bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of Trisenox on actin organization in HL-60 cells
Authors: Izdebska Magdalena , Grzanka Dariusz , Gackowska Lidia , Żuryń Agnieszka , Grzanka Alina
Published: July 2009

The aim of this study was to show the influence of Trisenox (arsenic trioxide, ATO) on cytoplasmic and nuclear F-actin organization in HL-60 human leukemia cell line. Changes in localization were determined with the use of fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Alterations, in both cytoplasmic and nuclear actin, were observed in cells exposed to ATO. F-actin network underwent accumulation and formed aggregates, that were very often placed under the cell membrane in whole cells and at the periphery of isolated nuclei. Addition of ATO also induced apoptosis and a decrease in G2 phase cells. These results suggest the influence of actin on the formation of apoptotic bodies and also participation of this protein in apoptotic alterations within nuclei, i.e. chromatin reorganization.
Occurrence and chemical diversity of the genus Bryoria in the Sučí Potok Valley, Veporské Vrchy Mountains (Central Slovakia)
Authors: Lukáč Miloš
Published: July 2009

Four species of the genus, Bryoria were found in the Sučí Potok Valley: B. capilaris (Ach.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. implexa (Hoffm.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., B. nadvornikiana (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw. The most common species in the valley was B. implexa. Four chemotypes of this lichen were recognized.
Obestatin as contractile mediator of excised frog heart
Authors: Sazdova Iliyana , Ilieva Bilyana , Minkov Ignat , Schubert Rudolf , Gagov Hristo
Published: July 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism of positive inotropic effect of obestatin on in vitro heart preparations of Rana ridibunda frog. The application of increasing amounts of obestatin in the concentration range from 1 μmol/l to 1 μmol/l significantly enhances the force of contraction of excised and cannulated frog hearts. This effect was partially reduced in the presence of prazosin (3 μmol/l). Propranolol (30 μmol/l), pertussis toxin (2 ng/ml) and the specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) Rp-adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphothioate triethylamine (30 μmol/l) completely blocked the obestatin-induced increase of the force of frog heart contractions. It is concluded that, via its receptor molecule, obestatin activates neuronal pertussis toxin sensitive G-protein(s) that further enhance the secretion of epinephrine from sympathetic neurons. This epinephrine activates mainly the myocardial β-adrenoreceptors and PKA downstream targets, and is responsible for the observed positive inotropic effect of obestatin. An alternative explanation of our data is that obestatin directly enhances the effect of myocardial β-adrenergic signaling.
Genetic evolution and diversity of common carp Cyprinus carpio L.
Authors: Chistiakov Dimitry , Voronova Natalia
Published: July 2009

Knowledge of genetic variation and population structure of existing strains of both farmed and wild common carp Cyprinus carpio L. is absolutely necessary for any efficient fish management and/or conservation program. To assess genetic diversity in common carp populations, a variety of molecular markers were analyzed. Of those, microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA were most frequently used in the analysis of genetic diversity and genome evolution of common carp. Using microsatellites showed that the genome evolution in common carp exhibited two waves of rearrangements: one whole-genome duplication (12–16 million years ago) and a more recent wave of segmental duplications occurring between 2.3 and 6.8 million years ago. The genome duplication event has resulted in tetraploidy since the common carp currently harbors a substantial portion of duplicated loci in its genome and twice the number of chromosomes (n = 100–104) of most other cyprinid fishes. The variation in domesticated carp populations is significantly less than that in wild populations, which probably arises from the loss of variation due to founder effects and genetic drift. Genetic differentiation between the European carp C.c. carpio and Asian carp C.c. haematopterus is clearly evident. In Asia, two carp subspecies, C.c. haematopterus and C.c. varidivlaceus, seem to be also genetically distinct.
Circadian clocks and phosphorylation: Insights from computational modeling
Authors: Leloup Jean-Christophe
Published: July 2009

Circadian clocks are based on a molecular mechanism regulated at the transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. Recent experimental data unravel a complex role of the phosphorylations in these clocks. In mammals, several kinases play differential roles in the regulation of circadian rhythmicity. A dysfunction in the phosphorylation of one clock protein could lead to sleep disorders such as the Familial Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder, FASPS. Moreover, several drugs are targeting kinases of the circadian clocks and can be used in cancer chronotherapy or to treat mood disorders. In Drosophila, recent experimental observations also revealed a complex role of the phosphorylations. Because of its high degree of homology with mammals, the Drosophila system is of particular interest. In the circadian clock of cyanobacteria, an atypical regulatory mechanism is based only on three clock proteins (KaiA, KaiB, KaiC) and ATP and is sufficient to produce robust temperature-compensated circadian oscillations of KaiC phosphorylation. This review will show how computational modeling has become a powerful and useful tool in investigating the regulatory mechanism of circadian clocks, but also how models can give rise to testable predictions or reveal unexpected results.
Resolving group delay of narrowband optical filters from their transmission characteristics
Authors: Śliwczyński Ł.
Published: July 2009

