bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3Dand 5‐HT3Ereceptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function
Authors: Holbrook Joanna D. , Gill Catherine H. , Zebda Noureddine , Spencer Jon P. , Leyland Rebecca , Rance Kim H. , Trinh Han , Balmer Gemma , Kelly Fiona M. , Yusaf Shahnaz P. , Courtenay Nicola , Luck Jane , Rhodes Andrew , Modha Sundip , Moore Stephen E. , Sanger Gareth J. , Gunthorpe Martin J.
Published: November 2008

The 5‐HT3receptor is a member of the ‘Cys‐loop’ family of ligand‐gated ion channels that mediate fast excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the nervous system. Current evidence points towards native 5‐HT3receptors originating from homomeric assemblies of 5‐HT3Aor heteromeric assembly of 5‐HT3Aand 5‐HT3B. Novel genes encoding 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3Ehave recently been described but the functional importance of these proteins is unknown. In the present study,in silicoanalysis (confirmed by partial cloning) indicated that 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3Eare not human–specific as previously reported: they are conserved in multiple mammalian species but are absent in rodents. Expression profiles of the novel human genes indicated high levels in the gastrointestinal tract but also in the brain, Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) and other tissues. Following the demonstration that these subunits are expressed at the cell membrane, the functional properties of the recombinant human subunits were investigated using patch clamp electrophysiology. 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3Ewere all non‐functional when expressed alone. Co‐transfection studies to determine potential novel heteromeric receptor interactions with 5‐HT3Ademonstrated that the expression or function of the receptor was modified by 5‐HT3Cand 5‐HT3E, but not 5‐HT3D. The lack of distinct effects on current rectification, kinetics or pharmacology of 5‐HT3Areceptors does not however provide unequivocal evidence to support a direct contribution of 5‐HT3Cor 5‐HT3Eto the lining of the ion channel pore of novel heteromeric receptors. The functional and pharmacological contributions of these novel subunits to human biology and diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome for which 5‐HT3receptor antagonists have major clinical usage, therefore remains to be fully determined.
Modern artificial hair implantation: a pilot study of 10 patients
Authors: Agrawal Manjul
Published: November 2008

Background  Androgenetic alopecia is an intriguing problem with significant psychological sequelae. Follicular unit transplantation is unsatisfactory in donor depleted cases and artificial hair implantation has historically been marred by poor quality fiber, untrained operators, and inadequate techniques.

Objective  This paper aims to establish safety and efficacy of a new artificial copolyamide fiber implantation in androgenetic alopecia.

Methods  Ten healthy adults with androgenetic alopecia who had failed prior conventional therapies were implanted with copolyamide fiber and were followed for a minimum of 3 years. Implantation consisted of 100 test fibers followed by subsequent sessions of up to500 fibers every 4–6 weeks to achieve a density of 20–40 fibers per cm2. Implantation techniques and follow‐ups maintained a strict adherence to schedule.

Results  A total of 10 000 fibers were implanted with a mean of 1000 fibers per patient. With the exception of one patient, implantation was found to be safe, aesthetically pleasing, and psychologically rewarding to its recipients. Sebum deposition and temporary pitting at entry point of most fibers were universal. Recurrent mild folliculitis occurred in 30% of patients. Facial swelling, cellulitis, and severe scarring were absent. Annual fiber fall rate was 15–20%.

Conclusion  Choice of fiber, implantation technique, and mandatory follow‐up were deemed to be some of the important contributory factors towards our positive results.
Ottoman Judicial Change in the Age of Modernity: A Reappraisal
Authors: Rubin Avi
Published: November 2008

Legal reform was a key element in the passage of the Ottoman empire to modernity during the ‘long nineteenth century’. This article discusses the modern historiography of Ottoman judicial change while taking issue with the notions of secularization and westernization, which are omnipresent in the conventional legal history of the nineteenth century. An alternative conceptualization is called for, one that is free from the dichotomous and homogenizing binarity of religious/secular, thus allowing more nuanced representations of sociolegal change in general.
Reading the Rural Modern: Literacy and Morality in Republican China1
Authors: Merkel‐Hess Kate
Published: November 2008

This essay was runner‐up in the 2007 History Compass Graduate Essay Prize, Asia Section.

In the mid‐1920s many education reformers turned their attention away from the urban illiterates who had been the focus of recent mass education efforts and toward the countryside and rural residents instead. In order to engage rural readers, reformers created a body of literature that addressed rural issues, articulating a reformed vision of a modern countryside as they did so. As the most prominent of the mass education programs, the Mass Education Movement's publications reached millions of Chinese. On the pages of their 1920s publications, the MEM constructed a vision of a ‘rural modern’ that emphasized a literate citizenry as the basis of a reformed countryside and modern nation. In this way, even while reformers attempted to democratize access to knowledge, they affirmed a Confucian relationship of education to morality.
PRODUCTION OF NATURAL BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE AS AN ANTIOXIDANT BY FRESHWATER PHYTOPLANKTON1
Authors: Babu Bakthavachalam , Wu Jiunn‐Tzong
Published: November 2008

