bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Binding of Aldolase and Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase to the Cytoplasmic Tails of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Duffy Binding-Like and Reticulocyte Homology Ligands
Authors: Pal-Bhowmick Ipsita , Andersen John , Srinivasan Prakash , Narum David L. , Bosch Jürgen , Miller Louis H.
Published: September 2012

Invasion of erythrocytes by
Plasmodium falciparum
requires a connection between the cytoplasmic tail of the parasite’s ligands for its erythrocyte receptors and the actin-myosin motor of the parasite. For the thromobospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) ligand on
Plasmodium
sporozoites, aldolase forms this connection and requires tryptophan and negatively charged amino acids in the ligand’s cytoplasmic tail. Because of the importance of the Duffy binding-like (DBL) and the reticulocyte homology (RH) ligand families in erythrocyte binding and merozoite invasion, we characterized the ability of their cytoplasmic tails to bind aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), both of which bind actin. We tested the binding of the cytoplasmic peptides of the two ligand families to aldolase and GAPDH. Only the cytoplasmic peptides of some RH ligands showed strong binding to aldolase, and the binding depended on the presence of an aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine or tyrosine), rather than tryptophan, in the context of negatively charged amino acids. The binding was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance analysis and was found to represent affinity similar to that seen with TRAP. An X-ray crystal structure of aldolase at 2.5 Å in the presence of RH2b peptide suggested that the binding site location was near the TRAP-binding site. GAPDH bound to some of the cytoplasmic tails of certain RH and DBL ligands in an aromatic amino acid-dependent manner. Thus, the connection between
Plasmodium
merozoite ligands and erythrocyte receptors and the actin motor can be achieved through the activity of either aldolase or GAPDH by mechanisms that do not require tryptophan but, rather, other aromatic amino acids.

IMPORTANCE
The invasion of the
Plasmodium
merozoite into erythrocytes is a critical element in malaria pathogenesis. It is important to understand the molecular details of this process, as this machinery can be a target for both vaccine and drug development. In
Plasmodium
sporozoites and
Toxoplasma
tachyzoites, invasion involves a glycolytic enzyme aldolase, linking the cytoplasmic tail domains of the parasite ligands to the actin-myosin motor that drives invasion. This binding requires a tryptophan that cannot be replaced by other aromatic residues. Here we show that aldolase binds the cytoplasmic tails of some
P. falciparum
merozoite erythrocyte-binding ligands but that the binding involves aromatic residues other than tryptophan. The biological relevance of aldolase binding to cytoplasmic tails of parasite ligands in invasion is demonstrated by our observation that RH2b but not RH2a binds to aldolase and, as previously shown, that RH2b but not RH2a is required for
P. falciparum
invasion of erythrocytes.
The burden of non-acute dying on society: dying of cancer and chronic disease in the European Union
Authors: Hasselaar Jeroen , Engels Yvonne , Menten Johan , Jaspers Birgit , Vissers Kris
Published: September 2012

Objectives

Due to the ageing of the European population, the burden of non-acute dying on society is expected to increase. The aim of this study is to estimate the number of persons dying of cancer and chronic disease in Europe, including regional differences.

Methods

Death certificates of deceased persons in the European Union (EU)-27 countries in 2007 (some countries 2006 or 2004) were analysed and primary death causes were listed. These data were prepared for the general population and for the population of 65 years and older. Crude death rates (CDRs) were calculated for both groups and for all included countries.

Results

Of 480 million deceased European people, 202 million died of cancer and chronic disease in 2007 (42%). The CDR of the EU-27 countries was 409 (95% CI 370 to 451) for cancer and other chronic diseases per 100 000 inhabitants in 2007. For the 65+ population, the CDR for the EU-27 was 1783 (95% CI 1701 to 1868) for cancer and chronic disease. Large differences across countries appeared. An inverse relationship was shown for country-specific CDRs for cancer and chronic disease versus CDRs for other death causes (R=−0.41; p=0.04).

Conclusions

Dying of cancer and chronic diseases involves a considerable burden on the European society. Future research should relate this information to the prevalence of symptoms and the use of palliative care services. European policy makers should take into account regional variations in developing long- and short-term palliative care strategies.
The limited usefulness of models based on recollection and familiarity
Authors: Wais Peter E.
Published: September 2012

A recent report concluded that magnetoencephalographic signals of neural activity associated with memory based on the recollection process are independent from signals associated with memory based on the familiarity process. These data can be interpreted equally well, however, as indications of memory aggregated from both processes and showing that signals associated with high-confidence recognition are dissociable from signals associated with low-confidence recognition. The usefulness of interpreting neural data according to psychological models based on recollection and familiarity is discussed.
Proteomic analysis of high NaCl-induced changes in abundance of nuclear proteins
Authors: Li Jinxi , Ferraris Joan D. , Yu Danni , Singh Taruna , Izumi Yuichiro , Wang Guanghui , Gucek Marjan , Burg Maurice B.
Published: September 2012

