bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jasmonate Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liechti Robin , Gfeller Aurélie , Farmer Edward E.
Published: March 2006

Jasmonates in plants are cyclic fatty acid–derived regulators structurally similar to prostaglandins in metazoans. These chemicals mediate many of plants' transcriptional responses to wounding and pathogenesis by acting as potent regulators for the expression of numerous frontline immune response genes, including those for defensins and antifungal proteins. Additionally, the pathway is critical for fertility. Ongoing genetic screens and protein-protein interaction assays are identifying components of the canonical jasmonate signaling pathway. A massive molecular machine, based on two multiprotein complexes, SCF
COI1
and the COP9 signalosome (CNS), plays a central role in jasmonate signaling. This machine functions in vivo as a ubiquitin ligase complex, probably targeting regulatory proteins, some of which are expected to be transcriptional repressors. Some defense-related mediators, notably salicylic acid, antagonize jasmonates in controlling the expression of many genes. In
Arabidopsis
, NONEXPRESSOR OF PR GENES (NPR1) mediates part of this interaction, with another layer of control provided further downstream by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) homolog MPK4. Numerous other interpathway connections influence the jasmonate pathway. Insights from
Arabidopsis
have shown that an allele of the auxin signaling gene
AXR1
, for example, reduces the sensitivity of plants to jasmonate. APETALA2 (AP2)-domain transcription factors, such as ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1), link the jasmonate pathway to the ethylene signaling pathway. As progress in characterizing several new mutants (some of which are hypersensitive to jasmonic acid) augments our understanding of jasmonate signaling, the Connections Map will be updated to include this new information.
Jasmonate Biochemical Pathway
Authors: Liechti Robin , Farmer Edward E.
Published: March 2006

Plants possess an interrelated family of potent fatty acid-derived regulators—the jasmonates. These compounds, which play roles in both defense and development, are derived from tri-unsaturated fatty acids [α-linolenic acid (18:3) or 7Z,10Z,13Z-hexadecatrienoic acid (16:3)]. The lipoxygenase-catalyzed addition of molecular oxygen to α-linolenic acid initiates jasmonate synthesis by providing a 13-hydroperoxide substrate for the formation of an unstable allene oxide that is then subject to enzyme-guided cyclization to produce 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA). OPDA has several fates, including esterification into plastid lipids or transformation into the 12-carbon co-regulator jasmonic acid (JA). JA, the best-characterized member of the family, regulates both male and female fertility (depending on the plant species) and is an important mediator of defense gene expression. JA is itself a substrate for further diverse modifications. Genetic dissection of the pathway is revealing how the different jasmonates modulate different physiological processes. Each new family member that is discovered provides another key to understanding the fine control of gene expression in immune responses, in the initiation and maintenance of long-distance signal transfer in response to wounding, in the regulation of fertility, and in the turnover, inactivation, and sequestration of jasmonates, among other processes. The Jasmonate Biochemical Pathway provides an overview of the growing jasmonate family, and new members will be included in future versions of the Connections Map.
Focus Issue: Plant Communication
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: March 2006

This week’s issues of
Science
and
Science’
s STKE focus on plant signaling with an emphasis on volatile organic compounds.
Science
emphasizes the chemistry of and information encoded by plant volatiles and how plants, plant pathogens, or humans utilize this aromatic information. Articles and resources at STKE highlight the evolution of olfactory signal transduction, describe the biosynthetic and signaling pathways of the plant hormone jasmonate, and provide an animated overview of how the plant hormone auxin regulates gene expression.
Model of the TIR1 Pathway for Auxin-Mediated Gene Expression
Authors: Laskowski Marta
Published: March 2006

Auxin mediates numerous plant responses, some of which have been shown to require transcriptional regulation. One auxin response pathway, which depends on the relief of transcriptional repression, is mediated by TIR1 (transport inhibitor response protein 1). TIR1 is an auxin receptor and also a subunit of an SCF-type ubiquitin ligase. In the presence of a low concentration of auxin in the nucleus, members of the Aux/IAA family of transcriptional repressors bind to ARF proteins and inhibit the transcription of specific auxin response genes. Increased nuclear concentrations of auxin promote auxin binding to TIR1, causing the Aux/IAA proteins to associate with TIR1 and leading to their degradation by a proteasome-mediated pathway. This decreases the concentration of Aux/IAA proteins in the nucleus and thereby enables the expression of certain auxin response genes.
Movement of Macromolecules in Plant Cells Through Plasmodesmata
Authors: Jorgensen Richard A. , Lucas William J.
Published: March 2006

Plasmodesmata are intercellular organelles in plants that allow the passage of molecules between plant cells. Movement through plasmodesmata may allow transcription factors expressed in one cell to move into adjacent cells, thereby regulating gene expression non-cell autonomously. The two animations illustrate (i) movement of a protein through an individual plasmodesma and (ii) an experiment to detect the movement of the transcription factor through plasmodesmata from the L1 layer of a plant meristem into the L2 and L3 layers. These two animations would be useful in teaching plant biology or plant development or a cell biology class discussing mechanisms of intercellular transport.
Neuregulin-1 and Myelination
Authors: Lemke Greg
Published: March 2006

