bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The β-catenin/TCF4 pathway modifies alternative splicing through modulation of SRp20 expression
Authors: Gonçalves Vânia , Matos Paulo , Jordan Peter
Published: October 2008

Gene expression programs can become activated in response to extracellular signals. One evolutionarily conserved example is binding of Wnt glycoproteins to their receptor, which triggers a signal transduction cascade that stabilizes cytoplasmic β-catenin protein, allowing it to translocate into the nucleus. There, β-catenin binds to TCF/Lef family transcription factors and promotes the expression of target genes. Mutations in either the β-catenin gene itself or its partner protein APC are responsible for the oncogenic activation of this pathway in colorectal tumors. Here we report the splicing factor SRp20 as a novel target gene of β-catenin/TCF4 signaling. Transfection of activated β-catenin mutants into colorectal cells increased expression of endogenous SRp20 transcript and protein and also stimulated a luciferase reporter construct containing the SRp20 gene promoter. In contrast, inhibition of endogenous β-catenin signaling by a dominant-negative TCF4 construct down-regulated both luciferase reporter and SRp20 expression. We further demonstrate that the β-catenin/TCF4-mediated increase in SRp20 protein levels is sufficient to modulate alternative splicing decisions in the cells. In particular, we observed a change in the alternative splicing pattern in a control minigene reporter as well as in the endogenous SRp20-regulated CD44 cell adhesion protein. These results demonstrate that the β-catenin/TCF4 pathway not only stimulates gene transcription, but also promotes the generation of transcript variants through alternative splicing. Our data support the recent notion that transcription and alternative splicing represent two different layers of gene expression and that signaling pathways act upon a coordinated network of transcripts in each layer.
RNA target specificity of the embryonic cell fate determinant POS-1
Authors: Farley Brian M. , Pagano John M. , Ryder Sean P.
Published: October 2008

Specification of Caenorhabditis elegans body axes and cell fates occurs prior to the activation of zygotic transcription. Several CCCH-type tandem zinc finger (TZF) proteins coordinate local activation of quiescent maternal mRNAs after fertilization, leading to asymmetric expression of factors required for patterning. The primary determinant of posterior fate is the TZF protein POS-1. Mutants of pos-1 are maternal effect lethal with a terminal phenotype that includes excess pharyngeal tissue and no endoderm or germline. Here, we delineate the consensus POS-1 recognition element (PRE) required for specific recognition of its target mRNAs. The PRE is necessary but not sufficient to pattern the expression of a reporter. The PRE is distinct from sequences recognized by related proteins from both mammals and nematodes, demonstrating that variants of this protein family can recognize divergent RNA sequences. The PRE is found within the 3′ untranslated region of 227 maternal transcripts required for early development, including genes involved in endoderm and germline specification. The results enable prediction of novel targets that explain the pleiotropy of the pos-1 phenotype.
Archaeal Pus10 proteins can produce both pseudouridine 54 and 55 in tRNA
Authors: Gurha Priyatansh , Gupta Ramesh
Published: October 2008

Pus10, a recently identified pseudouridine (Ψ) synthase, does not belong to any of the five commonly identified families of Ψ synthases. Pyrococcus furiosus Pus10 has been shown to produce Ψ55 in tRNAs. However, in vitro studies have identified another mechanism for tRNA Ψ55 production in Archaea, which uses Cbf5 and other core proteins of the H/ACA ribonucleoprotein complex, in a guide RNA-independent manner. Pus10 homologs have been observed in nearly all sequenced archaeal genomes and in some higher eukaryotes, but not in yeast and bacteria. This coincides with the presence of Ψ54 in the tRNAs of Archaea and higher eukaryotes and its absence in yeast and bacteria. No tRNA Ψ54 synthase has been reported so far. Here, using recombinant Methanocaldococcus jannaschii and P. furiosus Pus10, we show that these proteins can function as synthase for both tRNA Ψ54 and Ψ55. The two modifications seem to occur independently. Salt concentration dependent variations in these activities of both proteins are observed. The Ψ54 synthase activity of M. jannaschii protein is robust, while the same activity of P. furiosus protein is weak. Probable reasons for these differences are discussed. Furthermore, unlike bacterial TruB and yeast Pus4, archaeal Pus10 does not require a U54•A58 reverse Hoogstein base pair and pyrimidine at position 56 to convert tRNA U55 to Ψ55. The homology of eukaryal Pus10 with archaeal Pus10 suggests that the former may also have a tRNA Ψ54 synthase activity.
Flexibility in the site of exon junction complex deposition revealed by functional group and RNA secondary structure alterations in the splicing substrate
Authors: Mishler Dennis M. , Christ Alexander B. , Steitz Joan A.
Published: October 2008

The exon junction complex (EJC) is critical for mammalian nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and translational regulation, but the mechanism of its stable deposition on mRNA is unknown. To examine requirements for EJC deposition, we created splicing substrates containing either DNA nucleotides or RNA secondary structure in the 5′ exon. Using RNase H protection, toeprinting, and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we found that EJC location shifts upstream when a stretch of DNA or RNA secondary structure appears at the canonical deposition site. These upstream shifts occur prior to exon ligation and are often accompanied by decreases in deposition efficiency. Although the EJC core protein eIF4AIII contacts four ribose 2′OH groups in crystal structures, we demonstrate that three 2′OH groups are sufficient for deposition. Thus, the site of EJC deposition is more flexible than previously appreciated and efficient deposition appears spatially limited.
A Decision Tree Model for Evaluating Countermeasures to Secure Cargo at United States Southwestern Ports of Entry
Authors: Bakır Niyazi Onur
Published: October 2008