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is one of the synthetic antioxidant agents commonly used for food additives. In the present study, we determined that four freshwater phytoplankton, including a green alga (Botryococcus braunii Kütz.) and three cyanobacteria [Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wolłosz.) Seenaya et Sabba Raju, Microcystis aeruginosa (Kütz.) and Oscillatoria sp.] were capable of producing this compound. Hexane extracts from all the studied species exhibited various degrees of antioxidative properties when they were tested with the β‐carotene‐linoleate (β‐CL) assay and the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free‐radical‐scavenging assay. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the crude extracts of M. aeruginosa and B. braunii, which displayed a similar activity to synthetic BHT. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS) analysis of the purified fractions revealed that the active compound was identical to synthetic BHT. Culturing under various irradiances gave rise to different magnitudes of BHT production in cyanobacterial cells, showing that more BHT was produced in the cells irradiated with a higher light intensity, and its production was irradiance dependent. Moreover, the quantity of cellular BHT displayed a positive correlation with the antioxidative activity of the tested species. The present study confirms the production of BHT in all four of the studied freshwater phytoplankton and suggests that these species constitute a potential source for producing natural BHT.
Delayed L2 Vertebrae Split Fracture following Kyphoplasty
Authors: Sasani Mehdi , Ozer Ali Fahir , Kaner Tuncay , Ercelen Omur
Published: November 2008

Kyphoplasty is an accepted therapeutic modality for the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Complication rates are reported between 1% and 3% for osteoporotic fractures. Most previously reported complications, however, have occurred perioperatively. In this article, we report a case in which balloon kyphoplasty was performed as described by manufacturer guidelines. Four weeks after a successful kyphoplasty, the patient presented with a painful split vertebral fracture with anterior deformity at the same level where the kyphoplasty was initially performed. A recurrent fracture at the same level of a previous successful kyphoplasty may be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient who presents with new pain at a similar level.
Substituting Effects of Zn on Microstructural Characteristics and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O3 Ceramics
Authors: Tseng Ching‐Fang
Published: November 2008

Zn2+ substitution into the Co2+ site of Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O3 ceramic was investigated. The microwave dielectric properties and the microstructures of Nd[(Co1−xZnx)1/2Ti1/2]O3 (NC1−xZxT, x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1) ceramics using starting powders of Nd2O3, CoO, ZnO, and TiO2 prepared by the conventional solid‐state route have been researched. When the Co atoms were replaced by the Zn atoms, the 1:1 ordering could still be maintained in spite of the Zn substitution content. The dielectric constant values (ɛr) of 27.4–31.8 and the Q×f values of 141 000–176 000 (at 9 GHz) can be obtained with Zn2+ substitution from 0.2 to 0.8 for the NC1−xZxT solid solution. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τf was a function of sintering temperature. No significant change in the τf value was observed as expected with Zn substitution. The ɛr value of 31.8, the Q×f value of 176 000 (at 9 GHz) and the τf value of −43 ppm/°C were obtained for Nd[(Co0.2Zn0.8)1/2Ti1/2]O3 ceramics.
Citric–Nitrate Combustion Synthesis and Electrical Conductivity of the Sm3+ and Nd3+ Co‐Doped Ceria Electrolyte
Authors: Liu Yanyi , Li Bin , Wei Xi , Pan Wei
Published: November 2008

Nanocrystalline fluorite Ce0.8SmxNd0.2−xO1.9 (x=0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.05, and 0) powders were prepared by a citric–nitrate combustion process and the grain sizes were determined to be 10–20 nm from X‐ray diffraction patterns. Dense Ce0.8SmxNd0.2−xO1.9 pellets were successfully prepared by sintering these fine powders at 1400°, 1500°, and 1600°C, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy pictures showed that the grain size of the pellet sintered at 1400°C was between 500 nm and 2 μm, while for the samples sintered at 1600°C, the grains were coarser (6 μm). The electrical conductivity of the sample sintered at 1400°C was as high as 0.012 S/cm at 500°C and the activation energy was determined to be 0.63 eV. The mechanism of improved electrical conductivity in this codoping ceria solid solution is discussed.
New Biaxial Flexure Test Device for Ultrathin Single Crystal Wafers
Authors: Pearce Cody Allen , Guruswamy Sivaraman
Published: November 2008

The demand for germanium (Ge) wafers is rapidly increasing due to the importance of multijunction concentrator solar cells. Because Ge is expensive, the Ge wafers tend to be thin so as to maximize the number of wafers from a given crystal boule. However, their consequent susceptibility to microcracking and fracture during processing reduces the yield and drives up the cost. Wafer manufacturers therefore desire a simple and improved wafer strength testing. In this research, an innovative and inexpensive biaxial flexure testing device was developed. The device provides for a uniform application of very small loads and continuous load‐deflection measurements on full wafers. Experimental data closely matched predicted values. Compared with a traditional three‐point bend test, this method yielded an average flexure strength value of 120 MPa (closer to the predicted values) vs 146–152 MPa from the three‐point method. This result, as well as the fine fracture pattern, suggests that a much larger wafer area is being subjected to uniform loading compared with three‐point bend tests.
Freeze Casting of Porous Bioactive Glass and Bioceramics
Authors: Mallick Kajal K.
Published: November 2008

