bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Till and vegetation geochemistry at the Talbot VMS Cu-Zn prospect, Manitoba, Canada: implications for mineral exploration
Authors: van Geffen Pim W.G. , Kyser T. Kurt , Oates Christopher J. , Ihlenfeld Christian
Published: February 2012

The Proterozoic Talbot VMS occurrence in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake terrane is buried under more than 100 m of Palaeozoic dolomites and Quaternary glacial till. Structurally controlled anomalies of Zn, Cu, Ag, Pb, Au, Mn, Hg, Cd, Co, Bi and Se in the clay fraction of till depth-profiles indicate upward element migration from the buried volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation and near-surface chemostratigraphic deposition. Principal component analysis and molar element ratios indicate that separation of the <2 µm clay fraction reduces chemical heterogeneity and increases trace-element yield relative to the <250 µm fraction of the till. The greatest anomalies occur at or below 30 cm depth and over faults, suggesting that elements were deposited in the till after upward migration through structures. The ratio Zn/Al in the <250 µm fraction can be used as a proxy for Zn in the clay fraction, producing high-contrast anomalies. Carbon isotopic compositions indicate that these anomalies are related to organic carbon in the clay fraction. Humus, moss and black spruce bark are of limited use for exploration in this environment, because they accumulate atmospheric Pb and Cd, most likely from the Flin Flon smelter at 160 km NW. Black spruce tree rings that formed before smelter operations commenced indicate Zn and Mn anomalies in an uncontaminated sampling material. Much of the initial vertical migration of elements to the surface at the Talbot prospect was driven by upward advection of groundwater through fractures in the dolomite, resulting from a combination of subsurface karst collapse and remnant hydrostatic pressure during glacial retreat.
Identification and Characterization of Two Novel RNA Editing Sites ingrin1bTranscripts of EmbryonicDanio rerio
Authors: Pozo Pedro , Hoopengardner Barry
Published: February 2012

Discovering RNA editing sites in model organisms provides an insight into their adaptations in addition to finding potential sites for the regulation of neural activity and the basis of integrated models of metazoan editing with a variety of applications, including potential clinical treatments of neural dysregulation. The zebrafish,Danio rerio, is an important vertebrate model system. We focused on thegrin1bgene of zebrafish due to its important function in the nervous tissue as a glutamate receptor. Using a comparative sequence-based approach, we located possible RNA editing events within thegrin1btranscript. Surprisingly, sequence analysis also revealed a new editing site which was not predicted by the comparative approach. We here report the discovery of two novel RNA editing events ingrin1btranscripts of embryonic zebrafish. The frequency of these editing events and their locations within thegrin1btranscript are also described.
A New Approach for Optimal Sizing of Standalone Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Khatib Tamer , Mohamed Azah , Sopian K. , Mahmoud M.
Published: February 2012

This paper presents a new method for determining the optimal sizing of standalone photovoltaic (PV) system in terms of optimal sizing of PV array and battery storage. A standalone PV system energy flow is first analysed, and the MATLAB fitting tool is used to fit the resultant sizing curves in order to derive general formulas for optimal sizing of PV array and battery. In deriving the formulas for optimal sizing of PV array and battery, the data considered are based on five sites in Malaysia, which are Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu, Ipoh, Kuching, and Alor Setar. Based on the results of the designed example for a PV system installed in Kuala Lumpur, the proposed method gives satisfactory optimal sizing results.
Successfully Improving Ocular Drug Delivery Using the Cationic Nanoemulsion, Novasorb
Authors: Lallemand Frederic , Daull Philippe , Benita Simon , Buggage Ronald , Garrigue Jean-Sebastien
Published: February 2012

Topical ophthalmic delivery of active ingredients can be achieved using cationic nanoemulsions. In the last decade, Novagali Pharma has successfully developed and marketed Novasorb, an advanced pharmaceutical technology for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. This paper describes the main steps in the development of cationic nanoemulsions from formulation to evaluation in clinical trials. A major challenge of the formulation work was the selection of a cationic agent with an acceptable safety profile that would ensure a sufficient ocular surface retention time. Then, toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies were performed showing that the cationic emulsions were safe and well tolerated. Even in the absence of an active ingredient, cationic emulsions were observed in preclinical studies to have an inherent benefit on the ocular surface. Moreover, clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy and safety of cationic emulsions loaded with cyclosporine A in patients with dry eye disease. Ongoing studies evaluating latanoprost emulsion in patients with ocular surface disease and glaucoma suggest that the beneficial effects on reducing ocular surface damage may also extend to this patient population. The culmination of these efforts has been the marketing of Cationorm, a preservative-free cationic emulsion indicated for the symptomatic treatment of dry eye.
Geographic Distribution of Chagas Disease Vectors in Brazil Based on Ecological Niche Modeling
Authors: Gurgel-Gonçalves Rodrigo , Galvão Cléber , Costa Jane , Peterson A. Townsend
Published: February 2012

