bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phellodendron and Citrusextracts benefit cardiovascular health in osteoarthritis patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study
Authors: Oben Julius , Enonchong Ebangha , Kothari Shil , Chambliss Walter , Garrison Robert , Dolnick Deanne
Published: May 2008

Background

The objective of this clinical study was to assess the potential benefit of a dietary supplement, NP 06-1, on cardiovascular protective properties in overweight and normal weight adults diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Methods

An 8-week, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was conducted with four groups, comparing the effects of NP 06-1 to placebo in overweight and normal weight subjects diagnosed with primary osteoarthritis of the knee. NP 06-1 (a combination of two botanical extracts; Phellodendron amurense bark and Citrus sinensis peel) or matching placebo was given in a dose of two capsules (370 mg each) twice daily. The outcome measures reported are lipid levels, weight, BMI, blood pressure and fasting glucose. Analyses of variance were used to compare changes of physiological measures over the trial period and between groups.

Results

Eighty (80) subjects were enrolled and 45 subjects completed the study. No serious adverse events were reported. NP 06-1 administration was associated with a general improvement in lipid levels. Both the overweight and normal weight treatment groups had significant reductions in triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, as well as a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol compared to their respective control groups.

Overall there were decreases in blood pressure in both overweight and normal weight treatment groups compared to respective placebo groups. There was also a significant decrease in fasting glucose levels in the overweight treatment group compared to the start of the study and to the overweight placebo group. There was no change in fasting blood sugar for the normal weight groups.

Both overweight and normal weight treatment groups lost a significant amount of weight compared to their respective placebo groups. The overweight treatment group lost an average of 5% body weight after 8 weeks, which was associated with a significant loss in BMI over time.

Conclusion

In this pilot study NP 06-1 had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors; namely lipid levels, blood pressure and fasting glucose levels. Administration of NP 06-1 was also associated with weight loss.
Anaplastic oligodendrogliomas with 1p19q codeletion have a proneural gene expression profile
Authors: Ducray François , Idbaih Ahmed , de Reyniès Aurélien , Bièche Ivan , Thillet Joëlle , Mokhtari Karima , Lair Séverine , Marie Yannick , Paris Sophie , Vidaud Michel , Hoang-Xuan Khê , Delattre Olivier , Delattre Jean-Yves , Sanson Marc
Published: May 2008

Background

In high grade gliomas, 1p19q codeletion and EGFR amplification are mutually exclusive and predictive of dramatically different outcomes. We performed a microarray gene expression study of four high grade gliomas with 1p19q codeletion and nine with EGFR amplification, identified by CGH-array.

Results

The two groups of gliomas exhibited very different gene expression profiles and were consistently distinguished by unsupervised clustering analysis. One of the most striking differences was the expression of normal brain genes by oligodendrogliomas with 1p19q codeletion. These gliomas harbored a gene expression profile that partially resembled the gene expression of normal brain samples, whereas gliomas with EGFR amplification expressed many genes in common with glioblastoma cancer stem cells. The differences between the two types of gliomas and the expression of neuronal genes in gliomas with 1p19q codeletion were both validated in an independent series of 16 gliomas using real-time RT-PCR with a set of 22 genes differentiating the two groups of gliomas (AKR1C3, ATOH8, BMP2, C20orf42, CCNB1, CDK2, CHI3L1, CTTNBP2, DCX, EGFR, GALNT13, GBP1, IGFBP2, IQGAP1, L1CAM, NCAM1, NOG, OLIG2, PDPN, PLAT, POSTN, RNF135). Immunohistochemical study of the most differentially expressed neuronal gene, alpha-internexin, clearly differentiated the two groups of gliomas, with 1p19q codeletion gliomas showing specific staining in tumor cells.

Conclusion

These findings provide evidence for neuronal differentiation in oligodendrogliomas with 1p19q codeletion and support the hypothesis that the cell of origin for gliomas with 1p19q codeletion could be a bi-potential progenitor cell, able to give rise to both neurons and oligodendrocytes.
Blue shift of CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-labels upon DNA-hybridization
Authors: Riegler Jürgen , Ditengou Franck , Palme Klaus , Nann Thomas
Published: May 2008

Luminescence color multiplexing is one of the most intriguing benefits, which might occur by using semiconductor Quantum Dots (QDs) as labels for biomolecules. It was found, that the luminescence of QDs can be quenched, and replaced by a luminescence peak at approximately 460 nm on hybridization with certain regions of Arabidopsis thaliana tissue. This effect is site selective, and it is unclear whether it occurs due to an energy transfer process, or due to quenching and scattering of the excitation light. The article describes methods for phase-transfer of differently coloured, hydrophobically ligated QDs, coupling of DNA strands to the QD's surface, and hybridization of the labelled DNA to different cell types of Arabidopsis thaliana. The reason for the luminescence blue-shift was studied systematically, and narrowed down to the above mentioned causes.
Using genetic markers to orient the edges in quantitative trait networks: The NEO software
Authors: Aten Jason E , Fuller Tova F , Lusis Aldons J , Horvath Steve
Published: May 2008

Background

Systems genetic studies have been used to identify genetic loci that affect transcript abundances and clinical traits such as body weight. The pairwise correlations between gene expression traits and/or clinical traits can be used to define undirected trait networks. Several authors have argued that genetic markers (e.g expression quantitative trait loci, eQTLs) can serve as causal anchors for orienting the edges of a trait network. The availability of hundreds of thousands of genetic markers poses new challenges: how to relate (anchor) traits to multiple genetic markers, how to score the genetic evidence in favor of an edge orientation, and how to weigh the information from multiple markers.