Highly porous network structures of hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphates, a bioactive glass as well as their composites have been fabricated using variations of camphene‐, glycerol‐, and ice‐based freeze‐casting techniques. The ball‐milled slurries containing 10%–60% solid loading were cast at ambient temperature, followed by sublimation at temperatures between −70° and 60°C. The green body was sintered in air to a maximum temperature of 1100°C for 4 h, which produced excellent three‐dimensionally (3‐D) interconnected structures with open pores. The nature of the pore channels varied from dendritic, columnar, and cellular to mixed geometry, with dense outer shells in some cases, depending on the particular method used. A monotonic increase in porosity with loading was observed with a decrease in the loading volume. Microstructural analysis was used for porous structures to extract information on geometry, porosity, and pore size distribution. This proved particularly useful to assess whether some of the 3‐D structures produced by these methods are suitable for tissue engineering applications. Differential thermal analysis–thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and density were used to characterize precursor powders, slurry, and sintered products.
Photoluminescence and Microstructure Investigation of SiO2@Y:Eu Photonic Bandgap Crystals
Authors: Lin Sung‐En , Yu Bang‐Ying , Shuye Jing‐Jong , Wei Wen‐Cheng J.
Published: November 2008

A photonic bandgap (PBG) crystal was established by self‐assembly of monodispersed SiO2 submicrometer spheres. SiO2@Y2O5/or Y2SiO5:Eu3+ phosphors were then prepared by coating of Y3+ and Eu3+ at various concentrations on SiO2 PBG crystal templates. After calcination, red emission was obtained. In this study, the photoluminescent properties varied with different SiO2 sizes (periodicity of the PBG crystal), structure (ordered or random arrangement), and different calcination temperatures. Apparent enhancement of emission can be obtained in the phosphor with an ordered PBG crystal character because of the band‐edge effect. Transmission electron microscopy cross‐sectional images showed a core–shell structure of SiO2@Y2O3/or Y2SiO5:Eu3+ with a uniform 4–10 nm thickness of the crystalline shell layer.
Medical Terminology Coding Systems and Medicolegal Death Investigation Data: Searching for a Standardized Method of Electronic Coding at a Statewide Medical Examiner’s Office*
Authors: Lathrop Sarah L. , Davis Wayland L. , Nolte Kurt B.
Published: November 2008

Abstract:  Medical examiner and coroner reports are a rich source of data for epidemiologic research. To maximize the utility of this information, medicolegal death investigation data need to be electronically coded. In order to determine the best option for coding, we evaluated four different options (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT], International Classification of Disease [ICD] coding, Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms [SNOMED CT], and an in‐house system), then conducted internal and external needs assessments to determine which system best met the needs of a centralized, statewide medical examiner’s office. Although all four systems offer distinct advantages and disadvantages, SNOMED CT is the most accurate for coding pathologic diagnoses, with ICD‐10 the best option for classifying the cause of death. For New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator, the most feasible coding option is an upgrade of an in‐house coding system, followed by linkage to ICD codes for cause of death from the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, and ideally, SNOMED classification of pathologic diagnoses.
Cyclooxygenase‐2/carbonic anhydrase‐IX up‐regulation promotes invasive potential and hypoxia survival in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Sansone Pasquale , Piazzi Giulia , Paterini Paola , Strillacci Antonio , Ceccarelli Claudio , Minni Francesco , Biasco Guido , Chieco Pasquale , Bonafè Massimiliano
Published: November 2008

Inflammation promotes colorectal carcinogenesis. Tumour growth often generates a hypoxic environment in the inner tumour mass. We here report that, in colon cancer cells, the expression of the pro‐inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) associates with that of the hypoxia response gene carbonic anhydrase‐IX (CA‐IX). The COX‐2 knockdown, achieved by the stable infection of a COX‐2 specific short harpin RNA interference (shCOX‐2), down‐regulates CA‐IX gene expression. In colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, PGE2, the main COX‐2 gene products, promotes CA‐IX gene expression by ERK1/2 activation. In normoxic environment, shCOX‐2 infected/CA‐IX siRNA transfected CRC cells show a reduced level of active metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) that associates with a decreased extracellular matrix invasion capacity. In presence of hypoxia, COX‐2 gene expression and PGE2 production increase. The knockdown of COX‐2/CA‐IX blunts the survival capability of CRC cells in hypoxia. At a high cell density, a culture condition that creates a mild pericellular hypoxic environment, the expression of COX‐2/CA‐IX genes is increased and triggers the invasive potential of colon cancer cells. In human colon cancer tissues, COX‐2/CA‐IX protein expression levels, assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, correlate each other and increase with tumour stage. In conclusion, these data indicate that COX‐2/CA‐IX interplay promotes the aggressive behaviour of CRC cells.
Presence of heterozygous ATM deletion may not be critical in the primary response of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells to fludarabine
Authors: Cejkova Sona , Rocnova Ludmila , Potesil David , Smardova Jana , Novakova Vera , Chumchalova Jitka , Zezulkova Dita , Borsky Marek , Doubek Michael , Brychtova Yvona , Pospisilova Sarka , Klabusay Martin , Mayer Jiri , Trbusek Martin
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  Abnormalities of the TP53 or ATM, cooperating tumor‐suppressor genes, significantly worsen the treatment options for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. Although the aberrations seem to be mutually exclusive in this leukemia, inactivation of the former gene leads to worse prognosis. We tested the in vitro sensitivity of the CLL samples with heterozygous ATM deletion to fludarabine and combination of fludarabine and rituximab; the responses were compared with the TP53‐abnormal and wild‐type (wt) cells to delimitate relative significance of ATM deletion.

