bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice deficient in the transcription factor T-bet
Authors: Xu Jianguo , Mora Ana L. , LaVoy John , Brigham Kenneth L. , Rojas Mauricio
Published: April 2006

The reasons for variable sensitivity among and within species to lung injury and fibrosis caused by bleomycin (BLM) are unknown. Because T helper (Th) 1 and 2 (Th1 and Th2) polarization of CD4+T lymphocytes is one of the factors that affects the BLM response, we hypothesized that preventing expression of the Th1 transcription factor T-bet would render BLM-resistant BALB/c mice sensitive to BLM. Wild-type and T-bet-deficient (T-bet−/−) BALB/c mice were treated with BLM or saline solution intratracheally. After BLM treatment, collagen content in the lung increased twofold by day 14 in lungs from T-bet−/−mice but was unaffected in lungs from wild-type BALB/c mice. These findings were confirmed by collagen staining of histopathological sections. BLM treatment significantly increased respiratory frequency and decreased tidal volume by day 14 in T-bet−/−mice but had no effect in wild-type mice. Lung fibrosis in BLM-treated T-bet−/−mice was associated with increased circulating levels of Th2 cytokines and increased expression of the profibrotic factor transforming growth factor-β1. Depletion of CD4+, but not CD8+, T cells in T-bet−/−mice diminished BLM-induced lung fibrosis and the expression of transforming growth factor-β1. These data suggest that the T-bet pathway in CD4+T lymphocytes can confer resistance to BLM-induced lung fibrosis in BALB/c mice.
TGF-β1 in SP-A preparations influence immune suppressive properties of SP-A on human CD4+T lymphocytes
Authors: Kunzmann Steffen , Wright Jo Rae , Steinhilber Wolfram , Kramer Boris W. , Blaser Kurt , Speer Christian P. , Schmidt-Weber Carsten
Published: April 2006

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) have been shown to modulate the functions of different immune cells and specifically to inhibit T lymphocyte proliferation. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the Smad signaling pathway, which is activated by TGF-β1, also plays a role in SP-A-mediated inhibition of CD4+T lymphocyte activation. Recombinant human SP-A1 expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells [rSP-A1m (mammalian)], but not recombinant Baculovirus-derived rSP-A1hyp(hydroxyproline-deficient), suppressed T lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 mRNA expression. To test whether SP-A induced Smad signaling, a Smad3/4-specific reporter gene was transfected in primary human CD4+T lymphocytes. Only rSP-A1m, but not rSP-A1hyp, induced Smad-specific reporter genes, Smad2 phosphorylation, and Smad7 mRNA expression. The effect of rSP-A1m was mediated through the TGF-βRII and could be antagonized by anti-TGF-β1 neutralizing antibodies and sTGF-βRII. Western blot and ELISA analysis revealed that rSP-A1m, but not rSP-A1hyp, contained TGF-β1. TGF-β1 was responsible for the differences in inhibition of CD4+T lymphocyte proliferation and activation of the Smad signaling pathway between rSP-A1m and rSP-A1hyp. After acidification, native SP-A, obtained from patients with alveolar proteinosis, also induced Smad signaling in human CD4+T lymphocytes leading to an increased inhibition of T lymphocyte proliferation, thus indicating the presence of inactive, latent TGF-β1 in native SP-A samples. Association between SP-A and latent TGF-β1 provides a possible novel mechanism to regulate TGF-β1-mediated inflammation and fibrosis reactions in the lung but also leads to possible misinterpretation of immune-modulator functions of SP-A. Monitoring of SP-A preparations for possible TGF-β1 is essential.
Integrating data on DNA copy number with gene expression levels and drug sensitivities in the NCI-60 cell line panel
Authors: Bussey Kimberly J. , Chin Koei , Lababidi Samir , Reimers Mark , Reinhold William C. , Kuo Wen-Lin , Gwadry Fuad , Ajay  , Kouros-Mehr Hosein , Fridlyand Jane , Jain Ajay , Collins Colin , Nishizuka Satoshi , Tonon Giovanni , Roschke Anna , Gehlhaus Kristen , Kirsch Ilan , Scudiero Dominic A. , Gray Joe W. , Weinstein John N.
Published: April 2006

Chromosome rearrangement, a hallmark of cancer, has profound effects on carcinogenesis and tumor phenotype. We used a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines (the NCI-60) as a model system to identify relationships among DNA copy number, mRNA expression level, and drug sensitivity. For each of 64 cancer-relevant genes, we calculated all 4,096 possible Pearson's correlation coefficients relating DNA copy number (assessed by comparative genomic hybridization using bacterial artificial chromosome microarrays) and mRNA expression level (determined using both cDNA and Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays). The analysis identified an association of ERBB2 overexpression with 3p copy number, a finding supported by data from human tumors and a mouse model of ERBB2-induced carcinogenesis. When we examined the correlation between DNA copy number for all 353 unique loci on the bacterial artificial chromosome microarray and drug sensitivity for 118 drugs with putatively known mechanisms of action, we found a striking negative correlation (−0.983; 95% bootstrap confidence interval, −0.999 to −0.899) between activity of the enzyme drug l-asparaginase and DNA copy number of genes near asparagine synthetase in the ovarian cancer cells. Previous analysis of drug sensitivity and mRNA expression had suggested an inverse relationship between mRNA levels of asparagine synthetase and l-asparaginase sensitivity in the NCI-60. The concordance of pharmacogenomic findings at the DNA and mRNA levels strongly suggests further study of l-asparaginase for possible treatment of a low-synthetase subset of clinical ovarian cancers. The DNA copy number database presented here will enable other investigators to explore DNA transcript-drug relationships in their own domains of research focus. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):853–67]
A T3587G germ-line mutation of the MDR1 gene encodes a nonfunctional P-glycoprotein
Authors: Mutoh Kazuyoshi , Mitsuhashi Junko , Kimura Yasuhisa , Tsukahara Satomi , Ishikawa Etsuko , Sai Kimie , Ozawa Shogo , Sawada Jun-ichi , Ueda Kazumitsu , Katayama Kazuhiro , Sugimoto Yoshikazu
Published: April 2006