Results

We develop and implement Network Edge Orienting (NEO) methods and software that address the challenges of inferring unconfounded and directed gene networks from microarray-derived gene expression data by integrating mRNA levels with genetic marker data and Structural Equation Model (SEM) comparisons. The NEO software implements several manual and automatic methods for incorporating genetic information to anchor traits. The networks are oriented by considering each edge separately, thus reducing error propagation. To summarize the genetic evidence in favor of a given edge orientation, we propose Local SEM-based Edge Orienting (LEO) scores that compare the fit of several competing causal graphs. SEM fitting indices allow the user to assess local and overall model fit. The NEO software allows the user to carry out a robustness analysis with regard to genetic marker selection. We demonstrate the utility of NEO by recovering known causal relationships in the sterol homeostasis pathway using liver gene expression data from an F2 mouse cross. Further, we use NEO to study the relationship between a disease gene and a biologically important gene co-expression module in liver tissue.

Conclusion

The NEO software can be used to orient the edges of gene co-expression networks or quantitative trait networks if the edges can be anchored to genetic marker data. R software tutorials, data, and supplementary material can be downloaded from: http://www.genetics.ucla.edu/labs/horvath/aten/NEO.
Tetralogy of Fallot with rheumatic mitral stenosis: A case report
Authors: Sai Krishna Cheemalapati , Reddy Gangireddy Venkateswara , Debta Mohan , Panigrahi Nanda Kishore
Published: May 2008

Introduction

Rheumatic and congenital heart diseases account for the majority of hospital admissions for cardiac patients in India. Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common congenital heart disease with survival to adulthood. Infective endocarditis accounts for 4% of admissions to a specialized unit for adult patients with a congenital heart lesion. This report is unique in that a severe stenotic lesion of the mitral valve, probably of rheumatic aetiology, was noted in an adult male with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Case presentation

An unusual association of rheumatic mitral stenosis in an adult Indian male patient aged 35 years with Tetralogy of Fallot and subacute bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve is presented.

Conclusion

In this case report the diagnostic implications, hemodynamic and therapeutic consequences of mitral stenosis in Tetralogy of Fallot are discussed. In addition, the morbidity and mortality of infective endocarditis in adult patients with congenital heart disease are summarized. The risk of a coincident rheumatic process in patients with congenital heart disease is highlighted and the need for careful attention to this possibility during primary and follow-up evaluation of such patients emphasized.
A role for surgery in primary pancreatic B-cell lymphoma: a case report
Authors: Liakakos Theodore , Misiakos Evangelos P , Tsapralis Dimitrios , Nikolaou Irene , Karatzas Gabriel , Macheras Anastasios
Published: May 2008

Introduction

Primary pancreatic lymphoma is a very rare but manageable malignant tumour which may be clinically confused as a pancreatic carcinoma. This case report demonstrates the value of surgical resection in the management of pancreatic lymphoma.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 65-year-old man who was admitted with obstructive jaundice, vague upper abdominal pain and weight loss. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a mass at the head of the pancreas which was compressing the bile duct. The patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical assessment of the pancreatic lesion established the diagnosis of a diffuse, extranodal, high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Several doses of chemotherapy were administered postoperatively and at present the disease remains in remission.

Conclusion

The favourable outcome for this patient and a thorough review of the literature underline the important role that operative resection may have in the management of at least the early stage of primary pancreatic lymphoma.
Oral probiotic and prevention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study in intensive care unit patients
Authors: Forestier Christiane , Guelon Dominique , Cluytens Valérie , Gillart Thierry , Sirot Jacques , De Champs Christophe
Published: May 2008

Introduction

Preventing carriage of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms from the aerodigestive tract is an infection control strategy used to reduce the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units. However, antibiotic use in selective decontamination protocols is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oral administration of a probiotic, namely Lactobacillus, on gastric and respiratory tract colonization/infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Our hypothesis was that an indigenous flora should exhibit a protective effect against secondary colonization.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study between March 2003 and October 2004 in a 17-bed intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Consecutive patients with a unit stay of longer than 48 hours were included, 106 in the placebo group and 102 in the probiotic group. Through a nasogastric feeding tube, patients received either 109 colony-forming units unity forming colony of Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus or placebo twice daily, from the third day after admission to discharge. Digestive tract carriage of P. aeruginosa was monitored by cultures of gastric aspirates at admission, once a week thereafter and on discharge. In addition, bacteriological analyses of respiratory tract specimens were conducted to determine patient infectious status.