Although Brazil was declared free from Chagas disease transmission by the domestic vectorTriatoma infestans, human acute cases are still being registered based on transmission by native triatomine species. For a better understanding of transmission risk, the geographic distribution of Brazilian triatomines was analyzed. Sixteen out of 62 Brazilian species that both occur in>20 municipalities and present synanthropic tendencies were modeled based on their ecological niches.Panstrongylus geniculatusandP. megistusshowed broad ecological ranges, but most of the species sort out by the biome in which they are distributed:Rhodnius pictipesandR. robustusin the Amazon;R. neglectus,Triatoma sordida, andT. costalimaiin the Cerrado;R. nasutus,P. lutzi,T. brasiliensis,T. pseudomaculata,T. melanocephala, andT. petrocchiaein the Caatinga;T. rubrovariain the southern pampas;T. tibiamaculataandT. vitticepsin the Atlantic Forest. Although most occurrences were recorded in open areas (Cerrado and Caatinga), our results show that all environmental conditions in the country are favorable to one or more of the species analyzed, such that almost nowhere is Chagas transmission risk negligible.
Reticular Basement Membrane Vessels Are Increased in COPD Bronchial Mucosa by Both Factor VIII and Collagen IV Immunostaining and Are Hyperpermeable
Authors: Soltani Amir , Wood-Baker Richard , Sohal Sukhwinder S. , Muller H. Konrad , Reid David , Walters E. Haydn
Published: February 2012

Background and Objective. Using Collagen IV staining, we have previously reported that the reticular basement membrane (Rbm) is hypervascular and the lamina propria (LP) is hypovascular in COPD airways. This study compared Collagen IV staining with vessels marked with anti-Factor VIII and examined vessel permeability in bronchial biopsies from COPD and normal subjects using albumin staining. Results. Anti-Collagen IV antibody detected more vessels in the Rbm (P=0.002) and larger vessels in both Rbm (P<0.001) and LP (P=0.003) compared to Factor VIII. COPD airways had more vessels (with greater permeability) in the Rbm (P=0.01) and fewer vessels (with normal permeability) in the LP compared to controls with both Collagen IV and Factor VIII antibodies (P=0.04 and P=0.01). Conclusion. Rbm vessels were increased in number and were hyperpermeable in COPD airways. Anti-Collagen IV and anti-Factor VIII antibodies did not uniformly detect the same vessel populations; the first is likely to reflect larger and older vessels with the latter reflecting smaller, younger vessels.
An Observational Study on the Latitudes Where Wave Forcing Drives Brewer–Dobson Upwelling
Authors: Zhou Tiehan , Geller Marvin A. , Lin Wuyin
Published: February 2012

The 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) data are analyzed to demonstrate that wave forcing at lower latitudes plays a crucial role in driving the tropical upwelling portion of the Brewer–Dobson circulation. It is shown that subtropical wave forcing is correlated with tropical upwelling on both intraseasonal and interannual time scales when transient waves are taken into account, and that tropical wave forcing exerts its influence on tropical upwelling via its body force on the zonal mean flow.
The Interaction of Principal and Teacher Instructional Influence as a Measure of Leadership as an Organizational Quality
Authors: Jackson Karen M. , Marriott Christine
Published: February 2012

Purpose: This article presents the design and test of a measure of school leadership as an organizational quality through the interaction of principal and teacher instructional influence. The Organizational Leadership Model hypothesizes four distinct conditions of school leadership, and the analysis investigates the relationship between teacher, principal, and school outcomes; school descriptors; and a school’s category in the Organizational Leadership Model. Theoretical Orientation: Ogawa and Bossert’s conception of leadership as an organizational quality serves as the theoretical foundation of this study, along with contemporary theories of distributed leadership, influence as leadership, and measurement of leadership. Data Source: This study draws teacher, principal, and school restricted-use data from the 2003-2004 Schools and Staffing Survey. The sample consists of 7,950 schools, their principals, and a random sample of teachers from each school. The school is the primary unit of analysis. Analysis: This study is conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, the Organizational Leadership Model (OLM) is tested for its ability to discriminate between teacher, principal, and school outcomes through a series of one-way ANOVA models. In Phase 2, a series of brr weighted ordered logit models explores the predictive power of school descriptors in determining the OLM category of schools. Findings: The analysis finds evidence that the Organizational Leadership Model is a robust measure of leadership as an organizational quality that effectively captures differences in school leadership contexts at the level of principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of their influence that precede task-oriented behaviors. Additionally, the study highlights the troubling relationship between schools serving high-need populations and those typified by low levels of school leadership. Implications for Research and Practice: The article identifies several avenues for future research to extend inquiry on the potential of the Organizational Leadership Model to develop additional nuance in discriminating between relationships among school contexts, leadership conditions, and teacher, principal, and school outcomes. The article further urges those implicit in maintaining the status quo of poor leadership accountability in schools, including those in the research community, to seek interventions at the level of principal and teacher perceptions of and professional standards for their practice.
Theology and the problem of expertise
Authors: Reeves Josh
Published: February 2012

Despite the ubiquitous role of expertise in matters of knowledge, its importance is contested in much of Christian theological scholarship, especially the Protestant kind. This article seeks briefly to describe the history of Christian skepticism towards expertise, discuss its theological basis, and argue that we need to acknowledge the importance of expertise in our theologies. Recognizing the role and validity of expertise, I argue, helps one to articulate a middle ground that can affirm the distinctiveness of Christian thinking about the world while also moderating the mistrust that many laypersons have towards intellectual authority.
Artful Creation and Aesthetic Rationality: Toward a Creational Theology of Revelatory Beauty
Authors: Edwards L. Clifton
Published: February 2012

