bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daily interruption of sedative infusions in an adult medical–surgical intensive care unit: randomized controlled trial
Authors: Anifantaki Stella , Prinianakis Georgios , Vitsaksaki Efsevia , Katsouli Victoria , Mari Stella , Symianakis Antonios , Tassouli Georgia , Tsaka Eleni , Georgopoulos Dimitris
Published: March 2009

Title.  Daily interruption of sedative infusions in an adult medical–surgical intensive care unit: randomized controlled trial.

Aim.  This article is a report of a study conducted to determine if a nursing‐implemented protocol of daily interruption of sedative infusions vs. sedation as directed by the intensive care unit team would decrease duration of mechanical ventilation.

Background.  Continuous rather than intermittent infusion of sedative and analgesic agents leads to greater stability in sedation level, but has been correlated with prolongation of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization of critical care patients. Daily interruption of sedative infusions in mechanically ventilated patients has reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in intensive care.

Method.  A randomized controlled trial was carried out from November 2004 to March 2006 with 97 patients receiving mechanical ventilation and continuous infusion of sedative drugs in an intensive care unit in Greece. The primary outcome measure was the duration of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes were length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, overall mortality, total doses of sedative and analgesic medicines and Ramsay scores and duration of cessation of sedative infusions per day.

Results.  The median duration of mechanical ventilation was 8·7 days vs. 7·7 days (P = 0·7). Length of intensive care unit stay (median: 14 vs. 12, P = 0·5) and in the hospital (median: 31 vs. 21, P = 0·1) was similar between the intervention and control groups. The absence of statistically significant differences in these variables remained when patients with brain injury were examined separately.

Conclusion.  The nursing‐implemented protocol of daily interruption of sedative infusions was neither beneficial nor harmful compared with usual practice, which has as its primary target the earliest possible awakening of patients.
Origin of Mediterranean insular endemics in the Boraginales: integrative evidence from molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction
Authors: Mansion Guilhem , Selvi Federico , Guggisberg Alessia , Conti Elena
Published: March 2009

Aim  The presence of numerous reliable fossils and the occurrence of many endemic island species make the Boraginales particularly suitable for integrative biogeographical studies. In this paper we aim to elucidate the time frame and events associated with the origin of selected borages endemic to the Mediterranean climate zone. More specifically, we describe and examine the alternative palaeo‐ and neoendemic hypotheses for their origin.

Location  Corsica and Sardinia (continental fragment islands) and the Canary Islands (an oceanic island archipelago).

Methods  Eighty‐nine accessions, representing 30 genera from five families ascribed to the Boraginales, were examined for six chloroplast DNA regions. We used an integrative approach including phylogenetic analyses (MrBayes), Bayesian molecular dating (T3 package) with four fossil constraints on nodes, and biogeographical reconstructions (diva) to elucidate the temporal and spatial origins of the Corso‐Sardinian and Canary Island endemics.

Results  Species of Echium endemic to the Canary Islands diverged from their continental sister clade during the Miocene (15.3 ± 5.4 Ma), probably after the rise of the oldest islands (c. 20 Ma). Corso‐Sardinian endemics of Borago diverged from their primarily North African sister clade during the late Miocene‐Pliocene (c. 6.9 ± 3.6 Ma), well after the initial fragmentation of the islands (c. 30 Ma). Similarly, Corso‐Sardinian endemics of Anchusa diverged from the South African Anchusa capensis during the Pliocene–Pleistocene (c. 2.7 ± 2.1 Ma).

Main conclusions  The present study reveals an Anatolian origin for Anchusa, Borago and Echium and underlines the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region as a possible reservoir for plant evolution in the Mediterranean Basin. For Anchusa and Borago, the divergence from their respective sister clades on the two types of islands post‐dated the formation of the islands, thus supporting the neo‐endemic hypothesis, whereas the dating results for the origin of Echium endemics were less conclusive.
Risk factors for oral clefts: a population‐based case‐control study in Shenyang, China
Authors: Wang Wei , Guan Peng , Xu Wei , Zhou Baosen
Published: March 2009

Shenyang in Northern China has one of the highest reported prevalence rates of oral clefts in the world. To explore the risk factors for oral clefts in Shenyang, we carried out a population‐based case‐control study. A total of 360 990 births in 2000 to 2007 were screened for oral clefts; the overall prevalence was 1.76 per 1000. The ratio of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) : cleft palate only (CP) was 5.60:1. The overall male : female ratio was 2.02:1. CLP and CL were more common in males than in females with a sex ratio (SR) of 2.88:1 and 1.86:1 respectively, whereas CP was more common in females with an SR of 0.71:1.

