA blocked the coculture-induced regulation of several of these genes in fibroblasts. These data show that coculturing of endothelial cells and fibroblasts causes profound changes in gene expression and suggest that Notch signaling is a critical mediator of the resultant transcription.
A Mathematical Tool for Inference in Logistic Regression with Small‐Sized Data Sets: A Practical Application on ISW‐Ridge Relationships
Authors: Chen Tsung-Hao , Chen Chen-Yuan , Yang Hsien-Chueh Peter , Chen Cheng-Wu
Published: November 2008

The general approach to modeling binary data for the purpose of estimating the
propagation of an internal solitary wave (ISW) is based on the maximum likelihood
estimate (MLE) method. In cases where the number of observations in the data is small,
any inferences made based on the asymptotic distribution of changes in the deviance may be unreliable for binary data (the
model′s lack of fit is described in terms of a quantity known as the deviance). The
deviance for the binary data is given by D. Collett (2003). may be unreliable for binary data.
Logistic regression shows that the P‐values for the likelihood ratio test and the score
test are both <0.05. However, the null hypothesis is not rejected in the Wald test. The
seeming discrepancies in P‐values obtained between the Wald test and the other two tests
are a sign that the large‐sample approximation is not stable. We find that the parameters
and the odds ratio estimates obtained via conditional exact logistic regression are
different from those obtained via unconditional asymptotic logistic regression. Using
exact results is a good idea when the sample size is small and the approximate P‐values
are <0.10. Thus in this study exact analysis is more appropriate.
Review of the Surgical Approaches for Peyronie's Disease: Corporeal Plication and Plaque Incision with Grafting
Authors: Tran Viet Q. , Kim Dennis H. , Lesser Timothy F. , Aboseif Sherif R.
Published: November 2008

The understanding and management of Peyronie's disease (PD) has improved but elucidating the exact etiology of the disease has yet to be achieved. In this paper, we review the historical and clinical aspects of PD. We focus on the evolution of surgical management for PD and review recent published articles that compare popular surgical techniques such as plication and plaque incision with vein graft. These two techniques have been reported to be equivalent with respect to patient satisfaction; however, each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Staphylococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin‐1 Induces the Translocation and Secretion of High Mobility Group‐1 Protein from Both Activated T Cells and Monocytes
Authors: Kalyan Shirin , Chow Anthony W.
Published: November 2008

High mobility group box‐1 (HMGB‐1) is a DNA‐binding protein secreted by
activated monocytes and has been identified as a key late mediator of endotoxic shock. We investigated the regulation of HMGB‐1 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following stimulation with the staphylococcal superantigen, toxic shock syndrome toxin‐1 (TSST‐1), and found that TSST‐1, like LPS, induced the secretion of HMGB‐1 from human PBMC. However, unlike monocyte‐driven sepsis caused by endotoxin, translocation and secretion of HMGB‐1 mediated by TSST‐1 was dependent on the presence of both activated T cells and monocytes. Furthermore, we show that nuclear HMGB‐1 is released from TSST‐1 stimulated T cells. This finding presents a basis for investigating the potential of targeting HMGB‐1 for the treatment of toxic shock syndrome, and provides further insight on the role of HMGB‐1 in the cross‐talk between activated monocytes and T cells.
Penile Prosthesis: What Should We Do about Complications?
Authors: Bettocchi C. , Ditonno P. , Palumbo F. , Lucarelli G. , Garaffa G. , Giammusso B. , Battaglia M.
Published: November 2008

Even in the era of phoshodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, penile implants are considered the definitive solution for the treatment of organic erectile disfunction. The advent of new surgical tools and new infection-resistant materials has significantly reduced the risk of intra and post-operative complications and the need for revision surgery. Various companies have also improved their mechanical systems in order to reduce the risk of failures, and their products are now so good they may last lifelong. In this article, we evaluate the intraoperative and postoperative complications recorded in our experience and in literature reports, and make some suggestions as to how to prevent or correct them.
Histological Characterisation of Small Renal Masses and Incidence of Silent Renal Masses
Authors: Almenar Medina Sergio , Calatrava Fons Ana
Published: November 2008