The human multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) encodes a plasma membrane P-glycoprotein (P-gp) that functions as an efflux pump for various structurally unrelated anticancer agents. We have identified two nonsynonymous germ-line mutations of the MDR1 gene, C3583T MDR1 and T3587G MDR1, in peripheral blood cell samples from Japanese cancer patients. Two patients carried the C3583T MDR1 allele that encodes H1195Y P-gp, whereas a further two carried T3587G MDR1 that encodes I1196S P-gp. Murine NIH3T3 cells were transfected with pCAL-MDR-IRES-ZEO constructs carrying either wild-type (WT), C3583T, or T3587G MDR1 cDNA and selected with zeocin. The resulting zeocin-resistant mixed populations of transfected cells were designated as 3T3/WT, 3T3/H1195Y, and 3T3/I1196S, respectively. The cell surface expression of I1196S P-gp in 3T3/I1196S cells could not be detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, although low expression of I1196S P-gp was found by Western blotting. H1195Y P-gp expression levels in 3T3/H1195Y cells were slightly lower than the corresponding WT P-gp levels in 3T3/WT cells. By immunoblotting analysis, both WT P-gp and H1195Y P-gp were detectable as a 145-kDa protein, whereas I1196S P-gp was visualized as a 140-kDa protein. 3T3/I1196S cells did not show any drug resistance unlike 3T3/H1195Y cells. Moreover, a vanadate-trap assay showed that the I1196S P-gp species lacks ATP-binding activity. Taken together, we conclude from these data that T3587G MDR1 expresses a nonfunctional P-gp and this is therefore the first description of such a germ-line mutation. We contend that the T3587G MDR1 mutation may affect the pharmacokinetics of MDR1-related anticancer agents in patients carrying this allele. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):877–84]
Methoxyamine potentiates iododeoxyuridine-induced radiosensitization by altering cell cycle kinetics and enhancing senescence
Authors: Yan Tao , Seo Yuji , Schupp Jane E. , Zeng Xuehuo , Desai Anand B. , Kinsella Timothy J.
Published: April 2006

We previously reported that methoxyamine (an inhibitor of base excision repair) potentiates iododeoxyuridine (IUdR)–induced radiosensitization in human tumor cells. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms of this enhanced cell death. Human colorectal carcinoma RKO cells were exposed to IUdR (3 μmol/L) and/or methoxyamine (3 mmol/L) for 48 hours before ionizing radiation (5 Gy). We found that IUdR/methoxyamine altered cell cycle kinetics and led to an increased G1 population but a decreased S population before ionizing radiation. Immediately following ionizing radiation (up to 6 hours), IUdR/methoxyamine–pretreated cells showed a stringent G1-S checkpoint but an insufficient G2-M checkpoint, whereas a prolonged G1 arrest, containing 2CG1 and 4CG1 cells, was found at later times up to 72 hours. Levels of cell cycle–specific markers [p21, p27, cyclin A, cyclin B1, and pcdc2(Y15)] and DNA damage signaling proteins [γH2AX, pChk1(S317), and pChk2(T68)] supported these altered cell cycle kinetics. Interestingly, we found that IUdR/methoxyamine pretreatment reduced ionizing radiation–induced apoptosis. Additionally, the extent of cell death through necrosis or autophagy seemed similar in all (IUdR ± methoxyamine + ionizing radiation) treatment groups. However, a larger population of senescence-activated β-galactosidase-positive cells was seen in IUdR/methoxyamine/ionizing radiation–treated cells, which was correlated with the increased activation of the senescence factors p53 and pRb. These data indicate that IUdR/methoxyamine pretreatment enhanced the effects of ionizing radiation by causing a prolonged G1 cell cycle arrest and by promoting stress-induced premature senescence. Thus, senescence, a novel ionizing radiation–induced tumor suppression pathway, may be effectively targeted by IUdR/methoxyamine pretreatment, resulting in an improved therapeutic gain for ionizing radiation. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):893–902]
Enhancement of tumor thermal therapy using gold nanoparticle–assisted tumor necrosis factor-α delivery
Authors: Visaria Rachana K. , Griffin Robert J. , Williams Brent W. , Ebbini Emad S. , Paciotti Giulio F. , Song Chang W. , Bischof John C.
Published: April 2006

