bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Processed Water on Constitutive and Ultraviolet-A-Radiation-Induced Level of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Schroeder P. , Hertel I. , Schneider M. , Krutmann J.
Published: December 2006

The integrity of the mitochondrial genome is of crucial importance for the cellular energy metabolism, and increased mutation rates are causally related to premature ageing. Wedemonstrate that replacement of normal deionized water with processed water in cell culture medium decreases the constitutive levels of the most frequent large-scale deletion of the mitochondrial genome in human dermal fibroblasts. In addition the presence of processed water also prevented the generation of the common deletion which was induced in these cells by repetitive UVA irradiation (3 × 8 J/cm2 daily). Thus, processed water appears to protect the mitochondrial genome and may thus exert anti-oxidative and anti-ageing effects.
Single-Agent Gemcitabine for Biliary Tract Cancers
Authors: Kiba Takayoshi , Nishimura Tsutomu , Matsumoto Shigemi , Hatano Etsuro , Mori Akira , Yasumi Shujiro , Doi Ryuichiro , Ikai Iwao , Kitano Toshiyuki , Nishimura Takafumi , Yoshikawa Kiyotsugu , Ishiguro Hiroshi , Yanagihara Kazuhiro , Doi Emiko , Teramukai Satoshi , Fukushima Masanori
Published: December 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of gemcitabine-treated patients with inoperable biliary tract cancers. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutively treated 22 inoperable biliary tract cancer patients with gemcitabine (500–1,000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15 every 4 weeks) as first-line, and 17 patients as second- or third-line treatment. Results: The response rate of patients treated with gemcitabine as first-line and second- or third-line treatment was 5.3 and 28.5%, respectively. The median overall survival time in the first-, and second- or third-line treatment groups was 8.3 and 17.0 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 44.0 and 50.9%, respectively. The present study also suggests the possibility that the prognosis of patients with high levels of C-reactive protein and total bilirubin, or a low level of albumin might be worse. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the treatment of inoperable biliary tract cancers with gemcitabine is feasible. There was no difference in the response rate and overall survival between biliary tract cancer patients in the first- and second- or third-line treatment groups. We also present the systematic review of literature of the recent treatment results of biliary tract cancers treated with gemcitabine.
Controlled Release of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor From Gelatin Hydrogel Sheet Improves Structural and Physiological Properties of Vein Graft in Rat
Authors: Haraguchi Tomonori , Okada Kenji , Tabata Yasuhiko , Maniwa Yoshimasa , Hayashi Yoshitake , Okita Yutaka
Published: December 2006

Objectives—

Autologous vein grafts are still widely used, but their long-term patency is suboptimal. The objective of the current study was to determine whether wrapping a vein graft in gelatin hydrogel sheet incorporating basic fibroblast growth factor improves their mechanical and physiological properties.

Methods and Results—

Autologous femoral vein was interposed into the abdominal aorta in rats. The rats were divided into 3 groups: nontreated grafts (group A), grafts wrapped in basic fibroblast growth factor-free gelatin hydrogel sheet (group B), and grafts wrapped in basic fibroblast growth factor-impregnated gelatin hydrogel sheet (group C). On day 1, endothelial desquamation was observed in group A, and the media in groups A and B were disrupted, staining positive in the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay. In contrast, the media in group C remained intact and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling–negative, associated with activation of MAPK. Graft dilation was significantly inhibited in groups B and C compared with group A, with those in group C showing the smallest degree of neointimal proliferation. At 8 weeks grafts in group C developed neointima with homogeneous elastic laminae, presence of rigid neoadventitia that displayed neovascularity, and the highest blood flow velocity.

Conclusions—

Wrapping vein grafts in basic fibroblast growth factor- impregnated gelatin hydrogel sheet improved their structural and physiological properties, and might therefore also improve long-term patency.
Inactivation of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Contributes to the Development of High-Volume Hypertension
Authors: Jung Oliver , Marklund Stefan L. , Xia Ning , Busse Rudi , Brandes Ralf P.
Published: December 2006

Objectives—

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) lowers superoxide anions and maintains vascular nitric oxide level. We studied the function of ecSOD in high-volume hypertension induced by the 1-kidney-1-clip model in wild-type, ecSOD
−/−
mice, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)
−/−
mice.

Methods and Results—

The 1-kidney–1-clip model resulted in impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation and hypertension and vascular oxidative stress in wild-type and ecSOD
−/−
mice. Recombinant ecSOD lowered the blood pressure and improved aortic nitric oxide bioavailability in wild-type and ecSOD
−/−
but not eNOS
−/−
mice. ecSOD had no effect on blood pressure in eNOS
−/−
or wild-type mice treated with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. The 1-kidney–1-clip model markedly induced ecSOD protein expression, whereas activity was increased by only 25%, suggesting a partial inactivation of ecSOD in high-volume hypertension. Incubation of aortic segments with peroxynitrite or hydrogen peroxide attenuated ecSOD activity, but peroxynitrite did not induce tyrosine nitration of ecSOD, suggesting oxidative inactivation of the enzyme. Administration of polyethyleneglycol-catalase for 3 days selectively lowered the blood pressure in ecSOD
+/+
but not ecSOD
−/−
mice and improved nitric oxide bioavailability. In contrast, acute application of catalase had no effect.