Methods:  In vitro analysis was performed on fifty‐nine characterized CLL samples using viability assay WST‐1. Western blot and real‐time RT‐PCR were used to monitor the activation of the ATM/p53 pathway.

Results and conclusions:  At the clinically relevant concentration of fludarabine, TP53‐abnormal samples exhibited markedly higher resistance to fludarabine than the remaining CLL samples (P = 0.012); cohort with ATM deletion was not more resistant than wt cells. A similar induction of the p53 protein and its downstream target genes PUMA and BAX in ATM‐deleted and wt cells confirmed that the former subgroup has preserved a critical pro‐apoptotic response. Proportions of the samples, which had been sensitized to fludarabine by rituximab pretreatment, were insignificantly lower (P = 0.22) in the TP53‐abnormal and ATM‐deleted subgroups compared to the wt cases (30%; 29%; 50%, respectively). The presence of ATM (11q22–23) deletion in the CLL cells should not be considered an indication of resistance to fludarabine or its combination with rituximab.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: RCAS1 Decidual Immunoreactivity during Stillbirth: Immune Cell Presence and Activity
Authors: Galazka Krystyna , Wicherek Lukasz , Sikora Jerzy , Czekierdowski Artur , Banas Tomasz , Bednarek Wieslawa , Obrzut Bogdan , Blecharz Pawel , Reron Alfred , Kalinka Jaroslaw
Published: November 2008

Problem  Alterations in RCAS1 (a receptor‐binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells) expression in the placenta and decidua may be related to the regulation of the process of maternal immune tolerance against fetal antigens. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the occurrence of the spontaneous beginning of stillbirth is related to a decrease in the placental expression of RCAS1. There are no data currently available on the immune processes in decidua during stillbirth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the RCAS1 immunoreactivity level in decidua and to identify the cytotoxic immune cells present during labor, induced after intrauterine fetal death either with a combination of oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandins or with OT alone; a further objective was to assess the potential impact of these molecular alterations on the effectiveness of stillbirth induction.

Methods  The immunoreactivity of RCAS1, CD3, CD56, CD69, and CD25 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 31 decidual samples derived from patients in whom the stillbirth occurred before the onset of labor.

Results  The RCAS1 immunoreactivity level was higher in a statistically significant manner in decidual tissue samples derived from patients in whom OT alone proved insufficient to induce labor after the diagnosis of intrauterine fetal death but required additionally the use of prostaglandins when compared with samples from women in whom stillbirth was induced successfully with OT alone. However, we did not observe any differences either in CD56 and CD3 positive cell presence or in CD25 and CD69 antigen immunoreactivity in the respective decidua of these two groups of patients.

Conclusion  The level of RCAS1 in decidua seems to influence the effectiveness of stillbirth induction.
Studies on structural and functional divergence among seven WhiB proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv
Authors: Alam Md. Suhail , Garg Saurabh K. , Agrawal Pushpa
Published: November 2008

The whiB‐like genes (1‐7) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are involved in cell division, nutrient starvation, pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance and stress sensing. Although the biochemical properties of WhiB1, WhiB3 and WhiB4 are known, there is no information about the other proteins. Here, we elucidate in detail the biochemical and biophysical properties of WhiB2, WhiB5, WhiB6 and WhiB7 of M. tuberculosis and present a comprehensive comparative study on the molecular properties of all WhiB proteins. UV–Vis spectroscopy has suggested the presence of a redox‐sensitive [2Fe–2S] cluster in each of the WhiB proteins, which remains stably bound to the proteins in the presence of 8 m urea. The [2Fe–2S] cluster of each protein was oxidation labile but the rate of cluster loss decreased under reducing environments. The [2Fe–2S] cluster of each WhiB protein responded differently to the oxidative effect of air and oxidized glutathione. In all cases, disassembly of the [2Fe–2S] cluster was coupled with the oxidation of cysteine‐thiols and the formation of two intramolecular disulfide bonds. Both CD and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that WhiB proteins are structurally divergent members of the same family. Similar to WhiB1, WhiB3 and WhiB4, apo WhiB5, WhiB6 and WhiB7 also reduced the disulfide of insulin, a model substrate. However, the reduction efficiency varied significantly. Surprisingly, WhiB2 did not reduce the insulin disulfide, even though its basic properties were similar to those of others. The structural and functional divergence among WhiB proteins indicated that each WhiB protein is a distinguished member of the same family and together they may represent a novel redox system for M. tuberculosis.
The Local Economic Impacts of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan in Saskatchewan
Authors: Taylor J.S. , Gray R.S. , Rosaasen K.A.
Published: November 2008