The trigger for the process of myelin formation during neural development has long been a mystery. Recent studies suggest that this trigger is the growth factor neuregulin-1, expressed on the surface of axons, which signals through ErbB2 and ErbB3 receptors expressed on the surface of myelin-forming glia.
Regulation of Protein Translation
Authors: Landau Emmanuel M.
Published: March 2006

This Teaching Resource provides a summary and slides derived from a lecture on protein translation and is part of the course "Cell Signaling Systems: A Course for Graduate Students." The lecture begins with a discussion of the various components that perform the translation process and then proceeds to describe the initiation, scanning, and ribosomal entry processes. The lecture concludes with the signaling mechanisms underlying translation regulation.
Thermal Gating of TRP Ion Channels: Food for Thought?
Authors: Liman Emily R.
Published: March 2006

Members of the family of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels mediate a wide range of sensory modalities, including thermosensation and taste. Among the "thermo-TRPs," some, such as TRPV1, are activated by warm temperatures, whereas others, such as TRPM8, are activated by cold. How is temperature able to have such strong and opposing effects on these related channels? Although at a structural level the answer to this question is not known, an elegant biophysical model has been proposed that accounts for the different thermosensitivities of TRP channels. This model posits that temperature acts by shifting the inherent weak voltage sensitivity of TRPV1 and TRPM8 in opposite directions, thus promoting opening of TRPV1 at warm temperatures and TRPM8 at cold temperatures. TRPM5, which is distantly related to TRPM8, is a Ca
2+
-activated cation channel expressed in taste cells that is essential for sweet, bitter, and umami tastes. Like TRPV1 and TRPM8, TRPM5 is weakly sensitive to voltage and thus may also be temperature sensitive. A recent report shows that activity of TRPM5 is increased at warm temperatures, suggesting that heat may enhance the perception of taste through direct modulation of the putative taste transduction channel.
Focus Issue: Measurement on a Small Scale
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: March 2006

This week’s issues of
Science
and
Science
’s STKE focus on how instrumentation is advancing investigation of biological questions.
Science
highlights how advances in detection methods are revealing the chemical aspects of biology, and STKE addresses techniques for single-molecule tracking and approaches to better understanding the interaction of cells with nanoparticles.
Multiple Routes for Glutamate Receptor Trafficking: Surface Diffusion and Membrane Traffic Cooperate to Bring Receptors to Synapses
Authors: Cognet Laurent , Groc Laurent , Lounis Brahim , Choquet Daniel
Published: March 2006

Trafficking of glutamate receptors into and out of synapses is critically involved in the plasticity of excitatory synaptic transmission. Endocytosis and exocytosis of receptors have initially been thought to account alone for this trafficking. However, membrane proteins also traffic through surface lateral diffusion in the plasma membrane. We describe developments in electrophysiological and optical approaches that have allowed for the real-time measurement of glutamate receptor surface trafficking in live neurons. These include (i) specific imaging of surface receptors using a pH-sensitive fluorescent protein; (ii) design of a photoactivable drug to locally inactivate surface receptors and monitor electrophysiologically their recovery; and (iii) application of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to directly track the movement of individual surface receptors with nanometer resolution inside and outside synapses. Together, these approaches have demonstrated that glutamate receptors diffuse at high rates in the neuronal membrane and suggest a key role for surface diffusion in the regulation of receptor numbers at synapses.
Topoisomerase II-α expression increases with increasing Gleason score and with hormone insensitivity in prostate carcinoma
Authors: Hughes C , Murphy A , Martin C , Fox E , Ring M , Sheils O , Loftus B , O’Leary J
Published: March 2006

Aim:To investigate and compare topoisomerase II-α expression in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer of varying Gleason scores and hormone-insensitive prostate cancer.

Methods:The immunohistochemical expression of topoisomerase II-α antibody in the above-mentioned diagnostic categories was investigated and compared.

Results:Increased expression of topoisomerase II-α was seen in the prostate cancers of Gleason scores 7 and 8–10 (p = 0.000) compared with prostate cancers of Gleason score 6 and BPH (p = 0.245). Statistically significant differences were found in the topoisomerase II-α gene expression between prostate cancers categorised by Gleason Score. Also, increased expression of topoisomerase II-α was seen in the known hormone-resistant prostate carcinomas compared with prostate cancers with no hormone treatment in the subgroup with Gleason scores 8–10, which approached statistical significance (p = 0.081). No statistically significant difference was observed in topoisomerase II-α expression between the groups with BPH and prostate carcinoma of Gleason score 6 (p = 0.245).

Conclusion:Topoisomerase II-α expression was found to increase with the known prognostic marker Gleason score and with hormone insensitivity. Objective evidence is provided for clinical trials with drugs targeting topoisomerase II-α to be targeted to patients with prostate cancers of Gleason Score >6 and, in particular, prostate cancers of Gleason Scores 8–10.
Topoisomerase IIα in Wilms’ tumour: gene alterations and immunoexpression
Authors: Tretiakova M , Turkyilmaz M , Grushko T , Kocherginsky M , Rubin C , Teh B , Yang X J
Published: March 2006

Background:Topoisomerase IIα (topoIIα) is an essential enzyme gene in regulating DNA structure and cell proliferation and is encoded by the TOP2A. Using cDNA microarray analysis, TOP2A has been reported to be one of the top genes overexpressed in Wilms’ tumour.