In the paper, the factors affecting the accuracy of calculating the optical filter group delay basing on the measured power transmission characteristic are analyzed. Having the phase characteristic of the filter recovered from its transmission, the group delay is usually calculated via differentiation. The new, direct formula is proposed giving more accurate results when the characteristic of the filter is available in the limited frequency range. Also the limitations arising from the noise of the optical spectrum analyzer are examined.
Determination of optical field generated by a microlens using digital holographic method
Authors: Kozacki T. , Józwik M. , Jóźwicki R.
Published: July 2009

In the paper, application of the digital holographic method for full field characterization of the beam generated by microlenses is considered. For this goal, the laboratory setup was designed based on Mach-Zehnder interferometry with the additional reference channel. The beam generated by a microlens was imaged by an afocal system and intensity distributions or interferograms (holograms) were registered by CCD camera. The digital holography using one image allows us to determine microlens parameters, i.e., focal length, aberrations, and shape. The optimum conditions to determine the surface shape of a microlens using holographic method have been found. We compare obtained results with geometrical and interferometric measurements. We show the advantage of digital holography for a shape microlens determination (improved accuracy), aberrations, and focal length (characterization facility). Through optimum refocusing, the digital holography gives more precise shape. The paper is accompanied with computer simulations and the experimental measurement data for geometrical, interferometric, and holographic methods.
Improvement in dispersion tolerance of high-speed fiber optic transmission link by optimization of laser modulation
Authors: Krehlik P.
Published: July 2009

In this paper, the improvement in dispersion tolerance of high-speed transmission link with directly modulated laser is presented. The method is based on adopting the laser modulation (its amplitude and depth) accordingly to the dispersion of actual link. As it is shown, the tolerance of negative dispersion may be doubled and of positive increased even seven times. The simulations are proved by hardware experiment, in which the extended dispersion tolerance is demonstrated.
Light-controlled helical pitch and dynamic gratings
Authors: Boychuk V. , Gerus I. , Iljin A. , Parka J.
Published: July 2009

A chiral nematic liquid crystal (LC) with a photo-sensitive chiral agent is employed for a light-controlled modulation of optical activity and used as a model substance for a dynamic diffraction grating recording. The described liquid crystalline system has shown a strong nonlinear response with effective parameter of cubic nonlinearity being much greater of that characteristic of the orientational nonlinearity of LC. A simple mathematical model of light diffraction on the grating of modulated optical activity was developed. Calculated values of intensities and polarisation states of diffracting beams have shown very good agreement with the experimental data. LC systems with light-controlled chirality could be promising media for nonlinear optical applications or all-optical switching devices.
Beyond the utility of violence
Authors: Niehaus Isak
Published: July 2009

This article points to the limitations of utilitarian theories of violence, as evident in the works of anthropologists who insist that all acts of violence either serve instrumental purposes (such as advancing one's own position) or expressive purposes (such as communicating key social ideas). Against the totalizing claims of such theories, the article observes that most homicides that occurred in the South African lowveld village where I conducted fieldwork research were the unanticipated consequence of men striking out in moments of anger. Although not the purposeful outcome of calculated conduct, these homicides were not however random. The high incidence of homicide can be explained in terms of Sahlins's concept of conjunctive agency, and by the co-presence of structural conditions of deprivation, ideologies of masculine domination, the wide prevalence of firearms, and the social enactment of rage.
Border tricksters and the predatory state
Authors: Radu Cosmin
Published: July 2009

This article analyzes actions of the Romanian state officials and the Romania-Serbia border region people during the embargoes imposed on Yugoslavia in the 1990s. It shows that the embargo-related contraband trade with its diverse layers and actors is an excellent window for studying state formations. Getting involved in both big contraband and the criminalization of smugglers, different state factions developed specific logics of privatization, transnationalization, and interstitial relations. These developments were connected to both the fantasies of accumulation in the context of embargo and Romanian European Union accession. The article also suggests how to understand continuities between the embargorelated and present state formations. Looking at the interplays among border posts, state officials, and the EU, it shows that the border posts are increasingly dislocated from the state and that they seem to become interstitial parts of a post-state field of power.
What's left?
Authors: Steur Luisa , Das Ritanjan
Published: July 2009

With the victory of capitalism and the end of the Cold War, almost all countries in the global south, including those still calling themselves “communist,” have become “transition” countries, competing to attract foreign direct investment and reform according to the strictures of global capitalism. Particularly interesting cases of “transition” are those states that explicitly legitimize their rule in terms of communist ideals, the general alliance of peasants and workers toward an egalitarian society, and whose ideological pillars historically include a pro-poor re- distributive land reform.
"Communist" dispossession meets "reactionary" resistance
Authors: Mukharji Projit Bihari
Published: July 2009