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan seeks to improve wildlife habitat and increase waterfowl numbers through voluntary transactions with farmers to modify their land management practices. The impact of modified land use practices on the incomes of participating farmers and the regional economy are estimated. The compensation offered under the Plan for modification of land use is determined to adequately offset any loss in participants' income. Income losses to the community due to reduced farm input sales were more than offset by the increase in NAWMP direct expenditures (excluding compensation payments). Distributional effects and externalities must be recognized and monitored to ensure success of the program
Aspects of operational forecast model skill during an extreme storm surge event
Authors: Horsburgh K.J. , Williams J.A. , Flowerdew J. , Mylne K.
Published: November 2008

On 9 November 2007, the east coast of the United Kingdom experienced the worst storm surge for 50 years. It was feared that this event would be as bad as the North Sea storm surge of January 1953 that resulted in over 2000 fatalities in England and the Netherlands. Fortunately, despite minor flooding in East Anglia, surge levels from the Wash to the Thames were approximately 20 cm lower than the worst predictions. This paper analyses the utility and accuracy of the operational flood warnings that were provided. The accuracies of the surge hindcast (using meteorological re‐analysis) were better than 10 cm at critical locations. Throughout the storm, the quantification of uncertainty via a prototype ensemble surge prediction system was shown to be valuable. We examine the inundation implied by the most extreme ensemble member, and estimate the flood risk implications had this scenario been realized.
Ramifications of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il ‘s Declaration of Independence from the International Community
Authors: Quinones C. Kenneth
Published: November 2008

The United States and Japanese governments' reactions to North Korea's launching of several ballistic missiles in early July 2006 was either completely misunderstood by North Korea watchers in Washington and Tokyo, are they simply preferred to ignore yongyang's underlying motives. Actually, North Korea has been relatively transparent about its intentions regarding not just its ballistic missile but also nuclear programs. Since February 2005, ranking North Korean officials and Foreign Ministry spokesmen have made it North Korea's intentions clear. It aspires to strengthen its “deterrence capability.” In other words, North Korea is striving to counter the US‐Japan alliance by matching its military capability not just with conventional but also nuclear weapons. The United States and Japan need to recognize this. Otherwise, their efforts to compel North Korea's submission using economic pressure will back fire. Pyongyang's priority is national defense through deterrence. Economic revitalization is a secondary goal. As the United States concentrates on the Middle East and gradually withdraws from Northeast Asia, Japan would do well to assess its relations with its neighbors China and the two Koreas. If Japan's new prime minister perpetuates Japan's commitment to the US‐Japan alliance, it could find itself increasingly estranged from its neighbors. This became evident when Japan clashed with China over the UN resolution that censured North Korea's missile launchings. Japan's stance regarding issues rooted in history, such as prime ministerial visits to Yasukuni Shrine, if unaltered, will intensify Japan's isolation in Northeast Asia. This will work to North Korea's benefit.
A World of Our Making: Constructivist Understanding of China's Arms Control and Disarmament Policy
Authors: Cha Chang Hoon
Published: November 2008

Constructivism maintains that the world is socially constructed by human practice, and seeks to explain how this construction takes place by stressing the importance of intersubjective meanings and understandings and the interaction between agent and structure. This article employs the norm as an intersubjective meaning built into domestic milieu in order to understand the constitutive process of the norm's impact. As an aggregate of the interaction between states and international institutions (regimes) in a certain time span, the concept of a “constitutive dynamism” between state and institution illuminates how the individual state's interest could be influenced and transformed. The Chinese perspective on the international ACD agenda diversified and significantly transformed into a more norm‐oriented direction. The norm‐bound belief spreads more and more among the ACD experts once the ACD regimes won “universal reality” which international society approved. The dynamism, which integrates the social structuring of international relations by reconstructing the state (agent) and the international system (structure), provides a tool for comparative analysis, which differs from existing rationalist approaches. This would make it possible for IR researchers to draw a more complete picture of the interaction in our interdependent world, which is now undergoing a sovereignty‐blurring phenomenon.
Information in the Western Way of Warfare: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Authors: Betz David J. , Lee Sangho
Published: November 2008

