bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FRA-1 protein overexpression is a feature of hyperplastic and neoplastic breast disorders
Authors: Chiappetta Gennaro , Ferraro Angelo , Botti Gerardo , Monaco Mario , Pasquinelli Rosa , Vuttariello Emilia , Arnaldi Liliane , Di Bonito Maurizio , D'Aiuto Giuseppe , Pierantoni Giovanna Maria , Fusco Alfredo
Published: January 2007

Background

Fos-related antigen 1 (FRA-1) is an immediate early gene encoding a member of AP-1 family of transcription factors involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. fra-1 gene overexpression has an important role in the process of cellular transformation, and our previous studies suggest FRA-1 protein detection as a useful tool for the diagnosis of thyroid neoplasias. Here we investigate the expression of the FRA-1 protein in benign and malignant breast tissues by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, RT-PCR and qPCR analysis, to evaluate its possible help in the diagnosis and prognosis of breast neoplastic diseases.

Methods

We investigate the expression of the FRA-1 protein in 70 breast carcinomas and 30 benign breast diseases by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, RT-PCR and qPCR analysis.

Results

FRA-1 protein was present in all of the carcinoma samples with an intense staining in the nucleus. Positive staining was also found in most of fibroadenomas, but in this case the staining was present both in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and the number of positive cells was lower than in carcinomas. Similar results were obtained from the analysis of breast hyperplasias, with no differences in FRA-1 expression level between typical and atypical breast lesions; however the FRA-1 protein localization is mainly nuclear in the atypical hyperplasias. In situ breast carcinomas showed a pattern of FRA-1 protein expression very similar to that observed in atypical hyperplasias. Conversely, no FRA-1 protein was detectable in 6 normal breast tissue samples used as controls. RT-PCR and qPCR analysis confirmed these results. Similar results were obtained analysing FRA-1 expression in fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples.

Conclusion

The data shown here suggest that FRA-1 expression, including its intracellular localization, may be considered a useful marker for hyperplastic and neoplastic proliferative breast disorders.
Benchmarks in Clinical Productivity: A National Comprehensive Cancer Network Survey
Authors: Stewart F. Marc , Wasserman Robert L. , Bloomfield Clara D. , Petersdorf Stephen , Witherspoon Robert P. , Appelbaum Frederick R. , Ziskind Andrew , McKenna Brian , Dodson Jennifer M. , Weeks Jane , Vaughan William P. , Storer Barry , Perkel Sara , Waldinger Marcy
Published: January 2007

Purpose

Oncologists in academic cancer centers usually generate professional fees that are insufficient to cover salaries and other expenses, despite significant clinical activity; therefore, supplemental funding is frequently required in order to support competitive levels of physician compensation. Relative value units (RVUs) allow comparisons of productivity across institutions and practice locations and provide a reasonable point of reference on which funding decisions can be based.

Methods

We reviewed the clinical productivity and other characteristics of oncology physicians practicing in 13 major academic cancer institutions with membership or shared membership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The objectives of this study were to develop tools that would lead to better-informed decision making regarding practice management and physician deployment in comprehensive cancer centers and to determine benchmarks of productivity using RVUs accrued by physicians at each institution. Three hundred fifty-three individual physician practices across the 13 NCCN institutions in the survey provided data describing adult hematology/medical oncology and bone marrow/stem-cell transplantation programs. Data from the member institutions participating in the survey included all American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes generated (billed) by each physician during each organization's fiscal year 2003 as a measure of actual clinical productivity. Physician characteristic data included specialty, clinical full-time equivalent (CFTE) status, faculty rank, faculty track, number of years of experience, and total salary by funding source. The average adult hematologist/medical oncologist in our sample would produce 3,745 RVUs if he/she worked full-time as a clinician (100% CFTE), compared with 4,506 RVUs for a 100% CFTE transplant oncologist.

Results and Conclusion

Our results suggest specific clinical productivity targets for academic oncologists and provide a methodology for analyzing potential factors associated with clinical productivity and developing clinical productivity targets specific for physicians with a mix of research, administrative, teaching, and clinical salary support.
Establishing leaf polarity: the role of small RNAs and positional signals in the shoot apex
Authors: Chitwood Daniel H. , Guo Mengjuan , Nogueira Fabio T. S. , Timmermans Marja C. P.
Published: January 2007

The flattening of leaves results from the juxtaposition of upper (adaxial)and lower (abaxial) domains in the developing leaf primordium. The adaxial-abaxial axis reflects positional differences in the leaf relative to the meristem and is established by redundant genetic pathways that interpret this asymmetry through instructive, possibly non-cell autonomous, signals. Small RNAs have been found to play a crucial role in this process, and specify mutually antagonistic fates. Here, we review both classical and recently-discovered factors that contribute to leaf polarity, as well as the candidate positional signals that their existence implies.
Plants expressing amiR164-resistantCUC2gene reveal the importance of post-meristematic maintenance of phyllotaxy inArabidopsis
Authors: Peaucelle Alexis , Morin Halima , Traas Jan , Laufs Patrick
Published: January 2007