Mammalian cells are normally stressed by high interstitial NaCl in the renal medulla and by lesser elevation of NaCl in several other tissues. High NaCl damages proteins and DNA and can kill cells. Known protective responses include nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFAT5 and other proteins. In order better to understand the extent and significance of changes in nuclear protein abundance, we extracted nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins separately from HEK293 cells and measured by LC-MS/MS (iTRAQ) changes of abundance of proteins in the extracts in response to high NaCl at three time points: 1 h, 8 h, and adapted for two passages. We confidently identified a total of 3,190 proteins; 163 proteins changed significantly at least at one time point in the nucleus. We discerned the biological significance of the changes by Gene Ontology and protein network analysis. Proteins that change in the nucleus include ones involved in protein folding and localization, microtubule-based process, regulation of cell death, cytoskeleton organization, DNA metabolic process, RNA processing, and cell cycle. Among striking changes in the nucleus, we found a decrease of all six 14-3-3 isoforms; dynamic changes of “cytoskeletal” proteins, suggestive of nucleoskeletal reorganization; rapid decrease of tubulins; and dynamic changes of heat shock proteins. Identification of these changes of nuclear protein abundance enhances our understanding of high NaCl-induced cellular stress, and provides leads to previously unknown damages and protective responses.
Influence of Electrostatic Forces on the Growth of One‐Dimensional Nanostructures
Authors: Cross Michael , Varhue Walter
Published: September 2012

The growth of crystalline ruthenium oxide square nanorods was considered on numerous substrate materials. The nanorods were found to grow easily on insulating substrates, while their growth on electrically conducting and grounded substrates was inhibited. The transfer of electrons from the plasma discharge to the developing nanorods caused the nanorods to be negatively charged and obtain a floating potential relative to ground. The electrical charging of the nanorod played a key role in their development.
A Severe Case of Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome with Successful Angioplasty and Stenting
Authors: Hongsakul Keerati , Rookkapan Sorracha , Sungsiri Jitpreedee , Tubtawee Teeravut
Published: September 2012

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MAL) or celiac axis compression syndrome (CACS) is a rare etiology of chronic abdominal pain. Traditional treatment of this syndrome is surgery. We report a case of median arcuate ligament syndrome with a severe compression of the celiac trunk, which was successfully treated by angioplasty with stenting.
Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation
Authors: Shipton Edward A.
Published: September 2012

Movement disorders are neurological conditions affecting speed, fluency, quality, and ease of movement. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat advanced Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. Possible target sites for DBS include the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus, the globus pallidus internus, and the subthalamic nucleus. High-frequency DBS leads to a kind of functional deafferentation of the stimulated structure and to the modulation of cortical activity. This has a profound effect on the efficiency of movement. Indications for the use of DBS include the need to improve function, reduce medication dependency, and avoid ablative neurosurgery. Appropriate patient selection is critical for success. The implantation technique is briefly described. Programming stimulation parameters are performed via telemetry. The adverse effects of DBS are discussed. The future should see the development of “closed-loop” systems. Its use has promoted interdisciplinary team work and provided an improved understanding of the complex neurocircuitry associated with these disorders. DBS is a highly effective, safe, and reversible surgical treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease, tremor, and dystonia. It is a useful therapeutic option in carefully selected patients that significantly improves motor symptoms, functional status, and quality of life.
Pleiotropic Cellular Functions of PARP1 in Longevity and Aging: Genome Maintenance Meets Inflammation
Authors: Mangerich Aswin , Bürkle Alexander
Published: September 2012

Aging is a multifactorial process that depends on diverse molecular and cellular mechanisms, such as genome maintenance and inflammation. The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), which catalyzes the synthesis of the biopolymer poly(ADP-ribose), exhibits an essential role in both processes. On the one hand, PARP1 serves as a genomic caretaker as it participates in chromatin remodelling, DNA repair, telomere maintenance, resolution of replicative stress, and cell cycle control. On the other hand, PARP1 acts as a mediator of inflammation due to its function as a regulator of NF-κB and other transcription factors and its potential to induce cell death. Consequently, PARP1 represents an interesting player in several aging mechanisms and is discussed as a longevity assurance factor on the one hand and an aging-promoting factor on the other hand. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying the various roles of PARP1 in longevity and aging with special emphasis on cellular studies and we briefly discuss the results in the context ofin vivostudies in mice and humans.
Randomized SVD Methods in Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Zhang Jiani , Erway Jennifer , Hu Xiaofei , Zhang Qiang , Plemmons Robert
Published: September 2012

We present a randomized singular value decomposition (rSVD) method for the purposes of lossless compression, reconstruction, classification, and target detection with hyperspectral (HSI) data. Recent work in low‐rank matrix approximations obtained from random projections suggests that these approximations are well suited for randomized dimensionality reduction. Approximation errors for the rSVD are evaluated on HSI, and comparisons are made to deterministic techniques and as well as to other randomized low‐rank matrix approximation methods involving compressive principal component analysis. Numerical tests on real HSI data suggest that the method is promising and is particularly effective for HSI data interrogation.
Pulmonary Blastoma: A Rare Primary Lung Malignancy
Authors: Alahwal Mahmoud S. , Maniyar Iqbal H. , Saleem Faiza , Alshiekh Mariam
Published: September 2012

