bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cell Adhesion Molecule 6 Oncoprotein in Atypical Ductal Hyperplastic Tissues Is Associated with the Development of Invasive Breast Cancer
Authors: Poola Indira , Shokrani Babok , Bhatnagar Rakesh , DeWitty Robert L. , Yue Qingqi , Bonney George
Published: August 2006

Background: Epidemiologic studies have established that women with prior atypical ductal hyperplastic (ADH) lesions have a 5-fold increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer (IBC). However, there is currently no means of identifying a subclass of ADH from women who will most likely develop cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether elevated expression of carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) in ADH tissues is associated with the development of IBC.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with archival ADH tissues and clinical information on the development/nondevelopment of IBC. The control group was ADH from patients who had no prior history of IBC and did not develop cancer within 5 years after the diagnosis of ADH (n = 44). The test group was ADH from patients who either developed cancer concurrently or subsequently after diagnosis (ADHC; n = 44). The expression of CEACAM6 was studied by immunohistochemistry and the results were statistically analyzed for significant association to develop cancer (P value), specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.

Results: Of the 44 control ADH tissues from patients with no history of cancer, 9 were positive for CEACAM6. Among the ADHC tissues, 40 of 44 samples were positive. Statistical analysis of CEACAM6 expression data showed a significant association between its expression and cancer development, high sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.

Conclusions: The expression of CEACAM6 in ADH lesions is strongly associated with the development of IBC, therefore, it can be applied as a diagnostic marker either singly or in combination with other marker(s) to predict IBC development in women with ADH lesions. It could also be a potential molecular therapeutic target for preventing IBC.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α Are Expressed in Kaposi Sarcoma and Modulated by Insulin-like Growth Factor-I
Authors: Catrina Sergiu-Bogdan , Botusan Ileana Ruxandra , Rantanen Anja , Catrina Anca Irinel , Pyakurel Pawan , Savu Octavian , Axelson Magnus , Biberfeld Peter , Poellinger Lorenz , Brismar Kerstin
Published: August 2006

Purpose: Neoangiogenesis is essential for tumor development. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a transcriptional factor composed of two subunits (α and β), plays a key role in this process, activating proangiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The HIF α subunits are critically regulated by oxygen and are also modulated by growth factors. Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a highly vascular tumor that releases large amounts of VEGF and for which we have recently described an essential role for the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system. We therefore investigated the expression of HIF α subunits in biopsies from KS tumors and their modulation by IGF-I in KSIMM, a KS cell line.

Results: Both HIF-1α and HIF-2α were expressed in KS biopsies in all tumoral stages. HIF-1α immunopositivity increased through the tumor development with highest expression in the late nodular stages. In KSIMM cells, IGF-I induced accumulation of both HIF α subunits. The induction suggests a translation mechanism as documented by cycloheximide chase experiment coupled with constant RNA levels as evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. IGF-I–induced HIF α accumulation was followed by an increase in HIF function as assessed both by reporter gene assay and by induction of endogenous target gene expression (VEGF-A). Specific blockade of IGF-I receptor with αIR3 antibody or with picropodophyllin, a specific IGF-IR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, diminishes the basal and IGF-I–dependent induction of both HIF α congeners.

Conclusion: These novel findings show the coupling between the IGF and HIF signaling in KS and suggest a coordinated contribution by these pathways to the characteristic vascular phenotype of this tumor.
Low-Dose Combretastatin A4 Phosphate Enhances the Immune Response of Tumor Hosts to Experimental Colon Carcinoma
Authors: Badn Wiaam , Kalliomäki Suzanne , Widegren Bengt , Sjögren Hans Olov
Published: August 2006

Purpose: Although there is a need to enhance the therapeutic efficiency in cancer by combining immunotherapeutic procedures with other therapy, combination with chemotherapy is complicated due to immunosuppressive effects of most chemotherapeutic drugs. The purpose of this investigation was to study whether combining tumor cell immunization with the vascular targeting drug combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) would enhance tumor retardation and/or affect the antitumor immune response.

Experimental Design: Rats with intrahepatic colon carcinoma were immunized weekly with IL-18/IFNγ–transfected tumor cells, starting day 9, and were treated with a low-dose CA4P (2 mg/kg, 5 days a week starting day 7). The effect of CA4P was studied on tumor growth and on immune reactivity in vitro.

Results: Rats with preexisting tumor, immunized and treated with low-dose CA4P, had a significantly retarded tumor growth compared with rats receiving CA4P or immunization alone. Splenocytes from rats treated with this combination had a significantly enhanced antitumor immune response compared with splenocytes from control rats. Exposure of nonadherent splenocytes to CA4P in vitro did not enhance their proliferation. However, 3-hour pretreatment of adherent splenocytes with 0.3 μg/mL CA4P significantly enhanced proliferation and IFNγ production of admixed nonadherent splenocytes, partly due to nitric oxide reduction. Combining the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester with CA4P and immunization further retarded tumor growth.