This paper presents a decision tree model for evaluating countermeasures to reduce vulnerabilities to terrorism in commercial truck crossings at United States southwestern land ports of entry. The model includes critical events in four phases of cargo movement: cargo transfer in Mexico, Mexican customs, U.S. customs, and the inland phase. Improvements in transportation security, inspections at Mexican ports, and at U.S. ports, are comparatively evaluated using parameterized variables. Costs and benefits of such improvements are analyzed to counter a radiological dispersion device (also known as a “dirty bomb”) attack. The results suggest that security decisions depend primarily on the probability of attack and parameters that influence the overall cost of false alarms. Extensive exploratory analysis reveals that improving security at Mexican ports is not recommended, mainly due to the cost of false alarms. However, a high percentage and a high cost of false alarms may justify new radiation portal monitors at U.S. ports even when improvements in the capability to detect dangerous cargo are insignificant. Better transportation security is not recommended if the probability of attack is less than 0.15. When the probability of attack exceeds 0.15 and false-alarm related costs are high, the model recommends enhancing transportation security. In addition, the parameters modeling economic consequences of an attack in a populated area, the probability of discovering weapons after smuggling into the United States, the probability of detonation, as well as the probability of detection at U.S. ports of entry, have significant impact on the countermeasure decision.
An Interactive Search Method Based on User Preferences
Authors: Roy Asim , Mackin Patrick , Wallenius Jyrki , Corner James , Keith Mark , Schymik Gregory , Arora Hina
Published: October 2008

This paper presents a general method for interactively searching for objects (alternatives) in a large collection the contents of which are unknown to the user and where the objects are defined by a large number of discrete-valued attributes. Briefly, the method presents an object and asks the user to indicate his or her preference for the object. The method allows preference indications in two basic modes: (1) by assignment of objects to predefined preference categories such as high, medium, and low preference or (2) by direct preference comparison of objects such as “object A preferred to object B.” From these preference statements, the method learns about the user's preferences and constructs an approximation to a value or preference function of the user (additive or multiplicative) at each iteration. It then uses this approximate preference function to rerank the objects in the collection and retrieve the top-ranked ones to present to the user at the next iteration. The process terminates when the user is satisfied with the list of top-ranked objects. This method can also be used to solve general multiattribute discrete alternative problems, where the alternatives are known with certainty and described by a set of discrete-valued attributes. Test results are reported and application possibilities are discussed.
Click Fraud
Authors: Wilbur Kenneth C. , Zhu Yi
Published: October 2008

Click fraud is the practice of deceptively clicking on search ads with the intention of either increasing third-party website revenues or exhausting an advertiser's budget. Search advertisers are forced to trust that search engines detect and prevent click fraud even though the engines get paid for every undetected fraudulent click. We find conditions under which it is in a search engine's interest to allow some click fraud.

Under full information in a second-price auction, if x% of clicks are fraudulent, advertisers will lower their bids by x%, leaving the auction outcome and search engine revenues unchanged. However, if we allow for uncertainty in the amount of click fraud or change the auction type to include a click-through component, search engine revenues may rise or fall with click fraud. A decrease occurs when the keyword auction is relatively competitive because advertisers lower their budgets to hedge against downside risk. If the keyword auction is less competitive, click fraud may transfer surplus from the winning advertiser to the search engine. Our results suggest that the search advertising industry would benefit from using a neutral third party to audit search engines' click fraud detection algorithms.
Estimating Demand Heterogeneity Using Aggregated Data: An Application to the Frozen Pizza Category
Authors: Albuquerque Paulo , Bronnenberg Bart J.
Published: October 2008

This paper combines different aggregate-level data sets to identify new product demand in consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories. Our approach augments market-level time-series data with widely available summaries of household purchase behavior, i.e., brand penetration and purchase set size data. We show that this augmentation is helpful in the estimation of consumer heterogeneity. For instance, observing a brand with relatively large shares and low penetration typically indicates that preferences are dispersed, with relatively few customers liking the brand a lot. Whereas the combination of share and penetration is informative about heterogeneity with realistic sample sizes, in isolation neither variable may lead to precise estimates of heterogeneity. In addition, other widely available data, e.g., category penetration, is helpful in estimating the size of the total market. Using a large Monte Carlo study, the paper demonstrates the benefits of the proposed approach in estimating model parameters, price elasticities, and brand switching. Empirically, the approach is used to evaluate the launch of a new national brand, DiGiorno, in the frozen pizza category. The new brand is inferred to be very successful at expanding the category, while avoiding cannibalization of existing company share. Using only standard information, i.e., market shares, to estimate the demand model leads, in our data, to poor estimates of the degree of consumer taste variation and of switching to a new brand.
Research Note—Should Captive Sardines Be Compensated? Serving Customers in a Confined Zone
Authors: Chen Rachel R. , Gerstner Eitan , Yang Yinghui (Catherine)
Published: October 2008

