bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matrix metalloproteinase 28, a novel matrix metalloproteinase, is constitutively expressed in human intervertebral disc tissue and is present in matrix of more degenerated discs
Authors: Gruber Helen E , Ingram Jane A , Hoelscher Gretchen L , Zinchenko Natalia , Norton H James , Hanley Edward N
Published: December 2009

Introduction

The regulation and elevation in expression of the catabolic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is of high importance in the human intervertebral disc since upregulation of these matrix-degrading enzymes results in matrix destruction associated with disc degeneration. MMP28 (epilysin) is a newly discovered MMP believed to play a role in matrix composition and turnover in skin. It is present in basal keratinocytes where its expression is upregulated with wound repair, and in cartilage and synovium where it is upregulated in osteoarthritis. Recent work has shown that mechanical compression can act to modulate expression of MMP28. The expression of MMP28 is unexplored in the intervertebral disc.

Methods

Following approval by our human subjects institutional review board, we employed microarray analyses to evaluate in vivo expression of MMP28 and the MMP28 precursor in human disc tissue, and utilized immunohistochemistry to determine cellular and extracellular matrix localization of MMP28 in 35 human disc tissue specimens. The percentage of cells positive for MMP28 immunocytochemical localization was also determined.

Results

The present work documents the expression and presence of MMP28 in cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) of the human intervertebral disc. Gene expression levels in human disc tissue were detectable for both MMP28 and the MMP28 precursor. MMP28 cytoplasmic localization was present in cells of the outer annulus; it was also present in some, but not all, cells of the inner annulus and nucleus. MMP28 was not found in the ECM of healthier Grade I to II discs, but was identified in the ECM of 61% of the more degenerated Grade III to V discs (P = 0.0018). There was a significant difference in cellular MMP28 distribution in the disc (P = 0.008): the outer annulus showed the largest percentage of cells positive for MMP28 immunolocalization, followed by the inner annulus and then the nucleus. Herniated discs showed a significantly greater proportion of MMP28-positive cells compared with nonherniated discs (P = 0.034).

Conclusions

Findings presented here show the first documentation of intervertebral disc expression and production of MMP28. MMP28 was found in both disc cell cytoplasm and in the ECM of more degenerated specimens, with greater cellular localization in the outer annulus and in herniated disc specimens. These findings are important because of the key role of MMPs in disc turnover and homeostasis, and previous indications of a role for this MMP in matrix repair and matrix turnover in other tissues. Our data, which show the presence of MMP28 in human disc tissue, suggest that MMP28 may have a potentially important role in ECM modulation in the healthy and degenerating disc.
Estimation of the diameter and cross-sectional area of the internal jugular veins in adult patients
Authors: Tartière Déborah , Seguin Philippe , Juhel Charlotte , Laviolle Bruno , Mallédant Yannick
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Unawareness of an asymmetry between the right and left internal jugular vein (IJV) and methodological pitfalls in previous studies raise concerns about such asymmetry. Hence the aim of this prospective non-interventional study was to validate the hypothesis that right IJV diameter is greater than those of left IJV and to determine the cross-sectional area of the IJVs using computed tomography (CT)-scans and original automatic software.

Methods

All consecutive adult outpatients who underwent a thoracic contrast-enhanced (TCE) helical CT-scan during a 5-month period were included. To determine diameter and cross sectional area of the IJVs, we used Advanced Vessel Analysis software integrated in a CT-scan (Advanced Vessel Analysis on Advantage Workstation Windows 4.2; General Electrics) allowing automatic segmentation of vessels and calculation of their diameters and cross-sectional areas.

Results

A total of 360 TCE CT-scans was performed; 170 were excluded from the analysis. On the remaining 190 CT scans, the diameter and cross-sectional area of the right IJV were significantly greater than those of the left IJV (17 ± 5 mm [median: 17 mm, range: 13 to 20 mm] vs. 14 ± 5 mm [median: 13 mm, range: 10 to 16 mm], P < 0.001; and 181 ± 111 mm2 [median: 160 mm2, range: 108 to 235 mm2] vs. 120 ± 81 mm2 [median: 102 mm2, range: 63 to 168 mm2], P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

In a general population of adult outpatients, the diameter and cross-sectional area of the right IJV were significantly greater than those of the left IJV. This could be an additional argument to prefer right over left IJV cannulation.
Pharmacokinetics and lung delivery of PDDS-aerosolized amikacin (NKTR-061) in intubated and mechanically ventilated patients with nosocomial pneumonia
Authors: Luyt Charles-Edouard , Clavel Marc , Guntupalli Kalpalatha , Johannigman Jay , Kennedy John I , Wood Christopher , Corkery Kevin , Gribben Dennis , Chastre Jean
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Aminoglycosides aerosolization might achieve better diffusion into the alveolar compartment than intravenous use. The objective of this multicenter study was to evaluate aerosol-delivered amikacin penetration into the alveolar epithelial lining fluid (ELF) using a new vibrating mesh nebulizer (Pulmonary Drug Delivery System (PDDS), Nektar Therapeutics), which delivers high doses to the lungs.