Conclusion: Concomitant treatment of rats with progressively growing tumor with immunization and low-dose CA4P significantly enhances the therapeutic effect as compared with either treatment alone and results in an enhanced antitumor immune reactivity.
Accumulation of Promoter Methylation Suggests Epigenetic Progression in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus
Authors: Guo Mingzhou , Ren Jingli , House Michael G. , Qi Yu , Brock Malcolm V. , Herman James G.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: Squamous esophageal cancer is common in non-Western countries and has a well-defined progression of preinvasive dysplasia leading to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We examined the changes in promoter region methylation occurring during neoplastic progression.

Experimental Design: The frequency of epigenetic changes in the promoter region of 14 genes epigenetically silenced in other cancers was determined and examined the most frequent changes in dysplastic lesions using methylation-specific PCR. Invasive squamous carcinomas, low to high grade dysplasia, and normal esophagus were then examined for methylation changes in the promoter region of each of the eight most commonly methylated genes.

Results: Methylation was most frequent for CDKN2A/p16INK4a (52%) but was also common for O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, E-cadherin (CDH1), and retinoic acid receptor β2. Methylation at individual genes increased in frequency from normal to invasive cancer. Methylation of MLH1 was associated with microsatellite instability in most cases. The number of genes methylated in individual lesions increased as cellular atypia increased. In individual patients, cancers adjacent to dysplasia had the same epigenetic alterations as the less advanced lesions but often had additional methylation of other genes.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that epigenetic progression parallels the histologic changes observed in the progression of squamous carcinoma of the esophagus.
RhoC GTPase Expression as a Potential Marker of Lymph Node Metastasis in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck
Authors: Kleer Celina G. , Teknos Theodoros N. , Islam Mozaffarul , Marcus Benjamin , Lee Julia Shin-Jung , Pan Quintin , Merajver Sofia D.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: Survival rates for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have remained unchanged for several decades due to local tumor recurrences as well as regional and distant metastases. Recent evidence has shown that RhoC GTPase is overexpressed in stages III and IV regionally metastatic SCCHN compared with stages I and II localized disease. This study evaluated the expression of RhoC in head and neck carcinoma and investigated the prognostic use of this marker on a large cohort of previously untreated patients with SCCHN.

Experimental Design: Standard Western blot techniques were used to evaluate RhoC protein expression in nine established head and neck cancer cell lines and in normal oral epithelium. In vivo expression of RhoC in metastatic and nonmetastatic SCCHN was investigated using immunohistochemical analysis on a tissue microarray composed of 113 independent tumor samples. RhoC expression was analyzed as it related to clinical and pathologic variables of interest.

Results: Levels of RhoC protein were increased in the SCCHN cell lines compared with normal oral epithelium. The in vivo expression of RhoC correlated with advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastases for the entire patient cohort as well as in small primary tumors (T1 and T2).

Conclusions: This study is the first to examine the expression of RhoC GTPase protein in SCCHN and normal squamous epithelium. It is clear from the results that RhoC is a specific marker of lymph node metastases in patients with this challenging form of carcinoma. RhoC levels seem to identify a subset of patients with early tumor stage primary tumors and high metastatic potential that might benefit from more aggressive therapy. Through continued investigation, blockade of RhoC activity may be a potential target in the development of novel strategies for treating metastases of head and neck cancer.
The Combination of Ionizing Radiation and Peripheral Vaccination Produces Long-term Survival of Mice Bearing Established Invasive GL261 Gliomas
Authors: Newcomb Elizabeth W. , Demaria Sandra , Lukyanov Yevgeniy , Shao Yongzhao , Schnee Tona , Kawashima Noriko , Lan Li , Dewyngaert J. Keith , Zagzag David , McBride William H. , Formenti Silvia C.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: High-grade glioma treatment includes ionizing radiation therapy. The high invasiveness of glioma cells precludes their eradication and is responsible for the dismal prognosis. Recently, we reported the down-regulation of MHC class I (MHC-I) products in invading tumor cells in human and mouse GL261 gliomas. Here, we tested the hypothesis that whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) up-regulates MHC-I expression on GL261 tumors and enhances the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

Experimental Design: MHC-I molecule expression on GL261 cells was analyzed in vitro and in vivo by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, respectively. To test the response of established GL261 gliomas to treatment, mice with measurable (at CT imaging) brain tumors were randomly assigned to four groups receiving (a) no treatment, (b) WBRT in two fractions of 4 Gy, (c) vaccination with irradiated GL261 cells secreting granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or (d) WBRT and vaccination. Endpoints were tumor response and survival.

Results: An ionizing radiation dose of 4 Gy maximally up-regulated MHC-I molecules on GL261 cells in vitro. In vivo, WBRT induced the expression of the β2-microglobulin light chain subunit of the MHC class I complex on glioma cells invading normal brain and increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration. However, the survival advantage obtained with WBRT or vaccination alone was minimal. In contrast, WBRT in combination with vaccination increased long-term survival to 40% to 80%, compared with 0% to 10% in the other groups (P < 0.002). Surviving animals showed antitumor immunity by rejecting challenge tumors.