Conclusions—

Nitric oxide mediates the vascular effects of ecSOD. Vascular dysfunction in 1-kidney–1-clip model hypertension is partially a consequence of inactivation of ecSOD by reactive oxygen species.
Association Between Osteopontin and Human Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Golledge Jonathan , Muller Juanita , Shephard Neil , Clancy Paula , Smallwood Linda , Moran Corey , Dear Anthony E. , Palmer Lyle J. , Norman Paul E.
Published: December 2006

Objectives—In vitro and animal studies have implicated osteopontin (OPN) in the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysm. The relationship between serum concentration of OPN and variants of the OPN gene with human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was investigated.

Methods and Results—OPN genotypes were examined in 4227 subjects in which aortic diameter and clinical risk factors were measured. Serum OPN was measured by ELISA in two cohorts of 665 subjects. The concentration of serum OPN was independently associated with the presence of AAA. Odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for upper compared with lower OPN tertiles in predicting presence of AAA were 2.23 (1.29 to 3.85,P=0.004) for the population cohort and 4.08 (1.67 to 10.00,P=0.002) for the referral cohort after adjusting for other risk factors. In 198 patients with complete follow-up of aortic diameter at 3 years, initial serum OPN predicted AAA growth after adjustment for other risk factors (standardized coefficient 0.24,P=0.001). The concentration of OPN in the aortic wall was greater in patients with small AAAs (30 to 50 mm) than those with aortic occlusive disease alone. There was no association between five single nucleotide polymorphisms or haplotypes of the OPN gene and aortic diameter or AAA expansion.

Conclusions—Serum and tissue concentrations of OPN are associated with human AAA. We found no relationship between variation of the OPN gene and AAA. OPN may be a useful biomarker for AAA presence and growth.
Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Express Functionally Active Endothelial Cell Protein C Receptor
Authors: Bretschneider Ellen , Uzonyi Barbara , Weber Artur-Aron , Fischer Jens W. , Pape Robert , Lötzer Katharina , Schrör Karsten
Published: December 2006

The endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR) is expressed on endothelial cells and regulates the protein C anticoagulant pathway via the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. Independent of its anticoagulant activity, activated protein C (APC) can directly signal to endothelial cells and upregulate antiapoptotic and antiinflammatory genes. Here we show that vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) also express EPCR. EPCR protein on SMCs was detected by flow cytometry and Western blotting. EPCR mRNA was identified by quantitative RT-PCR. To examine the functionality of EPCR, intracellular signaling in APC-stimulated SMCs was analyzed by determination of intracellular free calcium transients using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK-1/2) was detected by immunoblotting. APC-induced ERK-1/2 phosphorylation was inhibited by an anti-EPCR antibody and by a cleavage site blocking anti–PAR-1 antibody, indicating that binding of APC to EPCR and cleavage of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) were involved. APC elicited an increase in [3H]-thymidine incorporation. The mitogenic effect of APC was significantly enhanced in the presence of thrombin. EPCR expression was also detected in SMCs in the fibrous cap of human carotid artery plaques. The present data demonstrate functionally active EPCR in SMCs and suggest that EPCR-bound APC might modulate PAR-1-mediated responses of SMCs to vascular injury.
‘I don’t want to live for the day any more’: visually impaired people’s access to support, housing and independence
Authors: Percival John , Hanson Julienne
Published: December 2006

This article arises from research, funded by the Housing Corporation and Thomas Pocklington Trust, which investigated the housing and support needs and priorities of visually impaired people of working age -a population that has received little public policy attention. It reports on an in-depth study of the circumstances and aspirations of 121 people living in London, which revealed a need for increased opportunities to access information, personal support, employment and housing. The study also discovered strategies that this sample believed would address such need, including better professional collaboration and training, consultation and partnership, and facilitative housing provision.
What's Right with the Trinity? Thinking the Trinity in Relation to Irigaray's Notions of Self-love and Wonder
Authors: Bacon Hannah
Published: December 2006

Many feminist theologians have creatively engaged in conversations surrounding the Trinity, presenting imaginative models and trinitarian formulations which serve to challenge traditional patriarchal imagery and affirm female personhood in all its diversity. Such feminist contributions are of undeniable value, however this article seeks to take a different approach to the Trinity. Moving beyond the question of how we might adequately speak the Trinity, it turns to address the question of how we might think the triune God. To the extent that the two are related, both will be mentioned in this article, however the focus rests specifically on a dialogue with French feminist and literary theorist, Luce Irigaray, and the ways in which her two concepts of ‘self-love’ and ‘wonder’ might inform a trinitarian understanding of God. Essentially, it is argued that locating these concepts within a specifically trinitarian framework serves to support and affirm the subjectivity of women, establishing the Trinity in contradistinction to a phallocentric logic.
Jesus as The High Priestly Messiah: Part 2
Authors: Fletcher-Louis Crispin
Published: December 2006