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a potent cytokine with anticancer efficacy that can significantly enhance hyperthermic injury. However, TNF-α is systemically toxic, thereby creating a need for its selective tumor delivery. We used a newly developed nanoparticle delivery system consisting of 33-nm polyethylene glycol–coated colloidal gold nanoparticles (PT-cAu-TNF-α) with incorporated TNF-α payload (several hundred TNF-α molecules per nanoparticle) to maximize tumor damage and minimize systemic exposure to TNF-α. SCK mammary carcinomas grown in A/J mice were treated with 125 or 250 μg/kg PT-cAu-TNF-α alone or followed by local heating at 42.5°C using a water bath for 60 minutes, 4 hours after nanoparticle injection. Increases in tumor growth delay were observed for both PT-cAu-TNF-α alone and heat alone, although the most dramatic effect was found in the combination treatment. Tumor blood flow was significantly suppressed 4 hours after an i.v. injection of free TNF-α or PT-cAu-TNF-α. Tumor perfusion, imaged by contrast enhanced ultrasonography, on days 1 and 5 after treatment revealed perfusion defects after the injection of PT-cAu-TNF-α alone and, in many regions, complete flow inhibition in tumors treated with combination treatment. The combination treatment of SCK tumors in vivo reduced the in vivo/in vitro tumor cell survival to 0.05% immediately following heating and to 0.005% at 18 hours after heating, suggesting vascular damage–mediated tumor cell killing. Thermally induced tumor growth delay was enhanced by pretreatment with TNF-α-coated gold nanoparticles when given i.v. at the proper dosage and timing. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):1014–20]
Mechanisms of selenium down-regulation of androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer
Authors: Chun Jae Yeon , Nadiminty Nagalakshmi , Lee Soo Ok , Onate Sergio A. , Lou Wei , Gao Allen C.
Published: April 2006

Prevention trials showed that selenium reduced prostate cancer incidence by 50%, establishing selenium as a promising chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer. Selenium inhibited human prostate cancer cell growth, blocked cell cycle progression at multiple transition points, and induced apoptotic cell death. Previous studies showed a novel mechanism of selenium anticancer action in which selenium markedly reduces androgen signaling and androgen receptor (AR)–mediated gene expression, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), in human prostate cancer cells. The molecular mechanisms of selenium-mediated down-regulation of AR signaling are not clear. In this study, a systemic approach was taken to examine the modification of androgen signaling by selenium in human prostate cancer cells. In addition to reduced AR mRNA expression, selenium was found to initially increase the stability of AR mRNA within 6 hours while decreasing the stability of AR mRNA after 8 hours. Selenium increased AR protein degradation and reduced AR nuclear localization. Scatchard analysis indicated that selenium did not affect ligand binding to AR in LNCaP cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed that DHT increased the recruitment of AR and coactivators, such as SRC-1 and TIF-2, to the promoter of the PSA gene, and that recruitment was greatly diminished in the presence of 5 μmol/L selenium. On the other hand, selenium enhanced the recruitment of corepressors, such as SMRT, to the promoter of the PSA gene. Taken together, these results suggest that selenium disrupts AR signaling at multiple stages, including AR mRNA expression, mRNA stability, protein degradation, nuclear translocation, and recruitment of coregulators. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):913–8]
Sensitizing hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells to drug treatment by targeting 14-3-3σ
Authors: Han Baoguang , Xie Han , Chen Qun , Zhang Jian-Ting
Published: April 2006

Advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancer has long been considered as a chemoresistant disease. Recently, it was found that 14-3-3σ expression increases as prostate tumor progresses, and that 14-3-3σ contributes significantly to drug resistance in breast cancers. We, thus, hypothesized that advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancers may have an increased level of 14-3-3σ, which in turn may contribute to drug resistance in advanced and hormone-refractory prostate cancers. In this study, we tested this hypothesis and found that, indeed, the expression level of 14-3-3σ in androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines DU145, PC3, and CWR22RV are much higher than that in the androgen-dependent cell line LNCaP, and that the androgen-independent cells are more resistant to mitoxantrone and Adriamycin than the androgen-dependent cells. Depleting 14-3-3σ expression in DU145 and CWR22RV by RNA interference significantly sensitized these cells to mitoxantrone and Adriamycin by abrogating G2-M checkpoint and increasing apoptosis, whereas restoring 14-3-3σ expression in LNCaP cells enhanced drug resistance. We also showed that 14-3-3σ deficiency caused nuclear localization of Cdc2 and dephosphorylation of the Tyr15 residue upon DNA damage. Based on these studies, we propose that therapeutic intervention targeting 14-3-3σ may be useful for sensitizing hormone-refractory prostate cancers to chemotherapy by both G2-M checkpoint abrogation and apoptosis enhancement. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):903–12]
Effects of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor R115777 (Zarnestra) on mammary carcinogenesis: prevention, therapy, and role of HaRas mutations
Authors: Lubet Ronald A. , Christov Konstantin , You Ming , Yao Ruisheng , Steele Vernon E. , End David W. , Juliana M. Margaret , Grubbs Clinton J.
Published: April 2006