Methods

Nebulized amikacin (400 mg bid) was delivered to the lungs of 28 mechanically ventilated patients with Gram-negative VAP for 7-14 days, adjunctive to intravenous therapy. On treatment day 3, 30 minutes after completing aerosol delivery, all the patients underwent bronchoalveolar lavage in the infection-involved area and the ELF amikacin concentration was determined. The same day, urine and serum amikacin concentrations were determined at different time points.

Results

Median (range) ELF amikacin and maximum serum amikacin concentrations were 976.1 (135.7-16127.6) and 0.9 (0.62-1.73) μg/mL, respectively. The median total amount of amikacin excreted in urine during the first and second 12-hour collection on day 3 were 19 (12.21-28) and 21.2 (14.1-29.98) μg, respectively. During the study period, daily through amikacin measurements were below the level of nephrotoxicity. Sixty-four unexpected adverse events were reported, among which 2 were deemed possibly due to nebulized amikacin: one episode of worsening renal failure, and one episode of bronchospasm.

Conclusions

PDDS delivery of aerosolized amikacin achieved very high aminoglycoside concentrations in ELF from radiography-controlled infection-involved zones, while maintaining safe serum amikacin concentrations. The ELF concentrations always exceeded the amikacin minimum inhibitory concentrations for Gram-negative microorganisms usually responsible for these pneumonias. The clinical impact of amikacin delivery with this system remains to be determined.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01021436.
The murine IL-8 homologues KC, MIP-2, and LIX are found in endothelial cytoplasmic granules but not in Weibel-Palade bodies
Authors: Hol Johanna , Wilhelmsen Linn , Haraldsen Guttorm
Published: December 2009

Some human chemokines are stored for regulated secretion in endothelial cells but such sorting has not been described until now in the mouse.

Rapid translocation of P-selectin from WPB to the surface of endothelial cells is crucial for early neutrophil recruitment to acute inflammatory lesions. Likewise, the chemokine CXCL8/IL-8 is sorted to WPB in human endothelial cells, but little is known about its functional importance in lack of a suitable animal model. Here, we explored the distribution of the functional IL-8 homologues CXCL1/KC, CXCL2/MIP-2, and CXCL5-6/LIX in resting and inflamed murine vessels by confocal microscopy and paired immunostaining with markers of WPB, discovering that these chemokines did not localize to WPB but displayed a granular pattern in a subset of vessels in healthy skin compatible with sorting to the type 2 endothelial compartment for regulated secretion. Moreover, all chemokines colocalized with VWF and P-selectin in platelets, suggesting that their storage in platelet α-granules might represent an alternative source of rapidly available, neutrophil-recruiting chemokines. In conclusion, WPB appear not to be involved in regulated secretion of chemokines in the mouse, and instead, the possible existence of type 2 granules and the role of platelets in rapid leukocyte adhesion deserve further attention.
Dendritic cells transmit HIV-1 through human small intestinal mucosa
Authors: Shen Ruizhong , Smythies Lesley E , Clements Ronald H , Novak Lea , Smith Phillip D
Published: December 2009

Human intestinal dendritic cells take up, transport, and transmit HIV-1 to lamina propria and peripheral blood lymphocytes.

To dissect the early events in the transmission of HIV-1 from mother to child, we investigated whether DCs participate in HIV-1 entry into human small intestinal mucosa. We isolated human MNLs from jejunal lamina propria and identified a subpopulation of CD11c+HLA-DR+ MNLs that expressed DC-SIGN, CD83, CD86, CD206, and CCR7, indicating a DC phenotype. Jejunal DCs also expressed the HIV-1 receptor CD4 and coreceptors CCR5 and CXCR4 and in suspension rapidly took up cell-free HIV-1. HIV-1 inoculated onto the apical surface of explanted jejunum was transported by lamina propria DCs through the mucosa and transmitted in trans to blood and intestinal lymphocytes. These findings indicate that in addition to intestinal epithelial cells, which we showed previously transcytose infectious HIV-1 to indicator cells, intestinal DCs play an important role in transporting HIV-1 through the intestinal mucosa and the subsequent transmission to T cells.
A New Kind of Realism: Flaubert'sTrois Contesand Stein'sThree Lives
Authors: HASELSTEIN ULLA
Published: December 2009

As a seminal work of modernism, Stein's Three Lives has often been discussed in the context of Cézanne and cubist painting, but the intertextual relation to Flaubert has rarely been put under scrutiny, even though it is well known that Stein had translated Flaubert's Trois Contes as an exercise, and allusions to this text can be easily traced throughout Three Lives in general and The Good Anna in particular. The following essay argues that Stein's “new kind of realism” (William James) constitutes a rewriting and a radicalization of Flaubert's decomposition of certain key features of realist narration in Un Coeur simple. While Flaubert's narratorial impersonnalité cites and displays the hegemonic bourgeois discourse of his day in his treatment of the servant Félicité, Stein's narrator deals in clearly marked stereotypes in an effort to master the servants; but by mimicking the latter's speech patterns it also reveals the presumptions of social power implicit in the epistemological hierarchy between narrator and character as such. Only when Stein's characteristic device of repetition is analyzed in this vein—as a symptom of the narrator's and the character's habits of parroting clichés, and as an ensuing dehierarchization of narrative structure—can the similarities with Cézanne's painting be fully accounted for.
“Swann's Way. Basic Training”: Interpretation in James Merrill's Late Collections andÀ La Recherche Du Temps Perdu
Authors: COFFMAN CHRISTOPHER K.
Published: December 2009

