bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of Fragment Positioning After TPLO and Effect on Biomechanical Stability
Authors: WINDOLF MARKUS , LEITNER MICHAEL , SCHWIEGER KARSTEN , PEARCE SIMON G. , ZEITER STEPHAN , SCHNEIDER ERICH , JOHNSON KENNETH A.
Published: June 2008

Objective—To compare tibial plateau rotation after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy with the radiographically planned rotation and to determine the effect of translations and rotations of the tibial plateau fragment on the biomechanical stability of the construct under cyclic loading.

Study Design—Experimental biomechanical study.

Animals—Cadaveric canine pelvic limbs (n=10).

Methods—Titanium pins were inserted into the tibial plateau and the proximal metaphysis to track the fragment movements by means of computed tomography (CT) imaging. CT scans were performed (1) before osteotomy, (2) after osteotomy and tibial plateau rotation, and (3) after stabilization with plate and screws. The bones were then cyclically loaded in axial compression.

Results—The radiographically planned tibial plateau rotation correlated significantly with the achieved rotation (r=0.73,P=.016), although deviations of up to 4.7° were observed. A significant positive correlation between the amount of rotation about the sawing axis and the plastic deformation of the construct after 30,000 test cycles could be found (r=0.81,P=.005).

Conclusion—Considerable deviation occurred between planned and achieved rotation of the tibial plateau fragment. Lower degrees of rotation were beneficial for biomechanical stability.

Clinical Relevance—Dogs with larger tibial plateau angles may be at a relatively higher risk for fixation failure, but further studies are needed to establish a safe margin of tibial plateau rotation.
Risk Factors for Tibial Tuberosity Fracture After Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy in Dogs
Authors: BERGH MARY SARAH , RAJALA‐SCHULTZ PÄIVI , JOHNSON KENNETH A.
Published: June 2008

Objective—To evaluate factors that predispose to tibial tuberosity (TT) fracture after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs.

Study Design—Retrospective study.

Animals—Dogs (n=182) with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture undergoing 213 TPLO surgeries.

Methods—Medical records and radiographs of 2 groups of dogs that had TPLO surgery (2000–2001, 2004–2005) were evaluated to determine the effect of operative technique and surgeon experience on TT fracture.

Results—TT fracture was diagnosed in 8 dogs (9 TPLO, 4.2% of surgical procedures). Four fractures occurred after unilateral TPLO in 167 dogs (2.4%), 4 fractures occurred after simultaneous bilateral TPLO in 5 dogs (40%), and 1 fracture occurred after staged bilateral TPLO in 36 dogs (2.8%). Simultaneous bilateral TPLO resulted in a 12.4 times higher odds of TT fracture versus unilateral TPLO (P=.046). The mean absolute thickness of the TT after TPLO was less in dogs sustaining TT fractures (7.2 ± 2.2 mm) than those that did not (10.8 ± 2.7 mm,P<.0001). The odds of fracture decreased by 37% when the absolute TT width postosteotomy increased by 1 mm (P<.0001). An increase in tibial plateau angle at follow‐up versus immediately postoperative was associated with TT fracture (P=.025). Surgeon experience was not associated with TT fracture.

Conclusion—A combination of surgical decision‐making and surgical technique play a role in the occurrence of TT fracture after TPLO. Simultaneous bilateral TPLO was associated with a high percentage of TT fracture.

Clinical Relevance—Careful planning of osteotomy positioning is advised while performing TPLO surgery.
Dose‐Response Models for Inhalation of Bacillus anthracis Spores: Interspecies Comparisons
Authors: Bartrand Timothy A. , Weir Mark H. , Haas Charles N.
Published: June 2008

Because experiments with Bacillus anthracis are costly and dangerous, the scientific, public health, and engineering communities are served by thorough collation and analysis of experiments reported in the open literature. This study identifies available dose‐response data from the open literature for inhalation exposure to B. anthracis and, via dose‐response modeling, characterizes the response of nonhuman animal models to challenges. Two studies involving four data sets amenable to dose‐response modeling were found in the literature: two data sets of response of guinea pigs to intranasal dosing with the Vollum and ATCC‐6605 strains, one set of responses of rhesus monkeys to aerosol exposure to the Vollum strain, and one data set of guinea pig response to aerosol exposure to the Vollum strain. None of the data sets exhibited overdispersion and all but one were best fit by an exponential dose‐response model. The beta‐Poisson dose‐response model provided the best fit to the remaining data set. As indicated in prior studies, the response to aerosol challenges is a strong function of aerosol diameter. For guinea pigs, the LD50 increases with aerosol size for aerosols at and above 4.5 μm. For both rhesus monkeys and guinea pigs there is about a 15‐fold increase in LD50 when aerosol size is increased from 1 μm to 12 μm. Future experimental research and dose‐response modeling should be performed to quantify differences in responses of subpopulations to B. anthracis and to generate data allowing development of interspecies correction factors.
Taking Chances: Evaluating Risk as a Guide to Better Use of Best Practices
Authors: Hall Jeremy L. , Jennings Edward T.
Published: June 2008

