bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MRI-based Medical Nanorobotic Platform for the Control of Magnetic Nanoparticles and Flagellated Bacteria for Target Interventions in Human Capillaries
Authors: Martel Sylvain , Felfoul Ouajdi , Mathieu Jean-Baptiste , Chanu Arnaud , Tamaz Samer , Mohammadi Mahmood , Mankiewicz Martin , Tabatabaei Nasr
Published: June 2009

Medical nanorobotics exploits nanometer-scale components and phenomena with robotics to provide new medical diagnostic and interventional tools. Here, the architecture and main specifications of a novel medical interventional platform based on nanorobotics and nanomedicine, and suited to target regions inaccessible to catheterization, are described. The robotic platform uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for feeding back information to a controller responsible for the real-time control and navigation along pre-planned paths in the blood vessels of untethered magnetic carriers, nanorobots, and/or magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) loaded with sensory or therapeutic agents acting like a wireless robotic arm, manipulator, or other extensions necessary to perform specific remote tasks. Unlike known magnetic targeting methods, the present platform allows us to reach locations deep in the human body while enhancing targeting efficacy using real-time navigational or trajectory control. We describe several versions of the platform upgraded through additional software and hardware modules allowing enhanced targeting efficacy and operations in very difficult locations such as tumoral lesions only accessible through complex microvasculature networks.
An Ultrasound-based Localization Algorithm for Catheter Ablation Guidance in the Left Atrium
Authors: Brij Koolwal Aditya , Barbagli Federico , Carlson Christopher , Liang David
Published: June 2009

We present a method for catheter localization in the left atrium based on the unscented particle filter (UPF), a Monte Carlo method employed in stochastic state estimation. Using an intracardiac echo (ICE) ultrasound catheter, we acquire ultrasound images of the atrium from multiple configurations and iteratively determine the catheter’s pose with respect to anatomy. At each time step, the catheter’s change in pose is determined using either a six-degree-of-freedom electromagnetic pose sensor or a robotic guide catheter whose kinematics serve as a pseudo-pose measurement. Sensor and kinematic model uncertainties are explicitly considered when computing the localization estimate. Acquired ultrasound images are compared with simulated ultrasound images based on segmented computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) data of the left atrium. The results of these comparisons are used to refine the localization estimate. After considering less than 30 seconds’ worth of ICE data, our algorithm converges to an accurate pose estimate. Furthermore, our algorithm is robust to sensor drift and kinematic model errors, as well as gradual, unmodeled movements in the anatomy. Such problems typically complicate traditional image-based localization.
Persistence and Desistance of the Perpetration of Physical Aggression Across Relationships
Authors: Whitaker Daniel J. , Le Brenda , Niolon Phyllis Holditch
Published: June 2009

This study examined the persistent perpetration of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) across relationships. Based on the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health, data were analyzed on 6,446 young adults, who reported on two recent relationships. Frequency and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the persistence of physical IPV perpetration across relationships and the predictors of persistent perpetration. Among individuals who perpetrated physical violence in their first relationship, 29.7% persisted in their perpetration in the second relationship and 70.3% desisted. Significant predictors of persistent physical IPV in the final multi-variate model were as follows: IPV frequency in the first relationship, age, living together versus apart in the subsequent relationship, respondent being better educated than the partner, and being an IPV victim in second relationship. The persistence of physical IPV across relationships was relatively low, with desistance being much more common. Factors specific to the second relationship were the strongest predictors of persistence.
Friends of Survivors
Authors: Banyard Victoria L. , Moynihan Mary M. , Walsh Wendy A. , Cohn Ellen S. , Ward Sally
Published: June 2009

Since sexual assault survivors are most likely to disclose their experiences to a friend; prevention efforts increasingly focus on friends as informal helpers. The current study examined friends’ perceptions of the disclosure experience. Undergraduates (N=1,241) at the University of New Hampshire completed a shortened version of the Ahrens and Campbell (2000) Impact on Friends measure. Results found that about 1 in 3 female undergraduates and 1 in 5 male students were told by a friend that they were a victim of an unwanted sexual experience. Gender differences were found in friends’ responses to disclosure. Women reported greater emotional distress in response to a friend's disclosure, greater positive responses and lesser-perceived confusion/ineffectiveness as compared to men. Implications include the need to develop specific and clear educational material to help the community cope with and effectively respond to unwanted sexual experiences on college campuses.
The Social Influences on Electronic Multitasking in Organizational Meetings
Authors: Stephens Keri K. , Davis Jennifer
Published: June 2009