Conclusion: Ionizing radiation can be successfully combined with peripheral vaccination for the treatment of established high-grade gliomas.
Phase I Trial of Sequential Low-Dose 5-Aza-2′-Deoxycytidine Plus High-Dose Intravenous Bolus Interleukin-2 in Patients with Melanoma or Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Gollob Jared A. , Sciambi Catherine J. , Peterson Bercedis L. , Richmond Tina , Thoreson Monica , Moran Kelly , Dressman Holly K. , Jelinek Jaroslav , Issa Jean-Pierre J.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: The silencing of gene expression through DNA methylation contributes to defects in antigen presentation and apoptosis in melanoma and renal cell cancer. To determine how a hypomethylating agent would modulate the toxicity and antitumor activity of immunotherapy, we initiated a phase I trial of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (decitabine) plus high-dose interleukin 2 (IL-2).

Experimental Design: Patients received s.c. decitabine daily × 5 days on weeks 1 and 2 of a 12-week cycle. High-dose IL-2, consisting of two cycles of IL-2 600,000 IU/kg i.v. q8 hours × 14 doses separated by a 2-week break, was administered starting on week 3. Decitabine was escalated from 0.1 to 0.25 mg/kg. The hypomethylating activity of decitabine was assessed during cycle 1 by measuring hemoglobin F levels and changes in DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Results: Twenty-one patients with melanoma or renal cell cancer were enrolled. Decitabine did not alter the tolerability of IL-2 but caused grade 4 neutropenia in most patients. Grade 4 neutropenia lasting more than 7 days was the only dose-limiting toxicity, with a trend toward a higher incidence with increasing decitabine doses. Infection occurred in only one patient despite the high incidence of neutropenia, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use in several patients expedited neutrophil recovery. Decitabine augmented hemoglobin F levels and altered DNA methylation and gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a dose-independent manner that overlapped with the administration of IL-2. Objective responses occurred in 31% of melanoma patients.

Conclusions: Decitabine can be safely administered with high-dose IL-2 and may enhance the activity of IL-2 in melanoma.
Targeting the Double-Strand DNA Break Repair Pathway as a Therapeutic Strategy
Authors: Lord Christopher J. , Garrett Michelle D. , Ashworth Alan
Published: August 2006

DNA repair pathways are crucial for the maintenance of genome integrity. The pathway that repairs DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) has components involved in both signaling and repairing DNA damage. Impairing DSB repair using specific inhibitors of signaling or repair might, in principle, sensitize tumor cells to particular DNA-damaging agents. Moreover, the existence of specific defects in DNA repair pathways in tumors provides the rationale for the use of “synthetic lethal” approaches targeting this cellular “Achilles' heel.” Here, we discuss the mechanisms involved in DSB repair and detail potential therapeutic approaches based on targeting this pathway.
Expansion of IL-10-Producing CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells in Fixed Drug Eruption
Authors: Teraki Yuichi , Kokaji Tomoko , Shiohara Tetsuo
Published: August 2006

Background: A severe form of fixed drug eruption (FDE) clinically and histologically mimics toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) but, unlike TEN, resolves spontaneously upon withdrawal of the causative drug. Objective and Methods: We reported a case of a severe FDE caused by mefenamic acid that spontaneously resolved without use of systemic corticosteroids. To clarify the phenotype of the T cells responsible for clinical resolution of FDE, we kinetically examined γ-interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 production by peripheral blood T cells of the patient before and after oral challenge with the causative drug using flow cytometry. Results: We found that the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells capable of producing IFN-γ and IL-4 remained unchanged after challenge, while those of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells capable of producing IL-10 dramatically increased after challenge. The frequency of CD8+ T cells capable of producing IL-2 decreased after challenge. Conclusion: These results suggest that expansion of IL-10-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may be responsible for spontaneous resolution of a severe form of FDE.
Rotation Flap Reconstruction for Nasal Tip Defect after Mohs Surgery
Authors: Skaria A.M.
Published: August 2006

Background: Skin cancer of the nasal tip is frequent, and reconstruction after Mohs surgery might be challenging. The rotation flap is a very commonly used flap for reconstructions on the vertex and the extremities but rarely on the nose. In textbooks rotation flaps in nose reconstruction are rarely mentioned. Objective: We present a rotation flap from the caudal tip and the columella of the nose for defects of the lateral tip of the nose. Methods: With graphics and photographs of case studies we explain the mechanism of placement and movement of the flap. Results: The rotation flap is useful for reconstructions of medium-size defects of the distal lateral nose tip. Conclusion: The rotation flap can be used in the reconstruction of laterally placed nasal tip defects. As this flap is not mentioned in textbooks for nasal tip reconstruction, its value for this localization is probably underestimated.
Distinguishing between Hypochondriasis and Somatization Disorder: A Review of the Existing Literature
Authors: Noyes Russell , Stuart Scott , Watson David B. , Langbehn Douglas R.
Published: August 2006