Aim:To evaluate the role of TopoIIα in Wilms’ tumorigenesis and its prognostic value.

Methods:TOP2Agene copy numbers were determined using the fluorescence in situ hybridisation technique, and protein expression levels of TopoIIα by immunostaining in 39 samples of primary and 18 samples of metastatic Wilms’ tumour.

Results:TOP2Agene amplification was detected only in anaplastic Wilms’ tumours, and none of the Wilms’ tumours showed deletion of theTOP2Agene. TopoIIα protein overexpression was detected in 97% of Wilms’ tumours, and correlated strongly with proliferation, as measured by Ki-67 (r = 0.85). The high TopoIIα expression was associated with the presence of vascular invasion, prominent apoptosis, metastases and adverse clinical outcomes (p<0.05).

Conclusions:Our findings suggest that TopoIIα overexpression in Wilms’ tumours is caused by a change at the transcription level, except for anaplastic Wilms’ tumours, in which gene amplification was present. High levels of TopoIIα protein are correlated with tumour aggressiveness. The assessment of TopoIIα expression in Wilms’ tumour may have prognostic value.
Basal-like breast carcinomas: clinical outcome and response to chemotherapy
Authors: Banerjee S , Reis-Filho J S , Ashley S , Steele D , Ashworth A , Lakhani S R , Smith I E
Published: March 2006

Background:Grade-III invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type (IDCs-NST) constitute a heterogeneous group of tumours with different clinical behaviour and response to chemotherapy. As many as 25% of all grade-III IDCs-NST are known to harbour a basal-like phenotype, as defined by gene expression profiling or immunohistochemistry for basal cytokeratins. Patients with basal-like breast carcinomas (BLBC) are reported to have a shorter disease-free and overall survival.

Material and methods:A retrospective analysis of 49 patients with BLBC (as defined by basal cytokeratin expression) and 49 controls matched for age, nodal status and grade was carried out. Histological features, immunohistochemical findings for oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR) and HER2, and clinical outcome and survival after adjuvant chemotherapy were compared between the two groups.

Results:It was more likely for patients with BLBCs to be found negative for ER (p<0.0001), PgR (p<0.0001) and HER2 (p<0.01) than controls. Patients with BLBCs were found to have a significantly higher recurrence rate (p<0.05) and were associated with significantly shorter disease-free and overall survival (both p<0.05). In the group of patients who received anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy (BLBC group, n = 47; controls, n = 49), both disease-free and overall survival were found to be significantly shorter in the BLBC group (p<0.05).

Conclusions:BLBCs are a distinct clinical and pathological entity, characterised by high nuclear grade, lack of hormone receptors and HER2 expression and a more aggressive clinical course. Standard adjuvant chemotherapy seems to be less effective in these tumours and new therapeutic approaches are indicated.
Immunohistochemical staining for adipophilin, perilipin and TIP47
Authors: Muthusamy K , Halbert G , Roberts F
Published: March 2006

Background:The presence of lipid in the cell cytoplasm is useful for supporting the diagnosis of sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC). Currently this requires histochemical stains that are carried out on frozen sections of unprocessed tissue. Recently, several anti-adipocytic antibodies that recognise proteins associated with lipid vesicles have been described. These antibodies can be applied to paraffin-wax sections.

Aim:To assess the ability of anti-adipocytic antibodies to identify intracytoplasmic lipid in SGC.

Methods:Immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody to adipophilin and polyclonal antibodies to perilipin and TIP47/PP17 was carried out on archival, formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded sections of 26 samples of SGC. The immunostaining was compared with 22 other eyelid tumours (11 basal cell carcinomas (BCC), 10 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 1 Merkel cell tumour).

Results:Immunohistochemical staining was positive in 23, 10 and 2 cases of 26 SGC with adipophilin, perilipin and TIP47, respectively. The positive staining identified cytoplasmic lipid vesicles. Anti-adipophilin was positive in five other eyelid tumours (4 BCC and 1 SCC) staining small cytoplasmic granules that can be easily distinguished from the staining in SGC.

Conclusions:Immunohistochemical staining for adipophilin and perilipin is a useful ancillary technique for the demonstration of lipid in SGC that may be applied to paraffin-wax sections.
A Truthful Load Balancing Mechanism with Verification
Authors: GROSU DANIEL , CHRONOPOULOS ANTHONY T.
Published: March 2006

In this paper we investigate the problem of designing load balancing protocols in distributed systems involving self-interested participants. These participants have their own requirements and objectives and no a-priori motivation for cooperation. Their selfish behavior may lead to poor performance and inefficiency. To address this problem we design a load balancing mechanism with verification that provides incentives to participants to report their true parameters and follow the given algorithm. We prove that our load balancing mechanism is truthful (i.e., agents will be better off by reporting their true parameters) and satisfies the voluntary participation condition (i.e., truthful agents never incur a loss). We present a simulation study to show the performance of our load balancing mechanism.
INHERENTLY PARALLEL GEOMETRIC COMPUTATIONS
Authors: AKL SELIM G.
Published: March 2006