Recent study of the priesthood in Second Temple life and thought invites a reconsideration of Jesus’ self- understanding. The appeal to Psalm 110 and Dan. 7.13 indicates that Jesus thought that, although not of priestly lineage, nevertheless he would ultimately be the nation’s king and priest after the order of Melchizedek. Mark 1-6 contains a programmatic statement of Jesus’ claim to a high priestly identity as the ‘holy one of God’ (1.24), with a high priestly contagious holiness (1.40-45; 5.25-34; 5.35-43), freedom to forgive sins (2.1-12) and the embodiment of divine presence in a Galilean cornfield (2.23-28). As true high priest he makes divine presence ‘draw near’ to God’s people (1.15), where before they had to ‘draw near’ to the Jerusalem temple. The hypothesis that Jesus thought he was Israel’s long awaited eschatological high priest resolves otherwise intractable problems in historical Jesus scholarship. This is Part 2 of a two-part essay.
Was Jesus Illegitimate? The Evidence of His Social Interactions
Authors: McGrath James
Published: December 2006

This article examines the social status of the historical Jesus in relation to recent studies that place Jesus into the social category of an illegitimate child. After surveying the evidence with respect to the situation of such individuals in first-century Mediterranean and Jewish society, we shall proceed to examine whether Jesus’ implied social status (as evidenced by accounts of his adult social interactions) coheres with what one would expect in the case of someone who bore the stigma of that status. Our study suggests that the scandal caused by Jesus’ association with the marginalized clearly implies that he did not himself fall into that category.
Developing a Short Form of the Postural Assessment Scale for People With Stroke
Authors: Chien Chi-Wen , Lin Jau-Hong , Wang Chun-Hou , Hsueh I-Ping , Sheu Ching-Fan , Hsieh Ching-Lin
Published: December 2006

Objective: To develop a Short Form of Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients (SFPASS) with sound psychometric properties (including reliability, validity, and responsiveness).

Methods. This study consisted of 2 parts: developing the SFPASS and cross-validation. In the 1st part, 287 people with stroke were evaluated with the PASS at 14- and 30-day post-stroke intervals. The authors reduced the number of test items that constitute the PASS by more than half (i.e., making 5-, 6-, and 7-item sets) and simplified the scoring system (i.e., collapsing the 4-level scale in the original PASS into a 3-level scale [PASS-3L]), making both 4-L and 3-L versions available. Thus, a total of 6 SFPASSs were generated. In addition, 2 external criteria, the Barthel activities of daily living index and the Fugl-Meyer motor test, were used to examine the validity of the 6 SFPASSs. The psychometric properties of the new 6 SFPASSs were compared with each other as well as with those of the original PASS to determine which scale outperformed the others. In the 2nd part of the study, the authors cross-validated the best SFPASS using another independent sample of 179 people with stroke.

Results. All 6 SFPASSs demonstrated good reliability, validity, and responsiveness. However, the Bland-Altman plots showed that only the 5-item PASS-3L demonstrated no systematic trend between the difference and mean score of the 5-item PASS-3L and the original PASS. The 5-item PASS-3L also had psychometric properties similar to those of the original PASS, as demonstrated in a cross-validation sample.

Conclusion. The authors’ results provide strong evidence that the 5-item PASS-3L has sound psycho-metric properties in people with stroke. The 5-item PASS-3L is simple and fast to administer and is thus recommended.
Nickelblödite, Na2Ni(SO4)2·4H2O, a new mineral from Western Australia
Authors: Nickel E. H. , Bridge P. J.
Published: December 2006

Nickelblödite, the nickel analogue of blödite, has been discovered in nickel mines at Kambalda and Carr Boyd Rocks in Western Australia. The Kambalda sample, found in an underground opening, has a composition corresponding to Na2·02(Ni0·79Mg0·14Fc0·05)(SO4)2·00·3·17H2O. The sample from Carr Boyd Rocks, collected from an open pit, is a more magnesian variety, with a composition corresponding to Na1·93 (Ni0·55Mg0·46Cu0·02Co0·02)(SO4)2·01·4·39H2O. The mineral occurs as a surface efflorescence on nickel-rich sulphide ore in both cases. Nickelblödite is light green and transparent, and occurs as tabular crystallites up to 150 μm in diameter. The Kambalda material is biaxially negative with 2V = 60–70° α = 1·513, β(calc) = 1·518 and γ = 1·520. D 2·43, indentation hardness VHN 139. The Carr Boyd material has lower refractive indices and hardness. Strongest lines of the indexed powder pattern (Kambalda sample) are 4·466(9), 4·193(7), 3·720(6), 3·223(10), 3·190(8), 2·589(6). These measurements conform to a monoclinic unit cell with α = 10·87, b = 8·07, c = 5·46Å, and β = 100·72°. The possibility of H3O+ substitution is discussed.
Plumbian tennantite from Sark, Channel Islands
Authors: Bishop A. C. , Criddle A. J. , Clark A. M.
Published: December 2006