Results

The occurrence of P. aeruginosa respiratory colonization and/or infection was significantly delayed in the probiotic group, with a difference in median delay to acquisition of 11 days versus 50 days (P = 0.01), and a nonacquisition expectancy mean of 69 days versus 77 days (P = 0.01). The occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia due to P. aeruginosa in the patients receiving the probiotic was less frequent, although not significantly reduced, in patients in the probiotic group (2.9%) compared with those in the placebo group (7.5%). After multivariate Cox proportional hazards modelling, the absence of probiotic treatment increased the risk for P. aeruginosa colonization in respiratory tract (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval – 1.1 to 9.1).

Conclusion

In this pilot study, oral administration of a probiotic delayed respiratory tract colonization/infection by P. aeruginosa.

Trial registration

The trial registration number for this study is NCT00604110.
Randomized trial comparing daily interruption of sedation and nursing-implemented sedation algorithm in medical intensive care unit patients
Authors: de Wit Marjolein , Gennings Chris , Jenvey Wendy I , Epstein Scott K
Published: May 2008

Introduction

Daily interruption of sedation (DIS) and sedation algorithms (SAs) have been shown to decrease mechanical ventilation (MV) duration. We conducted a randomized study comparing these strategies.

Methods

Mechanically ventilated adults 18 years old or older in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) were randomly assigned to DIS or SA. Exclusion criteria were severe neurocognitive dysfunction, administration of neuromuscular blockers, and tracheostomy. Study endpoints were total MV duration and 28-day ventilator-free survival.

Results

The study was terminated prematurely after 74 patients were enrolled (DIS 36 and SA 38). The two groups had similar age, gender, racial distribution, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and reason for MV. The Data Safety Monitoring Board convened after DIS patients were found to have higher hospital mortality; however, no causal connection between DIS and increased mortality was identified. Interim analysis demonstrated a significant difference in primary endpoint, and study termination was recommended. The DIS group had longer total duration of MV (median 6.7 versus 3.9 days; P = 0.0003), slower improvement of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment over time (0.70 versus 0.23 units per day; P = 0.025), longer ICU length of stay (15 versus 8 days; P < 0.0001), and longer hospital length of stay (23 versus 12 days; P = 0.01).

Conclusion

In our cohort of patients, the use of SA was associated with reduced duration of MV and lengths of stay compared with DIS. Based on these results, DIS may not be appropriate in all mechanically ventilated patients.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00205517.
Prognostic Significance of Nottingham Histologic Grade in Invasive Breast Carcinoma
Authors: Rakha Emad A. , El-Sayed Maysa E. , Lee Andrew H.S. , Elston Christopher W. , Grainge Matthew J. , Hodi Zsolt , Blamey Roger W. , Ellis Ian O.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The three strongest prognostic determinants in operable breast cancer used in routine clinical practice are lymph node (LN) stage, primary tumor size, and histologic grade. However, grade is not included in the recent revision of the TNM staging system of breast cancer as its value is questioned in certain settings.

Materials and Methods

This study is based on a large and well-characterized consecutive series of operable breast cancer (2,219 cases), treated according to standard protocols in a single institution, with a long-term follow-up (median, 111 months) to assess the prognostic value of routine assessment of histologic grade using Nottingham histologic grading system.

Results

Histologic grade is strongly associated with both breast cancer–specific survival (BCSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in the whole series as well as in different subgroups based on tumor size (pT1a, pT1b, pT1c, and pT2) and LN stages (pN0 and pN1 and pN2). Differences in survival were also noted between different individual grades (1, 2, and 3). Multivariate analyses showed that histologic grade is an independent predictor of both BCSS and DFS in operable breast cancer as a whole as well as in all studied subgroups.

Conclusion

Histologic grade, as assessed by the Nottingham grading system, provides a strong predictor of outcome in patients with invasive breast cancer and should be incorporated in breast cancer staging systems.
Single-cell force spectroscopy
Authors: Helenius Jonne , Heisenberg Carl-Philipp , Gaub Hermann E. , Muller Daniel J.
Published: May 2008

The controlled adhesion of cells to each other and to the extracellular matrix is crucial for tissue development and maintenance. Numerous assays have been developed to quantify cell adhesion. Among these, the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) has recently been established. This assay permits the adhesion of living cells to be studied in near-physiological conditions. This implementation of AFM allows unrivaled spatial and temporal control of cells, as well as highly quantitative force actuation and force measurement that is sufficiently sensitive to characterize the interaction of single molecules. Therefore, not only overall cell adhesion but also the properties of single adhesion-receptor–ligand interactions can be studied. Here we describe current implementations and applications of SCFS, as well as potential pitfalls, and outline how developments will provide insight into the forces, energetics and kinetics of cell-adhesion processes.
Inhibitory neurotransmission, plasticity and aging in the mammalian central auditory system
Authors: Caspary Donald M. , Ling Lynne , Turner Jeremy G. , Hughes Larry F.
Published: May 2008