A new computational paradigm is described which offers the possibility of superlinear (and sometimes unbounded) speedup, when parallel computation is used. The computations involved are subject only to given mathematical constraints and hence do not depend on external circumstances to achieve superlinear performance. The focus here is on geometric transformations. Given a geometric object A with some property, it is required to transform A into another object B which enjoys the same property. If the transformation requires several steps, each resulting in an intermediate object, then each of these intermediate objects must also obey the same property. We show that in transforming one triangulation of a polygon into another, a parallel algorithm achieves a superlinear speedup. In the case where a convex decomposition of a set of points is to be transformed, the improvement in performance is unbounded, meaning that a parallel algorithm succeeds in solving the problem as posed, while all sequential algorithms fail.
A RANDOMIZED 1-LATENT, TIME-ADAPTIVE AND SAFE SELF-STABILIZING MUTUAL EXCLUSION PROTOCOL
Authors: KINIWA JUN , YAMASHITA MASAFUMI
Published: March 2006

For bidirectional rings, there have been proposed self-stabilizing mutual exclusion protocols, which are either time-adaptive (i.e., efficient in recovery) or 1-latent (i.e., efficient in legal execution) but not both. This paper proposes a randomized self-stabilizing mutual exclusion protocol that inherits both of the advantages from them: It is 1-latent in the sense that the privilege is circulated in a linear round (i.e., very intuitively, the privilege is transferred from a process to another by a "step"), provided that the system always stays in legitimate configurations, and is weakly time-adaptive in the sense that the system stabilizes from any configuration c in O(f) steps with a high probability, where f is the number of corrupted processes in c. It also guarantees with a high probability that there is at most one privilege even while converging to a legitimate configuration.
A PARALLEL PROBABILISTIC SYSTEM-LEVEL FAULT DIAGNOSIS APPROACH FOR LARGE MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEMS
Authors: Elhadef Mourad , Abrougui Kaouther , Das Shantanu , Nayak Amiya
Published: March 2006

In this paper, we present a system-level fault identification algorithm, using a parallel genetic algorithm, for diagnosing faulty nodes in large heterogeneous systems. The algorithm is based on a probabilistic model where individual node fails with an a priori probability p. The assumptions concerning test outcomes are the same as in the PMC model, that is, fault-free testers always give correct test outcomes and faulty testers are totally unpredictable. The parallel diagnosis algorithm was implemented and simulated on randomly generated large systems. The proposed parallelization is intended to speed up the performance of the evolutionary diagnosis approach, hence reducing the computation time by evolving various sub-populations in parallel. Simulation results are provided showing that the parallel diagnosis did improve the efficiency of the evolutionary diagnosis approach, in that it allowed faster diagnosis of faulty situations, making it a viable alternative to existing techniques of diagnosis. Moreover, the evolutionary approach still provide good results even when extreme non-diagnosable faulty situations are considered.
ALGORITHMS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF OPTIMAL AND ALMOST-OPTIMAL LENGTH-RESTRICTED CODES
Authors: KARPINSKI MAREK , NEKRICH YAKOV
Published: March 2006

In this paper we present new results on sequential and parallel construction of optimal and almost-optimal length-restricted prefix-free codes. We show that length-restricted prefix-free codes with error 1/nk for any k > 0 can be constructed in O(n log n) time, or in O( log n) time with n CREW processors. A length-restricted code with error 1/nk for any k ≤ L/ log Φ n, where [Formula: see text], can be constructed in O( log n) time with n/ log n CREW processors. We also describe an algorithm for the construction of optimal length-restricted codes with maximum codeword length L that works in O(L) time with n CREW processors.
VOTING MECHANISMS IN ASYNCHRONOUS BYZANTINE ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: PELC ANDRZEJ
Published: March 2006

A source sends a piece of data (message), relayed to a receiver by n processes, some of which can be faulty. We assume that the number of faulty processes is at most f and that faulty processes exhibit a Byzantine behavior. A deciding agent has to make a decision concerning the source message, on the basis of results obtained from the receiver. The environment is totally asynchronous. An Asynchronous Byzantine Voting Mechanism is a method that enables the deciding agent to always correctly determine the source message in this scenario.

We show that there exists a correct Asynchronous Byzantine Voting Mechanism if and only if f < n/3. If this condition is satisfied, we provide such a mechanism. This result should be contrasted with the feasibility of synchronous voting mechansisms, in which the receiver can wait until all fault-free processes convey their values: for this scenario a correct voting mechanism exists whenever f < n/2.
TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE FOURTH METACARPAL BONE BY ANEURYSMAL BONE CYST: RECONSTRUCTION WITH STRUT FIBULAR GRAFT — A CASE REPORT
Authors: Gundes Hakan , Tosun Bilgehan , Muezzinoglu Bahar , Tosun Alptekin
Published: March 2006

Total destruction of the fourth metacarpal bone by aneurysmal bone cyst is presented. Despite the benign nature of the lesion on plain radiograms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed total destruction of metacarpal bone with shelling off the articular cartilages on both ends of the metacarpal. Both adjacent dorsal interosseous muscles were also involved with tumour. After removal of the metacarpal bone and third and fourth interossei, fibular bicortical strut graft was used for reconstruction. Arthrodesis was done both at the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints. The follow-up radiograms at one year revealed excellent incorporation of the graft with no evidence of local recurrence. A careful pre-operative work-up including MRI seems necessary even in lesions that look typically benign with intraosseous location on plain radiograms. This approach may prevent unpredicted morphologic picture during surgery, high recurrence rate and the number of operations.
VERTICAL LOCKING OF THE METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINT OF THE THUMB
Authors: Tajima Kosuke , Sasaki Takashi , Yamanaka Kazuyoshi
Published: March 2006