An unusual tennantite, containing 4·64% Pb, has been found on a mineral specimen from Sark's Hope Mine collected in 1843. An electron-probe analysis is given, together with visible spectrum reflectance data, quantitative colour values, VHN, and cell dimensions determined from X-ray powder diffraction photographs.
Contact metasomatism in a Neogene evaporitic sequence of the central Jordan Valley—northern Israel
Authors: Nissenbaum A. , Nathan Y. , Sass E.
Published: December 2006

Gypsum and anhydrite from the Neogene of the central Jordan valley associated with basalt bodies in the Menahamiya area contain abundant euhedral magnetite and diopside crystals and rarer grossular. The original calcareous shales above the gypsum were transformed into hydrogrossular cemented by secondary calcite and gypsum. The mineralization is assumed to be due to low-temperature, high water-pressure metasomatic activity similar to the process of rodingization. The described occurrence is unusual in that the hydrothermal solutions may have been partly formed in situ by thermal dehydration of the gypsum. In a nearby locality, Tel Shaharit, the mineralization occurred in a calcareous environment producing thomsonite, natrolite, and hydrogrossular.
Rutile and apatite: Useful prospecting guides for porphyry copper deposits
Authors: Williams Sidney A. , Cesbron Fabien P.
Published: December 2006

The accessory minerals rutile and apatite have been studied in 77 known porphyry copper deposits. Their value as indicators has been well established on the basis of specific chemical and paragenetic variations which they show.

Rutile occurs as the only Ti-mineral in the quartz-sericite zone, is dominant in the biotite-orthoclase zone, and is generally found in the inner fringes of the chlorite-epidote zone. It forms in these zones mainly as a result of the destruction of sphene, but also from biotite and hornblende.

The length: width ratio of rutile crystals is 1·5:1 in the centre of a porphyry system, increasing gradually outward to 2:1. A characteristic red colour displayed in thin section is attributed to a high copper content ranging from 100 to 500 ppm. The ratio of Cr+V:Nb+Ta is also unusually high.

Apatite shows evidence of a complicated history of corrosion and redeposition accompanied by outward migration during the life of the porphyry system. The migration parallels that of copper and typically extends far into the host rocks. The apatite is enriched in chlorine. A plot of a versus c shows a clear separation of apatites of various genetic types, including tin and molybdenum porphyries.
Smoky, blue, greenish yellow, and other irradiation-related colors in quartz
Authors: Nassau K. , Prescott B. E.
Published: December 2006

Almost 400 specimens of natural and synthetic quartz were γ-irradiated and then heated. Polarized absorption spectroscopy, EPR, and spectrochemical analysis were used to investigate the various colors produced.

A blue color originated from absorption by the A1and A2bands at 1·85 and 2·55 eV. The substitutional A1 EPR hole-type center usually considered to be the cause of the color in smoky quartz does not correlate with A1and A2, but with A3, a previously unreported absorption band at 2·90 eV. The A1and A2absorptions bleach at temperatures as low as 280 °C and as high as 360 °C the range for A3being 140 to 380 °C. The B band at 3·95 eV was previously reported only in irradiated fused silica.

Greenish-yellow colors (appearing yellow when of low intensity) were observed after irradiation (followed by heating in some instances) in many specimens of natural and synthetic quartz; the color originates from the tail of a strong absorption band in the ultraviolet. The bleaching temperature range is the same as that for A2.

The wide variation in color of natural and irradiated smoky quartz can be explained by combinations of the smoky (A3), blue (A1and A2), and greenish yellow absorption features.
Zinc-bearing chromite (donathite?) from Norway: a second look
Authors: Moore Alan C.
Published: December 2006

Electron-microprobe analyses of chromites from the Helgeland area, Norway, show that they are all low in zinc. Many chromites show physical properties identical with donathite (anisotropism; polar magnetism) but have cubic lattices. One exception, from Rødøya, shows an unusual deviation from cubic symmetry and that there may exist complex intergrowths of two different tetragonal lattices and a cubic lattice. The similarity between the chromites studied and donathite suggests that the chemistry and crystallography of that mineral may be more complex than is currently accepted.
Perhamite, a new calcium aluminum silico-phosphate mineral, and a re-examination of viséite
Authors: Dunn Pete J. , Appleman Daniel E.
Published: December 2006

A new calcium aluminum silico-phosphate mineral has been found at two locations on Newry Hill, Newry, Maine, U.S.A. Its composition closely approximates to 3CaO.3·5Al2O3.3SiO2.2P2O5.18H2O (Z = 1). Perhamite is uniaxial (+), c = 1577, ω = 1·564, density = 2·64 g/cm3. The mineral is hexagonal, probably P6/mmm, with a = 7·02 Å, c = 20·21 Å. The colour is light brown to white, the habit is as aggregates of discoidal hexagonal crystals. Cleavage is perfect {0001}, the lustre is vitreous, and the streak white. The mineral is named for a pegmatite miner and geologist, Frank C. Perham of West Paris, Maine, U.S.A.