Aging and acoustic trauma may result in partial peripheral deafferentation in the central auditory pathway of the mammalian brain. In accord with homeostatic plasticity, loss of sensory input results in a change in pre- and postsynaptic GABAergic and glycinergic inhibitory neurotransmission. As seen in development, age-related changes may be activity dependent. Age-related presynaptic changes in the cochlear nucleus include reduced glycine levels,while in the auditory midbrain and cortex, GABA synthesis and release are altered. Presumably, in response to age-related decreases in presynaptic release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, there are age-related postsynaptic subunit changes in the composition of the glycine (GlyR) and GABAA(GABAAR) receptors. Age-related changes in the subunit makeup of inhibitory pentameric receptor constructs result in altered pharmacological and physiological responses consistent with a net down-regulation of functional inhibition. Age-related functional changes associated with glycine neurotransmission in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) include altered intensity and temporal coding by DCN projection neurons. Loss of synaptic inhibition in the superior olivary complex (SOC) and the inferior colliculus (IC) likely affect the ability of aged animals to localize sounds in their natural environment. Age-related postsynaptic GABAAR changes in IC and primary auditory cortex (A1) involve changes in the subunit makeup of GABAARs. In turn, these changes cause age-related changes in the pharmacology and response properties of neurons in IC and A1 circuits, which collectively may affect temporal processing and response reliability. Findings of age-related inhibitory changes within mammalian auditory circuits are similar to age and deafferentation plasticity changes observed in other sensory systems. Although few studies have examined sensory aging in the wild,these age-related changes would likely compromise an animal's ability to avoid predation or to be a successful predator in their natural environment.
Mechanical Stirring Speed in Water/Hexane Biphasic Catalyst Controls Regioselectivity of Pd-catalyzed Allylation Reaction
Authors: Komiya Sanshiro , Sako Akari , Kosuge Hirofumi , Hirano Masafumi , Komine Nobuyuki
Published: May 2008

Vigorous mechanical mixing of the water/hexane biphasic Pd-catalyzed allylation of benzenethiol gave sterically congested allyl sulfides, due to high reactivity of the enforced orientation of the η1-allylpalladium intermediate at the solvent interface.
Cell-free Protein Synthesis Conducted by Template DNA with Repetitive Sequence
Authors: Nojima Takahiko , Kimura Hiroshi , Fujii Teruo
Published: May 2008

DNA with repetitive sequence of green fluorescent protein (GFP) was prepared by rolling circle amplification with φ29 DNA polymerase from a bacterial expression vector carrying a GFP gene. The prepared DNA was subjected to a cell-free coupled transcription–translation system and green fluorescence was observed, which shows that the template with repetitive sequence properly functioned in the reaction. The efficiency of the reaction conducted by the template with repetitive sequence was higher than those by linear template coding single gene or by circular plasmid.
Phenyltellanyl Triflate (PhTeOTf) as a Powerful Tellurophilic Activator in the Friedel–Crafts Reaction
Authors: Yamada Takeshi , Mishima Eri , Ueki Kazuya , Yamago Shigeru
Published: May 2008

A powerful electrophilic activator for organotellurium compounds was developed. Phenyltellanyl triflate (PhTeOTf) prepared in situ from dibromophenyl(phenyltellanyl)telluride and AgOTf selectively activated various organotellurium compounds in the presence of aromatic compounds yielding the corresponding Friedel–Crafts reaction products. Polymer-end organotellurium compounds were also activated by PhTeOTf providing the corresponding end-functionalized polymers.
Study of the Metabolites of Bencycloquidium Bromide Racemate, a Novel Anticholinergic Compound, in Rat Bile by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Xu Qin , Ding Li , Liu Wen-Ying , Chen Xiao-Ping , Liu Bu-Ming
Published: May 2008

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem ion trap mass spectrometric method has been developed for identification of bencycloquidium bromide (BCQB) and its metabolites in rat bile. Six healthy rats were administrated a single dose (3.0 mg kg−1) of BCQB by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. The bile were sampled from 0h to 24h and purified by using a C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, then the purified bile samples were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column using acetonitrile/40 mM ammonium acetate buffer (containing 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase at gradient elution and detected by an on-line MS n detector. Identification and structural elucidation of the metabolites were performed by comparing the changes in molecular weight (Δ m) and full scan MS n spectra with those of the parent drug. Eight metabolites (such as hydroxylated and oxidized metabolites) and the parent drug were found in rat bile. Eight metabolites of BCQB were identified and hydroxylated metabolites were the major metabolites. The metabolic pathways of BCQB in vivo are proposed for the first time.
Letter: Characterisation and Identification of Spermine and Spermidine Derivatives in Microdesmis Keayana and Microdesmis Puberula Roots by Electrospray Ionisation Tandem Mass Spectrometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionisation Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Roumy Vincent , Hennebelle Thierry , Zamblé Alexis , Yao Jacques Datté , Sahpaz Sevser , Bailleul François
Published: May 2008

Three new N1, N5, N14-tris(4-hydroxycinnamoyl)spermines were identified in hydromethanolic root extracts of Microdesmis keayana J. Léonard and Microdesmis puberula Hook f. The electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique with specific nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of hydrolysed products made it possible to identify N1, N5, N14-tris( p-coumaroyl)spermine, N1-feruloyl, N5, N14-di( p-coumaroyl)spermine and N1, N5, N14-tris(feruloyl)spermine, named keayanines B, C and D, respectively. ESI-MS/MS analysis most effectively provided structural data although high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry was also used to characterise four other compounds from Microdesmis puberula—keayanidines A, B, C and keayanine A—which had already been identified in M. keayana. This chemical data is the first to be published for M. puberula which is a commonly used plant in Central African traditional medicine.
Letter: Intercluster Chemistry of Protonated and Sodiated Betaine Dimers upon Collision Induced Dissociation and Electron Induced Dissociation
Authors: Feketeová Linda , Khairallah George N. , O'Hair Richard A.J.
Published: May 2008

