bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nascent Institutional Strategy in Dynamic Fields
Authors: Siler Kyle
Published: July 2012

This article analyzes the varied niches of an emerging academic field, Science and Technology Studies (STS), as a means of understanding intellectual and professional development. As a new, upstart entity in the established and inertial field of academia, STS has carved out a successful and expanding niche in the ecology of higher education via a variety of unique intellectual and institutional strategies. By adapting and reconfiguring organizational and professional structures of traditional liberal arts, the case of STS exposes three main themes in the organization of knowledge and higher education: reinvention, accounting, and professionalism. STS scholars endeavor to reorganize the distribution and organization of knowledge turfs, which often involve idiosyncratic, symbiotic, or competitive relationships with sciences, social sciences, and/or humanities. This often creates dilemmas regarding how to account for scholarly work using new, divergent, or incommensurable merit criteria or professional values. The article concludes with empirical analyses of the emergence and content of STS departments throughout the world and of Social Studies of Science, the flagship journal of the field. Data and evidence were gleaned from a variety of semistructured interviews with STS scholars, archival sources, and detailed citation records. As STS continues to grow and develop with its diffuse and eclectic foci, this raises questions of whether and how the field should or will be coordinated intellectually or professionally. These multivalent professional logics and values are sources of both vitality and tension in STS and illuminate larger issues of professional and intellectual organizational strategy in developing fields and realms of knowledge.
Dynamic modeling and simulation of transverse cracks in rotating shafts through dissipative coupling
Authors: Kumar Chandan , Rastogi Vikas , Singh N Bikramjit
Published: July 2012

The present paper deals with the dynamic modeling and simulation of a cracked rotor through dissipative coupling. The analysis is presented for a rotor with one transverse crack on the surface of the rotor. The paper initially elucidates a few basic concepts of modeling of cracked rotor systems. Later, the cracked rotor system is modeled with bond graphs as it facilitates the system modeling from the physical paradigms. The mathematical stiffness matrixes for cracked elements are computed and a detailed integrated bond graph model is created, which will portray the exact and accurate dynamics of a cracked rotor system. The simulation result presents interesting phenomena of limiting dynamics, which is also validated through experiments. The whole analysis is also validated with the simulation results.
The effects of anger management on children’s social and emotional outcomes: A meta-analysis
Authors: Candelaria Ashley M. , Fedewa Alicia L. , Ahn Soyeon
Published: July 2012

The occurrence of violent behaviors and bullying in schools continues to be a recognized problem among students and school personnel. The concern caused by these behaviors have led many schools to implement anger management and other impulse control based programs for at-risk students in an effort to prevent many of these incidences. This study was a comprehensive, meta-analytic synthesis of the literature to assess the effectiveness of these interventions, using a total of 60 studies from 1979–2010 for analysis. Results indicated an overall effect size (ES) of −0.27, showing a small to moderate intervention effect in reducing children’s negative emotional and behavioral outcomes including anger, aggression, and loss of self control. Many different types of anger management components were found to be effective in promoting positive outcomes. Implications for school psychologists are discussed.
Municipal Choices during a Recession
Authors: Nelson Kimberly L.
Published: July 2012

This study reports the findings of a comparative case study analysis of sixteen U.S. municipalities to provide an in-depth examination of the choices municipal leaders are making to address revenue shortfalls. The findings suggest that municipal fiscal choices during a recession fit the bounded rationality model. While local government leaders will attempt to follow a rational sequence of fiscal management decisions, as the economic situation worsens, the external pressures from electoral considerations, state government restrictions, and interest group involvement increase, leading a divergence in strategies. The greater the pressures (the bounds), the more unpredictable the choices among municipalities become.
Genetic variability in the endocannabinoid system and 12-week clinical response to citalopram treatment: the role of the CNR1, CNR2 and FAAH genes
Authors: Mitjans Marina , Gastó Cristóbal , Catalán Rosa , Fañanás Lourdes , Arias Bárbara
Published: July 2012

First line treatment of major depression is based on selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that enhance serotonergic neurotransmission by blocking the serotonin transporter. However, clinical response is a complex phenomenon in which other systems such as the endocannabinoid system could be involved. Given the evidence for the role of the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of depression as well as in the mediation of antidepressant drug effects, the aim of this study was to analyze genetic variability in the endocannabinoid system genes (CNR1, CNR2 and FAAH genes) and their role in clinical response (at week 4) and remission (at week 12) in SSRI (citalopram) treatment in a sample of 154 depressive outpatients, all of Spanish origin. All patients were treated with citalopram and followed over 12 weeks. Severity of depressive symptomatology was evaluated by means of the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Score (HDRS). No differences were found in any of the genotype distributions according to response or remission. The longitudinal study showed that (i) the CNR1 rs1049353-GG genotype conferred a better response to citalopram treatment in the subgroup of male patients and (ii) G allele carriers (CNR2 rs2501431) presented higher HDRS scores in the follow-up than AA homozygous allele carriers. Our results seem to suggest the involvement of CNR1 and CNR2 genes in clinical responses to citalopram treatment.
Filicide-Suicide Involving Children With Disabilities
Authors: Coorg Rohini , Tournay Anne
Published: July 2012