The ability of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor R115777 to act as a cancer therapeutic/preventive agent and to modulate proliferation/apoptosis markers was determined in the methylnitrosourea-induced model of mammary carcinogenesis. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given methylnitrosourea at 50 days of age. In the prevention study, R115777 (5, 16, or 50 mg/kg body weight/d), beginning 5 days after methylnitrosourea treatment, decreased the formation of mammary cancers by 6%, 42%, and 75%, respectively. Approximately 50% of the mammary cancers that developed had HaRas mutations. Only 1 of 15 tumors that grew out in the presence of R115777 (16 or 50 mg/kg body weight/d) had a HaRas mutation. In the therapeutic study, a surgical biopsy of a mammary cancer was done to determine HaRas status, and growth of the cancer was then followed during treatment of the rat with R115777. Virtually every cancer with a HaRas mutation underwent complete regression within 3 weeks, whereas tumors without a HaRas mutation had variable responses to the inhibitor. Both of these studies implied a high sensitivity of tumors with HaRas mutations to the effects of R115777. In order to understand the preferential susceptibility of tumors with HaRas mutations, rats with a palpable cancer were treated with R115777 for a period of 36 or 96 hours prior to sacrifice, and the proliferation and apoptosis levels in the cancers were determined. The proliferative index was significantly (>85%) decreased in all mammary cancers with HaRas mutations, whereas variable responses were observed in cancers without HaRas mutations. Apoptosis was also measured and a 5-fold increase was observed in HaRas mutant tumors, again with varying responses in the HaRas wild-type cancers. Thus, R115777 was active in the prevention and therapy of these chemically induced mammary cancers, but was strikingly more effective in cancers with HaRas mutations. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):1073–8]
DNA adducts formed by a novel antitumor agent 11β-dichloro in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Hillier Shawn M. , Marquis John C. , Zayas Beatriz , Wishnok John S. , Liberman Rosa G. , Skipper Paul L. , Tannenbaum Steven R. , Essigmann John M. , Croy Robert G.
Published: April 2006

The multifunctional molecule 11β-dichloro consists of a ligand for the androgen receptor linked to a bifunctional alkylating group, permitting it to create DNA adducts that bind the androgen receptor. We propose that binding of the androgen receptor to 11β-DNA adducts acts to both shield damaged sites from repair and disrupt the expression of genes essential for growth and survival. We investigated the formation 11β-DNA adducts in tumor xenograft and nontumor tissues in mice. Using [14C]-11β-dichloro, we show that the molecule remains intact in blood and is widely distributed in mouse tissues after i.p. injection. Covalent 11β-guanine adducts identified in DNA that had been allowed to react with 11β-dichloro in vitro were also found in DNA isolated from cells in culture treated with 11β-dichloro as well as in DNA isolated from liver and tumor tissues of mice treated with the compound. We used accelerator mass spectrometry to determine the levels of [14C]-11β-DNA adducts in LNCaP cells treated in culture as well as in liver tissue and LNCaP xenograft tumors in treated mice. The level of DNA adducts in tumor tissue was found to be similar to that found in LNCaP cells in culture treated with 2.5 μmol/L 11β-dichloro. Our results indicate that 11β-dichloro has sufficient stability to enter the circulation, penetrate tissues, and form DNA adducts that are capable of binding the androgen receptor in target tissues in vivo. These data suggest the involvement of our novel mechanisms in the antitumor effects of 11β-dichloro. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):977–84]
Chemosensitization to cisplatin by inhibitors of the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway
Authors: Chirnomas Deborah , Taniguchi Toshiyasu , de la Vega Michelle , Vaidya Ami P. , Vasserman Maria , Hartman Anne-Renee , Kennedy Richard , Foster Rosemary , Mahoney Jennifer , Seiden Michael V. , D'Andrea Alan D.
Published: April 2006

Cisplatin resistance occurs, at least in part, through the function of the Fanconi anemia (FA)/BRCA pathway, a DNA-damage response pathway required for repair of cisplatin cross-links. In the current study, we designed a cell-based screening strategy to identify small-molecule inhibitors of the FA/BRCA pathway with the hypothesis that such molecules could restore sensitivity to platinum agents. We identified four inhibitors, including three protein kinase inhibitors (wortmannin, H-9, and alsterpaullone) and one natural compound (curcumin) that inhibit the FA/BRCA pathway. We show that curcumin, a compound that is generally regarded as safe, inhibits the monoubiquitination of the FANCD2 protein as predicted by the screen and consequently sensitizes ovarian and breast tumor cell lines to cisplatin through apoptotic cell death. We believe that this study shows an efficient, high-throughput method for identifying new compounds that may sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(4):952–61]
Genesis xv
Authors: Schmidt Ludwig
Published: April 2006