Many services are delivered to a (large) number of customers simultaneously within a confined zone (e.g., restaurants, resorts, trains, and airplanes). Under unexpected high demand, customers experience discomfort from two major sources: (a) the sardine effect that arises when too many customers (i.e., sardines) compete for space and service resources, and (b) the captivity effect that results from an exit cost incurred by customers who self-select to “escape” the unpleasant service. This paper investigates the optimal compensation and pricing policies under these two effects. We find that offering compensation to sardines can improve profit and social welfare. However, consumers do not benefit when compensated for the discomfort from crowding. This paper also provides insights by exploring the impact of changes in the two effects on price and profit.
Division of Labor in Medical Office Practices
Authors: Dobson Gregory , Pinker Edieal , Van Horn R. Lawrence
Published: October 2008

This paper examines the staffing, division of labor, and resulting profitability of primary care physician practices. Division of labor is viewed as a mechanism to increase the efficiency of production processes through specialization. At the same time, division of labor also introduces coordination cost as handoffs and communication needs increase. We attempt to empirically assess the net effect in primary care physician offices. We collected data from a sample of these practices and tested two hypotheses: (H1) controlling for staff size, greater delegation through the use of more staff types will decrease the throughput of visits, and (H2) controlling for staff size, income per unit time generated by the practice is decreasing in the number of staff types. We find evidence supporting both hypotheses. We conclude that many physicians are gaining little financial benefit from delegating work to support staff. This suggests that small practices with few staff may be viable alternatives to traditional practice designs.
Joining Longer Queues: Information Externalities in Queue Choice
Authors: Veeraraghavan Senthil , Debo Laurens
Published: October 2008

A classic example that illustrates how observed customer behavior impacts other customers' decisions is the selection of a restaurant whose quality is uncertain. Customers often choose the busier restaurant, inferring that other customers in that restaurant know something that they do not. In an environment with random arrival and service times, customer behavior is reflected in the lengths of the queues that form at the individual servers. Therefore, queue lengths could signal two factors—potentially higher arrivals to the server or potentially slower service at the server. In this paper, we focus on both factors when customers' waiting costs are negligible. This allows us to understand how information externalities due to congestion impact customers' service choice behavior.

In our model, based on private information about both the service-quality and queue-length information, customers decide which queue to join. When the service rates are the same and known, we confirm that it may be rational to ignore private information and purchase from the service provider with the longer queue when only one additional customer is present in the longer queue. We find that, due to the information externalities contained in queue lengths, there exist cycles during which one service firm is thriving whereas the other is not. Which service provider is thriving depends on luck; i.e., it is determined by the private signal of the customer arriving when both service providers are idle. These phenomena continue to hold when each service facility has multiple servers, or when a facility may go out of business when it cannot attract customers for a certain amount of time. Finally, we find that when the service rates are unknown but are negatively correlated with service values, our results are strengthened; long queues are now doubly informative. The market share of the high-quality firm is higher when there is service rate uncertainty, and it increases as the service rate decreases. When the service rates are positively correlated with unknown service values, long queues become less informative and customers might even join shorter queues.
Inventory, Discounts, and the Timing Effect
Authors: Ahn Hyun-Soo , Gümüş Mehmet , Kaminsky Philip
Published: October 2008

We introduce and analyze a model that explicitly considers the timing effect of intertemporal pricing—the concept, found in practice, that demand during a sale is increasing in the time since the last sale. We present structural results that characterize the interaction between the decision to hold a sale and the inventory-ordering decision. We show that the optimal inventory-ordering policy is a state-dependent base-stock policy; however, the optimal pricing policy can be quite complicated due to both the value and the cost of holding inventory and delaying sales. In our computational analysis, we find that compared to a fixed-price policy, we see an average gain in profit of almost 5% from optimally varying promotion and inventory decisions accounting for intertemporal demand, and we find that this potential profit gain increases as demand variability decreases. We also develop a heuristic based on deterministic pricing and find that it performs well relative to the optimal policy.
Association between estrogen and androgen receptor genes and prostate cancer risk
Authors: Nicolaiew Nathalie , Cancel-Tassin Geraldine , Azzouzi Abdel Rahmene , Grand Beatrice Le , Mangin Philippe , Cormier Luc , Fournier Georges , Giordanella Jean-Pierre , Pouchard Michel , Escary Jean-Louis , Valeri Antoine , Cussenot Olivier
Published: October 2008

Objective

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the principal causes of death among men. Steroid hormones are involved in normal prostate growth and carcinogenesis. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects on PC risk of polymorphisms from three steroid hormone receptor genes: the androgen (AR), and the α (ESR1) and β (ESR2) estrogen receptors.

Design and methods

The study was performed on a Caucasian population of 1045 PC patients and 814 controls. Using a logistic regression model, the different alleles and genotypes from those polymorphisms were analyzed according to case/control status, the tumor aggressiveness, and the age at onset.