Meetings serve an important function in organizational communication. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have infiltrated meetings and allowed a new range of communicative behaviors to emerge. This cross-organizational study relies on key elements in the social influence model to predict variables that influence engagement in electronic meeting multitasking behaviors. The observation of organizational norms and the perceptions of others' thoughts concerning the use of ICTs for multitasking during a meeting explain a considerable amount of variance in how individuals use ICTs to multitask electronically in meetings. Implications for workplace ICT use in meetings and contributions to the social influence model are also discussed.
Social Services, Faith-Based Organizations, and the Poor
Authors: Littlefield Marci B.
Published: June 2009

This project evaluates the degree to which faith-based organizations in Marion County Indiana offer programs that may impact low-income populations. Using a representative sample of 285 churches in Marion County, Indiana, this study investigates the relationship between race and social service provision and the potential impact on low-income communities. The findings of this study identify race as a significant factor in the type of social service delivery offered through faith organizations. Although several studies have identified social service activities, few studies consider specific economic activities. Although both African American and White faith organizations provide similar social service and educational activities, African American organizations are more likely to provide economic activities. These activities include employment services, job training, business development and assistance, and other economic activities that include credit repair, financial classes, and counseling.
Reclaiming Tradition: The Book of Judith and Hasmonean Politics
Authors: Eckhardt Benedikt
Published: June 2009

The book of Judith has been designated as anti-Hasmonean counter-propaganda, but the arguments brought forward do not seem to take account of the fact that Judith is a work of fiction. It is argued here that Judith can indeed be read as an anti-Hasmonean text, but that this conclusion can only be reached by relating Judith to the transformation of traditional semantics that served to legitimize Hasmonean rule. Judith employs signifiants that have a key role in Hasmonean propaganda (1 Maccabees), but alters their scriptural foundations so as not to inherit the signifiés. Thus, Judith should be seen as an example of literature subverting legitimizing discourses by creating a fictitious space which allows an alternative usage of politically exploited language. This creation of a `counter-discourse' is not to be confused with `counter-propaganda'.
Two Unpublished Eschatological Texts
Authors: Stone Michael E.
Published: June 2009

This study presents two medieval Armenian texts which illustrate how themes and subjects drawn from Jewish speculation of the Second Temple period. These medieval reworkings not only preserve ancient material on occasion, but also enable us to trace the influence of pseudepigraphical and associated texts on medieval literature.
The Incineration of Saul's and His Sons' Corpses according to Josephus
Authors: Avioz Michael
Published: June 2009

This article deals with Josephus's retelling of the Bible story of the incineration of the bones of Saul and his sons in 1 Samuel 31. In several places in the biblical text, researchers have found echoes of the practice of cremation, a practice borne out in archaeological excavations. The question dealt with in the Bible is: How does Josephus treat the practice of cremation? This question is examined through comparison of earlier texts that retell the biblical accounts. It is argued that Josephus (Ant. 6.375-77) omits cremation from his account in order not to draw similarities between Israelite burial practices and pagan ones.
A Postcolonial Reading of Joseph and Aseneth
Authors: Charles Ronald
Published: June 2009

Joseph and Aseneth is borne out of a certain construction of the Other. It is written with the objective of explaining or justifying to fellow Jews and Jewish sympathizers the intrusion of a non-Jewish woman (Aseneth, the daughter of an Egyptian priest) into the life of a biblical hero, Joseph. This study demonstrates that a postcolonial reading of this ancient tale can shed significant light on the different constructions of Otherness and gender relationships manufactured in the text.
The EU's Emergent Security-First Agenda: Securing Albania and Montenegro
Authors: Ryan Barry J.
Published: June 2009

This article forms a critique of security sector reforms implemented in Albania and Montenegro between 2000 and 2007 by and on behalf of the European Union. It argues that within these reforms it is possible to discern a tension between a more holistic development approach and a security-based approach that is top-down and largely founded on the self-referential security concerns of the European Union. Drawing on research conducted by the author in Albania and Montenegro, the article utilizes public surveys to point out the distance between internal security reforms funded by the EU and the everyday security concerns of residents living in ineffectively policed states. The article concludes that a security-first agenda has slipped into the EU's aim to create an area of `freedom, security and justice'. Thus, while the rims of the Western Balkans are being secured, lack of reform in the interior hampers the socio-economic development and democratization of states engaged in the EU enlargement process.
The Responsibility To Protect and the Conflict in Darfur: The Big Let-Down
Authors: Badescu Cristina G. , Bergholm Linnea
Published: June 2009