The reflections in this article were instigated by the repeated and brutal clashes since 2007 between peasants and the state government’s militias—both official and unofficial—over the issue of industrialization. A communist government engaging peasants violently in order to acquire and transfer their lands to big business houses to set up capitalist enterprises seemed dramatically ironic. De- spite the presence of many immediate causes for the conflict, subtle long-term change to the nature of communist politics in the state was also responsible for the present situation. This article identifies two trends that, though significant, are by themselves not enough to explain what is happening in West Bengal today. First, the growth of a culture of governance where the Communist Party actively seeks to manage rather than politicize social conflicts; second, the recasting of radical political subjectivity as a matter of identity rather than an instigation for critical self-reflection and self-transformation.
‘IN PURSUIT OF THE NAZI MIND?’ THE DEPLOYMENT OF PSYCHOANALYSIS IN THE ALLIED STRUGGLE AGAINST GERMANY
Authors: Pick Daniel
Published: July 2009

This paper discusses how psychoanalytic ideas were brought to bear in the Allied struggle against the Third Reich and explores some of the claims that were made about this endeavour. It shows how a variety of studies of Fascist psychopathology, centred on the concept of superego, were mobilized in military intelligence, post-war planning and policy recommendations for ‘denazification’. Freud's ideas were sometimes championed by particular army doctors and government planners; at other times they were combined with, or displaced by, competing, psychiatric and psychological forms of treatment and diverse studies of the Fascist ‘personality’. This is illustrated through a discussion of the treatment and interpretation of the deputy leader of the Nazi Party, Rudolf Hess, after his arrival in Britain in 1941.
THE DISAPPOINTED OF THE EARTH
Authors: Rooney Caroline
Published: July 2009

This essay offers a consideration of how the affect of chronic disappointment contributes to the formation of extreme beliefs. It debates how the disappointment in question is a matter of social class and the desire for self-betterment, contesting the assumption that fundamentalism constitutes a simple rejection of modernity. The essay also attempts to theorize the ways in which chronic disappointment can lead to the establishment of what is formulated in terms of ‘pariah elitism’. In moving from a consideration of Al Aswany's The Yacoubian Building and Herzl's Alteneuland to a consideration of colonial and postcolonial situations in Southern Africa, it broaches the question of how chronic disappointment serves to challenge both the othering of extremism and extremism's otherings. Finally, the essay suggests that there is a distinction to be maintained between the idealism of extremism and a praxis of good faith.
THE IMPACT OF ISLAMOPHOBIA
Authors: Davids M.
Published: July 2009

Muslims, as members of minority communities in the West, grow up against a background of everyday Islamophobia. I suggest that the Muslim self internalized in such a setting is denigrated ( Fanon 1952 ), a problem usually grappled with during adolescence when identity formation is the key developmental task. This typically involves the adolescent taking on polarized positions and embracing extreme causes. Following the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks Islamophobia intensified, which can be understood, at the psychological level, as an internal racist defence against overwhelming anxiety. Within that defensive organization, which I describe, fundamentalism is inscribed as the problematic heart of Islam, complicating the adolescent's attempt to come to terms with the inner legacy of everyday Islamophobia. I explore these themes through a case study of a young man who travelled to Afghanistan in the 1990s, and by brief reference to Ed Husain's The Islamist and Mohsin Hamid's novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
PSYCHOANALYSIS, ISLAM, AND THE OTHER OF LIBERALISM
Authors: Massad Joseph
Published: July 2009

This paper examines the terms and methods used by psychoanalytic authors to explain and understand something they other as ‘Islam’. The paper engages critically and psycho-analytically with these authors’ attempts to read ‘Islam’ psychoanalytically, and finds that more often than not they subject it to liberal principles that are not defined in psychoanalytic terms. Focusing on the work of Tunisian author Fethi Benslama, the paper analyses and deconstructs certain key semantic and conceptual confusions of ‘Islam’ and ‘Islamism’ that are manifest in the general psychoanalytic literature on ‘Islam’.
PROMISED LAND OR PERMITTED LAND: A CONSIDERATION OF JEWISH FUNDAMENTALISM IN THE LIGHT OF LEVINASIAN ETHICS
Authors: Frosh Stephen
Published: July 2009

Jewish fundamentalism (a contested term that does not sit easily with the non-literal nature of much rabbinic reading of the Bible) has many sources and variants, but amongst these the most belligerent is the mode of fundamentalism expressed by some ‘strictly orthodox’ Jews in Israel. These Jews tend to justify their continued agitation for a ‘greater Israel’, accompanied by hostility not only towards Palestinians but also towards secular and politically more liberal Jews, in terms of literalist readings of Torah. This paper approaches this topic ‘sideways’ (and hence, perhaps, psychoanalytically) through tracking a remarkable reading by Emmanuel Levinas of the Talmudic passage dealing with the biblical account of the spies sent by Moses to Canaan. Levinas' ambivalent shifts between understanding these spies as motivated by an ethical refusal to see themselves as having a right to the land, and seeing them (more conventionally) as having too little faith, perhaps reflects the operations of a ‘guilt’ about which psychoanalysis may have something to say.
SLAYING DRAGONS: MOHSIN HAMID DISCUSSES THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
Authors: Hamid Mohsin
Published: July 2009