Filicide-suicide, or murder of a child by a parent followed by suicide, has an unknown incidence in both the general and disabled population. As there is no national database, the authors examined known associated factors and newspaper reports to characterize filicide-suicide victims and perpetrators involving children with disabilities. A newspaper search was conducted using LexisNexis and NewsBank: Access World News databases through the University of California, Irvine Library’s Web site. Age, gender of child and parent, method used, and diagnoses of parent and child were recorded. Twenty-two news articles were found describing a total of 26 disabled children as victims of filicide-suicide between 1982 and 2010. Eighty-one percent of children killed were male, and 54% were autistic. Thirty percent of perpetrators had a reported mental illness. Male children or children with autism may be at risk for filicide-suicide, but accurate record keeping is needed to determine the incidence and risk factors and aid in its prevention in the disabled population.
Deepening the Federative Pact? The Dilma Government’s Approach to Crime, Justice and Policing
Authors: Macaulay Fiona
Published: July 2012

This article argues that the Rousseff government faced the challenge of deepening a reconfigured federative pact in relation to crime and public insecurity. Strengthening of federal level justice institutions began tentatively under the second Cardoso administration, and accelerated during President Da Silva’s second term. However, it required greater capacity to provide leadership to law-and-order agencies at state and municipal level, and to coordinate multi-agency action both horizontally (with the armed forces) and vertically (with municipal and state police and prison authorities). This was essential to tackle what Dilma’s government identified as the most pressing problems of drug consumption and cross-border trafficking, organized crime networks, prison management and other forms of social and criminal violence. Increased activism by federal and municipal authorities on public insecurity could not circumvent entirely the need for some key structural reforms affecting the state-level justice authorities that were likely to exact a high political price.
Conceptualizing the Carceral Turn: Neoliberalism, Racism, and Violation
Authors: De Lissovoy Noah
Published: July 2012

This article considers the turn to punishment in neoliberalism, and the hardening it marks in the criminal justice system, education, and public life. Examining tensions between neoliberalism’s doctrine of equality before the market and its actual reproduction of racial disparities, I specify a concept of violation, as a principle of both material and symbolic domination, that can respond to these tensions. Considering influential analyses of the turn toward punishment, I argue that the historic legacy of racism is a crucial determinant of the excesses of current regimes of penality, and that racialized repression figures in a contemporary recomposition of political economy. Furthermore, in the neoliberal moment the disciplinary repertoire of racism is extrapolated to new populations and terrains. I recontextualize the current carceral turn within a broader logic of violation that links moments of social production and decomposition, and fuses processes of material exploitation with racialized injury and subjection.
Ethics and the Engineer: Professional Codes and the Rule of St. Benedict
Authors: Bowen W. Richard
Published: July 2012

Engineers make an enormous contribution to promoting the wellbeing of individuals and the communities in which they live, but engineering may also give rise to adverse consequences. Engineering therefore requires ethical awareness, and professional engineers often use ethical codes to guide their actions. The content of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s authoritative Statement of Ethical Principles is discussed and compared to the paradigmatic Rule of St Benedict. This leads to suggestions for the development of an enriched code for engineering that considers not only what actions are desirable but also how and why they should be carried out. Issues arising in the formulation of an enriched code acceptable also to those of no explicit faith or of other faiths are considered. It is suggested that the development of enriched professional codes is a general and strategically important challenge for theological ethics.
To Judge or Not to Judge: Engaging with Oliver O’Donovan’s Political Ethics
Authors: de Graaff Guido
Published: July 2012

This article addresses the apparent tension in O’Donovan’s overall argument in The Ways of Judgment (2005): a tension between his constructive account of judgement (central to Parts I and II), and his endorsement of Jesus’ injunction not to judge (central to Part III). After clarifying exactly what kind of judgement O’Donovan intends in identifying judgement as the core political practice, the article highlights a few key aspects of O’Donovan’s political theology that might mitigate, or even take away, the tension in his argument. The article then goes on to address a remaining issue, namely that O’Donovan seems to imply that Christians are to judge only in private, thereby leaving all public judgement to the secular authorities. In response to this impression the article will affirm, in the light of Rom. 12:1-8, that the church does exercise public judgement, by corporately discerning, formulating and enacting the implications of God’s judgement in Christ.
Pannenberg’s Understanding of the Natural Law
Authors: Woo B. Hoon
Published: July 2012