The story of Abraham in Gen. xi 27-xxv 10 (11) is structured by two different literary layers in Gen. xv. The basic layer, consisting of V. 7-11, 17, 18, was originally connected with Gen. xiii 18. It must be assigned to the pentateuchal redaction, because it builds upon both Gen. xiii 14-17 and the priestly mentions of departure in xi 31; xii 4b, 5. The pentateuchal redaction wanted to demonstrate that Jahwe will not take back his promise of land for the descendants of Abraham, because he has obliged and laid upon himself a conditional curse in the presence of Abraham. Within the conception of the pentateuchal redaction Gen. xv 7ff.* has the function to finish the first part of the story of Abraham (xi 27-xiii 18; xv 7ff.*), which is dominated by the subject "the land for Abraham and his descendants". The subject of the second part (xv 1-xxv 11) can be described as "the descendants of Abraham and his life until his death".A later redactor integrated V. 1-6*, 12-16, 19-21. He wanted to emphasize that the faith of Abraham, trusting God to fulfill his promise of a physical heir and unnumbered descendants (V. 1-6*), gives Jahwe reason to lay upon himself a conditional curse in order to guarantee the promise of the land. This is furthermore the reason, why Jahwe told Abraham that the promise of land will only be fulfilled in a distant future (V. 12-16). In the view of the redactor Gen. xv is the starting point of the second part of the story of Abraham, in which he wanted to tell how Jahwe fulfills his promise of protection and of a physical heir for Abraham (xv 1bα, 4).
Choosing brides for the crown-prince. Matrimonial politics in the Davidic dynasty
Authors: Niemann Hermann Michael
Published: April 2006

Until now no one has outlined the matrimonial politics of the Davidic dynasty as a whole. A closer look reveals these policies to be a clear-cut means of stabilizing David's dynasty and expanding its territory and power. As far as we know, all of the marriages of Davidic crown-princes are comprehensible in the political and regional context of the time. In every case, choosing the bride for the crown-prince of Jerusalem and Judah was politically goal oriented. Selection of the royal bride throws light on the sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger (more independent) position of the kings as well as the possibilities and aims of Davidic politics. Mentioning the kings's mothers makes clear that the Bible can supply valuable information for the investigation of the history of Israel and Judah.
The enigmatic plurals like "one of us" (Genesis i 26, iii 22, and xi 7) in hyperchronic perspective
Authors: Eslinger Lyle
Published: April 2006

The enigma of the first person plural pronouns in Gen. i 26, iii 22, and xi 7 can be resolved by careful consideration of their rhetorical and hyperchronic contexts. All three instances emanate from the same speaker in similar situations. Their common rhetorical purpose is to mark out the ontological boundaries between gods and humans. The first person plurals schematize the "we," of "the gods," versus the "them," of "the humans."
Early mourning? Petitionary versus posthumous ritual in Ezekiel xxiv
Authors: Lipton Diana
Published: April 2006

Ezekiel xxiv 15-24 contains God's perplexing announcement that the prophet's wife is about to die but that he must not mourn her. This prohibition against mourning is almost invariably interpreted as God's attempt to limit Ezekiel's response, ritual and perhaps also emotional, to his wife's death, foreshadowing Israel's reaction following the destruction of the temple. Yet it is difficult to see how, and more importantly why, God hoped to restrict conventional, posthumous mourning either for the prophet's wife or for the temple. Ez. xxiv 15–24 differs significantly from Jer. xvi 1–18, where posthumous mourning is restricted for reasons that are made clear, but has striking parallels to II Sam. xii 13–23, where the mourning described is not posthumous but rather petitionary. Petitionary mourning rituals are undertaken before a death or disaster in the hope of averting it. The prohibition against mourning in Ez. xxiv 15–24 may be read as a divine attempt to block prophetic intercession (cf. perhaps Ez. iii 25–27). God is determined to destroy the temple and prohibits Ezekiel and, by extension, Israel, from undertaking petitionary mourning rituals that might have persuaded Him to change His mind.
Intentionality, Morality, and Their Relationship in Human Judgment
Authors: Malle Bertram
Published: April 2006

This article explores several entanglements between human judgments of intentionality and morality (blame and praise). After proposing a model of people's folk concept of intentionality I discuss three topics. First, considerations of a behavior's intentionality affect people's praise and blame of that behavior, but one study suggests that there may be an asymmetry such that blame is more affected than praise. Second, the concept of intentionality is constitutive of many legal judgments (e.g., of murder vs. manslaughter), and one study illustrates people's subtle considerations of intentionality in making those judgments. Third, controversial recent studies suggest that moral considerations can affect judgments of intentionality, and an asymmetry may exist such that blame affects those judgments more than praise. I report two new studies that may shed light on these recent findings, and I discuss several theoretical models that might account for the impact of moral considerations on intentionality judgments and for the relationship between the two more generally.
Developing Conceptions of Responsive Intentional Agents
Authors: Wellman Henry , Miller Joan
Published: April 2006

We argue that folk psychology and folk morality both develop from the same core conception of persons, namely a concept of a responsive intentional agent. Key features of this conception are evident in infancy and develop universally in the preschool years across cultures and languages. Even these early understandings develop, shaped and specified via processes of cognitive construction intertwined with cultural constructs of persons provided within interactive culturally constituted, communicative experiences of childhood. The result is culturally variable endpoints of social cognitive development, that is, culturally variable folk psychologies and folk moralities. We underwrite this argument with data from studies of theory of mind understandings, moral judgments, person description and explanation, and autobiographical memory, research that spans from infancy to adulthood and includes a variety of cultural communities.
Schadenfreude: A Case Study of Emotion as Situated Discursive Display
Authors: Wang Yong , Roberts Carl
Published: April 2006

