bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in Coronary Care
Authors: ERICSSON CARL‐GÖRAN , LINDVALL BO , OLSSON GUNNAR , REHNQVIST NINA , STRANDBERG LARS‐ERIC , SVENSSON GÖRAN , ERHARDT LEIF
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Data on the 2008 patients in the Swedish Co‐operative Study from 1969 were compared with 773 consecutive cases with definite myocardial infarction (MI) admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) of Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm 1984–85. We found a significant decrease in hospital mortality from 26.6% to 12.9% despite the admission of older patients to our CCU. Mean age for men was 63.8 vs. 65.6 years and for women, 69.8 vs. 72.3. The incidence of previous hypertension and diabetes was higher and the incidence of heart failure and angina lower in 1984–85. No differences were noted as regards the incidence of ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation and AV‐block III in the acute phase despite a much more frequent use of antiarrhythmics in 1969 (33% vs. 4%). A decreased use of cardiac glucosides was also noted (34% vs. 16%). Asystole, however, was noted in 10% of the patients in 1969 compared with 3% in our patients. β‐Adrenergic blockers were not used in 1969 but commonly given in 1984–85 (67%), also in those with heart failure (54%). Delay between onset of symptoms and admission was longer in 1969, 47% being admitted within 6 hours compared with 75% in 1984–85. In conclusion, our study shows a marked change in the use of various cardiac drugs in the treatment of MI. Differences between the populations as regards mortality and different clinical findings are more difficult to evaluate and may also be explained by change in the selection of patients treated in the CCU.
Hypokalemia and Ventricular Arrhythmias in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: CLAUSEN TORBEN GROTH , BROCKS KIM , IBSEN HANS
Published: August 2010

Abstract.In the present study, 408 patients with acute myocardial infarction were included. The serum concentration of potassium was assessed on admission. Episodes of ventricular fibrillation and/or ventricular tachycardia within the following 6 hours were registered. A significant positive correlation between hypokalemia and the incidence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias was demonstrated. Ongoing treatment with diuretics at the time of admission did not appear to be of any significance for the development of ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Out of 100 hypokalemic patients, only 33 were treated with diuretics. The main reason for hypokalemia in the early phase of an acute myocardial infarction is most likely an activation of the sympathetic nervous system leading to an influx of potassium from the extracellular to the intracellular body fluid compartment.
Long‐term Efficacy of Flecainide in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: SONNHAG CHRISTINE , KALLRYD ANDERS , NYLANDER EVA , RYDÉN LARS
Published: August 2010

Abstract. The efficacy and safety of flecainide for long‐term prevention of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were studied in an open trial. Twenty patients with very frequent attacks (mean 13 per month) of paroxysmal AF for many years (mean 8 years) participated. Before inclusion, the patients had unsuccessfully been treated with an average of 3.3 antiarrhythmic drugs. Efficacy was jugded from a carefully kept diary in which the patients made daily notes of any AF attacks and possible side‐effects from 1 month before treatment until the end of a follow‐up period of 6 months. Twelve patients (60%) were completely free from AF and 11 of these are still successfully treated with flecainide after 11–38 months (mean 24 months). Flecainide plasma levels did not differ between responders and non‐responders. Eleven patients (55%) had adverse effects but these were usually mild and well tolerated, necessitating withdrawal or dose reduction resulting in relapse of AF only in three patients (15%). No proarrhythmic events were seen.
Haematological Abnormalities and Reference Intervals in the Elderly
Authors: NILSSON‐EHLE HERMAN , JAGENBURG RUDOLF , LANDAHL STEN , SVANBORG ALVAR , WESTIN JAN
Published: August 2010

Abstract. We compared three representative population samples aged 70 (n=312), 75 (n=486) and 81 (n=404) years. Anaemia defined either as blood haemoglobin concentration below the corresponding health‐related lower reference limits or according to WHO was, in the total study groups, more common at age 81. Anaemia of unknown cause was rare, but somewhat more common at age 81. Mean blood haemoglobin concentrations in subsamples without definable disorders were significantly lower at age 81 than at ages 70 and 75, whereas the lower health‐related reference limits did not differ significantly. White blood cell counts tended to be lower and iron deficiency was somewhat more common at age 81. No significant differences were found in platelet counts or in the prevalence of low plasma cobalamin concentrations. These results indicate a fall in blood haemoglobin with advancing age. The arbitrary WHO criteria for anaemia are clinically applicable at age 70–81.
Atrial Arrhythmias—the Dominating Cardiac Problem in Three Patients with HLA B27 Associated Rheumatic Disorders
Authors: BERGFELDT LENNART , ROSENQVIST MÅRTEN
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Three young patients with atrial arrhythmias as the probable consequence of an HLA B27 associated inflammatory disease process are described. They are presented as an expansion of the spectrum of cardiac manifestations that can be seen in patients with HLA B27 associated rheumatic disorders, and as possible evidence of myocardial involvement of this disease process.
The purge of genetic load through restricted panmixia in a Drosophila experiment
Authors: Ávila V. , Amador C. , García-Dorado A.
Published: August 2010