The collision induced dissociation and electron induced dissociation spectra of the [2M + H]+ and [2M + Na]+ clusters of the zwitterionic amino acid, betaine (M), have been examined in a hybrid linear ion trap Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Intercluster reactions are observed in the collision induced dissociation spectra of [2M + H]+ and [2M + Na]+ and in the electron induced dissociation spectrum of [2M + H]+.
Investigation on C2-Ceramide Complexes with Transition Metal Ions Using Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Lim Jin-Yi , Kumar Avvaru Praveen , Lee Yong-Ill
Published: May 2008

Electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) is applied for the investigation of C2-ceramide complexes with transition metal ions. Ceramide plays an important role in the regulation of various signaling pathways leading to proliferation, differentiation or apoptotic cell death. The formation and fragmentation of doubly charged cluster ions as well as singly charged cluster ions of C2-ceramide with transition metal ions (Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+ and Ni2+) are studied by ESI-MS/MS in the positive mode. Tube lens offset voltage and concentrations of C2-ceramide and transition metals are optimized to determine the best conditions for generating doubly charged cluster ions. The fragmentation pathways of metal ion complexes with C2-ceramide and the compositions of these complexes are determined by collision induced dissociation (CID). All transition metal ions (Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ except Cu2+) shows similar complexation with C2 ceramide. The unique complexation behavior of copper(II) is responsible for the different geometry of the complexes and relatively lower affinity of ceramide to copper(II) than those to other transition metals.
Multiple Criteria Decision Making, Multiattribute Utility Theory: Recent Accomplishments and What Lies Ahead
Authors: Wallenius Jyrki , Dyer James S. , Fishburn Peter C. , Steuer Ralph E. , Zionts Stanley , Deb Kalyanmoy
Published: May 2008

This paper is an update of a paper that five of us published in 1992. The areas of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) and multiattribute utility theory (MAUT) continue to be active areas of management science research and application. This paper extends the history of these areas and discusses topics we believe to be important for the future of these fields.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing in Supply Chain Coordination
Authors: Li Lode , Zhang Hongtao
Published: May 2008

We consider information sharing in a decentralized supply chain where one manufacturer supplies to multiple retailers competing in price. Each retailer has some private information about the uncertain demand function which he may choose to disclose to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then sets a wholesale price based on the information received. The information exchange is said to be confidential if the manufacturer keeps the received information to herself, or nonconfidential if she discloses the information to some or all other retailers. Without confidentiality, information sharing is not possible because it benefits the manufacturer but hurts the retailers. With confidentiality, all parties have incentive to engage in information sharing if retail competition is intense. Under confidentiality, the retailers infer the shared information from the wholesale price and this gives rise to a signaling effect that makes the manufacturer's demand more price elastic, resulting in a lower equilibrium wholesale price and a higher supply chain profit. When all retailers share their information confidentially, they will truthfully report the information and the supply chain profit will achieve its maximum in equilibrium.
Research Note—Are Store-Brand Buyers Store Loyal? An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Hansen Karsten , Singh Vishal
Published: May 2008

This paper tests the notion of whether high preference for store brands leads to higher store loyalty. Our work differs from the earlier empirical evidence on this issue in how we define and measure the two key constructs: store-brand loyalty and store loyalty. To measure store-brand preference, we develop a multicategory brand choice to elicit the basic latent tendency for a household to buy store brands, while controlling for other factors such as price sensitivity. The household-specific measures on store-brand preference and price sensitivity (along with other control variables) are then used to assess household store loyalty in the context of entry by a Wal-Mart supercenter in the market. Results show that store-brand buying behavior is driven by households' underlying “value trait” over and beyond what is captured by price sensitivity alone. In addition, these value-oriented households, which show high preference for store brands in the pre-entry period, shift a significantly higher level of their expenditures to Wal-Mart. These results are in contradiction to the conventional wisdom that high store-brand patronage is associated with a higher level of store loyalty. However, this finding comes with the caveat that the entrant analyzed in the paper has a well-defined “value” positioning and might not hold if the new entrant does not dominate the incumbent in the value proposition. Implications for supermarket managers in a more general context are discussed.
Performance of An Enzyme Electrode Designed for a Sulfide Monitoring Biosensor
Authors: Sooknah Reeta , Papavinasam Sankara , Attard Michael , Revie R. Winston , Gould W. Douglas , Dinardo Orlando
Published: May 2008

The construction and evaluation of an enzyme electrode designed for a sulfide monitoring biosensor, are reported in this work. The enzyme, which is immobilized in a carbon (graphite) paste with 1,1′ dimethylferrocene, catalyzes the oxidation of sulfide to sulfur.