The ethics of Wolfhart Pannenberg has a nomological dimension at its center. Based on the history of the natural law tradition, Pannenberg maintains the possibility of the natural law theory on the following five grounds. The theological ground is his understanding of the Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Pauline interpretation of the law. For its historical ground, Pannenberg articulates the natural law theories of Patristic theology and the theologies of Troeltsch and Brunner. The ontological ground is the order of the world, which God established in the process of history. The anthropological ground is the mutuality of human society. The latter two dimensions are related to the epistemological ground, which is based on the hermeneutics of universal history. Pannenberg attempts to combine the law, the gospel, and love in relation to the Kingdom of God. Thus, Pannenberg’s Kingdom ethics is nomological as well as eschatological.
A biomechanical comparison of four different cementless press-fit stems used in revision surgery for total knee replacements
Authors: Zdero Radovan , Saidi Kevan , Mason Stephanie A , Schemitsch Emil H , Naudie Douglas DR
Published: July 2012

Few biomechanical studies exist on femoral cementless press-fit stems for revision total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries. The aim of this study was to compare the mechanical quality of the femur–stem interface for a series of commercially available press-fit stems, because this interface may be a ‘weak link’ which could fail earlier than the femur–TKR bond itself. Also, the femur–stem interface may become particularly critical if distal femur bone degeneration, which may necessitate or follow revision TKR, ever weakens the femur–TKR bond itself. The authors implanted five synthetic femurs each with a Sigma Short Stem (SSS), Sigma Long Stem (SLS), Genesis II Short Stem (GSS), or Genesis II Long Stem (GLS). Axial stiffness, lateral stiffness, ‘offset load’ torsional stiffness, and ‘offset load’ torsional strength were measured with a mechanical testing system using displacement control. Axial (range = 1047–1461 N/mm, p = 0.106), lateral (range = 415–462 N/mm, p = 0.297), and torsional (range = 115–139 N/mm, p > 0.055) stiffnesses were not different between groups. The SSS had higher torsional strength (863 N) than the other stems (range = 167–197 N, p < 0.001). Torsional failure occurred by femoral ‘spin’ around the stem’s long axis. There was poor linear correlation between the femur–stem interface area versus axial stiffness (R = 0.38) and torsional stiffness (R = 0.38), and there was a moderate linear correlation versus torsional strength (R = 0.55). Yet, there was a high inverse linear correlation between interfacial surface area versus lateral stiffness (R = 0.79), although this did not result in a statistical difference between stem groups (p = 0.297). These press-fit stems provide equivalent stability, except that the SSS has greater torsional strength.
Comparability Effects in Probability Judgments
Authors: Pleskac Timothy J.
Published: July 2012

Psychological theories of subjective probability judgments assume that accumulated evidence (support) mediates the relation between the description of a to-be-judged event (hypothesis) and the judgment. To scale a probability from the support for a hypothesis, these psychological theories make a strong independence assumption. This assumption is stated in the form of the product rule, in which the support garnered for a particular hypothesis is independent of the support for the alternative hypothesis. In the study reported here, I asked participants to judge the likelihood of a bicyclist winning a simulated race. Results showed that the independence assumption was systematically violated. Observed judgments suggest that when a probability judgment is made, the comparability or similarity of the hypotheses on one dimension increases the weight that judges allocate to differences on the other dimensions. These results speak against the simple scalability-processing assumption of support theory, and they illustrate the need for a theory of judgment processes that describes how the similarity between hypotheses shapes judgment.
Childhood Poverty and Young Adults’ Allostatic Load
Authors: Evans Gary W. , Kim Pilyoung
Published: July 2012

Childhood poverty is linked to a host of physical and psychological disorders during childhood and later in life. In the study reported here, we showed that the proportion of childhood spent in poverty from birth to age 9 was linked to elevated allostatic load, a marker of chronic physiological stress, in 17-year-olds. Furthermore, this prospective longitudinal relationship was mediated by cumulative risk exposure at age 13. The greater the duration of early life spent in poverty, the greater the exposure to cumulative risk. This, in turn, leads to elevated allostatic load. Multiple psychological, biological, and neurological pathways likely account for the social patterning of psychological and physical disease.
Violence Against Women in South Africa
Authors: Mogale Ramadimetja S. , Burns Kathy Kovacs , Richter Solina
Published: July 2012

Violence against women (VAW) in South Africa remains rampant, irrespective of human rights– focused laws passed by the government. This article reflects on the position of two acts: the Domestic Violence Act No 116 of 1998 and Criminal Law (Sexual Offense and Related Matters) Act No 32 of 2007. Both are framed to protect women against all forms of violence. The article discusses the prisms of the two laws, an account of the position taken or interpreted by the reviewed literature regarding the acts, and the findings and recommendations regarding the infrastructure and supports needed to appropriately implement the two acts.
“Ecological” and Highly Demanding Executive Tasks Detect Real-Life Deficits in High-Functioning Adult ADHD Patients
Authors: Torralva Teresa , Gleichgerrcht Ezequiel , Lischinsky Alicia , Roca María , Manes Facundo
Published: July 2012