In plants, the arrangement of organs along the stem (phyllotaxy) follows a predictable pattern. Recent studies have shown that primordium position at the meristem is governed by local auxin gradients, but little is known about the subsequent events leading to the phyllotaxy along the mature stem. We show here that plants expressing a miR164-resistant CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON2 (CUC2) gene have an abnormal phyllotactic pattern in the fully grown stem, despite the pattern of organ initiation by the meristem being normal. This implies that abnormal phyllotaxy is generated during stem growth. These plants ectopically express CUC2 in the stem, suggesting that the proper timing of CUC2 expression is required to maintain the pattern initiated in the meristem. Furthermore, by carefully comparing the phyllotaxy in the meristem and along the mature inflorescence in wild types,we show that such deviation also occurs during wild-type development, although to a smaller extent. We therefore suggest that the phyllotactic pattern in a fully grown stem results not only from the organogenetic activity of the meristem, but also from the subsequent growth pattern during stem development.
Nuclear reorganisation and chromatin decondensation are conserved, but distinct, mechanisms linked to Hox gene activation
Authors: Morey Céline , Da Silva Nelly R. , Perry Paul , Bickmore Wendy A.
Published: January 2007

The relocalisation of some genes to positions outside chromosome territories, and the visible decondensation or unfolding of interphase chromatin, are two striking facets of nuclear reorganisation linked to gene activation that have been assumed to be related to each other. Here, in a study of nuclear reorganisation around the Hoxd cluster, we suggest that this may not be the case. Despite its very different genomic environment from Hoxb, Hoxd also loops out from its chromosome territory, and unfolds, upon activation in differentiating embryonic stem (ES) cells and in the tailbud of the embryo. However, looping out and decondensation are not simply two different manifestations of the same underlying change in chromatin structure. We show that, in the limb bud of the embryonic day 9.5 embryo,where Hoxd is also activated, there is visible decondensation of chromatin but no detectable movement of the region out from the chromosome territory. During ES cell differentiation, decondensed alleles can also be found inside of chromosome territories, and loci that have looped out of the territories can appear to still be condensed. We conclude that evolutionarily conserved chromosome remodelling mechanisms, predating the duplication of mammalian Hox loci, underlie Hox regulation along the rostrocaudal embryonic axis. However, we suggest that separate modes of regulation can modify Hoxd chromatin in different ways in different developmental contexts.
The P-type ATPase CATP-1 is a novel regulator ofC. elegansdevelopmental timing that acts independently of its predicted pump function
Authors: Ruaud Anne-Françoise , Bessereau Jean-Louis
Published: January 2007

During postembryonic stages, metazoans synchronize the development of a large number of cells, tissues and organs by mechanisms that remain largely unknown. In Caenorhabditis elegans larvae, an invariant cell lineage is tightly coordinated with four successive molts, thus defining a genetically tractable system to analyze the mechanisms underlying developmental synchronization. Illegitimate activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(nAChRs) by the nicotinic agonist dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP) during the second larval stage (L2) of C. elegans causes a lethal heterochronic phenotype. DMPP exposure delays cell division and differentiation without affecting the molt cycle, hence resulting in deadly exposure of a defective cuticle to the surrounding environment. In a screen for DMPP-resistant mutants, we identified catp-1 as a gene coding for a predicted cation-transporting P-type ATPase expressed in the epidermis. Larval development was specifically slowed down at the L2 stage in catp-1mutants compared with wild-type animals and was not further delayed after exposure to DMPP. We demonstrate that CATP-1 interacts with the insulin/IGF and Ras-MAPK pathways to control several postembryonic developmental events. Interestingly, these developmental functions can be fulfilled independently of the predicted cation-transporter activity of CATP-1, as pump-dead engineered variants of CATP-1 can rescue most catp-1-mutant defects. These results obtained in vivo provide further evidence for the recently proposed pump-independent scaffolding functions of P-type ATPases in the modulation of intracellular signaling.
Targeted alterations in iron homeostasis underlie plant defense responses
Authors: Liu Guosheng , Greenshields David L. , Sammynaiken Ramaswami , Hirji Rozina N. , Selvaraj Gopalan , Wei Yangdou
Published: January 2007

Iron (Fe) is a ubiquitous redox-active element essential for most life. The formation of localized cell wall appositions, the oxidative burst and the production of pathogenesis-related proteins are hallmarks of plant defense responses. Here, we report that iron is a central mediator linking these three phenomena. We show that in response to pathogen attack, reactive Fe3+, but not Fe2+, is deposited at cell wall appositions where it accumulates and mediates the oxidative burst. We provide evidence that the bulk secretion of Fe3+ provoked by pathogen attack leads to intracellular iron depletion, and that H2O2 itself induces ATP-dependent intracellular iron efflux. Finally, we demonstrate that this intracellular iron depletion promotes the transcription of pathogenesis-related genes in concert with H2O2. This work identifies iron as an underlying factor associated with the oxidative burst and regulating cereal defenses, and establishes links between disease-related iron homeostasis in plants and animals.
Metabolic catastrophe as a means to cancer cell death
Authors: Jin Shengkan , DiPaola Robert S. , Mathew Robin , White Eileen
Published: January 2007