Much as we come to understand the world through “images” displayed aesthetically in advertisements or body language, we come to know something of God through creation’s beauty. Our knowledge functions through this sort of emotive and imaginative (yet rationally disciplined) communication, and such communication is rooted in creation’s aesthetically rational structure, or logos. As we become attuned to creation’s logos both aesthetically and epistemically, we also develop our ability to know God through the world’s beauty. This understanding of natural revelation prepares the way methodologically for a more extensive creational theology of revelatory beauty.
Sun of Righteousness, Arise! The Freedom of a Christian—Then and Now—for the Perpetrators and for the Victims of Sin
Authors: Moltmann Jürgen , Kohl Margaret , Lösel Steffen
Published: February 2012

The following is a lecture, which Prof. Dr. Jürgen Moltmann gave for the Reformation Day Celebration at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. It has an ecumenical direction, beginning with Martin Luther and ending with Charles Wesley’s verse “Sun of Righteousness, Arise!” The lecture moves from Martin Luther in the sixteenth century and his treatise on “The Freedom of a Christian” to Martin Luther King Jr. in the twentieth century, and the inscription on his grave: “Free at last. At last free!”
The “Hard Freight” Borne by the “Brave Child”: Theological Humanism in the Poetry of Charles Wright and Gregory Orr
Authors: Huskey Rebecca
Published: February 2012

Using Religion and the Human Future by Klemm and Schweiker as a reference point, I argue for the placement of the Appalachian poets Gregory Orr and Charles Wright within the emerging thought of theological humanism, which emphasizes acceptance of the full spectrum of moods and the integrity of life, specifically life in this world. Although neither Orr nor Wright is a religious poet per se, their poetry illustrates that Christianity continues to offer meaning even in the absence of belief in literal resurrection.
Theology and Social Psychology: Pluralism and “Evangel” in the Thought of Peter Berger and John Howard Yoder
Authors: LaFountain Philip N.
Published: February 2012

Recent interest in the relationship between sociology and theology has generated significant discussion about the problem of belief in late modernity. Social psychology in particular has highlighted the challenges of the psychological pressure of pluralism on religion, and its reflexive expression, theology. What kinds of challenges does this pose for theology? How should theology proceed in light of this situation? These issues are discussed here in light of the positions of two leading scholars, one a sociologist of religion with an interest in theology, Peter L. Berger, the other a theologian (ethicist) with a sociological sensibility, John Howard Yoder. Both address the social psychological problem of pluralism, and both offer a theological strategy to manage the psychic pressure individuals face in contemporary society. Their approaches, however, are substantially different. Using Berger’s three strategies (inductive, deductive, and reductive) for managing the psychic pressure of affirming faith in pluralistic late modernity as a background, I argue that John Howard Yoder offers an alternative strategy to pluralism that avoids the weaknesses of all three of Berger’s options. In addition, I critique Berger’s view of the gospel and ecclesiology and argue that Yoder offers a more plausible view of both in light of the pressures of late modern pluralism.
From the assassination of Paul I to Tilsit: The British in Russia and their travel writings (1801–1807)
Authors: Cross Anthony
Published: February 2012

Russia’s popularity as a destination for British grand tourists had grown steadily during the reign of Catherine II and was increased when the traditional routes through France to Italy were blocked as a result of the French Revolution. However, Paul I’s change of allegiances from Britain to France threatened to remove even the possibilities of the ‘northern tour’ until his assassination in March 1801 once more brought the British in numbers to St Petersburg and to Moscow for the coronation of the new tsar. During the subsequent six years, until a new Russo-French treaty at Tilsit in July 1807, British tourists were much in evidence in the salons of the Russian capitals, old and new, and many began to explore the further reaches of the empire, notably the ‘new’ Russia of the Crimea and the Black Sea littoral. The antiquities and archaeological sites of the Crimea inevitably evoked associations with the classical world, particularly for the young Oxbridge tourists, some of whom, fired by the emergent Hellenism of the age, proceeded to Constantinople and on to Greece itself. This study introduces the names, and in several cases the letters and diaries, of many young tourists whose very presence and adventures in Russia are virtually unsuspected and unknown and include in their number the noted Cambridge scholar Charles Kelsall, the talented Viscount Royston, who died on his return journey from Russia, as well as the future father of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and ends with establishing the identity of the author of letters known only from their publication in Russian translation.
Holocaust memory in recent Polish literature: Andrzej Bart’s Fabryka muchołapek and Piotr Paziński’s Pensjonat
Authors: Plaice Renata
Published: February 2012

The article analyses recent forms of artistic representations of the Holocaust in Poland in the novels: Fabryka muchołapek by Andrzej Bart (2008) and Pensjonat by Piotr Paziński ( 2009 ). Debates in Poland in the 1990s and 2000s on the Polish role in the Holocaust have readdressed many unresolved issues in the Polish memory of the Shoah, sparking renewed interest and the need for complex and multi-perspective forms of artistic representations. Writers of the second and third generation confront the challenge with different degrees of emotional engagement and diverse forms of tension between the author’s creative investment and the historical truth. The article examines the ways in which Bart and Paziński actualize the memory of the Shoah by engaging in a literary dialogue between past and present.
The ruins of history
Authors: Erice Víctor , Diaz-Caneja Maria , Partridge Tony
Published: February 2012