Pulmonary blastoma, a rare primary lung malignancy, is considered to be distinct from other lung tumors based on pathological features, clinical course, and prognosis. More than one hundred cases have been reported in literature highlighting an interesting fact about their distinctive biologic manner from histopathological features. Classic pulmonary blastoma is composed of a mixture of immature epithelial and mesenchymal tissue resembling fetal lung tissue. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. The prognosis of this rare malignancy is poor and the overall 5-year survival is around 15%. Our patient presented with respiratory symptoms and was found to have right-sided chest wall mass. The patient underwent complete surgical excision followed by 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. The patient showed good subjective and objective response with no evidence of disease recurrence. We report this rare malignancy with a review of literature, and the potential to use adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of this condition.
Modified Function Projective Synchronization between Different Dimension Fractional‐Order Chaotic Systems
Authors: Zhou Ping , Ding Rui
Published: September 2012

A modified function projective synchronization (MFPS) scheme for different dimension fractional‐order chaotic systems is presented via fractional order derivative. The synchronization scheme, based on stability theory of nonlinear fractional‐order systems, is theoretically rigorous. The numerical simulations demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed method.
Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Gut and Beyond
Authors: Vyas Usha , Ranganathan Natarajan
Published: September 2012

The human intestinal tract has been colonized by thousands of species of bacteria during the coevolution of man and microbes. Gut-borne microbes outnumber the total number of body tissue cells by a factor of ten. Recent metagenomic analysis of the human gut microbiota has revealed the presence of some 3.3 million genes, as compared to the mere 23 thousand genes present in the cells of the tissues in the entire human body. Evidence for various beneficial roles of the intestinal microbiota in human health and disease is expanding rapidly. Perturbation of the intestinal microbiota may lead to chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases, colon cancers, gastric ulcers, cardiovascular disease, functional bowel diseases, and obesity. Restoration of the gut microbiota may be difficult to accomplish, but the use of probiotics has led to promising results in a large number of well-designed (clinical) studies. Microbiomics has spurred a dramatic increase in scientific, industrial, and public interest in probiotics and prebiotics as possible agents for gut microbiota management and control. Genomics and bioinformatics tools may allow us to establish mechanistic relationships among gut microbiota, health status, and the effects of drugs in the individual. This will hopefully provide perspectives for personalized gut microbiota management.
Viral RNA Patterns and High Viral Load Reliably Define Oropharynx Carcinomas with Active HPV16 Involvement
Authors: Holzinger Dana , Schmitt Markus , Dyckhoff Gerhard , Benner Axel , Pawlita Michael , Bosch Franz X.
Published: September 2012

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) that are associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection carry a more favorable prognosis than those that are HPV-negative. However, it remains unclear which biomarker(s) can reliably determine which OPSCC specimens are truly driven by HPV infection. In this study, we analyzed 199 fresh-frozen OPSCC specimens for HPV DNA, viral load, RNA expression patterns typical for cervical carcinomas (CxCaRNA+), and the HPV-targeted tumor suppressor protein p16INK4a as markers for HPV infection. In this set of specimens, there was a 49% prevalence of DNA for the cancer-associated HPV type 16 (HPV+). However, there was only a 16% prevalence of high viral load and only a 20% prevalence of CxCaRNA+, a marker of HPV16 carcinogenic activity. Among the CxCaRNA+ tumors, 78% of the specimens exhibited overexpression of p16INK4a, which also occurred in 14% of the HPV-negative tumors. Using a multivariate survival analysis with HPV negativity as the reference group, CxCaRNA+ as a single marker conferred the lowest risk of death [HR = 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13–0.61] from oropharyngeal cancer, closely followed by high viral load (HR = 0.32, 95% CI, 0.14–0.73). In contrast, a weaker inverse association was found for OPSCC that were HPV+ and p16INK4a high (HR = 0.55, 95% CI, 0.29–1.08). In summary, our findings argued that viral load or RNA pattern analysis is better suited than p16INK4a expression to identify HPV16-driven tumors in OPSCC patient populations. Cancer Res; 72(19); 4993–5003. ©2012 AACR.
ColoGuidePro: A Prognostic 7-Gene Expression Signature for Stage III Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Sveen Anita , Ågesen Trude H. , Nesbakken Arild , Meling Gunn Iren , Rognum Torleiv O. , Liestøl Knut , Skotheim Rolf I. , Lothe Ragnhild A.
Published: September 2012

Purpose: Improved prognostic stratification of patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer is warranted for postoperative clinical decision making. This study was conducted to develop a clinically feasible and robust prognostic classifier for these patients independent of adjuvant treatment.

Experimental Design: Global gene expression profiles from altogether 387 stage II and III colorectal cancer tissue samples from three independent patient series were included in the study. ColoGuidePro, a seven-gene prognostic classifier, was developed from a selected Norwegian learning series (n = 95; no adjuvant treatment) using lasso-penalized multivariate survival modeling with cross-validation.