Using a multivariable conditional logistic regression model, 586 oral clefts cases were compared with 1172 control mothers. Maternal factors significantly associated with increased risk for oral clefts were history of a fever or cold (adjusted OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.06, 5.60); use of analgesic and antipyretic drugs (adjusted OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.41, 6.86); poor ventilation during heating (adjusted OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.10, 4.60); and consumption of pickled vegetables >6 per week (adjusted OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.11, 13.47) during pregnancy. Factors which appeared to be protective were meat consumption ≥4 times per week (adjusted OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.28, 0.67); and legume consumption >6 times per week (adjusted OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41, 0.89). Differences in risk were found between the two most common phenotypes, CL ± P and CP only. Most of the environmental factors had stronger associations with risk for CL ± P rather than CP, whereas history of oral clefts, as well as legume consumption, were more strongly associated with the risk for CP than for CL ± P. The findings suggest that aetiological heterogeneity may exist between CL ± P and CP.
Delayed fluorescence as a universal tool for the measurement of circadian rhythms in higher plants
Authors: Gould Peter D. , Diaz Patrick , Hogben Claire , Kusakina Jelena , Salem Radia , Hartwell James , Hall Anthony
Published: March 2009

The plant circadian clock plays an important role in enhancing performance and increasing vegetative yield. Much of our current understanding of the mechanism and function of the plant clock has come from the development of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model circadian organism. Key to this rapid progress has been the development of robust circadian markers, specifically circadian‐regulated luciferase reporter genes. Studies of the clock in crop species and non‐model organisms are currently hindered by the absence of a simple high‐throughput universal assay for clock function, accuracy and robustness. Delayed fluorescence (DF) is a fundamental process occurring in all photosynthetic organisms. It is luminescence‐produced post‐illumination due to charge recombination in photosystem II (PSII) leading to excitation of P680 and the subsequent emission of a photon. Here we report that the amount of DF oscillates with an approximately 24‐h period and is under the control of the circadian clock in a diverse selection of plants. Thus, DF provides a simple clock output that may allow the clock to be assayed in vivo in any photosynthetic organism. Furthermore, our data provide direct evidence that the nucleus‐encoded, three‐loop circadian oscillator underlies rhythms of PSII activity in the chloroplast. This simple, high‐throughput and non‐transgenic assay could be integrated into crop breeding programmes, the assay allows the selection of plants that have robust and accurate clocks, and possibly enhanced performance and vegetative yield. This assay could also be used to characterize rapidly the role and function of any novel Arabidopsis circadian mutant.
Expression of cyclin D2 is an independent predictor of the development of hepatic metastasis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Sarkar R. , Hunter I. A. , Rajaganeshan R. , Perry S. L. , Guillou P. , Jayne D. G.
Published: March 2009

Introduction  Cyclin D1 has been implicated in the progression of several cancers by virtue of its influence on progression of the G1/S phase of the cell cycle. However, little is known about the possible roles of cyclin D2 and D3 in colorectal cancers (CRCs).

Method  We investigated the expression levels of cyclin D2 and D3 in 84 CRC specimens. Antigen expression was determined by immunohistochemical analysis of cyclin D1, D2, D3, p16INK4A and Ki67 on tissue microarrays constructed using core samples from tumour centres and margins.

Results  For the whole cohort, expression of cyclin D2 at the margin was associated with vascular invasion (P = 0.039), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.020) and liver metastasis (P < 0.001). In patients with stage I and II tumours (n = 84), elevated cyclin D2 and D3 were associated with vascular invasion (P = 0.014 and 0.028 respectively), liver metastasis (P = 0.001 and 0.007 respectively) and reduced disease specific survival (Cyclin D2, P < 0.022). No association was noted between the proliferative marker Ki‐67 and the D‐type cyclins.

Conclusion  These findings suggest that cyclin D2 expression at the invasive margin of CRCs is associated with liver metastasis and may serve as a useful prognostic marker and indicator of the need for adjuvant therapy.
Development of a parent‐report computer‐adaptive test to assess physical functioning in children with cerebral palsy II: upper‐extremity skills
Authors: TUCKER CAROLE A , MONTPETIT KATHLEEN , BILODEAU NATHALIE , DUMAS HELENE M , FRAGALA‐PINKHAM MARIA A , WATSON KYLE , GORTON GEORGE E , NI PENGSHENG , HAMBLETON RONALD K , MULCAHEY MJ , HALEY STEPHEN M
Published: March 2009

The specific aims of this study were to (1) examine the psychometric properties (unidimensionality, differential item functioning, scale coverage) of an item bank of upper‐extremity skills for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP); (2) evaluate a simulated computer‐adaptive test (CAT) using this item bank; (3) examine the concurrent validity of the CAT with the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) upper‐extremity core scale; and (4) determine the discriminant validity of the simulated CAT with Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels and CP type (i.e. diplegia, hemiplegia, or quadriplegia). Parents (n=180) of children and adolescents with CP (spastic diplegia 49%, hemiplegia 22%, or quadriplegia 28%) consisting of 102 males and 78 females with a mean age of 10 years 6 months (SD 4y 1mo, range 2–21y), and MACS levels I through V participated in calibration of an item pool and completed the PODCI. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model using 49 of the 53 upper‐extremity items. Simulated CATs of 5, 10, and 15 items demonstrated excellent accuracy (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICCs] >0.93) with the full item bank, had high correlations with the PODCI upper‐extremity core scale score (ICC 0.79), and discriminated among MACS levels. The simulated CATs demonstrated excellent overall content coverage over a wide age span and severity of upper‐extremity involvement. The future development and refinement of CATs for parent report of physical function in children and adolescents with CP is supported by our work.
Abnormal glucose tolerance in young male patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Yun Jung Won , Cho Yong Kyun , Park Jung Ho , Kim Hong Joo , Park Dong Il , Sohn Chong Il , Jeon Woo Kyu , Kim Byung Ik
Published: March 2009