One would find it difficult to overstate the importance of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu to James Merrill's work. Although almost any of Merrill's works could be read with an eye to Proustian concerns and motifs, Merrill's final two collections of poems, The Inner Room and A Scattering of Salts, demand particularly close considerations of the intertextual presence of Proust's novel. Such considerations reveal not only superficial connections between the work of the two authors, but also Merrill's deep engagement with interpretive strategies modeled by Proust. Utilizing the hermeneutic categories Paul Ricoeur established in his Freud and Philosophy (Hermeneutics as Recollection of Meaning and Hermeneutics of Suspicion), categories that implicitly guide his commentary on Proust in Time and Narrative, this essay reads several poems from Merrill's last two collections in light of Proustian hermeneutics. Furthermore, this essay argues that Merrill follows the lead of Proust's narrator in taking steps toward overcoming the partial incompatibilities implicit in the different interpretive modes. Merrill, as did Proust, declares art the means by which the two modes may be brought together and the means by which their results are made permanent, a process which likewise unites time lost with time regained. Such readings reveal the degree to which Merrill adapts those hermeneutic strategies essential to Proust's project to his own poetic ends and also illustrates the French author's remarkable transatlantic influence during the mid- and late-twentieth century.
Monism: The Priority of the Whole
Authors: Schaffer Jonathan
Published: December 2009

Which is prior, the whole or its parts? The monist holds that the whole is prior to its parts, and thus views the cosmos as fundamental, with metaphysical explanation dangling downward from the One. The pluralist holds that the parts are prior to their whole, and thus tends to consider particles fundamental, with metaphysical explanation snaking upward from the many. There seem to be physical and modal considerations that favor the monistic view. Physically, there is good evidence that the cosmos forms an entangled system and good reason to treat entangled systems as irreducible wholes. Modally, mereology allows for the possibility of atomless gunk, with no ultimate parts for the pluralist to invoke as the ground of being.
Organized Labor in Contemporary Sudan: The Story of the Railway Workers of Atbara
Authors: Sikainga Ahmad A.
Published: December 2009

This essay examines the role of organized labor in Sudanese politics in the twentieth century. The essay focuses on the development of labor activism among the Sudanese railway workers who were concentrated in the town of Atbara, headquarters of the Sudan Railways, and it chronicles their struggle against the colonial and postcolonial governments in the Sudan. For more than half a century, the railway workers of Atbara formed the core of the Sudanese working class and became one of the most dynamic and militant labor movements in Africa and the Middle East. One of the most important characteristics of the Sudanese labor movement was its close link with the Sudanese Communist Party, the second largest Communist Party in Africa until its near-destruction by the military regime of Gafaar Nimeiri in 1971. Despite persistent repression by authoritarian regimes, the Sudanese labor movement played a vital role in the struggle for democracy and social change. It contributed to the overthrow of two military regimes: that of Ibrahim Abboud in 1964 and of Nimeiri in 1985.
The Party of Art: When the People Entered the Gallery
Authors: Musa Hassan M.
Published: December 2009

This account of the art exhibition literature in the Sudan reflects the complexity of modern political action there. The art exhibition was introduced by the colonial state as an instrument of propaganda. Post-independence authorities continued in a similar direction. Modern political organizations such as the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) used art exhibitions to initiate ordinary people to modern political action. During the relative political stability of Gaafar Nimeiri's regime (1969–85), the state founded official cultural institutions that consolidated the exhibition as an exceptional space of representation. Present at the heart of the exhibition apparatus, artists were equally attentive to the methodology of the exhibition as an instrument for political dissidence. After the SCP's experience, traditional political forces, such as the Umma Party, used the art exhibition to reflect a modernized, attractive image of their political project. Politically oriented exhibition literature affects both artistic and political activities: more and more politically aware artists take political positions that influence their art practice, while important traditional political leaders (such as Sadiq al-Mahdi) deploy educational efforts to make art practice acceptable among traditional Muslims. The politicization of artists and the artistic “initiation” of political leaders transformed the art exhibition practice into a political action. In a society functioning without the real institution of patronage, this situation opens optimistic horizons before the art practice and, perhaps, before political practice.
Serbian Theater at the Crossroads
Authors: Medenica Ivan
Published: December 2009

Serbian critic and scholar Ivan Medenica considers the work of new theater artists in Serbia after the fall of Slobodan Milošević's regime in 2000. He begins with an appraisal of playwright Biljana Srbljanović, whose early antinationalist work signaled a fomenting political change and ushered in a new generation of theater artists, many of them women, such as Maja Pelevi and Milena Bogavac.
American Playwrights on Language and the War in Iraq
Authors: Adjmi David , Evans Christine , Meehan Charlotte , Schlesinger Lisa , Shinn Christopher , Wallace Naomi
Published: December 2009