The proponents of Information War (IW) have mesmerized the public during recent years on the effectiveness and utility of this new style of warfare that ‘system of systems’, the network of sensors, communication and precision weapons, will bring power to achieve dominant battlespace knowledge, near‐perfect mission assignment, and immediate battlespace assessment which will lift the fog of war and bring victory home. However, the War in Iraq since April 2003 has delivered a sobering and salutary reminder that this is a seductive illusion. The actual practice of IW is tricky to pull off at the operational‐tactical level; there have been some real achievements nonetheless. On the Strategic level, however, the results are bad. Judging from the state of the current War on Terror, the insurgents are as adept as the West in waging IW, as they methodically employ unconventional ‘asymmetric’ tactics, manipulate media and make their opponent bleed. It is not only the West which can wage information campaigns; in fact it is not at all certain that the West is actually much good at this aspect of warfare in the strategic arena that really counts. While IW offers great advantages in information‐driven battlefield, there should be a realization the actual victory cannot be achieved with information alone especially on the strategic level. This is the dilemma which West has to address, in particular, in future struggles against unconventional opponents.
Design for Disassembly With High-Stiffness Heat-Reversible Locator-Snap Systems
Authors: Shalaby Mohammed , Saitou Kazuhiro
Published: November 2008

Recent legislative and social pressures have driven manufacturers to consider effective part reuse and material recycling at the end of product life at the design stage. One of the key considerations is to design and use joints that can disengage with minimum labor, part damage, and material contamination. This paper presents a unified method to design a high-stiffness reversible locator-snap system that can disengage nondestructively with localized heat, and its application to external product enclosures of electrical appliances. The design problem is posed as an optimization problem to find the locations, numbers, and orientations of locators and snaps as well as the number, locations, and sizes of heating areas, which realize the release of snaps with minimum heating area and maximum stiffness while satisfying any motion and structural requirements. The screw theory is utilized to precalculate a set of feasible orientations of locators and snaps, which are examined during optimization. The optimization problem is solved using the multi-objective genetic algorithm coupled with the structural and thermal finite element analysis. The method is applied to a two-piece enclosure of a DVD player with a T-shaped mating line. The resulting Pareto-optimal solutions exhibit alternative designs with different trade-offs between the structural stiffness during snap engagement and the area of heating for snap disengagement. Some results require the heating of two areas at the same time, demonstrating the idea of a lock-and-key.
Identification of frequency-shifted vowels
Authors: Assmann Peter F. , Nearey Terrance M.
Published: November 2008

Within certain limits, speech intelligibility is preserved with upward or downward scaling of the spectral envelope. To study these limits and assess their interaction with fundamental frequency (F0), vowels in /hVd/ syllables were processed using the STRAIGHT vocoder and presented to listeners for identification. Identification accuracy showed a gradual decline when the spectral envelope was scaled up or down in vowels spoken by men, women, and children. Upward spectral envelope shifts led to poorer identification of children’s vowels compared to adults, while downward shifts had a greater impact on men’s vowels compared to women and children. Coordinated shifts (F0 and spectral envelope shifted in the same direction) generally produced higher accuracy than conditions with F0 and spectral envelope shifted in opposite directions. Vowel identification was poorest in conditions with very high F0, consistent with suggestions from the literature that sparse sampling of the spectral envelope may be a factor in vowel identification. However, the gradual decline in accuracy as a function of both upward and downward spectral envelope shifts and the interaction between spectral envelope shifts and F0 suggests the additional operation of perceptual mechanisms sensitive to the statistical covariation of F0 and formant frequencies in natural speech.
Discrimination of interaural temporal disparities conveyed by high-frequency sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones and high-frequency transposed tones: Effects of spectrally flanking noises
Authors: Bernstein Leslie R. , Trahiotis Constantine
Published: November 2008

Dreyer and Oxenham [(2008). “Effects of level and background noise on interaural time difference discrimination for transposed stimuli,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123, EL1–EL7] reported that spectrally flanking noise increased threshold interaural temporal disparities (ITDs) conveyed by high-frequency transposed tones but rendered them indiscriminable when they were conveyed by high-frequency sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) tones. This study extends those observations and evaluates the role of “off-frequency listening.” Threshold ITDs were measured using 4-kHz-centered transposed or SAM tonal “targets.” In “baseline” conditions, targets were presented without spectrally flanking noise. Additionally, targets were presented along with continuous diotic broadband Gaussian noise spectrally “notched” between 3.6 and 4.4 kHz. In another condition, only the high-pass segment of the notched noise was continuously present. In the final condition, only the low-pass segment was continuously present. Results indicate that (1) relative to baseline, adding notched noise resulted in similar relative increases of threshold ITDs for both SAM and transposed targets; (2) the presence of the high-pass segment of the notched noise resulted in greater relative increases in threshold ITDs over those obtained in baseline conditions for SAM tones as compared to transposed tones; (3) comparisons among all of the data were consistent with the interpretation that both on-frequency and off-frequency processing of envelope-based ITDs can be disrupted by the presence of a notched noise.
Speech production variability in fricatives of children and adults: Results of functional data analysis
Authors: Koenig Laura L. , Lucero Jorge C. , Perlman Elizabeth
Published: November 2008