Objective: The association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome has been documented for obese men and middle‐aged men. This study was designed to determine the relationship between NAFLD and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to predict preclinical diabetes in nondiabetic young male patients (<30 years old).

Methods: A total of 75 male patients who had elevated liver enzymes and who were diagnosed with NAFLD were enrolled in this study. A standard 75 g OGTT was carried out on all patients. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were defined as a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level ≥100 mg/dl but <126 mg/dl, and a 2‐h post‐load glucose on the OGTT of ≥140 mg/dl, but <200 mg/dl respectively.

Results: According to the OGTT results, 24 (32%) patients were diagnosed as having IGT and 12 (16%) patients were diagnosed as having diabetes. Among the 48 patients with normal fasting glucose, 18 (37.6%) patients showed abnormal glucose tolerance (15 had IGT and three had diabetes). The NAFLD patients with abnormal glucose tolerance showed significant differences in age, weight, body mass index, waist–hip ratio, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, FPG and homeostasis model for insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR). Multiple regression analysis showed that age, FPG and HOMA‐IR were independent predictors of abnormal glucose tolerance.

Conclusions: Although the patients were young men, an OGTT should be recommended for NAFLD patients with elevated liver enzymes and IFG to predict the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Autonomic dysfunction in chronic liver disease
Authors: Frith James , Newton Julia L.
Published: March 2009

Autonomic dysfunction (AD) is common in chronic liver disease (CLD) of all aetiologies and even more so in those awaiting transplantation. As yet, the pathophysiology is not completely understood but the clinical effects are dramatic for the patient, who has a heavy symptomatic burden. There are several considerations, specific to liver disease, which complicate AD. Outlined here is a practical guide for clinicians detailing the common presentations and consequences of AD, investigation techniques and treatment options. As morbidity and mortality is increased in CLD patients with AD its recognition, investigation and management is important to all who encounter such patients.
Clinical Demonstration of Skin Mildness and Suitability for Sensitive Infant Skin of a New Baby Wipe
Authors: Adam Ralf , Schnetz Baerbel , Mathey Petra , Pericoi Marc , De Prost Yves
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Background:  A cleansing baby wipe with sufficient pH buffering capacity may help to restore the pH balance of skin following exposure to urine and feces in the diaper environment and maintain skin health.

Objective:  To evaluate the skin effects of a novel baby wipe formulation with increased pH buffering.

Subjects and Methods:  A series of clinical studies was designed and conducted to evaluate the skin effects of the new baby wipe, including a 21‐day cumulative skin irritation patch study in adults (n = 31), a 4‐week study in babies with medically confirmed atopic dermatitis (n = 32), a 2‐week study comparing skin pH of babies (n = 15) following use of wipes compared with water and wash cloth, a series of clinical skin pH measurements following fecal exposure and subsequent cleaning with different products (n = 50) and a study evaluating comfort of product application on irritated skin (n = 31).

Results:  The wipes formulation was well‐tolerated, even in babies with atopic dermatitis, and was more comfortable versus water and washcloth. Increased buffering capacity of a wet wipes lotion helps to maintain a physiologically balanced skin pH value in the diaper region.
Predicting Treatment Seekers' Readiness to Change Their Drinking Behavior in the COMBINE Study
Authors: DiClemente Carlo C. , Doyle Suzanne R. , Donovan Dennis
Published: March 2009

Background:  Initial motivation and readiness to change (RTC) are complex constructs and have been important but inconsistent predictors of treatment attendance and drinking outcomes in studies of alcoholism treatment. Motivation can be described in multiple ways as simply the accumulation of consequences that push change, a shift in intentions, or engagement in various tasks that are part of a larger process of change.

Method:  Using baseline data from participants in the COMBINE Study, this study reevaluated the psychometric properties of a 24‐item measure of motivation derived from the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale that yielded 4 subscales representing attitudes and experiences related to tasks of stages of Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, and Maintenance Striving as well as a second‐order factor score representing a multidimensional view of RTC drinking. A variety of hypothesized predictors of readiness and the stage subscales were examined using multiple regression analyses to better understand the nature of this measure of motivation.

Results:  Findings supported the basic subscale structure and the overall motivational readiness score derived from this measure. RTC drinking behavior was predicted by baseline measures of perceived stress, drinking severity, psychiatric comorbidity, self‐efficacy, craving, and positive treatment outcome expectancies. However, absolute values were small, indicating that readiness for change is not explained simply by demographic, drinking severity, treatment, change process, or contextual variables.

