bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PRL-3 promotes the motility, invasion, and metastasis of LoVo colon cancer cells through PRL-3-integrin β1-ERK1/2 and-MMP2 signaling
Authors: Peng Lirong , Xing Xiaofang , Li Weijun , Qu Like , Meng Lin , Lian Shenyi , Jiang Beihai , Wu Jian , Shou Chengchao
Published: November 2009

Background

Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) plays a causative role in tumor metastasis, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In our previous study, we observed that PRL-3 could decrease tyrosine phosphorylation of integrin β1 and enhance activation of ERK1/2 in HEK293 cells. Herein we aim to explore the association of PRL-3 with integrin β1 signaling and its functional implications in motility, invasion, and metastasis of colon cancer cell LoVo.

Methods

Transwell chamber assay and nude mouse model were used to study motility and invasion, and metastsis of LoVo colon cancer cells, respectively. Knockdown of integrin β1 by siRNA or lentivirus were detected with Western blot and RT-PCR. The effect of PRL-3 on integrin β1, ERK1/2, and MMPs that mediate motility, invasion, and metastasis were measured by Western blot, immunofluorencence, co-immunoprecipitation and zymographic assays.

Results

We demonstrated that PRL-3 associated with integrin β1 and its expression was positively correlated with ERK1/2 phosphorylation in colon cancer tissues. Depletion of integrin β1 with siRNA, not only abrogated the activation of ERK1/2 stimulated by PRL-3, but also abolished PRL-3-induced motility and invasion of LoVo cells in vitro. Similarly, inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation with U0126 or MMP activity with GM6001 also impaired PRL-3-induced invasion. In addition, PRL-3 promoted gelatinolytic activity of MMP2, and this stimulation correlated with decreased TIMP2 expression. Moreover, PRL-3-stimulated lung metastasis of LoVo cells in a nude mouse model was inhibited when integrin β1 expression was interfered with shRNA.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that PRL-3's roles in motility, invasion, and metastasis in colon cancer are critically controlled by the integrin β1-ERK1/2-MMP2 signaling.
Growth-differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) in the uterus: its identification and functional significance in the golden hamster
Authors: Wong Chun Lung , Huang Ya Yu , Ho Wing Kei , Poon Hong Kit , Cheung Pui Lai , O Wai Sum , Chow Pak Ham
Published: November 2009

Transforming growth factor-beta superfamily regulates many aspects of reproduction in the female. We identified a novel member of this family, growth-differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8) in the 72 h post coital uterine fluid of the golden hamster by proteomic techniques. Uterine GDF-8 mRNA decreased as pregnancy progressed while its active protein peaked at 72 h post coitus (hpc) and thereafter stayed at a lower level. At 72 hpc, the GDF-8 transcript was localized to the endometrial epithelium while its protein accumulated in the stroma. Exogenous GDF-8 slowed down proliferation of primary cultures of uterine smooth muscle cells (SMC) and endometrial epithelial cells (EEC). In addition, GDF-8 attenuated the release of LIF (leukaemia inhibiting factor) by EEC. As for the embryo in culture, GDF-8 promoted proliferation of the trophotoderm (TM) and hatching but discouraged attachment. Our study suggests that GDF-8 could regulate the behavior of preimplantation embryos and fine-tune the physiology of uterine environment during pregnancy.
Nephroblastoma Overexpressed (Nov) Inactivation Sensitizes Osteoblasts to Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2, But Nov Is Dispensable for Skeletal Homeostasis
Authors: Canalis Ernesto , Smerdel-Ramoya Anna , Durant Deena , Economides Aris N. , Beamer Wesley G. , Zanotti Stefano
Published: November 2009

Overexpression of nephroblastoma overexpressed (Nov), a member of the Cyr 61, connective tissue growth factor, Nov family of proteins, inhibits osteoblastogenesis and causes osteopenia. The consequences of Nov inactivation on osteoblastogenesis and the postnatal skeleton are not known. To study the function of Nov, we inactivated Nov by homologous recombination. Nov null mice were maintained in a C57BL/6 genetic background after the removal of the neomycin selection cassette and compared with wild-type controls of identical genetic composition. Nov null mice were identified by genotyping and absent Nov mRNA in calvarial extracts and osteoblast cultures. Nov null mice did not exhibit developmental skeletal abnormalities or postnatal changes in weight, femoral length, body fat, or bone mineral density and appeared normal. Bone volume and trabecular number were decreased only in 1-month-old female mice. In older mice, after 7 months of age, osteoblast surface and bone formation were increased in females, and osteoclast and eroded surfaces were increased in male Nov null mice. Calvarial osteoblasts from Nov null mice displayed enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity, alkaline phosphatase mRNA, and transactivation of a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/phosphorylated mothers against decapentaplegic reporter construct in response to BMP-2. Similar results were obtained after the down-regulation of Nov by RNA interference in ST-2 stromal and MC3T3 cells. Osteoclast number was increased in marrow stromal cell cultures from Nov null mice. Surface plasmon resonance demonstrated direct interactions between Nov and BMP-2. In conclusion, Nov sensitizes osteoblasts to BMP-2, but Nov is dispensable for the maintenance of bone mass.
14-3-3 proteins function in the initiation and elongation steps of DNA replication inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yahyaoui Wafaa , Zannis-Hadjopoulos Maria
Published: November 2009