A valid classification is important for further understanding of the somatoform disorders. The main disorders in this grouping – somatization disorder and hypochondriasis – have lengthy historical traditions and are defined in a contrasting manner. Various authors point to distinguishing demographic and clinical features, but there have been few direct comparisons of patients with these disorders. A review of the literature indicates those domains where differences are most likely to be found. Research assessing these may serve to refine and validate these key somatoform categories and/or dimensions.
Cognitive-Behavioural Group Intervention for Climacteric Syndrome
Authors: Alder Judith , Eymann Besken Kathrin , Armbruster Ulrike , Decio Roberta , Gairing Anja , Kang Anjeung , Bitzer Johannes
Published: August 2006

Background: During peri- and postmenopause there is a high prevalence of psychological symptoms such as emotional instability, depressive moods, anxiety, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunction. Aetiologically relevant factors for discomfort are decline of sex hormones and psychosocial factors such as lifestyle, attitude towards menopause, pre-menopausal mental health and sociocultural factors. In contrast to the relevance of psychosocial factors, there are few studies on psychological interventions. The present study evaluates an open trial of cognitive-behavioural group intervention consisting of psychoeducation, group discussion and coping skills training for women suffering from climacteric symptoms. Methods: Thirty women were enrolled in this first trial. Standardised (MRS, HADS-D, Partnership Questionnaire, McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire) and especially developed (‘Attitudes Towards the Menopause’) instruments were administered 3 times, twice before (T1 and T2) and once after the group intervention (T3). General linear model repeated measures were used to analyse changes in questionnaire measures. Results: Taking the average of the two pre-intervention scores, significant improvements were observed in anxiety (p < 0.01), depression (p < 0.02), partnership relations (p < 0.02), overall score of sexuality (p < 0.02), hot flashes (p < 0.01) and cardiac complaints (p < 0.01) from pre- to post-intervention. No changes were found for sexual satisfaction and stressfulness of menopausal symptoms. Conclusions: This pilot study points at a possible effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural interventions for the treatment of climacteric syndrome. Further studies will have to use randomised trials, comparing different treatments (HRT, phyto-oestrogens, relaxation training, discussion groups) for their effectiveness.
Alexithymia, Risk Factor or Consequence of Work-Related Stress?
Authors: de Vente W. , Kamphuis J.H. , Emmelkamp P.M.G.
Published: August 2006

Background: Primary alexithymia has been proposed as a trait-like risk factor for various psychiatric disorders. Alternatively, secondary alexithymia has been conceptualized as an inadequate coping reaction to a stressful situation. This study investigated the level and the type of alexithymia associated with occupational stress. Method: On 2 occasions, 69 patients with work-related stress and 62 healthy participants completed self-report instruments to measure alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), burnout complaints (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and general distress complaints (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, Checklist Individual Strength). Group differences in alexithymia were analyzed using ANOVAs. The type of alexithymia was investigated by (a) determining absolute and relative stability, (b) exploring state dependence by adjusting alexithymia for burnout and distress complaints and (c) associating recovery of complaints with change in alexithymia. Results: Alexithymia was significantly elevated among patients. In the patient group, absolute stability of two alexithymia dimensions (identifying feelings, describing feelings) and relative stability of one alexithymia dimension (identifying feelings) was lower than in the healthy group. Cross-sectional group differences became small and nonsignificant after adjustment for distress complaints. Among patients, change in alexithymia was moderately associated with symptom recovery. Conclusion: Elevated alexithymia among patients with occupational stress is highly state dependent, which indicates the presence of secondary alexithymia.
Alexithymia in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – Results from a Family Study
Authors: Grabe Hans Joergen , Ruhrmann Stephan , Ettelt Susan , Müller Angela , Buhtz Friederike , Hochrein Andrea , Schulze-Rauschenbach Svenja , Meyer Klaus , Kraft Susanne , Reck Claudia , Pukrop Ralf , Klosterkötter Joachim , Falkai Peter , Maier Wolfgang , Wagner Michael , John Ulrich , Freyberger Harald J.
Published: August 2006

Background: Previous studies have suggested an association between alexithymia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is unclear to which extent alexithymic traits in OCD patients reflect familial deficits in cognitively processing and communicating feelings that are also present in their first-degree relatives. This study investigates the hypotheses of an elevated level of alexithymia in subjects with OCD and their first-degree relatives compared to controls and their first-degree relatives. Methods: 82 cases with OCD and 169 first-degree relatives were compared to 76 controls and 144 first-degree relatives from a German family study on OCD (GENOS). All subjects completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Direct or family informant interviews were carried out with the German version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia – lifetime version for anxiety disorders (DSM-IV). Results: OCD was associated with significantly higher scores of alexithymia. However, first-degree relatives of OCD cases and of controls did not differ in TAS-20 scores. In linear regression analyses, the TAS-20 total score showed significant intrafamilial associations within the families of control subjects but not within families of OCD cases. Conclusion: OCD is a severe mental disorder that is associated independently from other current comorbid axis I disorders with deficits in identifying and expressing feelings. However, alexithymia does not represent a familial risk factor for OCD.
Effect of Sodium/Hydrogen Exchange Inhibition on Myocardial Infarct Size after Coronary Artery Thrombosis and Thrombolysis
Authors: Hennan James K. , Driscoll Edward M. , Barrett Terrance D. , Fischbach Peter S. , Lucchesi Benedict R.
Published: August 2006