Caridad Svich moderates a virtual panel of American playwrights—David Adjmi, Christine Evans, Charlotte Meehan, Lisa Schlesinger, Christopher Shinn, and Naomi Wallace—in a discussion about the abuses of language in wartime, conducted in 2008. The playwrights respond to the Iraq War by discussing the responsibility of theater artists in crisis and salient examples from their work.
Lack of host SPARC enhances vascular function and tumor spread in an orthotopic murine model of pancreatic carcinoma
Authors: Arnold Shanna A. , Rivera Lee B. , Miller Andrew F. , Carbon Juliet G. , Dineen Sean P. , Xie Yang , Castrillon Diego H. , Sage E. Helene , Puolakkainen Pauli , Bradshaw Amy D. , Brekken Rolf A.
Published: December 2009

Utilizing subcutaneous tumor models, we previously validated SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) as a key component of the stromal response, where it regulated tumor size, angiogenesis and extracellular matrix deposition. In the present study, we demonstrate that pancreatic tumors grown orthotopically in Sparc-null (Sparc−/−) mice are more metastatic than tumors grown in wild-type (Sparc+/+) littermates. Tumors grown in Sparc−/− mice display reduced deposition of fibrillar collagens I and III, basement membrane collagen IV and the collagen-associated proteoglycan decorin. In addition, microvessel density and pericyte recruitment are reduced in tumors grown in the absence of host SPARC. However, tumors from Sparc−/− mice display increased permeability and perfusion, and a subsequent decrease in hypoxia. Finally, we found that tumors grown in the absence of host SPARC exhibit an increase in alternatively activated macrophages. These results suggest that increased tumor burden in the absence of host SPARC is a consequence of reduced collagen deposition, a disrupted vascular basement membrane, enhanced vascular function and an immune-tolerant, pro-metastatic microenvironment.
Modelling the hygrothermal stress in curved glulam beams
Authors: Zhou H Z , Zhu E C , Fortino S , Toratti T
Published: December 2009

Variations of relative humidity and temperature result in moisture and temperature gradients in wood, which induce stress perpendicular to grain and may even cause cracking of the wood. To address the problem, a sequentially coupled three-dimensional (3D) finite element procedure was developed for investigation of hygrothermal stress in glulam beams, in which moisture and heat transfer were taken into consideration, and the hygrothermal deformation, creep, and mechanosorption were also included. The moisture content, temperature, and stress distributions in glulam beams were modelled successfully. The study provides insight into the mechanism of hygrothermal stress in glulam and also provides useful reference to the design of glulam structures and the design of lamina stacking sequence in production of glulam.
Finite element analysis of a personalized femoral scaffold with designed microarchitecture
Authors: Pandithevan P , Kumar G Saravana
Published: December 2009

Tissue engineering scaffolds with intricate and controlled internal structure can be realized using computer-aided design (CAD) and layer manufacturing (LM) techniques. Design and manufacturing of scaffolds for load-bearing bone sites should consider appropriate biocompatibile materials with interconnected porosity, surface properties, and sufficient mechanical properties that match the surrounding bone, in order to provide adequate support, and to mimic the physiological stress—strain state so as to stimulate new tissue growth. The authors have previously published methods for estimating subject- and site-specific bone modulus using computed tomography (CT) data, CAD, and process planning for LM of controlled porous scaffolds. This study evaluates the mechanical performance of the designed porous hydroxyapite scaffolds in load-bearing sites using a finite element (FE) approach. A subject-specific FE analysis using femoral, defect site geometry and anisotropic material assignment based on CT data is employed. Mechanical behaviour of the femur with scaffold in stance-phase gait loading, which has been shown experimentally to produce clinically relevant results, is analysed. The comparison of results with simulation of healthy femur shows an overall correspondence in stress and strain state which will provide optimized mechanical properties for avoiding stress shielding, and adequate strength to avoid failure risk and for active bone tissue regeneration.
Future directions in knee replacement
Authors: Walker P S , Yildirim G , Arno S , Heller Y
Published: December 2009

The use of artificial joints for the treatment of osteoarthritis is expected to expand considerably over the next decade. While newer technologies can offer yet further improvements in total knee systems, implementation will be strongly affected by the need to satisfy apparently competing requirements. Patients expect quicker rehabilitation, improved performance, and lifelong durability; on the other hand, economic constraints require a reduction in cost for each procedure, as well as early intervention and preventative measures, while there is increased pressure from health care systems to use evidence-based medicine as the standard of choice for implants and techniques. The success of a knee replacement depends on the design itself, the surgical technique, the rehabilitation, and, not least, the patient. The major goal of the implant design can be redefined as a restoration of normal knee mechanics, whether by maximum preservation of tissues, or by guiding surfaces that replace their function. Surgical technique needs to be less invasive but achieve optimal patient-specific alignment and soft tissue balancing. Rehabilitation procedures must achieve the expectations of realistic patients. Testing and evaluation methods need to be upgraded for enhanced predictability. This paper discusses current trends and future possibilities to address this expansive scope of design criteria.
Macroscopic Phase Separation in a Tetraethoxysilane–Water Binary Sol–Gel System
Authors: Kajihara Koichi , Kuwatani Shungo , Maehana Ryohei , Kanamura Kiyoshi
Published: December 2009