Results

A significant association between PC risk and the pooled 4/5, 5/6, and 6/6 genotypes of the GGGA repeat located in the first intron ofESR1(odds ratio (OR)=3.00, 95% CI=1.32–6.82,P=0.008) was observed. When we stratified the cases, this association was confined to patients with a Gleason score of 2–4 (OR=8.34, 95% CI=2.91–23.91,P<0.0001) or late onset PC (OR=2.91, 95% CI=1.22–6.93,P=0.016). An association between a shortARCAG repeat (less than 17 repeats) was also observed among patients with late onset PC (OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.15–4.76,P=0.019).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that the GGGA repeat fromESR1and the CAG repeat fromARmay be associated with risk of late onset PC.
Diagnosis of secondary adrenal insufficiency in patients with hypothalamic–pituitary disease: comparison between serum and salivary cortisol during the high-dose short synacthen test
Authors: Deutschbein Timo , Unger Nicole , Mann Klaus , Petersenn Stephan
Published: October 2008

Objective

Accurate assessment of adrenal function is essential in patients with hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) disease. The measurement of salivary cortisol (SaC) instead of serum cortisol (SeC) offers several advantages, such as the determination of the free hormone. We evaluated the diagnostic value of SeC and SaC both unstimulated and during a high-dose short synacthen test (HDT) in comparison to the insulin tolerance test (ITT).

Design

Comparative study between 2005 and 2007.

Methods

Fifty-five patients with HPA impairment and 21 healthy controls were enrolled. Samples were collected in the early morning and over 120 min during the HDT. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed individual thresholds for four HDT periods (0–30, 0–60, 0–90, and 0–120 min).

Results

The ITT identified 30 subjects as adrenal insufficient. With respect to the four HDT periods, sensitivity and specificity were 67–79% and 71–88% for SeC, compared with 63–72% and 72–86% for SaC. If upper and lower thresholds (with specificities >95%) were applied, patients were diagnosed in 40–45% by SeC and in 25–31% by SaC. The combination of basal cortisol and HDT allowed a diagnosis in 47–49% (SeC) and in 42–45% (SaC) respectively.

Conclusion

We suggest the determination of basal SeC or SaC as first-line test. In comparison to the ITT, the HDT has only limited value in screening for alterations of the HPA axis. If the HDT is performed, sampling may be limited to 30 min post-synacthen, using either SeC or SaC. Due to the ease of collection and the independence of binding proteins, SaC may be preferable.
Serum uric acid and its association with metabolic syndrome and carotid atherosclerosis in obese children
Authors: Pacifico Lucia , Cantisani Vito , Anania Caterina , Bonaiuto Elisabetta , Martino Francesco , Pascone Roberto , Chiesa Claudio
Published: October 2008

Objective

The association between hyperuricemia, metabolic syndrome (MS), and atherosclerotic vascular disease has been reported in adults, but very little is known about this association in children. The aims of our study were to ascertain the correlates of uric acid (UA) in a sample of obese children, and to investigate whether UA is associated with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) independently from classical risk factors including MS.

Methods

We analyzed carotid IMT along with serum triglycerides, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, insulin, insulin resistance index (as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, creatinine, and UA in 120 obese children and 50 healthy control children.

Results

UA concentrations were significantly higher in obese children compared with controls; moreover, they correlated with the most established cardiovascular risk factors. In the group of obese children, after adjustment for age, sex, pubertal stage, and creatinine, an independent association between UA levels and the presence of MS syndrome was observed (unstandardized coefficient, 0.044 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.015–0.072);P<0.01). Carotid IMT significantly increased in the fourth quartile of UA compared with that in the first, second, and third quartile (0.49 (0.46–0.53), 0.53 (0.49–0.56), and 0.55 (0.52–0.59) vs 0.61 (95% CI, 0.58–0.64);P<0.01). When multivariate analysis was performed after adjusting for age, gender, pubertal stage, creatinine, and MS (considered as a single clinical entity), or the individual components of MS simultaneously included, the association between UA and carotid IMT was significant (P<0.01).

Conclusions

In obese children and adolescents, increased UA levels are associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
Thyroid cancer: is the incidence rise abating?
Authors: Sassolas Geneviève , Hafdi-Nejjari Zakia , Remontet Laurent , Bossard Nadine , Belot Aurélien , Berger-Dutrieux Nicole , Decaussin-Petrucci Myriam , Bournaud Claire , Peix Jean Louis , Orgiazzi Jacques , Borson-Chazot Françoise , _ _
Published: October 2008

Objective

The aim of the present study was to determine recent trends in thyroid cancer incidence rates and to analyze histopathological characteristics and geographical distribution.

Methods

Histologically proven 5367 cases were collected over the period 1998–2006 in France from the Rhône-Alpes thyroid cancer registry. Geographical variations of incidence were analyzed using a mixed Poisson model.

Results

The average incidence rates, age standardized to the world population, were 3.9/100 000 in men and 12.3/100 000 in women, higher than those previously reported in France. After an initial increase during the first 3 years, a steady level of incidence was observed for the period 2001–2006. The annual incidence rate of microcarcinomas was correlated with that of all cancers in men and women (r=0.78 and 0.89; P<0.01) respectively. Papillary microcarcinomas represented 38% of tumors and two-thirds of them measured less than 5 mm in diameter. They were fortuitously discovered after thyroidectomy for benign diseases in 64% of cases. Histological marks of aggressiveness differed according to the size of the tumor. Despite recent advances in diagnosis, 13% of tumors were diagnosed at advanced stage especially in men. Geographical distribution of incidence based on subregional administrative entities showed lower incidence rates in rural than in urban zones in men (relative rate: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.62–0.84) and women (relative rate: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73–0.93).

