bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transition Metal Spinel Oxide Coatings for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Interconnects
Authors: Fergus J. W. , Dileep Kumar C.J. , Liu Yinjia , Tilson William , Dekich Adam , Wang Honglong
Published: May 2013

The reduction in the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to 800°C or lower allows for the use of metallic alloys as the interconnect material. The most commonly used alloys are ferritic stainless steels, which have a combination of good oxidation resistance and appropriate coefficient of thermal expansion. However, volatilization of chromium from the chromia scale can lead to degradation in fuel cell performance, so ceramic coatings are applied to the alloy. One of the most promising coating materials is a transition metal spinel oxide, specifically Mn1.5Co1.5O4, which has good electrical conductivity. In this work, reduction of the long-term cell resistance by modifying the composition of Mn1.5Co1.5O4 to reduce the thickness and/or increase the conductivity of the reaction layer formed at high temperatures has been investigated.
Improvement of the Resistance of Titanium Aluminides to Environmental Embrittlement
Authors: Masset Patrick J. , Bleicher Friedriech , Bortolotto Laurent , Geiger Georg , Kolitsch Andreas , Langlade Cécile , Paul Jonathan , Pelic Bernadeta , Pyczak Florian , Rafaja David , Schumacher Peter , Schütze Michael , Wolf Gerhard , Yankov Rossen A.
Published: May 2013

Aluminum enriched coatings have been developed for titanium aluminide alloys. It has been shown that Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MO-CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes combined with fluorination of the coating enables to reduce significantly the embrittlement of TiAl alloys through oxidation. Even after oxidation at 900 °C for 100h, the coatings exhibit suitable adhesion and 90 % of the fracture toughness and ductility of the alloy are maintained.
An Experimental Study and Analysis on Solar Drying of Bitter Gourd Using an Evacuated Tube Air Collector in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Umayal Sundari AR. , Neelamegam P. , Subramanian C. V.
Published: May 2013

The objective of this research work is to design and develop a forced convection solar dryer using evacuated tube air collector and study its performance on bitter gourd in Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu, India. The designed solar dryer consists of a drying chamber, evacuated tube air collector, a blower, and a chimney. Drying parameters, moisture ratio and drying rates, are calculated and their performance is compared with natural sun drying. The results of the present study show that the proposed solar dryer has greater efficiency, and the moisture content of bitter gourd is reduced from 91% to 6.25% in 6 hours as compared to 10 hours in natural sun drying. In this solar dryer, the products are uniformly dried, and the moisture content of the sample is controlled. It is found that the quality of the dried bitter gourd using solar dryer is higher than the natural sun-dried bitter gourd.
Synthesis of CIS Nanoink and Its Absorber Layer without Selenization
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Seelaboyina Raghunandan , Taneja Kshitij , Madiraju Alekhya Venkata , Keshri Anup Kumar , Mahajan Sarang , Singh Kulvir
Published: May 2013

Highly crystalline CIS nanoink was synthesized using highly efficient microwave route. Thin films of CIS were fabricated using the developed ink by drop casting method. XRD pattern of CIS thin films indicates that a chalcopyrite phase with good crystallinity can be obtained using developed ink and that the composition of precursor ink can be transferred directly to the thin film without change in the stoichiometry. The developed ink alleviates the need of organic binders/dispersant and high temperature selenization using highly toxic H2Se gas (or Na2Se as a Se source) after deposition of thin film absorber layer. UV-VIS-NIR absorption analysis indicates that CIS thin film has a band gap of around 1.18 eV.
Evaluation of ECHO PS Positioning System in a Porcine Model of Simulated Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair
Authors: Hanna Erin M. , Voeller Guy R. , Roth J. Scott , Scott Jeffrey R. , Gagne Darcy H. , Iannitti David A.
Published: May 2013

Purpose. Operative efficiency improvements for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) have focused on reducing operative time while maintaining overall repair efficacy. Our objective was to evaluate procedure time and positioning accuracy of an inflatable mesh positioning device (Echo PS Positioning System), as compared to a standard transfascial suture technique, using a porcine model of simulated LVHR. Methods. The study population consisted of seventeen general surgeons (n=17) that performed simulated LVHR on seventeen (n=17) female Yorkshire pigs using two implantation techniques: (1) Ventralight ST Mesh + Echo PS Positioning System (Echo PS) and (2) Ventralight ST Mesh + transfascial sutures (TSs). Procedure time and mesh centering accuracy overtop of a simulated surgical defect were evaluated. Results. Echo PS demonstrated a 38.9% reduction in the overall procedure time, as compared to TS. During mesh preparation and positioning, Echo PS demonstrated a 60.5% reduction in procedure time (P<0.0001). Although a trend toward improved centering accuracy was observed for Echo PS (16.2%), this was not significantly different than TS. Conclusions. Echo PS demonstrated a significant reduction in overall simulated LVHR procedure time, particularly during mesh preparation/positioning. These operative time savings may translate into reduced operating room costs and improved surgeon/operating room efficiency.
Impact of Body Mass Index on the Risk of Colorectal Adenoma in a Metabolically Healthy Population
Authors: Yun Kyung Eun , Chang Yoosoo , Jung Hyun-Suk , Kim Chan-Won , Kwon Min-Jung , Park Sung Keun , Sung Eunju , Shin Hocheol , Park Hye Soon , Ryu Seungho
Published: May 2013