This study examines the cardioprotective effects of Na+/H+ exchange inhibition with BIIB-722 or ischemic preconditioning after occlusive thrombus formation and subsequent thrombolysis for reperfusion. Coronary artery thrombosis was induced by vessel wall electrolytic injury. Thrombotic occlusion was maintained for 60 or 90 min in 4 different groups: (1) control; (2) Na+/H+ exchange inhibitor, BIIB-722 (3 mg/kg) before occlusion; (3) BIIB-722 (0.75 mg/kg) before reperfusion; (4) ischemic preconditioning (4 × 5 min). Thrombolysis with intracoronary recombinant tissue plasminogen activator produced reperfusion in 6.3 ± 1.4 min (average for 68 dogs). After restoration of blood flow, vessel patency was maintained for 4 h with the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, BIBU 52ZW. BIIB-722, administered before (26.9 ± 3.6%) or after (22.0 ± 2.3%) 60-min ischemia or preconditioning (18.4 ± 2.8%), produced comparable and significant reductions in infarct size (percent of area at risk) compared to controls (47.2 ± 2.0%). After 90 min of ischemia, BIIB-722 administered before occlusion (37.3 ± 1.1%) and ischemic preconditioning (35.0 ± 4.8%) provided significant cardioprotection compared to control (45.9 ± 1.8%). BIIB-722 was not cardioprotective when administered during occlusion (48.0 ± 2.4%). The results indicate that Na+/H+ exchange inhibition and preconditioning provide a comparable degree of cardioprotection against 60 min of regional ischemia. However, when the regional ischemic period is extended to 90 min, the degree of cardioprotection is markedly reduced. Further studies incorporating clinically relevant events such as thrombosis and thrombolysis are required before one can conclude that Na+/H+ exchange inhibition is effective against more prolonged myocardial ischemia.
Vitamin D Status and Its Relation to Age and Body Mass Index
Authors: Bischof Martin G. , Heinze Georg , Vierhapper Heinrich
Published: August 2006

Background/Aims: While numerous studies have examined 25(OH)-vitamin D3 (25-D) concentrations and their relation to parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels there is only limited information on the interrelation between 25-D, 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1,25-D) and PTH. It was the aim of this study to assess the vitamin D endocrine system and its relation to age and body mass index (BMI). Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised a convenience sample of 483 adults which attended the endocrinology outpatient service of a university hospital in the years 2002–2004. Results: The mean concentrations of 25-D, 1,25-D, calcium and PTH were 21.0 ± 10.6 ng/ml, 47.9 ± 21.7 pg/ml, 9.48 ± 0.48 mg/dl and 51.0 ± 27.2 pg/ml, respectively. 25-D was related (p < 0.01) to BMI, age, PTH and 1,25-D. After correction for 25-D, we found no relation between BMI and 1,25-D. PTH was related (p < 0.01) to serum calcium, BMI, age and 1,25-D (p = 0015). There was a seasonal variation in both, 25-D and 1,25-D serum concentrations: 25-D levels were lowest in January and increased until July while the nadir and zenith of 1,25-D were found in April and October, respectively. Conclusion: Since BMI was negatively related to 25-D the prevalence of 25-D deficiency (<8.8 ng/ml) increased from 8.8% in subjects with BMI <30 kg/m2 to 15.0% in subjects with BMI >30 kg/m2. BMI, age and season should be taken into account when assessing a patients vitamin D status and more aggressive vitamin D supplementation should be considered for obese subjects.
Relationship of Stimulation Site Location within the Subthalamic Nucleus Region to Clinical Effects on Parkinsonian Symptoms
Authors: Yokoyama Tetsuo , Ando Naoto , Sugiyama Kenji , Akamine Soichi , Namba Hiroki
Published: August 2006

Objective: To determine the relationship of the stimulation site in the subthalamic region to the clinical effects on parkinsonian symptoms, the monopolar stimulation of 4 electrode contacts and the resulting effects on parkinsonian symptoms were evaluated. Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients (3 males and 14 females) were enrolled in the study. The patients were evaluated while in a nonmedicated state, and 10–20 min after switching on the pulse generator the effects of stimulation were assessed using separate-subset Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores. Results: The relationship between the site stimulated and the percent improvement was analyzed using polynomial regression. Rigidity (p = 0.0004, R2 = 0.15), akinesia (p = 0.02, R2 = 0.07) and total score (p = 0.009, R2 = 0.089) well fit to second-order polynomial regression and showed the greatest improvement after stimulation at 0–1 mm below the horizontal anterior-posterior commissure (AC-PC) plane. Tremor (p = 0.24, R2 = 0.18) and gait (p = 0.36, R2 = 0.001) had a weak relation to the site stimulated, but stimulation at the sites 0–1 mm below the AC-PC plane also produced greater improvement than stimulation at more ventral or dorsal sites. The percent improvement of the posture (p = 0.92, R2 = 0.002) had no relation to the site stimulated. The dorsal border of the subthalamic nucleus was located 0.6 ± 1.2 mm (n = 27) below the AC-PC plane and the most effective electrode contact 1.2 ± 1.3 mm (n = 27) below it. Conclusions: Stimulation around the dorsal border of the subthalamic nucleus, close to the AC-PC plane, produces greater improvement of parkinsonian symptoms than stimulation at more ventral or dorsal sites.
Renal Effects of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibition in a Rat Model of Chronic Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthesis
Authors: Lecian Dalibor , Demova Hana , Lodererova Alena , Zdychova Jana , Kluckova Hana , Teplan Vladimir , Voska Ludek , Komers Radko
Published: August 2006

