bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cytochrome b in human complex II (succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase): cDNA cloning of the components in liver mitochondria and chromosome assignment of the genes for the large (SDHC) and small (SDHD) subunits to 1q21 and 11q23
Authors: Hirawake H. , Taniwaki M. , Tamura A. , Kojima S. , Kita K.
Published: May 2008

Complex II (succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is an important enzyme complex in both the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the aerobic respiratory chains of mitochondria in eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic organisms. In this study, the amino acid sequences of the large (cybL) and small (cybS) subunits of cytochrome b in human liver complex II were deduced from cDNAs isolated by homology probing with mixed primers for the polymerase chain reaction. The mature cybL and cybS contain 140 and 103 amino acids, respectively, and show little similarity to the amino acid sequences of the subunits from other species in contrast to the highly conserved features of the flavoprotein (Fp) subunit and iron-sulfur protein (Ip) subunit. From hydrophobicity analysis, both cybL and cybS appear to have three transmembrane segments, indicating their role as membrane-anchors for the enzyme complex. Histidine residues, which are possible heme axial ligands in cytochrome b of complex II, were found in the second transmembrane segment of each subunit. The genes for cybL (SDHC) and cybS (SDHD) were mapped to chromosome 1q21 and 11q23, respectively by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).
FISH analysis of translocations in lymphocytes of children exposed to the Chernobyl fallout: preferential involvement of chromosome 10
Authors: Scarpato R. , Lori A. , Panasiuk G. , Barale R.
Published: May 2008

Using whole-chromosome painting probes, we have analyzed the frequency of translocations of chromosomes 1, 3, and 10 in peripheral lymphocytes of 20 Gomel (Belarus) children, including both thyroid tumor affected and healthy individuals. Gomel was one of the most heavily radiocontaminated areas due to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. As controls, 14 healthy children from Pisa (Italy) were investigated simultaneously. Translocation rates were significantly higher in the tumor affected (1.71 ± 0.68) and healthy Gomel children (2.69 ± 0.50) than in the Italian controls (0.79 ± 0.24). We also observed, in healthy Gomel children, an approximately three-fold higher frequency of chromosome 10 translocations compared to translocations affecting chromosomes 1 or 3 (P = 0.0096), a difference that was made even larger (about four fold) after correcting for chromosome size (P = 0.0009). This finding suggests a preferential involvement of chromosome 10 in translocations induced in vivo by low levels of ionizing radiation.
Genetic linkage mapping of 11 novel DNA markers and the ceruloplasmin (Cp) gene on rat chromosome 2
Authors: Shepel L.A. , Fleming R.E. , Haag J.D. , Brasic G.M. , Gheen M.E. , Simon J.S. , Gould M.N.
Published: May 2008

We have mapped 11 novel, anonymous genetic markers to rat chromosome 2. The rat ceruloplasmin gene (Cp) had been previously mapped to chromosomes 2 and 7q11→q13 by two different methods. To resolve the assignment and to localize the Cp gene on the rat genetic linkage map, we used linkage analysis to confirm that rat Cp lies on chromosome 2.
Synteny mapping of four genes from the short arm of human chromosome 19 to bovine chromosome 7
Authors: Gu Z.X. , Womack J.E. , Kirkpatrick B.W.
Published: May 2008

Four genes on the short arm of human chromosome 19 (HSA 19p) were assigned to bovine chromosome 7 (BTA 7) using a bovine × rodent somatic hybrid cell panel. These four genes were cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), lymphoblastic leukemia derived sequence 1 (LYLl), lysosomal α-mannosidase (MANB), and RAS oncogene family member RAB3A. Bovine sequence tagged sites were developed for the four genes and used for screening a bovine × rodent somatic cell panel. All four genes were mapped to bovine synteny group U22 (BTA 7) with a correlation coefficient of 0.901–1.000. This study confirms that the centromeric region of BTA 7 is conserved with HSA 19p.
The Next Evolutionary Step in the Ascent of Man in the Cosmos
Authors: Salk Jonas
Published: May 2008