This article discusses the international response to the conflict in Darfur from 2003 onwards in order to explore some of the key challenges related to implementing the responsibility to protect (R2P). First, we show that the debates on R2P in connection to Darfur translated into little more substantive action than the pragmatic decision to deploy peace operations with mandates that included civilian protection, as suggested by the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS), and later by the hybrid UN—AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Second, we argue that the international response to Darfur illustrates three major challenges to R2P implementation. These are: political limitations inherent in the R2P framework; moral dilemmas emerging from military action; and tactical challenges, as exemplified by the struggles faced by the AU and the UN in Darfur. We conclude that the international failure to offer meaningful protection in Darfur highlights the need for continued caution and critical analysis of the ways in which R2P is conceptualized and implemented.
When Security Speech Acts Misfire: Russia and the Elektron Incident
Authors: Åtland Kristian , Ven Bruusgaard Kristin
Published: June 2009

In October 2005, the Russian trawler Elektron refused to be subjected to arrest when caught by the Norwegian coast guard fishing illegally in the Fisheries Protection Zone off the Svalbard archipelago. With two Norwegian coast guard inspectors still on board, the trawler took off from its pursuers, heading for Russian territorial waters. Observers in Russia were outraged by the attempted arrest and called for Russia's Northern Fleet to flex its muscles as the hot pursuit in the Barents Sea unfolded. The purpose of this article is to explore underlying factors that may explain Russia's non-escalatory behavior during the incident and why the issue was not `securitized' by Russia's political establishment. The article is to be read as a case study exploring the phenomenon of `failed securitization'. On a more policy-oriented level, it also aims to shed light on Russian policies and perceptions with regard to the role, relevance, and usefulness of military power in the European Arctic, as well as the interplay between intra- and interstate security dynamics.
War Without End(s): Grounding the Discourse of `Global War'
Authors: Chandler David
Published: June 2009

This article seeks to explain the limits of critical discourses of `global war' and biopolitical framings of `global conflict' that have arisen in response to the globalization of security discourses in the post-Cold War era. The central theoretical insight offered is that `global war' should not be understood in the framework of contested struggles to reproduce and extend the power of regulatory control. `Global war' appears `unlimited' and unconstrained precisely because it lacks the instrumental, strategic framework of `war' understood as a political-military technique. For this reason, critical analytical framings of global conflict, which tend to rely on the `scaling up' of Michel Foucault's critique of biopolitics and upon Carl Schmitt's critique of universal claims to protect the `human', elide the specificity of the international today. Today's `wars of choice', fought under the banner of the `values' of humanitarian intervention or the `global war on terror', are distinguished precisely by the fact that they cannot be grasped as strategically framed political conflicts.
Understanding Public Policy Development as a Technological Process
Authors: Williams Miriam F.
Published: June 2009

This article discusses public policy writing as a genre of technical communication and, specifically, public policy development as a technological process. It cites DeGregori’s theory of technology to demonstrate the shared invention processes of technology and public policy, the work of public policy scholars to describe the policy-development process, and the work of human—computer interaction scholars to identify cognitive models of public policy development as a technological process. The article concludes with a discussion of e-rulemaking Web sites and the role of technical communicators in creating these blended spaces.
A Hierarchical Autonomous Robot Controller for Learning and Memory: Adaptation in a Dynamic Environment
Authors: Alnajjar Fady , Bin Mohd Zin Indra , Murase Kazuyuki
Published: June 2009

This work concerns practical issues surrounding the application of learning and memory in a real mobile robot with the goal of optimal navigation in dynamic environments. A novel hierarchical adaptive controller that contains two-level units was developed and trained in a physical mobile robot “e -Puck.” In the low-level unit, the robot holds a number of biologically inspired Aplysia -like spiking neural networks that have the property of spike time-dependent plasticity. Each of these networks is trained to become an expert in a particular local environment(s). All the trained networks are stored in a tree-type memory structure that is located in the high-level unit. These stored networks are used as experiences for the robot to enhance its navigation ability in both new and previously trained environments. The robot's memory is designed to hold memories of various lengths and has a simple searching mechanism. Forgetting and dynamic clustering techniques are used to control the memory size. Experimental results show that the proposed model can produce a robot with learning and memorizing capabilities that enable it to survive in complex and highly dynamic environments.
The Iterated Classification Game: A New Model of the Cultural Transmission of Language
Authors: Swarup Samarth , Gasser Les
Published: June 2009

The iterated classification game (ICG) combines the classification game with the iterated learning model (ILM) to create a more realistic model of the cultural transmission of language through generations. It includes both learning from parents and learning from peers. Further, it eliminates some of the chief criticisms of the ILM: that it does not study grounded languages, that it does not include peer learning, and that it builds in a bias for compositional languages. We show that, over the span of a few generations, a stable linguistic system emerges that can be acquired very quickly by each generation, is compositional, and helps the agents to solve the classification problem with which they are faced. The ICG also leads to a different interpretation of the language acquisition process. It suggests that the role of parents is to initialize the linguistic system of the child in such a way that subsequent interaction with peers results in rapid convergence to the correct language.
Therapy with Muslim Couples and Families: Basic Guidelines for Effective Practice
Authors: Springer Paul R. , Abbott Douglas A. , Reisbig Allison M. J.
Published: June 2009