With the introduction of sonographic and CT examinations, the number of small renal masses detected has increased. Benign neoplastic lesions are usually smaller than 4 cm in size, whilst the most common types of renal cell carcinomas have a mean size greater than that, but we must not forget that a significant number of small masses are renal cell carcinomas; even though the rate of benign cases increases as the diameter of the lesions decreases, therefore, size itself cannot be used to rule out a diagnostic of malignancy and often image characteristics are not enough to predict the nature of the lesion with certainty. In this case, histological confirmation must be recommended. Ideally, the histological study must be conducted on the surgical specimen, even though biopsy can be an option in selected cases.
Epidemiology of Kidney Cancer
Authors: Pascual D. , Borque A.
Published: November 2008

Some tumors are known to have a definite cause-effect etiology, but renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is not one of them precisely. With regard to RCC we can only try to identify some clinical and occupational factors as well as substances related to tumorigenesis. Smoking, chemical carcinogens like asbestos or organic solvents are some of these factors that increase the risk of the RCC. Viral infections and radiation therapy have also been described as risk factors. Some drugs can increase the incidence of RCC as well as other neoplasms. Of course, genetics plays an outstanding role in the development of some cases of kidney cancer. Chronic renal failure, hypertension, and dialysis need to be considered as special situations. Diet, obesity, lifestyle, and habits can also increase the risk of RCC. The aim of this review is to summarize the well-defined causes of renal cell carcinoma.
Missed Adenomas during Colonoscopic Surveillance in Individuals with Lynch Syndrome (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer)
Authors: Stoffel Elena M. , Turgeon D. Kim , Stockwell David H. , Zhao Lili , Normolle Daniel P. , Tuck Missy K. , Bresalier Robert S. , Marcon Norman E. , Baron John A. , Ruffin Mack T. , Brenner Dean E. , Syngal Sapna ,   Great Lakes-New England Clinical Epidemiology and Validation Center of the Early Detection Research Network
Published: November 2008

Background and Aims: Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer) is associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer, which can arise despite frequent colonoscopic exams. We evaluated the adenoma miss rate of conventional colonoscopy in patients with Lynch syndrome, and compared the sensitivity of chromoendoscopy versus intensive inspection for detecting polyps missed by conventional colonoscopy.

Methods: Fifty-four subjects with Lynch syndrome underwent tandem colonoscopies at four centers of the Great Lakes-New England Clinical Epidemiology and Validation Center of the Early Detection Research Network. All participants first had a conventional colonoscopy with removal of all visualized polyps. The second endoscopy was randomly assigned as either pancolonic indigo carmine chromoendoscopy or standard colonoscopy with intensive inspection lasting >20 minutes. Size, histology, and number of polyps detected on each exam were recorded.

Results: After undergoing standard colonoscopy, 28 individuals were randomized to a second exam with chromoendoscopy and 26 underwent intensive inspection. The mean interval since last colonoscopy was 17.5 months. Seventeen polyps (10 adenomas and 7 hyperplastic polyps) were identified on the first standard colonoscopies. Twenty-three additional polyps (12 adenomas and 11 hyperplastic polyps) were found on the second exams, yielding an adenoma miss rate of 55%. Fifteen polyps (5 adenomas and 10 hyperplastic polyps) were found in subjects who had chromoendoscopy and 8 polyps (7 adenomas and 1 hyperplastic polyp) in those who had intensive inspection. Chromoendoscopy was associated with more normal tissue biopsies (11 versus 5) and longer procedure times compared with intensive inspection (29.8 ± 9.5 versus 25.3 ± 5.8 minutes; P = 0.04). Controlling for age, number of previous colonoscopies, procedure time, and prior colonic resection, chromoendoscopy detected more polyps (P = 0.04), but adenoma detection was not significantly different compared with intensive inspection (P = 0.27).