Using Drosophila melanogaster, we explore the consequences of restricted panmixia (RP) on the genetic load caused by segregating deleterious recessive alleles in a population where females mate a full sib with probability about ½ and mate randomly otherwise. We find that this breeding structure purges roughly half the load concealed in heterozygous condition. Furthermore, fitness did not increase after panmixia was restored, implying that, during RP, the excess of expressed load induced by inbreeding had also been efficiently purged. We find evidences for adaptation to laboratory conditions and to specific selective pressures imposed by the RP protocol. We discuss some of the consequences of these results, both for the evolution of population breeding structures and for the design of conservation programmes.
Pollinator‐mediated selection in a specialized pollination system: matches and mismatches across populations
Authors: NATTERO J. , COCUCCI A. A. , MEDEL R.
Published: August 2010

Most studies on pollinator‐mediated selection have been performed in generalized rather than specialized pollination systems. This situation has impeded evaluation of the extent to which selection acts on attraction or specialized key floral traits involved in the plant‐pollinator phenotypic interphase. We studied pollinator‐mediated selection in four populations ofNierembergia linariifolia, a self‐incompatible and oil‐secreting plant pollinated exclusively by oil‐collecting bees. We evaluated whether floral traits experience variable selection among populations and whether attraction and fit traits are heterogeneously selected across populations. Populations differed in every flower trait and selection was consistently observed for corolla size and flower shape, two traits involved in the first steps of the pollination process. However, we found no selection acting on mechanical‐fit traits. The observation that selection occurred upon attraction rather than mechanical‐fit traits, suggests that plants are not currently evolving fine‐tuned morphological adaptations to local pollinators and that phenotypic matching is not necessarily an expected outcome in this specialized pollination system.
Female Cape sugarbirds (Promerops cafer) modify egg investment both for extra‐pair mates and for male tail length
Authors: McFARLANE M. L. , CHERRY M. I. , EVANS M. R.
Published: August 2010

The differential allocation hypothesis predicts that females should invest more in reproduction when paired with attractive males. We measured egg volume in Cape sugarbirds (Promerops cafer), a sexually dimorphic passerine, in relation to paternity of the offspring and in response to an experimental tail length treatment. We manipulated tail length, after pair formation, but before egg laying: males had their tails either shortened or left unmanipulated. Our manipulation was designed to affect female allocation in a particular breeding attempt rather than long‐term mate choice: males with shortened tails would appear to be signalling at a lower level than they should given their quality. We found that egg volume was smaller in the nests of males with experimentally shortened tails but larger when the offspring were the result of extra‐pair matings. Both these findings are consistent with the differential allocation hypothesis. We suggest that tail length may be used by females as a cue for mate quality, eliciting reduced female investment when breeding with social mates; and with males with shortened tails.
The octahaem SirA catalyses dissimilatory sulfite reduction in Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1
Authors: Shirodkar Sheetal , Reed Samantha , Romine Margie , Saffarini Daad
Published: August 2010

Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 is a metal reducer that uses a large number of electron acceptors including thiosulfate, polysulfide and sulfite. The enzyme required for thiosulfate and polysulfide respiration has been recently identified, but the mechanisms of sulfite reduction remained unexplored. Analysis of MR‐1 cultures grown anaerobically with sulfite suggested that the dissimilatory sulfite reductase catalyses six‐electron reduction of sulfite to sulfide. Reduction of sulfite required menaquinones but was independent of the intermediate electron carrier CymA. Furthermore, the terminal sulfite reductase, SirA, was identified as an octahaem c cytochrome with an atypical haem binding site. The sulfite reductase of S. oneidensis MR‐1 does not appear to be a sirohaem enzyme, but represents a new class of sulfite reductases. The gene that encodes SirA is located within a 10‐gene locus that is predicted to encode a component of a specialized haem lyase, a menaquinone oxidase and copper transport proteins. This locus was identified in the genomes of several Shewanella species and appears to be linked to the ability of these organisms to reduce sulfite under anaerobic conditions.
Time‐series analyses of Monterey Bay coastal microbial picoplankton using a ‘genome proxy’ microarray
Authors: Rich Virginia I. , Pham Vinh D. , Eppley John , Shi Yanmei , DeLong Edward F.
Published: August 2010

To investigate the temporal, spatial and phylogenetic resolution of marine microbial community structure and variability, we designed and expanded a genome proxy array (an oligonucleotide microarray targeting marine microbial genome fragments and genomes), evaluated it against metagenomic sequencing, and applied it to time‐series samples from the Monterey Bay. The expanded array targeted 268 microbial genotypes across much of the known diversity of cultured and uncultured marine microbes. The target abundances measured by the array were highly correlated to pyrosequence‐based abundances (linear regression R2 = 0.85–0.91, P < 0.0001). Fifty‐seven samples from ∼4 years in Monterey Bay were examined with the array, spanning the photic zone (0 m), the base of the surface mixed layer (30 m) and the subphotic zone (200 m). A significant portion of the expanded genome proxy array's targets showed signal (95 out of 268 targets present in ≥ 1 sample). The multi‐year community survey showed the consistent presence of a core group of common and abundant targeted taxa at each depth in Monterey Bay, higher variability among shallow than deep samples, and episodic occurrences of more transient marine genotypes. The abundance of the most dominant genotypes peaked after strong episodic upwelling events. The genome‐proxy array's ability to track populations of closely related genotypes indicated population shifts within several abundant target taxa, with specific populations in some cases clustering by depth or oceanographic season. Although 51 cultivated organisms were targeted (representing 19% of the array) the majority of targets detected and of total target signal (85% and ∼92% respectively) were from uncultivated genotypes, often those derived from Monterey Bay. The array provided a relatively cost‐effective approach (∼$15 per array) for surveying the natural history of uncultivated lineages.
Cochabamba and climate anthropology (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Lindisfarne Nancy
Published: August 2010