Despite the growing numbers of Muslims in the United States, there is a scarcity of research dealing with mental health practitioners working with Muslim families. This lack of research may leave clinicians unprepared to adequately help Muslim patients and families faced with discrimination and misunderstanding, which may inadvertently lead to the perpetuation of biases in therapy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is (a) to provide mental health practitioners with foundational information regarding the Islamic faith and the values of the traditional Muslim families and (b) to provide culturally sensitive guidelines for clinical practice.
What You Don't Know May Kill You: The Importance of Including Sexual Health in Premarital Counseling
Authors: Slater LaTrina M. , Cummings Aholou Tiffiany M.
Published: June 2009

Sexual health is a widespread concern for intimate partners. As couples transition to marriage, it is vitally important to explore issues related to sexual health. Moreover, premarital counselors are encouraged to facilitate a sexual health discussion with premarital couples. This article presents the importance of raising the topic of sexual health in the context of premarital counseling. Issues of disclosure and safety are also explored.
The Role of Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between the Workplace Environment and Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis
Authors: Plotnikoff Ronald C. , Pickering Michael A. , Flaman Laura M. , Spence John C.
Published: June 2009

Cross-sectional studies show that self-efficacy (SE) serves as a partial mediator of the effect that perceptions of workplace environment have on self-reported workplace physical activity (PA). To further explore the role SE plays in the relationship between perceptions of the workplace environment and workplace PA, cross-sectional mediation analyses were performed on adult employees at baseline ( n = 897), 6 months ( n = 616), and 12 months ( n = 612); a longitudinal time-sequence was incorporated into the mediation model; and correlates of residual change version of the mediation were tested. The R2 ranged from .05 to .08 for the three cross-sectional analyses, .03 for the longitudinal analyses, and from .02 to .03 for the residual analyses. The results from the residual change model analyses supported those of the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, suggesting the relationship between perceived workplace environment and PA was partially mediated by SE. Future research should include similar studies with different population groups and in different settings.
Offshore Outsourcing of Services
Authors: Tate Wendy L. , Ellram Lisa M. , Brown Stephen W.
Published: June 2009

Offshore outsourcing of business processes is a rapidly increasing global phenomenon that requires a greater reliance on the effective development of strategic alliances and inter-firm relationships. The stakeholders involved in these service purchases influence the success or failure of the buyer-supplier relationship. This article examines the key stakeholders involved in the offshore outsourcing of services, determines what expectations these stakeholders hold, and assesses how a buying firm and the offshore supplying firm work together to meet these expectations. The case research method is used to address this phenomenon by studying six U.S.-based, Fortune 500 firms involved in offshore outsourcing of services. These buying organizations initially experienced more complexity than anticipated in engaging with offshore suppliers in outsourcing relationships. To achieve success with these relationships, the buying organizations needed to embrace cultural differences, including the needs of their suppliers' employees.
Service Delivery Innovation
Authors: Chen Ja-Shen , Hung Tai Tsou  , Huang Astrid Ya-Hui
Published: June 2009

Service innovation is one means of gaining an advantage in a highly competitive environment. In addition, service delivery has played a key role in interactions with customers in recent years. Yet, research on the link between innovation and service delivery is scant. This article theoretically and empirically examines innovation in service delivery and its antecedents and consequences. The authors identify innovation orientation, external partner collaboration, and information technology capability as the antecedents of service delivery innovation and analyze the impact of service delivery innovation on firm performance. Respondents were managers in the marketing and information technology departments of financial firms in Taiwan. Overall, 298 responses were received (including 123 paired responses from both department managers). Findings indicated that service delivery innovation contributes to firm performance. These results support the crucial influences of innovation orientation and information technology capability on service delivery innovation.
Resources Within Reason
Authors: Catlett Camille
Published: June 2009

A place to discover good, inexpensive materials for providing effective services to young children and their families.
Effectiveness in political—administrative decision-making in specialized healthcare
Authors: Simonen Outi , Vtanen Elina , Konu Anne , Blom Marja
Published: June 2009