Background/Aims: In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) induce a variety of pleiotropic actions that have been recently studied in the area of cardiovascular and renal protection. In the present studies we sought to determine whether statins retain beneficial effects in the experimental model of NO deficiency achieved by chronic administration of a pressor dose of L-arginine analogue N-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME). Methods: To address this issue, blood pressure (BP), renal function (GFR), and albuminuria were determined in rats treated for 4 weeks with L-NAME, L-NAME + atorvastatin (ATO), and in untreated controls. In addition, renal cortical protein expression of caveolin 1 (CAV1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and activity of RhoA were also determined. Results:L-NAME administration resulted in sustained elevation of BP, decreased GFR, and in higher albuminuria as compared to control animals. Co-administration of ATO with L-NAME normalized albuminuria and prevented decreases in GFR in L-NAME rats without having an impact on pressor effects of L-NAME. CAV1 protein expression was similar in all groups of rats. In contrast, VEGF expression and RhoA activity was increased in L-NAME-treated animals, and normalized with co-administration of ATO. Conclusion: Treatment with ATO exerts early nephroprotective effects in the NO-deficient model of hypertension. These effects could be mediated by amelioration of VEGF expression and reduction of RhoA activity.
The Effect of Yarn Hairiness on Air Drag in Ring Spinning
Authors: Tang Zheng-Xue , Wang Xungai , Wang Lijing , Fraser W. Barrie
Published: August 2006

Air drag on yarn and package surfaces affects yarn tension, which in turn affects energy consumption and ends-down in ring spinning. This study investigated the effects of yarn hairiness on air drag in ring spinning. Theoretical models of skin friction coefficient on the surface of rotating yarn packages were developed. The predicted results were verified with experimental data obtained from cotton and wool yarns. The results show that hairiness increases the air drag by about one-quarter and one-third for the rotating cotton and wool yarn packages, respectively. In addition, yarn hairiness increases the air drag by about one-tenth on a ballooning cotton yarn.
Negative Poisson’s Ratio Polyester Fibers
Authors: Ravirala Naveen , Alderson Kim L. , Davies Philip J. , Simkins Virginia R. , Alderson Andrew
Published: August 2006

Auxetic materials are referred to as those having negative Poisson’s ratio (ν). Initial work at Bolton successfully fabricated auxetic polypropylene fiber using a novel thermal melt-spinning technique. This paper reports in detail both the methods and principles involved in screening polyester powder and also the manufacturing method for successful production of auxetic polyester fibers. Videoextensometry along with micro-tensile testing were used to measure the Poisson’s ratio of the fiber. The Poisson’s ratio of the polyester fiber was found to vary between -0.65 and -0.75.
Effects of Cultivating Methods and Area on the Mechanical Properties of Cotton Fiber and Yarn
Authors: Inoue Mari , Yamamoto Shinji , Yamada Yukako , Niwa Masako
Published: August 2006

Two kinds of cotton fibers cultivated by different methods were measured and the mechanical properties of these fibers were compared with the mechanical properties of cotton yarns made of organic cotton fiber and non-organic cotton fiber. In this study, the mechanical properties of single cotton fibers and cotton yarns the authors measured and the moduli were calculated by assuming that the cross-section of the cotton fiber is elliptical. It was also found that the strains and stresses of breaking point of organic cotton fibers were larger than those of non-organic cotton fibers. Cotton fibers cultivated in different areas were then examined and it was found that the moduli of cotton fibers cultivated in the northern or southern hemisphere (USA and Australian cottons in this study) were very similar, and the yarn properties for yarns made from cotton fibers from both areas were also very similar. However, the yarn consisting of a mixture of cottons in the northern and southern hemispheres had larger strain, torsional stiffness and hysteresis. It was concluded that the deterioration of fibers consisting of a mixture of cotton contributes to the yarn properties, because the rules of surface orientation differ for cotton fibrils cultivated in the northern and the southern hemisphere as shown in Onogi’s study ( Textile Res. J.66, 406-410 (1996)).
Counterpoints and métissages
Authors: Cravetto Maria Letizia
Published: August 2006