Conclusions: Small adenomas are frequently missed in patients with Lynch syndrome. Although chromoendoscopy did not detect more missed adenomas than intensive inspection in this pilot study, larger trials are needed to determine optimal surveillance techniques in this high-risk population.
Multiple Aberrations of Chromosome 3p Detected in Oral Premalignant Lesions
Authors: Tsui Ivy F.L. , Rosin Miriam P. , Zhang Lewei , Ng Raymond T. , Lam Wan L.
Published: November 2008

The study of oral premalignant lesions (OPL) is crucial to the identification of initiating genetic events in oral cancer. However, these lesions are minute in size, making it a challenge to recover sufficient DNA from microdissected cells for comprehensive genomic analysis. As a step toward identifying genetic aberrations associated with oral cancer progression, we used tiling-path array comparative genomic hybridization to compare alterations on chromosome 3p for 71 OPLs against 23 oral squamous cell carcinomas. 3p was chosen because although it is frequently altered in oral cancers and has been associated with progression risk, its alteration status has only been evaluated at a small number of loci in OPLs. We identified six recurrent losses in this region that were shared between high-grade dysplasias and oral squamous cell carcinomas, including a 2.89-Mbp deletion spanning the FHIT gene (previously implicated in oral cancer progression). When the alteration status for these six regions was examined in 24 low-grade dysplasias with known progression outcome, we observed that they occurred at a significantly higher frequency in low-grade dysplasias that later progressed to later-stage disease (P < 0.003). Moreover, parallel analysis of all profiled tissues showed that the extent of overall genomic alteration at 3p increased with histologic stage. This first high-resolution analysis of chromosome arm 3p in OPLs represents a significant step toward predicting progression risk in early preinvasive disease and provides a keen example of how genomic instability escalates with progression to invasive cancer.
Effects of the Kava Chalcone Flavokawain A Differ in Bladder Cancer Cells with Wild-type versus Mutant p53
Authors: Tang Yaxiong , Simoneau Anne R. , Xie Jun , Shahandeh Babbak , Zi Xiaolin
Published: November 2008

Flavokawain A is the predominant chalcone from kava extract. We have assessed the mechanisms of flavokawain A's action on cell cycle regulation. In a p53 wild-type, low-grade, and papillary bladder cancer cell line (RT4), flavokawain A increased p21/WAF1 and p27/KIP1, which resulted in a decrease in cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2) kinase activity and subsequent G1 arrest. The increase of p21/WAF1 protein corresponded to an increased mRNA level, whereas p27/KIP1 accumulation was associated with the down-regulation of SKP2, which then increased the stability of the p27/KIP1 protein. The accumulation of p21/WAF1 and p27/KIP1 was independent of cell cycle position and thus not a result of the cell cycle arrest. In contrast, flavokawain A induced a G2-M arrest in six p53 mutant-type, high-grade bladder cancer cell lines (T24, UMUC3, TCCSUP, 5637, HT1376, and HT1197). Flavokawain A significantly reduced the expression of CDK1-inhibitory kinases, Myt1 and Wee1, and caused cyclin B1 protein accumulation leading to CDK1 activation in T24 cells. Suppression of p53 expression by small interfering RNA in RT4 cells restored Cdc25C expression and down-regulated p21/WAF1 expression, which allowed Cdc25C and CDK1 activation, which then led to a G2-M arrest and an enhanced growth-inhibitory effect by flavokawain A. Consistently, flavokawain A also caused a pronounced CDK1 activation and G2-M arrest in p53 knockout but not in p53 wild-type HCT116 cells. This selectivity of flavokawain A for inducing a G2-M arrest in p53-defective cells deserves further investigation as a new mechanism for the prevention and treatment of bladder cancer.
Treatment of Isolated Gastric Crohn’s Disease with Inhaled Corticosteroids
Authors: Ibrahim Samar H. , Smyrk Thomas C. , Faubion William A.
Published: November 2008

Isolated gastric Crohn’s disease is unusual and a rare cause of pyloric outlet obstruction. If medical therapy is ineffective, patients may require surgery to relieve gastric outlet obstruction. Herein we describe a patient with isolated gastric Crohn’s disease with pyloric outlet obstruction who was steroid-dependent and had a relapse despite receiving biologic and immunomodulatory therapy, but ultimately responded to topical treatment with inhaled corticosteroids.
Restriction of Drinking Water Abrogates Splanchnic Vasodilation and Portal Hypertension in Portal Vein-Ligated Rats
Authors: Heinemann Akos , Schuligoi Rufina , Lippe Irmgard T. , Stauber Rudolf E.
Published: November 2008