Amperometric measurements were carried out at room temperature, and a fixed potential of 0.3 V with reference to a saturated calomel electrode, using Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) as the electrolyte, and sodium sulfide solution as the substrate. Under deaerated conditions, the biosensor responded linearly to the tested sulfide concentration range of 0–4mM, giving an average apparent Michaelis constant of 3mM, and maximum current responses between 0.7 and 3.6 μA. The sensitivity of the electrodes tested ranged from 0.2–0.3 μA mM−1.
Archeology Division
Authors: Alexander Rani T
Published: May 2008

•Upcoming 2008 Distinguished Lecture •Hot Off the Press: AP3A #18 Cathy L Costin  •Update: Gordon R Willey Endowment Janet Levy
Association of Black Anthropologists
Authors: McGlotten Shaka
Published: May 2008

•In His Own Words: A Tribute to Trevor Purcell Cheryl Rodriguez
Association of Latina and Latino Anthropologists
Authors: Takash Paule Cruz
Published: May 2008

•2008 ALLA Book Award
Central States Anthropological Society
Authors: Dean Evelyn , Glaros Angela
Published: May 2008

•Interview with Professor Nazif Shahrani Evelyn Dean  •2008 Annual Meeting Session Highlights •Member News
Middle East Section
Authors: Spadola Emilio
Published: May 2008

•Recognizing Our Membership, 2007‐08
National Association for the Practice of Anthropology
Authors: Miller Christine
Published: May 2008

•Contextual Inquiry: Design's Approach to Ethnographic Research
Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges
Authors: Miller Lloyd
Published: May 2008

•SACC Fest 2009 •2008‐Great Meetings!
Society for East Asian Anthropology
Authors: Stevens Carolyn S , Hubbert Jennifer
Published: May 2008

•A Conversation with Beth Notar and Joshua Roth Jennifer Hubbert
Society for Humanistic Anthropology
Authors: Gleach Frederic W , Santiago‐Irizarry Vilma
Published: May 2008

•Coming Closer Kent Maynard
Society for Linguistic Anthropology
Authors: Peterson Mark Allen , Stanlaw James
Published: May 2008

•Linguistic Moments in the Movies Mark Allen Peterson  •New JLA Address
Society for Medical Anthropology
Authors: Ragsdale Kathleen
Published: May 2008

•The Stolen Generations: Why Saying Sorry Matters Lenore Manderson
Society for Urban, National, and Transnational/Global Anthropology
Authors: Howell Jayne , Pribilsky Jason
Published: May 2008

•Leeds and Student Prize Reminder •US Home Industries as Transnational Practice Ana Croegaert
A Simple Index Using Age, Hemoglobin, and Aspartate Transaminase Predicts Increased Intracerebral Blood Velocity as Measured by Transcranial Doppler Scanning in Children With Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Rees David C. , Dick Moira C. , Height Sue E. , O'Driscoll Sandra , Pohl Keith R.E. , Goss David E. , Deane Colin R.
Published: May 2008

OBJECTIVE. Increased intracerebral blood velocity measured by transcranial Doppler scanning identifies children with sickle cell anemia who are at increased risk of stroke. We have tried to develop an index based on routine clinical measurements that also predicts increased intracerebral blood flow.

METHOD. Routinely collected clinical and laboratory data were correlated with transcranial Doppler measurements on children with sickle cell anemia seen in a single institution in 2006. The index produced was validated on a second independent data set from children with sickle cell anemia.

RESULTS. The time-averaged mean of the maximum velocity in centimeters per second in the middle cerebral artery circulation correlated significantly with age, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate transaminase levels, white blood cell count, and creatinine level. On multiple regression, hemoglobin and aspartate transaminase levels maintained their significance, whereas age had borderline significance, and an index was developed linked to a time-averaged mean of the maximum velocity of 220 − (8 × hemoglobin) − (1.4 × age) + (0.4 × aspartate transaminase). This detected a time-averaged mean of the maximum velocity of >170 cm/second with 100% sensitivity and 58% specificity. The index was validated on the second data set and again showed 100% sensitivity with 73% specificity.

CONCLUSION. This simple index has the potential to identify children who are at higher risk of cerebrovascular disease to allow them to be prioritized for transcranial Doppler scanning and other intracerebral imaging.
Pseudofree ℤ/3-actions on elliptic surfaces E (4)
Authors: Li Hongxia , Liu Ximin
Published: May 2008

In this paper we give a weak classification of locally linear pseudofree actions of the cyclic group of order 3 on an elliptic surface
E
(4), and prove the existence of such actions which can not be realized as smooth actions on the standard smooth
E
(4).
Restoring Western Juniper- (Juniperus occidentalis) Infested Rangeland after Prescribed Fire
Authors: Sheley Roger L. , Bates Jon D.
Published: May 2008