The author reads from, discusses and responds to questions about his novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, a narrative concerning the psychological consequences of the events of 9/11 for a young Pakistani man working in corporate America. Themes of nostalgia, alienation and distrust are explored, as well as the role that literature can play in sustaining ambivalence.
RETREAT FROM REALITY
Authors: Modell David
Published: July 2009

Drawing on the author's experience of making a number of television documentaries for about extremism, this paper attempts to explore the commonalities between different groups who pursue extremist or fundamentalist ideals. The intention is to develop a better understanding of those who are drawn towards fundamentalism, whether they be animal rights activists, racial supremacists or religious extremists.
FASCISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM: RESPONSE TO ELISABETH ROUDINESCO
Authors: Rose Jacqueline
Published: July 2009

This paper, a response to Elisabeth Roudinesco's lecture in this collection, argues that her work has been sustained from the outset by a psychoanalytic critique of political identifications via the concept of the unconscious, that the concept of Judeity or Jewishness has been central to that critique, and that it finds its most recent manifestation in a defence of mystical experience against a new secular theology.
Consensual Decision-Making Among Epistemic Peers
Authors: Hartmann Stephan , Martini Carlo , Sprenger Jan
Published: July 2009

This paper focuses on the question of how to resolve disagreement and uses the Lehrer-Wagner model as a formal tool for investigating consensual decision-making. The main result consists in a general definition of when agents treat each other as epistemic peers (Kelly 2005; Elga 2007), and a theorem vindicating the “equal weight view” to resolve disagreement among epistemic peers. We apply our findings to an analysis of the impact of social network structures on group deliberation processes, and we demonstrate their stability with the help of numerical simulations.
Deliberative Exchange, Truth, and Cognitive Division of Labour: A Low-Resolution Modeling Approach
Authors: Hegselmann Rainer , Krause Ulrich
Published: July 2009

This paper develops a formal framework to model a process in which the formation of individual opinions is embedded in a deliberative exchange with others. The paper opts for a low-resolution modeling approach and abstracts away from most of the details of the social-epistemic process. Taking a bird's eye view allows us to analyze the chances for the truth to be found and broadly accepted under conditions of cognitive division of labour combined with a social exchange process. Cognitive division of labour means that only some individuals are active truth seekers, possibly with different capacities. Both mathematical tools and computer simulations are used to investigate the model. As an analytical result, the Funnel Theorem states that under rather weak conditions on the social process, a consensus on the truth will be reached if all individuals possess an arbitrarily small capacity to go for the truth. The Leading the pack Theorem states that under certain conditions even a single truth seeker may lead all individuals to the truth. Systematic simulations analyze how close agents can get to the truth depending upon the frequency of truth seekers, their capacities as truth seekers, the position of the truth (more to the extreme or more in the centre of an opinion space), and the willingness to take into account the opinions of others when exchanging and updating opinions.
Extending the Hegselmann–Krause Model III: From Single Beliefs to Complex Belief States
Authors: Riegler Alexander , Douven Igor
Published: July 2009

In recent years, various computational models have been developed for studying the dynamics of belief formation in a population of epistemically interacting agents that try to determine the numerical value of a given parameter. Whereas in those models, agents’ belief states consist of single numerical beliefs, the present paper describes a model that equips agents with richer belief states containing many beliefs that, moreover, are logically interconnected. Correspondingly, the truth the agents are after is a theory (a set of sentences of a given language) rather than a numerical value. The agents epistemically interact with each other and also receive evidence in varying degrees of informativeness about the truth. We use computer simulations to study how fast and accurately such populations as wholes are able to approach the truth under differing combinations of settings of the key parameters of the model, such as the degree of informativeness of the evidence and the weight the agents give to the evidence.
Optimal Publishing Strategies
Authors: Zollman Kevin J. S.
Published: July 2009

Journals regulate a significant portion of the communication between scientists. This paper devises an agent-based model of scientific practice and uses it to compare various strategies for selecting publications by journals. Surprisingly, it appears that the best selection method for journals is to publish relatively few papers and to select those papers it publishes at random from the available “above threshold” papers it receives. This strategy is most effective at maintaining an appropriate type of diversity that is needed to solve a particular type of scientific problem. This problem and the limitation of the model is discussed in detail.
Meta-Induction and Social Epistemology: Computer Simulations of Prediction Games
Authors: Schurz Gerhard
Published: July 2009