Following the collapse of the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December 2009, Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia, called for a World People's Conference on Climate Change. 35,000 people attended the conference in Cochabamba in April determined to keep climate politics on the global agenda. Nancy Lindisfarne writes about the growth of this international social movement with a keen eye to how anthropologists, and the discipline of anthropology as a whole, are responding practically and theoretically to the social consequences of climate change.
Immigration to the Land of Redistribution
Authors: BOERI TITO
Published: August 2010

Negative perceptions about migrants in Europe are driven by concerns that foreigners abuse welfare. Paradoxically, instruments of social inclusion are becoming weapons of mass exclusion. We compare evidence on welfare access and the net fiscal position of migrants with perceptions based on a largely unexploited database (EU‐SILC). We find no evidence that legal migrants, notably skilled migrants, are net recipients of transfers from the state. However, there is evidence of ‘residual dependency’ on non‐contributory transfers and self‐selection of unskilled migrants in the countries with the most generous welfare states. Alternative strategies to unbundle migration from welfare access are discussed.
Two‐year predictive validity of conduct disorder subtypes in early adolescence: a latent class analysis of a Canadian longitudinal sample
Authors: Lacourse Eric , Baillargeon Raymond , Dupéré Véronique , Vitaro Frank , Romano Elisa , Tremblay Richard
Published: August 2010

Background:  Investigating the latent structure of conduct disorder (CD) can help clarify how symptoms related to aggression, property destruction, theft, and serious violations of rules cluster in individuals with this disorder. Discovering homogeneous subtypes can be useful for etiologic, treatment, and prevention purposes depending on the qualitative or quantitative nature of the symptomatology. The aim of the present study is twofold: identify subtypes of CD in young adolescents based on latent class analysis (LCA) and investigate the two‐year predictive validity of CD subtypes on deviant and criminal lifestyles.

Methods:  Adolescent‐reported CD symptoms were collected using the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Three cohorts of 12–13‐year‐olds were assessed during 1994–1995, 1996–1997, and 1998–1999 (N = 4,125).

Results:  Latent class analyses yielded 4 distinct subtypes: No CD (82.4%); Non‐Aggressive CD (‘NACD’, 13.9%); Physically Aggressive CD (‘PACD’, 2.3%); and Severe‐Mixed CD (‘SMCD’, 1.4%). Predictive validity at age 14–15 was non‐specific, although the SMCD type had, by far, the highest odds of deviant and criminal lifestyle outcomes in comparison to youth with PACD or NACD. NACD and PACD had similar odds of deviant outcomes, even if most NACD youth were subthreshold CD (fewer than three symptoms).

Conclusion:  In early adolescence, CD is qualitatively and quantitatively heterogeneous, suggesting multiple developmental pathways. However, they appear to predict similarly violent and non‐violent outcomes.
Anxious attachment style and salivary cortisol dysregulation in healthy female children and adolescents
Authors: Oskis Andrea , Loveday Catherine , Hucklebridge Frank , Thorn Lisa , Clow Angela
Published: August 2010

Background:  Attachment style has been linked with basal cortisol secretion in healthy adult women. We investigated whether dysregulation in basal cortisol secretion may be evident in younger healthy females.

Methods:  Sixty healthy females aged 9–18 years (mean 14.16, SD ± 2.63 years) participated in the Attachment Style Interview (ASI). Eight saliva samples, synchronised to awakening, were collected per day on two consecutive weekdays to examine the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and the subsequent diurnal decline.

Results:  Participants exhibiting an anxious attachment style had higher cortisol levels on awakening, in contrast to those who were securely attached. The anxious insecure group also showed an attenuated CAR compared to all other participants. Attachment style groups did not differ in cortisol secretion over the remainder of the day.

Conclusions:  These findings indicate that the same pattern of cortisol dysregulation associated with disorder in adulthood manifests as a function of anxious (but not avoidant) insecure attachment style in females during healthy childhood and adolescence.
Microglial activation mediates de novo lysophosphatidic acid production in a model of neuropathic pain
Authors: Ma Lin , Nagai Jun , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: August 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 643–653.

We recently demonstrated that de novo lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) production in the spinal cord occurs in the early phase after nerve injury or LPA injection, and underlies the peripheral mechanisms of neuropathic pain. In this study, we examined the possible involvement of spinal cord microglia in such LPA‐mediated functions. Intrathecal LPA injection rapidly increased the gene expression of CD11b and protein expression of phosphor‐p38, accompanied by a morphological change of microglia from a ramified to amoeboid shape. Although early treatment with minocycline significantly inhibited LPA‐induced neuropathic pain‐like behavior and microglial activation, late treatment did not. Early treatment with minocycline also blocked LPA‐evoked de novo LPA production and the increased activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2, an LPA synthesis‐related enzyme. Similar results were observed when the sciatic nerve was partially injured: early, but not late, treatment with minocycline significantly inhibited the injury‐induced neuropathic pain, microglial activation, de novo LPA production and the underlying increased activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 as well as calcium‐independent phospholipase A2, another LPA synthesis‐related enzyme. These findings suggest that the early phase of microglial activation is involved in de novo LPA production, and that this underlies the initial mechanisms of nerve injury‐induced neuropathic pain.
Evidence for multiple burial–partial exhumation cycles from the Onodani eclogites in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan
Authors: KABIR M. F. , TAKASU A.
Published: August 2010