Physician-scientist Jonas Salk comments on the concerns about humanity's future and the values he shared with Jacob Bronowski. The author outlines his own view of evolution and acknowledges Bronowski's contributions to our further understanding of this process in which humans are participants as well as products. Like Bronowski, the author believes the human race has the power to influence its future, whether by creating disaster or by saving itself through conscious choice. He envisions as the next evolutionary step the creative interaction and convergence of the various cultures, including the ‘two cultures’ of science and humanism examined by Bronowski. The author suggest that our ‘evolutionary instinct’ will guide us in this direction, and he challenges us to prepare for a future without catastrophe.
The Ripe Moment for Civil Society
Authors: Aljets Diana , Chacko Betsie , Jessop Maria
Published: May 2008

This article explores whether and how civil society engagement in a peace process can 'ripen' the conditions and facilitate the success of a peace process. The activities and methods of the Inter-religious Council of Sierra Leone are examined for their impact on each stage of the peace process with a view to shedding light on how civil society can help create the ripe conditions for formal peace negotiations, be an effective participant in negotiations, as well as improve the sustainability of a peace agreement.
Possible Aerosol Effects on Lightning Activity and Structure of Hurricanes
Authors: Khain A. , Cohen N. , Lynn B. , Pokrovsky A.
Published: May 2008

According to observations of hurricanes located relatively close to the land, intense and persistent lightning takes place within a 250–300-km radius ring around the hurricane center, whereas the lightning activity in the eyewall takes place only during comparatively short periods usually attributed to eyewall replacement. The mechanism responsible for the formation of the maximum flash density at the tropical cyclone (TC) periphery is not well understood as yet. In this study it is hypothesized that lightning at the TC periphery arises under the influence of small continental aerosol particles (APs), which affect the microphysics and the dynamics of clouds at the TC periphery. To show that aerosols change the cloud microstructure and the dynamics to foster lightning formation, the authors use a 2D mixed-phase cloud model with spectral microphysics. It is shown that aerosols that penetrate the cloud base of maritime clouds dramatically increase the amount of supercooled water, as well as the ice contents and vertical velocities. As a result, in clouds developing in the air with high AP concentration, ice crystals, graupel, frozen drops and/or hail, and supercooled water can coexist within a single cloud zone, which allows collisions and charge separation. The simulation of possible aerosol effects on the landfalling tropical cyclone has been carried out using a 3-km-resolution Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) mesoscale model. It is shown that aerosols change the cloud microstructure in a way that permits the attribution of the observed lightning structure to the effects of continental aerosols. It is also shown that aerosols, which invigorate clouds at 250–300 km from the TC center, decrease the convection intensity in the TC center, leading to some TC weakening. The results suggest that aerosols change the intensity and the spatial distribution of precipitation in landfalling TCs and can possibly contribute to the weekly cycle of the intensity and precipitation of landfalling TCs. More detailed investigations of the TC–aerosol interaction are required.
Infrared Radiance Modeling by Optimal Spectral Sampling
Authors: Moncet Jean-Luc , Uymin Gennady , Lipton Alan E. , Snell Hilary E.
Published: May 2008

This paper describes a rapid and accurate technique for the numerical modeling of band transmittances and radiances in media with nonhomogeneous thermodynamic properties (i.e., temperature and pressure), containing a mixture of absorbing gases with variable concentrations. The optimal spectral sampling (OSS) method has been designed specifically for the modeling of radiances measured by sounding radiometers in the infrared and has been extended to the microwave; it is applicable also through the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. OSS is particularly well suited for remote sensing applications and for the assimilation of satellite observations in numerical weather prediction models. The novel OSS approach is an extension of the exponential sum fitting of transmittances technique in that channel-average radiative transfer is obtained from a weighted sum of monochromatic calculations. The fact that OSS is fundamentally a monochromatic method provides the ability to accurately treat surface reflectance and spectral variations of the Planck function and surface emissivity within the channel passband, given that the proper training is applied. In addition, the method is readily coupled to multiple scattering calculations, an important factor for treating cloudy radiances. The OSS method is directly applicable to nonpositive instrument line shapes such as unapodized or weakly apodized interferometric measurements. Among the advantages of the OSS method is that its numerical accuracy, with respect to a reference line-by-line model, is selectable, allowing the model to provide whatever balance of accuracy and computational speed is optimal for a particular application. Generally only a few monochromatic points are required to model channel radiances with a brightness temperature accuracy of 0.05 K, and computation of Jacobians in a monochromatic radiative transfer scheme is straightforward. These efficiencies yield execution speeds that compare favorably to those achieved with other existing, less accurate parameterizations.
Eastern Equatorial Pacific Forcing of ENSO Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies*
Authors: Zhang Xuebin , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: May 2008