Portal hypertension is associated with splanchnic vasodilation which is claimed responsible for the maintenance of chronically elevated portal pressure. Vasopressin analogues are used in the treatment of acute variceal bleeding, since they effectively reduce splanchnic blood flow and portal pressure. Dehydration stimulates the release of endogenous vasopressin release. Here we compared the effects of deprivation of drinking water for 18 h with those of vasopressin infusion on mesenteric hemodynamics in portal vein-ligated (PVL) and sham-operated (SHAM) rats. Blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery was measured with the ultrasonic transit time shift technique. Deprivation of drinking water had no hemodynamic effects in SHAM rats, but completely reversed the mesenteric hyperemia and portal hypertension in PVL rats to figures measured in SHAM rats, without altering blood pressure. Similarly, intravenous infusion of low doses of arginine vasopressin (1–10 pmol/min) selectively reduced mesenteric blood flow in PVL rats but had little effect in SHAM rats. These data suggest that control of water balance or aquaretic drugs might have beneficial effects on splanchnic hemodynamics and portal pressure in advanced liver disease, possibly by stimulating endogenous vasopressin release.
Outcome of Antenatally Diagnosed Fetal Anterior Abdominal Wall Defects from a Single Tertiary Centre
Authors: Arnaoutoglou C. , Pasquini L. , Abel R. , Kumar S.
Published: November 2008

Objective: The aim of this study was to review the outcome of all cases of antenatally diagnosed anterior abdominal wall defects at a single tertiary centre. Method: 41 cases from the database of the Centre of Fetal Care at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London from 2000 to 2005 were reviewed and both obstetric and neonatal data were collected. Results: 25 cases were exomphalos (61%), 9 were gastroschisis (22%), 6 were body stalk anomaly (15%) and 1 case was cloacal exstrophy (2%). 17 cases (41%) were associated with other major malformations and 4 (10%) were aneuploid. There was 1 case of intrauterine death (2%). Termination of pregnancy was performed in 24 cases (63%). Of the cases that continued (exomphalos and gastroschisis), all babies survived surgery and were discharged home. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a high termination rate for fetuses diagnosed with anterior abdominal wall defects. However, the surgical outcome for euploid neonates with isolated exomphalos or gastroschisis appears to be good. Babies with gastroschisis required a longer period of parenteral feeding compared with babies with exomphalos. These infants however had a longer duration of hospitalization.
Plasma Urate and Progression of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Irizarry Michael C. , Raman Rema , Schwarzschild Michael A. , Becerra Lida M. , Thomas Ronald G. , Peterson Ronald C. , Ascherio Alberto , Aisen Paul S.
Published: November 2008

Background: Impaired antioxidant defenses are implicated in neurodegenerative disease. The plasma levels of urate, a water-soluble antioxidant, are reduced in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective: We aimed to test the hypotheses that high plasma urate at baseline is associated with: (1) a reduced rate of conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD and (2) a lower rate of cognitive decline in MCI. Methods: Plasma urate was obtained at baseline from 747 participants in a 3-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of donepezil, vitamin E or placebo for delaying the progression of MCI to AD.The association between baseline urate and conversion from MCI to AD was examined by Cox proportional hazards regression. The relationship between baseline urate and cognitive change on the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale was evaluated by longitudinal analysis. Results: Baseline plasma urate was not associated with the rate of conversion of MCI to AD. In the placebo arm, high plasma urate was related to a slower rate of cognitive decline over 3 years, although this was not reproduced in the other treatment arms. Conclusion: While plasma urate levels did not predict the progression of MCI to AD, high urate may be associated with a reduced rate of cognitive decline in MCI patients not treated with donepezil or vitamin E. The results support the investigation of biomarkers of antioxidant status as risk factors for cognitive decline in MCI.
Mitochondrial tRNALeu/Lys and ATPase 6/8 Gene Variations in Spinocerebellar Ataxias
Authors: Safaei Sepideh , Houshmand Massoud , Banoei Mohammad Mehdi , Panahi Mehdi Shafa Shariat , Nafisi Shahriar , Parivar Kazem , Rostami Maryam , Shariati Parvin
Published: November 2008