Metabolically healthy obese (MHO) states exist that seem to be protected from cardiovascular risks. Although obesity is a risk factor for colorectal adenoma (CRA), there has yet to be any study of the risks of CRA in MHO individuals. In this study, we compared CRA prevalence in MHO individuals versus metabolically healthy individuals who were normal in weight. This cross-sectional study involved 18,085 Korean adults (39.1 ± 6.7 years) who had a health checkup including a colonoscopy. High-risk CRA was defined as any adenoma over 1 cm, 3 or more adenomas, adenoma with a villous component, or high-grade dysplasia. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to measure the associations between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of low-risk and high-risk CRA. Low-risk and high-risk CRA were present in 9.3% and 1.4% of the study population, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, drinking, exercise, family history of colorectal cancer, education, and use of analgesic and aspirin, compared with normal healthy individuals, the prevalence of low-risk and high-risk CRA was increased in MHO individuals [OR = 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23–1.69 and OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.09–2.41, respectively]. In fully adjusted models, the prevalence of low-risk and high-risk CRA was associated with increasing categories of BMI in a dose–response manner (P for trend < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Thus, excess body weight, even in the absence of a metabolic unhealthy state, was found to be positively associated with increased presence of CRAs. Cancer Res; 73(13); 4020–7. ©2013 AACR.
Tumor MMP-1 Activates Endothelial PAR1 to Facilitate Vascular Intravasation and Metastatic Dissemination
Authors: Juncker-Jensen Anna , Deryugina Elena I. , Rimann Ivo , Zajac Ewa , Kupriyanova Tatyana A. , Engelholm Lars H. , Quigley James P.
Published: May 2013

Intravasation, the active entry of primary tumor cells into the vasculature, remains the least studied step in the metastatic cascade. Protease-mediated escape and stromal invasion of tumor cells represent widely accepted processes leading up to the intravasation step. However, molecular factors that contribute directly to tumor cell vascular penetration have not been identified. In this study, the in vivo role of the collagenolytic protease, MMP-1, in cancer cell intravasation and metastasis was analyzed by using a highly disseminating variant of human HEp3 epidermoid carcinoma, HEp3-hi/diss. Although naturally acquired or experimentally induced MMP-1 deficiency substantially suppressed HEp3-hi/diss intravasation, supplementation of recombinant MMP-1 to MMP-1–silenced primary tumors restored their impaired vascular dissemination. Surprisingly, abrogation of MMP-1 production and activity did not significantly affect HEp3-hi/diss migration or matrix invasion, suggesting noncollagenolytic mechanisms underlying MMP-1–dependent cell intravasation. In support of such noncollagenolytic mechanisms, MMP-1 silencing in HEp3-hi/diss cells modulated the microarchitecture and integrity of the angiogenic vasculature in a novel microtumor model. Concomitantly, MMP-1 deficiency led to decreased levels of intratumoral vascular permeability, tumor cell intravasation, and metastatic dissemination. Taking advantage of PAR1 deficiency of HEp3-hi/diss cells, we further show that endothelial PAR1 is a putative nontumor-cell/nonmatrix target, activation of which by carcinoma-produced MMP-1 regulates endothelial permeability and transendothelial migration. The inhibitory effects of specific PAR1 antagonists in live animals have also indicated that the mechanisms of MMP-1–dependent vascular permeability in tumors involve endothelial PAR1 activation. Together, our findings mechanistically underscore the contribution of a tumor MMP-1/endothelial PAR1 axis to actual intravasation events manifested by aggressive carcinoma cells. Cancer Res; 73(14); 4196–211. ©2013 AACR.
Comparing Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Responses in Genetically Engineered Mouse Lung Cancer Models and a Window of Opportunity Trial in Patients with Lung Cancer
Authors: Ma Tian , Galimberti Fabrizio , Erkmen Cherie P. , Memoli Vincent , Chinyengetere Fadzai , Sempere Lorenzo , Beumer Jan H. , Anyang Bean N. , Nugent William , Johnstone David , Tsongalis Gregory J. , Kurie Jonathan M. , Li Hua , DiRenzo James , Guo Yongli , Freemantle Sarah J. , Dragnev Konstantin H. , Dmitrovsky Ethan
Published: May 2013

Histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi; vorinostat) responses were studied in murine and human lung cancer cell lines and genetically engineered mouse lung cancer models. Findings were compared with a window of opportunity trial in aerodigestive tract cancers. In human (HOP62, H522, and H23) and murine transgenic (ED-1, ED-2, LKR-13, and 393P, driven, respectively, by cyclin E, degradation-resistant cyclin E, KRAS, or KRAS/p53) lung cancer cell lines, vorinostat reduced growth, cyclin D1, and cyclin E levels, but induced p27, histone acetylation, and apoptosis. Other biomarkers also changed. Findings from transgenic murine lung cancer models were integrated with those from a window of opportunity trial that measured vorinostat pharmacodynamic responses in pre- versus posttreatment tumor biopsies. Vorinostat repressed cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression in murine transgenic lung cancers and significantly reduced lung cancers in syngeneic mice. Vorinostat also reduced cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression, but increased p27 levels in post- versus pretreatment human lung cancer biopsies. Notably, necrotic and inflammatory responses appeared in posttreatment biopsies. These depended on intratumoral HDACi levels. Therefore, HDACi treatments of murine genetically engineered lung cancer models exert similar responses (growth inhibition and changes in gene expression) as observed in lung cancer cell lines. Moreover, enhanced pharmacodynamic responses occurred in the window of opportunity trial, providing additional markers of response that can be evaluated in subsequent HDACi trials. Thus, combining murine and human HDACi trials is a strategy to translate preclinical HDACi treatment outcomes into the clinic. This study uncovered clinically tractable mechanisms to engage in future HDACi trials. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(8); 1545–55. ©2013 AACR.
RASEF is a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker and a Therapeutic Target for Lung Cancer
Authors: Oshita Hideto , Nishino Ryohei , Takano Atsushi , Fujitomo Takashi , Aragaki Masato , Kato Tatsuya , Akiyama Hirohiko , Tsuchiya Eiju , Kohno Nobuoki , Nakamura Yusuke , Daigo Yataro
Published: May 2013