Most Americans are aware that joy was expressed in the Arab world over the suffering inflicted on Americans with the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Less known is that such Schadenfreude was expressed by many Chinese citizens as well. This paper analyzes a sample of texts from postings on the Beijing University bulletin board system. Following a discursive approach to the social psychological study of emotion, we consider discourse as the means whereby power relations are asserted and maintained. These power relations comprise a domain within which actions and emotional displays are occasioned and understood. Based on the texts analyzed here, Schadenfreude can be understood as a discursive display by an observer of an event. This event must be recognized in terms of a "discursive history" within which a bully (here, the United States) has repeatedly violated the "rights" of bullied parties. In accordance with this discursive history, the event is seen as a reversal-in-tradition whereby rights presumed by the bully are violated. Finally, the observer must disidentify with the bully. As a discursive display, Schadenfreude not only comprises the overt performance of the observer's taken-for-granted understanding of the bully-as-bully, but also displaces any potential alternative discourse such as expressions of sympathy other observers may have for any target of such an event. This approach complements the social constructionist perspective within the literature on the sociology of emotions, but departs fundamentally from this literature's essentialist (or psycho-physiological) perspective.
Accessio and specificatio reconsidered
Authors: Plisecka Anna
Published: April 2006

Contrary to the dominant opinion of contemporary Roman law studies, accessio and specificatio were not considered in ancient Roman law as independent modes of acquisition of ownership. They became regarded as such only in the 12th Century. In ancient Roman law, what later came to be called accessio caused only an extension of the ownership of the principal thing to include also the accessory without, however, giving rise to a new ownership. On the other hand, what later came to be called specificatio caused the extinction of the object, both from the physical and from the juridical point of view. If, in place of the extinguished thing a new one came into existence it could have been acquired by occupatio.

Since the technical juridical terms accessio and specificatio were unknown to the Roman jurists, the cases provided by ancient sources cannot be clearly divided into these categories. Furthermore such classifications, since external to the sources, create superfluous problems. In order to attribute ownership the Roman jurists examined the identity of an object rather than classified cases as accessio or specificatio.

The principal texts on which the argumentation is based are: D. 6.1.5.1pr.–1, D. 6.1.3.2, D. 41.1.7.7 und D. 41.1.7.8–9.
Cold gas sprayed filler coatings for brazing of light alloys
Authors: Wielage B. , Grund T. , Ahrens S. , Wank A. , Trommer F.
Published: April 2006

Application of cold gas spraying to the deposition of braze filler coatings has been investigated. Different light weight alloy substrates, i.e. aluminium AA1050, AA3005, AA5754, AA7022, magnesium AZ91 and titanium Ti–6Al–4V, were used. Filler coating materials depend on the substrate melting temperature. Therefore, for aluminium alloys Al–12Si zinc based fillers are used for AZ91 pure zinc and for Ti–6Al–4V different Cu–Ni blends are used. Cold gas spraying process parameters are varied with regard to process gas (nitrogen) temperature and pressure, powder feedrate and spray distance. Correlation of the process characteristics to economical aspects is given. The viability of the filler coatings produced is illustrated by different optimised brazing/soldering processes. In the case of aluminium braze joints a full metallographical investigation was carried out by optical and scanning electron microscopy as well as EDX analyses. The results obtained are compared with those of conventional filler material additions.
Effect of alloying additions and preoxidation on high temperature sulphidation resistance of iron–chromium alloys
Authors: Pillis M. F. , Ramanathan L. V.
Published: April 2006

High temperature corrosion of structural alloys in sulphur bearing environments is many orders of magnitude higher than in oxidising environments. Efforts to increase sulphidation resistance of these alloys include addition of alloying elements. This paper reports the effect of yttrium, aluminium and yttrium plus aluminium addition on the sulphidation behaviour of an Fe–20Cr alloy in H2–2%H2S at 700 and 800°C. The effect of preoxidation of these alloys on sulphidation behaviour was also investigated. The initial stages of sulphidation of these alloys were observed and overall sulphidation kinetics was determined. In the presence of yttrium, the sulphidation rate of the alloy decreased by an order of magnitude, and the sulphide layer on the FeCrY alloy was significantly thinner than that formed on the FeCr alloy. Aluminium addition increased sulphidation resistance even more. The FeCrAl and FeCrAlY alloys exhibited parabolic sulphidation kinetics at the two temperatures. On both alloys, initial chromium sulphide (Cr2S3) formation at grain boundaries and Al2S3 and FeCr2S4 formation over the grains was followed by formation of an outer Cr2S3 layer over a mixed sulphide layer. Preoxidation of the two alloys resulted in an ‘incubation period’ with practically no sulphidation during subsequent exposure to S bearing environments. After this incubation period, the sulphidation behaviour of the FeCr alloy was similar to that when the alloy was not preoxidised. The incubation period of the FeCrAl alloy was significantly longer, over 45 h, compared with 2 h for the Al free alloy. Based on thermogravimetric as well as SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, sulphidation mechanisms have been proposed for the alloys before and after preoxidation.
Influence of process parameters in pulse plasma nitriding of plain carbon steel
Authors: Đurišić Ž. , Kunosić A. , Trifunović J.
Published: April 2006