What is the essential validity of Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky’s work for contemporary cinema? It is the fact that the symptoms of the moral disease of our civilization denounced by Tarkovsky have intensified rather than reduced as the years have passed. Tarkovsky’s heroes are the poor and the sick, children and mad people: spiritual orphans who carry the signs of martyrdom. Yet their very fragility becomes the source of their salvation as they seek spiritual fullness through the abolition of history. For contemporary man has become dispossessed of tradition, a situation that has been characterized by Walter Benjamin, and latterly by Giorgio Agamben, using images from the art of, respectively, Paul Klee and Albrecht Dürer. In contemporary culture there is a contradiction between art and history, and this contradiction is the essential theme of Tarkovsky’s work.
Weathering the Storm
Authors: Colley Linda Katurah
Published: February 2012

Employment security is a traditional characteristic of public employment but has been affected by public management reforms and more recently by the global financial crisis (GFC). This article considers employment security through a case study of an Australian state public service. Queensland has only pursued moderate reforms, but this has still challenged employment security. Institutional tensions became clear, as the central personnel agency defended and even strengthened employment security policies, whereas the central industrial relations (IR) agency issued potentially contradictory policies and departments thwarted policy intentions during implementation. The economic context arguably allowed for weaker scrutiny of new employment initiatives and highlighted the tensions in the current powers and responsibilities of the central personnel agency.
Under the shadow of maternity: birth, death and puerperal insanity in Victorian Britain
Authors: Marland Hilary
Published: February 2012

Death and fear of death in cases of puerperal insanity can be linked to a much broader set of anxieties surrounding childbirth in Victorian Britain. Compared with other forms of mental affliction, puerperal insanity was known for its good prognosis, with many women recovering over the course of several months. Even so, a significant number of deaths were associated with the disorder, and a large proportion of sufferers struggled with urges to destroy their infants and themselves. The disorder evoked powerful delusions concerning death, with patients expressing intimations of mortality and longing for death.
Welcome release: perspectives on death in the early county lunatic asylums, 1810–50
Authors: Smith Leonard
Published: February 2012

Deaths in the asylum could be interpreted as a sign of failure, particularly if they were related to the poor condition of those admitted, the spread of disease among patients, or the direct consequences of severe mental disorders. County asylum superintendents lamented the bad physical state in which many were sent to the asylum and the consequences for death rates. Due to limited consideration of environmental and sanitary matters before the 1830s, there was great risk of contracting fatal diseases in the asylum. Combined with the deteriorated physical condition of many patients, and the growing overcrowding, this had a notable influence on mortality. For some individual patients, death came about as a direct consequence of a profound mental disorder. Without effective treatments to confront manifestations of disordered thinking, mental symptoms might precipitate physical deterioration to the point of death, while severe distress led some to kill themselves in the asylum.
Explanations for death by suicide in northern Britain during the long eighteenth century
Authors: Houston RA
Published: February 2012

This article uses coroners’ inquest findings, media such as newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and broadsides, and family correspondence (all drawn from Scotland and the north of England) as well as civil and criminal court records and medical and legal writings from both countries to explore perceptions of the link between state of mind and self-inflicted death. It asks how doctors, lawyers, families and ‘society’ at large conceptualized, responded to and coped with suicide, questioning the extent to which it became medicalized: i.e. consistently linked with mental pathology. The aim is to square the apparently clear-cut, but very different understandings of doctors and lawyers on the one hand and coroners’ inquests on the other with the more emotionally charged and morally complex ways those both close to and distant from attempted or successful suicides related to their situation.
‘Those, that die by reason of their madness’: dying insane in London, 1629–1830
Authors: Boulton Jeremy , Black John
Published: February 2012

Dying insane provoked ‘great fear, and apprehension’ in the minds of men and women. Death as a lunatic disrupted deathbed performance and rendered the victim incapable at law. This article examines lunacy as a cause of death in the metropolis between 1629 and 1830. It draws on new material from the admission registers of St Luke’s Hospital, existing data from Bethlem and the London Bills of Mortality and unique biographical data on pauper lunatics dying in the parish of St Martin in the Fields. The article argues that lunacy being ascribed as a cause of death had a distinctive chronology in this period. Those most vulnerable to the stigma of lunacy at death were those dying as parish paupers and those who inhabited metropolitan institutions.
Troubled proximities: asylums and cemeteries in nineteenth-century England
Authors: Philo Chris
Published: February 2012

Asylums and cemeteries in nineteenth-century England were kindred spirits in the anxiety and exclusionary impulses that they engendered, leading them to be similarly exiled from nineteenth-century urban areas. They were uneasy ‘neighbours’, however, with contemporary authorities condemning the proximity of cemeteries to asylums on medical and moral grounds. The appearance at many asylums after mid-century of a burial-ground for deceased residents, usually located on an asylum’s own estate, was often criticized on grounds similar to those raised with respect to neighbouring parochial burial-grounds. Other objections arose to the ‘exclusivity’ of asylum-based burials, with off-site burial arrangements clearly being favoured. One consequence was that on-site asylum cemeteries ended up being treated as unwelcome occupants of asylum estates, hidden away as an embarrassment, creating a legacy of anonymity still generating concerns in the present.
‘Visitation by God’: rationalizing death in the Victorian asylum
Authors: Smith Cathy
Published: February 2012