The most similar species is viséite. A re-examination of viséite indicates that the composition previously given is incorrect. A new form of viséite, also from Visé, Liège, Belgium is also examined and found to differ in composition from the type material.
Rubidium-strontium age studies and geochemistry of acid veins in the Freetown complex, Sierra Leone
Authors: Beckinsale R. D. , Bowles J. F. W. , Pankhurst R. J. , Wells M. K.
Published: December 2006

The stratigraphical limits on the age of the Freetown intrusion, Sierra Leone, are very wide, yet the intrusion has not previously been accurately dated by isotopic methods, despite a number of attempts. Rubidium-strontium dating of acid veins contemporaneous with the early stages of the prolonged cooling history of the intrusion provides an age of 193 ± 3 Ma. The veins consist of quartz and orthoclase with relict minerals, principally plagioclase, from thehost gabbro. Electron-microprobe analysis of the altered minerals of the veins, and the petrography of the vein and adjacent host gabbro clearly demonstrate that the veins were formed from a granitic fraction, differentiated in situ from the surrounding solid gabbro with the assistance of a hydrous fluid phase within the incipient vein. This assertion is supported by the identical, low value of the initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0·70389) obtained from both the acid and basic rocks, and the technique described here may be useful in dating other, similar, intrusions.
Exsolution of plagioclase from clinopyroxene in a pyroxenite from Jotunheimen, Norway
Authors: Battey M. H. , Davidson W.
Published: December 2006

Petrography of an original websterite from Jotunheimen shows evidence of plagioclase exsolving from clinopyroxene to form both internal lamellae and also an intergranular symplectite with olivine and magnetite hercynite. The olivine is secondary, forming from both clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene. Microprobe chemical analyses are presented of all the phases mentioned. From the ratio of plagioclase to clinopyroxene the initial clinopyroxene probably formed at a depth greater than 35 km; if it crystallized at magmatic temperatures (1150°C) the depth must have been about 70 km. Exsolution took place at a pressure less than 6 kb after upthrusting of the rock to shallower depths. The great depth of initial crystallization has important implications for the conditions of origin of the ultramafic component of this granulite facies terrain.
Accumulation of Retinoid X Receptor-α in Uterine Leiomyomas Is Associated with a Delayed Ligand-Dependent Proteasome-Mediated Degradation and an Alteration of Its Transcriptional Activity
Authors: Lattuada Debora , Viganó Paola , Mangioni Silvia , Sassone Jenny , Di Francesco Stefania , Vignali Michele , Di Blasio Anna Maria
Published: December 2006

An alteration of the retinoid pathway can influence the development of uterine leiomyomas in animal models, and retinoids have shown efficacy in inhibiting the growth of this benign tumor both in vitro and in vivo. However, the underlying mechanisms and biological implications are unclear. The present study was based on the demonstration of an accumulation of full-length retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) in leiomyomas that was not associated with a modification of its gene expression. This accumulation was shown to increase the transcription of the RXR-responsive gene cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (CRABP-II) and to be linked to the cellular redistribution of the receptor and to its retarded degradation via the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. Accordingly, treatment with a specific proteasome inhibitor but not with protease inhibitors strongly inhibited the degradation of full-length RXRα in cells deriving from both myometrium and leiomyoma, but the formation of RXRα/ubiquitin conjugates was differentially regulated between the two cell types. Moreover, full-length RXRα accumulated in leiomyomas was abnormally phosphorylated at serine/threonine residues relative to myometrial tissue. The ligand to RXRα, 9-cis-retinoic acid, induced the receptor breakdown in smooth muscle cells deriving from both normal and tumor tissue, whereas a MAPK-specific inhibitor was able to reduce RXRα levels only in leiomyoma cells. These results suggest that switching of the ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent degradation of RXRα by phosphorylation in leiomyomas may be responsible for the accumulation of the receptor and the consequent dysregulation of retinoic acid target genes. The ability of retinoids to modify this molecular alteration may be the rationale for their use in the treatment of leiomyomas.
Studies on conventional cutting of intermetallic nickel and titanium aluminides
Authors: Uhlmann E , Herter S
Published: December 2006

Owing to the high percentage of covalent bonds, intermetallic nickel and titanium aluminides have specific physical and chemical characteristics that predestine them for components under high thermal and mechanical load. However, the relatively low ductility and thermal conductivity at room temperature, linked to high tensile strength, impede the machining with geometrically defined cutting edges in series production.

The conventional machining process is characterized by microcrack formation at the component surface. One possible way is to warm up the intermetallic alloys locally above the quasi-brittle-ductile transition temperature by the interaction of the workpiece material and the tool.