The article shows the path that led the author to organize the exhibition (21 June-21 July 2004 at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris) and the international symposium (30 June 2004) entitled: “De l’ethnographie du poisson a l’objet de luxe: un autre regard”/“From the Anthropology of Fish to the Luxury Item: Another Vision”. Intimate acquaintance with catastrophe, uprooting, trauma and exile can be transformed into a precarious but possible life if the subject acquires enough confidence to say “in another syntax” what reduced his or her being and speech to the disarray of an existential uncertainty. Therefore, in order to understand the crisis that gives rise to this new métissage, it is necessary to be capable of hearing the counterpoint score of the signs in which the real seems to take the place of the symbolic. The radical changes, the métissages, come about when the subjects have already been confronted with a de-subjectivized knowledge: a “deported or displaced knowledge”. Knowledge in effect loses its transmissible character when it is rooted in the crime of genealogy, succinctly captured by Shakespeare’s “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.
From misery to luxury
Authors: Goody Jack
Published: August 2006

This short article deals with the transformation of ordinary into luxury goods in relation to the growth of capitalism.
Towards the necessity of a new interactive approach integrating ethnology, ecology and ethology in the study of the relationship between Kyrgyz stockbreeders and wolves
Authors: Lescureux Nicolas
Published: August 2006

The cohabitation between men and wolves arouses passions but also scientific questions. Recent ecological studies show that human activities have an unquestionable influence on wolves’ behavior. In the same way, if one refers to various ethnological works, it is undeniable that human populations are sensitive to this neighbor whose presence is marked both materially and symbolically. However, in spite of the apparent reciprocity of the relationship between these two species, they were studied up to now only in a unilateral way by ecology, ethology and ethnology. Now, the analysis of data resulting from my fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan shows a more complex reality to the relationship, which compels us to reconsider the way of treating it. The cohabitation between wolves and men, as experienced by Kyrgyz for centuries, is indeed assimilated to a real inter-relationship made up of reciprocal influences. Kyrgyz and wolves seem thus to be involved in an interactive and dynamic relational system. The latter imposes for its study a new approach, one that is more global and dialectical, concerned with the interspecific character of the relationship. However, such an approach inevitably raises methodological if not epistemological problems this article wishes to highlight.
The Influence of Hole Diameter on Residual Stresses and Plastic Zone Expansion in Steel Fiber-reinforced Aluminum Metal-matrix Laminated Composite Plates under Tranverse Loading
Authors: Aktas Mehmet
Published: August 2006

This article deals with the elastoplastic behavior of the steel fiber-reinforced aluminum metal-matrix laminated composite plates with different circular hole diameters. The plates are assumed to be clamped and subjected to different transversely distributed loads. The loading is gradually increased from the yield point of the plate by 0.001 MPa at each load step up to 15 and 18 kN total load on the plates. The laminated plates are composed of four orthotropic layers oriented at different angles in a symmetric manner. The plates are meshed into 64 elements and 288 nodes. The residual stress and the expansion of the plastic zone are obtained for small deformations by using the finite element method and including the first-order shear deformation theory. The Lagrange elements with nine nodes are used for finding the solution. The results show that the percentage of the plastic zone expansion increases while the diameter of the circular hole decreases for [0°/90°]s, [30°/-30°]s, [45°/-45°]s, and [60°/60°]s fiber directions.
Buckling of Composite Laminates Subjected to In-plane Partial Edge Compression using a Refined Plate Theory
Authors: Chakrabarti Anupam , Sheikh Abdul Hamid
Published: August 2006

The buckling of composite laminates subjected to in-plane partial edge compression is studied using a refined plate theory. In this theory, transverse shear stresses are continuous at the layer interfaces along with stress-free conditions at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. It is quite interesting to note that the plate model having all these refined features requires unknowns only at the reference plane. However, this theory demands C1 continuity of transverse displacement at the element edges, which is difficult to accommodate in any existing finite element. The present study is made by a new triangular element developed for the purpose.
Examining the Effect of Emotional Dissonance on Work Stress and Satisfaction With Supervisors Among Correctional Staff
Authors: Tewksbury Richard , Higgins George E.
Published: August 2006

Studies of job satisfaction of correctional staff members have shown relatively low levels of job satisfaction. Important in these studies is the link between work stress and job satisfaction. However, to date, researchers have neglected consideration of the role that emotional dissonance may play in the job satisfaction of correctional staff members. Drawing on data from 211 staff members in two Kentucky prisons, the present research examines the role of emotional dissonance and perceived work stress on correctional staff members’ job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling shows that emotional dissonance is an antecedent of work stress, which in turn affects satisfaction with supervisors. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.
The Origins and Essence of US Social Policy
Authors: Manning Nick
Published: August 2006

Our understanding of US social policy has not been advanced by the classification of welfare states that has dominated social policy analysis in recent years. But in biology and cosmology we can find useful examples of the way in which we can develop more theoretically informed and dynamic classifications. A common feature has been the incorporation of time and developmental paths into classification. The way in which social and political developments unfold over time is particularly important in social policy and, in the case of the USA, this has enabled us to understand that social policies can and have changed, with a rich mix of progressive and regressive policies evolving and receding over the decades. In view of the dominance of the USA in world affairs and the global transfer of resources, ideas and polices across regions, this more subtle analysis of the nature of US social policy is essential.
The Social Economy and the American Model Relating New Social Policy Directions to the Old
Authors: Graefe Peter
Published: August 2006