The justification of induction is of central significance for cross-cultural social epistemology. Different ‘epistemological cultures’ do not only differ in their beliefs, but also in their belief-forming methods and evaluation standards. For an objective comparison of different methods and standards, one needs (meta-)induction over past successes. A notorious obstacle to the problem of justifying induction lies in the fact that the success of object-inductive prediction methods (i.e., methods applied at the level of events) can neither be shown to be universally reliable (Hume's insight) nor to be universally optimal. My proposal towards a solution of the problem of induction ismeta-induction. The meta-inductivist applies the principle of induction to all competing prediction methods that areaccessibleto her. By means of mathematical analysis and computer simulations ofprediction gamesI show that there exist meta-inductive prediction strategies whose success is universally optimal among all accessible prediction strategies, modulo a small short-run loss. The proposed justification of meta-induction is mathematically analytical. It implies, however, an a posteriori justification of object-induction based on the experiences in our world. In the final section I draw conclusions about the significance of meta-induction for the social spread of knowledge and the cultural evolution of cognition, and I relate my results to other simulation results which utilize meta-inductive learning mechanisms.
Network Epistemology
Authors: Humphreys Paul
Published: July 2009

A comparison is made between some epistemological issues arising in computer networks and standard features of social epistemology. A definition of knowledge for computational devices is provided and the topics of nonconceptual content and testimony are discussed.
The Impact of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Employment
Authors: CAMPBELL ROBERT , COOPER GLINDA S. , GILKESON GARY S.
Published: July 2009

Objective.

Our primary objective was to examine work status (e.g., job loss, changes in amount worked) and predictors of job loss in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods.

Recently diagnosed SLE patients were enrolled in the Carolina Lupus Study between 1997 and 1999; an age-, sex-, and state-matched control group selected through driver’s license registries for the 60-county study area was also enrolled. In 2001, a followup study of both groups was conducted (median 4 yrs since diagnosis). Work history data were obtained in an in-person interview at enrollment and a telephone interview at followup.

Results.

Fifty-one patients (26%) and 26 controls (9%) (p < 0.0001) who were working the year before diagnosis (or for controls, a corresponding reference year) were no longer working at followup; 92% of patients compared with 40% of controls who were no longer working indicated that they had stopped working because of their health (p < 0.0001). College graduates were less likely to quit their jobs due to health compared to non-college graduates (adjusted OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.09, 0.84). SLE patients with arthritis were 3 times more likely to have left their jobs due to health reasons compared to those who didn’t have arthritis (adjusted OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.2, 8.8); an association was also seen with pleuritis (adjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1, 4.6).

Conclusion.

The burden expressed as work cessation due to health, especially among lesser educated patients and those with arthritis or pleuritis, is significant even early in the disease process.
Proteolytic Activation of the Cytotoxic Phenotype during Human NK Cell Development
Authors: Meade Josephine L. , Wilson Erica B. , Holmes Tim D. , de Wynter Erika A. , Brett Peter , Straszynski Liz , Ballard Paul A. S. , Trapani Joseph A. , McDermott Michael F. , Cook Graham P.
Published: July 2009

NK cells induce apoptosis in target cells via the perforin-mediated delivery of granzyme molecules. Cytotoxic human NK cells can be generated by IL-15-mediated differentiation of CD34+ cells in vitro and these cultures have been used extensively to analyze the development of the NK cell surface phenotype. We have used NK cell differentiation in vitro together with protease-deficient human NK cells to analyze the acquisition of the cytotoxic phenotype. Granzymes are synthesized as inactive zymogens and are proteolytically activated by the cysteine protease cathepsin C. Cathepsin C is also synthesized as a zymogen and activated by proteolysis. We show that human NK cells generated in vitro undergo granule exocytosis and induce the caspase cascade in target cells. IL-15 and stem cell factor (IL-15 plus SCF) induced the expression of the granzyme B and perforin genes and the activation of cathepsin C and granzyme B zymogens. Perforin activation is also mediated by a cysteine protease and IL-15 plus SCF-mediated differentiation was accompanied by perforin processing. However, cathepsin C-deficient human NK cells revealed that perforin processing could occur in the absence of cathepsin C activity. The combination of IL-15 plus SCF is therefore sufficient to coordinate the development of the NK cell surface phenotype with the expression and proteolytic activation of the cytotoxic machinery, reflecting the central role of IL-15 in NK cell development.
Inhibition of ERK MAPK Suppresses IL-23- and IL-1-Driven IL-17 Production and Attenuates Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Brereton Corinna F. , Sutton Caroline E. , Lalor Stephen J. , Lavelle Ed C. , Mills Kingston H. G.
Published: July 2009

IL-17-producing CD4+ T (Th17) cells are pathogenic in many autoimmune diseases. The induction and expansion of Th17 cells is directed by cytokines, including IL-23 and IL-1β, produced by innate immune cells through activation of pathogen recognition receptors. The NF-κB and IFN regulatory factor families of transcriptional factors mediate IL-12 production; however, distinct signaling pathways appear to be required for IL-23 production. In this study, we show that inhibition of ERK MAPK suppressed IL-23 and IL-1β production by dendritic cells stimulated with TLR or dectin-1 agonists but did not affect IL-12p70 production. Furthermore, an ERK inhibitor suppressed the ability of Ag-pulsed TLR-activated dendritic cells to induce Ag-specific Th17 cells in vivo, but interestingly also inhibited the induction of Th1 cells. Treatment with an ERK inhibitor attenuated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), when administered either at the induction phase of acute EAE or during remission in the relapsing-remitting EAE model. This was associated with significant suppression of autoantigen-specific Th17 and Th1 responses. The suppressive effect of the ERK inhibitor on attenuation of EAE was reversed by administration of IL-1β and IL-23. Our findings suggest that ERK MAPK plays a critical and hitherto undescribed role in activating innate production of IL-23 and IL-1β, which promote pathogenic T cell responses, and therefore represents an important target for therapeutic intervention against autoimmune diseases.
Cutting Edge: Regulatory T Cells Directly Suppress B Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Iikuni Noriko , Lourenço Elaine V. , Hahn Bevra H. , La Cava Antonio
Published: July 2009