Background: The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) comprise a heterogeneous group of severe late-onset neurodegenerative diseases that are promoted by the expansion of a tandem-arrayed DNA sequence that modifies the primary structure of the protein. Methods: Genomic DNA of 20 patients affected with SCAs was extracted from peripheral blood and screened for deletions in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Sequencing of tRNALeu,tRNALys, cytochrome oxidase II, ATPase 6/8 and NADH dehydrogenase I (NDI) genes belonging to mtDNA from patients with SCAs was also carried out to detect the presence of variations. Results: We identified cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat expansions in 20 patients. Seven of these patients had at least one nucleotide change in mtDNA. In such cases, 5 nucleotide variations resulted in amino acid changes with two novel variations T8256G and G9010A. Conclusion: SCA patients showed high levels of mtDNA variations in lymphocytes. It can be proposed that the SCA gene proteins (Ataxins) are involved in the complicated intracellular mechanisms that affect cellular organelles and their components, such as the mitochondrial genome. The instability of CAG repeats in polyglutamine diseases such as SCAs and Huntington’s disease might be a causative factor in mtDNA variation or possible damage.
Tales with Guts: A “Rasic” Aesthetic in Medieval French Storytelling
Authors: Vitz Evelyn Birge
Published: November 2008

Scholars of medieval Europe tend to see aural performances of narrative works as just medieval “books on tape” with a disembodied reader. But the auditory element was often only a small part of the live performance. Narrative works in medieval Europe were performed, and storytellers engaged audiences' bodies and emotions as well as their minds. Richard Schechner's “Rasaesthetics” helps us recognize the strong emotional flavors and dynamism inherent in the performance tradition of many medieval stories.
Tiresian Journeys
Authors: Kuppers Petra
Published: November 2008

Given the media frenzy over Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful presidential bid, and the ensuing questions about the state of feminism, it seems a serendipitous moment to feature two pieces—written by the women who conceived and performed them—that offer very different but complementary takes on agency, identity, and the conflation of the public and private as one's body becomes the locus of the gaze. Petra Kuppers's dramaturgical meditation on her experiences as part of Tiresias, a disability culture performance project, investigates erotics, change, mythology, and identity. A collaboration between photographers, writers, and dancers, the project, occurring over six months in 2007, posits the body as the site at which myth might be reshaped and movement might become poetry. Lián Amaris critically analyzes her feminist public performance event Fashionably Late for the Relationship, which took place over three days in July 2007 on the Union Square traffic island in New York City. Informed by Judith Butler's citational production of gender, the piece focused on exposing and critiquing the marked visibility of gender construction and maintenance within an extreme performance paradigm.
Exotic Dancing: Performing Tribal and Regional Identities in East Malaysia's Cultural Villages
Authors: Latrell Craig T.
Published: November 2008

“Cultural villages” constitute laboratories for the reimaginings of local cultures and the remapping of their connections to the state, the region, and the globe. Three “heritainment” tourist shows in East Malaysia contain coded statements about cultural ownership, tribal relations to the state, and the state's relation to international tourist markets.
The Gilgamesh Complex: The Quest for Death Transcendence and the Killing of Animals
Authors: Christman Jared
Published: November 2008

Because the fauna of the world possess a blood-driven vitality so comparable to that of people, they serve as an unwitting resource in the anthropocentric quest to ward off the ravages of death and decay, to create a cornucopia of human life amid the caprices of the cosmos. Fueled by the human fear of the grave, the “Gilgamesh complex” is the ensemble of beliefs and desires underlying a spectrum of zoocidal practices ranging from religious immolation to scientific experimentation. The name of the complex draws its textual inspiration from the Babylonian epic of the warrior-king Gilgamesh, who lays waste to beasts of forest and field in his quest for immortality. From a psychological perspective, the epic of Gilgamesh pierces the veil of submerged desires and muddled behaviors that most people in modern society are loath to recognize. The Gilgamesh complex is also among the most culturally and historically encompassing of psychological complexes, penetrating to the barest of human existential concerns—the preoccupation with death.
A Feeling for the Animal: On Becoming an Experimentalist
Authors: Holmberg Tora
Published: November 2008