The subjects of investigation were the influences of feed rate and cutting speed on the tool-face temperature and cutting force as well as on the chip formation and fringe-area formation during longitudinal cylindrical turning. The experiments were carried out with intermetallic nickel and titanium aluminides in an as-cast and extruded state. The goal was to elaborate the technological basic knowledge for a damage-minimized and productive machining of intermetallic aluminides with geometrically defined cutting edges.
Field feature detection and morphing-based process planning for fabrication of geometries and composition control for functionally graded materials
Authors: Dwivedi R , Zekovic S , Kovacevic R
Published: December 2006

The inherent limitation of most solid freeform fabrication (SFF) is deposition in the form of layers. The set-up rather than the geometry and the material composition of the part becomes more important in the process planning. For a functionally graded material (FGM), the desired composition variation is of infinitesimal order; however, the finite size of the deposition head and the molten pool allows for a quantized volume addition. Such artificial imposition of the process for the desired geometric morphology and the functional gradience of materials limit the accuracy of the part. The frequent variation in the material composition is yet another issue associated with the fabrication of FGMs. The suitability of a field can be attributed to the desired material distribution of a part. Different features of the field are identified and used as the input for process planning. The mathematical morphing of the material gradience allows a smooth variation of the material composition across the geometry of the part during deposition. The paper describes a framework for FGM representation using maxel, process planning, and implementation of the fabrication of geometries, and the control of the material composition. The experimental results for the suggested approach are described.
Laser cladding: An experimental study of geometric form and hardness of coating using statistical analysis
Authors: Davim J Paulo , Oliveira C , Cardoso A
Published: December 2006

Laser cladding is a technique in which a laser beam is used as the heating source to melt alloy powder to be clad on the surface of a substrate. This paper presents a study that evaluates the processing parameters (laser power, scanning velocity, and powder mass flowrate) under the form of single-cladding layer (clad height, clad width, and depth penetration into the substrate) and hardness of coating. A plan of experiments, based on orthogonal arrays, was established considering laser cladding with prefixed processing parameters. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was preformed to investigate the influence of processing parameters in the form of a single-cladding layer and hardness of coating.
Fast and simple dynamic analysis of flexible multi-body systems
Authors: Munteanu M G , Gogu G , Ray P
Published: December 2006

A simple method to study the dynamics of beam-like multi-body systems is presented. The case of large elastic displacements and small strain is considered. Elastic displacements may be so large that the initial configuration of the system is completely changed. This may happen in compliant mechanisms, for instance, which have become widespread in the last few years. Classical large-displacement beam theory leads to an incremental time-consuming procedure that uses translations and rotations as nodal coordinates. Rotations (in fact, the Euler-Rodrigues parameters), axial strain, and shear angles are proposed as nodal coordinates. This approach gives the exact equations, written for actual, deformed system configuration. Movement equations are derived for both the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko models. Motion equations are expressed in the actual total nodal generalized coordinates, not in their increments, therefore resulting in a non-incremental approach. The mass and stiffness matrices are polynomials in nodal coordinates, which explains the rapid convergence. In static analysis, even for highly distorted systems, the load may be applied in only one load step and the results are obtained in few iterations, giving high accuracy. Newmark method is used to integrate the non-linear motion equations and, usually, no more than two iterations for each time step are required. A floating reference-frame formulation and absolute nodal-coordinate formulation are presented in the work. Finally, several numerical examples are presented.
Transmissibility and the role of the phonological component
Authors: Lacy Paul De
Published: December 2006

Determining the structure of the phonological component is crucial in understanding the predictive power of theories of transmissibility like Evolutionary Phonology. This article argues for a highly restricted, innatist phonological component. It discusses two testable predictions: the ‘straitjacket’ effect limits functionally well-motivated phenomena in arbitrary ways, the ‘functional ignorance’ effect means that some functionally well-motivated phenomena never occur. A restricted phono-logical component means that the explanatory domain of Evolutionary Phonology (and theories of transmissibility more generally) is i-language external phenomena, such as typological frequency.
Types, Moods, and Force Potentials: Towards a Comprehensive Account of German Sentence Mood Meanings
Authors: Zaefferer Dietmar
Published: December 2006

1. Introduction

I have agreed to comment on Truckenbrodt's paper mainly because I am sympathetic with the overall approach which aims at figuring out the non-syntactic correlates of the syntactic distinction between verb-initial and verb-final constructions in German sentences, both root and embedded clauses. Figuring out the non-syntactic correlates, however, is not exactly the same as examining the semantic motivation of some syntactic phenomenon. Semantic motivation for Truckenbrodt (henceforth HT) is the connection with illocutionary force. But other kinds of motivation are possible as well. I think in fact that one of the major shortcomings of HT's approach is his exclusive occupation with illocutionary semantics and his neglect of pragmatics in the sense of information structure.
Is German V-to-C Movement Really Semantically Motivated? Some Empirical Problems
Authors: Reis Marga
Published: December 2006

1. The central issue for a linguistic theory of sentence types is to what extent their meanings (‘sentence moods’) can be compositionally derived from their form. T[ruckenbrodt]'s paper is a valiant, and altogether fascinating attempt to identify a specific contribution of the central formal feature of German sentence types – verb position viz. finite verb movement to C (V-to-C ) – to these meanings. His central claim is that V-to-C is triggered by a context index in C containing crucial sentence mood elements that must be checked in order to yield the appropriate illocutionary interpretations of V-in-C root clauses. In short, according to T, German V-toC has a purely semantic viz. illocutionary motivation. It is this central claim that I will take issue with in the following.
The Contribution of Bone Marrow-Derived Cells to the Development of Renal Interstitial Fibrosis
Authors: Li Jinhua , Deane James A. , Campanale Naomi V. , Bertram John F. , Ricardo Sharon D.
Published: December 2006