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), adaptive CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress Th cells that help autoantibody (autoAb)-producing B cells. It is not known whether naturally occurring Tregs can directly suppress B cells in SLE without an intermediate suppression of Th cells. This aspect is important for its implications in the natural course of SLE, because most if not all of the clinical and pathologic effects in SLE are associated with a dysregulated production of autoAbs. In this study, we show that natural Tregs can inhibit B cell activity in vitro and in vivo in SLE through cell contact-mediated mechanisms that directly suppress autoAb-producing B cells, including those B cells that increase numerically during active disease. These results indicate that one way by which natural Tregs attempt to limit humoral autoimmunity in SLE is by directly targeting autoreactive B cells.
Cutting Edge: IL-27 Induces the Transcription Factor c-Maf, Cytokine IL-21, and the Costimulatory Receptor ICOS that Coordinately Act Together to Promote Differentiation of IL-10-Producing Tr1 Cells
Authors: Pot Caroline , Jin Hulin , Awasthi Amit , Liu Sue Min , Lai Chen-Yen , Madan Rajat , Sharpe Arlene H. , Karp Christopher L. , Miaw Shi-Chuen , Ho I-Cheng , Kuchroo Vijay K.
Published: July 2009

IL-27 has recently been identified as a differentiation factor for the generation of IL-10-producing regulatory type 1 (Tr1) T cells. However, how IL-27 induces the expansion of Tr1 cells has not been elucidated. In this study we demonstrate that IL-27 drives the expansion and differentiation of IL-10-producing murine Tr1 cells by inducing three key elements: the transcription factor c-Maf, the cytokine IL-21, and the costimulatory receptor ICOS. IL-27-driven c-Maf expression transactivates IL-21 production, which acts as an autocrine growth factor for the expansion and/or maintenance of IL-27-induced Tr1 cells. ICOS further promotes IL-27-driven Tr1 cells. Each of those elements is essential, because loss of c-Maf, IL-21-signaling, or ICOS decreases the frequency of IL-27-induced differentiation of IL-10-producing Tr1 cells.
Cutting Edge: B220+CCR9− Dendritic Cells Are Not Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells but Are Precursors of Conventional Dendritic Cells
Authors: Segura Elodie , Wong June , Villadangos José A.
Published: July 2009

Mouse lymphoid organs contain two major subsets of dendritic cells (DC) that differ in their phenotype and functions: conventional DC (cDC) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC). Recently, it has been proposed that differential expression of CCR9 could distinguish functionally distinct pDC subsets. We show that B220+CCR9− DC do not express classical pDC markers and have a developmental origin different from that of pDC. Furthermore, B220+CCR9− DC do not secrete IFN-α in response to CpG and, unlike pDC, can efficiently present exogenous Ags. Our results demonstrate that B220+CCR9− DC do not represent a subset of pDC. After in vivo transfer, these cells down-regulate B220 expression and convert into the two major cDC subsets, showing that they are a developmental stage of cDC differentiation.
Thermo‐Switchable Charge Transport and Electrocatalysis Using Metal‐Ion‐Modified pNIPAM‐Functionalized Electrodes
Authors: Riskin Michael , Tel‐Vered Ran , Willner Itamar
Published: July 2009

Metal ions (Ag+, Cu2+, Hg2+) are incorporated into an electropolymerized, poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide), pNIPAM, thermosensitive polymer associated with an electrode using the “breathing‐in” method. The ion‐functionalized pNIPAM matrices reveal ion‐dependent gel‐to‐solid phase‐transition temperatures (28 ± 1 °C, 25 ± 1 °C, 40 ± 1 °C for the Ag+, Cu2+, and Hg2+‐modified pNIPAM, respectively). Furthermore, the ion‐functionalized polymers exhibit quasi‐reversible redox properties, and the ions are reduced to the respective Ag0, Cu0, and Hg0 nanocluster‐modified polymers. The metal‐nanocluster‐functionalized pNIPAM matrices enhance the electron transfer (they exhibit lower electron‐transfer resistances) in the compacted states. The electron‐transfer resistances of the metal‐nanocluster‐modified pNIPAM can be cycled between low and high values by temperature‐induced switching of the polymer between its contracted solid and expanded gel states, respectively. The enhanced electron‐transfer properties of the metal nanocluster‐functionalized polymer are attributed to the contacting of the metal nanoclusters in the contracted state of the polymers. This temperature‐switchable electron transfer across a Ag0‐modified pNIPAM was implemented to design a thermo‐switchable electrocatalytic process (the temperature‐switchable electrocatalyzed reduction of H2O2 by Ag0‐pNIPAM).
Evolution of S/N surface functional group of zhungeer lignite/char during rapid combustion
Authors: Hu Song , Zhang An C. , Fu Peng , Xiang Jun , Sun Lu S. , Su Sheng , Qiu Ji H.
Published: June 2009