Recent attention to best practices has resulted in a complex array of terminology and a number of compendia of effective practices that may be daunting to public policy makers and administrators seeking solutions to important public problems. This study clarifies these distinctions and builds on them to create a decision tool that will help policy makers as they use best practice information in program adoption or development. Decision makers must know their goals in seeking out best practices. As they evaluate potential practices, they should consider not only the quality of available evidence of effectiveness but also the risk of harm to constituents and the cost per unit of benefit generated. The study applies the rubric to an emerging practice in support services for individuals with disabilities known as Cash and Counseling, demonstrating that the practice is low risk, cost neutral, and improves effectiveness and consumer satisfaction. The tool highlights the judgmental elements of concern in the decision process while providing a means to assess multiple decision dimensions in a coherent fashion.
Effect of Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrial Flutter on the Natural History of Subsequent Atrial Arrhythmias
Authors: LURIA DAVID M. , HODGE DAVID O. , MONAHAN KRISTI H. , HAROLDSON JANIS M. , SHEN WIN‐KUANG , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL J. , HAMMILL STEPHEN C. , MUNGER THOMAS M. , GLIKSON MICHAEL , GERSH BERNARD J. , PACKER DOUGLAS L. , FRIEDMAN PAUL A.
Published: June 2008

Introduction: Patients with atrial flutter (AFL) treated medically are at high risk for subsequent development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether curative radiofrequency ablation of AFL can modify the natural history of arrhythmia progression is not clear. We aimed to determine whether ablation of AFL decreases the subsequent development of AF in patients without previous AF.

Methods and Results: Patients with AFL as the sole atrial arrhythmia were selected from patients who underwent successful AFL ablation at Mayo Clinic between 1997 and 2003 (N = 137). The cohort was divided by presence (n = 50) or absence (n = 87) of structural heart disease. A control group comprised 59 patients with AFL and no history of paroxysmal AF, who received only medical therapy. Occurrence of AF after AFL ablation was compared among study groups and controls. Symptomatic AF occurred in 49 patients during 5 years of follow‐up after AFL ablation, with similar frequency in both study groups. The cumulative probability of paroxysmal and chronic AF was similar in controls and each study group. By multivariate analysis, the AFL ablation procedure carries significant risk of AF occurrence during follow‐up. Fifty patients discontinued antiarrhythmic drugs after AFL ablation, and the rate of cardioversions decreased.

Conclusion: Successful ablation of AFL does not improve the natural history of atrial arrhythmia progression; postablation AF is frequent. This suggests that AFL may be initiated by bursts of AF and that in the absence of AFL substrate the AF continues to progress.
Reliability Assessment of a Cooled Intraesophageal Balloon to Prevent Thermal Injury During RF Cardiac Ablation: An Agar Phantom Study
Authors: LEQUERICA JUAN L. , BERJANO ENRIQUE J. , HERRERO MARIA , HORNERO FERNANDO
Published: June 2008

Introduction:
The use of a cooled intraesophageal balloon has recently been proposed to minimize the risk of thermal injury in the esophagus during radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the left atrium. However, the capacity of this device to adequately protect the esophagus under different procedural and anatomical conditions remains unknown.

Methods and Results:
An agar phantom‐based model was built that provided temperature readings not only on the cooled balloon (Tb) but also at a hypothetical point between the esophageal lumen and myocardium at a distance of 2 mm (T2–mm). The RF ablations were conducted considering two anatomical factors (total distance between the electrode and balloon and flow rate around the electrode) and two procedural factors (angle and pressure between the electrode and agar surface). The results show that most of the parameters studied have no significant influence on the temperature measured on the cooled balloon (Tb), the exception being a variation in the flow rate, which was found to influence the temperature. On the other hand, T2–mm was affected to a great extent by all the factors considered, the smallest influence being that of the contact pressure. The results also suggest that when an intraesophageal balloon is employed, the applied power is not a good predictor either of the temperature on the balloon or of the temperature measured at a distance 2 mm away.

Conclusion:
The results suggest that a cooled intraesophageal balloon provides effective thermal protection of the esophageal lumen. However, under certain circumstances, the temperature reached at a distance 2 mm away could possibly put at risk the integrity of the inner layers of the esophagus.
Partly Functional Temporal Process Regression with Semiparametric Profile Estimating Functions
Authors: Yan Jun , Huang Jian
Published: June 2008

SummaryMarginal mean models of temporal processes in event time data analysis are gaining more attention for their milder assumptions than the traditional intensity models. Recent work on fully functional temporal process regression (TPR) offers great flexibility by allowing all the regression coefficients to be nonparametrically time varying. The existing estimation procedure, however, prevents successive goodness‐of‐fit test for covariate coefficients in comparing a sequence of nested models. This article proposes a partly functional TPR model in the line of marginal mean models. Some covariate effects are time independent while others are completely unspecified in time. This class of models is very rich, including the fully functional model and the semiparametric model as special cases. To estimate the parameters, we propose semiparametric profile estimating equations, which are solved via an iterative algorithm, starting at a consistent estimate from a fully functional model in the existing work. No smoothing is needed, in contrast to other varying‐coefficient methods. The weak convergence of the resultant estimators are developed using the empirical process theory. Successive tests of time‐varying effects and backward model selection procedure can then be carried out. The practical usefulness of the methodology is demonstrated through a simulation study and a real example of recurrent exacerbation among cystic fibrosis patients.
Audit cultures: Neoliberal governmentality, socialist legacy, or technologies of governing?
Authors: KIPNIS ANDREW B.
Published: June 2008