Genome-wide gene expression profiling revealed that the Ras and EF-hand domain containing (RASEF) transcript was significantly transactivated in the majority of lung cancers. Using lung cancer cells, transient expression of RASEF promoted cell growth, whereas RASEF knockdown not only reduced its expression but resulted in growth suppression of the cancer cells. Immunohistochemical staining using tumor tissue microarrays consisting of 341 archived non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) revealed the association of strong RASEF positivity with poor prognosis (P = 0.0034 by multivariate analysis). Mechanistically, RASEF interacted with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and enhanced ERK1/2 signaling. Importantly, inhibiting the interaction between RASEF and ERK1/2 using a cell-permeable peptide that corresponded to the ERK1/2-interacting site of RASEF, suppressed growth of lung cancer cells. This study demonstrates that elevated RASEF promoted cell growth via enhanced ERK signaling and is associated with poor prognosis of NSCLC.

Implications: RASEF may play an important role in lung carcinogenesis and could serve as a vaiable prognostic biomarker and target for the development of new molecular therapies. Mol Cancer Res; 11(8); 937–51. ©2013 AACR.
Fer Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Invasion and Tumor Metastasis
Authors: Ahn Joseph , Truesdell Peter , Meens Jalna , Kadish Carli , Yang Xiaolong , Boag Alexander H. , Craig Andrew W.B.
Published: May 2013

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently amplified or mutated in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although Fer protein-tyrosine kinase signals downstream of EGFR, its role in NSCLC tumor progression has not been reported. Here, Fer kinase was elevated in NSCLC tumors compared to normal lung epithelium. EGFR signaling in NSCLC cells fosters rapid Fer activation and increased localization to lamellipodia. Stable silencing of Fer in H1299 lung adenocarcinoma cells (Fer KD) caused impaired EGFR-induced lamellipodia formation compared to control cells. Fer KD NSCLC cells showed reduced Vav2 tyrosine phosphorylation that was correlated with direct Fer-mediated phosphorylation of Vav2 on tyrosine-172, which was previously reported to increase the guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity of Vav2. Indeed, Fer KD cells displayed defects in Rac-GTP localization to lamellipodia, cell migration, and cell invasion in vitro. To test the role of Fer in NSCLC progression and metastasis, control and Fer KD cells were grown as subcutaneous tumors in mice. Although Fer was not required for tumor growth, Fer KD tumor-bearing mice had significantly fewer numbers of spontaneous metastases. Combined, these data demonstrate that Fer kinase is elevated in NSCLC tumors and is important for cellular invasion and metastasis.

Implications: Fer protein-tyrosine kinase is a potential therapeutic target in metastatic lung cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 11(8); 952–63. ©2013 AACR.
Characterization of Raloxifene Glucuronidation: Potential Role of UGT1A8 Genotype on Raloxifene Metabolism In Vivo
Authors: Sun Dongxiao , Jones Nathan R , Manni Andrea , Lazarus Philip
Published: May 2013

Raloxifene is a second-generation selective estrogen receptor modulator used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and the prevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Raloxifene is extensively metabolized by glucuronidation to form raloxifene-6-glucuronide (ral-6-Gluc) and raloxifene-4′-glucuronide (ral-4′-Gluc). The goal of the present study was to determine whether functional polymorphisms in active UGTs could play a role in altered raloxifene glucuronidation in vivo. Using homogenates from HEK293 UGT-overexpressing cell lines, raloxifene was shown to be glucuronidated primarily by the hepatic UGTs 1A1 and 1A9 and the extra-hepatic UGTs 1A8 and 1A10; no detectable raloxifene glucuronidation activity was found for UGT2B enzymes. Functional UGT1A1 transcriptional promoter genotypes were significantly (Ptrend = 0.005) associated with ral-6-Gluc formation in human liver microsomes, and, consistent with the decreased raloxifene glucuronidation activities observed in vitro with cell lines overexpressing UGT1A8 variants, the UGT1A8*2 variant was significantly (P = 0.023) correlated with total raloxifene glucuronide formation in human jejunum homogenates. While ral-4′-Gluc exhibited 1:100th the anti-estrogenic activity of raloxifene itself as measured by binding to the estrogen receptor, raloxifene glucuronides comprised about 99% of the circulating raloxifene dose in raloxifene-treated subjects, with ral-4′-Gluc comprising ∼70% of raloxifene glucuronides. Plasma ral-6-Gluc (Ptrend = 0.0025), ral-4′-Gluc (Ptrend = 0.001), and total raloxifene glucuronides (Ptrend = 0.001) were increased in raloxifene-treated subjects who were predicted slow metabolizers [UGT1A8 (*1/*3)] versus intermediate metabolizers [UGT1A8 (*1/*1) or UGT1A8 (*1/*2)] versus fast metabolizers [UGT1A8 (*2/*2). These data suggest that raloxifene metabolism may be dependent on UGT1A8 genotype and that UGT1A8 genotype may play an important role in overall response to raloxifene. Cancer Prev Res; 6(7); 719–30. ©2013 AACR.
Metabolic Syndrome and Mammographic Density in Mexican Women
Authors: Rice Megan S. , Biessy Carine , Lajous Martin , Bertrand Kimberly A. , Tamimi Rulla M. , Torres-Mejía Gabriela , López-Ridaura Ruy , Romieu Isabelle
Published: May 2013