Locking of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint of the fingers, though reported infrequently, is not rare in the literature. We will report two rare cases of the MP joint of the thumb locked in 90° of flexion (vertical locking). The first case is a 21-year-old man, punched on his right thumb by his friend, who arrived with his thumb fixed in a flexed position. The X-ray images of the right thumb showed the proximal phalanx subluxation in the palmer side in a vertical position. The second case is a 35-year-old woman with her right thumb accidentally caught in the chain of a key-holder. The locking was easily reduced without anaesthesia in both cases. We assume the mechanism was that the flexion force on the MP joint led to subluxation and the locking occurred due to the tension of the collateral ligament caused by the volar prominence of the radial condyle.
ACTINOMYCOSIS INFECTION OF THE FINGER
Authors: Mah E. , Stanley P. , McCombe D. B.
Published: March 2006

Actinomycosis is a rare cause of infection in the hand. We report a case of actinomycosis infection involving proximal phalanx, with the clinical presentation mimicking that of a bony neoplasm.
SIMULTANEOUS DORSAL DISLOCATION OF THE INTERPHALANGEAL JOINTS IN RING FINGER WITH PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT DISLOCATION OF THE MIDDLE FINGER: CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Shyamsundar S. , MacSween W.
Published: March 2006

A 30-year-old amateur goalkeeper sustained simultaneous dislocation of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the ring finger and of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger following a hyperextension injury. This was reduced under a local anaesthetic. Neighbour finger strapping and early mobilisation achieved an excellent functional outcome when reviewed at eight weeks after the initial injury.
ULNAR TUNNEL SYNDROME DUE TO ANATOMICAL VARIANT OF THE ULNAR ARTERY
Authors: Aslam N. , Spiteri V. , McNab I.
Published: March 2006

We report a case of ulnar tunnel syndrome due to an anatomical variant branch of the ulnar artery. Anatomical variants can cause compression not visible on imaging and need to be considered for successful surgical decompression.
PAEDIATRIC GALEAZZI-EQUIVALENT FRACTURE: TWO CASE REPORTS
Authors: Kamano Masayuki , Ko Hironori , Kazuki Kenichi
Published: March 2006

The authors present two rare cases of a paediatric Galeazzi-equivalent fracture. In contrast to Galeazzi's fracture-dislocation in adults, an epiphyseal separation of the distal ulna occurred instead of dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) or both. A precise radiographic analysis of the epiphyseal separation of the distal ulna and its anatomical reduction were keys to obtaining a good result in the treatment of paediatric Galeazzi-equivalent fracture.
INTRA-ARTICULAR LOOP WIRE FIXATION ALLOWS JOINT PRESERVATION AND EARLY MOTION IN REPLANTATION AROUND THE PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT
Authors: Chew Winston Y. C. , Chong Alphonsus K. S.
Published: March 2006

Restoration of motion is an important component of success in digital replantation. This is achieved only with rigid bony fixation that allows early post-operative mobilisation. In addition, the technique used should be simple and avoid excessive soft tissue stripping. These aims are difficult to achieve in amputations near the base of the proximal phalanx with existing bone fixation techniques. We describe a modification of the perpendicular loop wiring technique, where one wire loop is intra-articular, which satisfies the above criteria, and describe its application and results in two clinical cases.
A NOVEL ARTIFICIAL PROSTHETIC REPLACEMENT FOR THE PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT OF THE HAND — FROM CONCEPT TO PROTOTYPE
Authors: Chow S. P. , Lam K. W. , Gibson I. , Ngan A. H. W. , Lu W. , Ip W. Y. , Chiu K. Y.
Published: March 2006

This article describes the development of a proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint prosthesis based on the principles of replicating anatomical surface components, the use of macrolocking intramedullary stem and the use of a cobalt-chrome alloy material. The design features are intended to obtain an optimal range of motion while retaining stability and longevity. The final prototype, for which a patent has been filed, is described.
ADHESION FORMATION AFTER FLEXOR TENDON REPAIR: COMPARISON OF TWO- AND FOUR-STRAND REPAIR WITHOUT EPITENDINOUS SUTURE
Authors: Strick Margaret J. , Filan Susan L. , Hile Mark , McKenzie Catriona , Walsh William R. , Tonkin Michael A.
Published: March 2006

Increased handling, increased bulk at the repair site and an increase in external suture material may affect adhesion formation and gliding after tendon repair. A previous study1 showed no significant difference in biomechanical or histopathological measurement of adhesion formation in two- and four-strand repairs combined with an epitendinous suture in the chicken model. In the present study, the flexor digitorum profundus tendon of the middle toe of 47 broiler chickens was cut and repaired with either a single (two-strand) or double (four-strand) modified Kessler core suture without epitendinous suture and immobilised for four weeks. Adhesion formation was measured by biomechanical testing or quantitative and qualitative histopathology. Biomechanical and histological data showed no differences between two- and four-strand repairs. Results did not differ from the previous study which used an epitendinous suture. Adhesion formation is not necessarily increased when multi-strand techniques are used, nor by the placement of an epitendinous suture if care is taken with surgical technique. Individual healing response introduces more variability than an increase in tendon handling by an experienced surgeon.
CLINICAL APPLICATION OF DOUBLE DORSAL PLATES FOR THE DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURES
Authors: Yoshida Noriyuki , Matsushita Kazuhiko , Arai Takeshi , Izumiyama Ko , Beppu Moroe , Hirata Kazuaki
Published: March 2006

The purpose of this study was to develop plates that fit the contour of the distal radius of the Japanese and can be inserted less invasively.