Objective: Many adult ADHD patients with a convincing history of real-life executive deficits perform entirely within normal limits or with minimally impaired performance in classical executive tests. The authors assessed a group of high cognitive functioning adult ADHD participants on “ecological” and “highly demanding” executive tasks. Method: A total of 117 adult ADHD participants were classified as showing either a high-functioning (Hi-ADHD) or a low-functioning (Lo-ADHD) neuropsychological profile based on standard assessment. Their performance was compared with healthy controls ( n = 21) on an ecological task of executive function (the hotel task) and computerized tasks of high cognitive demand. Results: Lo-ADHD significantly differed from controls on multiple standard neuropsychological variables as well as on the experimental tasks. Hi-ADHD and healthy controls did not differ significantly on any of the standard neuropsychological variables, but a significant difference was found between the groups on measures of the experimental tasks. Conclusion: Real-life executive dysfunction of patients with ADHD who perform within normal range on standard assessment can be detected with the use of more ecological and highly demanding tasks.
Community and Connection in Inclusive Early-Childhood Education
Authors: Erwin Elizabeth J. , Puig Victoria I. , Evenson Tara L. , Beresford Madeleine
Published: July 2012

I really like that everything is matter of fact. The fact that my son doesn’t talk as well as other kids—The other kids don’t even really pay attention. It may be a little harder for them to understand him sometimes but [he’s] just their friend. And that’s the beauty of inclusion too. That it’s dual-fold. The child in need has a model, which he desperately needed, but in turn the other children become tolerant and accepting of differences and don’t see them as different. That’s just the way [he] is. (Mother of a preschooler with disabilities.)
Evaluating cognitive outcome measures for MS clinical trials: what is a clinically meaningful change?
Authors: Benedict Ralph HB , Walton Marc K
Published: July 2012

Brief cognitive assessments are increasingly emphasized in MS treatment studies and clinical care. While much is known about the reliability of several widely-used neuropsychological tests, interpretation of the changes in individual patients is inadequate. The FDA offers guidance on the issue, as related to patient-reported outcomes. Unfortunately, cognitive ability is only weakly correlated with the frequency and severity of self-reported cognitive problems. In this review, we critically examined the psychometrics of neuropsychological testing in MS, emphasizing statistical and anchor-based approaches to interpreting clinically meaningful change.

We suggest that there are two paths forward that should be currently pursued. First, to employ co-primary outcomes, including a brief cognitive test and a clinician or observer’s impression on a scale of change, where successful treatment would require showing significant improvement in both measures. Secondly, to work toward showing that when reliable brief cognitive tests are employed, increments of statistically-relevant change would correlate with changes in clinically-relevant anchors (such as vocational disability or clinical relapses with cognitive impairment). The latter goal will allow a more parsimonious and scientifically efficient approach of utilizing only the brief cognitive test as a primary outcome. While some progress has been made in this direction, more research is needed. We are of the opinion that data from both the statistical and clinically meaningful approaches will be necessary to develop valid definitions of meaningful change on cognitive outcome measures, and that it would be best to pursue research using tests that already have well-established reliability and validity.
Self-perceived need for interpreter among immigrants in Denmark
Authors: Harpelund Lars , Nielsen Signe Smith , Krasnik Allan
Published: July 2012

Aim:

Starting in June 2011, immigrants who have lived for more than 7 years in Denmark have to pay a user-fee for interpreters in GP consultations and when hospitalised. We do not know yet how many immigrants will be affected by this amendment to the Danish Health Act and which socioeconomic factors characterise the immigrants who might be affected. To shed light on this, we investigated self-perceived need for interpreter (SNI) in GP consultations among participants from the largest non-Western immigrant groups in Denmark, the association between socioeconomic factors and SNI, and the characteristics of the immigrants potentially affected by the act amendment.

Methods:

Survey data on 2866 immigrants from former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, and Turkey, linked to registry information on socioeconomic factors were examined. We compared unadjusted proportions of SNI by country of birth. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate associations between SNI and socioeconomic factors.

Results:

Overall, 20% of immigrants living longer than 3 years in Denmark and 15% after 7 years reported a need for interpretation in their encounters with GPs. Of the latter group, the majority were outside the labour force (72.3%) and reported poor health (56%). Sex, age, length of stay, education, employment and household income were important factors for SNI.