Metabolic syndrome has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer; however, little is known about the association between metabolic syndrome and percent mammographic density, a strong predictor of breast cancer. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 789 premenopausal and 322 postmenopausal women in the Mexican Teacher's Cohort (ESMaestras). Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the harmonized definition. We measured percent density on mammograms using a computer-assisted thresholding method. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the association between density and metabolic syndrome, as well as its components by state (Jalisco, Veracruz) and menopausal status (premenopausal, postmenopausal). Among premenopausal women in Jalisco, women with metabolic syndrome had higher percent density than those without after adjusting for potential confounders including BMI [difference = 4.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.72–7.81]. Among the metabolic syndrome components, only low high-density lipoprotein levels (<50 mg/dL) were associated with significantly higher percent density among premenopausal women in Jalisco (difference = 4.62; 95% CI, 1.73–7.52). Metabolic syndrome was not associated with percent density among premenopausal women in Veracruz (difference = −2.91; 95% CI, −7.19 to 1.38), nor among postmenopausal women in either state. Metabolic syndrome was associated with higher percent density among premenopausal women in Jalisco, Mexico, but was not associated with percent density among premenopausal women in Veracruz, Mexico, or among postmenopausal women in either Jalisco or Veracruz. These findings provide some support for a possible role of metabolic syndrome in mammographic density among premenopausal women; however, results were inconsistent across states and require further confirmation in larger studies. Cancer Prev Res; 6(7); 701–10. ©2013 AACR.
Identification of Putative Immunologic Targets for Colon Cancer Prevention Based on Conserved Gene Upregulation from Preinvasive to Malignant Lesions
Authors: Broussard Elizabeth K. , Kim Rachel , Wiley Jesse C. , Marquez Juan Pablo , Annis James E. , Pritchard David , Disis Mary L.
Published: May 2013

The length of time required for preinvasive adenoma to progress to carcinoma, the immunogenicity of colorectal cancer (CRC), and the identification of high-risk populations make development and testing of a prophylactic vaccine for the prevention of CRC possible. We hypothesized that genes upregulated in adenoma relative to normal tissue, which maintained increased expression in CRC, would encode proteins suitable as putative targets for immunoprevention. We evaluated existing adenoma and CRC microarray datasets and identified 160 genes that were ≥2-fold upregulated in both adenoma and CRC relative to normal colon tissue. We further identified 23 genes that showed protein overexpression in colon adenoma and CRC based on literature review. Silencing the most highly upregulated genes, CDH3, CLDN1, KRT23, and MMP7, in adenoma and CRC cell lines resulted in a significant decrease in viability (P < 0.0001) and proliferation (P < 0.0001) as compared to controls and an increase in cellular apoptosis (P < 0.05 for CDH3, KRT23). Results were duplicated across cell lines representing microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator, and chromosomal instability phenotypes, suggesting immunologic elimination of cells expressing these proteins could impact the progression of all CRC phenotypes. To determine whether these proteins were immunogens, we interrogated sera from early stage CRC patients and controls and found significantly elevated CDH3 (P = 0.006), KRT23 (P = 0.0007), and MMP7 (P < 0.0001) serum immunoglobulin G in cases as compared to controls. These data show a high throughput approach to the identification of biologically relevant putative immunologic targets for CRC and identified three candidates suitable for vaccine development. Cancer Prev Res; 6(7); 666–74. ©2013 AACR.
The Chemopreventive Efficacies of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs: The Relationship of Short-term Biomarkers to Long-term Skin Tumor Outcome
Authors: Mikulec Carol D. , Rundhaug Joyce E. , Simper Melissa S. , Lubet Ronald A. , Fischer Susan M.
Published: May 2013