Previous studies have described the impacts of wind stress variations in the eastern Pacific on sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. However, these studies have usually focused on individual El Niño events and typically have not considered impacts on La Niña—the cold phase of the ENSO cycle. This paper examines effects of wind stress and heat flux forcing on interannual SST variations in the eastern equatorial Pacific from sensitivity tests using an ocean general circulation model over the period 1980–2002. Results indicate that in the Niño-3 region (5°N–5°S, 90°–150°W) a zonal wind stress anomaly of 0.01 N m−2 leads to about 1°C SST anomaly and that air–sea heat fluxes tend to damp interannual SST anomalies generated by other physical processes at a rate of about 40 W m−2 (°C)−1. These results systematically quantify expectations from previous event specific numerical model studies that local forcing in the eastern Pacific can significantly affect the evolution of both warm and cold phases of the ENSO cycle. The results are also consistent with a strictly empirical analysis that indicates that a wind stress anomaly of 0.01 N m−2 leads to ∼1°C SST anomaly in the Niño-3 region.
Spatial and Temporal Trends in Sunshine Duration over Western Europe (1938–2004)
Authors: Sanchez-Lorenzo Arturo , Calbó Josep , Martin-Vide Javier
Published: May 2008

This work analyzes sunshine duration variability in the western part of Europe (WEU) over the 1938–2004 period. A principal component analysis is applied to cluster the original series from 79 sites into 6 regions, and then annual and seasonal mean series are constructed on regional and also for the whole WEU scales. Over the entire period studied here, the linear trend of annual sunshine duration is found to be nonsignificant. However, annual sunshine duration shows an overall decrease since the 1950s until the early 1980s, followed by a subsequent recovery during the last two decades. This behavior is in good agreement with the dimming and brightening phenomena described in previous literature. From the seasonal analysis, the most remarkable result is the similarity between spring and annual series, although the spring series has a negative trend; and the clear significant increase found for the whole WEU winter series, being especially large since the 1970s. The behavior of the major synoptic patterns for two seasons is investigated, resulting in some indications that sunshine duration evolution may be partially explained by changes in the frequency of some of them.
Interpretive Neutrality
Authors: Apfelbaum Bernard
Published: May 2008

Published clinical examples are used to show how both contemporary ego psychological approaches and the relational approach are pre-structural, in the sense that they implicitly appeal to Freud's earlier, layering model. In this framework, defense and defended-against are seen as categorically different, with the consequence that both interpretation and the goals of analysis are necessarily normative. Viewed in this perspective, interpretive neutrality represents an unrealistic absence of influence. This perspective can also account for the widespread pessimism regarding exclusive reliance on interpretation and the consequent belief in the need to rely on the impact of the analytic relationship.
How To Play With Patients Who Would Rather Remain Remote
Authors: Coen Stanley J.
Published: May 2008

Playful technique with negativistic, schizoid patients is described and further explained. They are seen as closing their mind, imagination, needs, and feelings to protect themselves against the terrifying dangers of human relatedness (vulnerability, need, hurt, loss, fusion, destruction). The analyst, while respecting the schizoid patient's need for protection, affirmation, and validation, seeks creative ways of engaging the patient more closely. Playful technique with schizoid patients combines the analyst's sensitive, playful attitude with an invitation to playful action as an experiment with new feelings, longings, hopes, and expectations. Playful engagement is one technique for attempting to engage patients not now open to verbal interpretation. To succeed with such patients, the analyst needs to connect with the core of their protectiveness and thereby come to enjoy their defensive powers, tolerate their need of the analyst, and not feel insulted. The analyst's light, playful approach to these patients' life-and-death terrors of hating and loving aims to show them that they have grossly exaggerated the powers of their hatred and their love.
Playing Dead: An Unconscious Fantasy, Bodily Focused Defenses, and Their Roots in Infancy
Authors: Moskowitz Sally
Published: May 2008