During tumorigenesis, normal growth mechanisms are deregulated and safeguards that eliminate abnormal cells by apoptosis are disabled. Tumor cells must also increase nutrient uptake and angiogenesis to support the upregulation of metabolism necessary for unrestricted growth. In addition, they have to rely on inefficient energy production by glycolysis. This glycolytic state can result from mutations that promote cell proliferation, the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and perhaps mitochondrial malfunction. Moreover, the very signals that enable unrestricted cell proliferation inhibit autophagy, which normally sustains cells during nutrient limitation. In tumors, inactivation of the autophagy pathway may enhance necrosis and inflammation and promote genomic instability, which can further enhance tumor growth. Thus, tumor cells cannot adapt efficiently to metabolic stress and could be induced to die by metabolic catastrophe, in which high energy demand is contrasted by insufficient energy production. Efforts to exploit this unique metabolic state clinically previously focused mainly on detecting tissue displaying increased glycolytic metabolism. The challenge now is to induce metabolic catastrophe therapeutically as an approach to killing the unkillable cells.
Nitric oxide promotes endothelial cell survival signaling through S-nitrosylation and activation of dynamin-2
Authors: Kang-Decker Ningling , Cao Sheng , Chatterjee Suvro , Yao Janet , Egan Laurence J. , Semela David , Mukhopadhyay Debabrata , Shah Vijay
Published: January 2007

Endothelial cell-based angiogenesis requires activation of survival signals that generate resistance to external apoptotic stimuli, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), during pathobiologic settings. Mechanisms by which this is achieved are not fully defined. Here, we use a model in which the multifunctional cytokine nitric oxide counterbalances TNF-α-induced apoptosis, to define a role for membrane trafficking in the process of endothelial cell survival signaling. By perturbing dynamin GTPase function, we identify a key role of dynamin for ensuing downstream endothelial cell survival signals and vascular tube formation. Furthermore, nitric oxide is directly demonstrated to promote dynamin function through specific cysteine residue nitrosylation, which promotes endocytosis and endothelial cell survival signaling. Thus, these studies identify a novel role for dynamin as a survival factor in endothelial cells, through a mechanism by which dynamin S-nitrosylation regulates the counterbalances of TNF-α-induced apoptosis and nitric oxide-dependent survival signals, with implications highly relevant to angiogenesis.
Wnt signalling: variety at the core
Authors: Hoppler Stefan , Kavanagh Claire Louise
Published: January 2007

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a conserved cell-cell signalling mechanism in animals that regulates gene expression via TCF/LEF DNA-binding factors to coordinate many cellular processes. Vertebrates normally have four Tcf/Lef genes, which, through alternative splicing and alternative promoter use give rise to a variety of TCF/LEF isoforms. Recent evidence from several experimental systems suggests that this diversity of TCF/LEF factors is functionally important in vertebrates for mediating tissue- and stage-specific Wnt regulation in embryonic development, stem cell differentiation and associated diseases, such as cancer.
The Effect of Pharmacotherapy Audit Meetings on Early New Drug Prescribing by General Practitioners
Authors: Florentinus Stefan R , Hulten Rolf van , Kloth Marjolein EM , Heerdink Eibert R , Griens AMG Fabiënne , Leufkens Hubert GM , Groenewegen Peter P
Published: January 2007

Background:

New drugs are cornerstones of clinical practice. However, when included in practice in an erratic fashion, there is valid concern about uncertain risk–benefit for patients and increased healthcare expenditures. In several countries, general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists work closely together to ensure proper use of new drugs in clinical practice.

Objective:

To estimate the effect of pharmacotherapy audit meetings (PTAMs) between GPs and community pharmacists on prescribing of newly marketed drugs by GPs.

Methods:

We conducted an observational study of new drug prescribing in a cohort of 103 GPs, working in 59 practices, from 1999 until 2003. The main outcome measures were the decisions to start therapy with a new drug or with an existing older drug from the same therapeutic category within the first 6 months after market introduction. Multilevel modeling was used for analyses.

Results:

Overall, in 6.1% of the decisions to start drug therapy, GPs chose the drug that was most recently introduced into the market. The GPs attending lowquality PTAMs made 1861 decisions to start therapy; in 112 (6.0%) of those decisions, a new drug was preferred over an older alternative. GPs participating in high-quality PTAMs preferred a new drug in only 3.4% of the 3138 decisions made. Compared with GPs participating in PTAMs on the highest quality level (level 4), GPS attending level 1 or level 2 PTAMs were more than twice as likely to start therapy with new drugs than with older drugs (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.04 to 4.81 vs OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.30 to 4.09, respectively).