The ultraviolet B (UVB) component of sunlight, which causes DNA damage and inflammation, is the major cause of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), the most prevalent of all cancers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and coxibs have been shown to be effective chemoprevention agents in multiple preclinical trials, including NMSC, colon, and urinary bladder cancer. NSAIDs, however, cause gastrointestinal irritation, which led to the recent development of nitric oxide (NO) derivatives that may partially ameliorate this toxicity. This study compared the efficacy of several NSAIDs and NO-NSAIDs on UV-induced NMSC in SKH-1 hairless mice and determined whether various short-term biomarkers were predictive of long-term tumor outcome with these agents. Naproxen at 100 (P = 0.05) and 400 ppm (P < 0.01) in the diet reduced tumor multiplicity by 26% and 63%, respectively. The NO-naproxen at slightly lower molar doses shows similar activities. Aspirin at 60 or 750 ppm in the diet reduced tumor multiplicity by 19% and 50%, whereas the equivalent doses (108 and 1,350 ppm) were slightly less effective. Sulindac at 25 and 150 ppm in the diet, doses far below the human equivalent dose was the most potent NSAID with reductions of 50% and 94%, respectively. In testing short-term biomarkers, we found that agents that reduce UV-induced prostaglandin E2 synthesis and/or inhibit UV-induced keratinocyte proliferation yielded long-term tumor efficacy. Cancer Prev Res; 6(7); 675–85. ©2013 AACR.
Bone Marrow–Derived Kruppel-Like Factor 10 Controls Reendothelialization in Response to Arterial Injury
Authors: Wara Akm Khyrul , Manica Andre , Marchini Julio F. , Sun Xinghui , Icli Basak , Tesmenitsky Yevgenia , Croce Kevin , Feinberg Mark W.
Published: May 2013

Objective—

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of Kruppel-like factor (KLF) 10, a zinc-finger transcription factor, in bone marrow (BM)–derived cell responses to arterial endothelial injury. Accumulating evidence indicates that BM-derived progenitors are recruited to sites of vascular injury and contribute to endothelial repair.

Approach and Results—

In response to carotid artery endothelial denudation, KLF10 mRNA expression was markedly increased in both BM and circulating lin
−
progenitor cells. To examine the specific role of KLF10 in arterial reendothelialization, we used 2 models of endothelial denudation (wire- and thermal-induced injury) of the carotid artery in wild-type (WT) and KLF10
−/−
mice. WT mice displayed higher areas of reendothelialization compared with KLF10
−/−
mice after endothelial injury using either method. BM transplant studies revealed that reconstitution of KLF10
−/−
mice with WT BM fully rescued the defect in reendothelialization and increased lin
−
CD34
+
kinase insert domain receptor
+
progenitors in the blood and injured carotid arteries. Conversely, reconstitution of WT mice with KLF10
−/−
BM recapitulated the defects in reendothelialization and peripheral cell progenitors. The media from cultured KLF10
–
/
–
BM progenitors was markedly inefficient in promoting endothelial cell growth and migration compared with the media from WT progenitors, indicative of defective paracrine trophic effects from KLF10
–
/
–
BM progenitors. Finally, BM-derived KLF10
−/−
lin
−
progenitors from reconstituted mice had reduced CXC-chemokine receptor 4 expression and impaired migratory responses.

Conclusions—

Collectively, these observations demonstrate a protective role for BM-derived KLF10 in paracrine and homing responses important for arterial endothelial injury and highlight KLF10 as a possible therapeutic target to promote endothelial repair in vascular disease states.
The Effect of Lacunar Infarcts on White Matter Tract Integrity
Authors: Reijmer Yael D. , Freeze Whitney M. , Leemans Alexander , Biessels Geert Jan
Published: May 2013

Background and Purpose—

Lacunar infarcts may cause disturbances of the white matter (WM) structure remote from the primary lesion. Here, we used diffusion MRI and tractography to (1) spatially characterize microstructural abnormalities along WM tracts containing a lacunar infarct and (2) relate abnormalities in remote parts of the affected WM tract to cognitive outcome.

Methods—

In 17 participants with a lacunar infarct, we reconstructed the affected WM tract using fiber tractography. The corresponding nonlesioned tract in the contralateral hemisphere served as a control tract. Diffusion parameters (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) were plotted along the tract and related to measures of memory, executive functioning and information processing speed.

Results—

Diffusion abnormalities remote from the lacune were present in the affected tract compared with the control tract up to 2 cm from the lacune (9% to 17% decrease in fractional anisotropy, 11% to 27% increase in mean diffusivity;
P
<0.05). The severity of these abnormalities attenuated with increasing distance to the primary lesion. Furthermore, the degree of remote WM disturbances was related to worse cognitive functioning on all 3 domains, independent of the size of the lacune (
r
=0.6–0.8;
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Lacunar infarcts are associated with abnormalities in the affected WM tract that extend centimeters beyond the lesion visible on conventional MRI. These secondary WM abnormalities may contribute to the cognitive deficits observed in patients with subcortical infarcts.
Influence of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on the Neurological Severity in Patients With Acute Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Ducroquet Aude , Leys Didier , Saabi Alaa Al , Richard Florence , Cordonnier Charlotte , Girot Marie , Deplanque Dominique , Casolla Barbara , Allorge Delphine , Bordet Régis
Published: May 2013

Background and Purpose—

We tested the hypothesis that excessive chronic ethanol consumption is associated with more severe ischemic strokes.

Methods—

We recruited patients with supratentorial cerebral ischemia within 48 hours of symptom onset. We defined heavy drinkers by a weekly consumption of ethanol of ≥300 g and severe strokes by a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score≥6.

Results—

Of 436 patients, 60 were heavy drinkers. Being a heavy drinker was independently associated with baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores ≥6 (odds ratio, 2.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–5.26;
P
=0.023) at the logistic regression analysis. This result was not modified with the propensity analysis.