A patient's unconscious fantasy of being her mother's dead baby emerged during the course of a long analysis, and was understood asherexpression andexplanation, constructedandelaborated throughout her development, of a fundamental and formative early infant state and experience. This patient's identification with a baby who had died before she was born was connected to her major complaint, a pervasive feeling that she could not act with intention, and to her obsessive ruminations, compulsive actions, and masochistic attacks on her body. The bodily based aspects and focus of these defenses were autistic-like, self-directed activities that can be understood as having their roots in what was experienced as catastrophic loss in the earliest weeks and months of life. Infant research, particularly on contingency detection, is especially useful in clarifying the ways in which these defenses may form, and in reconstructing and tracing the trajectories and intricate transformations of body ego, self- and other representations, and defenses from their earliest beginnings to their current manifestations in patients' fantasies and symptoms.
Causes of School Bullying
Authors: Moon Byongook , Hwang Hye-Won , McCluskey John D.
Published: May 2008

A growing number of studies indicate the ubiquity of school bullying: It is a global concern, regardless of cultural differences. Little previous research has examined whether leading criminological theories can explain bullying, despite the commonality between bullying and delinquency. The current investigation uses longitudinal data on 655 Korean youth, in three schools, to examine the applicability of leading criminological theories (general theory of crime, differential association theory, and general strain theory) in explaining school bullying. Overall, our findings indicate limited support for the generality of these three leading criminological theories in explaining the etiology of bullying. However, the findings show the significant effects of school-generated strains (teachers’ physical and emotional punishment and examination related strain) on bullying. Directions for future research and policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Law, Politics, and Access to Essential Medicines in Developing Countries
Authors: Klug Heinz
Published: May 2008

This article argues that to advance the struggle for access to essential medicines, it is necessary to identify the global and local regimes that shape the rules that give impetus to particular policy options, while undermining others. In exploring the role of law and politics in this process, the author first outlines the globalization of a standardized, corporate-inspired, intellectual property regime. Second, the author uses the example of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to demonstrate how the stability of this new regime came under pressure, both locally and globally. Finally, it is argued that while the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and the social movements that emerged in response to government inaction have effectively challenged the TRIPS regime, this complex contestation has reached an unsustainable stalemate in which development aid, corporate, and non-governmental philanthropy is simultaneously providing increased availability to drugs while precluding a more lasting solution to the crisis of access to essential medicines in developing countries.
Frederick Thayer and the Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere
Authors: Catlaw Thomas J.
Published: May 2008

A year after his death, this article provides the first critical analysis and overview of the work of Frederick Thayer. It argues that in the contemporary context of governance, Thayer's work is more relevant than ever, but that a set of problems—including the apparent simplicity of Thayer's assault on hierarchy, his frequently bombastic prose, and the foundational nature of his critique—impede the field's engagement with his work. The article contends that Thayer's work is more nuanced and methodical than it may appear and offers important avenues for confronting some of the field's most persistent theoretical and practical problems. Perhaps most important, Thayer's work lucidly illustrates the field's misunderstanding of process theory as an account of change. As such, Thayer turns us unwittingly into a theoretical cul-de-sac that undercuts any real possibility for action and movement toward the very world for which he hoped. This has important implications for critical approaches in public administration.
Developing a Measure of Unethical Behavior in the Workplace: A Stakeholder Perspective
Authors: Kaptein Muel
Published: May 2008

To date, only one empirically tested measure of the observed frequency of unethical behavior in the workplace exists. This widely used measure focuses on intraorganizational cheating and thus covers only a limited part of the much broader spectrum of unethical behaviors in the workplace. Given the importance of a valid measure, this article uses stakeholder theory as a conceptual basis to develop a broader and multidimensional measure of unethical behavior in eight consecutive steps. Exploratory factor analysis generates five subscales comprising 37 items of unethical behavior primarily related to financiers, customers, employees, suppliers, and society. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrates that a five-factor model has a superior fit to a one-factor model. The subscales display good internal reliability. Preliminary evidence of nomological and criterion-related validity is also provided.
Human Resource Flexibility as a Mediating Variable Between High Performance Work Systems and Performance
Authors: Beltrán-Martín Inmaculada , Roca-Puig Vicente , Escrig-Tena Ana , Bou-Llusar Juan Carlos
Published: May 2008

Much of the human resource management literature has demonstrated the impact of high performance work systems (HPWS) on organizational performance. A new generation of studies is emerging in this literature that recommends the inclusion of mediating variables between HPWS and organizational performance. The increasing rate of dynamism in competitive environments suggests that measures of employee adaptability should be included as a mechanism that may explain the relevance of HPWS to firm competitiveness. On a sample of 226 Spanish firms, the study's results confirm that HPWS influences performance through its impact on the firm's human resource (HR) flexibility.
Perceived Proximity in Virtual Work: Explaining the Paradox of Far-but-Close
Authors: Wilson Jeanne M. , Boyer O'Leary Michael , Metiu Anca , Jett Quintus R.
Published: May 2008