This article argues that death from insanity raised serious questions for the medical profession and for those who promoted the public asylum movement in the nineteenth century. While the medical emphasis on the somatic origins of insanity was increasingly accepted, limited observable signs of disease in the brain at post-mortem made it difficult to explain cause of death. This posed problems for a growing county asylum movement which was justified on the basis that insanity was a treatable disease and thus mortality rates would naturally decline. As asylum populations continued to grow and mortality rates remained little changed, statistics on lunacy ultimately became not the predicted measure of success but instead clear evidence of failure.
Feline alimentary lymphoma
Authors: Barrs Vanessa , Beatty Julia
Published: February 2012

Practical relevance Accurate diagnosis of the distinct subtypes of alimentary lymphoma (AL) that occur in cats is important as there are major differences between them in clinical presentation, treatment and prognosis. Unlike intermediate- and high-grade alimentary lymphoma (I/HGAL) and large granular lymphocyte lymphoma (LGLL), which can often be diagnosed by aspiration cytology, full-thickness intestinal biopsies are usually required for the diagnosis of low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL).

Clinical challenges LGAL is an increasingly recognised clinical problem and it can be challenging to differentiate from inflammatory disease. Where there is ambiguity on histology, further diagnostics (immunophenotyping and clonality analysis) may be required. The diagnosis of LGLL requires an index of suspicion as it may be missed with routine diagnostics. While cats with LGAL typically achieve durable remissions with oral prednisolone and chlorambucil, I/HGAL runs a more aggressive clinical course and requires multi-agent chemotherapeutic protocols. Information on the treatment of LGLL is limited and this form of AL has the poorest prognosis. Preliminary studies suggest that abdominal irradiation may potentially be of benefit in cats with AL and further investigations are warranted.

Evidence base The evidence supporting this review is derived from grade II, III and IV prospective studies, retrospective case series, reviews, extrapolation from other species, pathophysiological justification and the combined clinical experience of those working in the field.
Feline lung–digit syndrome
Authors: Goldfinch Nick , Argyle David
Published: February 2012

Practical relevance Feline ‘lung–digit syndrome’ describes an unusual pattern of metastasis that is seen with various types of primary lung tumours, particularly bronchial and bronchioalveolar adenocarcinoma. Tumour metastases are found at atypical sites, notably the distal phalanges of the limbs; the weightbearing digits are most frequently affected, and multiple-digit and multiple-limb involvement is common. Often primary lung tumours in cats are not detected because of clinical signs referable to the primary tumour; rather, many cases present with signs referable to distant metastases. Other sites of metastases from feline primary lung tumours include the skin, eyes, skeletal muscle and bone, as well as multiple thoracic and abdominal organs. These lesions are thought to arise from direct arterial embolisation from the tumour. Indeed tumour embolisation to the aortic trifurcation is possible.

Patient group Primary lung neoplasms are uncommon in the cat. Older animals are most affected (mean age at presentation 12 years, range 2–20 years). There is no apparent sex or breed predilection.

Clinical challenges Feline lung–digit syndrome presents a diagnostic challenge. Typically there is swelling and reddening of the digit, purulent discharge from the nail bed, and dysplasia or fixed exsheathment of the associated nail. While these signs might be suggestive of infection, this could be secondary to a digital metastatic lesion, particularly in a middle-aged or elderly cat. Radiographic evidence of extensive bony lysis of the distal phalanx, which can be trans-articular to the second phalanx, raises the index of clinical suspicion for metastasis of a primary pulmonary tumour. Thoracic radiography is warranted prior to any surgery or digital amputation as the prognosis is generally grave for cats with this syndrome, with a mean survival time of only 58 days after presentation.

Evidence base This article reviews the previous literature and case reports of feline lung–digit syndrome and feline primary pulmonary neoplasia in general, discussing the course of this disease and the varying clinical presentations associated with different sites of metastasis.
Feline demodicosis
Authors: Beale Karin
Published: February 2012

Practical relevance In cats, three species of demodex mites have been identified as causes of demodicosis, which may manifest as pruritus, miliary dermatitis and/or self-induced alopecia. The condition has been recognized in various countries but does seem to show regional preferences.

Clinical challenges Diagnosis of feline demodicosis can be a challenge as mites are not always readily found within scrapings of the skin examined microscopically. One or more species of demodex mite may be involved in an infestation. Furthermore, the condition can be difficult to treat effectively.

Audience This review is intended as a clinical update for veterinary surgeons in practice who rarely encounter demodicosis.
Lung lobe torsion in association with a chronic diaphragmatic hernia and haemorrhagic pleural effusion in a cat
Authors: Hambrook Lydia E , Kudnig Simon T
Published: February 2012

Clinical summary This report describes torsion of the right cranial lung lobe in a cat with haemorrhagic pleural effusion and a chronic diaphragmatic hernia. Surgical treatment comprising lung lobectomy without de-rotation, and repair of the diaphragmatic defect, led to an uneventful recovery.