Conclusion:  This measure demonstrated good psychometric properties and results supported the independence as well as convergent and divergent validity of the measured constructs. Predictors of overall readiness and subscale scores indicate that a variety of personal and contextual factors contribute to treatment seekers' motivation to change in an understandable but complex manner.
Are Intellectual Property Rights Hindering Technological Advance? The Need for Technological Commons1
Authors: Rouvinen Petri , Stankiewicz Rikard
Published: March 2009

In the last quarter century, the scope of patenting has been expanded, the requirements for patentability have been lowered, the experimental use exemption has been narrowed, and patent holders' rights have been strengthened. New actors, most notably universities, have become involved. These changes threaten technological advance by hindering the emergence and utilization of design spaces, understood as metaphorical toolboxes shared by professions and comprised of basic elements and their relations routinely used for problem solving. While abstract, broad, and low‐quality intellectual property per se constitutes a problem, it is particularly so when it comes to a design space, in the context of which knowledge has to be accessed in bundles, and large domains of further inquiry are at stake. The article calls for action in securing technological commons that, at least historically, have been provided via publicly funded research at universities and elsewhere.
Conclusion: International Political Economy—The Reverse Salient of Innovation Theory
Authors: Taylor Mark Zachary
Published: March 2009

This conclusion attempts to answer three sets of questions regarding our experiment in cross‐field collaboration: What did we find and were these findings cohesive? What did our findings add to the debate? What are the implications of our findings, and, more importantly, what's next? It suggests that politics have become a “reverse salient” in innovation theory. Specifically, innovation scholars have yet to devise a theory that fully incorporates distributive politics and their security and competitiveness implications into a general explanation of technological change. This gap is holding back progress in fields that depend on innovation as an explanatory variable. It should therefore be made a priority for innovation scholars across the social sciences.
Nest excavation does not reduce harmful effects of ectoparasitism: an experiment with a woodpecker, the northern flicker Colaptes auratus
Authors: Wiebe Karen L.
Published: March 2009

It has been hypothesized that it is adaptive for birds to build new nests annually in order to avoid the accumulation of ectoparasites. Previous studies on costs of ectoparasitism have focused on cavity nesters in nestboxes while largely ignoring reproductive consequences in natural tree cavity nests, the context where nest selection strategies presumably evolved. To see whether ectoparasitism could be a driving selective force in the evolution of nest excavation in a woodpecker, I experimentally fumigated a subset of freshly excavated cavities and a subset of reused cavities of the northern flicker Colaptes auratus and compared reproductive performance with a set of control nests. The main ectoparasite of nestlings, a blood‐sucking fly Carnus hemapterus, may have appeared one or two days earlier in reused nests but there was no difference between fresh and reused nests in intensities of flies one week post‐hatching. Prevalence of parasitism reached 100% in both reused and freshly‐excavated control nests in the second week. Nestlings from control nests had lower body mass residuals than those from fumigated nests after 15 d and fledged at a lower weight, suggesting that ectoparasitism by C. hemapterus was costly. However, fresh nest construction was no benefit, likely because the high dispersal ability of the ectoparasite meant all nests were colonized rapidly. Parents did not adjust provisioning effort according to parasitism as delivery rates did not differ between control and fumigated nests but delivery rates increased with brood size.
Effects of implant geometry, surface properties, and TGF‐β1 on peri‐implant bone response: an experimental study in goats
Authors: Schouten C. , Meijer G. J. , Van Den Beucken J. J. J. P. , Spauwen P. H. M. , Jansen J. A.
Published: March 2009

Objectives: Despite the high success rates in implantology, the desire to use oral implants in more challenging clinical situations drives the need for continuing refinements in implant design and surface properties. In the present study, the effect of implant geometry on implant bone response was evaluated using two geometrically different implant types, i.e. screw type (St) and push‐in type(Pi). Furthermore, the potential beneficial effect of an electrosprayed calcium phosphate (CaP) coating, either or not enriched with the osteoinductive growth factor TGF‐β1, on the osteogenic response was examined.

Material and methods: A total of 54 implants, divided into six groups (n=9), were inserted into the femoral condyles of nine goats. After an implantation period of 12 weeks, retrieved specimens were evaluated histologically and histomorphometrically. Measurements were statistically evaluated using SPSS 14.0 and analyzed using a linear regression model.

Results: With respect to implant design, St‐implants showed an overall superior biological healing response compared with Pi‐implants. Considering surface properties, the deposition of an electrosprayed CaP (2–3 μm) coating onto implants significantly increased the amount of bone–implant contact for both implant types. Additional enrichment of the CaP coating with the osteoinductive growth factor TGF‐β1 did not significantly affect peri‐implant bone response.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that a substantial improvement of the osteogenic response to titanium implants can be achieved by the deposition of an electrosprayed CaP coating. The enrichment of the coating with 1 μg TGF‐β1 has only a marginal effect.
Five‐year results of fixed implant‐supported rehabilitations with distal cantilevers for the edentulous mandible
Authors: Gallucci German O. , Doughtie Camden B. , Hwang Jae Woong , Fiorellini Joseph P. , Weber Hans‐Peter
Published: March 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival rate, success rate and primary complications associated with mandibular fixed implant‐supported rehabilitations with distal cantilevers over 5 years of function.