14-3-3s are highly conserved abundant eukaryotic proteins essential for viability, at least in lower eukaryotes. We previously showed that they associate with mammalian and yeast replication origins in a cell-cycle-dependent manner, and are involved in the initiation of DNA replication. Here, we present evidence that 14-3-3 proteins are novel regulators of the initiation and elongation steps of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results show that the Bmh2 protein, one of the two 14-3-3 homologues in S. cerevisiae, interacts with Mcm2 and Orc2 proteins, binds to ARS1 maximally at the G1 phase, is essential for plasmid stability, and is required for normal S-phase entry and progression. Furthermore, during G1 phase, the Bmh2 protein is required for the association of MCM proteins with chromatin and their maintenance at replication origins. The results reveal that 14-3-3 proteins function as essential factors for the assembly and maintenance of the pre-replication complex during G1 phase.
TRAPPII is required for cleavage furrow ingression and localization of Rab11 in dividing male meiotic cells ofDrosophila
Authors: Robinett Carmen C. , Giansanti Maria Grazia , Gatti Maurizio , Fuller Margaret T.
Published: November 2009

Although membrane addition is crucial for cytokinesis in many animal cell types, the specific mechanisms supporting cleavage furrow ingression are not yet understood. Mutations in the gene brunelleschi (bru), which encodes the Drosophila ortholog of the yeast Trs120p subunit of TRAPPII, cause failure of furrow ingression in male meiotic cells. In non-dividing cells, Brunelleschi protein fused to GFP is dispersed throughout the cytoplasm and enriched at Golgi organelles, similarly to another Drosophila TRAPPII subunit, dBet3. Localization of the membrane-trafficking GTPase Rab11 to the cleavage furrow requires wild-type function of bru, and genetic interactions between bru and Rab11 increase the failure of meiotic cytokinesis and cause synthetic lethality. bru also genetically interacts with four wheel drive (fwd), which encodes a PI4Kβ, such that double mutants exhibit enhanced failure of male meiotic cytokinesis. These results suggest that Bru cooperates with Rab11 and PI4Kβ to regulate the efficiency of membrane addition to the cleavage furrow, thus promoting cytokinesis in Drosophila male meiotic cells.
A dual role for EDEM1 in the processing of rod opsin
Authors: Kosmaoglou Maria , Kanuga Naheed , Aguilà Mònica , Garriga Pere , Cheetham Michael E.
Published: November 2009

Mutations in rod opsin, the archetypal G-protein-coupled receptor, cause retinitis pigmentosa. The majority of mutations, e.g. P23H, cause protein misfolding, resulting in ER retention, induction of the unfolded protein response and degradation by ERAD. If misfolded rod opsin escapes degradation, it aggregates and forms intracellular inclusions. Therefore, it is important to identify the chaperones that mediate the folding or degradation of rod opsin. ER degradation enhancing α-mannosidase-like 1 (EDEM1) can enhance the release of terminally misfolded glycoproteins from the calnexin chaperone system. Here, we identify EDEM1 as a novel chaperone of rod opsin. EDEM1 expression promoted the degradation of P23H rod opsin and decreased its aggregation. By contrast, shRNA-mediated knockdown of EDEM1 increased both the amount of P23H rod opsin and its aggregation into inclusions. EDEM1 was detected in rod photoreceptor inner segments and EndoH-sensitive rod opsin co-immunoprecipitated with EDEM1 from retina, suggesting that rod opsin is a physiological EDEM1 client. Unexpectedly, EDEM1 binding to rod opsin was independent of mannose trimming and EDEM1 promoted the cell-surface expression of mutant rod opsin. Collectively, the data suggest that EDEM1 is a chaperone for rod opsin and that expression of EDEM1 can be used to promote correct folding, as well as enhanced degradation, of mutant proteins in the ER to combat protein-misfolding disease.
Biomechanical analysis for the study of muscle contributions to support load carrying
Authors: Selk Ghafari A , Meghdari A , Vossoughi G R
Published: November 2009

The objective of this study was to quantify individual muscle function differences between level walking and backpack load carriage at the same speed by using a muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulation. As experimental investigations have revealed that backpack loads of up to 64 per cent of an individual's body mass have little effect on the sagittal plane gait kinema-tics, further biomechanical analyses are necessary to investigate the contributions of individual muscle coordination strategies to achieve a given motor task by mechanical power generation, absorption, and transference to each body segment. A biomechanical framework consisting of a musculoskeletal model actuated by 18 Hill-type musculotendon actuators per leg and a non-linear suspension model of a backpack equipped with shoulder straps and waist belt was utilized to perform the simulation study. An optimization framework based on minimizing the muscle energy consumption was employed to investigate the muscle load sharing mechanism during simulation of the movements under investigation. Estimated muscle activations were in good agreement with the salient features of the corresponding electromyographic recordings of the major lower extremity muscles. Furthermore, simulated joint kinematics closely tracked experimental quantities with root-mean-squared errors less than one degree. Segmental power analysis for individual muscles was performed to elucidate the muscle's contribution to body support and forward progression in load carriage. Comparing muscle functions during the activities under investigation illustrated the different functional performance of the lower extremity muscles and the capability of the joints and segments to reduce the transmission of force during load carriage.
Modelling the mechanical dither of a ring resonator
Authors: Lee D-C , Shin D-I , Kim Y-S , Lee J-Y , Han C-S
Published: November 2009