In this article, I analyze the social processes of performance audits in a variety of cases in China, other postsocialist nations, and a U.S. workplace with Chinese immigrant employees. Although the processes share many commonalities, the ideological evaluations of them by the people involved are often diametrically opposed to those by anthropological analysts. For example, the Chinese workers often describe the performance audits as “socialist,” whereas the anthropological analysts tend to see them as a form of “neoliberal” governmentality. I use these contradictory evaluations to develop a critique of Nikolas Rose's conceptualization of “neoliberal governmentality,” especially when it is used as an explanation for contemporary processes of governing. Building on the comparative analysis of the performance audit cases, I conclude with a call for a classic anthropological approach to the study of audit cultures. [governmentality, audit cultures, China, socialism, neoliberalism]
Relations and disproportions: The labor of scholarship in the knowledge economy
Authors: JIMÉNEZ ALBERTO CORSÍN
Published: June 2008

In this article, I provide an ethnographic exploration of some of the terms for imagining knowledge in today's “knowledge society,” and I attempt to situate the kind of “sociology of knowledge” behind this imagination. In particular, I am interested in the sociological imagination of knowledge in terms of a relational economy, in which knowledge flows uninterruptedly to create and shape what Yochai Benkler has dubbed “the wealth of networks.” I pursue this interest through an ethnography of the production of research among humanities scholars at Spain's National Research Council (CSIC). For CSIC's human scientists, books (and other bookish analogues, such as libraries or manuscript collections) occupy a place of prominence in the institutional production of research. This economy of scholarship (between books, between people and books, and between what books do and what institutions and researchers imagine them to do) finds itself at a “disproportionate” distance from the “network economy of information” encountered in the literature on the knowledge economy and promoted in certain circles within CSIC. I contrast the epistemological economies of CSIC scientists' relational and disproportional views on research and, ultimately, attempt to provide an anthropological description of a contemporary sociology of knowledge, including its analytical categories and models. [knowledge, knowledge economy, relations, proportionality, labor, academia]
Accounting for MeXicana feminisms
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ MÓNICA RUSSEL Y
Published: June 2008

In this article, I interrogate the iconic Mexican mother–wife image and practices of feminism of primarily U. S.‐born, Mexicanas–Chicanas (MeXicanas). I anchor disempowering discourses about MeXicana motherhood as subordinate and problematic outside the family, but I look closely within the family context to see how the mother–wife image appears, becomes sustained, and is subverted. I argue for more than the fact of resistance to this image: for a range of practices (“differential movidas”) that, in an ethnographic context, are used to dismantle it. I conclude that, through differential movidas, MeXicanas rework stereotypical ideas despite moments that seem to sustain them. [Chicana, Mexican American, feminism, stereotypes, subjectivity, differential movidas]
Fixing national subjects in the 1920s southern Balkans: Also an international practice
Authors: COWAN JANE K.
Published: June 2008

The momentous transition from empire to nation‐state in the early 20th century entailed a challenge for European states to produce “national” subjects–citizens. Scholars examining how diverse populations were incorporated into national projects have typically taken the nation‐state's territorial boundaries as analytical boundaries and have rarely considered nation‐building comparatively or investigated the creation of national subjects as an international practice. Taking the case of the League of Nation's supervision of the Greco–Bulgarian Convention Concerning Reciprocal and Voluntary Emigration in the 1920s, I explore collaboration between international and national agents in disambiguating multistranded affiliations of certain subjects in pursuit of homogeneous nation‐states. [international institutions, nation‐building, supervision, subjects, migration, borders, minorities]
Controlling the Size and Morphology of TiO2 Powder by Molten and Solid Salt Synthesis
Authors: Roy Banasri , Ahrenkiel Scott P. , Fuierer Paul Anton
Published: June 2008

Nano and submicrometer scale titanium oxide (TiO2) powders were synthesized by solid and molten salt synthesis (SSS and MSS) from amorphous titanium hydroxide precipitate. Sodium chloride (NaCl) and dibasic sodium phosphate (Na2HPO4·2H2O, DSP) separately or as mixture with different weight ratios were used as the salts. At the eutectic salt composition (20% DSP/80% NaCl), the microstructure and phase composition of the TiO2 was changed from equiaxed nanoparticles of anatase with size ∼40–50 nm, to mixed microstructure of bundle and acicular particles of rutile with 0.05–0.2 μm diameter, 6–10 μm length, and aspect ratio 20–60 depending on treatment time and temperature. At high temperature (825°C) and long time (30 h), microstructural differences were significant for the powders treated with different salts. Particle morphologies ranged from equiaxed, to acicular, to bundles, to nanofibers with very high aspect ratio. At lower treatment temperature (725°C) for shorter time (3 h), the morphology of the products did not change with different salt compositions, but the crystallite sizes changed appreciably. Different starting titanium precursors influenced particle size at lower temperature and time. Titanium hydroxide heat treated without salt resulted in significant grain growth and fused secondary particles, as compared with more finely separated and lightly agglomerated powders resulting from SSS and MSS treatments.
Thermal Properties and Thermal Shock Resistance of γ‐Y2Si2O7
Authors: Sun Ziqi , Zhou Yanchun , Wang Jingyang , Li Meishuan
Published: June 2008