Conclusions:

The amendment to the Health Act will primarily affect immigrants with modest household income, poor health and who are outside the labour force, thereby contributing and creating ethnic and social inequalities in access to health care in Denmark.
The end of forgetting: Strategic agency beyond the panopticon
Authors: Bossewitch Jonah , Sinnreich Aram
Published: July 2012

The rapid explosion of information technologies in recent years has contributed to a substantive change in the social dimensions of information-sharing, and is forcing us to revise substantially our old assumptions regarding the knowledge/power dynamic. In this article, we discuss a range of strategic information-management options available to individuals and institutions in the networked society, and contrast these ‘blueprints’ to Foucault’s well-known panopticon model. We organize these observations and analyses within a new conceptual framework based on the geometry of ‘information flux’, or the premise that the net flow of information between an individual and a network is as relevant to power dynamics as the nature or volume of that information. Based on this geometrical model, we aim to develop a lexicon for the design, description and critique of socio-technical systems.
Transnational trigger constellations: Reconstructing the story behind the story
Authors: Brüggemann Michael
Published: July 2012

Understanding how the topics of news stories are socially constructed through journalistic practices is an important question for the study of journalism. We contribute to this strand of research by reconstructing the process of news making from the perspective of the journalists. The method used for this purpose is the comparative reconstruction of the ‘biographies’ of news stories by interviewing the authors of news stories. This was done during the same two weeks covering European news in 23 elite, popular and regional newspapers in six countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Denmark and Austria). A cluster analysis identifies the complex constellations of different components that trigger European news making. Four trigger constellations co-exist that represent different sets of journalistic practices of news making. These transnational patterns of journalistic practices show that journalism is not only a professional community based on a common professional ideology, but that journalism is a transnational community of practice.
Intervertebral disk-like biphasic scaffold—demineralized bone matrix cylinder and poly(polycaprolactone triol malate)—for interbody spine fusion
Authors: Jin Li , Wan Yuqing , Shimer Adam L , Shen Francis H , Li Xudong J
Published: July 2012

Interbody fusion is an established procedure to preserve disk height and anterior fusion, but fusion with autografts, allografts, and metallic cages has its endogenous shortcomings. The objective of this study is to investigate whether a biphasic scaffold model, the native demineralized bone matrix cylinder in conjunction with degradable biomaterial poly(polycaprolactone triol malate), can be employed as a biological graft for interbody fusion. The poly(polycaprolactone triol malate) was synthesized by polycondensing malic acid and polycaprolactone and then the concentric sheet of poly(polycaprolactone triol malate) was fabricated into the demineralized bone matrix cylinder derived from rabbit femurs. Rabbit chondrocytes were loaded onto the three-dimensional constructs with 1-day in vitro culture and implanted into the subcutaneous dorsal pocket of nude mice. The chondrocytes/scaffold constructs are approximately two folds bigger than the scaffold-alone constructs after 12 weeks of implantation. X-ray and micro-computed tomography imaging showed endochondral bone formation in the chondrocytes/scaffold constructs as early as 4 weeks and showed that the bone intensity increased over time. Histological staining confirmed the above observation. By week 8, lamellar bone tissues were formed inside the demineralized bone matrix cylinder. In addition, the compression biomechanical test showed that the chondrocytes/scaffold constructs produced a significant higher compressive strength compared to the scaffold group. These results demonstrated that the inner-phase poly(polycaprolactone triol malate) degraded over time and was replaced by new bone in an in vivo environment.
Solidification structure of melt mixture of hypoeutectic/semisolid hypereutectic Al–Si alloy
Authors: Wei X W , Luo S , Wang X L
Published: July 2012

Through mixing the hypoeutectic and semisolid hypereutectic Al–Si alloy melts at different temperatures, this paper studies the changes in solidification microstructure of the melt mixture. It is indicated that the microstructure of the solidified melt mixture has the structural characteristics of both hypoeutectic and hypereutectic Al–Si alloys, i.e. the primary silicon is distributed in the matrix composed of primary α(Al) phase and eutectic ( α+Si) phase and has undergone apparent refinement and passivation. Higher temperature of hypoeutectic melt and longer holding time of melt will be more favourable for the refinement and passivation of primary silicon and meanwhile, its quantity decreases. The solidification structure of the melt mixture can be controlled through controlling the mixing temperature and holding time.
Self-welding susceptibility of cold worked alloy D9 and 316LN austenitic steels in flowing sodium
Authors: Meikandamurthy C , Kumar H , Chakraborty G , Albert S K , Ramakrishnan V , Chandramouli S , Rajan K K , Bhaduri A K
Published: July 2012

Specimens of 20 cold worked alloy D9 and 316LN were tested for self-welding susceptibility in flowing sodium at 823 K. A contact stress of 24·5 MPa was maintained during the test, and tests were carried out for two different durations of 3 and 4·5 months for each. It was found that susceptibility to self-welding in flowing sodium is higher for cold worked alloy D9 than for cold worked 316LN. This is in contrast with no self-welding reported for annealed alloy D9 and high susceptibility to self-welding reported for annealed austenitic stainless steels like 316LN, 321 and 304. Dynamic recrystallisation of the cold worked structure at the location of self-welding, which does not occur for cold worked 316LN steel, is the reason attributed to the high susceptibility of cold worked alloy D9 to self-welding. It appears that carburisation of cold worked alloy surface, which leads to the formation of coarse TiC precipitates at the surfaces, assists dynamic recrystallisation.
Studies on laser peening using different sacrificial coatings
Authors: Sundar R , Kumar H , Kaul R , Ranganathan K , Tiwari P , Kukreja L M , Oak S M
Published: July 2012