This article presents a numerical model for a piezoelectric actuator. This model estimates the layer configurations and flexural stiffness of multilayered materials in order to improve the actuator design. Mechanical dithering can be used to avoid the limitation of the lock-in region in a ring resonator. Although the vibro-elastic bimorph piezoelectric actuator has been used as a control, there are in fact piezoelectric rigidity effects on its layered structure. In this study, the plate/shell theory was adapted to multilayered structures; the geometric and material characteristics of multilayered systems were investigated and their structural performances were estimated. Moreover, the optimization designs for the geometric dimensions or material properties of layered systems were easily achieved through the presented equations.
Experimental and numerical investigations of the tip leakage flow of axial fans with circumferential skewed blades under off-design conditions
Authors: Jin G Y , Ouyang H , Wu Y D , Du Z H
Published: November 2009

Experimental and numerical investigations of tip leakage flow of circumferential skewed axial fans were conducted under off-design conditions. Two circumferential skewed fans, with the blade skew angles of 8.3° forward and backward, respectively, and a base fan were investigated in this study. Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances were measured. The Navier—Stokes flow simulations were validated experimentally and the key analysis of tip leakage flow was based on computational fluid dynamics results. The simulations show that with a decrease in flowrate, the start of the tip leakage vortex moves towards the leading edge in the chordwise direction and towards the hub in the spanwise direction. These movements are less significant for the forward-skewed blade than for the backward-skewed blade. The strength of the tip leakage vortex decreases along the vortex line. The vortex strength for the forward-skew blade is significantly less than that for the backward-skewed blade. The aeroacoustic source intensity in the tip clearance region is reduced by employing circumferential skewed blades and changes with a change in flowrate in the same manner as the measured sound pressure level. The forward-skewed blade is found to be effective in eliminating noise sources in the tip clearance region and in controlling tip leakage flow to expand the stall-free operation range under off-design conditions.
A new two-node catenary cable element for the geometrically non-linear analysis of cable-supported structures
Authors: Yang M-G , Chen Z-Q , Hua X-G
Published: November 2009

This article presents a geometrically non-linear finite-element method for an accurate and efficient analysis of spatial cable structures. A two-node catenary cable element is formulated accurately considering the effect of self-weight of cable element. The tangent stiffness matrix of the cable element is derived as an accurate explicit expression of structural parameters and the nodal forces of the cable element are then also analytically calculated. Pre-stress in the cable element may be considered in the formulation. Three classical numerical examples are first provided to show the accuracy and efficiency of this method and the developed method is then applied to construction stage simulation in order to determine the erection parameters of a suspension bridge through progressive non-linear analysis. The cable element proposed can be conveniently used for the geometric non-linear analysis of flexible structures such as long-span suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges, and tension structures.
Nanocrystalline ZnO thin film growth by ultrasonic spray from a non-aqueous solution
Authors: Aida M S , Baghriche L , Zebbar N , Attaf N
Published: November 2009

In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are deposited by the ultrasonic spray method. In order to study the influence of the nature of the precursor solution, zinc acetate and zinc nitrate salts dissolved in methanol are used respectively to prepare two non-aqueous starting solutions. The influence of substrate temperature on the structural growth kinetics and optical properties of ZnO films is also investigated. For this purpose, the substrate temperature is varied in the range of 250—400°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that at low temperature the films that are grown contain nanocrystallites with a privileged orientation depending on the nature of the starting precursor; these privileged orientations correspond to the plane (100) for the films deposited with zinc acetate and (002) for films prepared with zinc nitrate precursor. However, with increasing deposition temperature, the privileged orientation disappears. The growth kinetics is closely related to the substrate temperature and to the nature of the starting solution. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations suggest that the liquid droplets react once they reach the substrate surface when zinc acetate precursor is used. However, in the case of zinc nitrate solution, the droplets spread first on the substrate surface followed by the subsequent surface reaction. This difference is explained in terms of the dissociation enthalpy of both solutions.
Uncoupling ribosome biogenesis regulation from RNA polymerase I activity during herpes simplex virus type 1 infection
Authors: Belin Stéphane , Kindbeiter Karine , Hacot Sabine , Albaret Marie Alexandra , Roca-Martinez Jean-Xavier , Thérizols Gabriel , Grosso Olivier , Diaz Jean-Jacques
Published: November 2009

The ribosome is the central effector of protein synthesis, and its synthesis is intimately coordinated with that of proteins. At present, the most documented way to modulate ribosome biogenesis involves control of rDNA transcription by RNA polymerase I (RNA Pol I). Here we show that after infection of human cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) the rate of ribosome biogenesis is modulated independently of RNA Pol I activity by a dramatic change in the rRNA maturation pathway. This process permits control of the ribosome biogenesis rate, giving the possibility of escaping ribosomal stress and eventually allowing assembly of specialized kinds of ribosomes.
The Effect of Carbapenem Antibiotics on Plasma Concentrations of Valproic Acid
Authors: Mancl Erin E , Gidal Barry E
Published: November 2009

Objective:

To critically evaluate the mechanisms of the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics.