Material and methods: In this prospective multi‐center trial, 45 fully edentulous patients were treated with implant‐supported mandibular hybrid prostheses with distal extension cantilevers. Data were collected at numerous time points, including but not limited to: implant placement, abutment placement, final prosthesis delivery, 3 months and 5 years post‐loading. Biological, implant and prosthetic parameters defining survival and success were evaluated for each implant including: sulcus bleeding ndex (SBI) at four sites per implant, width of facial and lingual keratinized gingiva (mm), peri‐implant mucosal level (mid‐facial from the top of the implant collar, measured in mm), modified plaque index (MPI) at four sites per implant, mobility and peri‐implant radiolucency. Survival was defined as implants or prostheses that did not need to be replaced. Success rate was defined as meeting well‐established criteria that were chosen to indicate healthy peri‐implant mucosa osseointegration, prostheses success and complications.

Results: A total of 237 implants in 45 completely edentulous patients were included in the study. In each patient, four to six implants were placed to support hybrid prostheses with distal cantilevers. Cantilevers ranged in length from 6 to 21 mm, with an average length of 15.6 mm. The ages of the patients ranged from 34 to 78 with a mean age of 59.5 years. The survival rate of implants was 100% (237/237) and for prostheses 95.5% (43/45). The overall treatment success rate was calculated as 86.7% (39/45). Of the six patients that have not met the criteria for success, two patients required replacement of the entire prosthesis and four patients presented >four complications events.

Conclusion: Fixed implant‐supported rehabilitation with distal cantilever resulted in a reliable treatment modality over the 5‐year observation period. Although biological parameters of MPI, SBI, keratinized tissue and peri‐implant mucosal levels showed statistically significant differences over time, the mean values for each patient remained within the normal limits of oral health. Complications were categorized as biological or technical. The majority of complications were technical complications (54/79) and of these most involved fracture of the acrylic teeth and base (20/54). While the survival rate was 100% for implants and 95.5% for prostheses, the application of strict criteria for treatment success resulted in an overall treatment success rate of 86.7%.
Apoptosis inducing and differentiation enhancement effect of oridonin on the all‐trans‐retinoic acid‐sensitive and ‐resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia cells
Authors: GAO F. , TANG Q. , YANG P. , FANG Y. , LI W. , WU Y.
Published: March 2009

We investigated the effects of oridonin (Ori), a diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, on apoptosis and differentiation of all‐trans‐retinoic acid (ATRA)‐sensitive (NB4) and ATRA‐resistant (NB4‐R1) cells. The results showed that reactive oxygen species initiates Ori‐induced apoptosis. In addition, we found that neither Ori nor ATRA (10 nm) alone induced marked cell differentiation, while co‐treatment of these two compounds can induce differentiation of NB4 and NB4‐R1 cells which was accompanied by increased RARα, C/EBPε or C/EBPβ. This is the first report to show that RARα could be accumulated by Ori which may be useful as a probe to investigate the mechanism of RARα catabolism. These results suggest that Ori is a potential candidate for acute promyelocytic leukemia cancer therapy.
GROWTH MODES AND DEFECTS OF MANGANESE MERCURY THIOCYANATE CRYSTALS OBSERVED BY AFM
Authors: GENG Y. L. , SUN Z. H.
Published: March 2009

Growth mechanisms and defects formation of the manganese mercury thiocyanate (MMTC) crystal have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both screw dislocation controlled growth and 2D nucleation growth occur on the {110} faces. Stacking faults are observed among dislocation hillocks and the formation of them probably results from the different crystallization orientations of different spirals. Hollow channels are found around the nucleation islands and the formation of them is due to the instability of the interface generated by the rapid nucleation and growth speeds.
CORROSION BEHAVIORS OF ND: YAG LASER-GMA HYBRID WELDMENT OF AA5052-H32 Al ALLOYS
Authors: ZHANG DA-QUAN , PARK YOUNG WOO , LEE KANG YONG
Published: March 2009

This paper investigated the corrosion behaviors of the Nd: YAG laser-gas metal arc (GMA) AA5052-H32 weldments comparing with the base alloy. The corrosion susceptibility of weldments was higher than that of the base alloy. The weld fusion zone (WFZ) suffered the severe pitting in acidic chloride media. The zones adjacent to the weld fusion boundary showed less corrosion tendency. A corrosion cracking was associated with pitting in the weldments. The surface morphology observation and composition analysis were investigated by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. At the WFZ/HAZ interface and the HAZ/base alloy interface, the galvanic corrosion coupling existed. From the comparison, the WFZ showed anodic behavior, the zone adjacent to the weld fusion boundary showed cathodic behavior. The corrosion of WFZ was progressed by the formation of the galvanic couples.
THE GIANT MAGNETOSTRICTION OF [Fe/Tb/Fe/Dy]n MULTILAYER FILMS UNDER DIFFERENT ANNEALING TEMPERATURE
Authors: LI X. D. , ZHAO Z. J. , FENG T. , PAN L. K. , HUANG S. M. , CHEN Y. W. , SUN Z.
Published: March 2009