Results: The expression signature significantly stratified patients in a consecutive Norwegian test series, in which patients were treated according to current standards [HR, 2.9 (1.1–7.5); P = 0.03; n = 77] and an external validation series [HR, 3.7 (2.0–6.8); P < 0.001; n = 215] according to survival. ColoGuidePro was also an independent predictor of prognosis in multivariate models including tumor stage in both series (HR, ≥3.1; P ≤ 0.03). In the validation series, which consisted of patients from other populations (United States and Australia), 5-year relapse-free survival was significantly predicted for stage III patients only (P < 0.001; n = 107). Here, prognostic stratification was independent of adjuvant treatment (P = 0.001).

Conclusions: We present ColoGuidePro, a prognostic classifier developed for patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer. The test is suitable for transfer to clinical use and has best prognostic prediction potential for stage III patients. Clin Cancer Res; 18(21); 6001–10. ©2012 AACR.
MRI-Based Liver Iron Content Predicts for Nonrelapse Mortality in MDS and AML Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Wermke Martin , Schmidt Anne , Middeke Jan Moritz , Sockel Katja , von Bonin Malte , Schönefeldt Claudia , Mair Sabine , Plodeck Verena , Laniado Michael , Weiss Günter , Schetelig Johannes , Ehninger Gerhard , Theurl Igor , Bornhäuser Martin , Platzbecker Uwe
Published: September 2012

Purpose: Retrospective, surrogate marker–based studies have found inconsistent associations between systemic iron overload (SIO) and adverse outcome in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). As a consequence, the impact of SIO in this context remains under debate. The aim of this study was to test whether the objective pretransplant quantification of liver-iron content (LIC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could circumvent these limitations and conclusively define the prognostic relevance of SIO.

Experimental Design: The correlation between pretransplant LIC and surrogate parameters as well as the impact of SIO on posttransplant outcome was assessed within an observational study of patients (n = 88) with either myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing allo-SCT.

Results: Ferritin levels of 1,000 ng/mL or more provided only poor specificity (31.8%) for predicting elevated LIC (≥125 μmol/g) and even higher thresholds (≥2,500 ng/mL) lacked an association with nonrelapse mortality (NRM). In contrast, LIC 125 μmol/g or more was a significant risk factor for NRM in uni- and multivariate analysis (HR = 2.98; P = 0.016). Multivariate Cox-regression further showed that LIC 125 μmol/g or more was associated with a decreased overall survival (HR = 2.24, P = 0.038), whereas ferritin or transfusion burden were not.

Conclusions: SIO reflected by LIC is an independent negative prognostic factor for posttransplant outcome in patients with AML and MDS undergoing allo-SCT. Therefore, MRI-based LIC, and not interference-prone serum markers such as ferritin, should be preferred for pretransplant risk stratification and patient selection in future clinical trials. Clin Cancer Res; 18(23); 6460–8. ©2012 AACR.
Multiple Isoforms of CDC25 Oppose ATM Activity to Maintain Cell Proliferation during Vertebrate Development
Authors: Verduzco Daniel , Dovey Jennifer Shepard , Shukla Abhay A. , Kodym Elisabeth , Skaug Brian A. , Amatruda James F.
Published: September 2012

The early development of vertebrate embryos is characterized by rapid cell proliferation necessary to support the embryo's growth. During this period, the embryo must maintain a balance between ongoing cell proliferation and mechanisms that arrest or delay the cell cycle to repair oxidative damage and other genotoxic stresses. The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase is a critical regulator of the response to DNA damage, acting through downstream effectors, such as p53 and checkpoint kinases (CHK) to mediate cell-cycle checkpoints in the presence of DNA damage. Mice and humans with inactivating mutations in ATM are viable but have increased susceptibility to cancers. The possible role of ATM in limiting cell proliferation in early embryos has not been fully defined. One target of ATM and CHKs is the Cdc25 phosphatase, which facilitates cell-cycle progression by removing inhibitory phosphates from cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). We have identified a zebrafish mutant, standstill, with an inactivating mutation in cdc25a. Loss of cdc25a in the zebrafish leads to accumulation of cells in late G2 phase. We find that the novel family member cdc25d is essential for early development in the absence of cdc25a, establishing for the first time that cdc25d is active in vivo in zebrafish. Surprisingly, we find that cell-cycle progression in cdc25a mutants can be rescued by chemical or genetic inhibition of ATM. Checkpoint activation in cdc25a mutants occurs despite the absence of increased DNA damage, highlighting the role of Cdc25 proteins to balance constitutive ATM activity during early embryonic development. Mol Cancer Res; 10(11); 1451–61. ©2012 AACR.
Extensive White Matter Changes Predict Stroke Recurrence up to 5 Years after a First-Ever Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Melkas S. , Sibolt G. , Oksala N.K.J. , Putaala J. , Pohjasvaara T. , Kaste M. , Karhunen P.J. , Erkinjuntti T.
Published: September 2012