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the rise in thyroid cancer incidence is now abating. It could reflect standardization in diagnostic procedures. Further studies, performed on a more prolonged period, are necessary to confirm these data.
Serum vaspin levels in type 2 diabetic women in relation to microvascular complications
Authors: Gulcelik Nese Ersoz , Karakaya Jale , Gedik Arzu , Usman Aydan , Gurlek Alper
Published: October 2008

Objective

Vaspin is a novel adipokine that has insulin sensitizing effects. The association between serum vaspin levels and diabetic complications is unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum vaspin levels as related to glycemic status and the presence of complications in a group of type 2 diabetic women.

Materials and methods

We evaluated 37 type 2 diabetic female patients and 37 control female subjects who were matched for age and body-mass index. Anthropometric measurements, insulin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-reactive protein, and serum vaspin levels were measured in each participant. Furthermore, the patients were evaluated for diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy.

Results

In diabetic patients, serum vaspin levels correlated positively with HbA1c and correlated negatively with insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment. The patients with HbA1c levels ≤7% had lower levels of serum vaspin than patients with HbA1c levels >7% (0.11±0.06 ng/ml versus 0.20±0.09 ng/ml,P<0.05). In patients with neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy, serum vaspin levels were lower than in patients without neuropathy (0.10±0.07 ng/ml versus 0.17±0.09 ng/ml,P=0.041), retinopathy (0.11±0.06 ng/ml versus 0.18±0.09 ng/ml,P=0.019), and nephropathy, (0.11±0.05 ng/ml versus 0.18±0.09 ng/ml,P=0.02). Diabetic patients receiving metformin therapy had lower vaspin levels than patients not receiving metformin.

Conclusion

Diabetic women with good glycemic control have lower levels of vaspin than those with poor glycemic control. However, presence of microvascular complications is also associated with low vaspin levels. In order to use serum vaspin levels as a marker, evaluating patients for complications and medications interfering with serum vaspin levels seems appropriate.
Elevated basal and post-feed glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) concentrations in the neonatal period
Authors: Padidela Raja , Patterson Michael , Sharief Nawfal , Ghatei Mohammed , Hussain Khalid
Published: October 2008

Background

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone that stimulates glucose-induced insulin secretion, increases β-cell proliferation, neogenesis and β-cell mass. In adults, plasma concentrations of amidated GLP-1 are typically within the 5–10 pmol/l range in the fasting state and increases to ∼50 pmol/l after ingestion of a mixed meal.

Research design and methods

We measured plasma glucose, insulin and amidated forms of GLP-1 prefeed and then at 20 and 60 min post-feed following ingestion of a 60–70 ml of standard milk feed in preterm (n=10, 34–37 weeks) and term newborn infants (n=12, 37–42 weeks). Reverse-phase fast protein liquid chromatography was used to characterise the molecular nature of the circulating GLP-1.

Results

Mean birth weight was 3.18 kg and mean age at sampling for GLP-1 was 7.7 days. The mean basal GLP-1 concentration was 79.1 pmol/l, which increased to 156.6 pmol/l (±70.9,P<0.001) and 121.5 pmol/l (±59.2) at 20 and 60 min respectively. Reverse-phase chromatography analysis suggested that the majority of GLP-1 immunoreactivity (>75%) represented GLP-1 (7–36) amide and (9–36) amide.

Conclusions

Basal and post-feed amidated GLP-1 concentrations in neonates are grossly raised with the major fractions of circulating GLP-1 being (7–36) amide and (9–36) amide. Elevated GLP-1 concentrations in the newborn period may have a role in regulating maturation of enteroendocrine system and also of increasing pancreatic β-cell mass and regeneration. The high levels of GLP-1 may be due to immaturity of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV and or lower glomerular filtration rate in the neonatal period. Further studies are required to understand the role of GLP-1 in the neonatal period.
Egy példa a magyar építészet 1000 évéből: a nagyhörcsökpusztai elpusztult Zichy-kastély
Authors: Fekete J. Csaba , Marótzy Katalin
Published: October 2008

A magyarországi romantika egyik legjelentősebb alkotása a
mára romokban heverőnagyhörcsökpusztai Zichy-kastély, ismertebb nevén Annavár.
A korábbi XIX. és XX. századi szakirodalom a kastély tervezését Ybl Miklósnak
tulajdonította, Wéber Antalt mint az átalakítás tervezőjét említette. E téves
álláspontot a tervtári anyag átvizsgálásával és a helyszín alapos bejárásával
sikerült cáfolnunk. Az Ybl-hagyatékban található nagyhörcsökpusztai tervlapokat
–az ábrázolt átalakítások követésével –sikerült időrendi és tematikus rendbe
foglalni. A Wéber által 1852-től tervezett és Ybl elképzelései szerint az
1860-as években átalakított kastély elemzése a főúri háztartás és a stílus
szempontjából is érdekesnek bizonyult. A terv- és felmérési rajzok sorozatán
egy olyan főúri lakóhely képe bontakozik ki, amely a gyakori változtatás során,
a fiatal és még nőtlen gróf Zichy Paulai Ferenc házasságával gyökeresen
átalakuló és feleségének, Kornis Anna grófnőnek egyre növekvőigényeitől
generált, összetett háztartást mutat. A megrendelői elvárások rutinos
ismeretében Wéber –elsősorban a társasági funkciók kapcsolásakor –már a korai
tervváltozattól egy olyan előremutató térkompozíciót érlelt ki, amely
évtizedekre követendőpéldául szolgált kortársai számára is. A gótizáló
romantikus kastély stílusvizsgálata további bizonyítékokkal szolgált arra, hogy
Wéber nemcsak az elsőépítési fázis, hanem az épület teljes összképet
meghatározó tervezője volt.
Adalékok Szigetmonostor XVIII. századi történetéhez
Authors: Gyetvainé Balogh Ágnes
Published: October 2008