Practical relevance Lung lobe torsion is a rare condition in cats. While spontaneous lung lobe torsions may occur, a frequent association with underlying thoracic disease has been recognised in cats. However, neither haemorrhagic pleural effusion nor diaphragmatic hernia have been previously described in cats with lung lobe torsions, although they have been documented in dogs and humans. In a cat with suspected lung lobe torsion, a thorough search for an underlying disease should be undertaken.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar welded Mg–Al joints by ultrasonic spot welding technique
Authors: Patel V K , Bhole S D , Chen D L
Published: February 2012

Dissimilar spot welds of magnesium–aluminium alloy were produced via a solid state welding process, i.e. ultrasonic spot welding, and a sound joint was obtained under most of the welding conditions. It was observed that a layer of intermetallic compound (IMC) consisting of Al12M17 formed at the weld centre where the hardness became higher. The lap shear strength and failure energy of the welds first increased and then decreased with increasing welding energy, with the maximum lap shear strength and failure energy occurring at ∼1250 J. This was a consequence of the competition between the increasing diffusion bonding arising from higher temperatures and the deterioration effect of the intermetallic layer of increasing thicknesses. Failure predominantly occurred in between the aluminium alloy and the intermetallic layer, which normally stayed at the magnesium side or from the cracks of the IMCs in the reaction layer.
Synthesis and structure of magnesium hydroxide fluoride, Mg(OH)F: a topological intermediate between brucite- and rutile-type structures
Authors: Crichton W. A. , Parise J. B. , Müller H. , Breger J. , Marshall W. G. , Welch M. D.
Published: February 2012

Magnesium hydroxyfluoride, Mg(OH)F, has been synthesized by a subcritical hydrothermal route from a 1:1 molar mixture of brucite, Mg(OH)2, and sellaite, MgF2 with a rutile type structure, in excess water. Using a combination of synchrotron X-ray and time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction, the structure of Mg(OH)F has been solved in the diaspore space group Pnma with a = 10.116(3), b = 4.6888(10) and c = 3.0794(7) Å at ambient conditions. The most intense diffraction lines are [dobs (hkl) Iobs]: 2.291 (211) 10, 4.253 (101) 7, 1.747 (212) 7, 2.229 (401) 6 and 1.480 (610) (4) Å, with the largest d-spacing at 5.058 Å. Sharp infrared stretching bands are located at 3679 and 3645 cm–1, with a broader band at 3535 cm–1. The topology of the structure is intermediate between that of the OH and F endmembers, being derived through notional shearing nearly normal to the sheets of octahedra of the CdI2/Mg(OH)2-type structure. Further similar shearing at an interval 1/2a would lead to a Cd(OH)F-type structure, which is also related to the rutile structure type. The observations and model presented here indicate a close correlation between the structural properties of the endmembers and Mg(OH)F.
Natrotitanite, ideally (Na0.5Y0.5)Ti(SiO4)O, a new mineral from the Verkhnee Espe deposit, Akjailyautas mountains, Eastern Kazakhstan district, Kazakhstan: description and crystal structure
Authors: Stepanov A. V. , Bekenova G. K. , Levin V. L. , Hawthorne F. C.
Published: February 2012

Natrotitanite, ideally (Na0.5Y0.5)Ti(SiO4)O, is a new mineral from the Verkhnee Espe rare-element deposit at the northern exo-contact of the Akjailyautas granite massif in the northern part of the Tarbagatai mountain range, Eastern Kazakhstan. Both the mineral and the name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2010-033). Star-shaped aggregates of small short prisms of yellow or yellowish white (Na,Y,REE)-bearing titanite rimmed by thin (∼2 μm) rims of natrotitanite are embedded in yttrium-bearing fluorite and replace narsarsukite. Associated minerals are microcline, albite, quartz, riebeckite, aegirine, biotite, astrophyllite, rutile, zircon and elpidite. Natrotitanite is milky white to yellowish grey, transparent to translucent, and has a white streak and a vitreous lustre. It shows pale orange cathodoluminescence but does not fluoresce under ultraviolet light. It shows no cleavage or parting, and is brittle; the calculated density is 3.833 g cm–3. The indices of refraction, measured with the Bloss spindle stage for the wavelength 590 nm using a gel filter, are α = 1.904, γ = 2.030, and these values are in accord with the mean refractive index, 1.988, calculated from the Gladstone-Dale relation. Natrotitanite is monoclinic,C2/c,a= 6.5691(2),b= 8.6869(3),c= 7.0924(2) Å, β = 114.1269(4)°,V= 369.4(2) Å3,Z= 4,a:b:c= 0.7562:1: 0.8164. The seven strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [in the orderd(Å),I, (hkl)] are as follows: 2.597, 10, (130); 3.248, 8, (11); 2.994, 6, (200); 1.641, 4, (330); 4.941, 3, (110); 1.498, 3, (400); 2.273, 3, (11). Chemical analysis by electron microprobe gave Nb2O51.28, SiO227.83, TiO235.00, SnO20.57, V2O30.36, Fe2O30.23, Y2O37.87, Ce2O30.83, Sm2O30.26, Gd2O30.46, Tb2O30.17, Dy2O32.45, Ho2O30.16, Er2O32.24, Tm2O30.50, Yb2O32.53, Nd2O30.35, Lu2O30.28, MnO 0.33, CaO 8.16, Na2O 5.55, F 1.52 O ≡ F –0.64, sum 98.71 wt.%. The resulting empirical formula is (Na0.39Ca0.32Y0.15Dy0.03Yb0.03Er0.03Ce0.01Ho0.01Tm0.01Gd0.01Nd0.01)Σ1.00(Ti0.95Nb0.02Sn0.01Fe3+0.01Mn0.01V0.01)Σ1.01Si1.01O4.00(O0.83F0.17), calculated on the basis of 3 cations per formula unit. The general formula is written as (Na,Ca,Y,REE)TiSiO4(O,F), and the endmember formula is (Na0.5Y0.5)Ti(SiO4)O.