Background: White matter changes (WMCs), a surrogate for small-vessel disease (SVD), have been shown to be associated with a major negative influence on cognition, mood and functioning in daily life. We aimed to investigate whether severe WMCs are a risk factor for recurrent ischemic stroke in a long-term follow-up. Methods: 320 consecutive patients admitted to hospital with a first-ever ischemic stroke were included in the study and followed up for 12 years using extensive national registers. Patients were aged between 55 and 85 years, with a mean age of 70.8 years. WMCs were rated using MRI and stratified into two grades: absent to moderate WMCs versus severe WMCs. Univariate analysis was performed using binary logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis and life table function. To control for factors such as age, education and cardiovascular risk factors, a multivariate Cox regression proportional hazards analysis was made with forced entry. Results: At least one recurrent stroke, nonfatal or fatal, was diagnosed in 76 (23.8%) patients at 5 years and in 127 (39.7%) patients at 12 years. In univariate analysis, only advancing age was associated with WMCs. The cumulative 5-year recurrence risk was 24.5% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 23.8–25.2] for patients with absent to moderate WMCs and 39.1% (95% CI 38.1–40.1) for patients with severe WMCs. The cumulative 12-year recurrence risk was 48.1% (95% CI 45.5–50.7) for patients with absent to moderate WMCs and 60.9% (95% CI 56.7–65.1) for patients with severe WMCs. In Cox regression proportional hazards analysis, independent predictors of recurrent stroke at 5 years were severe WMCs [hazard ratio (HR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.11–2.95], atrial fibrillation (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.09–3.02), hypertension (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.05–2.71) and peripheral arterial disease (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.06–3.38). At 12 years, only increasing age remained as an independent predictor (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.07). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve for severe WMCs was 0.58 (95% CI 0.51–0.65) for the prediction of stroke recurrence within 5 years. Conclusions: In our well-defined cohort of poststroke patients, the presence of severe WMCs was an indicator of stroke recurrence up to 5 years after a first-ever ischemic stroke. WMCs can be considered as an SVD marker that summarizes the effects of several classical risk factors on the small-vessel brain network and therefore can be used as a score for risk stratification of stroke recurrence. Our findings further underline the poor long-term prognosis of cerebral SVD.
Prenatal Determination of the Upper Lesion Level of Spina Bifida with Three-Dimensional Ultrasound
Authors: Buyukkurt Selim , Binokay Figen , Seydaoglu Gulsah , Kucukgoz Gulec Umran , Ozgunen Fatma Tuncay , Evruke Cuneyt , Demir Cansun
Published: September 2012

Introduction: To evaluate the role of three-dimensional (3D) sonography in the prenatal detection of the upper pole in fetuses with spina bifida. Material and Methods: Women admitted to a tertiary center with pregnancies with isolated open spina bifida were enrolled in the study. All fetuses had 3D sonography to predict the lesion level. The exact lesion level was ascertained using radiography and/or autopsy following the delivery at term or abortion. Results: Forty-eight cases were eligible for this study. Twenty-eight fetuses were diagnosed in the second trimester and the lesion level was precisely predicted in 24 (86%) of them. In 14 (70%) of the 20 fetuses diagnosed in the last trimester, the level was accurately determined. The remaining 10 fetuses, from both the second and third trimesters, were found to have a lesion level that was within one segment of the predicted lesion level. The correct matching rate was 38/48 (79%), and agreement within one segment was achieved in all cases. Discussion: According to our data, 3D ultrasound is useful for the prenatal determination of lesion level in spina bifida, which is an important prognostic factor.
Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Arising from Endometriosis: A Clinicopathological Study and Literature Review
Authors: Lan Chunyan , Huang Xin , Lin Suxia , Cai Muyan , Liu Jihong
Published: September 2012

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the nature of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) arising from endometriosis. Methods: The clinical data of 5 patients with ESS arising from endometriosis were reviewed retrospectively. The expression of CD117, HER2/neu, EGFR, VEGF, and PDGFR was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Results: The median age of the 5 patients was 45 years. The primary tumor sites were the ovary in 2, the pelvis in 2, and the cervical canal in 1 patient. Three patients had disseminated disease at diagnosis. Four patients underwent complete tumor resection. All of the 5 cases received adjuvant chemotherapy and 2 received progesterone therapy, while none were treated with radiotherapy. No recurrence occurred in the 4 cases who had complete tumor resection, and the only patient who progressed was the patient in whom the tumor was unresectable. Tumor cells in all cases exhibited positive staining for PDGFR and were negative for CD117 and HER2/neu. The expression of EGFR and VEGF was observed in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. Conclusion: ESS arising from endometriosis is rare. Complete tumor resection in ESS arising from endometriosis may reduce the recurrence rate.
Differential putaminal morphology in Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Looi Jeffrey CL , Rajagopalan Priya , Walterfang Mark , Madsen Sarah K , Thompson Paul M , Macfarlane Matthew D , Ching Chris , Chua Phyllis , Velakoulis Dennis
Published: September 2012

Objective:

Direct neuronal loss or deafferentation of the putamen, a critical hub in corticostriatal circuits, may result in diverse and distinct cognitive and motoric dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease. Differential putaminal morphology, as a quantitative measure of corticostriatal integrity, may thus be evident in Huntington’s disease (HD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), diseases with differential clinical dysfunction.