A procedure to prepare macroporous silica gels from an acid-catalyzed tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)–water binary system was developed, and the macroscopic morphology formation was examined at a range of conditions under controlled reaction temperature. This procedure involves two-step mixing of TEOS and water containing pH control agents. The gel morphology is significantly influenced by the solution composition in each mixing step, even if the overall solution composition is unchanged. The macroscopic morphology is formed by phase separation between hydrophobic silica oligomers modified by unhydrolyzed ethoxy groups and hydrophilic solvent mixture consisting of water and ethanol generated from TEOS. The morphology can be described as an aggregation of macroscopic particles, which are most likely formed by the spinodal decomposition and subsequent fragmentation of the silica-rich phase occurring at the solvent-rich side of a miscibility gap. The resultant macroporous gels are dried in a relatively short time to obtain crack-free monolithic silica xerogels, which are useful as silica glass precursors.
Bacterial Hen1 is a 3′ terminal RNA ribose 2′-O-methyltransferase component of a bacterial RNA repair cassette
Authors: Jain Ruchi , Shuman Stewart
Published: December 2009

Hen1 is an RNA ribose 2′-O-methyltransferase that modifies the 3′ terminal nucleoside of eukaryal small regulatory RNAs. Here, we report that Hen1 homologs are present in bacterial proteomes from eight different phyla. Bacterial Hen1 is encoded by the proximal ORF of a two-gene operon that also encodes polynucleotide kinase-phosphatase (Pnkp), an RNA repair enzyme. Purified recombinant Clostridium thermocellum Hen1 is a homodimer of a 465-amino acid polypeptide. CthHen1 catalyzes methyl transfer from AdoMet to the 3′ terminal nucleoside of an RNA oligonucleotide, but is unreactive with a synonymous DNA oligonucleotide or an RNA with a single 3′-terminal deoxyribose sugar. CthHen1 is optimally active at alkaline pH and dependent on manganese. Activity is inhibited by AdoHcy and abolished by mutations D291A and D316A in the putative AdoMet-binding pocket. The C-terminal fragment, Hen1-(259–465), comprises an autonomous monomeric methyltransferase domain.
Continuum Approximation for Congestion Dynamics Along Freeway Corridors
Authors: Laval Jorge A. , Leclercq Ludovic
Published: December 2009

In this paper, congestion dynamics along crowded freeway corridors are modeled as a conservation law with a source term that is continuous in space. The source term represents the net inflow from ramps, postulated here as a location-dependent function of the demand for entering and exiting the corridor. Demands are assumed to be time-independent, which is appropriate for understanding the onset of congestion. Numerical and analytical results reveal the existence of four well-defined regions in time-space, two of which are transient. The conditions for the existence of congestion both in the freeway and in the on-ramps are identified, as well as the set of on-ramps that are most likely to become active bottlenecks. The results in this paper help explain the stochastic nature of bottleneck activation, and can be applied to devise effective system-wide ramp metering strategies that would prevent excessively long on-ramp queues.
A Real Options Approach for the Valuation of Highway Concessions
Authors: Galera Antonio L. Lara , Soliño Antonio Sánchez
Published: December 2009

The theory of real options offers an approach for the valuation of investments in real assets, based on the methodology developed for financial options. This approach is especially appropriate in the context of strategic decision making under conditions of uncertainty. This is the case for the valuation of highway concessions, where real options arise from certain clauses of the contracts, for example, a minimum traffic guarantee. The possible exercise of these kinds of rights means an added value for the project that cannot be easily captured using traditional procedures for investment valuation. In this paper, we develop a methodology to value these clauses of highway concessions and, for that purpose, we consider the traffic on the highway as the underlying asset in an option contract, taking into account that, when a nonfinancial asset is used, some adjustments have to be made to the options approach. This methodology is applied to the case of an already operating highway concession, using real data, and the authors obtain an estimate of the value of a minimum traffic guarantee, which depends on several parameters that are analyzed. The authors conclude that this methodology is an appropriate tool for the valuation of highway concessions that have operational flexibility.
The Dialectal Survey: A Critical Revision of Some Methodological Aspects
Authors: Aurrekoetxea Gotzon , Perea Maria-Pilar
Published: December 2009

The methodological aspects that characterize any dialectal survey were defined in Jules Gilliéron's Atlas Linguistique de la France (Champion, 1902–1910) and they were the starting point for later dialectal works. From then on, the number of informants interviewed, the qualities of the researcher or the typology of the questionnaire are characteristics that determine the design and the realization of any atlas. This paper examines different methodological aspects related to the dialectal survey and proposes a method that gives account of the progressive variation observed in the speakers of a cohesive dialectal territory.
The Influence of the Grammatical Category of Number on Neuter Nouns in Slovene Dialects
Authors: Jakop Tjaša
Published: December 2009

This paper discusses the gender changes that can take place in neuter nouns in Slovene dialects on the basis of number (singular, plural and dual). Using linguistic geography methods and material collected for the ongoing ‘Slovene Linguistic Atlas’ (SLA), the forms of a selected neuter noun are presented on three linguistic maps, which show the geographical spread of the gender changes. The paper also draws a comparison with earlier syntheses of these phenomena in Slovene.
Year of first attestation of Standard Japanese Forms and Gravity Centre by Railway Distance
Authors: Inoue Fumio
Published: December 2009