This study investigates token-to-token variability in fricative production of 5year olds, 10year olds, and adults. Previous studies have reported higher intrasubject variability in children than adults, in speech as well as nonspeech tasks, but authors have disagreed on the causes and implications of this finding. The current work assessed the characteristics of age-related variability across articulators (larynx and tongue) as well as in temporal versus spatial domains. Oral airflow signals, which reflect changes in both laryngeal and supralaryngeal apertures, were obtained for multiple productions of /h s z/. The data were processed using functional data analysis, which provides a means of obtaining relatively independent indices of amplitude and temporal (phasing) variability. Consistent with past work, both temporal and amplitude variabilities were higher in children than adults, but the temporal indices were generally less adultlike than the amplitude indices for both groups of children. Quantitative and qualitative analyses showed considerable speaker- and consonant-specific patterns of variability. The data indicate that variability in /s/ may represent laryngeal as well as supralaryngeal control and further that a simple random noise factor, higher in children than in adults, is insufficient to explain developmental differences in speech production variability.
Scattering of the fundamental shear horizontal guided wave by a part-thickness crack in an isotropic plate
Authors: Rajagopal P. , Lowe M. J. S.
Published: November 2008

The interaction of the fundamental shear horizontal (SH0) guided mode with part-thickness cracks in an isotropic plate is studied as an extension within the context and general framework of previous work [“Short range scattering of the fundamental shear horizontal guided wave mode normally incident at a through thickness crack in an isotropic plate,” J. Acoust Soc. Am. 122, 1527–1538 (2007); “Angular influence on scattering when the fundamental shear horizontal guided wave mode is incident at a through-thickness crack in an isotropic plate,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 124, 2021–2030 (2008)] by the authors with through-cracks. The symmetric incidence case where the principal direction of the incident beam bisects the crack face at 90° is studied using finite element simulations validated by experiments and analysis, and conclusions are inferred for general incidence angles using insights obtained with the through-thickness studies. The influence of the crack length and the monitoring distance on the specular reflection is first examined, followed by a study of the angular profile of the reflected field. With each crack length considered, the crack depth and operating frequencies are varied. For all crack depths studied, the trend of the results is identical to that for the corresponding through-thickness case and the values differ only by a frequency dependent scale factor. Theoretical analysis is used to understand the physical basis for such behavior and estimates are suggested for the scale factor—exact for the high-frequency scattering regime and empirical for the medium- and low-frequency regimes.
Generating nonstationary multisensor signals under a spatial coherence constraint
Authors: Habets Emanuël A. P. , Cohen Israel , Gannot Sharon
Published: November 2008

Noise fields encountered in real-life scenarios can often be approximated as spherical or cylindrical noise fields. The characteristics of the noise field can be described by a spatial coherence function. For simulation purposes, researchers in the signal processing community often require sensor signals that exhibit a specific spatial coherence function. In addition, they often require a specific type of noise such as temporally correlated noise, babble speech that comprises a mixture of mutually independent speech fragments, or factory noise. Existing algorithms are unable to generate sensor signals such as babble speech and factory noise observed in an arbitrary noise field. In this paper an efficient algorithm is developed that generates multisensor signals under a predefined spatial coherence constraint. The benefit of the developed algorithm is twofold. Firstly, there are no restrictions on the spatial coherence function. Secondly, to generate M sensor signals the algorithm requires only M mutually independent noise signals. The performance evaluation shows that the developed algorithm is able to generate a more accurate spatial coherence between the generated sensor signals compared to the so-called image method that is frequently used in the signal processing community.
Parkinson’s disease and the effect of lexical factors on vowel articulation
Authors: Watson Peter J. , Munson Benjamin
Published: November 2008

Lexical factors (i.e., word frequency and phonological neighborhood density) influence speech perception and production. It is unknown if these factors are affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD). Ten men with PD and ten healthy men read CVC words (varying orthogonally for word frequency and density) aloud while audio recorded. Acoustic analysis was performed on duration and Bark-scaled F1-F2 values of the vowels contained in the words. Vowel space was larger for low-frequency words from dense neighborhoods than from sparse ones for both groups. However, the participants with PD did not show an effect of density on dispersion for high-frequency words.
Chronic Postoperative
Roseomonas
Endophthalmitis
Authors: Chen Kuan-Jen , Lai Chi-Chun , Kuo Ya-Hui , Wu Wei-Chi , Chen Tun-Lu
Published: November 2008

We report one case with chronic postoperative endophthalmitis caused by
Roseomonas
species.
Roseomonas
spp. induced chronic endophthalmitis, which might result in misdiagnosis and delayed treatment and causes ocular damage and severe visual loss. This report is the first one related to a case with postoperative endophthalmitis secondary to
Roseomonas
infection.
Lactobacillus delbrueckii
as the Cause of Urinary Tract Infection
Authors: Darbro Benjamin W. , Petroelje Brian K. , Doern Gary V.
Published: November 2008

Lactobacilli are part of the normal bacterial flora of the vagina and are typically considered contaminants when cultured from urine specimens of female patients. Here we describe the case of a female patient with chronic pyuria and urinary tract symptoms in which
Lactobacillus delbrueckii
was determined to be the causative microorganism.
Viral Inhibitor of Apoptosis vFLIP/K13 Protects Endothelial Cells against Superoxide-Induced Cell Death
Authors: Thurau Mathias , Marquardt Gaby , Gonin-Laurent Nathalie , Weinländer Kristina , Naschberger Elisabeth , Jochmann Ramona , Alkharsah Khaled R. , Schulz Thomas F. , Thome Margot , Neipel Frank , Stürzl Michael
Published: November 2008