Restoring range sites dominated by western juniper is central to maintaining healthy functioning shrub–steppe ecosystems. On sites without adequate species composition to respond favorably to juniper controlled by fire, revegetation is necessary. We tested the following two hypotheses related to restoration after juniper control: (1) higher seeding rates would translate into higher density of seeded species, and (2) a rich seeding mixture would provide higher density and biomass than monocultures. Western juniper control was done by cutting 25% of the trees in 2002, allowing cut trees to dry for one year, followed by a broadcast fire applied in October 2003 which killed the remaining live juniper trees. Seeding treatments were applied in 2003 and included seeding six native species in monocultures, seeding a mixture of all six species at four rates (16.8, 22.4, 28.0, or 33.6 kg ha−1of pure live seeds), and a nonseeded control. Treatments were applied on a Sagebrush/bunchgrass and Snowberry/fescue site. We found that bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, big bluegrass, and western yarrow density ranged from 450 to 700 plants m−2, which was over six-fold that of the control in 2004 at both sites. Only arrowleaf balsamroot did not establish successfully. The density of big bluegrass nearly doubled from 2004 to 2005. The highest plant density resulted from the highest seeding rate. The highest biomass production was combination seeding at 22.4 kg ha−1on the Sagebrush/bunchgrass site and 33.6 kg ha−1on the Snowberry/fescue site. Seeding a combination of species resulted in a moderate to high density of plants and optimized plant diversity and richness over seeding monocultures.
Prevalence of a Novel Resistance Mechanism to PPO-Inhibiting Herbicides in Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus)
Authors: Lee Ryan M. , Hager Aaron G. , Tranel Patrick J.
Published: May 2008

Resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides in waterhemp has been shown previously to be the result of a unique mechanism. Specifically, a three–base-pair (3-bp) deletion in the PPX2L gene, a gene encoding both plastid- and mitochondria-targeted PPO enzymes, confers herbicide resistance in this species. Furthermore, when this unique mechanism was initially characterized it was presumed that waterhemp contained three PPX genes, PPX1, PPX2S, and PPX2L, and that the resistant biotypes were missing PPX2S. Here, allele testing and examination of genetic sequence data demonstrate that there are likely only two PPX genes in waterhemp, PPX1 and PPX2L. Next, to determine the prevalence of this mechanism of resistance in Illinois waterhemp, we developed an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) marker that amplifies only the 3-bp deletion allele, ΔG210, of PPX2L. By utilizing this marker, we show that the ΔG210 PPX2L allele correlated with whole-plant resistance to PPO inhibitors in each of four other waterhemp populations evaluated from Illinois.
Wordsworth and the Ethics of Things
Authors: Potkay Adam
Published: May 2008

Wordsworth poetically realizes an ecological ethics grounded on the self's non-assimilative encounter with the otherness of nonhuman things. Engaging the etymological force of the wordthing,Stoic and Spinozan philosophy, and a poetic tradition of assigning a “face” to natural things, Wordsworth arrives at a lyric apprehension of the “life of things,” a life that human beings share with other thinking and insentient, substantial and circumstantial things. Instead of anthropomorphizing things, Wordsworth “thingicizes” ethics. This aspect of Wordsworth's poems is illuminated when they are read alongside the “ethics of things” developed by Silvia Benso in philosophical dialogue with two major figures of the continental tradition: Heidegger, who conceives of things without ethics, and Levinas, who advances an ethics without things.
The Consent of the Governed in Ishmael Reed's The Freelance Pallbearers
Authors: Collins Michael
Published: May 2008

The critical ingredient of American democracy—the consent of the governed—is placed under the microscope in Ishmael Reed's The Freelance Pallbearers and his related works. Reed's portrait of the consent of the governed—and of the ways in which it is undermined—allows us to discern the structure of what medical and legal thinkers call informed consent: agreement that is the fruit of neither force, fraud, nor incapacity. Reed's portrayal of battles for and against consent, in fact, allows us to theorize that a key distinction between more and less democratic societies is the sort of “consent horizon” within which their citizens operate.
Preface to the Sixth Edition of Walt Whitman: Poemas
Authors: Vasseur Álvaro Armando
Published: May 2008

Álvaro Armando Vasseur's 1912 selection and translation of Walt Whitman's poetry, titled simply Walt Whitman: Poemas, was an extremely influential text for hispanophone readers—the first substantial collection of Whitman poems in Spanish. Scholars have identified Vasseur's translation as instrumental in accelerating Latin American poetry's shedding of its modernista tendencies in favor of franker, often more explicitly socially and politically engaged verse. Republished frequently throughout the period of extraordinary historical and aesthetic change bounded by 1912 and 1951, Poemas played a crucial role in keeping both Whitman and Vasseur in the public eye. Of Vasseur's prefaces to the various editions of the work, that to the sixth edition is the longest and most elaborate declaration of his sense of Whitman's importance to international letters.
Oestrogen and benign prostatic hyperplasia: effects on stromal cell proliferation and local formation from androgen
Authors: Ho Clement K M , Nanda Jyoti , Chapman Karen E , Habib Fouad K
Published: May 2008