Eclogites from the Onodani area in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt of central Shikoku occur as layers or lenticular bodies within basic schists. These eclogites experienced three different metamorphic episodes during multiple burial and exhumation cycles. The early prograde stage of the first metamorphic event is recorded by relict eclogite facies inclusions within garnet cores (XSps 0.80–0.24, XAlm 0–0.47). These inclusions consist of relatively almandine‐rich garnet (XSps 0.13–0.24, XAlm 0.36–0.45), aegirine‐augite/omphacite (XJd 0.08–0.28), epidote, amphiboles (e.g. actinolite, winchite, barroisite and taramite), albite, phengite, chlorite, calcite, titanite, hematite and quartz. The garnet cores also contain polyphase inclusions consisting of almandine‐rich garnet, omphacite (XJd 0.27–0.28), amphiboles (e.g. actinolite, winchite, barroisite, taramite and katophorite) and phengite. The peak P–T conditions of the first eclogite facies metamorphism are estimated to be 530–590 °C and 19–21 kbar succeeded by retrogression into greenschist facies. The second prograde metamorphism began at greenschist facies conditions. The peak metamorphic conditions are defined by schistosity‐forming omphacites (XJd ≤ 49) and garnet rims containing inclusions of barroisitic amphibole, phengite, rutile and quartz. The estimated peak metamorphic conditions are 630–680 °C and 20–22 kbar followed by a clockwise retrograde P–T path with nearly isothermal decompression to 8–12 kbar. In veins cross‐cutting the eclogite schistosity, resorbed barroisite/Mg‐katophorite occurs as inclusions in glaucophane which is zoned to barroisite, suggesting a prograde metamorphism of the third metamorphic event. The peak P–T conditions of this metamorphic event are estimated to be 540–600 °C and 6.5–8 kbar. These metamorphic conditions are correlated with those of the surrounding non‐eclogitic Sambagawa schists. The Onodani eclogites were formed by subduction of an oceanic plate, and metamorphism occurred beneath an accretionary prism. These high‐P/T type metamorphic events took place in a very short time span between 100 and 90 Ma. Plate reconstructions indicate highly oblique subduction of the Izanagi plate beneath the Eurasian continent at a high spreading rate. This probably resulted in multiple burial and exhumation movements of eclogite bodies, causing plural metamorphic events. The eclogite body was juxtaposed with non‐eclogitic Sambagawa schists at glaucophane stability field conditions. The amalgamated metamorphic sequence including the Onodani eclogites were exhumed to shallow crustal/surface levels in early Eocene times (c. 50 Ma).
What Effect Did AIG's Bailout, and the Preceding Events, Have on Its Competitors?
Authors: Egginton Jared F. , Hilliard James I. , Liebenberg Andre P. , Liebenberg Ivonne A.
Published: August 2010

Abstract

We examine the effect of American International Group's (AIG) bailout, and the events leading up to it, on its insurance industry rivals. The reaction of rivals to AIG‐related events depends on the relative strength of two competing effects. The contagion effect implies that rival returns will decrease following negative events affecting AIG. In contrast, competitive effects will occur if investors expect that rivals will be able to benefit from AIG's downfall. Using three‐factor multivariate regression model event study methodology, we find evidence of both effects around several key dates in AIG's decline.
Depth of response assessed by quantitative ASO‐PCR predicts the outcome after stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma
Authors: Putkonen Mervi , Kairisto Veli , Juvonen Vesa , Pelliniemi Tarja‐Terttu , Rauhala Auvo , Itälä‐Remes Maija , Remes Kari
Published: August 2010

Achievement of complete response (CR) is a new goal of therapy for multiple myeloma (MM). By sensitive methods, the depth of response can be measured even among the patients in CR. We used a sensitive real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction by allele‐specific primers (qASO‐PCR) to assess the level of minimal residual disease (MRD) in bone marrow of 37 patients with myeloma who had achieved CR/near‐to‐CR after autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Allele‐specific primers could be successfully designed for 86% of patients. Three to six months after autotransplantation, the PCR target was not detectable in 53% of patients (16/30 patients), and the respective figure after allotransplantation was 71% (5/7 patients); the median sensitivity of PCR assay was <0.002%. The proportion of patients without detectable PCR target was 22% of all autotransplanted patients. A threshold level of 0.01% in the qASO‐PCR assay 3–6 months after SCT was found to be a useful cut‐off limit to divide the patients into two prognostic groups: MRD low/negative vs. MRD high. Low/negative MRD after SCT was a significant predictive factor for the prolongation of progression free (70 vs. 19 months; P = 0.003) and suggestively also for overall survival. We conclude that not only CR but also its depth is important for the long‐term outcome in MM.
Weighted performance index for objective evaluation of border detection methods in dermoscopy images
Authors: Garnavi Rahil , Aldeen Mohammad , Celebi M. E.
Published: August 2010

Purpose: This paper presents a novel approach for objective evaluation of border detection in dermoscopy images of melanoma.