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). HHV-8 encodes an antiapoptotic viral Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein (vFLIP/K13). The antiapoptotic activity of vFLIP/K13 has been attributed to an inhibition of caspase 8 activation and more recently to its capability to induce the expression of antiapoptotic proteins via activation of NF-κB. Our study provides the first proteome-wide analysis of the effect of vFLIP/K13 on cellular-protein expression. Using comparative proteome analysis, we identified manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a mitochondrial antioxidant and an important antiapoptotic enzyme, as the protein most strongly upregulated by vFLIP/K13 in endothelial cells. MnSOD expression was also upregulated in endothelial cells upon infection with HHV-8. Microarray analysis confirmed that MnSOD is also upregulated at the RNA level, though the differential expression at the RNA level was much lower (5.6-fold) than at the protein level (25.1-fold). The induction of MnSOD expression was dependent on vFLIP/K13-mediated activation of NF-κB, occurred in a cell-intrinsic manner, and was correlated with decreased intracellular superoxide accumulation and increased resistance of endothelial cells to superoxide-induced death. The upregulation of MnSOD expression by vFLIP/K13 may support the survival of HHV-8-infected cells in the inflammatory microenvironment in KS.
Identification of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I C Molecule as an Attachment Factor That Facilitates Coronavirus HKU1 Spike-Mediated Infection
Authors: Chan Che Man , Lau Susanna K. P. , Woo Patrick C. Y. , Tse Herman , Zheng Bo-Jian , Chen Ling , Huang Jian-Dong , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: November 2008

Human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1) is a recently discovered human coronavirus associated with respiratory tract infections worldwide. In this study, we have identified the major histocompatibility complex class I C molecule (HLA-C) as an attachment factor in facilitating HCoV-HKU1 spike (S)-mediated infection. HCoV-HKU1 S pseudotyped virus was assembled using a human immunodeficiency virus type 1-derived reporter virus harboring the human codon-optimized spike of HCoV-HKU1. We identified human alveolar epithelial A549 cells as the most susceptible cell line among those tested to infection by HCoV-HKU1 S pseudotypes. A549 cells were shown to bind purified soluble HCoV-HKU1 S
1-600
glycopeptide. To search for the functional receptor for HCoV-HKU1, an A549 cDNA expression library was constructed and transduced into the nonpermissive, baby hamster kidney cells line BHK-21. Transduced cells that bind soluble HCoV-HKU1 S
1-600
glycoprotein with C-terminal FLAG were sorted. Sequencing of two independent clones revealed cDNA inserts encoding HLA-C. Inhibition of HLA-C expression or function by RNAi silencing and anti-HLA-C antibody decreased HCoV-HKU1 S pseudotyped virus infection of A549 cells by 62 to 65%, whereas pretreatment of cells with neuraminidase decreased such infection by only 13%. When HLA-C was constitutively expressed in another nonpermissive cell line, NIH-3T3, quantitative PCR showed that the binding of HCoV-HKU1 S pseudotyped virus to cell surfaces was increased by 200-fold, but the cells remained nonsusceptible to HCoV-HKU1 S pseudotyped virus infection. Our data suggest that HLA-C is involved in the attachment of HCoV-HKU1 to A549 cells and is a potential candidate to facilitate cell entry. However, other unknown surface proteins on A549 cells may be concomitantly utilized by S glycoprotein of HCoV-HKU1 during viral entry. Further studies are required to elucidate other putative receptors or coreceptors for HCoV-HKU1 and the mechanism of HCoV-HKU1 S-mediated cell entry.
Genome Analysis of Small-Ruminant Lentivirus Genotype E: a Caprine Lentivirus with Natural Deletions of the dUTPase Subunit,
vpr
-Like Accessory Gene, and 70-Base-Pair Repeat of the U3 Region
Authors: Reina Ramsés , Grego Elena , Bertolotti Luigi , De Meneghi Daniele , Rosati Sergio
Published: November 2008

The nucleotide sequence of the highly divergent small-ruminant lentivirus genotype E has been determined. The full genome consists of 8,418 nucleotides and lacks two large portions corresponding nearly to the entire dUTPase subunit of the
pol
and
vpr
-like accessory genes. Moreover, the 70-bp repeat of the U3 region of the long terminal repeat was observed to be deleted. Interestingly, this lentivirus genotype is able to persist in a local breed population, and retrospective analysis revealed its presence in milk samples collected in 1999.
gag
sequences obtained from a flock coinfected with the B1 and E genotypes revealed that the evolutionary rates of the two viruses were quite similar. Since a reduced viral load and/or disease progression was observed for viruses with artificially deleted dUTPase and
vpr
-like genes, it is proposed that this viral cluster be designated a low-pathogenicity caprine lentivirus.