Aim: To investigate the occurrence of the word ``effectiveness'' in the political—administrative decision-making minutes in specialized healthcare as presented to board and council meetings by top management teams. Methods: The occurrence and intended use of ``effectiveness'' were identified from all council and board meeting minutes (n = 190) of five Finnish university hospital districts in 2001 and 2006. Data were collected from the Internet pages of the hospital districts. For analysis, deductive content analysis combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies was used. Results: The word ``effectiveness'' occurred in the planning, organization and evaluation of service activities and in the definitions and justifications for the goal states of research and development work. Although objectives were justified by effectiveness, the occurrence and use of the term were not grounded on proven effectiveness but rather represented an ideal being pursued. Use of the word ``effectiveness'' increased from 2001 to 2006, particularly in the political—administrative decision-making of large hospital districts. This article gives useful information regarding the benefits of effectiveness in political—administrative decision-making. Conclusions: Healthcare is under pressure to increase effectiveness, which is manifested by rhetoric presentations of the term in the political—administrative decision-making in specialized healthcare. There is a need for focused collection and systematic follow-up of easily available effectiveness information in healthcare.
The facework of unfinished turns in French conversation
Authors: Chevalier Fabienne H.G.
Published: June 2009

In this article, I consider the notion of facework in the context of unfinished turns in French conversation. Unfinished turns in French conversation normally occur in the environment of talk that can be characterized as delicate or problematic. They provide a mechanism for dealing with such talk in a way that both manages misalignment and divergence between the participants and minimizes possible threats to the participants' face. They provide a subtle avoidance or minimization mechanism in that they enable the participants to hint at what remains unarticulated, whilst registering enough of the type of actions that they seek to accomplish. I conclude that, although unfinished turns can be seen as one way in which participants engage in facework, their analysis suggests that only an interactional-sequential account reveals the work that they accomplish, and insists upon a conceptualization of face/facework as interactional.
Space, materiality and the contingency of action: a sequential analysis of the patient's file in doctor—patient interactions
Authors: Frers Lars
Published: June 2009

Focusing on the multi-dimensionality of interactional settings, this study analyzes how the material world is a significant factor in the sequential co-production of the video-taped doctor—patient interactions. The analysis shows how a material artifact, the patient's file, is relevant in two ways: a) as a device which is employed in the sequential organization of the interaction. The patient's file is being used in the contexts of topic development and topic change. b) The file with its specific physical and symbolic features is being co-produced and contested by both actors as a knowledge reservoir. Further inspection of the interactions in concert with theoretical reflections of the role of space and materiality suggests that interactions should be interpreted as happening in spatially arranged constellations of material objects and actors. In these both rigid and flexible constellations boundaries are established, access is distributed, and meaning is solidified.
Critical discourse analysis, topoi and mystification: disability policy documents from a Norwegian NGO
Authors: Grue Jan
Published: June 2009

In disability studies, social and medical explanatory models are seen as being conflicting or mutually exclusive, and as mystifying respectively bodily impairment and the agency of social and environmental factors. This article uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to discuss the relationship between such models in policy documents produced by The Norwegian Federation of Organizations of Disabled People (FFO). Analysis of key topoi in the policy documents shows that they display elements of both social and medical discourse, and that the consequences of medically defined impairments are used as justifications for policy interventions in a framework of social justice. While a strict version of the social model is adopted in general programmatic documents, arguments about specific policy fields conceptualize disability as a property of individuals — traditionally, a medical model framing. Analysis of topoi is shown to be a useful tool when CDA is applied to policy texts.
Mixed-ethnic girls and boys as similarly powerless and powerful: embodiment of attractiveness and grotesqueness
Authors: Kamada Laurel D.
Published: June 2009

An ongoing study examining the discursive negotiation of ethnic and gendered embodied identities of adolescent girls in Japan with Japanese and `white' mixed-parentage is extended to also investigate and compare boys . This study draws on Feminist Poststructuralist Discourse Analysis which views women and girls as `simultaneously positioned as relatively powerless within a range of dominant discourses on gender, but as relatively powerful within alternative and competing social discourses' (Baxter, 2003: 39). Here, this is taken further by also giving voice to boys. Furthermore, ethnic discourses are examined alongside of gender discourses. Not only girls constructed the `idealized Other', within discourses of femininity, but boys similarly viewed their bodies against a model of idealized masculinity within discourses of masculinities. The boys revealed a feminized, narcissistic body consciousness where they struggled to resist a `discourse of foreign grotesqueness' and instead worked to embody themselves within a positive `discourse of foreign attractiveness', as did the girls.
The effect of text type on the use of so as a discourse particle
Authors: Lam Phoenix W.Y.
Published: June 2009