This article deals with questions that arose during a 2-week university course in nonhuman animal laboratory science. Doctoral students and researchers take the course to acquire the knowledge necessary for future independent work with nonhuman animal experimentation. During the course, participants learn to handle animals in the laboratory, both in theory and in practice, and to do so in a humane way with a feeling for the animals. The paper analyzes how this knowledge, in other tacit contexts, is constructed and learned and focuses on two main aspects of handling rodents in the laboratory: habituation and killing. The course's focus on good handling works as a means of doing good research, as a strategy of including animal welfare as a legitimate agenda, while keeping intact traditional scientific norms—such as standardization. In this case, standardization has a wider scope than commonly assumed: Not only are the animals standardized but also the experimentalists who become standardized through courses and curricula. However, this process of standardization is not complete; thus, a feeling for the animal implies, as the case study shows, individual animal and human-animal interaction.
New Zealand Vegetarians: At Odds with Their Nation
Authors: White Mandala , Potts Annie
Published: November 2008

This qualitative study, conducted between August and December 2006, explored the opinions and experiences of New Zealanders who challenge orthodox attitudes to the use and consumption of nonhuman animals. To date, New Zealand (NZ) has under-investigated the perspectives of those who oppose animal farming, the eating of nonhuman animals, and the exploitation of nonhuman animals. Agriculture substantially influences the economy and cultural heritage of the nation. Given that national identity in New Zealand strongly associates with farming and meat production, this paper investigates how vegetarians living in this country experience and challenge prevalent imagery and ideas about New Zealand. In particular, the paper examines the ways in which “kiwi” vegetarians are disputing the dominant image of New Zealand as “clean and green” and a land of "animal lovers" and how they are experiencing mainstream (meat-loving) kiwi culture in their everyday lives. The paper also examines some of the more positive aspects for vegetarians of living in New Zealand.
Derivation of Nighttime Urban Air Temperatures Using a Satellite Thermal Image
Authors: Fung W. Y. , Lam K. S. , Nichol Janet , Wong Man Sing
Published: November 2008

The aim of this study is to characterize the urban heat island (UHI) intensity in Hong Kong. The first objective is to explore the UHI intensity in Hong Kong by using the mobile transverse and remote sensing techniques. The second objective is to produce a satellite-derived air temperature image by integrating satellite remote sensing with a mobile survey, the methodology involved in making simultaneous ground measurements when the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite made an overpass. The average UHI intensity of Hong Kong was about 2°–3.5°C, although a very high value of 12°C UHI was observed on a calm winter night by ASTER. The satellite-derived surface temperature was compared with the in situ measurements. The bias was found to be only about 1.1°C. A good correlation was also found between the in situ surface and air temperature pair of readings at nighttime on 31 January 2007. The linear regression lines of temperatures in urban and suburban areas were then used to convert the satellite-derived surface temperatures into air temperatures. The satellite-derived air temperatures showed a good correlation with temperatures observed by 12 fixed stations. It is possible to derive the nighttime air temperature from the satellite surface temperature on calm and clear winter nights.
Gravity Wave Instability Dynamics at High Reynolds Numbers. Part I: Wave Field Evolution at Large Amplitudes and High Frequencies
Authors: Fritts David C. , Wang Ling , Werne Joe , Lund Tom , Wan Kam
Published: November 2008

Direct numerical simulations are employed to examine gravity wave instability dynamics at a high intrinsic frequency, wave amplitudes both above and below nominal convective instability, and a Reynolds number sufficiently high to allow a fully developed turbulence spectrum. Assumptions include no mean shear, uniform stratification, and a monochromatic gravity wave to isolate fluxes due to gravity wave and turbulence structures from those arising from environmental shears or varying wave amplitudes. The results reveal strong wave breaking for both wave amplitudes, severe primary wave amplitude reductions within ∼1 or 2 wave periods, an extended turbulence inertial range, significant excitation of additional wave motions exhibiting upward and downward propagation, and a net positive vertical potential temperature flux due to the primary wave motion, with secondary waves and turbulence contributing variable and negative potential temperature fluxes, respectively. Turbulence maximizes within ∼1 buoyancy period of the onset of breaking, arises almost entirely owing to shear production, and decays rapidly following primary wave amplitude decay. Secondary waves are excited by wave–wave interactions and the turbulence dynamics accompanying wave breaking; they typically have lower frequencies and smaller momentum fluxes than the primary wave following breaking.
Gravity Wave Instability Dynamics at High Reynolds Numbers. Part II: Turbulence Evolution, Structure, and Anisotropy
Authors: Fritts David C. , Wang Ling , Werne Joe , Lund Tom , Wan Kam
Published: November 2008