Recent evidence suggests that bone marrow (BM)-derived cells may integrate into the kidney, giving rise to functional renal cell types, including endothelial and epithelial cells and myofibroblasts. BM-derived cells can contribute to repair of the renal peritubular capillary (PTC) network following acute ischemic injury. However, the cell fate and regulation of BM-derived cells during the progression of chronic renal disease remains unclear. Using chimeric mice transplanted with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing BM, we demonstrate that the number of BM-derived myofibroblasts coincided with the development of fibrosis in a mouse adriamycin (ADR)-induced nephrosis model of chronic, progressive renal fibrosis. Four weeks after ADR injection, increased numbers of BM-derived myofibroblasts were observed in the interstitium of ADR-injected mice. Six weeks after ADR injection, more than 30% of renal α-smooth muscle actin (+) (α-SMA+) interstitial myofibroblasts were derived from the BM. In addition, BM-derived cells were observed to express the endothelial cell marker CD31 and the myofibroblast marker α-SMA. Blockade of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smad2 signaling was found to protect BM-derived PTC endothelial cells and inhibit the number of BM-derived von Willebrand factor (vWF)(+)/EGFP(+)/α-SMA(+) cells, EGFP(+)/α-SMA(+) cells, and total α-SMA(+) cells in ADR-injected mice. Inhibition of the p38 MAPK and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathways enhanced PTC repair by decreasing endothelial-myofibroblast transformation, leading to structural and functional renal recovery and the attenuation of renal interstitial fibrosis. Investigation of the signaling pathways that regulate the differentiation and survival of BM-derived cells in a progressive disease setting is vital for the successful development of cell-based therapies for renal repair.
Treatment and reuse of backwash water in Taipei water treatment plant, Taiwan
Authors: Yang C.B. , Cheng Y.L. , Liu J.C. , Lee D.J.
Published: December 2006

A case study on the treatment and reuse of backwash water from Chang-Hsing Water Treatment Plant (CHWTP) and Swan-Sea Water Treatment Plant (SSWTP) of Taipei Water Department was conducted. Both backwash waters showed different properties. However, the characteristics of each backwash water did not vary considerably among samples taken during different time. Results from jar tests indicated that both polyaluminium chloride (PACl) and alum could result in effective removal of turbidity. Both DOC and absorbance of UV254 decreased slightly with increasing coagulant dosage. In continuous operation of backwash water recycle in pilot study in CHWTP, it was found that treated water quality was not affected by two different modes of recycle: intermittent recycle at ratio of 1:7 (backwash water:raw water) and continuous recycle at ratio of 1:42. In the pilot study in SSWTP, no impact was found on the introduction of backwash water at recycle ratio of 4, 6 and 8%, regardless of whether the backwash water was recycled directly or went through 3 min pre-sedimentation before it is recycled. Further study on the impact of typhoon on treatment and recycle of backwash water was recommended.
Protein profiles of extracellular polymeric substances and activated sludge in a membrane biological reactor by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis
Authors: Xie B. , Gu J.-D. , Li X.Y.
Published: December 2006

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a key role in wastewater treatment, specifically flocculation, settling and treatment efficiency. Proteins are the predominant components in EPS and influence hydrophobicity and flocculation of sludge. In this paper, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) technique was used to analyse protein profiles of EPS from a membrane biological reactor (MBR) fed either glucose or acetate. A highly reproducible 2-DGE protocol was developed achieving >95% of protein spots matches in repeated runs. Results also showed that proteins of EPS obtained from the activated sludge displayed a similar protein pattern between pH 4-7 with molecular weight 10-80 kD. Protein profiles of EPS extracted from activated sludge fed glucose and acetate showed similar distribution patterns for proteins, but further separation of proteins between pH 4-7 revealed distinctive differences between the specific proteins from these two carbon sources. In addition, information of 2-DGE protein profiles indicates little relationship between the physical and chemical analyses. It is apparent that 2-DGE is a much more powerful and a very useful tool in studying metabolisms of microbial communities at the level of metaproteomics.
Consensus recommendations on diagnostic testing for the detection of paratuberculosis in cattle in the United States
Authors: Collins Michael T. , Gardner Ian A. , Garry Franklyn B. , Roussel Allen J. , Wells Scott J.
Published: December 2006

The report provided here contains a simplified set of diagnostic testing recommendations. These recommendations were developed on the basis of research funded by the USDA–Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service–Veterinary Services through a cooperative agreement. The report is intended to provide simple, practical, cost-effective consensus testing recommendations for cattle herds that are not enrolled in the US Test-Negative Program.1 The information has been reviewed by paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) experts at the USDA and academic centers as well as stakeholders in various segments of the cattle industry. The recommendations were accepted by the National Johne's Working Group and Johne's Disease Committee of the US Animal Health Association during their annual meetings in October 2006.