Discourse particles have received a considerable amount of scholarly attention in linguistic research. Although their use in specific text types has been discussed, few studies have actually attempted to look at the effect of text type on their use. Therefore, how the use of discourse particles is related to the situational context in which they are produced remains a largely unexplored area. In this article, the use of one of the most frequently occurring yet often overlooked discourse particles, so, in a number of monologic and dialogic texts is examined. Drawing on data from a spoken corpus of Hong Kong English, the present study shows that the frequency rates and functions of so as a discourse particle vary according to the text type in which it occurs. Findings from the study thus argue that the full range of functions realized by so as a discourse particle cannot be determined without taking into account the wide range of communicative events in which the particle is used. This highlights the fact that contextual cues are indispensable in the interpretation of the pragmatic meanings of discourse particles.
Naturally acquired tolerance and sensitization to minor histocompatibility antigens in healthy family members
Authors: van Halteren Astrid G. S. , Jankowska-Gan Ewa , Joosten Antoinette , Blokland Els , Pool Jos , Brand Anneke , Burlingham William J. , Goulmy Els
Published: June 2009

Bidirectional cell transfer during pregnancy frequently leads to postpartum persistence of allogeneic cells and alloimmune responses in both the mother and in her offspring. The life-long consequences of naturally acquired alloimmune reactivity are probably of importance for the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We investigated the presence of CD8pos minor histocompatibility (H) antigen–specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (TCTL) and CD8pos minor H antigen–specific T regulator cells (TREG) in peripheral blood cells obtained from 17 minor H antigen–disparate mother-offspring pairs. Absence of minor H antigen–specific TREG, as marked by the feasibility to expand TCTL from isolated tetramerpos populations, was observed in 6 mothers and 1 son. The presence of minor H alloantigen–specific TREG was observed in 4 mothers and 5 sons. These TREG were detected within isolated tetramerdim staining fractions and functioned in a CTLA-4–dependent fashion. Our study indicates that both TCTL and TREG mediated alloimmunity against minor H antigens may be present in healthy female and male hematopoietic stem cell donors, potentially influencing graft-versus-host reactivity in different ways.
Genetic fingerprinting of the development and progression of T-cell lymphoma in a murine model of atypical myeloproliferative disorder initiated by the ZNF198–fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 chimeric tyrosine kinase
Authors: Ren Mingqiang , Li Xiurong , Cowell John K.
Published: June 2009

A mouse model of human ZNF198–fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR1) stem cell leukemia lymphoma has been developed to investigate mechanisms of oncogenesis and progression. Using array-based comparative genomic hybridization, we followed disease progression after serial transplantation of ZNF198-FGFR1–transformed stem cells that give rise to a distinct myeloproliferative disorder and T-lymphoblastic leukemia. A consistent, frequently homozygous, chr14:53880459-55011545 deletion, containing the T-cell receptor α and δ genes, was identified in the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes in all cases. The absence of cell-surface T-cell receptor α in tumor cells precludes CD3 recruitment, resulting in loss of a functional T-cell receptor complex, supporting the idea that prevention of maturation of CD4+/CD8+ double-positive immature T cells is important in ZNF198-FGFR1 disease development. Up-regulation of the B-cell line 2, interleukin 7 receptor α and interleuking 2 receptor α prosurvival genes in these undifferentiated tumor precursor cells suggests one mechanism that allows them to escape apoptosis in the thymus. Thus, we have defined an important event in the process of ZNF198-FGFR1–induced T-cell leukemia.
Successful treatment of the murine model of cystinosis using bone marrow cell transplantation
Authors: Syres Kimberly , Harrison Frank , Tadlock Matthew , Jester James V. , Simpson Jennifer , Roy Subhojit , Salomon Daniel R. , Cherqui Stephanie
Published: June 2009

Cystinosis is an autosomal recessive metabolic disease that belongs to the family of lysosomal storage disorders. The defective gene is CTNS encoding the lysosomal cystine transporter, cystinosin. Cystine accumulates in every organ in the body and leads to organ damage and dysfunction, including renal defects. Using the murine model for cystinosis, Ctns−/− mice, we performed syngeneic bone marrow cell (BMC), hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Organ-specific cystine content was reduced by 57% to 94% in all organs tested in the BMC-treated mice. Confocal microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed a large quantity of transplanted BMC in all organs tested, from 5% to 19% of the total cells. Most of these cells were not from the lymphoid lineage but part of the intrinsic structure of the organ. The natural progression of renal dysfunction was prevented, and deposition of corneal cystine crystals was significantly improved in the BMC-treated mice. HSC had the same therapeutic effect as whole BMC. In contrast, mesenchymal stem cell did not integrate efficiently in any organ. This work is a proof of concept for using HSC transplantation as a therapy for cystinosis and highlights the efficiency of this strategy for a chronic, progressive degenerative disease.
Increased susceptibility of spinal muscular atrophy fibroblasts to camptothecin is p53-independent
Authors: Wu Chia-Yen , Gómez-Curet Ilsa , Funanage Vicky L , Scavina Mena , Wang Wenlan
Published: June 2009

Background

Deletion or mutation(s) of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The SMN protein is known to play a role in RNA metabolism, neurite outgrowth, and cell survival. Yet, it remains unclear how SMN deficiency causes selective motor neuron death and muscle atrophy seen in SMA. Previously, we have shown that skin fibroblasts from SMA patients are more sensitive to the DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin, supporting a role for SMN in cell survival. Here, we examine the potential mechanism of camptothecin sensitivity in SMA fibroblasts.