Data Sources:

A PubMed search (January 1971–June 2009) was performed to identify literature on the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics. Additional references were identified through review of bibliographies of identified articles.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Data on the mechanisms of the interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics were extracted from identified references that were published in English.

Data Synthesis:

Valproic acid plasma concentrations fall markedly during concomitant administration with carbapenem antibiotics due to a combination of absorption, distribution, and metabolism mechanisms. Carbapenems appear to inhibit the intestinal transporter of valproic acid, thereby reducing absorption of orally administered valproic acid. In vivo experiments in rats demonstrate a 57% reduction in absorption of orally administered valproic acid in the presence of imipenem. Followup studies in Caco-2 cells suggest that the inhibition probably occurs at the basolateral membrane. In addition, enterohepatic recycling of valproic acid may be diminished due to carbapenem activity against gut flora producing β-glucuronidase. When rabbits and rats were given intravenous valproic acid-glucuronide, the glucuronide metabolite of valproic acid, 50–90% of the conversion back into valproic acid was inhibited in the presence of a carbapenem. An increase in erythrocyte distribution of valproic acid has also been observed in the presence of carbapenems. After intravenous administration of a carbapenem and valproic acid, valproic acid plasma concentrations fell in the presence of a carbapenem, yet whole blood concentrations of valproic acid did not change significantly. Follow-up studies suggest that the mechanism of this distribution shift is that multidrug resistance proteins on adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette transporters on erythrocyte membranes are inhibited by carbapenems. Thus, valproic acid is not effluxed out of the erythrocytes. Finally, carbapenems may enhance glucuronidation of valproic acid by increasing UDP-glucuronic acid levels. In rats, UDP-glucuronic acid levels increased by 1,7-fold in the presence of panipenem, which was proportionate to the increase in valproic acid-glucuronide formation.

Conclusions:

Published data demonstrate a serious and complex interaction between valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics. Coadministration should be avoided, but if no other antibiotic therapies exist, it is imperative to monitor valproic acid concentrations more frequently. Clinicians should anticipate higher doses of valproic acid to maintain therapeutic serum concentrations during coadministration and subsequent dose reductions upon discontinuation of the carbapenem antibiotic.
An Updated Focused Review of Dexmedetomidine in Adults
Authors: Gerlach Anthony T , Murphy Claire V , Dasta Joseph F
Published: November 2009

Objective:

To evaluate recent comparative studies regarding the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine in adults.

Data Sources:

Articles evaluating safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine were identified from an English-language MEDLINE search (1996–July 2009), with a focus on data published since our previous review in 2007 to the present. MeSH terms included dexmedetomidine, medetomidine, α2:-agonist, and sedation. References from selected articles were also reviewed for additional material.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

Experimental and observational English-language studies that focused on the efficacy, safety, and pharmacoeconomics of dexmedetomidine in humans were selected.

Data Synthesis:

Dexmedetomidine is an α2-agonist used for sedation during procedures and in critical illness. Compared with placebo, use of dexmedetomidine during procedures was associated with decreased use of rescue midazolam and a similar degree of sedation compared with various agents used during surgery or for procedures. Use of long-term (>24 h) dexmedetomidine sedation is comparable to sedation with benzodiazepines in critically ill patients. In a Phase 4 study, dexmedetomidine was safe in dosages up to 1.4 μg/kg/hour for greater than 24 hours and did not produce rebound tachycardia or hypertension when abruptly discontinued. One small randomized controlled trial demonstrated decreased incidence of delirium, the primary endpoint, with dexmedetomidine compared with midazolam or propofol for sedation after cardiac valve surgery. Many, but not all, studies suggest that dexmedetomidine has a promising role in prevention and treatment of delirium in critically ill patients when delirium was studied as a secondary endpoint.

Conclusions:

Dexmedetomidine is an alternative for procedural sedation and can be used long-term (>24 h) in critically ill patients, in dosages up to 1.5 μg/kg/hour. More studies are needed to better define the role of dexmedetomidine in preventing and treating delirium.
β-Adrenergic Antagonists in Hypertension: A Review of the Evidence
Authors: Warmack T Scott , Estes Mark A , Heldenbrand Seth , Franks Amy M
Published: November 2009

Objective:

To evaluate the effects of β-adrenergic antagonist therapy on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes in the treatment of hypertension.