The report is intended to aid veterinarians who work with cattle producers in the United States. The recommendations are based on information available up to October 2006. There is a paucity of large-scale, high-quality studies of multiple tests conducted on samples obtained from the same cattle. It is understood that there may be special circumstances that require deviation from these recommendations. Furthermore, as new information becomes available and assays are improved and their accuracy is critically evaluated, changes to these recommendations may be necessary.
Survey of environmental enhancement programs for laboratory primates
Authors: Baker Kate C. , Weed James L. , Crockett Carolyn M. , Bloomsmith Mollie A.
Published: December 2006

Animal welfare regulations in the United States require that nonhuman primate environmental enhancement plans be made in accordance with currently accepted professional standards; however, little information is available for quantifying common practice. Here we report the results of a 2003 survey that was sent to individuals overseeing enrichment programs at a variety of primate research institutions. The surveys requested information on program administration and management, implementation standards, procedures, and constraints pertaining to major categories of environmental enrichment, as well as intervention plans for animals exhibiting behavioral pathologies. Data were obtained on the management of 35,863 primates in 22 facilities. Behavioral scientists performed program oversight at the majority of facilities. Most programs reported recent changes, most commonly due to external site visits, and least commonly resulting from internal review. Most facilities' institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) included of individuals with behavioral expertise, and about two‐thirds reported that enrichment issues could influence research protocol design. While most primates were reported to be housed socially (73%), social housing for indoor‐housed primates appears to have changed little over the past 10 years. Research protocol issues and social incompatibility were commonly cited constraints. Implementation of feeding, manipulanda, and structural enrichment was relatively unconstrained, and contributions to these aspects of behavioral management generally included individuals in a wide variety of positions within a facility. In contrast, enrichment devices were used on a less widespread basis within facilities, and positive reinforcement programs that involved dedicated trainers were rare. We suggest that altering the role of the IACUC would be a productive avenue for increasing the implementation of social housing, and that an emphasis on prevention rather than intervention against behavioral pathology is warranted. The data from this survey may be useful for anticipating future program evaluations, establishing more effective internal evaluations, and assessing program progress and resource allocation. Am. J. Primatol. 69:1–18, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimization of heterologous production of the polyketide 6‐MSA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Wattanachaisaereekul Songsak , Lantz Anna Eliasson , Nielsen Michael Lynge , Andrésson Ólafur S. , Nielsen Jens
Published: December 2006

Polyketides are a group of natural products that have gained much interest due to their use as antibiotics, cholesterol lowering agents, immunosuppressors, and as other drugs. Many organisms that naturally produce polyketides are difficult to cultivate and only produce these metabolites in small amounts. It is therefore of general interest to transfer polyketide synthase (PKS) genes from their natural sources into heterologous hosts that can over‐produce the corresponding polyketides. In this study we demonstrate the heterologous expression of 6‐methylsalicylic acid synthase (6‐MSAS), naturally produced by Penicillium patulum, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to activate the PKS a 4′‐phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) is required. We therefore co‐expressed PPTases encoded by either sfp from Bacillus subtilis or by npgA from Aspergillus nidulans. The different strains were grown in batch cultures. Growth and product concentration were measured and kinetic parameters were calculated. It was shown that both PPTases could be efficiently used for activation of PKS's in yeast as good yields of 6‐MSA were obtained with both enzymes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;97: 893–900. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Direct solubilization of enzyme aggregates with enhanced activity in nonaqueous media
Authors: Akbar Umar , Aschenbrenner Carl D. , Harper Michael R. , Johnson Harvey R. , Dordick Jonathan S. , Clark Douglas S.
Published: December 2006

A protein solubilization method has been developed to directly solubilize protein clusters into organic solvents containing small quantities of surfactant and trace amounts of water. Termed “direct solubilization,” this technique was shown to solubilize three distinct proteins—subtilisin Carlsberg, lipase B from Candida antarctica, and soybean peroxidase—with much greater efficiencies than extraction of the protein from aqueous solution into surfactant‐containing organic solvents (referred to as extraction). More significant, however, was the dramatic increase in directly solubilized enzyme activity relative to extracted enzyme activity, particularly for subtilisin and lipase in polar organic solvents. For example, in THF the initial rate towards bergenin transesterification was ca. 70 times higher for directly solubilized subtilisin than for the extracted enzyme. Furthermore, unlike their extracted counterparts, the directly solubilized enzymes yielded high product conversions across a spectrum of non‐polar and polar solvents. Structural characterization of the solubilized enzymes via light scattering and atomic force microscopy revealed soluble proteins consisting of active enzyme aggregates containing approximately 60 and 100 protein molecules, respectively, for subtilisin and lipase. Formation of such clusters appears to provide a microenvironment conducive to catalysis and, in polar organic solvents at least, may protect the enzyme from solvent‐induced inactivation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;96:1030–1039. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.