In this paper two simplification techniques are used in order to represent geographical distribution patterns of standard Japanese. The first technique is a representation of two-dimensional geographical distribution patterns in one dimension. The second is the plotting of geographical locations making use of railway distances from cultural centres. By simplifying the two-dimensional geographical distribution into one by railway distance, another dimension on a sheet of paper can show one other characteristic of standard Japanese forms. In order to see the patterns of distribution of Japanese standard forms, numerical data based on the Linguistic Atlas of Japan are utilized. Gravity centres of railway distance are calculated for each standard Japanese form, and correspondence with the degree of nationwide usage and the year of first attestation in historical documents is considered. Two-dimensional graphs (scattergrams) of the three factors are considered.
Simultaneous eicosanoid profiling and identification by liquid chromatography and hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry for metabolomic studies in human plasma / Multiparametrische Bestimmung und Identifizierung von Eikosanoiden mit Flüssigchromatographie in Kombination mit Hybrid-Quadrupol/lineare Ionenfallen Massenspektrometrie für Metabolom-Studien in Humanplasma
Authors: Kortz Linda , Geyer Roland , Ludwig Ute , Planert Mathis , Bruegel Mathias , Leichtle Alexander , Fiedler Georg Martin , Thiery Joachim , Ceglarek Uta
Published: December 2009

Eicosanoids play a key role in many physiological and pathological processes and might therefore serve as interesting diagnostic targets. Methods for the analysis of arachidonic acid metabolites in cells and body fluids require high sensitivity and specificity because of the very low concentrations, similar chemical structures and short half-lives of these metabolites. We established a mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous identification and quantification of arachidonic acid metabolites in human plasma samples using solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography (LC) and hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap (QqLIT) mass spectrometry. Quantitative analysis was performed using the 4000 QTrap tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. As part of an independent data acquisition experiment MRMs were used as survey scans, which dependently triggered enhanced product ion (EPI) scans. Compound identification was carried out by library search using a library based on EPI spectra of standard components (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes and isoprostanes). The newly developed compound library enables the verification of known and structural elucidation of unknown eicosanoid metabolites in human plasma. In conclusion, our mass spectrometric method allows the simultaneous identification and quantification of arachidonic acid metabolites in one single LC-MS/MS run.
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in bacterial meningitis / Biomarker im Liquor cerebrospinalis bei bakterieller Meningitis
Authors: Hegen Harald , Deisenhammer Florian
Published: December 2009

Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a serious infectious disease that results in significant morbidity and mortality. Brain damage is mainly caused by the inflammatory reaction to the invading pathogen. This inflammation leads to the release of biomarkers into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Here we review the literature on CSF biomarkers in BM between 1990 and 2008 and discuss it with regard to its clinical relevance to act as a surrogate for diagnostic purposes, estimation of disease severity as well as prediction of treatment response and clinical outcome. We classify recommendations for these markers as levels A–C according to the scheme approved for the European Federation of Neurological Societies guidelines (EFNS). In conclusion, we identified significantly elevated levels of several inflammatory mediators, acute phase proteins, blood-brain barrier associated proteins and markers for oxidative stress and neuronal damage in the CSF of BM patients compared to aseptic meningitis patients and controls. Furthermore, several biomarkers correlated with disease severity, clinical outcome, and response to antibiotic treatment.
Comparing Two Methods Used to Mark Juvenile Chinook Salmon: Automated and Manual Marking
Authors: Hand David M , Brignon William R , Olson Douglas E , Rivera Jesse
Published: December 2009

Hatcheries in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are increasingly implementing programs that use an adipose fin clip and coded wire tag to mark a large number of juvenile salmonids Oncorhynchus spp. Traditionally, fin-clipping and tagging were done by hand, but the need to mass-mark large numbers of fish has led to the development of an automated tagging trailer system (Northwest Marine Technology, Inc.). We compared the adipose fin clip quality, coded wire tag retention, and injury rates of juvenile stream-type spring Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha marked and tagged at automated and manual tagging trailers at Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and Carson NFH, two hatcheries located in the Columbia River basin. Clip quality (99% good clips), tag retention (>98%), and injury rates (<7%) were similar between the two types of trailers at Carson NFH, where the manual markers had several years' experience clipping and tagging fish. At Warm Springs NFH, where the majority of manual markers had no previous experience, injury rates were similar (<14%) but the fish marked and tagged in the automated trailer had significantly higher clip quality (95% good clips) and tag retention (98%) than those marked and tagged in the manual trailer (70% good clips, 87% retention), where the clip quality and tag retention were poorest during the first day of tagging. Our results show that automated and manual trailers can perform similarly with regard to fin clip quality, tag retention rate, and injury rate when staffed by experienced markers. We recommend focusing efforts on training and quality control during the initial days of tagging and incorporating postmarking clip quality and coded wire tag retention sampling into all marking programs.
Production Characteristics and Body Composition of Juvenile Cobia Fed Three Different Commercial Diets in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
Authors: Weirich Charles R. , Wills Paul S. , Baptiste Richard M. , Riche Marty A.
Published: December 2009