Glow discharge nitriding is widely used to improve the mechanical characteristics of steel components. This treatment produces a modified surface layer, consisting of an outer compound zone and an inner diffusion zone. The compound zone (white layer) is the first zone and therefore, is the contact surface layer. It is of particular interest for establishing the exploitation features of engineering components exposed to the wear and corrosion. It is important to analyse the mechanical and tribological features of this layer. With the aim of optimising the nitriding process and gaining an insight for further research, experimental studies of the pulsed plasma nitriding of plain carbon steel grade DIN C45 (AISI C1043) were carried out, using a pulsed direct current glow discharge. The influence of gas composition, temperature, treatment time, duty cycle and frequency on compound layer thickness and microhardness has been investigated. Five experiments were performed. In each experiment, one of the process parameters was varied while the others were kept constant. The characteristics of the nitride surface layers were studied by optical metallography, Vickers microhardness measurement as well as specially modified Calo test method. The results obtained could be useful in optimising of the nitriding process and computer process control.
Laser shock processing of holes
Authors: Zhang H. , Yu C. Y.
Published: April 2006

Laser shock processing (LSP) is a new technology for surface strengthening holes. In this procedure, the choice of laser parameters is essential. The present paper investigates a method for optimising the laser parameters in laser shock processing of holes. Based upon this method, a series of laser shocking experiments were performed using a Q switched neodymium glass laser. The fatigue test results show that the fatigue life of a hole can be greatly increased after LSP. The average fatigue life of a laser shocked hole is 2·2 times longer than that without laser treatment.
KIAA0101 (OEACT-1), an expressionally down-regulated and growth-inhibitory gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Guo Minglei , Li Jinjun , Wan Dafang , Gu Jianren
Published: April 2006

Background

Our previous cDNA array results indicated KIAA0101 as one of the differentially expressed genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as compared with non-cancerous liver. However, it is necessary to study its expression at protein level in HCC and its biological function for HCC cell growth.

Method

Western blot and tissue array were performed to compare KIAA0101 protein expression level in paired human HCC and non-cancerous liver tissues from the same patients. Investigation of its subcellular localization was done by using dual fluorescence image examination and enriched mitochondrial protein Western blot analysis. The in vitro cell growth curve was used for examing the effect of over-expression of KIAA0101 in HCC cells. FACS was used to analyze the cell cycle pattern in KIAA0101 expression positive (+) and negative (-) cell populations isolated by the pMACSKKII system after KIAA0101 cDNA transfection.

Results

Western blot showed KIAA0101 protein expression was down-regulated in HCC tissues as compared with their counterpart non-cancerous liver tissues in 25 out of 30 cases. Tissue array also demonstrated the same pattern in 161 paired samples. KIAA0101 was predominantly localized in mitochondria and partially in nuclei. KIAA0101 cDNA transfection could inhibit the HCC cell growth in vitro. In cell cycle analysis, it could arrest cells at the G1 to S phase transition.

Conclusion

KIAA0101 protein expression was down-regulated in HCC. This gene could inhibit the HCC cell growth in vitro and presumably by its blocking effect on cell cycle.
Hyeropic shift after LASIK induced Diffuse lamellar keratitis
Authors: Dada Tanuj , Pangtey Mayank S , Sharma Namrata , Vajpayee Rasik B , Jhanji Vishal , Sethi Harinder Singh
Published: April 2006

Background

Diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) is a relatively new syndrome that is increasingly being reported after LASIK. We have observed that a hyperopic shift may be associated with the occurrence of this diffuse lamellar keratitis.

Case presentation

A 26 year old man developed bilateral diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) following myopic LASIK. The residual refractive error was +0.5D OD and +0.25D OS at the end of the first week. The sterile infiltrates resolved over a period of 4–6 weeks on topical steroid therapy. A progressive hyperopic shift was noted in the right eye with an error +4.25Dsph/+0.25Dcyl 20 at the final follow up 6 months post surgery.

Conclusion

Diffuse lamellar keratitis after LASIK may be associated with a significant hyperopic shift.
Water quality and immatures of the M and S forms of Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis in a Malian village
Authors: Edillo Frances E , Tripét Frederic , Touré Yeya T , Lanzaro Gregory C , Dolo Guimogo , Taylor Charles E
Published: April 2006

Introduction

The associations between the immatures of Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Diptera: Culicidae), its M and S forms, and Anopheles arabiensis among and within larval breeding habitats in Banambani, Mali were investigated under varying conditions of water quality and rainfall. The intent was to elucidate on niche partitioning of these taxa.

Methods

Immatures of An. arabiensis, An. gambiae s.s., and its M and S forms were sampled every alternate day for a month in mid-rainy season from three sampling sites in each of the larval breeding habitats (rock pools, swamp, and puddles). Water quality was characterized by alkalinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (D.O.), nitrate, orthophosphate, pH, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), and turbidity. A type 3 analysis of the GENMOD model was used to examine the associations between the proportional frequencies of young (first and second instar larvae) and old (third and fourth instar larvae and pupae) or total immatures of species or forms among sampling sites within and among larval breeding habitats during a category of rainfall as influenced by water quality.