Conclusions:

PTAMs may be an effective way to control early prescribing of new drugs in general practice. For PTAMs to be effective, it is vital that GPs and pharmacists set common goals on how to optimize pharmacotherapy. This concordance should be reflected in PTAMs that result in concrete decisions with auditing of GP prescribing behavior. Pharmacists should play an active role in organizing PTAMs to increase their influence on drug prescribing.
The Immediate Effects of Glare and Electrochromic Glare-Reducing Mirrors in Simulated Truck Driving
Authors: Ranney Thomas A. , Simmons Lucinda A. , Masalonis Anthony J.
Published: January 2007

In this experiment 12 experienced truck drivers drove a fixed-base driving simulator for three 8-h sessions under simulated nighttime driving conditions. Sessions included (a) no glare, (b) intermittent glare presented in the exterior rearview mirrors to simulate following vehicles, and (c) intermittent glare with electrochromic glare reduction. The driving task combined vehicle control on straight and curved road segments with detection of pedestrians appearing alongside the road and targets appearing in the rearview mirrors. The presence of glare slowed detection of pedestrians and, to a lesser extent, slowed the detection of targets appearing in mirrors. Glare was also associated with increased lane position variability, reduced speed on curves, and, most consistently, increased steering variability. We found only meager evidence that electrochromic glare reduction improved target detection performance and no evidence that glare reduction improved vehicle control, despite the fact that participants consistently voiced positive preferences for glare reduction. The results will aid decision making that requires incorporation of the benefits of electrochromic glare-reducing mirrors.
Effects of Display Resolution on Visual Performance
Authors: Ziefle Martina
Published: January 2007

The role of display resolution in visual information processing was investigated in 2 experiments. Experiment 1 examined the effects of 2 CRT conditions (resolutions of 60 and 120 dots per inch [dpi]) and a paper control condition (255 dpi) on proofreading speed and accuracy. The results showed that reading performance was significantly better in the paper condition than in the 2 CRT conditions. Experiment 2 examined the effects of 3 different CRT resolutions (62, 69, and 89 dpi) on eye movement parameters (fixation duration and number of fixations) in a visual search task. Further, search reaction times (RTs) and observers′ ratings of visual fatigue were analyzed. RTs and fixation durations were significantly increased in the low-resolution condition (62 dpi) as compared with the high-resolution condition (89 dpi). The significant interaction between display resolution and time both for search RTs and fixation durations was taken as evidence for stronger fatigue in the low-resolution conditions. Additionally, the extent of visual fatigue correlates both with search RTs and eye movement parameters. This finding gives rise to the assumption that observers′ responsiveness to effects of display resolution in terms of visual fatigue differs markedly. Actual or potential applications of this research include recommendations for the use of high-resolution displays (90 dpi and greater) to optimize visual performance, to make prolonged on-screen viewing more comfortable, and to avoid visual fatigue.
On Learning to Play with Other Kids′ Toys: A Response to Sanderson and Benda
Authors: Bowers Clint A. , Jentsch Florian , Salas Eduardo
Published: January 2007

In their critique of our research, Sanderson and Benda (1998, this issue) suggest several concerns with our characterization and utilization of the Exploratory Sequential Data Analysis (ESDA) approach. In this response, we consider each of the concerns in the context of training needs analysis. We conclude that the ESDA framework appears to hold promise as a training needs analysis tool. However, further dialogue between the experts in the ESDA approach and those in training is required to realize this potential.
Effectiveness of Menu Orientation in Chinese
Authors: Shih Heloisa Martins , Goonetilleke Ravindra S.
Published: January 2007

Graphical user interface guidelines have been developed predominantly in English-speaking countries, but aspects related to culture (e.g., local metaphors, symbols, color, and flow) are not universal and have received little or no attention. Even though the reading and writing flow of languages such as English, Japanese, and Chinese differ widely, most software interfaces do not take account of this. In this paper we investigate the effectiveness of menu flow or menu orientation in both the Chinese and English languages for Chinese users. The experimental results indicate that for the Chinese population, a horizontal menu in either language is more effective than the vertical orientation. Thus item differentiation in menus is best performed when the natural flow of the user's native language is broken through a transformation process similar to a matrix transpose. Even though we did not investigate search strategies explicitly, we hypothesize that the primary reason for the difference lies in the scanning patterns adopted by the Chinese population in search tasks so that there is no mismatch in the reading metaphors. Applications of this research include the design of culturally and linguistically adapted human-computer interfaces for Chinese users.
Effect of Lifting Belts on Trunk Muscle Activation during a Suddenly Applied Load
Authors: Thomas James S. , Lavender Steven A. , Corcos Daniel M. , Andersson Gunnar B. J.
Published: January 2007