The effect of feeding three commercial diets on production characteristics and body composition of juvenile cobia Rachycentron canadum reared using recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) was assessed in a 56‐d growth trial. Juvenile cobia (mean weight ± SE, 29.2 ± 0.7 g) were stocked into three 8‐m3 tanks in each of four RASs at an initial density of 1.2 kg/m3. After stocking, fish were fed one of three commercial diets: Hybrid Striped Bass diet (HSB; 44% protein, 12% lipid), Finfish Gold diet (GOLD; 42% protein, 16% lipid), or Marine Grower diet (MG; 50% protein, 15% lipid), all at a targeted feed rate of 3–5% of body weight per day. At 2‐week intervals, 10% of the population of each tank was collected to determine mean weight, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), and biomass. At the end of the rearing trial, the entire population of each tank was harvested to determine production characteristics and survival. In addition, fish were sampled to determine whole‐body composition, hepatosomatic index, intraperitoneal fat ratio, energy retention (ER), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and protein productive value (PPV). Final weight (311.0 g), weight gain (281.8 g), SGR (4.23% per day), FCE (85.7%), biomass (11.20 kg/m3), and ER (32.7%) of fish fed the MG diet were significantly greater than those of fish fed the HSB and GOLD diets. No differences in survival, gross energy, ash, or crude lipid content existed among fish fed the three diets. Lowest dry matter content, lowest PPV, and highest protein content were observed in fish fed the HSB diet. Highest PER was observed in fish fed the GOLD diet. Although the cost of production per kilogram for rearing juvenile cobia with the MG diet would be greater, this cost could be offset by the 15% reduction in rearing time required as compared with the HSB and GOLD diets.
Early Life History Variation among Hatchery‐ and Wild‐Origin Lake Trout Reared in a Hatchery Environment
Authors: McDermid Jenni L. , Sloan William N. , Wilson Chris C. , Shuter Brian J.
Published: December 2009

Hatcheries play a key role in augmenting populations for conservation, harvest, or both, although rapid domestication and adaptation to hatchery conditions may lead to fish that are maladapted to natural environments. Three processes may lead to domestication: (1) negative selection against fish adapted to wild environments, (2) positive selection for fish that thrive in artificial conditions, or (3) relaxation of selection pressures. In this study, early life history traits and survival were contrasted among wild‐ and hatchery‐origin lake trout Salvelinus namaycush reared in a common hatchery environment to address the hypotheses of processes leading to domestication. Examination of egg size, egg survival, fry deformity, and early growth rate found no evidence of negative selection against wild‐origin lake trout or positive selection for hatchery‐origin lake trout when reared in a hatchery environment. Wild‐origin lake trout outperformed hatchery‐origin fish in all life history traits examined, suggesting that relaxation of natural selective pressures may be occurring in the hatchery environment. Furthermore, the hatchery‐origin strains failed to show maternal effects on egg size and exhibited limited variability in egg size and hatching time, as well as no significant differences in early growth rate, suggesting potential homogenization of life history traits as a result of the hatchery environment.
Dispersal between Tributary and Main‐Stem Rivers by Juvenile Smallmouth Bass Evaluated Using Otolith Microchemistry
Authors: Humston Robert , Priest Brant M. , Hamilton William C. , Bugas Paul E.
Published: December 2009

Juvenile dispersal and the exchange of offspring among fish populations in river–tributary networks are difficult to characterize, but they may play a substantial role in the dynamics of fisheries in these systems. We used geochemical signatures in otoliths to identify the natal origins of young‐of‐year smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieuin the James River and a tributary, the Maury River, in Virginia. The trace element signatures (Sr:Ca, Rb:Ca, Mg:Ca, and Ba:Ca) in otoliths differed significantly between these two rivers, resulting in approximately 87% accuracy in classifying known‐origin fry to their natal rivers. The variation in otolith composition reflected the variation in water chemistry within the system. We subsequently used classification functions and stock mixture analyses based on these signatures to identify the natal origins of age‐1 juveniles collected from the same rivers 1 year later. The results indicate that approximately 50% of the age‐1 smallmouth bass collected in the James River were spawned in the Maury River, while no evidence for reciprocal main stem‐to‐tributary exchange was found. These results suggest that the downstream movement and dispersal of smallmouth bass is common in their first year of life. Such inputs from tributaries may play an important role in the dynamics of smallmouth bass river fisheries, which are often characterized by substantial annual variation in recruitment. Characterizing such exchange at broader scales will probably be an important step toward linking the spatial ecology of this species with effective management and conservation strategies in river–tributary networks.
Survival and Growth of Juvenile Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon Exposed to Constant and Fluctuating Temperatures
Authors: Geist David R. , Deng Zhiqun , Mueller Robert P. , Brink Steven R. , Chandler James A.
Published: December 2009