Three-dimensional models of 36 radii of 18 volunteers were prepared. Using these models, the shape of the cortical bone on the radial margin of the distal radius and just below the dorsal fourth compartment of the wrist, to which the plates were expected to be applied, was measured, and the curves of the plates were determined. The functions of approximated curves of the plates were: [ y = -2 × 10-8x5- 2 × 10-6x4+ 0.0006 x3- 0.0312 x2+ 0.3274 x + 15.224 on the radial margin of the distal radius and [ y = 7 × 10-7x5- 0.0001 x4+ 0.0078 x3- 0.2355 x2+ 3.1815 x - 5.6383 just below the fourth compartment.

The clinical results of the application of double dorsal plates were satisfactory in clinical cases for the distal radius fractures.
A SIMPLE METHOD OF OSTEOSYNTHESIS FOR AVULSION FRACTURES OF THE THUMB METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINT
Authors: Watanabe Kentaro
Published: March 2006

Five cases with an avulsion fracture of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint treated by a simple method of internal fixation are described. This method is designed as a form of modified tension band wiring using the combination of a single Kirschner wire and a pull-out wire, and is technically easy.
THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF THE FIRST CARPOMETACARPAL JOINT ARTHRITIS: EVALUATION OF 400 CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS TREATED BY SUSPENSION ARTHROPLASTY
Authors: Pegoli L. , Prashanth S. , Calcagni M. , Pivato G. , Pajardi G.
Published: March 2006

Arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint is a widespread disease in Western countries. It affects predominantly women with marked impairment in daily life activities. Its aetiopathogenesis is well described, while its treatment still controversial. The authors report their experience with 400 consecutive patients with established clinical and radiological findings of carpometacarpal joint arthritis treated by suspension arthroplasty with Ceruso's modified Weilby's technique. At 12 months follow-up, we were able to assess 315 patients using MAYO's score pre- and post-operatively, obtaining 86 excellent results, 134 good, 62 fair and 33 poor. As for complications, there were seven infections, 32 persistent pain and 42 limited range of motion. According to our experience the treatment modality of suspension arthroplasty with Ceruso's modified Weilby's technique represents the procedure of choice in indicated cases of first carpometacarpal joint arthritis in advanced stages according to Eaton-Littler classification.
ABNORMAL ULNAR NERVE ANATOMY IN THE DISTAL FOREARM PRE-DISPOSES TO POST-TRAUMATIC ULNAR NEURITIS AT THE WRIST
Authors: Yeo C. J. , Little C. P. , Deshmukh S. C.
Published: March 2006

Anatomical variations of the ulnar nerve have been described at the level of the elbow and in Guyon's canal, while the path in the forearm has always been assumed to be constant. We present a case of compressive ulnar neuropathy at the wrist pre-disposed by a presumed congential variation of the path of the ulnar nerve at the level of the wrist which improved following surgical release of the constriction caused as a result of it.
TRIGGER DIGITS-ASSOCIATED CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARPAL TUNNEL RELEASE AND TRIGGER DIGITS
Authors: Harada K. , Nakashima H. , Teramoto K. , Nagai T. , Hoshino S. , Yonemitsu H.
Published: March 2006

Of 875 idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) cases, 101 (11.5%) required trigger digit release operations within three years before and/or after carpal tunnel release (CTR); these 101 cases were investigated, retrospectively. Trigger digit release (TDR) was performed most often after the CTR, especially within three months. Next most common was at the same time as the CTR. The TDR performance rate after CTR was 5.9%. The nerve conduction study (NCS) comparison between trigger digits-associated CTS and isolated CTS showed that pre-operative distal motor latency was significantly more delayed in trigger digits-associated CTS, while there was no evidence of any difference due to age or gender. The difference of operative method (open or endoscopic procedure) did not influence the incidence rate of trigger digits after the CTR. This study suggested that trigger digits-associated CTS has a previously developed wide-ranging narrowing of the flexor tendon sheath.
PHYSIOLYSIS FOR CORRECTION OF THE DELTA PHALANX IN CLINODACTYLY OF THE BILATERAL LITTLE FINGERS
Authors: Zhang Guochuan , Kato Hiroyuki , Yamazaki Hiroshi
Published: March 2006