Background: In melanoma studies, border detection is a fundamental step toward the development of a computer‐aided diagnosis system. Therefore, its accuracy is essential for accurate implementation of the subsequent parts of the diagnostic system.

Method: An objective evaluation procedure of border detection methods is presented. The evaluation procedure uses the weighted performance index, which is composed of weighted metrics of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, border error and similarity. This index can also be used to optimize the parameters of a border detection method.

Result and conclusion: Experiments are performed on 55 high‐resolution dermoscopy images. Using the union of four sets of dermatologist‐drawn borders as the ground truth, weighted metrics of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, border error and similarity are evaluated. Then, the weighted performance index is constructed and used to optimize the parameters of the hybrid border detection method. The outcome of the optimization process, verified through statistical analysis, yields a higher degree of agreement between automatic borders and the ground truth, compared with using standard metrics only. Finally, the weighted performance index is used to evaluate five recently reported border detection methods.
Tumor suppressor p16INK4a: Downregulation of galectin‐3, an endogenous competitor of the pro‐anoikis effector galectin‐1, in a pancreatic carcinoma model
Authors: Sanchez‐Ruderisch Hugo , Fischer Christian , Detjen Katharina M. , Welzel Martina , Wimmel Anja , Manning Joachim C. , André Sabine , Gabius Hans‐Joachim
Published: August 2010

The tumor suppressor p16INK4ahas functions beyond cell‐cycle control via cyclin‐dependent kinases. A coordinated remodeling ofN‐ andO‐glycosylation, and an increase in the presentation of the endogenous lectin galectin‐1 sensing these changes on the surface of p16INK4a‐expressing pancreatic carcinoma cells (Capan‐1), lead to potent pro‐anoikis signals. We show that the p16INK4a‐dependent impact on growth‐regulatory lectins is not limited to galectin‐1, but also concerns galectin‐3. By monitoring its expression in relation to p16INK4astatus, as well as running anoikis assays with galectin‐3 and cell transfectants with up‐ or downregulated lectin expression, a negative correlation between anoikis and the presence of this lectin was established. Nuclear run‐off and northern blotting experiments revealed an effect of the presence of p16INK4aon steady‐state levels of galectin‐3‐specific mRNA that differed from decreasing the transcriptional rate. On the cell surface, galectin‐3 interferes with galectin‐1, which initiates signaling toward its pro‐anoikis activity via caspase‐8 activation. The detected opposite effects of p16INK4aat the levels of growth‐regulatory galectins‐1 and ‐3 shift the status markedly towards the galectin‐1‐dependent pro‐anoikis activity. A previously undescribed orchestrated fine‐tuning of this effector system by a tumor suppressor is discovered.
Angiogenin prevents serum withdrawal‐induced apoptosis of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells
Authors: Li Shuping , Yu Wenhao , Kishikawa Hiroko , Hu Guo‐fu
Published: August 2010

Angiogenin is a 14 kDa protein originally identified as an angiogenic protein. Recent development has shown that angiogenin acts on both endothelial cells and neuronal cells. Loss‐of‐function mutations in the coding region of the ANG gene have recently been identified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Angiogenin has been shown to control motor neuron survival and protect neurons from apoptosis under various stress conditions. In this article, we characterize the anti‐apoptotic activity of angiogenin in pluripotent P19 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells. Angiogenin prevents serum withdrawal‐induced apoptosis. Angiogenin upregulates anti‐apoptotic genes, including Bag1, Bcl‐2, Hells, Nf‐κb and Ripk1, and downregulates pro‐apoptotic genes, such as Bak1, Tnf, Tnfr, Traf1 and Trp63. Knockdown of Bcl‐2 largely abolishes the anti‐apoptotic activity of angiogenin, whereas the inhibition of Nf‐κb activity results in a partial, but significant, inhibition of the protective activity of angiogenin. Thus, angiogenin prevents stress‐induced cell death through both the Bcl‐2 and Nf‐κb pathways.
Differential roles of the pRb and Arf/p53 pathways in murine naevus and melanoma genesis
Authors: Ferguson Blake , Konrad Muller H. , Handoko Herlina Y. , Khosrotehrani Kiarash , Beermann Friedrich , Hacker Elke , Peter Soyer H. , Bosenberg Marcus , Walker Graeme J.
Published: August 2010

We report on a systematic analysis of genotype‐specific melanocyte (MC) UVR responses in transgenic mouse melanoma models along with tumour penetrance and comparative histopathology. pRb or p53 pathway mutations cooperated with NrasQ61K to transform MCs. We previously reported that MCs migrate from the follicular outer root sheath into the epidermis after neonatal UVR. Here, we found that Arf or p53 loss markedly diminished this response. Despite this, mice carrying these mutations developed melanoma with very early age of onset after neonatal UVR. Cdk4R24C did not affect the MC migration. Instead, independent of UVR exposure, interfollicular dermal MCs were more prevalent in Cdk4R24C mice. Subsequently, in adulthood, these mutants developed dermal MC proliferations reminiscent of superficial congenital naevi. Two types of melanoma were observed in this model. The location and growth pattern of the first was consistent with derivation from the naevi, while the second appeared to be of deep dermal origin. In animals carrying the Arf or p53 defects, no naevi were detected, with all tumours ostensibly skipping the benign precursor stage in progression.
Ileocecal Adenocarcinoma and Ureteral Transitional Cell Carcinoma with Multiple Sebaceous Tumors and Keratoacanthomas in a Case of Muir‐Torre Syndrome
Authors: Lynch Michael C. , Anderson Bryan E.
Published: August 2010