The incipient lethal temperature (ILT) and critical thermal maximum (CTM) methods are used to set temperature limits for fish. However, the standard application of these methods does not always match the temperature regimes that fish experience in the wild. We used alternative methods to determine the thermal tolerance thresholds of juvenile fall‐run Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha exposed to the temperature regimes that are common in the entrapment pools that form along the shoreline of the Snake River when flows are altered to meet electric power demand. A modified CTM test with a steady temperature rise (1.5°C/h) showed that one‐half the fish died when temperatures reached 27.4–27.9°C and that survival at 25°C was highly variable; the average time to the first death was 9.1 h, varying from 1.7 to 22.5 h. Over 30 d, 99.8% of the fish in the constant temperature regimes (14–22°C) survived. In the fluctuating temperature regimes (which varied from 10–14°C to 22–27.5°C), overall survival was 97.3%; however, only 83.0% and 88.9% survived in the groups that reached daily maximums of 27°C and 27.5°C, respectively. Growth over 30 d in the constant thermal regimes was nearly twice as high as that in the fluctuating regimes, even when daily average temperatures were similar. The maximum growth was 1.9%/d in terms of fork length [FL] and 11.2%/d in terms of weight (WT) at a constant 20°C. The lowest growth occurred in the two groups exposed to daily temperatures of 27°C or more, namely, 0.7–0.8% (FL) and 2.7–3.4% (WT). The results of this study suggest that thermal tolerance tests that expose juvenile fall Chinook salmon to thermal regimes that match the field conditions in entrapment pools along the shoreline of the Snake River provide higher temperature criteria than the standard ILT and CTM methods.
Assemblage and Population‐Level Responses of Stream Fish to Riparian Buffers at Multiple Spatial Scales
Authors: Fischer Jesse R. , Quist Michael C. , Wigen Skyler L. , Schaefer Andrew J. , Stewart Timothy W. , Isenhart Thomas M.
Published: December 2009

Riparian buffers can improve stream water and habitat quality by reducing non‐point‐source pollution (e.g., nutrients and sediment), increasing canopy cover and thereby reducing water temperature, and contributing allochthonous organic matter (e.g., leaf litter and woody debris). However, the influence of riparian buffers on biotic assemblages in streams is poorly understood, particularly in the Midwestern United States. In this study, we evaluated the effects of riparian buffers on instream habitat, fish assemblage structure, and population characteristics (i.e., the growth of two small‐bodied species) in three streams in central Iowa. The streams were surveyed at two spatial scales; specifically, 41 reaches were sampled and 247 macrohabitat types (i.e., pool, riffle, and run) were subsampled in the summer of 2007. Fish assemblage structure data were summarized into separate data sets by the relative abundance of individual species (i.e., fish per minute of electrofishing) and guilds (e.g., trophic and spawning). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to evaluate the differences in instream habitat and fish assemblage structure between areas with and without riparian buffers. The results indicated little to no relationship between the presence of buffers and fish assemblage structure and instream habitat characteristics. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) was used to evaluate the patterns of fish assemblage structure for the reaches and macrohabitat types. The NMS further illustrated the similarity in fish assemblages between buffered and unbuffered reaches. However, the growth of central stonerollers Campostoma anomalum was greatest in unbuffered reaches, while that of creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus was greatest in buffered reaches. Differences in food availability associated with riparian buffers (e.g., increased algal production and decreased terrestrial invertebrate contributions in unbuffered reaches) probably resulted in growth disparities. The results of this study suggest that while riparian buffers have minimal local effects on instream habitat and fish assemblage structure in Iowa streams, they influence instream features (e.g., food availability) that affect fish population dynamics.
América do Sul: construção pela reinvenção (2000-2008)
Authors: Galvão Thiago Gehre
Published: December 2009

Este artigo pretende mostrar que a construção da América do Sul derivou da reinvenção de um conceito, utilizado no discurso e na prática diplomática brasileira, e amparado em elementos de alteridade como latino-americanidade, hegemonia, liderança e hispanidade. O texto rastreia a ideia de América do Sul desde suas origens intelectuais até a institucionalização em arranjos político-diplomáticos regionais.
Análise da implementação de estratégia em empresa hospitalar com uso de mapas cognitivos
Authors: Hansen Peter Bent , Guimarães Fernanda de Menezes
Published: December 2009

Este artigo analisa os fatores de influência na implementação de uma estratégia no ambiente hospitalar. Tal estratégia é a implementação do Time de Resposta Rápida em unidades de internação, buscando qualidade e segurança na assistência ao paciente hospitalizado. A escolha baseou-se em analisar uma estratégia que tivesse gerado resultados positivos para a instituição em estudo. O trabalho utilizou-se de pesquisa qualitativa de caráter exploratório, sendo um Estudo de Caso único, realizado em um hospital privado de Porto Alegre (RS). Foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade e também foram aplicados Mapas Cognitivos Causais. Como resultados da pesquisa, o fator diferencial identificado que determinou o sucesso da implementação do Time de Resposta Rápida foi o componente humano. Tal processo em estudo também teve êxito pela congregação de múltiplos fatores que se tornaram facilitadores para garantir esse sucesso. Como contribuição acadêmica, o Mapeamento Cognitivo traz uma possibilidade para compreender-se melhor o pensamento dos níveis hierárquicos no processo da estratégia.