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health suggests there is insufficient biomechanical or epidemiological evidence to recommend the use of back belts in industry. From a biomechanical perspective, previous work suggests that lifting belts stiffen the torso, particularly in the frontal and transverse planes. To determine whether lifting belts stiffen the torso and alter the trunk muscle response during a sudden loading event, we tested the hypotheses that (a) lifting belts alter peak muscle activity recorded with electromyography (EMG) during sudden loading and (b) lifting belts have a larger impact on trunk muscle response when sudden loads are applied asymmetric to the torso's midsagittal plane. A sudden load was delivered to 10 men and 10 women without history of low back disorder via a cable attached to a thoracic harness; motion was restricted to the lumbar spine. Results indicate that gender was not a significant factor in this study. The lifting belt reduced the peak normalized EMG of the erector spinae muscles on average by 3% during asymmetric loading, though peak normalized EMG was increased by 2% during symmetric loading. Lifting belts have been shown to slightly reduce peak erector spinae activity during asymmetric sudden loading events in a constrained paradigm; however, the effects of lifting belts are too small to provide effective protection of workers. Actual or potential applications include the assessment of lifting belts as protective devices in workers based on the effects of lifting belts on the trunk muscle activity.
Work Organization, Job Stress, and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Authors: Carayon Pascale , Smith Michael J. , Haims Marla C.
Published: January 2007

Recent studies indicate potential links among work organization, job stress, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). In this paper we propose several pathways for a theoretical relationship between job stress and WRMDs. These pathways highlight the physiological, psychological, and behavioral reactions to stress that can affect WRMDs directly and indirectly. One model stipulates that psychosocial work factors (e.g., work pressure, lack of control), which can cause stress, might also influence or be related to ergonomic factors such as force, repetition, and posture that have been identified as risk factors for WRMDs. In order to fully understand the etiology of WRMDs, it is important to examine both physical ergonomic and psychosocial work factors simultaneously. Smith and Carayon-Sainfort (1989) have proposed a model of the work system for stress management that provides a useful framework for conceptualizing the work-related factors that contribute to WRMDs. Practical applications of this research include practitioners taking into account psychosocial work factors and job stress in their efforts to reduce and control WRMDs.
Target Cuing in Visual Search: The Effects of Conformality and Display Location on the Allocation of Visual Attention
Authors: Yeh Michelle , Wickens Christopher D. , Seagull F. Jacob
Published: January 2007

Two experiments were performed to examine how frame of reference (world referenced vs. screen-referenced) and target expectancy can modulate the effects of target cuing in directing attention for see-through helmet-mounted displays (HMDs). In the first experiment, the degree of world referencing was varied by the spatial accuracy of the cue; in the second, the degree of world referencing was varied more radically between a world-referenced HMD and a hand-held display. Participants were asked to detect, identify, and give azimuth information for targets hidden in terrain presented in the far domain (i.e., the world) while performing a monitoring task in the near domain (i.e., the display). The results of both experiments revealed a cost-benefit trade-off for cuing such that the presence of cuing aided the target detection task for expected targets but drew attention away from the presence of unexpected targets in the environment. Analyses support the observation that this effect can be mediated by the display: The world-referenced display reduced the cost of cognitive tunneling relative to the screen-referenced display in Experiment 1; this cost was further reduced in Experiment 2 when participants were using a hand-held display. Potential applications of this research include important design guidelines and specifications for automated target recognition systems as well as any terrain-and-targeting display system in which superimposed symbology is included, specifically in assessing the costs and benefits of attentional cuing and the means by which this information is displayed.
Teenagers' Attitudes about Seeking Help from Telephone Crisis Services (Hotlines)
Authors: Gould Madelyn S. , Greenberg Ted , Munfakh Jimmie Lou Harris , Kleinman Marjorie , Lubell Keri
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward the use of telephone crisis services (hotlines) among 519 adolescents in 9th through 12th grade mandatory health courses in six high schools in New York State. Few adolescents (2.1%) used hotlines and negative attitudes were stronger toward hotlines than they were toward other formal sources of help. The most common reasons for hotline nonuse related to feelings of self‐reliance and shame. Objections to hotlines were strongest among students most in need of help by virtue of impaired functioning or feelings of hopelessness. The results underscore needed outreach efforts to youth.
Serotonin Transporter (5‐HTTLPR) Genotype, Childhood Abuse, and Suicide Attempts in Adult Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Gibb Brandon E. , McGeary John E. , Beevers Christopher G. , Miller Ivan W.
Published: January 2007

There is growing evidence that a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5‐HTTLPR) moderates the impact of negative life events (e.g., childhood abuse) on the development of depression. However, it is unclear whether the gene × environment interaction predicts suicide attempts specifically. In addition, previous studies have not examined different forms of childhood abuse separately. In the current study, we found that 5‐HTTLPR genotype moderated the link between childhood physical and sexual, but not emotional, abuse and adult psychiatric inpatients' histories of suicide attempts.
Suicide Notes in Mexico: What Do They Tell Us?
Authors: Chávez‐Hernández Ana‐María , Páramo Daniel , Leenaars Antoon A. , Leenaars Lindsey
Published: January 2007