Surface characteristics of Chinese lignite were studied under the combustion conditions at temperatures ranging from 1037 to 1337 K. The characteristics of major pollution elements (nitrogen and sulfur) and their related functional groups on the surface of zhungeer (ZG) raw coal and chars were determined using the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and element analysis. The research results showed that particle surface contained similar component of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen and had six kinds of sulfur functionalities. Moreover, functional groups of major pollution elements on particle surface presented different evolution trends during combustion. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mercury and halides emissions from 200 MW pulverized coal combustion boiler
Authors: Wu Hui , Qiu Jian‐Rong , Tang Shun‐Lin , Liu Hao , Wang Quan‐Hai , Zeng Han‐Cai
Published: June 2009

Mercury emission from coal‐fired power plants is the major industrial source of mercury pollution in China. For a better understanding about the coal combustion Hg emission in China, a field measurement was conducted on a 200 MW pulverized coal fired boiler. Halides being proved to be mercury transformation participators, the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommended Ontario Hydro method (OHM) and EPA Method 26A were adopted to determine the speciation of Hg and halides in postcombustion flue gases, respectively. Results indicated that, as the flue gas cooling down, the percentage of oxidized mercury in total gas phase mercury (Hg2+(g)/HgT(G)) increased from 41% to about 74% across the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) outlet. Oxidized mercury (Hg2+(g)) was more apt to be absorbed onto the fly ash. The main halides measured in flue gas were HF and HCl, while the concentrations of Cl2 and HBr were extremely low and no Br2 was detected in flue gas. Analysis indicated that acid flue gas components, such as HCl, HF, SO2 and NO, showed a certain extent of promotion on Hg oxidation. The measured mercury emission factor (EMF) in this test was 5.63 g/1012J (13.1 lb/1012Btu). Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and synthesis of separation process based on a hybrid method
Authors: Li Chunshan , Wozny Günter , Suzuki Kenzi
Published: June 2009

A new general hybrid methodology for separation process synthesis and design is proposed, which considers different separation technologies by integrating mathematical modeling—Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with heuristic approaches and thermodynamic insights. The methodology can provide suitable guidance for the initial separation process design and energy saving. Firstly, a general separation synthesis system based on thermodynamic insights is developed to select suitable separation techniques before sequencing, which reduces the complexity and size of synthesis search space. Then, the pseudo‐component concept is proposed and used to deal with the azeotrope contained in the mixture, which widens the scope of the application of the proposed methodology. The AHP method is used to make a separation sequence by pairwise comparison matrices. Lastly, the separation of the pseudo‐component will be considered, and it performs energy integration and a detailed process design. Application of the proposed methodology is highlighted through two industrial examples: one is the separation synthesis of a light‐end refinery mixture. The other is azeotrope system, the mixture of phenol, o‐cresol, p‐cresol, and m‐cresol. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of the mechanical properties of lyocell textile materials crosslinked with 2,4‐diacrylamidobenzenesulfonic acid under swollen and nonswollen conditions
Authors: Ibbett Roger , Su Yan , Renfew Hunter , Phillips Duncan , Taylor Jim
Published: July 2009

Lyocell fabrics were treated with 2,4‐diacrylbenzenesulfonic acid (DABS) crosslinking agent under wet and dry reaction conditions, and also for comparison with a conventional dimethyloldihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU) agent, reacted under dry conditions. All treatments with DABS led to an improvement in wet and also dry fabric abrasion resistance, measured using the Martindale test, whereas treatment with DMDHEU reduced dry abrasion resistance. A model based on the kinetic strength theory of Zhurkov was used to interpret results, where dry‐state abrasion is reduced through stress concentration at the rigid DMDHEU crosslinks, which does not occur with the larger flexible DABS crosslinks. Tensile testing of treated lyocell fabrics revealed that breaking strength initially increased at low levels of DABS fixation, but fell at similar levels of DMDHEU fixation. The effect with DABS is due to an increase in the effective molecular weight, which can outweigh the development of stress concentration due to crosslinking. The Zhurkov model was also used to interpret the wet‐state abrasion resistance of lyocell fabrics. From this it is concluded that water swelling leads to an increase in stress concentration within fiber structure because of the loss of lateral interfibrillar connectivity, which is reestablished by both DMDHEU and DABS crosslinking. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Degradation of nano ZnO‐glass fiber‐unsaturated polyester composites
Authors: Peng Guirong , Li Qingshan , Yang Yanling , Wang Haifeng
Published: July 2009