Data Sources:

Literature searches were conducted using MEDLINE (1966–August 2009), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–August 2009), and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (until third quarter 2009) to locate clinical trials and meta-analyses comparing β-blocker therapy with placebo or other antihypertensive agents in patients with hypertension. Bibliographies from relevant research and review articles were reviewed for additional references.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All English-language articles identified from the data sources were reviewed. Articles describing original research with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular outcomes and/or death as either primary or secondary endpoints were included. Articles describing the use of β-blocker therapy for conditions other than hypertension were not included,

Data Synthesis:

Five placebo-controlled studies and 10 active-controlled studies were reviewed. In addition, 11 meta-analyses were evaluated. Placebo-controlled trials of β-blockers in hypertension provide evidence of reduced risk for stroke, cardiovascular events, and heart failure. Only 2 studies comparing β-blockers with other antihypertensives found significant benefit with β-blockers. However, the majority of meta-analyses comparing β-blockers with other antihypertensive agents show increased risk for stroke with β-blockers, and some data suggest increased risk for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. The majority of data results from studies of atenolol, and many studies employed combination antihypertensive therapies, which often included thiazide diuretics.

Conclusions:

Overall, data supporting β-blockers as preferred therapy in hypertension are inadequate. Although most negative cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes of β-blockers were associated with atenolol therapy, data supporting other β-blockers in hypertension are lacking.
Probable Drug Interaction Between Warfarin and Hormonal Contraceptives
Authors: Zingone Michelle M , Guirguis Alexander B , Airee Anita , Cobb Diana
Published: November 2009

Objective:

To report a single patient case that presented with a probable drug interaction between warfarin and 3 methods of hormonal contraceptives, as assessed by the Horn Interaction Probability Scale.

Case Summary:

A 33-year-old female patient required long-term anticoagulation following an aortic valve replacement. While taking warfarin (38.5 mg weekly), she transitioned from a monophasic combined oral contraceptive (ethinyl estradiol plus norethindrone) to an implantable progestin-only contraceptive (etonogestrel) on the advice of her cardiologist. Nineteen days following etonogestrel implant insertion, her international normalized ratio (INR) decreased to 1.8 and required a 55.8% warfarin dose increase (resulting dose of 60 mg weekly). Within 10 months, the patient elected to have the implant removed due to vaginal bleeding. Nine days following removal of etonogestrel, she experienced a transient INR increase to 6.5. Her INR returned to within goal range after her warfarin dose was decreased to 55.5 mg weekly. After using barrier methods of contraception for 48 days, she initiated an oral progestin-only contraceptive (norethindrone). Further warfarin dose adjustments were made, resulting in a weekly warfarin dose of 53.5 mg. Thirty-nine days after initiation of oral norethindrone, she elected to discontinue use due to vaginal bleeding and no longer uses hormonal contraceptive methods. No further adjustments to her warfarin dose were warranted.

Discussion:

The increased warfarin requirement observed in this patient may have been a result of multiple factors. Based on a literature review, we hypothesize that the predominant mechanism of interaction was ethinyl estradiol inhibition of CYP1A2 and 2C19.

Conclusions:

We recommend that further in vivo studies be completed to definitively identify the mechanism of the interaction. It is necessary to intensify warfarin monitoring upon initiation or alteration of hormonal contraceptives.
Hyperchloremic Metabolic Acidosis Due to Deferasirox in a Patient with Beta Thalassemia Major
Authors: Papadopoulos Nikolaos , Vasiliki Aresti , Aloizos Georgios , Tapinis Petros , Kikilas Athanasios
Published: November 2009

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis in a patient with beta thalassemia major secondary to treatment with deferasirox due to iron overload.

CASE SUMMARY

A 58-year-old white female with beta thalassemia major was admitted with fever, fatigue, abnormal liver function test results, and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis (lactate dehydrogenase 494 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase 167 U/L, alanine aminotransferase 250 U/L, γ-glutamyl transferase 102 U/L, total bilirubin 3.79 mg/dL, direct bilrubin 2.37, potassium 3.3 mEq/L, PO2 81.4 mm Hg, PCO2 29.4 mm Hg, HCO3 16 mEq/L, pH 7.35, chloride 116 mEq/L, anion gap 7.5 mEq/L). Twenty-five days before admission the patient decided to discontinue treatment with deferoxamine for chronic iron overload and continue treatment with oral deferasirox 1500 mg/day. Despite extended clinical and laboratory examination, no obvious cause of fever, hepatitis, or hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis was revealed. Diagnosis was compatible with tubular dysfunction, drug-induced hepatitis, and hypersensitivity reaction due to deferasirox. All pathological findings were fully reversible and our patient had an excellent outcome.

DISCUSSION

The presence of tubular dysfunction should be considered in any patient with otherwise unexplained hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. In our patient, other potential causes of metabolic hyperchloremic acidosis were ruled out. Toxic effects of deferasirox are probably caused by chelation of mitochondrial iron, leading to adenosine triphosphate depletion in tubular epithelial cells. Use of the Naranjo probability scale revealed that the adverse reaction was probable.