Methods:

HD ( n = 17), FTD ( n = 33) and AD ( n = 13) patients were diagnosed according to international consensus criteria and, with healthy controls ( n = 17), were scanned on the same MRI scanner. Patients underwent brief cognitive testing using the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG). Ten MRI scans from this dataset were manually segmented as a training set for the Adaboost algorithm, which automatically segmented all remaining scans for the putamen, yielding the following subset of the data: 9 left and 12 right putamen segmentations for AD; 25 left and 26 right putamina for FTD; 16 left and 15 right putamina for HD; 12 left and 12 right putamina for controls. Shape analysis was performed at each point on the surface of each structure using a multiple regression controlling for age and sex to compare radial distance across diagnostic groups.

Results:

Age, but not sex and intracranial volume (ICV), were significantly different in the segmentation subgroups by diagnosis. The AD group showed significantly poorer performance on cognitive testing than FTD. Mean putaminal volumes were HD < FTD < AD ≤ controls, controlling for age and ICV. The greatest putaminal shape deflation was evident in HD, followed by FTD, in regions corresponding to the interconnections to motoric cortex.

Conclusions:

Differential patterns of putaminal atrophy in HD, FTD and AD, with relevance to corticostriatal circuits, suggest the putamen may be a suitable clinical biomarker in neurodegenerative disease.
A theoretical analysis for fiber contacts in multilayer nanofibrous assemblies
Authors: Bagherzadeh Roohollah , Shaikhzadeh Najar Saeed , Latifi Masoud , Amani Tehran Mohammad , Kong Lingxue
Published: September 2012

A theoretical analysis is presented for the estimation of the number of contacts between fibers in random multilayer nanofibrous assemblies with arbitrary fiber diameter and orientation. The statistics of fiber contacts for single-layer nanofiber mats were considered first, and the equations were developed for three-dimensional multilayer nanofibrous assemblies by considering the superposition of the single-layer assemblies. Based on the theoretical approach presented here for multilayer nanofibrous networks, the network porosity, mean fiber diameter and a function of fiber aspect ratio contribute to a model to determine the average number of fiber contacts per unit fiber length in multilayer nanofibrous mats.

The theory is studied parametrically and results compared with the work of a model presented by Samson. It is shown that the presented model compared to the existing models is more sensitive with the fiber diameter in the nano-scale. It is also believed that the presented theory for fiber-to-fiber contacts is more realistic and useful for further studies of multilayer nanofibrous assemblies.
Bending rigidity of laminated fabric taking into account the neutral axes of components
Authors: Kim KyoungOk , Inui Shigeru , Takatera Masayuki
Published: September 2012

The bending rigidity of laminated fabric was investigated considering the positions of the neutral axes in bending for components in addition to the tensile and in-plane compressive moduli of components. Theoretically derived equations were proposed to obtain the position of the neutral axis and to predict bending rigidity of laminated fabric. Eight face fabrics, ten adhesive interlinings and eighty laminated fabrics of those combinations were used for experimental samples. Tensile properties, bending rigidities and thicknesses of samples were measured and used to investigate the validity of the theory. The positions of the neutral axes for the face fabrics were obtained and they were not close to the centroid of the fabric. The calculated bending rigidities of laminated fabrics using the obtained position of neutral axes were more agreed with the experimental ones than the results by the method without considering the position of neutral axis. Therefore, it was found that the bending rigidity of laminated fabric can be predicted more precisely considering the position of neutral axis.
Wool cortical cell-based porous films
Authors: Patrucco A , Zoccola M , Consonni R , Tonin C
Published: September 2012

The aim of this work is to improve the select mechanical properties of keratin films for biomedical application by exploiting the hierarchical cell structure of wool fibers in a simple and green process. Bio-composite keratin films were prepared by ultrasonic irradiation of wool fibers soaked in clean water, have previously been swollen in mild alkali. The disruption of the fiber cell structure produced a suspension of cortical cells that was centrifuged and rinsed to remove part of the hydrolyzed keratin matrix, then cast into micro-structured porous films made of randomly oriented cortical cells stuck to each other by solidification of the matrix. The chemical and physical properties of the porous films were compared with those of compact films produced using the entire hydrolyzed keratin matrix. Reduction of the keratin matrix amount leads to an even micro-porous structure and improves the mechanical properties (ultimate tensile strength: 11.36 MPa; elongation at break: 3.18%), the moisture uptake and the thermal stability of the films. These properties, associated with other properties of wool keratin, which is naturally hydrophilic, non-burning, biodegradable and biocompatible, make the porous bio-composite keratin films simple and low-cost candidates for biomedical and biotechnology applications.
George S. Hendry: Bicentennial Reflections on His Theological Legacy
Authors: Migliore Daniel L.
Published: September 2012