Cutaneous neoplasms including sebaceous tumors, keratoacanthomas, and basal cell carcinomas with sebaceous differentiation can be markers of internal malignancy associated with the Muir‐Torre Syndrome (MTS). We report a 56‐year‐old man with a diagnosis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) and ureteral transitional cell carcinoma who subsequently developed two sebaceous gland neoplasms and several keratoacanthomas, leading to the diagnosis of MTS. Our case highlights the clinical advantages of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in identifying mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes responsible for both HNPCC and MTS. The importance of continued clinical suspicion in the dermatological assessment of patients with sebaceous neoplasms is emphasized.
On the Validity of the Dynamical Mean-Field Approximation for Studying the Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model on a Square Lattice
Authors: Ribeiro A. N. , Macedo C. A.
Published: August 2010

The dynamical mean-field approximation (DMFA) becomes exact in the limit of infinite dimensions, and allows results to be obtained in a nonperturbative regime without the limitations normally found with exact diagonalization (ED) and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. In this paper, we investigate the applicability of the method to lattices with small coordination number in special situations. Specifically we use this approximation to study the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model on a square lattice far from half filling. In this situation, we calculate the specific heat and find that when the filling decreases, that is, antiferromagnetic correlations become less important, the agreement between DMFA and QMC results increases. Our results show that the DMFA can be a valuable technique for studying the thermodynamic properties of the Hubbard model also on a square lattice, but within a parameter range in which the antiferromagnetic correlations are not important.
Rapid-Onset Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in a Patient Undergoing Metastatic Liver Resection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Brenner Thorsten , Motsch Johann , Werner Jens , Grenacher Lars , Martin Eike , Hofer Stefan
Published: August 2010

Metastatic liver resection following cytoreductive chemotherapy is an accepted treatment for oligometastatic tumor diseases. Although pulmonary complications are frequently reported in patients undergoing liver surgery including liver transplantation, life-threatening acute respiratory failures in the absence of aspiration, embolism, transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), pulmonary infection, or an obvious source of systemic sepsis are rare. We performed an extensive clinical review of a patient undergoing metastatic liver resection who had a clinical course compatible to an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) without an obvious cause except for the surgical procedure and multiple preoperative chemotherapies. We hypothesize that either the surgical procedure mediated by cytokines and tumor necrosis factor or possible toxic effects of oxygen applied during general anesthesia were associated with life-threatening respiratory failure in the patient. Discrete and subclinical inflammated alveoli (probably due to multiple preoperative chemotherapies with substances at potential risk for interstitial pneumonitis as well as chest radiation) might therefore be considered as risk factors.
A New Strategy to Pretreat Carbon Nanofiber and Its Application in Determination of Dopamine
Authors: Liu Dong , Liu Yang , Hou Haoqing , You Tianyan
Published: August 2010

A novel sonochemical process, using hydrogen peroxide in a laboratory ultrasonic bath, was employed to pretreat the carbon nanofiber (CNF) for creating oxygen‐rich groups on the surface of CNF. After the sonochemical process, the CNF showed good hydrophilicity and high electrochemical activity. Compared to normal pretreatment process, this sonochemical process is timesaving and effective for dispersion and functionalization of CNF. The resulting CNF showed high catalytic activity toward the oxidation of DA. A carbon paste electrode modified by CNF (CPE‐CNF) was used to determine the dopamine (DA) in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA). The detection limit is 0.05 μM, with the linear range from 0.05 μM to 6.4 μM.
Ferromagnetic Property and Synthesis of Onion-Like Fullerenes by Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Fe and Co Catalysts Supported on NaCl
Authors: Yang Yongzhen , Liu Xuguang , Han Yanxing , Ren Wenfang , Xu Bingshe
Published: August 2010

Metal-encapsulating onion-like fullerenes (M@OLFs) were synthesized by CVD at relatively low temperature (420C∘) using Fe and Co nanoparticles impregnated into NaCl as catalyst. The morphology and structure of the products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that Fe@OLFs and Co@OLFs with stacked graphitic fragments were prepared using Fe/NaCl or Co/NaCl as catalysts; after Co@OLFs were immersed in concentrated HCl for 48 hours, Co nanoparticles encapsulated by carbon shells were not removed, meaning that carbon shells can protect the encapsulated Co cores against environmental degradation. The coercivity value (750.23 Oe) of Co@OLFs showed an obvious magnetic property.
Synthesis of Bismuth Ferrite Nanoparticles via a Wet Chemical Route at Low Temperature
Authors: Hu Yongming , Fei Linfeng , Zhang Yiling , Yuan Jikang , Wang Yu , Gu Haoshuang
Published: August 2010