This paper examines the character, intermittency, and anisotropy of turbulence accompanying wave instability, breaking, and turbulence evolution and decay for gravity waves (GW) having a high intrinsic frequency, amplitudes above and below nominal convective instability, and a high Reynolds number. Wave breaking at both amplitudes leads to an extended inertial range of turbulence, with turbulence energies that maximize within ∼1 wave period of the onset of breaking. Turbulence sources include both shear and buoyancy, with shear being the major contributor. Turbulence displays considerable intermittency both within and across the phase of the breaking gravity wave and exhibits clear anisotropy throughout the evolution. Turbulence anisotropy is found at all spatial scales and all times but is most pronounced in the most statically stable phase of the GW and at late times as the turbulent flow restratifies.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Moist Convection during a Cold Air Outbreak over the Gulf Stream
Authors: Skyllingstad Eric D. , Edson James B.
Published: November 2008

Cold air outflow over the Gulf Stream is modeled using a cloud-resolving large-eddy simulation model with three classes of precipitation. Simulations are conducted in a quasi-Lagrangian framework using an idealized sounding and uniform geostrophic winds based on observations taken on 20 February 2007 as part of the World Climate Research Program Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Mode Water Dynamics Experiment (CLIMODE) project. Two cases are considered, one with an increasing sea surface temperature (SST) representing the crossing of the Gulf Stream front, and a second case with constant SST.

Cloud systems develop in the model with strong convective plumes that spread into regions of stratus clouds at the top of the boundary layer. Simulated boundary layer growth is forced by a combination of evaporative cooling at the cloud top, upward radiative flux, and mechanical entrainment of the overlying warmer and drier air. Constant growth of the boundary layer acts to maintain a near-constant water vapor level in the boundary layer, promoting high latent and sensible heat fluxes. Frictional surface drag is distributed throughout the boundary layer by convection, causing increased shear at the cloud top, qualitatively agreeing with observed sounding profiles. Overall, the frontal case develops stronger precipitation and turbulence in comparison with the constant SST case. A near-uniform stratocumulus layer and stronger radiative cooling are produced in the constant SST case, whereas the frontal case generates open cumuliform clouds with reduced cloud coverage. Cloud evolution in the frontal case is similar to the transition from stratocumulus to shallow cumulus observed in the subtropics, as cumuliform clouds enhance cloud-top entrainment and evaporation of stratus clouds.
A Method for Identifying the Sensitive Areas in Targeted Observations for Tropical Cyclone Prediction: Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation
Authors: Mu Mu , Zhou Feifan , Wang Hongli
Published: November 2008

Conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP), which is a natural extension of the linear singular vector into the nonlinear regime, is proposed in this study for the determination of sensitive areas in adaptive observations for tropical cyclone prediction. Three tropical cyclone cases, Mindulle (2004), Meari (2004), and Matsa (2005), are investigated. Using the metrics of kinetic and dry energies, CNOPs and the first singular vectors (FSVs) are obtained over a 24-h optimization interval. Their spatial structures, their energies, and their nonlinear evolutions as well as the induced humidity changes are compared. A series of sensitivity experiments are designed to find out what benefit can be obtained by reductions of CNOP-type errors versus FSV-type errors. It is found that the structures of CNOPs may differ much from those of FSVs depending on the constraint, metric, and the basic state. The CNOP-type errors have larger impact on the forecasts in the verification area as well as the tropical cyclones than the FSV-types errors. The results of sensitivity experiments indicate that reductions of CNOP-type errors in the initial states provide more benefits than reductions of FSV-type errors. These results suggest that it is worthwhile to use CNOP as a method to identify the sensitive areas in adaptive observation for tropical cyclone prediction.
Variability of Updraft and Downdraft Characteristics in a Large Parameter Space Study of Convective Storms
Authors: Kirkpatrick Cody , McCaul Eugene W. , Cohen Charles
Published: November 2008