We report the results of long-term follow-up after Vickers' physiolysis of the trapezoidal delta phalanx in a boy aged five year and six months with bilateral clinodactyly of the little finger. Radial deviation of the little finger was corrected from 36° to 15° on the left, and from 35° to 15° on the right at last follow-up six years and five months after surgery. The patient's parents were satisfied with the cosmetic appearance. X-ray film showed the abnormal distal epiphyses of the middle phalanges of the little fingers had disappeared.
NEUROTHEKEOMAS OF THE UPPER LIMB — CASE SERIES AND CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL REVIEW
Authors: Woo E. K. Y. , Lim T. K. H. , Tan S. H.
Published: March 2006

Neurothekeomas are rare, benign soft tissue tumours that are considered to be of nerve sheath origin. We present a case series of three patients who have neurothekeomas of the upper limb. There was a remarkably high tumour recurrence rate. The factors contributing to this outcome were studied and a clinicopathological review was performed.
IRREDUCIBLE CHRONIC PALMAR DISLOCATION OF THE DISTAL RADIOULNAR JOINT – A CASE REPORT
Authors: Kikuchi Y. , Nakamura T. , Horiuchi Y.
Published: March 2006

We report a rare case of irreducible chronic palmar dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). This case showed that the dislocated ulnar head was impacted to the palmar cortex of the radius probably due to the dynamic force of the pronator quadratus muscle. Re-attachment of the ulnar styloid and partial resection of the ulnar head were necessary to make the reduction of the DRUJ possible. The continuity of the radioulnar ligament to the ulnar head was restored and the stability of DRUJ was maintained after reduction.
EXTRASKELETAL CHONDROMA AS A CAUSE OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Cumming D. , Massraf A. , Jones J. W. M.
Published: March 2006

We report a case of carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of an extraosseous chondroma in a 47-year-old gentleman. This case demonstrates the importance of clinical examination and occasional radiographs in this not uncommon condition. We also highlight that this well known entrapment syndrome is not only caused by the common causes that we all know, but also any space-occupying lesion in the carpal tunnel compressing the median nerve.
BONE VIABILITY OF AMPUTATED LIMBS TREATED WITH HYPOTHERMIA: ASSESSMENT BY EVALUATION OF mRNA LEVELS
Authors: Akahane M. , Ono H. , Ohgushi H. , Takakura Y.
Published: March 2006

We evaluated rat bone viability using a bone viability index (BVI). To evaluate hypothermic ischaemic bone injury, 21 amputated hind limbs of Fischer rats were preserved at hypothermia (4°C) for 1, 3 and 6 hours. To evaluate hypothermic ischaemia/reperfusion injury, another 28 amputated limbs were transplanted to recipient rats after hypothermic ischaemia for 3 and 6 hours, respectively. Total RNA isolated from each tibia was fractionated by electrophoresis and hybridised with32P-labelled cDNA of GAPDH, and the radioactivity of intact and degraded GAPDH mRNA measured. BVI was calculated as follows, BVI = {A / (A + B)} × 100 , where A and B represent the radioactivities corresponding to intact and degraded GAPDH mRNA bands, respectively. In the hypothermic ischaemic insult group, BVIs were comparable to those of controls. However, in the 3-hour hypothermic ischaemia/reperfusion group, BVI was lower than that of the controls. Likewise, there was a significant difference between the 6-hour ischaemia/reperfusion group and controls. These results showed that bone viability decreased even after just a 3-hour hypothermic ischaemia/reperfusion.
BEC OF FREE BOSONS ON NETWORKS
Authors: MATSUI TAKU
Published: March 2006

We consider free bosons hopping on a network (infinite graph). The condition for Bose–Einstein condensation is given in terms of the random walk on a graph. In case of periodic lattices, we also consider boson moving in an external periodic potential and obatin the criterion for Bose–Einstein condensation.
WEAK DUALITY AND THE DUAL PROCESS FOR A SEMI-DIRICHLET FORM
Authors: BEZNEA LUCIAN , BOBOC NICU
Published: March 2006

We show that the right (Markov) process associated with a quasi-regular semi-Dirichlet form has a dual process, proving that the weak duality hypothesis is satisfied.
NON-SELF-ADJOINT EXTENSIONS OF THE LÉVY–LAPLACIAN AND THE LÉVY–LAPLACE EQUATION
Authors: OBREZKOV OLEG O.
Published: March 2006

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we continue the research of Accardi and Smolyanov5,8 and investigate the eigenvalue problem for the Lévy–Laplacian. We show that the spectrum of the Lévy–Laplacian coincides with the whole complex plane and that the Lévy–Laplacian admits various non-self-adjoint extensions — the latter result is due to the structure of the rigged Hilbert space, on which the Lévy–Laplacian is defined. Second, we obtain solutions of the Lévy–Laplace equation in a wide set of functions defined on the rigged Hilbert space. This result is especially interesting due to the recent finding of the relation between Yang–Mills gauge field and Lévy harmonic functions.4
DISCRETE INTERPOLATION BETWEEN MONOTONE PROBABILITY AND FREE PROBABILITY
Authors: LENCZEWSKI ROMUALD , SAŁAPATA RAFAŁ
Published: March 2006