The crystal structure of a composite optically continuous crystal of natrotitanite and (Na, Y)-bearing titanite was mounted on a Bruker D8 three-circle diffractometer equipped with a rotating anode generator (MoKα radiation), a multi-layer optics incident-beam path and an APEX-II CCD detector. The crystal structure was refined in space groupC2/cto a finalR1index of 1.8%. Natrotitanite is isostructural with titanite, (Na + Y +REE) replacing Ca at theCasite in the titanite structure.
Rickturnerite, Pb7O4[Mg(OH)4](OH)Cl3, a complex new lead oxychloride mineral
Authors: Rumsey M. S. , Krivovichev S. V. , Siidra O. I. , Kirk C. A. , Stanley C. J. , Spratt J.
Published: February 2012

Rickturnerite, which has the ideal formula Pb7O4[Mg(OH)4](OH)Cl3, is a new mineral from Torr Works (Merehead) quarry, near the village of Cranmore in Somerset, United Kingdom. It occurs as pale emerald green to grey porous aggregates of disordered interwoven minute fibrous crystals with mereheadite, cerussite, calcite, aragonite, mimetite, hydrocerussite, “plumbonacrite” and an uncharacterized lead oxychloride, in cavities inside a manganite and pyrolusite pod. The crystals are typically less than 5 μm wide and 200 μm long, but they can reach 40 × 100 μm in cross-section and over 1 mm in length. The mineral is translucent with a vitreous lustre and each needle is brittle with an indistinct cleavage, breaking with a splintery fracture. The streak is white, the Mohs hardness ∼3 and the density calculated using the empirical formula 6.886 g cm–3. Electron microprobe analyses yielded PbO 87.7, MgO 1.79, CuO 0.14, Cl 6.62 wt.%; H2O was calculated on the basis of structural considerations as 2.27 wt.% totalling 97.02 wt.%. A charge-balanced formula, based on 12 anions, is Pb7.16Mg0.81Cu0.03Cl3.40H4.60O8.60. Rickturnerite is orthorhombic Pnma, with a = 5.8024(6), b = 22.717(2), c = 25.879(3) Å, V = 3411.2(6) Å3 and Z = 8. The diffraction pattern contains strong reflections that define a subcell with a = 5.8034(5), b = 11.3574(9), c = 12.939(2) Å, V = 852.9(6) Å3 (space group Pmm2 which is related to the real unit cell by the transformation matrix [100/020/002]), and weak reflections that correspond to doubled b and c parameters. Since the difference between the large and small cells is only in a number of split and low-occupancy positions in the disordered region of the structure we provide the description of the subcell structure. The five strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [listed as dobs (Å), Iobs, (hkl)] are as follows: 6.474, 100, (400); 3.233, 73, (107); 2.867, 57, (705); 5.636, 44, (011); 3.112, 31, (802). The crystal structure was solved by direct methods and refined using 1318 unique reflections to R1 = 0.063. The structure is composed of a fully ordered part consisting of double [O2Pb3]2+ chains of oxocentred [OPb4] tetrahedra extended along the b-axis, which together with Cl– ions form 2-dimensional blocks parallel to (001). In between these blocks, there is a disordered region containing ordered [Mg(OH)6]4– octahedra and low-occupancy Pb and OH sites with a slight degree of ordering; these produce the weak supercell reflections.
Lipoarabinomannan in urine during tuberculosis treatment: association with host and pathogen factors and mycobacteriuria
Authors: Wood Robin , Racow Kimberly , Bekker Linda-Gail , Middelkoop Keren , Vogt Monica , Kreiswirth Barry N , Lawn Stephen D
Published: February 2012

Background

Detection of lipoarabinomannan (LAM), a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) cell wall antigen, is a potentially attractive diagnostic. However, the LAM-ELISA assay has demonstrated variable sensitivity in diagnosing TB in diverse clinical populations. We therefore explored pathogen and host factors potentially impacting LAM detection.

Methods

LAM-ELISA assay testing, sputum smear and culture status, HIV status, CD4 cell count, proteinuria and TB outcomes were prospectively determined in adults diagnosed with TB and commencing TB treatment at a South African township TB clinic. Sputum TB isolates were characterised by IS61110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and urines were tested for mycobacteriuria by Xpert® MTB/RIF assay.

Results

32/199 (16.1%) of patients tested LAM-ELISA positive. Median optical density and proportion testing LAM positive remained unchanged during 2 weeks of treatment and then declined over 24 weeks. LAM was associated with positive sputum smear and culture status, HIV infection and low CD4 cell counts but not proteinuria, RFLP strain or TB treatment outcome. The sensitivity of LAM for TB in HIV-infected patients with CD4 counts of ≥ 200, 100-199, 50-99, and < 50 cells/μl, was 15.2%, 32%, 42.9%, and 69.2% respectively. Mycobacteriuria was found in 15/32 (46.9%) of LAM positive patients and in none of the LAM negative controls.