Thermal properties, namely, Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of γ‐Y2Si2O7, a high‐temperature polymorph of yttrium disilicate, were investigated. The anisotropic thermal expansions of γ‐Y2Si2O7 powders were examined using high‐temperature X‐ray diffractometer from 300 to 1373 K and the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient is (6.68±0.35) × 10−6 K−1. The linear thermal expansion coefficient of polycrystalline γ‐Y2Si2O7 determined by push‐rod dilatometer is (3.90±0.4) × 10−6 K−1, being very close to that of silicon nitride and silicon carbide. Besides, γ‐Y2Si2O7 displays a low‐thermal conductivity, with a κ value measured below 3.0 W·(m·K)−1 at the temperatures above 600 K. The calculated minimum thermal conductivity, κmin, was 1.35 W·(m·K)−1. The unique combination of low thermal expansion coefficient and low‐thermal conductivity of γ‐Y2Si2O7 renders it a very competitive candidate material for high temperature structural components and environmental/thermal‐barrier coatings. The thermal shock resistance of γ‐Y2Si2O7 was estimated by quenching dense materials in water from various temperatures and the critical temperature difference, ΔTc, was determined to be 300 K.
Formation and Densification Behavior of Mullite Aggregates from Beach Sand Sillimanite
Authors: Ganesh Ibram , Sundararajan Govindan , Ferreira José M. F.
Published: June 2008

Dense mullite aggregates with 60% and 70% Al2O3 have been prepared from precursor mixtures consisting of beach sand sillimanite and a high‐purity aluminum hydroxide following conventional single‐ and double‐stage firing processes. The bulk density (BD), apparent porosity (AP), and water absorption (WA) capacity of sintered mullite aggregates were found to be strongly influenced by the premullitization step of this precursor mixture. Mullite aggregates formed in a double‐stage firing process exhibited higher BD and mullite content and lower AP and WA capacity in comparison with those obtained by the single‐stage firing process. The values of coefficient of thermal expansion of sintered mullite aggregates are close to those found in the literature reports for high‐purity stoichiometric mullite.
Lattice Parameter and Stoichiometry of TiCx Produced in the Ti–C and Ni–Ti–C Systems by Self‐Propagating High‐Temperature Synthesis
Authors: Yang Ya‐Feng , Wang Hui‐Yuan , Zhang Jun , Zhao Ru‐Yi , Liang Yun‐Hong , Jiang Qi‐Chuan
Published: June 2008

The lattice parameter and stoichiometry of TiCx produced in the Ti–C and Ni–Ti–C systems with a range of C/Ti ratios were investigated, respectively. Compared with the Ti–C system, the addition of Ni can not only increase the lattice parameters and stoichiometry of TiCx by forming Ni–Ti compounds (for C/Ti ≤0.8) but also decrease them (for C/Ti >0.8) due to the hindering of atom diffusion caused by the dilution of Ni and the decreasing combustion temperature. For all complete reaction in the Ti–C and Ni–Ti–C systems, the combustion temperature plays a crucial role in the determination of the lattice parameters and stoichiometry of TiCx.
Glass‐Free KxBa1−xGa2−xGe2+xO8 Ceramics for Low‐Temperature Cofired Ceramics Technology: Synthesis, Phase Transitions, Sintering, and Microwave Dielectric Properties
Authors: Qin Ni , Kržmanc Marjeta Maček , Suvorov Danilo
Published: June 2008

KxBa1−xGa2−xGe2+xO8 (0.6≤x≤1) polycrystalline ceramics are potential materials for glass‐free low‐temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) substrates. We have made a comprehensive study of the kinetics of the monoclinic‐to‐monoclinic P21/a⇔C2/m phase transition. The low‐temperature‐stable P21/a phase with a high Q×f value was synthesized using a subsolidus method and was well sintered at the LTCC temperature with a H3BO3 additive. A good combination of low sintering temperature (910°–920°C), high Q×f values (96 700–104 500 GHz), low permittivities (5.6–6.0), and a small temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (∼−20 ppm/°C) was obtained for ceramics with x=0.67 and 0.9 and with 0.1 wt% of H3BO3.
Ordered Macro–Mesoporous nc‐TiO2 Films by Sol–Gel Method Using Polystyrene Array and Triblock Copolymer Bitemplate
Authors: Fu Yanan , Jin Zhengguo , Xue Weijiang , Ge Zhiping
Published: June 2008

Ordered macro–mesoporous titania (TiO2) film with a mesoporous anatase nanocrystalline wall was synthesized by simultaneous application of polystyrene (PS) array colloidal crystal and triblock copolymer P123 as templates, and tetrabutyl orthotitanate as titanium source. Mesoporous structure was optimized through solvent species, amount of P123, and the addition of hydrochloric acid. Permeation of mesoporous TiO2 precursors into PS array template was examined by altering the sol concentration. The results show that the mesoporous anatase nanocrystalline titania (nc‐TiO2) formed has a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area of 89.55 m2/g typically and an average mesoporous size of 5.67 nm. Sol concentration, characterized by viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle between the sol and PS template, dominates the perfection of macro–mesoporous structure. Optical transmittance for the mesoporous film keeps a high level (above 70%) beyond the wavelength of 400 nm, ∼10% higher than that of the macro–mesoporous film. The band gap of macro–mesostructure TiO2 film is 3.00 eV, which is not only lower than the 3.25 eV of the mesoporous film, but is also lower than the 3.18 eV of P25 TiO2, because of the defect level from the surface state of macroporous structure.
Room‐Temperature Conducting LaNiO3 Thick‐Film Coatings Prepared by Aerosol Deposition
Authors: Choi Jong‐Jin , Ryu Jungho , Hahn Byung‐Dong , Yoon Woon‐Ha , Park Dong‐Soo
Published: June 2008