George S. Hendry was the Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Seminary from 1949 to 1973. Author of five books and numerous articles in Theology Today, Princeton Seminary Bulletin, and other journals, his outstanding lectures and solid scholarship were anchored in the faith and life of the Church. This article recalls his central emphases in theological method, the authority of Scripture, christology, pneumatology, and eschatology.
Should We Stop Studying the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Authors: Scott Len
Published: September 2012

The Cuban missile crisis remains one of the most intensely studied events of the twentieth century, and which engages the attention of scholars from a variety of disciplines. Lessons learned by American practitioners and academics contributed to the conduct of American foreign policy in the 1960s and to academic understanding of nuclear deterrence, nuclear crises and crisis management in general. Nearly 50 fifty years of scholarship have generated new insights and understanding. From the 1980s, study of what in Moscow was termed the Caribbean crisis was informed by access to Soviet officials and Soviet archives, and became the forefront of the ‘new historiography’ of the Cold War. This collection reviews how various texts inform our understanding and how new interpretations and/or new sources of information have overtaken (or indeed validated) the original analysis. This article provides an overview of this endeavour and an answer to the question of whether we should continue to study the Cuban missile crisis.
Profit-Making State Firms and China’s Development Experience
Authors: Huang Philip C.C.
Published: September 2012

State-owned “enterprises” from the planned era, converted into profit-making state firms in the 2000s, have been playing a major role in the continued spectacular growth of China’s GDP. This fact, however, has been obscured by hegemonic neoliberal economic discourse with its assumption that only private firms can drive economic development, thereby turning what is a major dynamic into a major failing. At the same time, by a variety of abstract constructs founded on theoretical speculations rather than empirical reality, neoliberal economic and sociological discourse has also obscured the mounting social inequalities that have accompanied Chinese development. The evidence shows that central and local Chinese government actions lie at the root of the growing social inequalities. This article ends with a discussion of the new Chongqing experiment and its implications for the big issue of the direction of China’s future development: whether “state capitalism” or “socialist market economy,” not in rhetoric but in actual substance.
New developments in waste management in the Netherlands
Authors: Goorhuis Maarten , Reus Pieter , Nieuwenhuis Ellen , Spanbroek Natascha , Sol Mario , van Rijn Jørgen
Published: September 2012

With a current recycling rate of 51% the Netherlands has one of the leading positions in the recycling of household waste in Europe. However, in the last 10–15 years there have been few developments made in the recycling of household waste. The introduction of producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment in 1999 and for packaging in 2005 have been the biggest changes in this period. However, these measures have, so far, not significantly influenced the overall recycling rate for household waste. In order to plan the next steps, which are necessary to reach the goals of the National Waste Management plan, new innovative methods are needed. A number of Dutch municipalities and waste collection companies are investigating promising new paths to enhance separate collection and recycling of household waste. This article reports on three of the most interesting initiatives.
Duet of the Commons
Authors: Guo Zhan , Xu Peiyi
Published: September 2012

This article explores the concept of “public commons” and its relationship with travel decisions under a unique setting: street cleaning in the New York City area. Using a natural experimental design, it investigates the impact of street cleaning on car usage for five hundred randomly selected households. Street cleaning encourages car usage for households without off-street parking and discourages car usage for households with off-street parking. The net effect is an increase of vehicle miles traveled by 7.1 percent, at least 27 percent of which is not a mere redistribution from non-street-cleaning days.
‘Verstehen’, Everyday Sociology and Development: Incorporating African Indigenous Knowledge
Authors: Olutayo Akinpelu Olanrewaju
Published: September 2012

Though language and oral tradition have long been appreciated among the indigenous people of Africa as the vehicle of knowledge and central to societal development, social scientists and even sociologists have not utilized these sufficiently in undertaking their researches. Knowledge and theories are mainstreamed and applied relative to Africa without significant appreciation of elements of knowledge that could positively impact theories and methodologies most relevant to and from those societies. This is in spite of recognitions of contextual content of ‘everyday sociology’ as necessary for ‘ verstehen(ing)’. This challenge also interface with policy papers on the continent. Many policies on the continent fail because their knowledge base is not localized through appropriately indigenous knowledge, thereby leading to failure. This article attempts to show how the incorporation of indigenous knowledge structures into sociology and development policies can assist in development of Africana sociology that will be useful for both theory and practice.
Multi-fidelity design of aeroelastic wing tip devices
Authors: Ricci Sergio , Castellani Michele , Romanelli Giulio
Published: September 2012

In recent years, significant resources have been invested to further improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of modern aircraft. A possible strategy consists of reducing the induced-drag contribution (40% of total drag) by means of wing tip devices, e.g. winglets. However, these solutions have a negative impact on structural sizing, requiring reinforcements, and aeroelastic stability, requiring mass balancing. The subject of this study is the numerical study of an alternative wing tip device. In particular, two different design concepts are presented, namely discrete and raked options. These solutions improve the aerodynamic efficiency by extending the wing span and feature an integrated aeroelastic passive load alleviation capability. The design of the wing tip devices follows a multi-fidelity approach, closely matching today's best practices in the aerospace industry. In the first part of the study, the design phase is carried out with low-fidelity very efficient tools. In the second part, the most promising solutions are verified with high-fidelity more expensive tools, within the framework of computational aeroelasticity.
The marketisation of care: Rationales and consequences in Nordic and liberal care regimes
Authors: Brennan Deborah , Cass Bettina , Himmelweit Susan , Szebehely Marta
Published: September 2012