CONCLUSIONS

Kidney toxicity may be a major issue in the management of patients receiving deferasirox. Our case indicates a potential risk of renal toxicity with the presence of tubular dysfunction and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis in patients undergoing treatment with deferasirox.
Imagen, materia, cine: Bergson, Deleuze y Cinelandia de Ramón Gómez de la Serna
Authors: Fraser Benjamin
Published: November 2009

Este ensayo explora el papel significativo desempeñado por el cine en la novela Cinelandia de Ramón Gómez de la Serna. Se invoca la filosofía de Henri Bergson y Gilles Deleuze para explicar el rechazo ramoniano de un mundo de estructuras estáticas en favor de una conceptualización de la imagen como movimiento. En diálogo tanto con el surrealismo como con el noventayochismo, la técnica cinematográfica tiene una importancia fundamental en la novela, que a la vez apoya la idea de restaurar el movimiento en el pensamiento mismo.
The Hellenic Origins of Unamuno’s Skepticism and Niebla’s Skeptical Parody of Cartesianism
Authors: Cope Brian
Published: November 2009

This study examines some of the key references to skepticism in Unamuno’s writings as a prelude to a discussion of Niebla ’s parody of Cartesianism. It argues that Niebla pays homage to many of the core principles of skepticism at the same time that it deflates the Cartesian notions of provisional doubt and objective certainty. While Miguel de Unamuno rejects skepticism’s goal of ataraxia , he finds in the skeptical tradition the tools to challenge the pretenses of dogmatic thinkers and to construct polemical stances in ways that allow him to avoid appearing dogmatic himself. Subjectivist thinkers since Montaigne have taken a marked interest in the rhetorical strategies, guiding principles, and goals of the ancient Greek skeptics. Unamuno’s assimilation of skepticism places him in close proximity to, if not squarely within, the subjectivist tradition of modern philosophy.
Joycean Constellations: "Eveline" and the Critique of Naturalist Totality
Authors: Stasi Paul
Published: November 2009

At first glance, Joyce's "Eveline" seems to share a great deal with naturalist works such as Stephen Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets . A careful comparison of the two texts, however, reveals Joyce's emphasis on ambiguity whereas Crane presents determinism, thus crafting an aesthetic form that preserves the agency of its working-class subjects. Through "Eveline," we can see Joyce developing his own work out of a critique of naturalism's totalizing form, a realization that helps further our understanding of Joyce's developing aesthetic practices.
Writers Blocked: The Debate over Public Lending Right in the United States during the 1980s
Authors: LeComte Richard
Published: November 2009

This article traces the movement led by the Authors Guild in the United States from 1979 to 1989 to establish a Public Lending Right (PLR)—a system to compensate authors when copies of their books are borrowed from public libraries. Librarians responded with general wariness. A 1981 special issue of Library Trends and a 1983 Library of Congress symposium aired the PLR debate. Two bills in Congress that would have formed commissions to study PLR died in committee. The article explores efforts and arguments writers and librarians put forward regarding PLR and suggests reasons why the PLR movement failed.
Liminality and Fantasy in Marie Darrieussecq, Marie NDiaye and Marie Redonnet
Authors: Duffy Jean H.
Published: November 2009

Drawing on the anthropological theory of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner, the article will explore the recurrent references in the work of Darrieussecq, NDiaye and Redonnet to liminal locations, times, characters and conditions and will show that analysis of this allusional pattern not only sheds light on the role played by the fantastic in their texts, but also permits more precise identification both of shared thematic preoccupations and of personal priorities and inflections.
Marivaux naturaliste : Les sciences naturelles à l’épreuve des belles-lettres
Authors: Benharrech Sarah
Published: November 2009

This article seeks to understand why and on what grounds Marivaux in his 1749 essay Réflexions sur l'esprit humain, expressed the view that moralists are scientists in their own right, and that their science was no different from that of philosophers. Marivaux undertook to demonstrate that preformation, which was then the predominant theory in natural sciences, fully revealed its deterministic ideology when transferred into the realm of moral philosophy. We show that Marivaux shared affinities of thought not only with Malebranche, but also with Maupertuis and Buffon. Marivaux's relative concept of transformation proved to be coherent with his esthetic rejection of fixed, traditional forms and with his interest in processes of development and change.
Mallarmé and the Poetics of Explosion
Authors: McGuinness Patrick
Published: November 2009

Henri de Régnier recalls Mallarmé saying, in April 1894: “Il n’y a qu’un homme qui ait le droit d’être anarchiste: moi, le Poète, puisque, seul, je fabrique un produit dont la Société ne veut pas, en échange duquel elle ne me donne pas de quoi vivre.” This article presents a close reading of one of Mallarmé’s

Divagations

texts, « Laurent Tailhade, » in the context of Symbolist responses to the anarchist bombing campaigns of the « ère des attentats, » in order to sketch out Mallarmé’s own notion of the poetics of explosion – at once more modest and more audacious than those of his more ‘radical’ contemporaries.
Household Socioeconomic Status Scales: Theoretic Anomalies?
Authors: Haller William J. , Haller Archibald O.
Published: November 2009