One's colleagues can be situated in close physical proximity, yet seem quite distant. Conversely, one's colleagues can be quite far away in objective terms, yet seem quite close. In this paper, we explore this paradoxical phenomenon of feeling close to geographically distant colleagues and propose a model of perceived proximity (a dyadic and asymmetric construct which reflects one person's perception of how close or how far another person is). The model shows how communication and social identification processes, as well as certain individual and socio-organizational factors, affect feelings of proximity. The aim is to broaden organizational studies' theoretical understandings of proximity to include the subjective perception of it. By shifting the focus from objective to perceived proximity, we believe that scholars can resolve many conflicting findings regarding dispersed work. By understanding what leads to perceived proximity, we also believe that managers can achieve many of the benefits of co-location without actually having employees work in one place.
Intermediary Services in the Markets for Technology: Organizational Antecedents and Performance Consequences
Authors: Lichtenthaler Ulrich , Ernst Holger
Published: May 2008

The external commercialization of technology assets, e.g. by means of out-licensing, has recently gained in importance. Despite this increase in technology transactions, many industrial firms experience major managerial difficulties in outward technology transfer because of imperfections in the markets for technology. Drawing on a resource-based perspective, we therefore analyse whether firms can overcome market inefficiencies by relying on innovation intermediaries such as consulting companies and internet platforms. We test five hypotheses regarding organizational antecedents and performance consequences of intermediary services with data from 152 firms spanning multiple industries. The empirical findings show that industrial firms need to develop internal competencies of externally leveraging technology. External service providers are a complement rather than a substitute for internal activities. Accordingly, the role of technology intermediaries as general facilitators of interorganizational technology transactions has to be questioned. On this basis, the study has major implications for research into intermediaries, technology exploitation, licensing, open innovation and organizational boundaries.
Simon and Polanyi on Rationality and Knowledge
Authors: Miller Kent D.
Published: May 2008

Organizational researchers cite Simon and Polanyi without adequately acknowledging and dealing with the disparities in their perspectives on rationality and knowledge. This study explains the views of Simon and Polanyi and traces their disparities to differing underlying philosophical perspectives. Simon's research emphasized cognition over action, explicit knowledge over tacit knowledge, mechanistic information processing over human judgment, and means over ends. Polanyi provides counterbalancing emphases for each of these orientations in his explanation of skillful performance. The latter portion of this study draws conclusions about the perspectives of Simon and Polanyi and identifies implications for research on rationality and knowledge management.
Teaching Green Engineering: The Case of Ethanol Lifecycle Analysis
Authors: Vallero Daniel A. , Braiser Chris
Published: May 2008

Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool in teaching green engineering and has been used to assess biofuels, including ethanol. An undergraduate engineering course at Duke University has integrated LCA with other interactive teaching techniques to enhance awareness and to inform engineering decision making related to societal issues, such as energy sources and environmental quality. The course also includes a three-part studio beginning with application of thermodynamics, moving to team projects, and ending with a “green” innovation proposal by each student. Students who participated in this interactive series were able to apply LCA to venues beyond biofuels (e.g., computing and brick making). They were also able to consider societal and geopolitical aspects of complex issues, such as comparing benefits to costs and risks associated with increased production of ethanol on decreased food production and environmental impacts.
Sustaining Action and Optimizing Entropy: Coupling Efficiency for Energy and the Sustainability of Global Ecosystems
Authors: Rose Michael T. , Crossan Angus N. , Kennedy Ivan R.
Published: May 2008

Consideration of the property of action is proposed to provide a more meaningful definition of efficient energy use and sustainable production in ecosystems. Action has physical dimensions similar to angular momentum, its magnitude varying with mass, spatial configuration and relative motion. In this article, the relationship of action to thermodynamic processes such as the spontaneous increase in entropy of the second law is explained and the utility of action for measuring changes in energy and material distribution is promoted. In particular, the view that increases in entropy and action are equivalent to disorder is challenged. Given that the development of action states may be assigned an economic value and the various sources of free energy assigned a price, action theory may provide a novel mechanism for the economic allocation of resources. The importance of the diversity and redundancy of energy resources and work processes to optimize action is highlighted.
A `Shallow Piece of Naughtiness': George Orwell on Political Realism
Authors: Hall Ian
Published: May 2008