Laser shock peening usually requires the presence of a sacrificial coating to protect the substrate from undesirable thermal effects generated by laser irradiation. This paper describes an experimental study to identify an adherent sacrificial coating for laser peening of smooth metallic surfaces where black paint does not adhere well. Normal black polyvinyl chloride electrical insulation tape has been found to be a good choice as a sacrificial coating. Laser peening with black insulation tape generated effective laser peening in three different substrates, namely, Ti6Al4V alloy, SAE 9260 spring steel and DIN X20Cr13 martensitic stainless steel. The depth of peening was comparable or better than that generated with black paint. With respect to widely used black paint, black insulation tape not only provides clean, simple and uniform coating but also literally eliminates the time involved in its application (black paint requires multilayer coating with long intermediate curing periods) and removal.
SF3B1 haploinsufficiency leads to formation of ring sideroblasts in myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Visconte Valeria , Rogers Heesun J. , Singh Jarnail , Barnard John , Bupathi Manoj , Traina Fabiola , McMahon James , Makishima Hideki , Szpurka Hadrian , Jankowska Anna , Jerez Andres , Sekeres Mikkael A. , Saunthararajah Yogen , Advani Anjali S. , Copelan Edward , Koseki Haruhiko , Isono Kyoichi , Padgett Richard A. , Osman Sami , Koide Kazunori , O'Keefe Christine , Maciejewski Jaroslaw P. , Tiu Ramon V.
Published: July 2012

Whole exome/genome sequencing has been fundamental in the identification of somatic mutations in the spliceosome machinery in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and other hematologic disorders. SF3B1, splicing factor 3b subunit 1 is mutated in 60%-80% of refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS) and RARS associated with thrombocytosis (RARS-T), 2 distinct subtypes of MDS and MDS/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDSs/MPNs). An idiosyncratic feature of RARS/RARS-T is the presence of abnormal sideroblasts characterized by iron overload in the mitochondria, called RS. Based on the high frequency of mutations of SF3B1 in RARS/RARS-T, we investigated the consequences of SF3B1 alterations. Ultrastructurally, SF3B1 mutants showed altered iron distribution characterized by coarse iron deposits compared with wild-type RARS patients by transmission electron microscopy. SF3B1 knockdown experiments in K562 cells resulted in down-regulation of U2-type intron-splicing by RT-PCR. RNA-sequencing analysis of SF3B1 mutants showed differentially used genes relevant in MDS pathogenesis, such as ASXL1, CBL, EZH, and RUNX families. A SF3B pharmacologic inhibitor, meayamycin, induced the formation of RS in healthy BM cells. Further, BM aspirates of Sf3b1 heterozygous knockout mice showed RS by Prussian blue. In conclusion, we report the first experimental evidence of the association between SF3B1 and RS phenotype. Our data suggest that SF3B1 haploinsufficiency leads to RS formation.
Clinical implications of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA in early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma patients receiving primary radiotherapy
Authors: Wang Zhao-Yang , Liu Qing-Feng , Wang Hua , Jin Jing , Wang Wei-Hu , Wang Shu-Lian , Song Yong-Wen , Liu Yue-Ping , Fang Hui , Ren Hua , Wu Run-Ye , Chen Bo , Zhang Xi-Mei , Lu Ning-Ning , Zhou Li-Qiang , Li Ye-Xiong
Published: July 2012

The clinical value of plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA has not been evaluated in patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) receiving primary radiotherapy. Fifty-eight patients with stage I disease and 11 with stage II disease were recruited. High pretreatment EBV-DNA concentrations were associated with B-symptoms, elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, and a high International Prognostic Index score. EBV-DNA levels significantly decreased after treatment. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 82.6% for all patients. Stage I or II patients with a pretreatment EBV-DNA level of ≤ 500 copies/mL had 3-year OS and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 97.1% and 79.0%, respectively, compared with 66.3% (P = .002) and 52.2% (P = .045) in patients with EBV-DNA levels of > 500 copies/mL. The 3-year OS and PFS rates for patients with undetectable EBV-DNA after treatment was significantly higher than patients with detectable EBV-DNA (OS, 92.0% vs 69.8%, P = .031; PFS, 77.5% vs 50.7%, P = .028). Similar results were observed in stage I patients. EBV-DNA levels correlate with tumor load and a poorer prognosis in early-stage NKTCL. The circulating EBV-DNA level could serve both as a valuable biomarker of tumor load for the accurate classification of early-stage NKTCL and as a prognostic factor.
Short read sequence typing (SRST): multi-locus sequence types from short reads
Authors: Inouye Michael , Conway Thomas C , Zobel Justin , Holt Kathryn E
Published: July 2012