We construct a sequence of states called m-monotone product states which give a discrete interpolation between the monotone product of states of Muraki in monotone probability and the free product of states of Avitzour and Voiculescu in free probability. We derive the associated basic limit theorems and develop the combinatorics based on non-crossing ordered partitions with monotone order starting from depth m. We deduce an explicit formula for the Cauchy transforms of the m-monotone central limit measures and for the associated Jacobi coefficients. A new type of combinatorics of inner blocks in non-crossing partitions leads to explicit formulas for the mixed moments of m-monotone Gaussian operators, which are new even in the case of monotone independent Gaussian operators with arcsine distributions.
THE STOCHASTIC ORDER AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA FOR SUPERPROCESSES
Authors: WANG FENG-YU
Published: March 2006

Some sufficient and necessary conditions are presented for two Dawson–Watanabe superprocesses to preserve the natural stochastic order. As applications, the critical phenomenon is described for some extinction and ergodicity properties of a class of superprocesses.
RENORMALIZED POWERS OF QUANTUM WHITE NOISE
Authors: ACCARDI LUIGI , BOUKAS ANDREAS , FRANZ UWE
Published: March 2006

We prove some no-go theorems on the existence of a Fock representation of the *-Lie algebra generated by [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], bs are the Hida white noise densities. In particular we prove the nonexistence of such a representation for any *-Lie algebra containing [Formula: see text]. This drastic difference with the quadratic case proves the necessity of investigating different renormalization rules for the case of higher powers of white noise.
NORMATIVE, SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE PREDICTORS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTEREST IN CHINA, VIETNAM AND THE PHILIPPINES
Authors: BAUGHN C. CHRISTOPHER , CAO JOHNSON S. R. , LE LINH THI MY , LIM VICTOR A. , NEUPERT KENT E.
Published: March 2006

This study addresses normative, social and cognitive factors related to the interest in becoming an entrepreneur in China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The study's findings are based on surveys of 782 business students in these countries. A rather consistent pattern of country differences was found on most of the measures, which may reflect differences in the historical, cultural, economic and political contexts of these nations. The results of this study emphasize the importance of developing both self-efficacy and close social supports in enhancing potential for entrepreneurial activity in these countries.
Heat induction of heat shock protein 25 requires cellular glutamine in intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Phanvijhitsiri Kittiporn , Musch Mark W. , Ropeleski Mark J. , Chang Eugene B.
Published: March 2006

Glutamine is considered a nonessential amino acid; however, it becomes conditionally essential during critical illness when consumption exceeds production. Glutamine may modulate the heat shock/stress response, an important adaptive cellular response for survival. Glutamine increases heat induction of heat shock protein (Hsp) 25 in both intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-18) and mesenchymal NIH/3T3 cells, an effect that is neither glucose nor serum dependent. Neither arginine, histidine, proline, leucine, asparagine, nor tyrosine acts as physiological substitutes for glutamine for heat induction of Hsp25. The lack of effect of these amino acids was not caused by deficient transport, although some amino acids, including glutamate (a major direct metabolite of glutamine), were transported poorly by IEC-18 cells. Glutamate uptake could be augmented in a concentration- and time-dependent manner by increasing either media concentration and/or duration of exposure. Under these conditions, glutamate promoted heat induction of Hsp25, albeit not as efficiently as glutamine. Further evidence for the role of glutamine conversion to glutamate was obtained with the glutaminase inhibitor 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), which inhibited the effect of glutamine on heat-induced Hsp25. DON inhibited phosphate-dependent glutaminase by 75% after 3 h, decreasing cell glutamate. Increased glutamine/glutamate conversion to glutathione was not involved, since the glutathione synthesis inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine, did not block glutamine’s effect on heat induction of Hsp25. A large drop in ATP levels did not appear to account for the diminished Hsp25 induction during glutamine deficiency. In summary, glutamine is an important amino acid, and its requirement for heat-induced Hsp25 supports a role for glutamine supplementation to optimize cellular responses to pathophysiological stress.
Relationship between changes in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and basal release of nitric oxide in subjects with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Green Daniel J. , Maiorana Andrew J. , Tschakovsky Michael E. , Pyke Kyra E. , Weisbrod Cara J. , O’Driscoll Gerry
Published: March 2006

Assessment of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) after forearm ischemia is widely used as a noninvasive bioassay of stimulated nitric oxide (NO)-mediated conduit artery vasodilator function in vivo. Whether this stimulated endothelial NO function reflects basal endothelial NO function is unknown. To test this hypothesis, retrospective analysis of randomized crossover studies was undertaken in 17 subjects with Type 2 diabetes; 9 subjects undertook an exercise training or control period, whereas the remaining 8 subjects were administered an angiotensin II receptor blocker or placebo. FMD was assessed by using wall tracking of high-resolution brachial artery ultrasound images in response to reactive hyperemia. Resistance vessel basal endothelium-dependent NO function was assessed by using intrabrachial administration of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) and plethysmographic assessment of forearm blood flow (FBF). FMD was higher after intervention compared with control/placebo (6.15 ± 0.53 vs. 3.81 ± 0.72%, P < 0.001). There were no significant changes in the FBF responses to l-NMMA. Regression analysis between FMD and l-NMMA responses at entry to the study revealed an insignificant correlation ( r = −0.10, P = 0.7), and improvements in FMD with the interventions were not associated with changes in the l-NMMA responses ( r = −0.04, P = 0.9). We conclude that conduit artery-stimulated endothelial NO function (FMD) does not reflect basal resistance vessel endothelial NO function in subjects with Type 2 diabetes.