Conclusion—

An excessive chronic ethanol consumption is associated with higher baseline stroke severity.
Framingham Stroke Risk Score and Cognitive Impairment for Predicting First-Time Stroke in the Oldest Old
Authors: Sabayan Behnam , Gussekloo Jacobijn , de Ruijter Wouter , Westendorp Rudi G.J. , de Craen Anton J.M.
Published: May 2013

Background and Purpose—

Predictive value of the conventional risk factors for stroke attenuates with age. Cognitive impairment has been implicated as a potential predictor for stroke in older subjects. Our aim was to compare the Framingham stroke risk score with cognitive functioning for predicting first-time stroke in a cohort of the oldest old individuals.

Methods—

We included 480 subjects, aged 85 years, from the Leiden 85-plus Study. At baseline, data on the Framingham stroke risk score and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score were obtained. Risk of first-time stroke was estimated in tertiles of Framingham and MMSE scores. Receiver operating characteristic curves with corresponding areas under the curves (AUCs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were constructed for both Framingham and MMSE scores.

Results—

Subjects with high Framingham risk score compared with those with low Framingham risk score did not have a higher risk of stroke (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.39–1.54). Conversely, subjects with high levels of cognitive impairment compared with those with low levels of cognitive impairment had a higher risk of stroke (hazard ratio, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.48–5.51). In contrast to the Framingham risk score (AUCs, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.40–0.56), MMSE score had discriminative power to predict stroke (AUCs, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.57–0.72). There was a significant difference between AUCs for Framingham risk score and MMSE score (
P
=0.006).

Conclusions—

In the oldest old, the Framingham stroke risk score is not predictive for first-time stroke. In contrast, cognitive impairment, as assessed by MMSE score, identifies subjects at higher risk for stroke.
Moving Things Ahead
Authors: Carey Greg
Published: May 2013

Recent and influential proposals (Richard Bauckham; James Dunn) have emphasized the role of memory in the composition of the Gospels. Despite the diversity and sophistication of these proposals, they have led to a devaluation of source and redaction analysis among some interpreters. On the contrary, attention to Lukan redaction of Mark, particularly with respect to the sequence of pericopae, reveals both the value of source and redaction analysis and the limitations of memory-oriented accounts of Gospel origins. Lukan transposition manifests itself most clearly in four pericopae: Jesus in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), the woman who anoints Jesus (7:36-50), the question of eternal life (10:25-37), and the tradition of the fig tree (13:6-9). Looking at these pericopae one by one, many interpreters debate whether Luke relies on independent traditions; taken as a group, they reveal Luke’s redactional and literary activity. In each instance (a) Luke neatly excises the pericope from its location in Mark’s sequence, (b) Luke changes fundamental dynamics of the pericope, and (c) Luke’s redactional activity favors widely accepted Lukan emphases. Memory-oriented interpretations will undervalue Luke’s emphases in these instances.
Traditions within the Church of England and Psychological Type: A Study among the Clergy
Authors: Village Andrew
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This study examines the relationship of psychological type preferences to membership of three different traditions within the Church of England: Anglo-catholic, broad church and evangelical. A sample of 1047 clergy recently ordained in the Church of England completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales and self-assigned measures of church tradition, conservatism and charismaticism. The majority of clergy preferred introversion over extraversion, but this preference was more marked among Anglo-catholics than among evangelicals. Anglo-catholics showed preference for intuition over sensing, while the reverse was true for evangelicals. Clergy of both sexes showed an overall preference for feeling over thinking, but this was reversed among evangelical clergymen. The sensing-intuition difference between traditions persisted after controlling for conservatism and charismaticism, suggesting it was linked to preferences for different styles of religious expression in worship. Conservatism was related to preferences for sensing over intuition (which may promote preference for traditional worship and parochial practices) and thinking over feeling (which for evangelicals may promote adherence to traditional theological principles and moral behaviour). Charismaticism was associated with preferences for extraversion over introversion, intuition over sensing, and feeling over thinking. Reasons for these associations are discussed in the light of known patterns of belief and practice across the various traditions of the Church of England.
The African Court of Justice and Human Rights: A Judicial Curate’s Egg
Authors: Naldi Gino J , Magliveras Konstantinos D.
Published: May 2013

The present article analyzes the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, the proposed “main judicial organ of the African Union”. The African Court of Justice and Human Rights is meant to replace the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights and would therefore constitute a unique international judicial body combining the jurisdiction of the judicial organ of an intergovernmental organization with the jurisdiction of a regional human rights court. It shares features of the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In a highly contentious move detrimental to the role of the International Criminal Court, it is currently proposed to extend its jurisdiction over international crimes, the definition of which goes much further than that currently accepted by the international community, raising the prospect of conflicting obligations. The Court’s governing instruments are too ambitious and contain some significant flaws and the case for doing away with the now operational African Court of Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights seems unconvincing. Even though the Court has not yet been established, its structure and mandate do pose many challenging questions that deserve to be thoroughly investigated by drawing comparisons with the existing similar judicial organs in other international organizations.
The Kingdom of Kongo and the Counter Reformation
Authors: Thornton John K.
Published: May 2013