Metallic conductive LaNiO3 thick films with a thickness of 0.5–10 μm were fabricated by a room‐temperature‐operating powder deposition process—aerosol deposition method. The coated LaNiO3 layers were fairly dense without pores or cracks, and maintained their phase stability due to low‐temperature consolidation. The as‐deposited LaNiO3 film consisted of ∼10‐nm‐diameter grains, with a sheet resistance of 10–100 Ω/□, while the post‐annealed LaNiO3 film had a sheet resistance of 4.45 Ω/□, which is the lowest value ever reported for an LaNiO3 film. This excellent conductivity result was attributed to the high crystal stability and dense microstructure.
Reactive Hot Pressing of ZrB2–SiC–ZrC Composites at 1600°C
Authors: Wu Wen‐Wen , Zhang Guo‐Jun , Kan Yan‐Mei , Wang Pei‐Ling
Published: June 2008

A ZrB2–SiC–ZrC ceramic was produced by reactive hot pressing using Zr, Si, and B4C as raw materials. The kinetics of the reaction process was studied. The reduction of powders by ball milling is of crucial importance for the sintering. The self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis reaction between the raw powders can be ignited by controlling the sintering conditions, which leads to a sintering temperature as low as 1600°C, the lowest sintering temperature reported thus far. The relative density is 97.3%, with an open porosity of 0.6%, and the mechanical properties are comparable to the composites that sintered at higher temperatures. The depletion of oxygen impurities during the sintering was discussed.
Utility of Infectious Disease Coding Sheets for Surveillance in a State Medical Examiner’s Office*
Authors: Lathrop Sarah L. , Paul Ian D. , Schwartz Michael H. , Nolte Kurt B.
Published: June 2008

Abstract:  Medical examiners are often first to recognize unusual occurrences of fatal infectious diseases. Recognition of these deaths allows public health officials to institute appropriate public health measures. Therefore, we developed a simple method of identifying and tracking infectious disease deaths in a statewide medical examiner’s office. One‐page infectious disease forms were completed for 1566/1949 autopsies (80%) performed at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator in 2004. In 241 cases one infectious disease was identified at autopsy and 58 cases had two infectious diseases. Fourteen of the infectious‐diseases caused deaths involved diseases that are notifiable conditions in New Mexico. Pneumonia was the most commonly reported infectious process (47 deaths) followed by sepsis (25 deaths). Tracking infectious disease deaths highlighted the importance of recognizing these deaths, although hand‐written entries were unstandardized. Preferably, a tracking system would be built into electronic databases at medical examiner and coroner’s offices, expediting the identification of these diseases and contact of public health agencies.
The Study and Forensic Significance of Drill Bit Use Indicators
Authors: Lang Gui‐Hua L. , Klees Gregory S.
Published: June 2008

Abstract:  A case study involving an improvised pipe bomb with a drilled fuse hole is presented. This case study and its accompanying research details drill bit use and/or nonuse indicators. These indicators are then further classified to develop relevant conclusion criteria. These criteria are: (1) trace deposits in the form of particulate and/or smears on the drill bit, especially inside the flute and the tip area, (2) physical damage including chipping, abrasion, and fissuring on the drill bit which mostly occurred on the flute edge bevels and lip edges, and (3) thermal damage. One or any combination of these indicators could be used as effective criteria for concluding drill bit usage. This study also determined that a drill bit produces well‐defined toolmarks on swarf shavings that could be identified back to that particular tool, and there is no mechanical break‐in period for obtaining reproducible toolmarks on newly manufactured or unused bits.
Impacts of considering climate variability on investment decisions in Ethiopia
Authors: Block Paul J. , Strzepek Kenneth , Rosegrant Mark W. , Diao Xinshen
Published: June 2008

Extreme interannual variability of precipitation within Ethiopia is not uncommon, inducing droughts or floods and often creating serious repercussions on agricultural and nonagricultural commodities. A dynamic climate module is integrated into an economy‐wide model containing a detailed zonal level agricultural structure. This coupled climate‐economic model is used to evaluate the effects of climate variability on prospective irrigation and infrastructure investment strategies, and the ensuing country‐wide economy. The linkages between the dynamic climate module and the economic model are created by the introduction of a climate‐yield factor (CYF), defined at the crop level and varied across Ethiopian zones. Nine sets of variable climate (VC) data are processed by the coupled model, generating stochastic wet and dry shocks, producing an ensemble of potential economic prediction indicators. Analysis of gross domestic product and poverty rate reveal a significant overestimation of the country's future welfare under all investment strategies when climate variability is ignored. The coupled model ensemble is further utilized for risk assessment to guide Ethiopian policy and planning.
Estimating the range of economic impacts on farms of nutrient leaching reduction policies
Authors: Fezzi Carlo , Rigby Dan , Bateman Ian J. , Hadley David , Posen Paulette
Published: June 2008

Declining agricultural incomes, increasing concern over rural poverty and sporadic crises such as those of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Foot and Mouth Disease mean that the imposition of further costs on U.K. agriculture are likely to be politically and socially sensitive. Such additional costs are however on the agenda with the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD; European Commission, 2000). The WFD aims to achieve “good ecological status” in EU water bodies reducing, inter alia, diffuse pollution from agriculture. In this study, we assess four possible WFD measures proposed to the U.K. Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs: reducing inorganic fertilizer application, conversion of arable land to ungrazed grassland, reducing livestock stocking rates, and reducing livestock dietary N and P intakes. For each measure, changes in farm gross margins (FGMs) are estimated using a dataset of over 2000 farms. In contrast to previous analyses, which have focussed upon mean responses on stylized farms, our approach allows the analysis of the range of impacts across a wide variety of real‐world farms and farm types. Findings reveal high variability in impacts. Cost‐effectiveness analysis indicates that, on average, cropping farms seem capable of reducing nutrient leaching in a more cost‐efficient way than livestock or dairy enterprises.
Dendritic cells as immune regulators: the mouse model
Authors: Griffiths K.L. , O’Neill H.C.
Published: June 2008

Introduction

The range of murine dendritic cell types

The tolerogenic function of dendritic cells

Regulatory dendritic cells and immunosuppression

The ubiquitous myeloid suppressor cells

What are regulatory dendritic cells?

Dendritic cells (DC) are central to the immune system because of their role in antigen presentation leading to either tolerance or immunity among cells of the adaptive immune response. It is becoming increasingly evident that DC show extensive plasticity in terms of their origin and function, giving rise to a number of subsets represented differentially in all lymphoid organs. This article considers the tolerogenic capacity of murine DC and draws a distinction between DC that induce tolerance in the immature state and immunity in an inflammatory context, and those that act as regulatory cells inducing immunosuppression in the presence of inflammation.
Quality control for normal liquid‐based cytology: Rescreening, high‐risk HPV targeted reviewing and/or high‐risk HPV detection?
Authors: Depuydt Christophe E. , Arbyn Marc , Benoy Ina H. , Vandepitte Johan , Vereecken Annie J. , Bogers Johannes J.
Published: June 2008

The objective of this prospective study was to compare the number of CIN2+cases detected in negative cytology by different quality control (QC) methods. Full rescreening, high‐risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV)‐targeted reviewing and HR HPV detection were compared. Randomly selected negative cytology detected by BD FocalPoint™ (NFR), by guided screening of the prescreened which needed further review (GS) and by manual screening (MS) was used. A 3‐year follow‐up period was available. Full rescreening of cytology only detected 23.5% of CIN2+ cases, whereas the cytological rescreening of oncogenic positive slides (high‐risk HPV‐targeted reviewing) detected 7 of 17 CIN2+ cases (41.2%). Quantitative real‐time PCR for 15 oncogenic HPV types detected all CIN2+ cases. Relative sensitivity to detect histological CIN2+ was 0.24 for full rescreening, 0.41 for HR‐targeted reviewing and 1.00 for HR HPV detection. In more than half of the reviewed negative cytological preparations associated with histological CIN2+cases no morphologically abnormal cells were detected despite a positive HPV test. The visual cut‐off for the detection of abnormal cytology was established at 6.5 HR HPV copies/cell. High‐risk HPV detection has a higher yield for detection of CIN2+ cases as compared to manual screening followed by 5% full review, or compared to targeted reviewing of smears positive for oncogenic HPV types, and show diagnostic properties that support its use as a QC procedure in cytologic laboratories.
Regulation of cell cycle entry by PTEN in smooth muscle cell proliferation of human coronary artery bypass conduits
Authors: Jia Guanghong , Mitra Amit K. , Gangahar Deepak M. , Agrawal Devendra K.
Published: June 2008

Proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is the key event in the pathogenesis of intimal hyperplasia (IH) leading to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) occlusion. The saphenous vein (SV) conduits are often affected by IH, while the internal mammary artery (IMA) conduits remain remarkably patent. SMC proliferation is mediated by the cell cycle, under the control of cyclin‐dependent kinases (cdks), cdk‐inhibitors and the retinoblastoma protein (Rb). Early passage of the SMCs through the cell cycle involves crossing the non‐reversible G1 checkpoint, the restriction (R) point. In this study, we investigated the effect of mitogenic insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 stimulation on the R‐point and its relationship with the phosphorylation of Rb protein and the cdk inhibitors p21 and p27 in SV and IMA SMCs. We observed no change in the R‐point following IGF‐1 activation in either SV or IMA SMCs. However, Rb‐phosphorylation occurred much earlier and was quantitatively greater in SV SMCs than IMA. Overexpression of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) in SV SMCs followed by IGF‐1 activation significantly decreased the expression of cyclin E and pRb and induced p27 expression in SV SMCs, while, pRb levels were markedly decreased and p27 levels were significantly increased in IMA SMCs. Silencing the PTEN gene by siRNA transfection of IMA SMCs significantly induced the expression of pRb and inhibited p27 expression, while, the expression levels of cyclin E, pRb, p21 and p27 were unaffected by the silencing of PTEN in SV SMCs. These results demonstrate that the PTEN plays a critical role in regulating cell cycle entry. Therefore, overexpression of PTEN possibly by means of gene therapy could be a viable option in regulating the cell cycle in SV SMCs in the treatment of vein graft disease.
Who sends what: a comparison of dermatopathology referrals from dermatologists, pathologists and dermatopathologists
Authors: Goldenberg Gary , Camacho Fabian , Gildea Jacob , Golitz Loren E.
Published: June 2008

Background:  Dermatopathologists, dermatologists and pathologists interpret skin pathology specimens.

Objective:  To examine dermatopathology referral patterns of dermatologists, pathologists and dermatopathologists.

Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed diagnoses rendered by one dermatopathologist to 916 primary interpretation cases (543 from university dermatologists and 373 from private practice dermatologists) and 517 consultations (450 from dermatologists, 52 from pathologists and 15 from dermatopathologists). Each diagnosis was assigned into one of six categories. Chi‐square tests were used to compare referral types pairwise and correspondence analysis was performed.

Results:  All profile comparisons tested significantly from each other (p‐value < 0.01) except the comparison between dermatopathologists and pathologists. Correspondence analysis suggested that consultation profile of dermatopathologists was most dissimilar from other profiles and tended to associate more with the presence of malignant and benign melanocytic referral types. Referral pattern of pathologists was more similar to that of dermatologists who interpret skin pathology specimens than that of dermatopathologists.

Limitations:  Small sample size, referral bias, difficulty classifying certain lesions.

Conclusions:  Referral pattern of dermatopathologists was most dissimilar from other profiles and tended to associate more with malignant and benign melanocytic referral types. Referral pattern of pathologists was more similar to that of dermatologists who interpret skin pathology specimens than that of dermatopathologists.
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and giant cell fibroblastoma exhibit CD99 positivity
Authors: Diwan A. Hafeez , Skelton Henry G. , Horenstein Marcelo G. , Kelly David R. , Barrett Terry L. , Bussian Anne H. , Sanders Deborah Y. , Lazar Alexander J. F. , Prieto Victor G. , Smith Kathleen J.
Published: June 2008

According to most authors, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF) represent the adult and juvenile forms, respectively, of the same disease entity, as evidenced by similar morphology, an identical chromosomal translocation, and CD34 positivity. It has been shown that DFSP and nuchal‐type fibroma (NTF) (which is also CD34‐positive) are related lesions, and that there might possibly be a continuum between the two. In addition, NTF exhibits CD99 positivity. It was therefore, hypothesized that both DFSP and GCF would show similar immunopositivity for CD99. Archives of pathology at several institutions were searched for DFSP and GCF tissue blocks. A total of 29 DFSP and 5 GCF were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for expression of CD99. Twenty‐three of 29 DFSP (79%) and 2 of 5 GCP (40%) expressed CD99. Comparison of CD99 and CD34 showed that the non‐tumoral periphery of DFSP was less probable to be CD99 positive, but this finding was not statistically significant.
Shrinkage of cutaneous specimens: formalin or other factors involved?
Authors: Kerns Mary Jo J. , Darst Marc A. , Olsen Thomas G. , Fenster Mark , Hall Philip , Grevey Scott
Published: June 2008

Background:  Shrinkage of cutaneous tissue during processing is a source of controversy. This study was designed to prospectively determine tissue shrinkage at two intervals: 1 min after excision and after 24 to 48 h of formalin fixation. Secondarily, gender, age, site, prior biopsy scar and solar elastosis were evaluated with respect to shrinkage.

Methods:  Ninety‐seven cutaneous specimens were measured prior to excision, 1 min after removal and after 24 to 48 h of formalin fixation. Width of prior biopsy scar, damage to elastic fibers and solar elastosis were subjectively quantified.

Results:  Significant tissue shrinkage occurred immediately after excision, prior to formalin fixation. Mean shrinkage (95% confidence interval): length 20.66% ± 2.15% and width 11.79% ± 2.35%. Range of shrinkage: length 0 to 41.18% and width −18.75% (indicating expansion) to 37.50%. Patient age was significant; shrinkage decreased 0.3% per year of increasing age. Site was less significant; trunk excisions measured 5% greater shrinkage than head/neck excisions. As solar elastosis increased, shrinkage decreased.

Conclusions:  Cutaneous tissue shrinkage following excision is primarily because of intrinsic tissue contractility. Increasing patient age and solar elastosis correlate with less shrinkage. The clinicians and dermatopathologists must be cognizant of the expected shrinkage of submitted specimens for settling discrepancies within the medical record.
Proliferating tricholemmal cystic carcinoma: a case containing differentiated and dedifferentiated parts
Authors: Masui Yuri , Komine Mayumi , Kadono Takafumi , Ishiura Nobuko , Maekawa Takeo , Ihn Hironobu , Kikuchi Kanako , Tamaki Kunihiko
Published: June 2008

A 46‐year‐old man had a cystic mass on the right side of his scalp. Histological examination revealed a cystic dermal nodule composed of relatively circumscribed lobules of proliferating squamous epithelium, with atypical mitoses and dyskeratotic cells of invasive structure, which was diagnosed as proliferating tricholemmal cystic carcinoma (PTCC). Most of the cyst was composed of thick layers of highly proliferating, atypical, dedifferentiated epithelium (dedifferentiated part), which was attached to a highly proliferative but mildly differentiated part. A completely differentiated, tricholemmal cyst (TC)‐like part was also attached to the main cyst, which supports the idea of PTCC beginning in a pre‐existing TC. The dedifferentiated and mildly differentiated parts exhibited a high frequency of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)‐positive cells both in the basal and the suprabasal layers, while PCNA staining was almost negative in the TC‐like part. Expression of cytokeratin (CK)10 and CK16 suggested disturbed epidermal differentiation in dedifferentiated part, while TC‐like part showed well‐differentiated trichilemmal epithelium and the mildly differentiated part was in the middle of these two.
Adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma in a patient from Romania: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Fett Nicole M. , Siddiqui Jawed , Creswell Caleb H. , Zhang Dahua , Lloyd Rita , Wood Gary S.
Published: June 2008

Adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare malignancy caused by human T‐cell leukemia virus‐1. ATLL is endemic to Japan, and to date, there are only four case reports of patients from Romania who have developed ATLL. Here, we describe a woman living in Madison, Wisconsin, originally from Romania, who presented with an atypical papulosquamous eruption and was ultimately diagnosed with smoldering ATLL. Narrow‐band ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B) therapy and mid‐potency topical steroids resulted in skin clearing for approximately 5 months after diagnosis; however, she subsequently relapsed with disease refractory to both narrow band UV‐B and psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUV‐A), progressed to acute ATLL and expired secondary to complications.
Cutaneous presentation of aleukemic monoblastic leukemia cutis – a case report and review of literature with focus on immunohistochemistry
Authors: Hejmadi Rahul K. , Thompson Donna , Shah Farida , Naresh Kikkeri N.
Published: June 2008

Aleukemic monoblastic leukemia cutis is a rare cutaneous manifestation of a systemic hematological disorder associated with dermal infiltration of monoblasts preceding bone marrow or peripheral blood involvement. We report a case of a 75‐year‐old woman who presented with an erythematous maculopapular rash, which was clinically diagnosed as viral exanthema. Microscopy of the skin biopsy showed features of monoblastic leukemia. Her general physical condition rapidly deteriorated and she died 4 weeks later. We present this case to alert dermatologists of innocuous erythematous skin lesions clinically resembling a viral exanthema, which, in rare instances, may be a presenting feature of an aleukemic monoblastic leukemia cutis. This entity poses problems for dermatopathologists even on immunohistochemistry as monoblasts are negative for hemopoietic precursor cell antigens like CD34, Terminal deoxynncleotidy1 transferase (TdT) and CD117.
Metastasizing epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the nose in childhood
Authors: Egberts Friederike , Mentzel Thomas , Leuschner Iuo , Metzler Gisela , Fölster‐Holst Regina
Published: June 2008

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) arising in the skin is extremely rare, and the majority of documented cases have developed in soft tissues or parenchymatous organs. We report on a 9‐year‐old boy who presented with a painful erythematous plaque on the nose. Histopathological findings showed a dermal tumor composed of epithelioid cells with moderate cellular atypia and characteristic intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Immunohistochemical stainings confirmed the vascular nature of the tumor. On the basis of these findings, the diagnosis of an EHE was made. Then, two cervical lymph nodes were excised and adjuvant therapy with interferon alpha 2b was initiated. Eighteen months after diagnosis, there is no evidence of local tumor recurrence or metastases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a metastasizing cutaneous EHE on the nose in childhood. As our case shows, this rare tumor entity has to be considered as a differential diagnosis in neoplasms of the skin, even in childhood.
The role of proline residues in the structure and function of human MT2 melatonin receptor
Authors: Mazna Petr , Grycova Lenka , Balik Ales , Zemkova Hana , Friedlova Eliska , Obsilova Veronika , Obsil Tomas , Teisinger Jan
Published: June 2008

Abstract:  Melatonin functions as an essential regulator of various physiological processes in all vertebrate species. In mammals, two G protein‐coupled melatonin receptors (GPCR) mediate some melatonin’s actions: MT1 and MT2. Transmembrane domains (TM) of most GPCRs contain a set of highly conserved proline residues that presumably play important structural and functional roles. As TM segments of MT2 receptor display several interesting differences in expression of specific proline residues compared to other rhodopsin‐like receptors (rGPCRs), we investigated the role of proline residues in the structure and function of this receptor. All prolines in TM segments of MT2 receptor were individually replaced with alanine and/or glycine. In addition, the unusual NAxxY motif located in TM7 was mutated to generate highly conserved NPxxY motif found in the majority of rGPCR proteins. Following transient expression in CHO‐K1 cells, binding properties of the mutant receptors and their ability to transduce signals were analyzed using 125I‐mel‐ and [35S]GTPγS‐binding assays, respectively. The impact of the performed mutations on the receptor structure was assessed by molecular dynamic simulations of MT2 receptors embedded in the fully hydrated phospholipid bilayer. Our results indicate that residues P174, P212 and P266 are important for the ligand binding and/or signaling of the human MT2 receptor. We also show that changes within the unusual NAxxY sequence in the TM7 (mutations A305P and A305V) produce defective MT2 receptors indicating an important role of this motif in the function of melatonin receptors.
The sequentiallity of nucleosomes in the 30 nm chromatin fibre
Authors: Staynov Dontcho Z. , Proykova Yana G.
Published: June 2008

The folding of eukaryotic DNA into the 30 nm fibre comprises the first level of transcriptionally dormant chromatin. Understanding its structure and the processes of its folding and unfolding is a prerequisite for understanding the epigenetic regulation in cell differentiation. Although the shape of the fibre and its dimensions and mass per unit length have been described, the path of the internucleosomal linker DNA and the sequentiallity of the nucleosomes in the fibre are poorly understood. In the present study, we have chemically crosslinked adjacent nucleosomes along the helix of chicken erythrocyte oligonucleosome fibres, digested the internucleosomal linker DNA and then examined the digestion products by sucrose gradient sedimentation. We found that the digestion products contain considerable amounts of mononucleosomes but less dinucleosomes, which suggests that there are end‐discontinuities in the fibres. This can be explained by a nonsequential arrangement of the nucleosomes along the fibre helix.