Szigetmonostor (az újkorban Monostor) a Szentendrei-szigeten
fekvő község. 1659-tõl, de ténylegesen csak a török hódoltság után a
Zichy család birtokába került a Buda környékén elterülő zsámbéki (később
óbudai) uradalom. Zichy Ferenc az 1730-as években Horányi Gábor Pest megyei
szolgabírónak adta zálogba Monostort, aki fiával együtt több mint három
évtizedig birtokolta.A bécsi Udvari Kamara elsősorban stratégiai, majd pénzügyi
és gazdasági szempontokból a Buda körül fekvő egész területet meg akarta szerezni,
hogy kincstári uradalommá tegye, erre a XVII. század végétől több kísérletet
tett. Miután Zic_h
Építészeti romemlékek kutatása és védelme Szíriában
Authors: Zsembery Ákos
Published: October 2008

A közelmúltban Szíriával
kapcsolatosan a hazai sajtóban kapott szélesebb nyilvánosságot néhány hazai
régész és építész Közel-Keleten folyó kutatásainak eredménye. A Major Balázs
PhD arabista, régész, történész által 2000 óta vezetett Szíriai–Magyar
Régészeti Misszió eredményei már nemzetközi szinten is jelentősek, ennek újabb
mérföldköve a középkori Margat (Qal’at Marqab) keresztes lovagvár régészeti
koncessziójának 2007-es elnyerése volt. A feltárás és kutatás végeztével a
magyar történelmi vonatkozásokkal is rendelkező vár műemléki bemutatására hazai
szakembereink tehetnek majd javaslatot. A misszió tagjaként a kutatások
jelenlegi eredményeit cs_h
A dekonstrukció fogalmának értékelése 20 év távlatából
Authors: Bun Zoltán
Published: October 2008

Pontosan húsz év telt el azóta, hogy Philip Johnson és Mark
Wigley 1988-ban New Yorkban közös kiállításon mutatta be a legjelentősebbnek
tartott hét „dekonstruktív” építész munkásságát. Ez a húszéves évforduló és
maga az azóta eltelt idő teszi lehetővé azt, hogy az építészeti dekonstrukció
„mozgalmával” kapcsolatban távlatból, objektíven szemlélhessük a történéseket,
értelmezzünk és értékeljünk. Az építészetelmélet és a gyakorlat
összekapcsolása, a bizonytalan (a „ferde” és a „jelentésmentes új”) bevezetése
az építészetbe, az interdiszciplinaritás használata, a fennálló rendszerekkel
szembeni kritikai hozzáállás átértelmezése, a „tervezésmódszertan” új utakra_h
Szabadtéri néprajzi múzeumok ma, holnap?
Authors: Buzás Miklós
Published: October 2008

Az 1896. évi, a honfoglalás ezeréves évfordulójára rendezett
országos nemzeti kiállítás részeként, Jankó János gyűjtései alapján bemutatásra
került a néprajzi falu. Ez az anyag a magyarság történetét és jelenkorát
ábrázoló kiállítás jelenkori részében került kialakításra. A kiállítás
elbontása után hosszas vajúdás következett, és az 1960-as évek végéig kellett
várni az első falumúzeumok megszületésére.A jelen ellentmondásainak sorában
talán a legalapvetőbb az, hogy a korábban egy család által épített, romló
természetes anyagból készülő, folyamatos karbantartást igénylő épületet beemeljük
a múzeum tárgyainak sorába. Ezzel közöss_h
A BME Építészettörténeti és Műemléki Tanszékének határon túli építészeti felmérései 1997-2007 között
Authors: Veöreös András
Published: October 2008

A tanszéken 1997-ben dr. Istvánfi Gyula vezetésével
kezdődött a Pusztuló építészeti örökség felmérése és dokumentálása a
Kárpát-medencében című program, melynek keretén belül erdélyi református,
később római katolikus és unitárius templomok felmérésére került sor
építészhallgatók segítségével. Később a kutatások más földrajzi területekre is
kiterjedtek. A felmérések az alábbi nagyobb csoportokba sorolhatók: erdélyi
református templomok, erdélyi római katolikus templomok és kolostorok,
kárpátaljai református templomok, kárpátaljai római katolikus templomok, Lendva
épített öröksége (lakóépületek, középületek, temetők, szobrok), felvidéki ref_h
Existence theorems for generalized quasi-variational hemivariational inequalities
Authors: Wang Ji-an , Ou Yunhua
Published: October 2008

The purpose of this paper is to study the existence of solutions for generalized quasivariational hemivariational inequalities with multivalued, discontinuous pseudomonotone operators. We obtain results which generalize and extend previously known theorems.
New near-factorizations of finite groups
Authors: Bacsó Gábor , Héthelyi László , Sziklai Péter
Published: October 2008