According to international and Mexican official statistics, there is a dramatic rise in suicide in Mexico; however, research in this area is severely limited. This is the first study of suicide notes from Mexico in the international literature. From a population of 747 registered suicides, a sample of 106 note‐writers and 106 non‐note writers was examined. Using the demographic (descriptive) scheme of Ho, Yip, Chiu, and Halliday (1998), the results indicate that note writers do not differ greatly from other suicides. The less educated understandably wrote fewer notes. The most intriguing finding was that suicide in Mexico was associated with an array of factors, notably interpersonal problems.
Development and Elimination of Endbulb Synapses in the Chick Cochlear Nucleus
Authors: Lu Tao , Trussell Laurence O.
Published: January 2007

The development of synaptic function was examined at auditory nerve synapses in the rostromedial region of the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis of the chick. EPSCs were studied beginning at embryonic day 12 (E12), when synaptic transmission was first observed, through E19. The amplitude of evoked EPSCs produced by AMPA receptor (AMPA-R) increased 30-fold over this age range, whereas NMDA receptor (NMDA-R)-mediated transmission peaked at E14 and then declined almost completely. At E12, >80% of the miniature EPSCs exhibited both receptor components, and <10% were NMDA-R only. With age, the contribution of NMDA-R to miniature EPSCs steadily declined, suggesting that NMDA-R number is gradually reduced at individual postsynaptic sites. Between E12 and E16, the number of axonal inputs to each cell reduced by half. In simultaneous recordings from adjacent neurons, synchronous EPSCs were observed that resulted from spontaneous firing of the same presynaptic fiber. The difference in amplitude of the EPSCs in the two cells was greater in E14 than E12, whereas at E16 synchronous events were no longer observed, suggesting that the weaker input was destined for elimination. The relative amplitude of the NMDA-R component, compared with the AMPA-R component, was larger for the weaker inputs. When elimination was underway, AMPA-R quantal size was much reduced for the weakest terminals. Thus, elimination of auditory nerve terminals and pruning of axonal branches is preceded by a reduction in quantal efficacy.
Preparation and radiosynthesis of [18F]FE@CFN (2-[18F]fluoroethyl 4-[N-(1-oxopropyl)-N-phenylamino]-1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinecarboxylate): a potential μ-opioid receptor imaging agent
Authors: Wadsak Wolfgang , Key Mien Leonhard , Ettlinger Dagmar E. , Feitscher Sylvia , Lanzenberger Rupert , Marton Janos , Dudczak Robert , Kletter Kurt , Mitterhauser Markus
Published: January 2007

PET imaging of the μ-opioid receptor (OR) is still restricted to [11C]carfentanil ([11C]CFN) but its use is limited due to its short half-life and high agonistic potency. Recently, the radiosynthesis of [18F]fluoroalkyl esters of CFN was proposed, unfortunately yielding products not suitable for human PET due to their low specific activities. Therefore, our rationale was to develop a reliable radiosynthesis of a [18F]fluoroethylated CFN derivative overcoming these drawbacks.

The [18F]fluoroethyl ester of carfentanil, [18F]FE@CFN (2-[18F]fluoroethyl 4-[N-(1-oxopropyl)-N-phenylamino]-1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinecarboxylate), and its corresponding inactive standard compound were prepared. Purification of [18F]FE@CFN was achieved via a simple solid phase extraction method. [18F]FE@CFN was prepared with excellent purity (> 98%) and sufficient yields. Specific activity surpassed the level required for safe administration. We therefore conclude that our simplified synthesis of [18F]FE@CFN, for the first time, overcomes the shortcomings of [11C]CFN and the previously suggested alternatives, namely, (1) longer half-life; (2) easy production and (3) adequate specific activity, should make a wider application possible. Hence, [18F]FE@CFN may become a valuable PET tracer for the imaging of the μ-OR in human brain and heart.
Slaughterhouse Blues: The Meat and Poultry Industry in North America
Authors: Drodge Janice
Published: January 2007

Slaughterhouse Blues: The Meat and Poultry Industry in North America.
Donald D. Stull and Michael J. Broadway. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson. 2004, xviii. 172 pp.
Positively Promoting Pilgrimage: Media Representations of Pilgrimage in Japan
Authors: Reader Ian
Published: January 2007

It is widely argued that the Japanese mass media generally only report on religions and religious organizations negatively. This paper shows, however, via an examination of mass media portrayals of pilgrimage in Japan, that there are contexts in which activities at religious centers are very positively presented in the mass media. Since the 1920s, pilgrimages have been represented in an extremely favorable light by broadcasters, journalists, newspapers and national television broadcasting organizations, with such representations making a significant contribution to the growth of pilgrim numbers in recent times. However, a close examination of how pilgrimages are presented in the mass media, indicates that they are treated primarily as symbols of culture and tradition rather than as manifestations of religion—a differentiation that raises questions about the reasons behind the seeming negative stance of the mass media towards religious organizations and religion in general.
Shûkyô Asobi and Miyazaki Hayao's Anime
Authors: Thomas Jolyon Baraka
Published: January 2007