From early contact with the Portuguese and conversion to Christianity in the late 15th century and continuing through the Counter Reformation, the Kingdom of Kongo resisted Portuguese colonialism while remaining steadfastly loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. Against the turbulent backdrop of the growing Atlantic slave trade, internal conflict and power struggles, and Portuguese presence in Luanda, Kongo repeatedly resisted the temptation to break from Rome and establish its own Church, in spite of Portuguese control of the Episcopate. In the late 16th century King Álvaro clashed with the Portuguese Bishop, but remained faithful to the church in Rome. In the early 17th century, Kongo armies repelled Portuguese invasions from the south while kings continued to lobby for more Jesuit and later Italian Capuchin missionaries, whom they needed, above all, to perform sacraments vital to Kongolese Catholics. Another opportunity to split from Rome came when Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita created the Antonian movement in 1704 and denounced the Catholic Church. Instead, she was captured and burned at the stake while King Pedro IV remained faithful to the Capuchin missionaries. In contrast to Portuguese Angola, where Jesuits were deeply implicated in slave trading, the Capuchins in Kongo did not own slaves and, for the most part, both resisted and criticized the slave trade.
American Presbyterian Missionaries, Enslavement, and Anti-Slavery in Nineteenth-Century Gabon
Authors: Cinnamon John M.
Published: May 2013

When American Presbyterian and Congregationalist missionaries arrived in the Gabon Estuary in the 1840s, they entered a world marked by vibrant commerce; violence and inequality; widespread slavery and slave-trading; British, French, and U.S. Anti-Slavery Patrols; and incipient French colonialism. This article draws on the published accounts by two U.S. missionaries, John Leighton Wilson, who served in Gabon from 1842 to 1851, and Robert Hamill Nassau, who worked on Corisco Island, the Gabon Estuary and Ogowe River, and the southern Cameroon coast from 1861 to 1906. Together, their writings provide insights into early colonialism and especially the long decline of enslavement and slave trading. While Wilson witnessed the establishment of Libreville in the 1840s, Nassau encountered slave trading first on Corisco and later on the Ogowe during the period of French colonial exploration. Both men, shaped by their African experiences as well as their respective social locations in the United States, held strong views on African domestic slavery and the slave trade. Wilson, from the South, was an ambivalent abolitionist who railed against the Atlantic Slave trade while hesitating to denounce slavery and racial inequality in his native South Carolina. Nassau, from New Jersey and educated at conservative Princeton University, was prompted above all by the missionary impulse. He sought to convert and “uplift” formerly enslaved Africans while nevertheless underlining their “servile” characters and benefitting from their labor as docile, socially vulnerable mission workers.
Towards a Formal Pragmatics of Discourse
Authors: Vanderveken Daniel
Published: May 2013

Could we enrich speech-act theory to deal with discourse? Wittgenstein and Searle pointed out difficulties. Most conversations lack a conversational purpose, they require collective intentionality, their background is indefinitely open, irrelevant and infelicitous utterances do not prevent conversations to continue, etc. Like Wittgenstein and Searle I am sceptic about the possibility of a general theory of all kinds of language-games. In my view, the single primary purpose of discourse pragmatics is to analyse the structure and dynamics of language-games whose type is provided with an internal conversational goal. Such games are indispensable to any kind of discourse. They have a descriptive, deliberative, declaratory or expressive conversational goal corresponding to a possible direction of fit between words and things. Logic can analyse felicity-conditions of such language-games because they are conducted according to systems of constitutive rules. Speakers often speak non-literally or non-seriously. The real units of conversation are therefore attempted illocutions whether literal, serious or not. I will show how to construct speaker-meaning from sentence-meaning, conversational background and conversational maxims. I agree with Montague that we need the resources of formalisms (proof, model- and game-theories) and of mathematical and philosophical logic in pragmatics. I will explain how to further develop propositional and illocutionary logics, the logic of attitudes and of action in order to characterize our ability to converse. I will also compare my approach to others (Austin, Belnap, Grice, Montague, Searle, Sperber and Wilson, Kamp, Wittgenstein) as regards hypotheses, methodology and other issues.
A Dynamical, Self-Organized View of the Context for Linguistic Performance
Authors: Gibbs, Jr. Raymond W.
Published: May 2013

Most everyone agrees that context is critical to the pragmatic interpretation of speakers’ utterances. But the enduring debate within cognitive science concerns when context has its influence in shaping people’s interpretations of what speakers imply by what they say. Some scholars maintain that context is only referred to after some initial linguistic analysis of an utterance has been performed, with other scholars arguing that context is present at all stages of immediate linguistic processing. Empirical research on this debate is, in my view, hopelessly deadlocked. My goal in this article is to advance a framework for thinking about the context for linguistic performance that conceives of human cognition and language use in terms of dynamical, self-organized processes. A self-organizational view of the context for linguistic performance demands that we acknowledge the multiple, interacting constraints which create, or soft-assemble, any specific moment of pragmatic experience. Pragmatic action and understanding is not producing or recovering a “meaning” but a continuously unfolding temporal process of the person adapting and orienting to the world. I discuss the implications of this view for the study of pragmatic meaning in discourse.
How the Whites Blew Their Chances
Authors: Lazarski Christopher
Published: May 2013