This article seeks to untangle how the new vocabulary of the ‘social’ relates to the ‘American model’ of neoliberalization that was taken up by national elites across the West and many parts of the South in the 1980s and 1990s. It does so by focusing on one new field of policy (the social economy) in one jurisdiction (Québec) in order to uncover the different social economy projects being put forward, and to emphasize how these projects each had global linkages. In particular, the article will look at how the women’s movement, social democratic intellectuals and centres of power within the state each related to distinct bodies of global thinking on the social economy. This in turn translated into three distinct means of relating the social economy to neoliberalism, ranging from seeking to countervail it, through to attempts to flank it, to attempts to roll it out further.
Disabling the Flâneur
Authors: Serlin David
Published: August 2006

This article uses a photograph of the famous American blind advocate Helen Keller window-shopping in Paris during the late 1930s to meditate on and, ultimately, to challenge the scholarly literature that limits the way we understand the concept of the flâneur, the celebrated street-walker who has been an icon of urban modernity since the 19th century. The article re-evaluates narratives of urban modernity by suggesting that, in terms of charting genealogies of modern subjectivity, the sensorial and tactile experiences of disabled people should be included alongside the able-bodied privileges of the flâneur. The photograph of Keller is juxtaposed with the image of a group of disabled veterans to explore how the gendered dimensions of disability were deployed in French visual culture in the interwar period. The article closes with a meditation on the possible limits of representing disability in the contemporary French public sphere.
Ways of Staring
Authors: Garland-Thomson Rosemarie
Published: August 2006

This article considers how staring informs the ways we know each other and the world around us. Staring, a complex, nuanced, and meaning-laden social interaction, can take many forms: arrested, separated, or engaged. It is an intense encounter which is sometimes a random, idiosyncratic confrontation and at other times a highly structured social ritual driven by the collective impulse to look. This article argues that staring often defines the relationship between disabled and nondisabled individuals. More important, however, it seeks to redefine this relationship by imagining, perhaps counterintuitively, the object of the stare as determining the structure and outcome of the staring engagement. The staree may take charge of the encounter, in other words, using various strategies to both mediate and transform discomforting interaction into an unexpected opportunity for mutual transformation.
Blindness and Deafness as Metaphors: An Anthological Essay
Authors: Grigely Joseph
Published: August 2006

This essay consists of 52 quotations from contemporary writers who use variations of the words ‘blindness’ and ‘deafness’ as pejorative metaphors. The quotations are arranged as a narrative so that they constitute both an anthology of metaphors of disablement and a critique of them. The essay examines how a culture expresses its values through its metaphors, especially those that reach the status of conventionalized idioms, clichés, and figures of speech. Authorship alone is not the issue here; the essay further explores the subject of dissemination, and how certain publication sites such as the editorial pages of The New York Times might be regarded a barometer of linguistic permissiveness. In this respect, a sense of the status quo concerning the disabled in Western society might be gleaned from metaphors of disablement like these, and the unseemly ease with which they are written, printed, and disseminated in culture today.
‘Play It Again, Sam, and Again’: Obsession and Art
Authors: Davis Lennard J.
Published: August 2006

Working under the premise that disability as an identity category cannot be ignored when addressing the role it plays in the production of art, and utilizing postmodern or biocultural notions of disease, this article traces the history of obsession as disease in five ‘outsider’ artists: Adolf Wölfli, Jay DeFeo, Max Klinger, Mark Lombardi, and Judith Scott. To these ends, this article explores obsession as a culturally acceptable and even desirable disease and one that relies on societal notions of madness, art, and normality. An interpretation of outsider art that takes into account the artist’s mental condition, whether it is to view the art as a ‘product of’ a particular mental condition or as something produced in spite of it, shows that obsession in art is deeply involved in the notion of art itself.
Analyses of variant human papillomavirus type-16 E5 proteins for their ability to induce mitogenesis of murine fibroblasts
Authors: Nath Rahul , Mant Christine A , Kell Barbara , Cason John , Bible Jon M
Published: August 2006

Background

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E5 protein co-operates with epidermal growth factor to stimulate mitogenesis of murine fibroblasts. Currently, little is known about which viral amino acids are involved in this process. Using sequence variants of HPV-16 E5 we have investigated their effects upon E5 transcription, cell-cycling and cell-growth of murine fibroblasts.

Results

We demonstrate that: (i) introduction of Thr64 into the reference E5 sequence of HPV-16 abrogates mitogenic activity: both were poorly transcribed in NIH-3T3 cells; (ii) substitution of Leu44Val65 or, Thr37Leu44Val65 into the HPV-16 E5 reference backbone resulted in high transcription in NIH-3T3 cells, enhanced cell-cycle progression and high cell-growth; and, (iii) inclusion of Tyr8 into the Leu44Val65 backbone inhibited E5 induced cell-growth and repression of p21 expression, despite high transcription levels.

Conclusion

The effects of HPV-16 E5 variants upon mitosis help to explain why Leu44Val65 HPV-16 E5 variants are most prevalent in 'wild' pathogenic viral populations in the UK.