This article attempts to address the lack of terminology concerning the long-standing but often overlooked relationship between religion and entertainment in Japan, arguing that these two seemingly discrete and opposing fields are often conflated. Examining the underlying thought behind the animation films of director Miyazaki Hayao, and investigating audience responses to those works, the article suggests that this conflation—religious entertainment or playful religion—can best be described by the neologism shûkyô asobi. Composed of the words "religion" and "play" in Japanese, shûkyô asobi jettisons the artificial distinction between popular entertainment and religion in favor of describing the common space between them, as well as describing the utilization of that space by various interest groups. This deployment of simultaneously religious and playful media or action can result in the creation of entirely new religious doctrines, interpretations, rituals, and beliefs.
Application of Divide and Conquer Extended Genetic Algorithm to Tertiary Protein Structure of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor‐2
Authors: Alfaro A. , Doan M. , Finke J. , Galdes M. , Zohdy M.
Published: January 2007

Determining the method by which a protein thermodynamically folds and unfolds in three‐dimension is one of the most complex and least understood problems in modern biochemistry. Misfolded proteins have been recently linked to diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer′s disease. Because of the large number of parameters involved in defining the tertiary structure of proteins, based on free energy global minimisation, we have developed a new Divide and Conquer (DAC) Extended Genetic Algorithm. The approach was applied to explore and verify the energy landscape of protein chymotrypsin inhibitor‐2.
Mechanical Responses and Physical Factors of the Fingertip Pulp
Authors: Sakai N. , Shimawaki S.
Published: January 2007

The images of the mechanical responses were analysed when the fingertip was pressed against a plateau plate, and the influence of the contact angle on the loading pressure and the mechanical responses was investigated. As a result, as the contact angle was smaller, the change ratios due to the loading pressure were significantly larger in the contact length, the contact width and the distortion of lateral‐view area. These parameters were thought to be useful in clinical medicine as indices for the degrees of mechanical responses of the fingertip. The length of the central axis and the maximum width of the fingertip were inappropriate as the parameters to represent the mechanical responses of the fingertip. The maximum width of the fingertip scarcely changed. This does not reflect the compressibility of the fingertip, and the fingertip as a whole extended along the central axis and in the vertical direction, and the change was not reflected in the maximum width.
Realistic Active Haptic Guided Exploration with Cartesian Control for Force–Position Tracking in Finite Time
Authors: Domínguez-Ramírez O. A. , Parra-Vega V.
Published: January 2007

Perception and interaction with virtual surfaces, through kinaesthetic sensation and visual stimuli, is the basic issue of a haptic interface. When the virtual or real object is in a remote location, and guidance is required to perceive kinaesthetic feedback, a haptic guidance scheme is required. In this document, with purpose of haptic‐guided exploration, a new scheme for simultaneous control of force and cartesian position is proposed without using inverse kinematics, and without using the dynamic model of PHANToM, though a strict stability analysis includes the dynamic model of PHANToM. We rely on our previously proposed results to propose a new haptic cartesian controller to reduce the burden of computing cartesian forces in PHANToM. Furthermore, a time base generator for finite‐time tracking is also proposed to achieve very fast tracking and high precision, which translated into high fidelity kinaesthetic feedback.
Levonorgestrel‐Only Dosing Strategies for Emergency Contraception
Authors: Hansen Laura B. , Saseen Joseph J. , Teal Stephanie B.
Published: January 2007

The United States Food and Drug Administration‐approved progestin‐only dosing strategy for emergency contraception is levonorgestrel 0.75 mg taken as soon as possible within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, with a second 0.75‐mg dose taken 12 hours later. However, different dosing strategies have been studied and promoted by various organizations. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a single dose of levonorgestrel 1.5 mg for emergency contraception as one option. As another option, they recommend two doses of levonorgestrel 0.75 mg may be effective when taken 12–24 hours apart. We performed a search of MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from 1967–2006 to evaluate and describe the existing pharmacokinetic and patient outcome data regarding administration of levonorgestrel as a 1.5‐mg single dose or two 0.75‐mg doses taken 12 or 24 hours apart. Additional studies were identified from the bibliographies of the selected literature. Several pertinent articles were identified. All of the studies demonstrated that emergency contraception effectively prevented pregnancy. In addition, evidence supports the safety and efficacy of a single dose of levonorgestrel 1.5 mg for emergency contraception. Furthermore, when two doses of levonorgestrel 0.75 mg are administered, the second dose can confidently be taken 12–24 hours after the first without compromising efficacy. Understanding the evidence that supports the different emergency contraception dosing strategies is critical for clinicians, and especially pharmacists, who have interactive roles in dispensing emergency contraception.
A theoretical framework to analyse the behaviour of polymer geosynthetic reinforcement in temperature-accelerated creep tests
Authors: Kongkitkul W. , Tatsuoka F.
Published: January 2007