Nanoparticles (NPs) of multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) with narrow size distributions were synthesized via a wet chemical route using bismuth nitrate and iron nitrate as starting materials and excess tartaric acid and citric acid as chelating agent, respectively, followed by thermal treatment. It was found that BiFeO3NPs crystallized at∼350∘Cwhen using citric acid as chelating agent. Such crystallization temperature is much lower than that of conventional chemical process in which other types of chelating agent are used. BiFeO3NPs with different sizes distributions show obvious ferromagnetic properties, and the magnetization is increased with reducing the particle size.
Speaking of Flowers: Theatre, Public Culture, and Homoerotic Writing in Nineteenth-Century Beijing
Authors: Cuncun Wu , Stevenson Mark
Published: August 2010

This paper examines the nineteenth-century flourishing of a homoerotic theatre literature paralleling the development of jingju (Beijing opera), theorizing its impact on public culture in the Chinese capital. Popular among literati gentlemen, "flower guides" (huapu) extolling the beauty of boy actors (xiao ling) have left a valuable record of the busy social life that centered upon Beijing's theatres and nearby restaurants and nightclubs. With reference to the writings of Roland Barthes the authors argue that flower guide circulation contributed to the formation of new types of public space and new ways of "performing the self" associated with theatre in early modern China, a space they call "epitheatre."
Drama of Disillusionment: Nepal's Theatre, 1990–2006
Authors: Davis Carol C.
Published: August 2010

Dramas reflecting disillusionment characterize Nepal's theatre in the postdemocratic period of 1990–2006. The despair portrayed in the plays of this period suggests a shift in sensibility from the previous decade, when hope and optimism were prevailing characteristics. Street theatre had played an important role in the prodemocracy movement of 1980–1990 by raising awareness about issues that needed to be addressed, and emerging theatre artists were also prodemocracy activists. Nepal's burgeoning contemporary theatre spoke of the hope brought by democracy's promise. The optimism reflected in the plays of the prodemocracy movement, however, was eventually replaced by disillusionment in postdemocracy dramas, revealing a sense of despair at the corruption and violence. This paper discusses the dynamics of that despair in the work of the two most prominent playwrights of Nepal's theatre at the time, Asesh Malla and Abhi Subedi.
The Trajectory of Basque Literature for Children and Young People
Authors: Erle Xabier Etxaniz
Published: August 2010

The author provides a brief history of Basque children's literature from its roots in the oral tradition to modern examples of critical realism and poetry for young people.
Panorama of a New Century: Children's Literature in Catalan
Authors: Mañà Teresa
Published: August 2010

Teresa Mañà takes the pulse of children's literature in Catalan and determines that it has a normal healthy heartbeat. Our readers will learn about what constitutes normalization and the status of the vital signs among major publishers, authors, and illustrators. In the process they will enjoy a sampling of the outstanding literature that has been produced in Catalan.
The Lineage of The Blue Hen: Galician Literature for Children at the Turn of the Century
Authors: Aleixandre Marilar
Published: August 2010

This overview of Galician children's literature highlights the powerful and sometimes subversive role that books for the young play in dealing with issues of freedom, language, love, war, and violence, whether told fancifully or realistically.
Children's Literature and Reading in Spain: A Snapshot
Authors: Molist Pep , Portell Joan
Published: August 2010

Molist and Portell offer a "snapshot" of the state of reading, libraries, literature, and publishing in Spain, noting major trends, titles, publishers, and authors who are making a significant impact on the future of literature for young people in all the regions of Spain.
Twenty years of the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award
Authors: Page Elizabeth
Published: August 2010

IBBY has been recognizing reading promotion projects for twenty years now with the support of renowned Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun. Read about the award's history, process, criteria, jury, and recipients here.
Sephardic Scholarly Worlds: Toward a Novel Geography of Modern Jewish History
Authors: Cohen Julia Phillips , Stein Sarah Abrevaya
Published: August 2010

This article presents synthetically the scholarly contributions of four generations of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Sephardic intellectuals, pioneers of the field of Sephardic Studies, who were born in the Ottoman and post-Ottoman Balkans and Levant. These individuals participated in a world of Judeo-Spanish letters that stretched from Jerusalem to Vienna, Livorno to Cairo, Adrianople to Ruschuk, and Sofia to Sarajevo, but whose center of gravity lay somewhere between the Ottoman port cities of Salonica, Izmir, and Istanbul, cities with the largest and longest-running Ladino printing presses and the three largest Judeo-Spanish communities of the period. In the mid-nineteenth century, this unorganized collection of scholars began pursuing the study of Sephardic communities as they read the works of the German and East European Haskalah, translated Hebrew as well as western literatures and contributed to the flowering of the Ladino press. As the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire contracted, and as they witnessed a series of wars and disasters—most dramatically the near destruction of various Balkan Jewish communities during the Second World War—they began producing serious scholarship on the history and traditions of their own communities, compelled as much by their commitment to scientific studies as by their sense that the world of Judeo-Spanish culture they knew so intimately was poised to disappear. As the authors reconstruct this history, they argue that modern Sephardic intellectual history existed not in the form of a few isolated or marginalized thinkers, but in dynamic engagement with a wide landscape of Jewish and non-Jewish thought.
Female Sportscaster Credibility: Has Appearance Taken Precedence?
Authors: Davis Daniel Cochece , Krawczyk Janielle
Published: August 2010