Results

Camptothecin treatment reduced the DNA relaxation activity of DNA topoisomerase I in human fibroblasts. In contrast, kinase activity of DNA topoisomerase I was not affected by camptothecin, because levels of phosphorylated SR proteins were not decreased. Upon camptothecin treatment, levels of p53 were markedly increased. To determine if p53 plays a role in the increased sensitivity of SMA fibroblasts to camptothecin, we analyzed the sensitivity of SMA fibroblasts to another DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, β-lapachone. This compound is known to induce death via a p53-independent pathway in several cancer cell lines. We found that β-lapachone did not induce p53 activation in human fibroblasts. In addition, SMA and control fibroblasts showed essentially identical sensitivity to this compound. By immunofluorescence staining, SMN and p53 co-localized in gems within the nucleus, and this co-localization was overall reduced in SMA fibroblasts. However, depletion of p53 by siRNA did not lessen the camptothecin sensitivity in SMA fibroblasts.

Conclusion

Even though p53 and SMN are associated, the increased sensitivity of SMA fibroblasts to camptothecin does not occur through a p53-dependent mechanism.
Antenna complexes protect Photosystem I from Photoinhibition
Authors: Alboresi Alessandro , Ballottari Matteo , Hienerwadel Rainer , Giacometti Giorgio M , Morosinotto Tomas
Published: June 2009

Background

Photosystems are composed of two moieties, a reaction center and a peripheral antenna system. In photosynthetic eukaryotes the latter system is composed of proteins belonging to Lhc family. An increasing set of evidences demonstrated how these polypeptides play a relevant physiological function in both light harvesting and photoprotection. Despite the sequence similarity between antenna proteins associated with the two Photosystems, present knowledge on their physiological role is mostly limited to complexes associated to Photosystem II.

Results

In this work we analyzed the physiological role of Photosystem I antenna system in Arabidopsis thaliana both in vivo and in vitro. Plants depleted in individual antenna polypeptides showed a reduced capacity for photoprotection and an increased production of reactive oxygen species upon high light exposure. In vitro experiments on isolated complexes confirmed that depletion of antenna proteins reduced the resistance of isolated Photosystem I particles to high light and that the antenna is effective in photoprotection only upon the interaction with the core complex.

Conclusion

We show that antenna proteins play a dual role in Arabidopsis thaliana Photosystem I photoprotection: first, a Photosystem I with an intact antenna system is more resistant to high light because of a reduced production of reactive oxygen species and, second, antenna chlorophyll-proteins are the first target of high light damages. When photoprotection mechanisms become insufficient, the antenna chlorophyll proteins act as fuses: LHCI chlorophylls are degraded while the reaction center photochemical activity is maintained. Differences with respect to photoprotection strategy in Photosystem II, where the reaction center is the first target of photoinhibition, are discussed.
Correlates of degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy
Authors: Hsieh Ru-Lan , Wu Chia-Wei , Wang Ling-Yi , Lee Wen-Chung
Published: June 2009

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the still unknown factors correlating with the degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy.

Methods

This retrospective chart review study of newly diagnosed cases of Bell's palsy was conducted over a three-year period. Information on age, sex, day of onset, comorbidities, corticosteroid use, and electroneurographic test results were collected. The electroneurographic quotient (amplitude of compound muscle action potential on the affected side divided by that on the healthy side and expressed in percent) was used as an index of nerve involvement, with lower quotient indicating more severe disease.

Results

Data were collected on 563 patients. The mean electroneurographic quotient varied inversely with age (p < 0.001) and was higher in patients who used corticosteroids than those who did not (47.1% vs. 40.3%; p = 0.002). There was no correlation between the degree of nerve involvement and sex, season of onset, hypertension, or diabetes.

Conclusion

The degree of nerve involvement in early Bell's palsy correlates positively with age and negatively with corticosteroid use.
Inhibitor of differentiation 4 (Id4) is a potential tumor suppressor in prostate cancer
Authors: Carey Jason PW , Asirvatham Ananthi J , Galm Oliver , Ghogomu Tandeih A , Chaudhary Jaideep
Published: June 2009

Background

Inhibitor of differentiation 4 (Id4), a member of the Id gene family is also a dominant negative regulator of basic helix loop helix (bHLH) transcription factors. Some of the functions of Id4 appear to be unique as compared to its other family members Id1, Id2 and Id3. Loss of Id4 gene expression in many cancers in association with promoter hypermethylation has led to the proposal that Id4 may act as a tumor suppressor. In this study we provide functional evidence that Id4 indeed acts as a tumor suppressor and is part of a cancer associated epigenetic re-programming.