The effect of annealing temperature on the magnetic and giant magnetostriction (GMS) of [ Fe / Tb / Fe / Dy ]n multilayer films were investigated. X-ray diffraction showed that the multilayer films' microstructures were still in amorphous at annealing temperature 300°C. The multilayer films began to crystalline at annealing temperature 400°C. The saturation magnetization of multilayer films increased by the increasing annealed temperature. The coercivity first decreased at annealing temperature 300°C and then increased when the annealing temperature was higher than 400°C. The multilayer films had good low-field GMS, and the magnetostriction of the multilayer films increased by the increasing annealing temperature.
Knowledge Management's Relevance to Library and Information Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Roknuzzaman Md. , Umemoto Katsuhiro
Published: March 2009

The study aims at exploring the relevancy of knowledge management (KM) to library and information science (LIS). Besides the review of relevant literature, the study has conducted an online survey of KM education programs offered by different schools of the world. An interdisciplinary approach of KM education is analysed to find its link with LIS. After a random search of KM education programs, 30 graduate programs are investigated to identify leading academic and professional disciplines contributing to the promotion of KM education and research, and also to examine the extent and scope of KM education with special reference to LIS schools. The survey finds that the highest number of KM graduate programs originated from LIS/Information Management (IM) followed by computing/engineering and business and management. The convergent course titles and wide range of KM skills and competencies clearly indicate its interdisciplinary nature. Finally, the paper explores some areas where both LIS and KM can contribute to each other and encourages KM implication in LIS education and library practices.
Controversies in the Management of Borderline Resectable Proximal Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma with Vascular Involvement
Authors: Tucker Olga N. , Rela Mohamed
Published: March 2009

Synchronous major vessel resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial. In the 1970s, regional pancreatectomy advocated by Fortner was associated with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rates, with no impact on long-term survival. With the establishment of a multidisciplinary approach, improvements in preoperative staging techniques, surgical expertise, and perioperative care reduced mortality rates and improved 5-year-survival rates are now achieved following resection in high-volume centres. Perioperative morbidity and mortality following PD with portal vein resection are comparable to standard PD, with reported 5-year-survival rates of up to 17%. Segmental resection and reconstruction of the common hepatic artery/proper hepatic artery (CHA/PHA) can be performed to achieve an R0 resection in selected patients with limited involvement of the CHA/PHA at the origin of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA). PD with concomitant major vessel resection for borderline resectable tumours should be performed when a margin-negative resection is anticipated at high-volume centres with expertise in complex pancreatic surgery. Where an incomplete (R1 or R2) resection is likely neoadjuvant treatment with systemic chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation as part of a clinical trial should be offered to all patients.
Cationic Polybutyl Cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles for DNA Delivery
Authors: Duan Jinghua , Zhang Yangde , Chen Wei , Shen Chengrong , Liao Mingmei , Pan Yifeng , Wang Jiwei , Deng Xingming , Zhao Jinfeng
Published: March 2009

To enhance the intracellular delivery potential of plasmid DNA using nonviral vectors, we used polybutyl cyanoacrylate (PBCA) and chitosan to prepare PBCA nanoparticles (NPs) by emulsion polymerization and prepared NP/DNA complexes through the complex coacervation of nanoparticles with the DNA. The object of our work is to evaluate the characterization and transfection efficiency of PBCA‐NPs. The NPs have a zeta potential of 25.53 mV at pH 7.4 and size about 200 nm. Electrophoretic analysis suggested that the NPs with positive charges could protect the DNA from nuclease degradation and cell viability assay showed that the NPs exhibit a low cytotoxicity to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of transfection in HepG2 cells by the nanoparticles carrying plasmid DNA encoding for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP‐N1) was done by digital fluorescence imaging microscopy system and fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS). Qualitative results showed highly efficient expression of GFP that remained stable for up to 96 hours. Quantitative results from FACS showed that PBCA‐NPs were significantly more effective in transfecting HepG2 cells after 72 hours postincubation. The results of this study suggested that PBCA‐NPs have favorable properties for nonviral delivery.
Galanin Receptor Subtype 2 Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis in p53 Mutant Head and Neck Cancer Cells
Authors: Kanazawa Takeharu , Kommareddi Pavan K. , Iwashita Toshihide , Kumar Bhavna , Misawa Kiyoshi , Misawa Yuki , Jang Ilwhan , Nair Thankam S. , Iino Yukiko , Carey Thomas E.
Published: March 2009

Purpose: Galanin and its three receptors (GALR1-3) are expressed in many normal tissues, but silenced in some tumors. Contradictory roles for galanin and its receptors in various tumors have been reported. To understand their function, investigations of individual galanin receptors are necessary. In head and neck squamous carcinoma cells (HNSCC) with silenced GALR1 and GALR2, we showed that reexpressed GALR1 suppresses tumor cell proliferation via Erk1/2-mediated effects on cdk inhibitors and cyclin D1. Others showed that GALR2 could induce apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells with wild-type p53, whereas GALR2 stimulated proliferation in small cell lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of GALR2 in HNSCC cells that have mutant p53 and do not express GALR1.