Using video and audio clips, physical appearance is explored in communicator credibility, physical attractiveness, stereotypes and career barriers, sports audiences, and media richness for sex differences in sportscaster credibility across media types. Results indicate attractiveness is positively correlated with competence, expertness, dynamism, and trustworthiness, except when sportscasters are highly attractive. Visual versus auditory media significantly impacts perceived attractiveness of female sportscasters. Both males and females find physical attractiveness unimportant in rating credibility of a sportscaster.
For Members and Markets: Neoliberalism and Cooperativism in Mendoza's Wine Industry
Authors: Corby Julia H. Kentnor
Published: August 2010

Este artículo explora como las reformas neoliberales en Argentina han presentado al sector cooperativa vitivinícola la potencial para éxito y al mismo tiempo, desafíos para la supervivencia. La formación de la Federación de Cooperativas Vitivinícolas Argentinas (FeCoVitA) ilustra como algunas cooperativas en Latina América se enfrentan a la competencia que acompaña la globalización y las reformas económicas neoliberales por la centralización de poder organizacional. Pero, FeCoVitA diverge de las aserciones escolares cuales dicen que esta tipa de centralización resultara en menos beneficios a los socios. FeCoVitA, como empresa de marketing y embotellamiento del sistema cooperativa, tenía éxito en ayudar a sus cooperativas asociadas superar los recientes crisis de consumo y financiero. Se ha convertido en uno de las entidades más poderosas en la industria. Brinda un muestrario de beneficios a sus miembros y ha probado que tiene, como organización, una flexibilidad y una innovación notable.
Causas de un desastre: Inundaciones del 2007 en Tabasco, México
Authors: Perevochtchikova María , de la Torre José Luis Lezama
Published: August 2010

The objective of the present work is to determine the probable causes of the floods that occurred in October of 2007 in the state of Tabasco that covered some 62% of the state territory. In undertaking the study the methodological concept of the social construction of risk was utilized, identifying the disaster of the 2007 as a product of the inseparable interaction of the natural and anthropogenic (social) elements, involving factors and actors. The study also discusses the complex problematic related to the absence of systemic measures of protection and implementation which derives from the lack of integral analysis of the floods and the current existing restrictions in the access to information on the part of the population.
The French Military Confront Mexico's Geography: the Expedition of 1862-67
Authors: Puyo Jean-Yves
Published: August 2010

Para los franceses, a mediados del siglo XIX, México constituía una verdadera terra incognita. Por eso, el cuerpo expedicionario francés enviado por Napoleón III se encargó de llevar nuevos y precisos mapas del territorio mexicano y de realizar cuadros geográficos de sus provincias, haciendo hincapié en sus potencialidades económicas y demográficas. Como consecuencia, en los archivos militares de Vincennes existe un importante número de documentos que nos aportan un enfoque nuevo y completamente inédito sobre la mirada de los franceses hacia las 'realidades' mexicanas de ese tiempo y también sobre las relaciones Francia - Estados Unidos de América.
Crime and Criminals in Plato’s Laws
Authors: Hunter Virginia
Published: August 2010

Le livre 9 des Lois de Platon représente l’embryon d’un code criminel inséré dans un code plus général lequel soulève des questions d’ordre social, économique, domestique et religieuse. Le livre débute par la définition « des délits les plus graves » entraînant des poursuites judiciaires (en fait, les crimes). Selon cette définition, ils sont difficiles même impossibles à réparer, offensant pour les dieux et dommageables pour la communauté. Puis, dans un ordre logique et systématique, Platon énumère une série de crimes, le tribunal habilité à juger chacun d’entre eux et les peines infligées aux coupables—généralement punis au nom de la communauté, ici la polis (l’État). Au regard de la définition et du châtiment, les délits les plus graves aux yeux de Platon correspondent à la définition ancienne du crime. Ce ne serait donc pas exagérer que d’avancer que, avec ce code, Platon a formulé la première classification systématique des crimes dans la pensée judiciaire et philosophique grecque. Enfin, en incluant plusieurs procès parmi les délits les plus graves, Platon nous aide à reconceptualiser la distinction entre droit privé et public à Athènes.
A Note on Mardonius’ Emissaries
Authors: Sears Matthew A.
Published: August 2010

Selon Hérodote, le Perse Mardonius est un général impétueux, téméraire et le jouet d’ambitions démesurées. Les événements, en revanche, révèlent en Mardonius non seulement un chef astucieux et capable, mais aussi un commandant versé dans l’art de la diplomatie. Un exemple éclairant en est son choix des légats envoyés aux Grecs.
Syncretism and Ancient Chronology: Can Democritus Date the Buddha?
Authors: Hagens Graham
Published: August 2010

Le rôle important joué par les échanges de nouveaux concepts dans la naissance des philosophies occidentale et sud-asiatique est reconnu, mais son processus reste encore et toujours mal compris. Nous abordons ce problème par la chronologie des débuts de la philosophie grecque et de celle des mouvements religieux sudasiatiques. Les diverses similarités entre d’une part la philosophie présocratique et d’autre part les enseignements de Siddartha Gautama et de ses proches contemporains nous font penser que ces tous développements se sont déroulés sous l’empire achéménide. En plaçant ainsi la vie du Bouddha au Ve siècle, nous proposons une date plus haute de plus d’un siècle.