Household Socioeconomic Status (HSES) scales are among the most common measurement instruments used by social scientists concerned with stratification among nuclear families and other kinds of households. Nevertheless, the theoretic adequacy of such instruments has remained in doubt. Drawing on what is likely the only data set in existence that includes measures of the four main dimensions of the stratification structure of social systems—political, economic, social and informational power—as well as a well-constructed HSES scale, this paper provides a critical test of the theoretic adequacy of an HSES scale. The scale is found to measure the variability shared by the four power variables, thus showing that it is indeed acceptable theoretically, at least within the isolated rural Brazilian area in which the test was performed. Finally, it is noted that retests should be conducted on samples from contrasting contexts, such as urban Brazil and areas in within richer nations.
Judging Direct-to-Consumer Genetics: Negotiating Expertise and Agency in Public Biotechnological Practice
Authors: Majdik Zoltan P.
Published: November 2009

This article analyzes how providers of direct-to-consumer genetic tests communicate about abstract, technical genetic science with nonexpert audiences. It argues that direct-to-consumer genetics reveals a stasis in public discourse over where legitimate agency for interpreting genetic test results, judging their meaning, and making decisions in response to them should rest. Rhetorical analysis of textual communication between lay people and providers of genetic biotechnological products shows that in these communicative transactions, norms of what counts as expertise are contested, and interpretive spaces for personal judgment are opened that aid nonexpert deliberation about technical issues in applied genetic biotechnology.
Dickens's Little Red Riding Hood and Other Waterside Characters
Authors: Hillard Molly Clark
Published: November 2009

Beginning with a moment in "A Christmas Tree" when Charles Dickens recalls Little Red Riding Hood as his lost "first love" and moving on to illustrate how the fairy-tale child served as a recurrent imaginative figure for the author as a maiden always already devoured, this essay reveals Dickens's speculation upon labor, nostalgia, and the literary value of folklore in his last novel Our Mutual Friend , in which the author recognizes that to decry the commercial value of girls is itself commercially valuable and that to mourn the death of Riding Hood is to eternally resurrect her body.
Recent Studies in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Sadoff Dianne F. , Kucich John
Published: November 2009

An assessment of recent scholarly work treating the literature of the nineteenth century and some general observations on the state of the profession. A full bibliography and price list of the works received by SEL for consideration follow.
Coleridge's Uncertain Agony
Authors: White Harry
Published: November 2009

Coleridge realized that much of the guilt from which he suffered was largely—if not entirely—a symptom of depression; but he found the possibility that feelings of guilt might be reducible to symptoms of mental disease even more disturbing than the depression that troubled him, since it tended to cast doubt on his faith that guilt and remorse were valid indicators of sinfulness. While Coleridge understood that the ultimate reasons for guilt are not to be found in any particular acts we commit, he steadfastly resisted the belief that moral condemnation could not be applied to those who suffered from mental disease. And this very quandary regarding the nature and source of guilt lies at the heart of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner , his greatest poem: a mariner invents a tale of crime, guilt, and punishment in an attempt to validate his chronic feelings of remorse so as to project a sense of moral order onto the otherwise senselessly traumatic events he experienced at sea.
Ballet Nations: The New York City Ballet’s 1962 US State Department–Sponsored Tour of the Soviet Union
Authors: Croft Clare
Published: November 2009

In 1962, the New York City Ballet performed in Moscow as part of its eight-week US State Department–sponsored Soviet tour while the world anxiously watched the unfolding of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This article examines the coincidence of these events from the perspectives of dancers who traveled on the tour, demonstrating how arts programs, even when sponsored by the US government, do not export a consolidated, coherent representation of US national identity. Using oral-history interviews with dancers who traveled on the tour and choreographic analysis of George Balanchine’s ballet Serenade (1934), the article explores how the dancers’ experience and ballet’s hybrid origins undermine cold war narratives of the United States and the USSR as polar opposites.
Theatre Reform as Censorship: Censoring Traditional Theatre in China in the Early 1950s
Authors: Liu Siyuan
Published: November 2009

Shortly after the formation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government pushed through a reform campaign aimed at the repertoire, artists, and organization of traditional Chinese theatre collectively known as xiqu (sung drama). This reform caused such an extensive shortage of performable plays by the mid-1950s that the government briefly relaxed its repertoire policies, although the basic tenet of the censorship was not rescinded until the 1980s. For a performance-based and actor-centered theatre like xiqu, where plays serve as carriers of performative conventions and techniques, this three-decade gap resulted in the loss of many scripts and their performance techniques. This article traces the genesis of xiqu reform and examines the various measures of censorship, which range from outright bans to script examination and revision to public-pressure campaigns. Next, it focuses on the reform of organizations and the censorship of performance styles. Finally, the article examines the reform’s immediate impact on xiqu repertoire and the livelihood of xiqu artists, which triggered the first brief easing of the bans during 1956–57. The analysis focuses on the interstitial spaces between various levels of authorities, as well as between the authorities and theatre artists, between xiqu’s archival and performance memories, and between reform and censorship.
“In the Interest of the State”: A Cold War National Theatre for the United States
Authors: Canning Charlotte M.
Published: November 2009