Background

Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) has become the gold standard for population analyses of bacterial pathogens. This method focuses on the sequences of a small number of loci (usually seven) to divide the population and is simple, robust and facilitates comparison of results between laboratories and over time. Over the last decade, researchers and population health specialists have invested substantial effort in building up public MLST databases for nearly 100 different bacterial species, and these databases contain a wealth of important information linked to MLST sequence types such as time and place of isolation, host or niche, serotype and even clinical or drug resistance profiles. Recent advances in sequencing technology mean it is increasingly feasible to perform bacterial population analysis at the whole genome level. This offers massive gains in resolving power and genetic profiling compared to MLST, and will eventually replace MLST for bacterial typing and population analysis. However given the wealth of data currently available in MLST databases, it is crucial to maintain backwards compatibility with MLST schemes so that new genome analyses can be understood in their proper historical context.

Results

We present a software tool, SRST, for quick and accurate retrieval of sequence types from short read sets, using inputs easily downloaded from public databases. SRST uses read mapping and an allele assignment score incorporating sequence coverage and variability, to determine the most likely allele at each MLST locus. Analysis of over 3,500 loci in more than 500 publicly accessible Illumina read sets showed SRST to be highly accurate at allele assignment. SRST output is compatible with common analysis tools such as eBURST, Clonal Frame or PhyloViz, allowing easy comparison between novel genome data and MLST data. Alignment, fastq and pileup files can also be generated for novel alleles.

Conclusions

SRST is a novel software tool for accurate assignment of sequence types using short read data. Several uses for the tool are demonstrated, including quality control for high-throughput sequencing projects, plasmid MLST and analysis of genomic data during outbreak investigation. SRST is open-source, requires Python, BWA and SamTools, and is available from http://srst.sourceforge.net.
Bioluminescence imaging to track bacterial dissemination of Yersinia pestis using different routes of infection in mice
Authors: Gonzalez Rodrigo J , Weening Eric H , Frothingham Richard , Sempowski Gregory D , Miller Virginia L
Published: July 2012

Background

Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that disseminates inside of the host at remarkably high rates. Plague bacilli disrupt normal immune responses in the host allowing for systematic spread that is fatal if left untreated. How Y. pestis disseminates from the site of infection to deeper tissues is unknown. Dissemination studies for plague are typically performed in mice by determining the bacterial burden in specific organs at various time points. To follow bacterial dissemination during plague infections in mice we tested the possibility of using bioluminescence imaging (BLI), an alternative non-invasive approach. Fully virulent Y. pestis was transformed with a plasmid containing the luxCDABE genes, making it able to produce light; this lux-expressing strain was used to infect mice by subcutaneous, intradermal or intranasal inoculation.

Results

We successfully obtained images from infected animals and were able to follow bacterial dissemination over time for each of the three different routes of inoculation. We also compared the radiance signal from animals infected with a wild type strain and a Δcaf1 ΔpsaA mutant that we previously showed to be attenuated in colonization of the lymph node and systemic dissemination. Radiance signals from mice infected with the wild type strain were larger than values obtained from mice infected with the mutant strain (linear regression of normalized values, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We demonstrate that BLI is useful for monitoring dissemination from multiple inoculation sites, and for characterization of mutants with defects in colonization or dissemination.
Genetic structure and mating system of wild cowpea populations in West Africa
Authors: Kouam Eric B , Pasquet Remy S , Campagne Pascal , Tignegre Jean-Baptiste , Thoen Kevin , Gaudin Remi , Ouedraogo Jeremy T , Salifu Abdulai B , Muluvi Geoffrey M , Gepts Paul
Published: July 2012

Background

Cowpea is a highly inbred crop. It is part of a crop-weed complex, whose origin and dynamics is unknown, which is distributed across the African continent. This study examined outcrossing rates and genetic structures in 35 wild cowpea (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata var. spontanea) populations from West Africa, using 21 isozyme loci, 9 of them showing polymorphism.

Results

Outcrossing rates ranged from 1% to 9.5% (mean 3.4%), which classifies the wild cowpea breeding system as primarily selfing, though rare outcrossing events were detected in each population studied. Furthermore, the analyses of both the genetic structure of populations and the relationships between the wild and domesticated groups suggest possibilities of gene flow that are corroborated by field observations.

Conclusions

As expected in a predominantly inbred breeding system, wild cowpea shows high levels of genetic differentiation and low levels of genetic diversity within populations. Gene flow from domesticated to wild cowpea does occur, although the lack of strong genetic swamping and modified seed morphology in the wild populations suggest that these introgressions should be rare.
Hashimoto’s encephalopathy cases: Chinese experience
Authors: Tang Yi , Xing Yi , Lin Michael T , Zhang Jin , Jia Jianping
Published: July 2012

Background

Hashimoto’s encephalopathy is a poorly understood syndrome consisting of heterogeneous neurological symptoms and high serum antithyroid antibody titers, typically responding to steroids. More clinical series studies are required to characterize the clinical, laboratory and imaging features, and outcomes, especially in the Chinese population.