The use of markets and market mechanisms to deliver care services is growing in both liberal and social democratic welfare states. This article examines debates and policies concerning the marketisation of eldercare and childcare in Sweden, England and Australia. It shows how market discourses and practices intersect with, reinforce or challenge traditions and existing policies and examines whether care markets deliver user empowerment and greater efficiency. Markets for eldercare and childcare have developed in uneven and context specific ways with varying consequences. Both politics and policy history help to shape market outcomes.
All in the family? Migrants, nationhood, and care regimes in Asia and North America
Authors: Michel Sonya , Peng Ito
Published: September 2012

If a ‘migrant in the family’ is the prevalent pattern of care work in Mediterranean societies today, what are the emergent patterns in other familialistic societies, and what factors are driving or impeding them? We address these questions by examining the cases of Japan, Korea, Canada, and the US. Our analysis shows that while care work patterns in all these four countries resemble those of the Mediterranean countries in their increased use of migrant care workers, they also differ from the Mediterranean and among themselves, partly because of their varying conceptualizations of nationhood. We argue that concepts of nationhood are significant but not all-determining in efforts to reconcile care work and migration regimes.
Combined effects of inertia and pressure on engine vibration
Authors: Periyasamy Sivanandi , Alwarsamy Thirunarayanaswamy
Published: September 2012

The present paper describes a methodology devised to study the engine block displacement of an internal combustion engine in the radial direction due to combustion force and inertia forces. The combustion force produced in in-cylinder is a substantial function of angular displacement and then correlated with pressure and temperature. Other than the substantial function, combustion force depends on chamber design, injection parameters, flow patterns and fuels. But inertia is a function of angular displacement and a mass of reciprocating parts. Speed is directly related to combustion by means of indicated pressure and the indicated torque respectively. The engine was taken for an analysis along with speed and load as the design variables. The engine block displacement, time-domain frequency, wave form, side thrust and in-cylinder force were examined for the analysis. The results obtained provide the combined effect of combustion force and inertia force induced displacement, uncertainty in combustion processes, nonlinear vibration of the engine block, and vibration spectra. This new approach in engine parameter design bestows insight with the combustion force and inertia induced vibration and source of noise in the diesel engine.
A Process for Updating a Philosophy of Education Statement
Authors: Gambescia Stephen F.
Published: September 2012

Most health education specialists have been introduced to the idea of having a philosophy of education statement. Although some in the field have been writing about this career development exercise, little has been written about the process of developing one’s philosophy of education statement. This brief essay explains a sample process health education specialists can use to create or update their philosophy of education statement. The author gives a firsthand account of a systematic, disciplined, intellectually liberating, and reflective approach to articulating one’s philosophy of education statement, by considering the writings of select intellectual giants who have acted on human experience, thought, and practice in education. A philosophy of education statement should be useful to any health education specialist regardless of type of work, site, position in the organization, population served, or health topic. The resultant updated and precisely written statement serves to sharpen a health education specialist’s future role as a health educator, as well as contribute to his or her journey in lifelong learning.
Engulfment of hematopoietic stem cells caused by down-regulation of CD47 is critical in the pathogenesis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Kuriyama Takuro , Takenaka Katsuto , Kohno Kentaro , Yamauchi Takuji , Daitoku Shinya , Yoshimoto Goichi , Kikushige Yoshikane , Kishimoto Junji , Abe Yasunobu , Harada Naoki , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Iwasaki Hiromi , Teshima Takanori , Akashi Koichi
Published: September 2012

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is characterized by deregulated engulfment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by BM macrophages, which are activated presumably by systemic inflammatory hypercytokinemia. In the present study, we show that the pathogenesis of HLH involves impairment of the antiphagocytic system operated by an interaction between surface CD47 and signal regulatory protein α (SIRPA). In HLH patients, changes in expression levels and HLH-specific polymorphism of SIRPA were not found. In contrast, the expression of surface CD47 was down-regulated specifically in HSCs in association with exacerbation of HLH, but not in healthy subjects. The number of BM HSCs in HLH patients was reduced to approximately 20% of that of healthy controls and macrophages from normal donors aggressively engulfed HSCs purified from HLH patients, but not those from healthy controls in vitro. Furthermore, in response to inflammatory cytokines, normal HSCs, but not progenitors or mature blood cells, down-regulated CD47 sufficiently to be engulfed by macrophages. The expression of prophagocytic calreticulin was kept suppressed at the HSC stage in both HLH patients and healthy controls, even in the presence of inflammatory cytokines. These data suggest that the CD47-SIRPA antiphagocytic system plays a key role in the maintenance of HSCs and that its disruption by HSC-specific CD47 down-regulation might be critical for HLH development.