The emerging cold war was a key moment for the question of a national theatre for the United States. Anxieties were strong around how the country should fulfill its new role as world super-power, while a need for national institutions to represent the United States created the context for the first truly fruitful collaboration between the live performance communities and the federal government. One the most important sites for this work was the American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) during the first fifteen years following the end of World War II. In that period, a small group of theatre professionals, who were also war veterans, worked to transform ANTA into a public foundation for the performing arts. To understand the role theatre’s leadership played in moving the US government from suppressing to supporting the arts, this article focuses on the strategies and tactics of its postwar leadership, looking at both ANTA’s history and one of ANTA’s key projects—the International Theatre Institute (ITI), founded in 1948 as a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Practical issues of funding were central, and ANTA’s leaders and others pointed to funding as evidence of national values. The pursuit of federal recognition and funding as the surest path to a national theatre, however, permanently altered the movement for a national theatre. As the 1950s wore on, the call became less for an institution that could be designated as a national theatre, and more for the imprimatur of “national” that only the federal government could bring.
A Stretch of 17 Amino Acids in the Prosaposin C Terminus Is Critical for Its Binding to Sortilin and Targeting to Lysosomes
Authors: Yuan Libin , Morales Carlos R.
Published: November 2009

Prosaposin, the precursor of four lysosomal cofactors required for the hydrolysis of sphingolipids, is transported to the lysosomes via the alternative receptor, sortilin. In this study, we identified a specific domain of 17 amino acids within the C terminus of prosaposin involved in binding to this sorting receptor. We generated six prosaposin deletion constructs and examined the effect of truncation by coimmunoprecipitation and con-focal microscopy. The experiments revealed that the first half of the prosaposin C terminus (aa 524–540), containing a saposin-like motif, was required and necessary to bind sortilin and to transport it to the lysosomes. Based on this result, we introduced twelve site-directed point mutations within the first half of the C terminus. Although the interaction of prosaposin with sortilin was pH dependent, the mutation of hydrophilic amino acids that usually modulate pH-dependent protein interactions did not affect the binding of prosaposin to sortilin. Conversely, a tryptophan (W530) and two cysteines (C528 and C536) were essential for its interaction with sortilin and for its transport to the lysosomes. In conclusion, our investigation demonstrates that a saposin-like motif within the first half of the prosaposin C terminus contains the sortilin recognition site.
Maximizing the power of entertainment. The audience commodity in contemporary radio
Authors: Stiernstedt Fredrik
Published: November 2009

This article explores the reconfigurations of the control and monitoring of the audience that take place in concert with the digitalization that characterize contemporary radio broadcasting. Three technologies for the automation of audience research and consumer monitoring are analyzed:
MediaScore, used for online media research (in this case music tests); the iSelector for customizing music streams online, and the Personal People Meter (PPM) for the production of ratings. Drawing on analysis from an ethnographic fieldwork at eight music radio stations the article concludes
that the work of producing the audience commodity within the radio industry is changing. Research is increasingly becoming a way to bond with listeners, turning audience self-disclosure into a part of media consumption as such. At the same time, as shown in the article, the three technologies
distributes the responsibility of the research process to the people researched upon, meanwhile facilitating a more generalized surveillance. The expanded surveillance through digital media seems also to have other objectives than the previous production of audience statistics. This could
be characterized as a shift from using quantitative to using qualitative data, in producing the audience commodity.
Unveiling radio coverage of Muslim women
Authors: Posetti Julie
Published: November 2009

With renewed calls for the banning of the Burqa in the United Kingdom and Australia triggered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy's push for a ban, the representation of Muslim women, and particularly coverage which focuses on the wearing of the veil, is once again an important issue
in media analysis in this post-September 11 world. If radio is to some extent a blind medium, where visual appearance is less important, we can ask if the representation of this group is in anyway significantly different on radio than other media. However, there have been few detailed studies
of the issue. This article seeks to address the gap in analysis of radio coverage of Muslim women by examining their representation on the flagship radio current affairs programmes produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The case study presented here highlights the strengths
and weaknesses of reportage of Muslim women in sound broadcasting. The author also offers some reflections on the implications of the study for the identification of future best journalism practice for radio coverage of minorities.
Book Reviews
Authors: Crisell Andrew , Franklin Ieuan , Kirkpatrick Bill , VanCour Shawn
Published: November 2009

Media and Communications Technologies: A Critical Introduction, Stephen Lax (2009) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 234 pp., ISBN 978-1-4039-98897, Hardback, 55.00
Community Radio in Ireland: Participation and Multiflows of Communication, Rosemary Day (2009)
Creskill, New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc, 209 pp., ISBN 978-1-57273-859-1, Paperback, 22.95
The Quieted Voice: The Rise and Demise of Localism in American Radio, Robert L. Hilliard and Michael C. Keith, (2005) Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 242 pp., ISBN
0-8093-2674-4, Paperback, 24.50
Radio: An Art of Sound, Rudolf Arnheim (1936), (trans. Margaret Ludwig and Herbert Read) London: Faber and Faber, 296 pp., Hardback