Methods

Data mining was used to demonstrate Id4 expression in prostate cancer. Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) analysis was performed to understand molecular mechanisms associated with Id4 expression in prostate cancer cell lines. The effect of ectopic Id4 expression in DU145 cells was determined by cell cycle analysis (3H thymidine incorporation and FACS), expression of androgen receptor, p53 and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p27 and p21 by a combination of RT-PCR, real time-PCR, western blot and immuno-cytochemical analysis.

Results

Id4 expression was down-regulated in prostate cancer. Id4 expression was also down-regulated in prostate cancer line DU145 due to promoter hyper-methylation. Ectopic Id4 expression in DU145 prostate cancer cell line led to increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation due in part by an S-phase arrest. In addition to S-phase arrest, ectopic Id4 expression in PC3 cells also resulted in prolonged G2/M phase. At the molecular level these changes were associated with increased androgen receptor (AR), p21, p27 and p53 expression in DU145 cells.

Conclusion

The results suggest that Id4 acts directly as a tumor suppressor by influencing a hierarchy of cellular processes at multiple levels that leads to a decreased cell proliferation and change in morphology that is possibly mediated through induction of previously silenced tumor suppressors.
Violence and post-traumatic stress disorder in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: the protocol for an epidemiological and genetic survey
Authors: Andreoli Sérgio Baxter , Ribeiro Wagner Silva , Quintana Maria Ines , Guindalini Camila , Breen Gerome , Blay Sergio Luis , Coutinho Evandro SF , Harpham Trudy , Jorge Miguel Roberto , Lara Diogo Rizzato , Moriyama Tais S , Quarantini Lucas C , Gadelha Ary , Vilete Liliane Maria Pereira , Yeh Mary SL , Prince Martin , Figueira Ivan , Bressan Rodrigo A , Mello Marcelo F , Dewey Michael E , Ferri Cleusa P , Mari Jair de Jesus
Published: June 2009

Background

violence is a public health major concern, and it is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric outcomes. Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world, and has an extreme social inequality. Research on the association between violence and mental health may support public health policy and thus reduce the burden of disease attributable to violence. The main objectives of this project were: to study the association between violence and mental disorders in the Brazilian population; to estimate the prevalence rates of exposure to violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, common metal disorder, and alcohol hazardous use and dependence: and to identify contextual and individual factors, including genetic factors, associated with the outcomes.

Methods/design

one phase cross-sectional survey carried out in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A multistage probability to size sampling scheme was performed in order to select the participants (3000 and 1500 respectively). The cities were stratified according to homicide rates, and in Sao Paulo the three most violent strata were oversampled. The measurements included exposure to traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses (CIDI 2.1), contextual (homicide rates and social indicators), and individual factors, such as demographics, social capital, resilience, help seeking behaviours. The interviews were carried between June/2007 February/2008, by a team of lay interviewers. The statistical analyses will be weight-adjusted in order to take account of the design effects. Standardization will be used in order to compare the results between the two centres. Whole genome association analysis will be performed on the 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays, and additional association analysis will be performed on additional phenotypes. The Ethical Committee of the Federal University of Sao Paulo approved the study, and participants who matched diagnostic criteria have been offered a referral to outpatient clinics at the Federal University of Sao Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Cost-effective HRMA pre-sequence typing of clone libraries; application to phage display selection
Authors: Pepers Barry A , Schut Menno H , Vossen Rolf HAM , van Ommen Gert-Jan B , den Dunnen Johan T , van Roon-Mom Willeke MC
Published: June 2009

Background

Methodologies like phage display selection, in vitro mutagenesis and the determination of allelic expression differences include steps where large numbers of clones need to be compared and characterised. In the current study we show that high-resolution melt curve analysis (HRMA) is a simple, cost-saving tool to quickly study clonal variation without prior nucleotide sequence knowledge.

Results

HRMA results nicely matched those obtained with ELISA and compared favourably to DNA fingerprinting of restriction digested clone insert-PCR. DNA sequence analysis confirmed that HRMA-clustered clones contained identical inserts.

Conclusion

Using HRMA, analysis of up to 384 samples can be done simultaneously and will take approximately 30 minutes. Clustering of clones can be largely automated using the system's software within 2 hours. Applied to the analysis of clones obtained after phage display antibody selection, HRMA facilitated a quick overview of the overall success as well as the identification of identical clones. Our approach can be used to characterize any clone set prior to sequencing, thereby reducing sequencing costs significantly.