Conclusions

Urinary LAM was related to host immune factors, was unrelated to Mtb strain and declined steadily after an initial 2 weeks of TB treatment. The strong association of urine LAM with mycobacteriuria is a new finding, indicating frequent TB involvement of the renal tract in advanced HIV infection.
Anti-malarial activity of geldanamycin derivatives in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii
Authors: Mout Rubul , Xu Zhi-Dong , Wolf Angela K H , Jo Davisson Vincent , Jarori Gotam K
Published: February 2012

Background

Geldanamycin (GA), a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic has been shown in vitro to possess anti-plasmodial activity. Pharmacological activity of this drug is attributed to its ability to inhibit PfHSP90. The parasite growth arrest has been shown to be due to drug-induced blockage of the transition from ring to trophozoite stage. To further evaluate the consequences of this pharmacodyamic feature, the anti-malarial activity of GA analogs with enhanced drug properties in a Plasmodium-infected animal model have been evaluated for their capacity to induce clearance of the parasite. In the process, a hypothesis was subsequently tested regarding the susceptibility of the cured animals to malaria reflected in an attenuated parasite load that may be evoked by a protective immune response in the host.

Methods

Six weeks old Swiss mice were infected with a lethal Plasmodium yoelii (17XL) strain. On appearance of clinical symptoms of malaria, these animals were treated with two different GA derivatives and the parasite load was monitored over 15-16 days. Drug-treated animals cured of the parasite were then re-challenged with a lethal dose of P. yoelii 17XL. Serum samples from GA cured mice that were re-challenged with P. yoelii 17XL were examined for the presence of antibodies against the parasite proteins using western blot analysis.

Results

Treatment of P. yoelii 17XL infected mice with GA derivatives showed slow recovery from clinical symptoms of the disease. Blood smears from drug treated mice indicated a dominance of ring stage parasites when compared to controls. Although, P. yoelii preferentially invades normocytes (mature rbcs), in drug-treated animals there was an increased invasion of reticulocytes. Cured animals exhibited robust protection against subsequent infection and serum samples from these animals showed antibodies against a vast majority of parasite proteins.

Conclusions

Treatment with GA derivatives blocked the transition from ring to trophozoite stage presumably by the inhibition of HSP90 associated functions. Persistence of parasite in ring stage leads to robust humoral immune response as well as a shift in invasion specificity from normocytes to reticulocyte. It is likely that the treatment with the water-soluble GA derivative creates an attenuated state (less virulent with altered invasion specificity) that persists in the host system, allowing it to mount a robust immune response.
PDCD6 is an independent predictor of progression free survival in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Su Dan , Xu Haiyan , Feng Jianguo , Gao Yun , Gu Linhui , Ying Lisha , Katsaros Dionyssios , Yu Herbert , Xu Shenhua , Qi Ming
Published: February 2012

Background

Programmed cell death 6 (PDCD6) beside its known proapoptotic functions may be a player in survival pathways in cancer. The purpose of this study is to further explore the roles of PDCD6 in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods

Lentiviral vector with shRNA for PDCD6 was used to investigate the effects of PDCD6 knockdown on cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis and motility in ovarian cancer cells. Two hundred twelve epithelial ovarian cancer tissues were analyzed for mRNA expression of PDCD6 using RT-PCR. Associations of its expression with clinical pathological factors, progression free and overall survival were evaluated.

Results

PDCD6 is highly expressed in metastatic ovarian cancer cells and positively regulates cell migration and invasion. Significantly, the level of PDCD6 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer correlates with clinical progression. Patients with medium or high levels of PDCD6 mRNA were at higher risk for disease progression, compared to those with low levels (HR, 1.29; P = 0.024 for medium levels; and HR, 1.57; P = 0.045 for high levels) after adjusting for age, disease stage, tumor grade, histologic type and residual tumor size. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated similar results. However, no association was found between PDCD6 expression and overall survival.

Conclusions

PDCD6 seems to play an important role in ovarian cancer progression and it may be an independent predictor of progression free survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. Further studies are needed to more completely elucidate the molecular mechanisms of PDCD6 involve in ovarian cancer progression.
Strong convergence of relaxed hybrid steepest-descent methods for triple hierarchical constrained optimization
Authors: Zeng L C , Wong M M , Yao J C
Published: February 2012

Up to now, a large number of practical problems such as signal processing and network resource allocation have been formulated as the monotone variational inequality over the fixed point set of a nonexpansive mapping, and iterative algorithms for solving these problems have been proposed. The purpose of this article is to investigate a monotone variational inequality with variational inequality constraint over the fixed point set of one or finitely many nonexpansive mappings, which is called the triple-hierarchical constrained optimization. Two relaxed hybrid steepest-descent algorithms for solving the triple-hierarchical constrained optimization are proposed. Strong convergence for them is proven. Applications of these results to constrained generalized pseudoinverse are included.

AMS Subject Classifications: 49J40; 65K05; 47H09.
Fibonacci sequences in groupoids
Authors: Han Jeong Soon , Kim Hee Sik , Neggers Joseph
Published: February 2012

In this article, we consider several properties of Fibonacci sequences in arbitrary groupoids (i.e., binary systems). Such sequences can be defined in a left-hand way and a right-hand way. Thus, it becomes a question of interest to decide when these two ways are equivalent, i.e., when they produce the same sequence for the same inputs. The problem has a simple solution when the groupoid is flexible. The Fibonacci sequences for several groupoids and for the class of groups as special cases are also discussed.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 20N02; 11B39.