Results

Of the 4,174 immatures sampled, 1,300 were molecularly identified to species and forms. Significant association between the proportional frequencies of young larvae of An. arabiensis, An. gambiae s.s., its M and S forms was found among sampling sites within habitats but not among larval breeding habitats. The proportional frequencies of young larvae of M and S forms varied daily perhaps due to recruitment, mortality, and dispersal within habitats. Conductivity and TDS had significant effects when the proportional frequencies of young larvae of M and S forms among sampling sites within habitats were significantly associated. Alkalinity, D.O., orthophosphate, pH, nitrate, temperature and turbidity had no effects on niche partitioning of species and forms among sampling sites within habitats. Rainfall did not affect the frequencies of these immatures.

Conclusion

Conductivity and TDS have significant effects on niche partitioning of young larvae of M and S forms among sampling sites within habitats in Banambani, Mali.
Raising the Bar for the Training of College Teachers: An Interview with Victor Benassi
Authors: Wimer David J.
Published: April 2006

Victor A. Benassi earned his bachelor's degree from California State College and his PhD in psychology from the City University of New York. After working in the Department of Psychology at California State University at Long Beach, he moved to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1982. He is currently Professor of Psychology and Professor of College Teaching. He has been one of the leaders of his department's long-standing Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) component of the PhD program. In 2003, this program received recognition from the American Psychological Association's (APA) Board of Educational Affairs for its innovation and creativity. He has also played a part, along with several colleagues, in facilitating the development of UNH's academic program in college teaching. UNH received the 2002 Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Faculty Development to Enhance Undergraduate Teaching (Certificate of Excellence) in recognition of this program. Benassi has received several awards within UNH for his scholarship and teaching and received the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award from the American Psychological Foundation in 2003. His research has focused on judgment and belief, and he has published articles on belief in alleged paranormal phenomena, illusory control, and judgment of contingency. He also maintains an ongoing program of research with a colleague on teaching and learning at the college level.

David J. Wimer is the past chair of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology's (STP) Graduate Student Teaching Association. In 1998 he received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. While at Ithaca, he had the pleasure of working on Barney Beins's psychology of humor research team. He received his MA in social psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and is currently working toward a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, where he works with Loreto Prieto.
Raising Students' Awareness of Women in Psychology
Authors: Moradi Bonnie , Townsend Deborah T.
Published: April 2006

The near invisibility of women's contributions to psychology is a serious problem in the teaching of psychology. We tested the effectiveness of a teaching exercise aimed at increasing students' awareness of women's contributions to psychology. The exercise involved making, displaying, and examining posters about women in psychology. Students (a) named more women who contributed to psychology, (b) identified more contributions of women to psychology, and (c) listed more women with their accurately matched contributions following the assignment than they did before the assignment. This exercise can be modified to teach students about the contributions of other groups (e.g., racial and ethnic minorities) to psychology.
College evidence to health select committee on workforce needs
Authors: Clark David
Published: April 2006

The health select committee is an influential body of MPs appointed by the House of Commons to examine Department of Health policy and administration. The committee announced the inquiry into the NHS workforce in England on 27 January 2006 and on 15 March the College submitted written evidence to the committee. The inquiry presented a timely opportunity for the College to raise concerns about the impact that recent and planned initiatives within the NHS could have on the surgical workforce. Most of these issues have been discussed in previous issues of the Bulletin.
A Taiwan Research Institute as a Technology Business Incubator: ITRI and Its Spin-Offs
Authors: Peng Bin-Win , Chen Houn-Gee , Lin Bou-Wen
Published: April 2006

We explore the roles and services provided by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) for development of Taiwan's high-tech industry, and describe the technology transfer activities of this organization. Specifically, we focus on the high-tech spin-off process through which new firms are formed. The spin-off process is an important means to transfer and commercialize technological assets of the government-supported institute. Cases suggest that spin-offs are an effective means in developing economies to transfer technology capabilities from the public sector to the private sector. The spin-off mechanism functions as an approach for local firms to acquire complex new technologies. The successful and unique spin-off experiences make ITRI a model of how public research institutes can be successful incubators of world-class businesses.
Negotiated Identities and Female Personal Space in Thai American Adolescent Literature
Authors: Thongthiraj Rahpee
Published: April 2006

This essay explores the elusive concept of a "whole" self and female "space" for Thai and American-born Thai adolescent women. This concept of a "true" self is complexly tied to the intergenerational relationships with their grandmothers. The search for a Thai female self is captured in Visalaya Hirunpidok's "Yai" and Minfong Ho's Rice without Rain. As the granddaughters struggle with negotiated identities, which are constituted in differing historical and social contexts, they engage in a continuous process of self-discovery. The literary analysis of these young adult narratives is grounded in this phenomenon of finding one's self and space in society.
Toward a Poetics of Asian American Fantasy: Laurence Yep's Construction of a Bicultural Mythology
Authors: Woo Celestine
Published: April 2006

This article reads the fantasy work of Laurence Yep as initiating a new genre, Asian American fantasy, which draws upon the beauties of each separate generic tradition while broadening their boundaries. Yep's fantasies unite the concerns and characteristics of Asian American literature with those of fantasy. He posits a way in which fantasy, a white-dominant genre, may move toward greater multiculturalism, even while he infuses elements of magic into Asian American literature. By so doing, he continues and melds the dynamic evolution of each genre.