Experimental Design: UM-SCC-1, a human oral carcinoma cell line with a splice site mutation causing a 46-bp p53 off-frame deletion, was stably transfected to express GALR2 (UM-SCC-1-GALR2).

Results: Galanin treatment of UM-SCC-1-GALR2 caused morphologic changes and a marked decrease in cell number that were not observed in UM-SCC-1-mock cells. Galanin and GALR2 resulted in decreased bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, p27Kip1 and p57Kip2 up-regulation, and decreased cyclin D1 expression. These effects were similar to GALR1 signaling in HNSCC, but GALR2 also induced caspase-3–dependent apoptosis, which was confirmed by Annexin-V staining and DNA fragmentation analysis. These were not observed with GALR1.

Conclusion: This study shows that GALR2 reexpression can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in HNSCC cells with mutant p53. GALR2 may be a feasible target for HNSCC therapy.
Molecular determinants of response to matuzumab in combination with paclitaxel for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Schittenhelm Marcus M. , Kollmannsberger Christian , Oechsle Karin , Harlow Amy , Morich Jason , Honecker Friedemann , Kurek Raffael , Störkel Stephan , Kanz Lothar , Corless Christopher L. , Wong Kwok-Kin , Bokemeyer Carsten , Heinrich Michael C.
Published: March 2009

Antibodies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have proven to be effective in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that express EGFR. We recently published a phase I study of weekly matuzumab plus paclitaxel. This therapy was well tolerated and showed clinical responses in the majority of patients. Although matuzumab displays potent antitumor activity in some patients, not all patients respond well to treatment. Whether dysregulation of EGFR-mediated pathways precludes or sensitizes cells to paclitaxel is unknown. We sought to determine molecular predictive factors for therapy response in a phase I/II study patient cohort treated with matuzumab ± paclitaxel. Twenty-three cases [including one complete response (CR), three partial responses (PR), 10 stable diseases (SD)] were screened using immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), PCR/sequencing and denaturing wave high performance liquid chromatography (D-HPLC) for expression, amplification, and mutation status of EGFR and downstream signaling pathways. All patients with PR or CR displayed an either high overall or single-cell EGFR expression in the majority of cells. In addition, all of the moderate responders, who achieved SD after at least two cycles of therapy, showed diffuse EGFR expression rates and/or strong single-cell EGFR expression. In contrast, 44% of the nonresponders showed low overall or single-cell EGFR expression levels. No low-expressing EGFR cases were present within the responder group. In addition, among patients with a gain-of-function mutation in KRAS primary therapy failure and/or short responses to therapy were observed. Our data suggest that EGFR expression and KRAS mutation status is predictive for clinical response to matuzumab ± paclitaxel in patients with advanced NSCLC. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(3):481–9]
Assessment of the Quality of MODIS Cloud Products from Radiance Simulations
Authors: Ham Seung-Hee , Sohn Byung-Ju , Yang Ping , Baum Bryan A.
Published: March 2009

Observations made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), and CloudSat are synergistically used to evaluate the accuracy of theoretical simulations of the radiances at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). Specifically, TOA radiances of 15 MODIS bands are simulated for overcast, optically thick, and single-phase clouds only over the ocean from 60°N to 60°S, corresponding to about 12% of all the MODIS cloud observations. Plane parallel atmosphere is assumed in the simulation by restricting viewing/solar zenith angle to be less than 40°. Input data for the radiative transfer model (RTM) are obtained from the operational MODIS-retrieved cloud optical thickness, effective radius, and cloud-top pressure (converted to height) collocated with the AIRS-retrieved temperature and humidity profiles. In the RTM, ice cloud bulk scattering properties, based on theoretical scattering computations and in situ microphysical data, are used for the radiative transfer simulations. The results show that radiances for shortwave bands between 0.466 and 0.857 μm appear to be very accurate with errors on the order of 5%, implying that MODIS cloud parameters provide sufficient information for the radiance simulations. However, simulated radiances for the 1.24-, 1.63-, and 3.78-μm bands do not agree as well with the observed radiances as a result of the use of a single effective radius for a cloud layer that may be vertically inhomogeneous in reality. Furthermore, simulated radiances for the water vapor absorption bands located near 0.93 and 1.38 μm show positive biases, whereas the window bands from 8.5 to 12 μm show negative biases compared to observations, likely due to the less accurate estimate of cloud-top and cloud-base heights. It is further shown that the accuracies of the simulations for water vapor and window bands can be substantially improved by accounting for the vertical cloud distribution provided by the CALIPSO and CloudSat measurements.
The prognostic value of exercise testing
Authors: Palange P.
Published: March 2009

Educational aims

To examine the role of clinical exercise testing in the prognostic evaluation of patients with chronic lung heart diseases.