By investigating various aspects of the anti-Bolshevik struggle in Russia’s south-western borderland, this article examines the chances for victory of the Whites in the Russian Civil War. The article maintains that the Whites rapidly transformed from a patriotic movement into an ultra-nationalist force that did not tolerate any deviation from their dogmas. In the pursuit of a great, one and indivisible Russia, White leadership, especially General Denikin, antagonized all potential allies – from the anti-Bolshevik political elite, through the Cossacks and the Ukrainians, to the French forces intervening in the South. A centralized government that Denikin created, one obsessed with the desire to control everything within its reach, further aggravated this situation. The article’s underlying thesis is that the defeat of the Whites was – so-to-speak – a self-inflicted blow and that had they pursued a policy of including rather than excluding potential partners, their chances for victory would have been much greater.
Clusia nitida, a new species of Clusia (Clusiaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: BITTRICH VOLKER , CABRAL FERNANDA NUNES , HOPKINS MICHAEL JOHN GILBERT
Published: May 2013

In this paper we describe and illustrate Clusia nitida, a new species from the Amazon with resin-producing flowers, similar to C. microstemon and C. myriandra.
Uncertainty and Predictability of Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Based on Ensemble Simulations of Typhoon Sinlaku (2008)
Authors: Wu Chun-Chieh , Chen Shin-Gan , Lin Shih-Chieh , Yen Tzu-Hsiung , Chen Ting-Chen
Published: May 2013

Using special data from the field campaign of 2008 and an ensemble Kalman filter–based vortex initialization method, this study explores the impact of different track clusters categorized under the ensemble simulations of Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) on the associated precipitation. In particular, the distinct pattern of cumulative frequencies in the 28 members is identified to correspond to three types of track clusters. The simulation integrated from the initial ensemble mean slightly underestimates the maximum amount of the observed rainfall in central Taiwan by about 30%. The quantitative evaluation based on the equitable threat score indicates that members with tracks close to the best track produce more consistent rainfall distribution in northern Taiwan although their cumulative frequencies are underestimated. For members with southwestward-biased tracks, although the cumulative frequencies are closer to the observation, the simulated rainfall pattern is less consistent with the observation in northern Taiwan and the maximum rainfall amount is overestimated. The comparison of rainfall simulation during landfall between two representative members shows that the distinct differences in the rainfall amount and distribution are primarily associated with the track differences on the windward side of the mountain. With a finer horizontal grid resolution, the rainfall accumulation becomes greater as a result of the enhancement of updraft from the better-resolved topography, yet the cumulative frequency stays nearly unchanged. Based on ensemble simulations, this study highlights that the uncertainties in rainfall patterns and amounts can be assessed from ensemble track variations, thus providing better insights into the rainfall predictability associated with typhoons near Taiwan.
Thomas F. Torrance’s theology of ministry and the pressing issues of today
Authors: Torrance Iain R.
Published: May 2013

Thomas F. Torrance (born 1913) is chiefly remembered for his work on the early dialogue between theology and natural science. Out of tune with the liberal theology of the 1960s which he labeled as ‘dualist’, the dialogue with science was just one way whereby Torrance steered towards realism in an attempt to recover the classic structures, doctrines and forms of the Christian tradition. This short paper looks at the neglected topic of his theology of ministry. During the wary and fenced ecumenism of the 50s and 60s, Torrance systematically reconnected church order with the servant ministry of Jesus Christ. He recognised the temptations of ministry either to seek worldly credibility and prestige or to become otherworldly and merely pious. He eschewed both, but refused to over-specify ministry, insisting that the actual form it took is ambiguous, provisional and unfettered. That conception of ministry is tested against Torrance’s criticism of what he saw as a ‘detached’ understanding of the episcopate in the Church of England of the 1960s and in his support for the ordination of women. He maintained that those who obstructed the ordination of women argued as though the Incarnation had made no change in the order of fallen humanity. In his lifetime, Torrance never engaged with the issue of the ordination of gay persons, but the structures within which he understood ministry would be hospitable to any who committed to the servant ministry of Jesus.
Multiple versus single injections of fluorescent microspheres for the determination of regional organ blood flow in septic sheep
Authors: Lange Matthias , Hamahata Atsumori , Traber Daniel L , Nakano Yoshimitsu , Traber Lillian D , Enkhbaatar Perenlei
Published: May 2013

Determination of regional blood flow by the injection of microspheres in sepsis models is crucial for the experimental evaluation of the influence of experimental treatment strategies on organ perfusion. However, multiple injections may critically increase the total quantity of microspheres, thereby restricting regional microcirculation and altering the results of blood flow measurements. This study was designed to compare the results of multiple versus single injections of microspheres in an established ovine sepsis model. Injury was induced by smoke inhalation and instillation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa into the lungs. Twenty sheep were studied for 4, 8, 12, 18, or 24 h, respectively. Microspheres were injected at the end of the study period and the animals were euthanized and organ tissues were harvested. Another four sheep were studied for 24 h and multiple microsphere injections were performed at the above indicated time points in the same animals. Tracheal blood flow significantly increased and blood flow to the pancreas and ileum significantly decreased versus baseline in both groups ( P < 0.05 each). Blood flow to the ileum, renal cortex and skin did not significantly change versus baseline in both groups ( P > 0.05). Blood flow was higher to the trachea in the multiple injection group at 18 h ( P = 0.048) and to the ileum at 12 h ( P = 0.049), and lower to the skin at 18 h ( P = 0.015). In conclusion, the results indicate that multiple versus single microsphere injections induced no or negligible alterations during ovine sepsis. This finding may help reduce the quantity of animals needed in future experiments.