The attempts to construct a counterexample to the Strong Perfect Graph Conjecture yielded the notion of partitionable graphs as minimal imperfect graphs; then near-factorizations of finite groups gained some interest since from any near-factorization some partitionable graphs can be constructed in a natural way. Recently, the proof of SPGC was declared by Chudnovsky, Robertson, Seymour and Thomas [3], but near-factorizations remain interesting on their own rights as (i) rare objects being “close” to factorizations of groups; and (ii) they yield graphs with surprising properties.
On variational inequalities and nonlinear programming problem
Authors: Ivanov Vsevolod
Published: October 2008

In this paper the Stampacchia variational inequality, the Minty variational inequality, and the respective nonlinear programming problem are investigated in terms of the lower Dini directional derivative. We answer the questions which are the largest classes of functions such that the solution sets of each pair of these problems coincide.
Common non supercyclic vectors for commuting contractions
Authors: Valles Aurora
Published: October 2008

Let
T
be an operator on a separable Hilbert space
H
, then it is called supercyclic if there exists an
x
∊
H
, (called supercyclic vector for
T
) such that the set {
λTnx
:
λ
∊ ℂ} is dense in
H
. Let
T
= (
T1
, ...,
TN
) be a system of
N
commuting contractions defined on a separable Hilbert space, in this article we will show that if there exists at least a point of the Harte spectrum on \documentclass{aastex}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{bm}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{pifont}
\usepackage{stmaryrd}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\usepackage{portland,xspace}
\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}
\usepackage{bbm}
\pagestyle{empty}
\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}
\begin{document}
$$\mathbb{T}^N$$
\end{document} (where \documentclass{aastex}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{bm}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{pifont}
\usepackage{stmaryrd}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\usepackage{portland,xspace}
\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}
\usepackage{bbm}
\pagestyle{empty}
\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}
\begin{document}
$$\mathbb{T}$$
\end{document} is the unit circle), then there exists a vector such that is not supercyclic for any of the
N
-contractions. This result complements recent results of M. Kosiek and A. Octavio (see [4]) and extend results in [7].
On monotone rational approximation: A new approach, II
Authors: Zhou Songping , Xie Tingfan
Published: October 2008

In the present paper, we investigate monotone rational approximation. We prove that iff∊C[0, 1]is an increasing function on the interval [0, 1] thenRn*(f) ≦Clog2µ/n‖f‖, whereRn*(f) is the best approximation offby incrasing rational functions of order (n, n), µ > 1 matchesnin the equationn= log2µ/ω(f,µ−. With some new techniques created, this result essentially generalizes and improves previous result appeared in Zhou [10].
Spaces of sequences defined by the statistical convergence
Authors: Aizpuru Antonio , Nicasio-Llach Marina
Published: October 2008

The spaces of vectorial sequences defined by the usual convergence of a norm is well known. In this paper we study some spaces of vectorial sequences defined by the statistical convergence. Our principal interest is the last section where we present a basic matrix theorem similar to Antosik-Swartz but using the statistical convergence. In this result we obtain a sufficient condition so that a sequence of certain space of vectorial sequences is statistically Cauchy.
On the asymptotic joint distribution of height and width in random trees
Authors: Janson Svante
Published: October 2008

It has been known for a long time that the height and width of a random labelled rooted tree, or of any other conditioned Galton-Watson tree, after suitable normalizations converge to the same limit distribution. Moreover, Chassaing, Marckert and Yor [7] have proved joint convergence of height and width. The resulting two-dimensional limit distribution has been studied by Donati-Martin [10]. We extend her results and give new formulas for joint moments. As an example, we calculate the covariance. We also show that the two-dimensional distribution is not symmetric, although the marginals are the same.
Open problems on linear sperner families and lattices
Authors: Civan Yusuf
Published: October 2008

We introduce linear Sperner families and lattices, and provide some open problems.
Skew power series extensions of principally quasi-Baer rings
Authors: Hashemi Ebrahim , Moussavi Ahmad , Nasr-Isfahani Alireza
Published: October 2008

A ring
R
is called
right principally quasi-Baer
(or simply
right p.q.-Baer
) if the right annihilator of a principal right ideal of
R
is generated by an idempotent. Let
R
be a ring such that all left semicentral idempotents are central. Let
α
be an endomorphism of
R
which is not assumed to be surjective and
R
be
α
-compatible. It is shown that the skew power series ring
R
[[
x; α
]] is right p.q.-Baer if and only if the skew Laurent power series ring
R
[[
x, x−1
;
α
]] is right p.q.-Baer if and only if
R
is right p.q.-Baer and any countable family of idempotents in
R
has a generalized join in
I
(
R
). An example showing that the
α
-compatible condition on
R
is not superfluous, is provided.
On the Hadamard inequality
Authors: Fischer Pal , Slodkowski Zbigniew
Published: October 2008

Let
a
and
b
be real numbers with
a
<
b
, Let
υ
: [
a, b
] → ℝ be continuous and convex. An n-dimensional extension of the inequality \documentclass{aastex}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{bm}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{pifont}
\usepackage{stmaryrd}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\usepackage{portland,xspace}
\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}
\usepackage{bbm}
\pagestyle{empty}
\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}
\begin{document}
$$\tfrac{1}{{b - a}}\int\limits_a^b {v(x)dx} \leqq \tfrac{{v(a) + v(b)}}{2}$$
\end{document} is given for a large family of convex sets.
Racisms without Racism
Authors: Goldberg David Theo
Published: October 2008