To discuss the prognostic importance of variables in the evaluation of patients with chronic lung and heart disease.

Resting pulmonary function measurements have been shown to be of great value in the prognosis of a wide range of pulmonary and cardiac diseases. However, they cannot show the whole picture.

Exercise testing, and its associated variables, can provide useful prognostic information in diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD), cystic fibrosis (CF), primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) and chronic heart failure (CHF).
Static and dynamic moduli of a weak sandstone
Authors: Fjær Erling
Published: March 2009

Static moduli derived from the slope of a stress-strain curve and dynamic moduli derived from the velocity of elastic waves are significantly different for rocks, even though they should be equal according to the theory of linear elasticity. Proper knowledge about this difference might be useful because dynamic measurements are often the only information available about a rock. In tests on a dry sandstone, static and dynamic moduli are always different, except immediately after the direction of loading has been reversed. The results support the assumption that the difference between static and dynamic moduli can be ascribed to the difference in strain amplitude between static and dynamic measurements. At low stress levels, static and dynamic moduli increase with increasing stress during initial loading. In uniaxial compaction tests, the static compaction modulus decreases with increasing stress at higher stress levels, revealing a sensitivity to the location of the failure envelope. However, the corresponding dynamic modulus is totally insensitive to the failure envelope.
Anisotropy and dispersion — Two sides of a coin
Authors: Helbig Klaus
Published: March 2009

Anisotropy is the dependence of the velocity on direction; dispersion is the dependence of the velocity on frequency [Formula: see text] (or wavelength [Formula: see text]). These apparently disjoint phenomena can be dealt with together if one uses as the common independent variable the wave vector [Formula: see text], a vector in the direction of the wave and normal with length proportional to the wavenumber [Formula: see text]. The phase velocity is [Formula: see text] and the group velocity [Formula: see text], the gradient of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]-space. The most convenient display of anisotropy and dispersion is by surfaces of equal [Formula: see text] (or equal [Formula: see text]), to be determined with the help of a dispersion equation. In isotropic conditions, theseiso-omega surfaces are spheres. If there is no dispersion, the spheres are equidistant. For wave-number regions with dispersion, the spheres have variable spacing. For anisotropic conditions, the iso-omega surfaces are nonspherical but similar and equispaced if the medi-um is nondispersive. If dispersion occurswith anisotropy, the iso-omega surfaces are not equispaced and not necessarily similar. For highlighting the long-wavelength limit of effective-media theories, a different display is advantageous: If one displays the iso-omega surfaces in slowness-vector space [Formula: see text], the iso-omega surfaces collapse into the long-wave slowness surface for the range of validity of the effective-media theory but deviate from the asymptotic slowness surface for frequencies beyond this range. Such displays not only allow quantification of the limits of the theory but also show in which directions and for which frequencies these deviations occur. The application of this concept requires that the dispersion equation be assembled from the solutions of the wave equation in the actual constituent media, not for the replacement medium. For instance, for a layered medium, the wavefield must satisfy the corresponding wave equation in each constituent layer and must be continuous across all interfaces.
An Extraordinary Achievement of the American Way: Hollywood and the Americanization of the making of the atom bomb in Fat Man & Little Boy
Authors: Laucht Christoph
Published: March 2009

This article examines the Americanization of popular culture on the domestic front. It uses director Roland Joff's film Fat Man & Little Boy (UK release title: The Shadow Makers) as a case study to analyze the Americanization of the story of the creation of the atom
bomb in postwar American culture. The study places the picture within its wider cultural historical context and traces the film's ideology not only back to the beginning of the nuclear age but to larger trends regarding science, technology and nationalism in the US history. Special emphasis
is given to three main areas of investigation: the film's place in Hollywood's engagement with the saga of the making of the atomic bomb, its evocation of nostalgia and its omission of many international contributions, especially those by foreign-born scientists, to the Manhattan Project.
Look past the violence: automotive destruction in American movies
Authors: Newland Paul
Published: March 2009

This article offers a study of the phenomenon of automotive destruction in American movies. It offers a critical reading of the spectacular pile-up sequence in The Blues Brothers 2000 (John Landis, 1998) which takes account of the development of screen car crashes from their
earliest days in the silent Keystone, Laurel and Hardy shorts and Harold Lloyd features, through to their ubiquitous presence in contemporary Hollywood movies. Screen car crashes testify to both the iconic status of the automobile and the centrality of violence to American culture. This article
suggests that the staged accident and the onscreen destruction of the car (the American technological consumer object ne plus ultra) can be read as a working through of concerns and fears regarding the dialectical experience of modernity technological and scientific progress, sexuality, death
and the ephemeral nature of the human body, and the endurance of a US-style capitalist system built on waste.