Degradation behavior of ZnO‐glass fiber‐unsaturated polyester composite under exposure to a metal halide lamp is investigated by means of DSC and FTIR. The FTIR results show that the UV photons can increase the carbonyl group on the surface, but ZnO can decrease the carbonyl content and further contribute to the breaking of single bond of carbon to oxygen on the surface. All of the results indicate that for pure unsaturated polyester under the UV exposure in air, the major reaction is photo‐initiated oxidation, whereas for the composites with ZnO, decarbonylation is the major effect. In addition, when the content of ZnO is not higher than 4 wt %, the composites are still transparent, and its effects on the crosslinking process and thermal stability are insignificant. Thus, ZnO can be used as a stabilizer of unsaturated polyester for the glass fiber reinforced polymer industry. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Crystallization behavior and crystallization kinetic studies of isotactic polypropylene modified by long‐chain branching polypropylene
Authors: Ni Qing‐Lin , Fan Jia‐Qi , Dong Jin‐Yong
Published: July 2009

In this article, we discuss the crystallization behavior and crystallization kinetics of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) modified by long‐chain‐branching (LCB) high‐melt‐strength iPP over a wide composition range, that is, LCB‐iPP from 10 to 50 wt %. Over the entire range we investigated, the presence of LCB‐iPP accelerated crystallization in both the isothermal crystallization process and nonisothermal crystallization process, even when the LCB‐iPP content was as low as 10%, and both crystallization processes were enhanced more significantly as the LCB‐iPP content increased. Hoffman–Lauritzen theory analysis revealed that the fold‐free energy decreased effectively with the occurrence of the LCB structure, although the growth rate of spherulites was depressed, as shown by polarized optical microscopy. Meanwhile, the regime III–regime II transition temperature was about 15° higher for all of the LCB‐iPP compositions than that of iPP because the LCB structure reduced the mobility of the polypropylene chains. Furthermore, the γ‐form crystal structure was favored by LCB compared to the β form, which was supported by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
A versatile approach to develop porous hydrogels with a regular pore distribution and investigation of their physicomechanical properties
Authors: Samaryk Volodymyr , Voronov Andriy , Tarnavchyk Ihor , Kohut Ananiy , Nosova Natalya , Varvarenko Serhiy , Voronov Stanislav
Published: July 2009

Porous polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties and regular pore distribution have been synthesized by a unique and facile methodology, which involves formation of the hydrogel pores by leaching out chemically modified silica particles. To improve the pore distribution and mechanical properties of the hydrogel network, porogen particles have been modified with PAAm chains chemically attached to the silica surface. Grafting polymerization initiated by peroxide groups immobilized on the particle surface has been used for this modification. The grafted PAAm layer on the silica surface improves the dispersibility of the porogen material in the hydrogel composition, and simultaneously forms pore “walls” reinforcing the hydrogel network, after leaching out the silica particles. The proposed synthetic way for the development of porous hydrogels includes three steps: (i) tethering of PAAm chains to silica particles due to the grafting polymerization initiated by an adsorbed polyperoxide macroinitiator (PPM), (ii) simultaneous crosslinking of grafted PAAm chains and PAAm forming hydrogel network, and (iii) pore formation by leaching out silica particles in the presence of hydrofluoric acid. The PPM has been synthesized by a free radical copolymerization of the peroxide monomer (PM) N‐(tert‐butylperoxymethyl)acrylamide with acrylamide. Both PM and PPM have been developed in our lab, and applied for the synthesis of porous polymeric hydrogels. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Poly(MMA)‐b‐poly(monophosphonic acrylate) diblock copolymers obtained by ATRP and used as additives for anticorrosive coatings
Authors: David Ghislain , Negrell Claire , Manseri Abdelatif , Boutevin Bernard
Published: July 2009

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of dimethyl(methacryloyloxy)methyl phosphonate (MAC1P) was investigated in toluene, in the presence of methyl 2‐bromoisobutyrate as the initiator, and using different metal and ligand systems. Polymerization proceeded with very low monomer conversion, which was attributed to the ability of phosphorus to complex the copper ions, removing copper ions from original ligand, and then stopping the MAC1P polymerization. Poly(MMA)‐b‐poly(phosphonate acrylate) diblock copolymer structure was efficiently obtained by the ATRP process, based on a four‐step reaction. Poly(MMA)‐b‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) diblock copolymer was first obtained by ATRP, then the tert‐butyl groups were removed and phosphonate functions were incorporated by esterification reaction, using 4‐dimethylaminopyridine as the catalyst. This new diblock copolymer was used as an additive for anticorrosive coating; however, no improvement (using the salt spray test technique) was observed comparatively with the statistical copolymer with the same acid content. This study enhanced that the acid content of phosphonic additives is the main parameter, unlike their structuration, to increase the resistance to corrosion. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009