Initiated in think tanks following world war II, neoliberalism took hold of political imaginaries in the late 1970s and the 1980s as capitalist enterprises vigorously sought to expand their market reach in the face of structural challenges and adjustments, economic and political. Technologies of travel, communication, and information flows became speedier and more sophisticated, further shrinking distances and compressing time. Associated regimes of population management and rule accordingly were pressed into forging novel strategies.
Role of SP transcription factors in hormone-dependent modulation of genes in MCF-7 breast cancer cells: microarray and RNA interference studies
Authors: Wu Fei , Ivanov Ivan , Xu Rui , Safe Stephen
Published: October 2008

17β-Estradiol (E2) binds estrogen receptor α (ESR1) in MCF-7 cells and increases cell proliferation and survival through induction or repression of multiple genes. ESR1 interactions with DNA-bound specificity protein (SP) transcription factors is a nonclassical genomic estrogenic pathway and the role of SP transcription factors in mediating hormone-dependent activation or repression of genes in MCF-7 cells was investigated by microarrays and RNA interference. MCF-7 cells were transfected with a nonspecific oligonucleotide or a cocktail of small inhibitory RNAs (iSP), which knockdown SP1, SP3, and SP4 proteins, and treated with dimethylsulfoxide or 10 nM E2 for 6 h. E2 induced 62 and repressed 134 genes and the induction or repression was reversed in ∼62% of the genes in cells transfected with iSP (ESR1/SP dependent), whereas hormonal activation or repression of the remaining genes was unaffected by iSP (SP independent). Analysis of the ESR1/SP-dependent and SP-independent genes showed minimal overlap with respect to the GO terms (functional processes) in genes induced or repressed, suggesting that the different genomic pathways may contribute independently to the hormone-induced phenotype in MCF-7 cells.
Self-Reports of Violent Victimization Among U.S. Adults
Authors: Simon Thomas R. , Kresnow Marcie-jo , Bossarte Robert M.
Published: October 2008

This article describes the prevalence of violent victimization and injuries among U.S. adults and examines how these estimates differ by individual- and household-level characteristics using the second nationally representative Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2). The ICARIS-2 was administered to 9,684 adults using a computer assisted random-digit-dial telephone survey. These data suggest that 5.4% of the U.S. adult population, approximately 11.66 million people, experienced at least one violent victimization in the past 12 months. Most victims (57%) believed that the person who struck them intended to injure them, and one in three victims reported that they were physically injured on at least one occasion. Effective violence prevention strategies require the collection of valid data to understand the scope of the problem, the consequences, and the groups most impacted. The results from ICARIS-2 indicate that the prevalence of violent victimization in the United States far exceeds the estimates derived from crime surveys.
Depression as a Mediator Between Family Factors and Peer-Bullying Victimization in Latino Adolescents
Authors: Yabko Brandon A. , Hokoda Audrey , Ulloa Emilio C.
Published: October 2008

The purpose of this study was to assess the mediating role of depression in three different relationships: (a) sibling bullying and peer victimization, (b) mothers’ power-assertive parenting and peer victimization, and (c) fathers’ power-assertive parenting and peer victimization. Results from 242 Latino middle school adolescents from a large southwestern city bordering Mexico revealed that both boys’ and girls’ peer victimization were related to familial factors and depression. Regression analyses for boys revealed that depression mediated three relationships: (a) sibling bullying and peer victimization, (b) mothers’ power-assertive parenting and peer victimization, and (c) fathers’ power-assertive parenting and peer victimization. Depression also mediated the relationship between fathers’ power-assertive parenting and girls’ victimization by peers. The findings support the development of family-based interventions for peer victimization that include curriculum addressing depression.
The “Homogamy” of Road Rage Revisited
Authors: Roberts Lynne D. , Indermaur David W.
Published: October 2008

The principle of homogamy, the tendency for victims and offenders to share behavioral and demographic characteristics, has been applied to various forms of violent crime. This article explores how this principle relates to types of “road rage” using a survey of 1,208 Australian drivers. Two-thirds of drivers who perpetrated violent forms of road rage also reported being victims of the same crime, providing support for the homogamy thesis. Perpetrators were predominantly young males with low socioeconomic status who lacked the ability to control their temper. Perpetrator-victims were more likely than other victims to have a history of driving violations and higher levels of general aggression and report more frequent aggressive driving behaviors. The implications for theories of violence are discussed.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gender-Based Violence Among Female College Students in Awassa, Ethiopia
Authors: Arnold Dodie , Gelaye Bizu , Goshu Miruts , Berhane Yemane , Williams Michelle A.
Published: October 2008

We determined the prevalence and risk factors of gender-based violence among 1,330 female college students in Awassa, Ethiopia. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that collected information on experience with gender-based violence during three time periods (lifetime, since enrolling in college, and current academic year). The lifetime prevalence of gender-based violence was 59.9%; 46.1% of participants reported experiencing gender-based violence since enrolling in college, and the prevalence was 40.3% during the current academic year. Protestant religious affiliation, childhood rural residence, alcohol consumption, combined alcohol and khat (a natural stimulant) consumption, and witnessing domestic violence as a child were risk factors of lifetime experience with gender-based violence. Counseling for women who have experienced violence and awareness-raising programs aimed at preventing gender-based violence are needed in colleges.