Oestrogens have been implicated as a cause of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Previous animal studies led to the hypothesis that oestrogens can stimulate prostate growth, resulting in hyperplasia of the gland. In humans, the precise role of oestrogens in BPH pathogenesis is currently unclear. We investigated the direct effects of oestradiol on the proliferation of BPH-derived prostate cells in culture. Oestradiol (10−7 and 10−6 M) moderately increased the proliferation of stromal cells in culture; this stimulation was antagonised by anti-oestrogen ICI 182 780, indicating an oestrogen receptor (ER)-mediated mechanism. By contrast, oestradiol had no effects on the proliferation of epithelial cells in culture. Parameters that can determine the response of stromal cells to oestrogens, including expression of the two ER subtypes and aromatase activity, were investigated. ERβ expression in stromal cells in culture was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, and was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR showing higher expression of ERβ than ERα mRNA in stromal cells. Aromatase, the enzyme that converts androgen precursors to oestrogens, was also examined. Aromatase mRNA and activity were detected in stromal, but not epithelial cells in culture, suggesting a mechanism whereby oestrogen concentrations can be regulated in the BPH stroma. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that oestrogens play a role in the pathogenesis of BPH, a disease characterised predominantly by stromal overgrowth.
Recombinant novel pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide from African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) authenticates its biological function as a growth-promoting factor in low vertebrates
Authors: Lugo Juana Maria , Rodriguez Alina , Helguera Yusmila , Morales Reynold , Gonzalez Osmany , Acosta Jannel , Besada Vladimir , Sanchez Aniel , Estrada Mario Pablo
Published: May 2008

Nowadays, the studies of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)-related peptide (PRP) and PACAP in non-mammalian vertebrates, especially in fish, have paid attention mainly to the localization, cloning, and structural evolution of the peptides, but very little is known about its biological functions as growth-promoting factors in low vertebrates. In this work, we have cloned and characterized the PRP/PACAP cDNA from the commercially important North African catfish Clarias gariepinus. The sequence obtained agrees with the higher conservation of PACAP than of PRP peptide sequences. We have reported for the first time the recombinant expression of fish PRP and PACAP in mammalian cells and bacteria and also demonstrated that the growth rate of fish is enhanced by both PRP and PACAP recombinant peptides. The results obtained in vivo in three different fish species, catfish (C. gariepinus), tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and carp (Cyprinus carpio) support the finding that PACAP rather than PRP plays a primordial role in growth control in teleost fish. This finding could help to elucidate the neuroendocrine axis proposed to explain the hypothalamic regulation of growth in non-mammalian vertebrates.
A high-carbohydrate diet in the immediate postnatal life of rats induces adaptations predisposing to adult-onset obesity
Authors: Srinivasan Malathi , Mitrani Paul , Sadhanandan Gigani , Dodds Catherine , Shbeir-ElDika Suhad , Thamotharan Shanthie , Ghanim Hussam , Dandona Paresh , Devaskar Sherin U , Patel Mulchand S
Published: May 2008

Newborn rat pups artificially raised on a high-carbohydrate (HC) milk formula are chronically hyperinsulinemic and develop adult-onset obesity. As HC rats display aberrations in body weight regulation, hypothalamic adaptations predisposing to obesity have been investigated in this study. The artificial rearing of neonatal rat pups on the HC milk formula resulted in significant increases in the mRNA levels of neuropeptide Y, agouti-related polypeptide, and galanin in the hypothalamus of 12-day-old HC rats. Simultaneously, decreases in the mRNA levels of POMC, melanocortin receptor-4, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript, and corticotrophin-releasing factor were observed in the hypothalamus of these rats. These changes persisted in 100-day-old HC rats despite weaning onto a rodent diet on postnatal day 24. Marked hyperphagia and increased body weight gain were observed in the post-weaning period. The mRNA levels and protein content of insulin receptor β (IR-β) and leptin receptor (long form) showed significant decreases in the hypothalamus of both 12- and 100-day-old HC rats. Further investigation of insulin signaling in the hypothalamus of HC rats indicated significant decreases in the proximal signaling components (insulin receptor substrate proteins 1 and 2 and phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase) in 100-day-old HC rats. These results suggest that hypothalamic neuropeptides respond to the increased carbohydrate availability with associated hormonal alterations during the period of dietary modulation and that these adaptations by persisting in the post-weaning period predispose the HC rats for adult-onset obesity.
Biphasic response of endothelial progenitor cell proliferation induced by high glucose and its relationship with reactive oxygen species
Authors: Zhang Wei , Wang Xin-Hong , Chen Si-Feng , Zhang Guo-Ping , Lu Ning , Hu Ren-Ming , Jin Hui-Ming
Published: May 2008

In this study, the effect of high glucose (HG) on endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) proliferation and its relationship with cyclins and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated. Mouse EPCs were isolated from bone marrow using a magnetic activated cell-sorting system and cultured in the presence or absence of HG (30 mmol/l). We found that in the early stage of incubation (3 days), HG promoted cell proliferation, and increased the expressions of cdk2 and cyclin E, while in the late stage of culture (7 days) it inhibited cell proliferation and decreased the expressions of cdk2, cyclin E, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Moreover, on the third day after incubation, HG significantly inhibited the apoptosis of EPCs, while in the late stage it markedly activated caspase-3 and promoted apoptosis. ROS generation in cells and maleic dialdehyde level in medium were significantly increased in HG group on the seventh day, whereas the expressions of superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels decreased. Tempol, a membrane-permeable radical scavenger, significantly inhibited ROS production in EPCs and partially reversed the HG-mediated inhibition of EPCs proliferation on the seventh day. We hypothesize that in the HG environment, the biphasic response of EPC proliferation may be related to the generation of ROS, which causes modulation of cyclins and cell cycle effect.