Over 200 convective storm simulations are analyzed to examine the variability in storm vertical velocity and updraft area characteristics as a function of basic environmental parameters. While it is known that bulk properties of the troposphere such as convective available potential energy (CAPE) and deep-layer wind shear exert significant influence over updraft intensity and area, additional parameters such as the temperature at the cloud base, the height of the level of free convection (LFC), and the vertical distribution of buoyancy also have an effect. For example, at low CAPE, updraft strength is strongly related to the vertical distribution of buoyancy, and also to the bulk environmental wind shear. More generally, updraft area and its temporal variability both tend to increase in environments where the LFC is raised. Additionally, in environments with persistent storms, downdraft strength is sensitive to the bulk shear, environmental temperature, and LFC height. Using multiple linear regression methods, the best combinations of environmental parameters explain up to 81% of the interexperiment variance in second-hour mean peak updraft velocity, 74% for midlevel updraft area, and 64% for downdraft velocity. Downdraft variability is explained even less well (49%) when only persistent storms are considered. These idealized simulation results show that it is easier to predict storm updraft characteristics than those of the downdraft.
Estimating Maximum Surface Winds from Hurricane Reconnaissance Measurements
Authors: Powell Mark D. , Uhlhorn Eric W. , Kepert Jeffrey D.
Published: November 2008

Radial profiles of surface winds measured by the Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) are compared to radial profiles of flight-level winds to determine the slant ratio of the maximum surface wind speed to the maximum flight-level wind speed, for flight altitude ranges of 2–4 km. The radius of maximum surface wind is found on average to be 0.875 of the radius of the maximum flight-level wind, and very few cases have a surface wind maximum at greater radius than the flight-level maximum. The mean slant reduction factor is 0.84 with a standard deviation of 0.09 and varies with storm-relative azimuth from a maximum of 0.89 on the left side of the storm to a minimum of 0.79 on the right side. Larger slant reduction factors are found in small storms with large values of inertial stability and small values of relative angular momentum at the flight-level radius of maximum wind, which is consistent with Kepert’s recent boundary layer theories. The global positioning system (GPS) dropwindsonde-based reduction factors that are assessed using this new dataset have a high bias and substantially larger RMS errors than the new technique. A new regression model for the slant reduction factor based upon SFMR data is presented, and used to make retrospective estimates of maximum surface wind speeds for significant Atlantic basin storms, including Hurricanes Allen (1980), Gilbert (1988), Hugo (1989), Andrew (1992), and Mitch (1998).
Verification of the NOAA Smoke Forecasting System: Model Sensitivity to the Injection Height
Authors: Stein Ariel F. , Rolph Glenn D. , Draxler Roland R. , Stunder Barbara , Ruminski Mark
Published: November 2008

A detailed evaluation of NOAA’s Smoke Forecasting System (SFS) is a fundamental part of its development and further refinement. In this work, particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5-μm (PM2.5) concentration levels, simulated by the SFS, have been evaluated against satellite and surface measurements. Four multiday forest fire case studies, one covering the continental United States, two in California, and one near the Georgia–Florida border, have been analyzed. The column-integrated PM2.5 concentrations for these cases compared to the satellite measurements showed a similar or better statistical performance than the mean performance of the SFS for the period covering 1 September 2006–1 November 2007. However, near the surface, the model shows a tendency to overpredict the measured PM2.5 concentrations in the western United States and underpredict concentrations for the Georgia–Florida case. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the model response to changes in the smoke release height shows that the simulated surface and column-integrated PM2.5 concentrations are very sensitive to variations in this parameter. Indeed, the model capability to represent the measured values is highly dependent on the accuracy of the determination of the actual injection height and in particular to whether the smoke injection actually occurred below or above the planetary boundary layer.