Methods

We analyzed the clinical, laboratory, and imaging features and outcomes of thirteen consecutive patients with Hashimoto’s encephalopathy diagnosed in Xuan Wu Hospital, Beijing from 2005 to 2010 retrospectively.

Results

Cognitive impairment (84.6%) and psychiatric symptoms (38.5%) were the most frequent symptoms. Seizures (30.8%) and myoclonus (7.7%) were less common than previously described. Three (23.1%) patients showed abnormal signals in hippocampus or temporal lobe, which were believed related to their memory disorders or seizures. MRI changes showed resolution paralleling clinical improvement in one patient. Among eight patients who received steroid therapy, five patients recovered, one patient improved with residual deficits, and two patients relapsed or had no effect. Among five non-steroid treated patients, three patients experienced stable remission with antiepileptic drugs or general neurotrophic therapy, and two patients experienced continuous deterioration.

Conclusions

Most patients with Hashimoto’s encephalopathy showed good response to steroids. Some patients improved without steroid therapy. Considering its reversible course, we recommend that Hashimoto’s encephalopathy should always be in the differential diagnosis while evaluating disorders of the central nervous system.
Optimization and comparison of knockdown efficacy between polymerase II expressed shRNA and artificial miRNA targeting luciferase and Apolipoprotein B100
Authors: Maczuga Piotr , Koornneef Annemart , Borel Florie , Petry Harald , van Deventer Sander , Ritsema Tita , Konstantinova Pavlina
Published: July 2012

Background

Controlling and limiting the expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) by using constitutive or tissue-specific polymerase II (pol II) expression can be a promising strategy to avoid RNAi toxicity. However, to date detailed studies on requirements for effective pol II shRNA expression and processing are not available. We investigated the optimal structural configuration of shRNA molecules, namely: hairpin location, stem length and termination signal required for effective pol II expression and compared it with an alternative strategy of avoiding toxicity by using artificial microRNA (miRNA) scaffolds.

Results

Highly effective shRNAs targeting luciferase (shLuc) or Apolipoprotein B100 (shApoB1 and shApoB2) were placed under the control of the pol II CMV promoter and expressed at +5 or +6 nucleotides (nt) with reference to the transcription start site (TSS). Different transcription termination signals (TTS), namely minimal polyadenylation (pA), poly T (T5) and U1 were also used. All pol II- expressed shRNA variants induced mild inhibition of Luciferase reporters carrying specific targets and none of them showed comparable efficacy to their polymerase III-expressed H1-shRNA controls, regardless of hairpin position and termination signal used. Extending hairpin stem length from 20 basepairs (bp) to 21, 25 or 29 bp yielded only slight improvement in the overall efficacy. When shLuc, shApoB1 and shApoB2 were placed in an artificial miRNA scaffold, two out of three were as potent as the H1-shRNA controls. Quantification of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules showed that the artificial miRNA constructs expressed less molecules than H1-shRNAs and that CMV-shRNA expressed the lowest amount of siRNA molecules suggesting that RNAi processing in this case is least effective. Furthermore, CMV-miApoB1 and CMV-miApoB2 were as effective as the corresponding H1-shApoB1 and H1-shApoB2 in inhibiting endogenous ApoB mRNA.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that artificial miRNA have a better efficacy profile than shRNA expressed either from H1 or CMV promoter and will be used in the future for RNAi therapeutic development.
Immunological response in mice bearing LM3 breast tumor undergoing Pulchellin treatment
Authors: de Matos Djamile Cordeiro , de Ribeiro Lívia Carolina Abreu , Tansini Aline , Ferreira Lucas Souza , Placeres Marisa Campos Polesi , Colombo Lucas Luis , Carlos Iracilda Zeppone
Published: July 2012

Background

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIP) have been studied in the search for toxins that could be used as immunotoxins for cancer treatment. Pulchellin, a type 2 RIP, is suggested to induce immune responses that have a role in controlling cancer.

Methods

The percentage of dendritic cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the spleen (flow cytometry), cytokines’ release by PECs and splenocytes (ELISA) and nitric oxide production by PECs (Griess assay) were determined from tumor-bearing mice injected intratumorally with 0.1 ml of pulchellin at 0.75 μg/kg of body weight. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test.

Results

Pulchellin-treated mice showed significant immune system activation, characterized by increased release of IFN-γ and Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10), while IL-6 and TGF-β levels were decreased. There was also an increase in macrophage’s activation, as denoted by the higher percentage of macrophages expressing adhesion and costimulatory molecules (CD54 and CD80, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that pulchellin is promising as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment.