bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Once More Into the Breach
Authors: Kagan Jerome
Published: February 2010

This article summarizes the main themes in the book What is Emotion? by Jerome Kagan (Yale University Press, 2007). The issues considered include: (1) the advantage of studying each phase of the cascade that begins with a brain reaction to an incentive and ends with an appraisal of a feeling state and/or a behavioral reaction; (2) distinguishing among appraisals with different origins; (3) replacing the current concern with consequences with more attention to the features of the brain and feeling states; (4) a recognition of the weak relation between the language used to describe a feeling and both the underlying brain profile and a response; and (5) the reasons for variation in the feelings evoked by an incentive and for the appraisals of the feelings.
Alternative modes of GM-CSF receptor activation revealed using activated mutants of the common β-subunit
Authors: Perugini Michelle , Brown Anna L. , Salerno Diana G. , Booker Grant W. , Stojkoski Cvetan , Hercus Timothy R. , Lopez Angel F. , Hibbs Margaret L. , Gonda Thomas J. , D'Andrea Richard J.
Published: February 2010

Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor promotes growth, survival, differentiation, and activation of normal myeloid cells and plays an important role in myeloid leukemias. The GM-CSF receptor (GMR) shares a signaling subunit, βc, with interleukin-3 and interleukin-5 receptors and has recently been shown to induce activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and downstream signaling via formation of a unique dodecameric receptor complex. In this study we use 2 activated βc mutants that display distinct signaling capacity and have differential requirements for the GMR α-subunit (GMR-α) to dissect the signaling pathways associated with the GM-CSF response. The V449E transmembrane mutant selectively activates JAK2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways, resulting in a high level of sensitivity to JAK and ERK inhibitors, whereas the extracellular mutant (FIΔ) selectively activates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and IκKβ/nuclear factorκB pathways. We also demonstrate a novel and direct interaction between the SH3 domains of Lyn and Src with a conserved proline-rich motif in GMR-α and show a selective requirement for Src family kinases by the FIΔ mutant. We relate the nonoverlapping nature of signaling by the activated mutants to the structure of the unique GMR complex and propose alternative modes of receptor activation acting synergistically in the mature liganded receptor complex.
X-linked thrombocytopenia (XLT) due to WAS mutations: clinical characteristics, long-term outcome, and treatment options
Authors: Albert Michael H. , Bittner Tanja C. , Nonoyama Shigeaki , Notarangelo Lucia Dora , Burns Siobhan , Imai Kohsuke , Espanol Teresa , Fasth Anders , Pellier Isabelle , Strauss Gabriele , Morio Tomohiro , Gathmann Benjamin , Noordzij Jeroen G. , Fillat Cristina , Hoenig Manfred , Nathrath Michaela , Meindl Alfons , Pagel Philipp , Wintergerst Uwe , Fischer Alain , Thrasher Adrian J. , Belohradsky Bernd H. , Ochs Hans D.
Published: February 2010

A large proportion of patients with mutations in the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) protein gene exhibit the milder phenotype termed X-linked thrombocytopenia (XLT). Whereas stem cell transplantation at an early age is the treatment of choice for patients with WAS, therapeutic options for patients with XLT are controversial. In a retrospective multicenter study we defined the clinical phenotype of XLT and determined the probability of severe disease-related complications in patients older than 2 years with documented WAS gene mutations and mild-to-moderate eczema or mild, infrequent infections. Enrolled were 173 patients (median age, 11.5 years) from 12 countries spanning 2830 patient-years. Serious bleeding episodes occurred in 13.9%, life-threatening infections in 6.9%, autoimmunity in 12.1%, and malignancy in 5.2% of patients. Overall and event-free survival probabilities were not significantly influenced by the type of mutation or intravenous immunoglobulin or antibiotic prophylaxis. Splenectomy resulted in increased risk of severe infections. This analysis of the clinical outcome and molecular basis of patients with XLT shows excellent long-term survival but also a high probability of severe disease-related complications. These observations will allow better decision making when considering treatment options for individual patients with XLT.
Structural alphabets derived from attractors in conformational space
Authors: Pandini Alessandro , Fornili Arianna , Kleinjung Jens
Published: February 2010

Background

The hierarchical and partially redundant nature of protein structures justifies the definition of frequently occurring conformations of short fragments as 'states'. Collections of selected representatives for these states define Structural Alphabets, describing the most typical local conformations within protein structures. These alphabets form a bridge between the string-oriented methods of sequence analysis and the coordinate-oriented methods of protein structure analysis.

Results

A Structural Alphabet has been derived by clustering all four-residue fragments of a high-resolution subset of the protein data bank and extracting the high-density states as representative conformational states. Each fragment is uniquely defined by a set of three independent angles corresponding to its degrees of freedom, capturing in simple and intuitive terms the properties of the conformational space. The fragments of the Structural Alphabet are equivalent to the conformational attractors and therefore yield a most informative encoding of proteins. Proteins can be reconstructed within the experimental uncertainty in structure determination and ensembles of structures can be encoded with accuracy and robustness.

Conclusions

The density-based Structural Alphabet provides a novel tool to describe local conformations and it is specifically suitable for application in studies of protein dynamics.
Surveillance of febrile patients in a district and evaluation of their spatiotemporal associations: a pilot study
Authors: Choi Kin-wing , Wong Ngai-sze , Lee Lap-yip , Lee Shui-shan
Published: February 2010

Background

Fever is an undifferentiated clinical feature that may enhance the sensitivity of syndromic surveillance systems. By studying the spatiotemporal associations of febrile patients, it may allow early detection of case clustering that indicates imminent threat of infectious disease outbreaks in the community.

Methods

We captured consecutive emergency department visits that led to hospitalization in a district hospital in Hong Kong during the period of 12 Sep 2005 to 14 Oct 2005. We recorded demographic data, provisional diagnoses, temperature on presentation and residential location for each patient-episode, and geocoded the residential addresses. We applied Geographical Information System technology to study the geographical distribution these cases, and their associations within a 50-m buffer zone spatially. A case cluster was defined by three or more spatially associated febrile patients within each three consecutive days.

Results

One thousand and sixty six patient-episodes were eligible for analysis; 42% of them had fever (>37°C; oral temperature) on presentation. Two hundred and four patient-episodes (19.1%) came from residential care homes for elderly (RCHE). We detected a total of 40 case clusters during the study period. Clustered cases were of older age; 57 (33.3%) were residents of RCHE. We found a median of 3 patients (range: 3 - 8) and time span of 3 days (range: 2 - 8 days) in each cluster. Twenty five clusters had 2 or more patients living in the same building block; 18 of them were from RCHE.

Conclusions

It is technically feasible to perform surveillance on febrile patients and studying their spatiotemporal associations. The information is potentially useful for early detection of impending infectious disease threats.
Transmembrane potential induced on the internal organelle by a time-varying magnetic field: a model study
Authors: Ye Hui , Cotic Marija , Kang Eunji E , Fehlings Michael G , Carlen Peter L
Published: February 2010

Background

When a cell is exposed to a time-varying magnetic field, this leads to an induced voltage on the cytoplasmic membrane, as well as on the membranes of the internal organelles, such as mitochondria. These potential changes in the organelles could have a significant impact on their functionality. However, a quantitative analysis on the magnetically-induced membrane potential on the internal organelles has not been performed.

Methods

Using a two-shell model, we provided the first analytical solution for the transmembrane potential in the organelle membrane induced by a time-varying magnetic field. We then analyzed factors that impact on the polarization of the organelle, including the frequency of the magnetic field, the presence of the outer cytoplasmic membrane, and electrical and geometrical parameters of the cytoplasmic membrane and the organelle membrane.

Results

The amount of polarization in the organelle was less than its counterpart in the cytoplasmic membrane. This was largely due to the presence of the cell membrane, which "shielded" the internal organelle from excessive polarization by the field. Organelle polarization was largely dependent on the frequency of the magnetic field, and its polarization was not significant under the low frequency band used for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Both the properties of the cytoplasmic and the organelle membranes affect the polarization of the internal organelle in a frequency-dependent manner.

Conclusions

The work provided a theoretical framework and insights into factors affecting mitochondrial function under time-varying magnetic stimulation, and provided evidence that TMS does not affect normal mitochondrial functionality by altering its membrane potential.
Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGFβ) Receptors I/II Differentially Regulate TGFβ1 and IGF-Binding Protein-3 Mitogenic Effects in the Human Placenta
Authors: Forbes Karen , Souquet Benoit , Garside Rebecca , Aplin John D. , Westwood Melissa
Published: February 2010

Maternal IGFs regulate cytotrophoblast proliferation and, thereby, placental growth and function. IGF bioavailability is controlled by IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs); in placenta, IGFBP-3 is particularly abundant. In other systems, IGFBP-3 can regulate cellular events independently of IGFs; these effects are thought to be mediated by TGFβ receptors (TβR). We have examined IGFBP-3 regulation of IGF-dependent and -independent cytotrophoblast proliferation in first-trimester placental explants and the role of TβRII in mediating these effects. In the presence of IGFBP-3 (50 nm), IGF-induced (10 nm) proliferation (monitored by immunohistochemical analysis of Ki67 expression and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). IGFBP-3 also reduced basal proliferation independently of IGF receptor signaling. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that TGFβ signaling molecules [TGFβ receptor I (TβRI), TβRII, TβRV, Smad-2, and ERK] are expressed in syncytium and/or cytotrophoblast. TGFβ1 (10 ng/ml) enhanced cytotrophoblast proliferation and activated both Smad-2 and ERK-1/2, whereas IGFBP-3 activated only Smad-2. The function of both TGFβ1 and IGFBP-3 was attenuated by a TβRII function-blocking antibody and by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of TβRII (P < 0.05); this was accompanied by a reduction in Smad-2 activation. This study demonstrates that both TGFβ1 and IGFBP-3 signal through TβRI/II to influence human cytotrophoblast proliferation. However, downstream pathways are distinct, because IGFBP-3 acts only through Smad-2, whereas TGFβ1 also phosphorylates ERK, resulting in opposite effects on cytotrophoblast proliferation. The effects of maternal growth signals on placental growth and function therefore depend on the balance of ligands, receptors, and signaling molecules at the syncytiotrophoblast surface. Therapeutic manipulation of this balance might offer a strategy to optimize placental development and pregnancy outcome.
Female Mice Expressing Constitutively Active Mutants of FSH Receptor Present with a Phenotype of Premature Follicle Depletion and Estrogen Excess
Authors: Peltoketo Hellevi , Strauss Leena , Karjalainen Riikka , Zhang Meilin , Stamp Gordon W. , Segaloff Deborah L. , Poutanen Matti , Huhtaniemi Ilpo T.
Published: February 2010

Strong gain-of-function mutations have not been identified in humans in the FSH receptor (FSHR), whereas such mutations are common among many other G protein-coupled receptors. In order to predict consequences of such mutations on humans, we first identified constitutively activated mutants of the mouse (m) Fshr and then expressed them under the human anti-Müllerian hormone promoter in transgenic mice or created knock-in mutation into the mouse genome. We show here that mutations of Asp580 in the mFSHR significantly increase the basal receptor activity. D580H and D580Y mutations of mFSHR bind FSH, but the activity of the former is neither ligand-dependent nor promiscuous towards LH/human choriogonadotropin stimulation. Transgenic expression of mFshrD580H in granulosa cells leads to abnormal ovarian structure and function in the form of hemorrhagic cysts, accelerated loss of small follicles, augmented granulosa cell proliferation, increased estradiol biosynthesis, and occasional luteinized unruptured follicles or teratomas. The most affected mFshrD580H females are infertile with disturbed estrous cycle and decreased gonadotropin and increased prolactin levels. Increased estradiol and prolactin apparently underlie the enhanced development of the mammary glands, adenomatous pituitary growth, and lipofuscin accumulation in the adrenal gland. The influence of the mFSHRD580Y mutation is milder, mainly causing hemorrhagic cysts in transgenic mFSHRD580Y and mFSHRD580Y -knock-in mice. The results demonstrate that gain-of-function mutations of the FSHR in mice bring about distinct and clear changes in ovarian function, informative in the search of similar mutations in humans.
Altered Metabolism and Lipodystrophy in the Early B-Cell Factor 1-Deficient Mouse
Authors: Fretz Jackie A. , Nelson Tracy , Xi Yougen , Adams Douglas J. , Rosen Clifford J. , Horowitz Mark C.
Published: February 2010

We previously reported that mice deficient for the transcription factor early B-cell factor (Ebf1) exhibit markedly increased numbers of osteoblasts, bone formation rate, and serum osteocalcin, but the bone marrow of Ebf1−/− mice is also striking in its increased marrow adiposity. The purpose of this work was to analyze the metabolic phenotype that accompanies the altered bone morphology of Ebf1−/− mice. Whereas marrow adiposity was increased, deposition of white adipose tissue in other regions of the body was severely reduced (sc 40–50%, abdominally 80–85%). Brown adipose exhibited decreased lipid deposition. Subcutaneous and perigonadal white adipose tissue showed a decrease in mRNA transcripts for peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ2 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β in Ebf1−/− tissue compared with wild type. Circulating levels of leptin were decreased in Ebf1−/− animals compared with their littermate controls (down 65-95%), whereas adiponectin remained comparable after 2 wk of age. Serum analysis also found the Ebf1−/− animals were hypoglycemic and hypotriglyceridemic. After ip injection of insulin, the serum glucose levels in Ebf1−/− mice took longer to recover, and after a glucose challenge the Ebf1−/− animals reached serum glucose levels almost twice that of their wild-type counterparts. Measurement of circulating pancreatic hormones revealed normal or reduced insulin levels in the Ebf1−/− mice, whereas glucagon was significantly increased (up 1.7- to 8.5-fold). Metabolically the Ebf1−/− mice had increased O2 consumption, CO2 production, food and water intake, and activity. Markers for gluconeogenesis, however, were decreased in the Ebf1−/− mice compared with controls. In conclusion, the Ebf1-deficient animals exhibit defects in adipose tissue deposition with increased marrow adiposity and impaired glucose mobilization.
Glucagon-Like Peptide (GLP)-1(9-36)Amide-Mediated Cytoprotection Is Blocked by Exendin(9-39) Yet Does Not Require the Known GLP-1 Receptor
Authors: Ban Kiwon , Kim Kyoung-Han , Cho Chan-Kyung , Sauvé Meghan , Diamandis Eleftherios P. , Backx Peter H. , Drucker Daniel J. , Husain Mansoor
Published: February 2010

The widely expressed dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme rapidly cleaves the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1(7-36)amide] at the N terminus to generate GLP-1(9-36)amide. Both intact GLP-1(7-36)amide and GLP-1(9-36)amide exert cardioprotective actions in rodent hearts; however, the mechanisms underlying the actions of GLP-1(9-36)amide remain poorly understood. We used mass spectrometry of coronary effluents to demonstrate that isolated mouse hearts rapidly convert infused GLP-1(7-36)amide to GLP-1(9-36)amide. After ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of isolated mouse hearts, administration of GLP-1(9-36)amide or exendin-4 improved functional recovery and reduced infarct size. The direct actions of these peptides were studied in cultured neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes. Both GLP-1(9-36)amide and exendin-4 increased levels of cAMP and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase target protein kinase B/Akt. In I/R injury models in vitro, both peptides improved mouse cardiomyocyte viability and reduced lactate dehydrogenase release and caspase-3 activation. These effects were attenuated by inhibitors of ERK1/2 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Unexpectedly, the cardioprotective actions of GLP-1(9-36)amide were blocked by exendin(9-39) yet preserved in Glp1r−/− cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, GLP-1(9-36)amide, but not exendin-4, improved the survival of human aortic endothelial cells undergoing I/R injury, actions sensitive to the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). In summary, our findings demonstrate separate actions for GLP-1(9-36)amide vs. the GLP-1R agonist exendin-4 and reveal the existence of a GLP-1(9-36)amide-responsive, exendin(9-39)-sensitive, cardioprotective signaling pathway distinct from that associated with the classical GLP-1 receptor.
17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Stimulates Breast Cancer by Dihydrotestosterone Inactivation in Addition to Estradiol Production
Authors: Aka Juliette A. , Mazumdar Mausumi , Chen Chang-Qing , Poirier Donald , Lin Sheng-Xiang
Published: February 2010

The active estrogen estradiol (E2) stimulates breast cancer cell (BCC) growth, whereas the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has shown an antiproliferative effect. The principal product synthesized by the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1) is E2, although we have demonstrated that the purified enzyme also inactivates DHT. However, the direct roles of 17β-HSD1 in sex-hormone regulation and BCC proliferation have not been completely established. Here, we show that 17β-HSD1 inhibition suppresses DHT catabolism by 19%, whereas knockdown of the gene expression increases the concentration of DHT by 41% in the T47D BCC line. The 17β-HSD1/DHT complex crystal structure reveals that DHT binds in both normal and reverse modes, but the latter mode leading to O3 reduction is preferred with stronger interactions. Using RNA interference and an inhibitor of 17β-HSD1, we demonstrate that 17β-HSD1 expression is negatively correlated to DHT levels in BCC but positively correlated to estrone reduction, E2 levels, and cell proliferation. 17β-HSD1 inhibition reduces DHT inactivation, increasing the antiproliferative effect by DHT in T47D cells after 8 d treatment. Thus, 17β-HSD1 up-regulates BCC growth by a dual action on estradiol synthesis and DHT inactivation. We have further demonstrated that 17β-HSD1 can enhance the E2-induced expression of the endogenous estrogen-responsive gene pS2, providing an important information regarding the modulation of the estrogen responsiveness by 17β-HSD1 that may also contribute to BCC growth. These results strongly support the rationale for inhibiting 17β-HSD1 in breast cancer therapy to eliminate estrogen activation via the sulfatase pathway while avoiding the deprivation of DHT.
A White Intellectual among Thinking Black Intellectuals: George Rawick and the Settings of Genius
Authors: Roediger David R.
Published: February 2010

This essay places the emergence in the 1960s and 1970s of the historian and sociologist George Rawick as a leading student not only of race but also of class in the context of his coming into contact with African American social movements and with transnational black intellectuals. Working especially through C. L. R. James and the Facing Reality revolutionary tendency in Detroit and in London, Rawick abandoned the orthodox and vanguardist Marxism of his youth for a far more open-ended political and intellectual praxis characterized by a commitment to listening to the voices of slaves and rank-and-file workers historically and to participants in freedom movements in the 1960s. The results, far from producing organizational victories for Facing Reality, transformed Rawick as a thinker and bespoke a neglected theme of Black Power acting to transform and energize, rather than to marginalize, white intellectuals.
The Necessity of Models, of Alternatives: Samuel R. Delany's Stars in My Pocket like Grains of Sand
Authors: Tucker Jeffrey Allen
Published: February 2010

This essay starts with two questions: how does one define science fiction, and what difference does race makes to science fiction? Posing these questions together suggests that they are related and provides an opportunity to consider Stars in My Pocket like Grains of Sand (1984) and its author, Samuel R. Delany, who writes from a variety of subject positions: African American, gay, feminist, and more. Delany's work demonstrates how science fiction is a necessity for contemporary African American intellectual inquiry. Stars in My Pocket guides readers through a variety of webs—epistemological, electronic, and semiotic—and it has been celebrated as a science fiction novel engaged in a productive dialogue with critical theory; this essay considers the significance of Delany's racial identity to such claims. Stars in My Pocket participates in the tradition of African American literature and demonstrates the difference that race—that is, both Delany's own identity and the social phenomenon that has structured so much of the American experience—makes to the author's conception of science fiction and its potential as a tool for critical analysis.
An Anatomy of the Race Icon: Joe Louis as Fetish-Idol in Postmodern America
Authors: Ross Marlon B.
Published: February 2010

This essay explores the notion of the race icon, a prominent public image or figure that stands in for a racial group, as it is exploited as a tool both for racial debasement and for racial uplift. The essay traces the public imaging of the heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, whose iconography has been adapted to different, and sometimes conflicting, political agendas over five decades, from a talisman of “joy-mad” race consolidation against Jim Crow in the mid-1930s to a totem for color-blind racial transcendence in the post–civil rights moment of the mid-1980s. Asking how the race icon achieves its discursive power for both the social elites who often construct such iconography and for the masses who are wrongly presumed simply to consume it, the article investigates the rhetoric, aesthetics, and ideology of claiming iconic status based on access to and transference of racial identity from a public icon to a collective political body. Focusing on the public response to the controversial 1986 Detroit statue Monument to Joe Louis, sculpted by Mexican American artist Robert Graham, the essay suggests that public art created on behalf of cross-racial healing most frequently facilitates the very social divisions it seeks to suture.
Finding Voice, Giving Voice: Gender, Politics, and Social Change
Authors: Byfield Judith A.
Published: February 2010

This essay tries to problematize the relationship between race and intellectual work. Informed by feminist methodology, it considers the social location and subjectivity of the intellectual and the nature of the work produced. It uses autobiography to explore and reflect on the ways and the extent to which personal history shapes and mediates intellectual production. The essay suggests that the relationship between subjectivity and intellectual work is not inevitable, static, or unidirectional. Instead, it reflects a complex calculus that is also deeply shaped by the historical moment.
“The love of freedom brought us here”: An Introduction to Modern African Political Philosophy
Authors: Táíwò Olúfė́mi
Published: February 2010

The idea of freedom rarely features at the present time in the discourse of African political philosophy. Yet, there was a time when concern with and extended discussions of freedom dominated African political philosophy. This explains, in part, how a country like Liberia, whose recent history makes an unlikely beacon for those interested in the perennial political philosophical problem of freedom, has for its national motto: “The love of freedom brought us here.” In this essay, I propose to reacquaint my readers with what I take to be some key elements of that discourse in what can only be an introduction to a much wider discussion of modern African political philosophy.
“Masques aux quatre points”: A Meditation
Authors: Mudimbe V. Y.
Published: February 2010

Going back to Greek conceptualities, this epilogue is a manner of conceiving a strategy in cultural bargaining, a distance, a double bind that, in serenity, could expose its ways of subalternating multiple aspects of questions to the authority of texts and qualify the effects of this exercise as a manner of managing existential anxieties. The awareness of thinking one's being in the world, the face of the other represented by the texts and the power of authorship, is an absolute experience of one's search for an impossible totality. One might then believe that, through the exercise of an epilogue, a knowledge might come out and, within the limits of interrogations, contribute to an appraisal of possibles allowed by texts. In brief, writing this epilogue comes to signify how to try to recapture one's consciousness in the fascination about manners of others' writings.
Timing of Adaptive Web Personalization and Its Effects on Online Consumer Behavior
Authors: Ho Shuk Ying , Bodoff David , Tam Kar Yan
Published: February 2010

Web personalization allows online merchants to customize Web content to serve the needs of individual customers. Using data mining and clickstream analysis techniques, merchants can now adapt website content in real time to capture the current preferences of online customers. Though the ability to offer adaptive content in real time opens up new business opportunities for online merchants, it also raises questions of timing. One question is when to present personalized content to consumers. Consumers prefer early presentation that eases their selection process, whereas adaptive systems can make better personalized content if they are allowed to collect more consumers' clicks over time. A review of personalization research confirms that little work has been done on these timing issues in the context of personalized services. The current study aims to fill that gap. Drawing on consumer search theory, we develop hypotheses about consumer responses to differences in presentation timing and recommendation type and the interaction between the two. The findings establish that quality improves over the course of an online session but the probability of considering and accepting a given recommendation diminishes over the course of the session. These effects are also shown to interact with consumer expertise, providing insights on the interplay between the different design elements of a personalization strategy.
Punishment, Justice, and Compliance in Mandatory IT Settings
Authors: Xue Yajiong , Liang Huigang , Wu Liansheng
Published: February 2010

This paper aims to understand the influence of punishment and perceived justice on user compliance with mandatory information technology (IT) policies. Drawing on punishment research and justice theory, a research model is developed. Data collected from a field survey of enterprise resource planning (ERP) users are analyzed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that IT compliance intention is strongly influenced by perceived justice of punishment, which is negatively influenced by actual punishment. When perceived justice of punishment is considered, the effect of satisfaction on compliance intention decreases and that of perceived usefulness becomes insignificant. This paper contributes to information systems (IS) research and practice by drawing attention to the importance of punishment, particularly perceived justice of punishment, in mandatory IT settings. It delineates the relationships among actual punishment, punishment expectancy, perceived justice of punishment, and IT compliance intention, and thus provides a better understanding of user compliance behavior in mandatory IT settings.
Evaluation of five routine glucose methods on an Olympus AU5400 analyzer using the CDC hexokinase reference method
Authors: Jia Ke-ke , Zhang Jie
Published: February 2010

Background: In China, two common methods are used to detect serum glucose, glucose oxidase (GOD) and hexokinase (HK) methods. We evaluated five commercially available glucose reagent kits with the Center of Disease Control (CDC) HK reference method.

Methods: Five routine methods were compared with the HK reference method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline (EP9-A2). These five routine methods were performed on an “open channel” Olympus 5400 analyzer.

Results: All five evaluated methods were closely correlated to the reference method (r>0.9998). Compared to the HK reference method, the Olympus-HK method and Roche-GOD method showed a very small positive bias (mean±SD: 0.08±0.09 mmol/L and 0.03±0.08 mmol/L); while the Biosino-HK method, Osborne-GOD method and Baiding-GOD method showed a very small negative bias (mean±SD: –0.07±0.06 mmol/L, –0.09±0.07 mmol/L and –0.01±0.04 mmol/L).

Conclusions: All five reagents we evaluated using matching calibrators showed good correlation to the reference method and small bias. These five glucose reagents are acceptable for use in clinical laboratories.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:361–4.
The underestimated problem of using serum magnesium measurements to exclude magnesium deficiency in adults; a health warning is needed for “normal” results
Authors: Ismail Yasmin , Ismail Abbas A. , Ismail Adel A.A.
Published: February 2010

Background: A major use of serum magnesium measurements in clinical practice is to identify patients with deficiency. However, numerous studies have shown that magnesium deficiency is common and may be present in over 10% of hospitalized patients, as well as in the general population. An important cause for under diagnosis of deficiency is that serum magnesium, the most commonly used test, can be normal despite negative body stores. This article focuses on the limitations of “normal” magnesium results and highlights the importance of lifestyle or “modus vivendi” as a pragmatic means of identifying those individuals potentially at risk for negative body magnesium stores.

Methods: Researched peer reviewed articles on magnesium published between 1990 and 2008 in MEDLINE and EMBASE, using database keywords “magnesium, deficiency, diagnosis, treatment and hypomagnesaemia”. Bibliographies of retrieved articles have been searched and followed. We have also performed a manual search of each individual issue in which most of these reports have appeared.

Results: In 183 peer reviewed studies published from 1990 to 2008, magnesium deficiency was associated with increased prevalence and risk in 11 major conditions. Similarly, in 68 studies performed over the same period, magnesium deficiency was found to predict adverse events and a decreased risk of pathology was noted when supplementation or treatment was instituted.

Conclusions: The perception that “normal” serum magnesium excludes deficiency is common among clinicians. This perception is probably enforced by the common laboratory practice of highlighting only abnormal results. A health warning is therefore warranted regarding potential misuse of “normal” serum magnesium because restoration of magnesium stores in deficient patients is simple, tolerable, inexpensive and can be clinically beneficial.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:323–7.
Orthodontic Treatment with Tooth Transplantation for Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Tanimoto Kotaro , Yanagida Tamami , Tanne Kazuo
Published: February 2010

This article describes the use of tooth transplantation and orthodontic tooth alignment in patients with cleft lip and palate. Due to bone defects in the maxilla, the congenital absence of teeth, especially lateral incisors, is frequently observed in patients with cleft lip and palate. As compared with orthodontic space closure or prosthodontic treatment, tooth transplantation has several advantages, including induction of alveolar growth potential during adolescence. In this study, two cleft lip and palate patients with congenially missing teeth were treated successfully by tooth transplantation followed by orthodontic treatment. Our results show that tooth transplantation is a viable alternative to other treatments for patients with cleft lip and palate accompanied by congenially missing teeth.
Effect of Alveolar Bone Grafting on Nasal Morphology, Symmetry, and Nostril Shape of Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Sander Melissa , Daskalogiannakis John , Tompson Bryan , Forrest Christopher
Published: February 2010

Objective

To evaluate nasal morphology, symmetry, and nostril shape in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate following mixed-dentition alveolar bone grafting.

Design

Prospective stereophotogrammetric study.

Setting

Hospital-based.

Patients

Thirty-nine patients with a history of repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate who received an iliac crest alveolar bone graft were recruited prospectively to participate in the study. Each patient served as his/her own control.

Interventions

Partial facial impressions of all patients were acquired before and a minimum of 6 months after the alveolar bone grafting procedure. Image acquisition and analysis of the casts constructed from these models were carried out using three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry.

Main Outcome Measures

Surface-based registrations and linear measurements were performed to assess nasal morphology and nostril shape. A modified Procrustes technique was used to determine the change in nasal symmetry. A two-tailed, paired t test and an analysis of covariance were used to assess statistical significance.

Results

Significant side-to-side asymmetry exists in the nasal region of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate, both before and after alveolar bone grafting. No significant changes were observed between pre–alveolar bone graft and post–alveolar bone graft images based on linear measurements, asymmetry scores, and registrations. Gender and surgeon were not significant factors.

Conclusion

Under the conditions of this study, mixed-dentition alveolar bone grafting appears to have no significant long-term effect on nasal morphology, symmetry, or nostril shape.
Association between TGFB3 and Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip with or Without Cleft Palate in a Chilean Population
Authors: Suazo José , Santos José Luis , Scapoli Luca , Jara Lilian , Blanco Rafael
Published: February 2010

Objective

To assess the possible association between TGFB3 allele variants and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in a Chilean population.

Design

In our study we used a case-parents trios design. The sample consisted of 150 unrelated trios ascertained through probands affected with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Three TGFB3 polymorphisms were analyzed (rs2268626, rs2268625, and rs3917201). An allele/haplotype transmission disequilibrium test was used to evaluate the possible genotype-phenotype association.

Results

An overtransmission from parents to affected progeny was observed for the A allele of rs3917201 ( p = .03) and for the rs2268625-rs3917201 A-A haplotype ( p = .022). A defect of transmission of rs2268625-rs3917201 G-G haplotype ( p = .022) was observed also.

Conclusions

Allelic and haplotypic associations implicate a possible role of TGFB3 in nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the Chilean population. Additional studies are needed in order to elucidate the possible mechanisms that can explain the role of TGFB3 genetic variants in the condition.
Chromosome 4q Deletion Syndrome: Craniofacial Characteristics Associated with Monosomy of the Long Arm of Chromosome 4q
Authors: Markiewicz Michael R. , Verschueren David , Assael Leon A.
Published: February 2010

Chromosome 4q deletion syndrome is a monosomy that comprises all interstitial and terminal deletions of the long arm of chromosome 4. It results in a variety of phenotypes characterized by various craniofacial and bodily abnormalities. The purpose of this study is to report a case of 4q deletion syndrome and describe its clinical manifestations, with particular attention to the craniofacial presentation and subsequent management of the syndrome, as well as its associated micrognathia and airway complications. Among treatment options, the investigators chose bilateral distraction osteogenesis of the mandible in order to increase the subject's posterior airway space. At follow-up, the subject was able to ventilate without any adjuncts or mechanical ventilation assistance.
Variable Responses of Zoysiagrass Genotypes to the Sting Nematode
Authors: Schwartz Brian M. , Kenworthy Kevin E. , Crow William T. , Ferrell Jason A. , Miller Grady L. , Quesenberry Kenneth H.
Published: February 2010

Sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) can injure roots of many warm‐season turfgrasses in sandy, well‐drained soils and on artificial, sand‐based putting greens. Resistant or tolerant grasses could reduce the need for chemical control. This research was initiated to assess the host status and relative tolerance of six warm‐season genotypes—four zoysiagrasses (Zoysia Willd.), one St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze], and one bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt‐Davy]—to the sting nematode by two screening methodologies in sequential glasshouse trials in 2007. All entries were hosts with final sting populations 1.7 to 11.0 times greater than initial inoculation levels. Results indicate that evaluating root lengths of unestablished sprigs under sting nematode pressure may improve the identification of genotypes with greater genetic tolerance than in methods using established plants. Total root lengths were not reduced by sting nematodes in UFZ‐10, indicating greater tolerance than found in other entries. Treatments of ‘Empire’, ‘Cavalier’, ‘Emerald’, ‘TifEagle’, and ‘Floratam’ inoculated 45 d after planting exhibited total root length reductions of 24, 29, 29, 32, and 37%, respectively, when compared with uninoculated controls. The observed variability suggests that gains from selecting for sting nematode resistance or tolerance are possible in zoysiagrass.
Effects of Genotype × Environment Interaction on Agronomic Traits in Soybean
Authors: Yan Zhe , Lauer Joseph G. , Borges Roger , de Leon Natalia
Published: February 2010

Genotype × environment interaction influences the market value of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] protein, oil, and fatty acid traits. The objectives of this research were (i) to evaluate agronomic trait performance and stability of soybean genotypes in individual environments and across environments; and (ii) to evaluate the relationship of test environments for selecting superior genotypes within the mega‐environment for soybean production in the southern region of Wisconsin. A total of 68 soybean genotypes were selected from University of Wisconsin soybean evaluation trials and grown at four locations in 2003 and 2004. Soybean genotypes, grown in trials with conventional and Roundup Ready herbicide treatments were analyzed for yield, protein, oil, and the fatty acid components palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. Repeatability estimates among genotypes ranged from 0.27 to 0.98 with yield and the fatty acid component linolenic acid being the most sensitive to environment effects. Superior genotypes could be consistently selected for yield, protein, oil, and fatty acid components using biplot analysis and stability estimates. Among locations in the southern region in Wisconsin, Arlington provides unique information for soybean fatty acid evaluations, but similar information about soybean yield, protein, and oil with Janesville or Lancaster. So, if soybean fatty acid is not important then Arlington could be dropped as a test site.
Selection Efficiency across Environments in Improvement of Barley Yield for Moderately Low Nitrogen Environments
Authors: Anbessa Yadeta , Juskiw Patricia , Good Allen , Nyachiro Joseph , Helm James
Published: February 2010

Developing barley (Hordeum vulgare L) cultivars suitable for low‐N conditions is important for sustainable production. In breeding for low‐N environments, it must be decided whether a separate breeding program is necessary for this environment or if it can be performed as part of a multienvironmental testing and selection strategy. The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of indirect selection based on performance under the traditional multiple high N environments versus direct selection under the low‐N conditions. Twelve experiments, each consisting of 18 to 25 barley genotypes, were conducted in five to eight environments including a low‐N environment in Alberta, Canada, from 2001 to 2006. The low‐N conditions used in this study simulated reduced N application as would be used to produce malting barley in western Canada, so the level of N‐stress imposed would be considered moderate. Genetic correlations between mean grain yield across multiple high N environments and the yield in the low‐N trial was positive and high, ranging from 0.83 to 1.00. The predicted correlated response in grain yield under low N to selection based on mean yields across multiple high‐N environments relative to the predicted response to direct selection in the low‐N environment ranged from 0.81 to 1.18. This implies that breeding for low‐N conditions relevant to malting barley cultivation in western Canada and similar circumstances can be performed as part of the selection strategy for broad adaptation.
Use of a Maize Advanced Intercross Line for Mapping of QTL for Northern Leaf Blight Resistance and Multiple Disease Resistance
Authors: Balint‐Kurti Peter J. , Yang Junyun , Van Esbroeck George , Jung Janelle , Smith Margaret E.
Published: February 2010

Northern leaf blight [NLB; caused by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass) K.J. Leonard and E.G. Suggs] is an important fungal disease of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States and worldwide. The IBM population, an advanced intercross recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between the lines Mo17 and B73, was evaluated in three environments (Aurora, NY, in 2006 and 2007 and Clayton, NC in 2007) for two traits related to NLB resistance, weighted mean disease (WMD) and incubation period (IP), and for days to anthesis (DTA). Two WMD quantitative trait loci (QTL) in bins 2.00/2.01 and 4.08 were detected from the overall analysis; of these, only the QTL in bin 4.08 was detected in all three environments analyzed separately. Likewise, only one IP QTL, in bin 2.02, was detected in all three environments and from the overall analysis. Several environment‐specific QTL for each trait were also detected. Several DTA QTL were detected with the strongest effect detected in bin 8.05. Correlations between disease resistance traits and days to anthesis were uniformly low. The results from this study were compared to those of previous studies that used the IBM population to identify QTL for two other maize foliar diseases, southern leaf blight {causal agent Cochliobolus heterostrophus (Drechs.) Drechs. [anamorph = Bipolaris maydis (Nisikado and Miyake) Shoemaker; synonym = Helminthosporium maydis (Nisikado and Miyake)]} and gray leaf spot [causal agent Cercospora zeae‐maydis (Tehon and E.Y. Daniels)]. Although we did not find QTL conferring resistance to all three diseases, significant correlations between resistances to these diseases in the IBM population were identified, implying the existence of loci (and possibly genes) affecting resistance to all three diseases.
Identification of Stable Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Wheat Based on Parametric and Nonparametric Methods
Authors: Lillemo Morten , Singh Ravi P. , van Ginkel Maarten
Published: February 2010

Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (DC.) E.O. Speer f. sp. Em. Marchal, is an important disease in many wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growing areas of the world. Because natural mildew epidemics are absent in Mexico, most bread wheat lines from CIMMYT do not carry adequate resistance. Work was therefore initiated to identify breeding lines with partial resistance based on international trial data. A collection of promising lines was tested for resistance under high disease pressure at 13 international locations with natural epidemics. Three different statistical methods were used to assess the stability and overall level of resistance: median polish, the sites regression (SREG) model, and Hühn's nonparametric stability statistics. Although the three methods represent very different approaches to analyzing genotype by environment interaction and phenotypic stability, they arrived at very similar conclusions in terms of identifying lines with a high level of stable disease resistance. Of the 24 lines that were tested, the breeding line ‘Saar’ had the overall highest level of stability combined with good powdery mildew resistance. It represents a highly valuable source of disease resistance because it also has high levels of race‐nonspecific resistance to leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.) and stripe rust (caused by P. striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici). The resistance to the three diseases is partly controlled by the general disease resistance loci Lr34/Yr18/Pm38 and Lr46/Yr29/Pm39, and selection for resistance can be aided by closely linked molecular markers.