A non-linear three-component model has been developed that can predict the strength and deformation of polymer geosynthetic reinforcement when subjected to arbitrary histories of strain, strain rate and temperature as encountered in the laboratory and in the field. An existing model framework assuming the elasto-viscoplastic property of material was modified to account for the effects of changes in ambient temperature on the load-strain relation. Tensile load-strain-time relations for typical geosynthetic reinforcement properties were obtained by direct simulations of long-term sustained loading (SL) tests at a fixed temperature as well as simulations of monotonic loading and sustained loading at different elevated temperatures in time-temperature superposition (TTS) and stepped isothermal method (SIM) tests. The procedures to obtain the master creep strain and modulus curves from the results of these three types of numerical analysis are presented and compared. Creep rupture curves constructed from the master curves obtained by direct simulations of long-term SL tests as well as the numerical TTS and SIM tests are compared. The creep rupture curves obtained by the three methods are similar for shorter creep rupture times, but they become different with an increase in the creep rupture time. The reasons for the difference are discussed. It is argued that the theoretical framework of the model is relevant and useful for analysing and interpreting results from TTS and SIM tests in a consistent manner.
Intoxication Anosognosia: The Spellbinding Effect of Psychiatric Drugs
Authors: Breggin Peter R.
Published: January 2007

Why do so many individuals persist in taking psychoactive substances, including psychiatric drugs, after adverse mental and behavioral effects have become severe and even disabling? The author has previously proposed the brain-disabling principle of psychiatric treatment that all somatic psychiatric treatments impair the function of the brain and mind. Intoxication anosognosia (medication spellbinding) is an expression of this drug-induced mental disability. Intoxication anosognosia causes the victim to underestimate the degree of drug-induced mental impairment, to deny the harmful role that the drug plays in the person’s altered state, and in many cases compel the individual to mistakenly believe that he or she is functioning better. In the extreme, the individual displays out-of-character compulsively destructive behaviors, including violence toward self and others.
A Transient Model of Vadose Zone Reaction Rates Using Oxygen Isotopes and Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Birkham Tyler K. , Hendry M. Jim , Wassenaar Leonard I. , Mendoza Carl A.
Published: January 2007

The importance of identifying and quantifying subsurface geochemical reaction rates and processes by monitoring and modeling CO2 and O2 concentrations is well established. These parameters, however, are typically studied independently under presumed steady‐state conditions. Here we present models of seasonally variable vadose zone CO2 and O2 concentrations that use δ18O of O2 as a constraint to create a dynamic link between these three parameters under transient conditions. The gas transport modeling was used to quantify the controls of biogeochemical processes and parameters (i.e., temperature and moisture content) on vadose zone distributions of CO2 and O2 gas concentrations. The investigation was conducted on a 3‐m‐thick, unvegetated, fine‐sand vadose zone located in northern Alberta, Canada (56°40′N, 111°07′W). Using the modeled molar ratio of surface fluxes for O2 and CO2, the change in reaction rate for a temperature change of 10°C (Q10), moisture content at maximum reaction rates, and biogeochemical discrimination against consumption of 18O16O (αk), we determined that organic C oxidation by microbial respiration was the predominant mechanism consuming O2 and producing CO2 The mean αk was determined to be 0.973, suggesting that subsurface respiration was via the alternative oxidase pathway, which may be common in cold climates. Modeling revealed that the moisture content of a moist, surficial clayey sand layer (0.1–0.3 m thick) had a dramatic effect on pore‐gas CO2 and O2 concentrations and on δ18OO2 The vadose zone in this study was at an unvegetated site to simplify the model application; however, it can be modified to include root respiration and applied to natural vadose zones to help quantify the role of subsurface respiration in global O2 and C budgets.
Subsurface Water Distribution from Drip Irrigation Described by Moment Analyses
Authors: Lazarovitch N. , Warrick A. W. , Furman A. , Šimůnek J.
Published: January 2007

Moment analysis techniques are used to describe spatial and temporal subsurface wetting patterns resulting from drip emitters. The water added is considered a “plume” with the zeroth moment representing the total volume of water applied. The first moments lead to the location of the center of the plume, and the second moments relate to the amount of spreading about the mean position. We tested this approach with numerically generated data for infiltration from surface and buried line and point sources in three contrasting soils. Ellipses (in two dimensions) or ellipsoids (in three dimensions) can be depicted about the center of the plume. Any fraction of water added can be related to a “probability” curve relating the size of the ellipse (or ellipsoid) that contains that amount of water. Remarkably, the probability curves are identical for all times and all of the contrasting soils. The consistency of the probability relationships can be exploited to pinpoint the extent of subsurface water for any fraction of the volume added. The new method can be immediately applied to the vital question of how many sensors are needed and where to install them to capture the overall water distribution under drip irrigation. For example, better agreement with the “exact” solution occurs with increasing the number of observation points from 6 to 9 and no significant improvement when increasing from 9 to 16. The method can also be applied to parameter estimation of soil hydraulic properties, which we uniquely reproduced for generated data.