George Orwell's concern for political language and political morality has long been recognised, but his thought on `political realism' has not received the attention that it deserves, especially from scholars of International Relations. This article examines his treatment of realism in his journalism of the 1940s and in his last novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It argues that although Orwell's account, assembled from his study of the political discourse of his day and the work of contemporary intellectuals, was deeply flawed, it asked important questions about the account of political motivation underpinning realism. It suggests that Orwell intended Nineteen Eighty-Four to satirise or parody the idea of `power-hunger' he thought realists depended upon and to demonstrate how realism might generate its own form of totalitarianism.
The Trouble with `Never Again!': Rereading Levinas for Genocide Prevention and Critical International Theory
Authors: Schiff Jacob
Published: May 2008

After the Holocaust, the world said `Never again!' That declaration has since been repeated often, to no avail. The insufficiency of this declaration is symptomatic of a problem with redemptive politics: They might spur us into action to deliver the world from violence, cruelty and injustice, but they might also overwhelm us with paralysing responsibility and provoke a retreat into bad faith. Emmanuel Levinas offers a more sober, but also more promising, view of politics that resists redemptive aspirations. Critical international theorists have explored the resources that Levinas offers for thinking about world politics, but they have underestimated those resources because they have attributed to him a redemptive account of politics. From this perspective, they have criticised his infamous response to the massacres at Sabra and Chatila during Israel's war with Lebanon. Reconsidering his comments about that event, I defend Levinas and suggest that the charges against him stem from that misunderstanding of his view of politics. Once reconstructed, these comments point towards a challenging — but more productive — politics of disquietude that might inform a more constructive approach to the prevention of genocide.
Educators' Interpretations of Ambiguous Accommodations
Authors: Byrnes MaryAnn
Published: May 2008

This exploratory case study examined how general and special education teachers in one school district interpreted three frequently used accommodations. Although a majority of both groups agreed on interpretations of extended time, there was little agreement, considerable variation, and some contradiction in their understanding of the changes intended by scribing and preferential seating. Recommendations include suggestions for replacing ambiguous accommodations with functional descriptions, linking accommodations more directly with barriers presented by disabilities, and paying particular attention to ensuring that interpretations are shared as students move through their school experience.
Design and Manufacturing of a Model-scale Active Twist Rotor Prototype Blade
Authors: Sang Joon Shin  , Cesnik Carlos E.S. , Wilkie W. Keats , Wilbur Matthew L.
Published: May 2008

The design and manufacturing of an active twist rotor blade for vibration reduction in helicopters are presented. The rotor blade is integrally twisted by direct strain actuation through embedded piezoelectric fiber composite actuators distributed along the span of the blade. Highlights of the analysis formulation used to design this type of active blade are presented. The requirements for the prototype blade, along with the final design results are also presented. Detailed aspects of its manufacturing are described. Experimental structural characteristics of the prototype blade compare well with design goals, and bench actuation tests characterize its basic actuation performance. The design and manufacturing processes permit the realization of an active blade that satisfies a given set of design requirements. This is used to later develop a fully active rotor blade system.
Comments on “Reinventing Social Work Accreditation”
Authors: Midgley James
Published: May 2008

It is unlikely that Stoesz and Karger will be widely commended for the critique of social work accreditation. Social work academics do not usually handle criticism with equanimity. In some respects, their case is overstated. The problems associated with social work accreditation are not caused by the low publication productivity of social work faculty, nor by the low GRE scores of social work students. The primary purpose of social work education is to train practitioners, and faculty research productivity may be unrelated to this goal. There is an urgent need for research on the accreditation process in social work education.
Multisystemic Therapy as Community-Based Treatment for Youth With Severe Emotional Disturbance
Authors: Painter Kirstin
Published: May 2008

Objective: This study compares multisystemic therapy (MST) to family skills training combined with case management in community mental health for emotionally disturbed youth. Method: A pre-post quasiexperimental design was used. Results: Youth who received MST experienced more improved mental health symptoms, less juvenile justice involvement, and improvement across the linear combination of school functioning, family functioning, mental health symptoms, substance abuse, risk of self-harm, and disruptive or aggressive behavior than did youth who received usual services. Both groups experienced significant improvement in youth functioning. Conclusions: The use of MST in community mental health could prevent families from relinquishing custody of their children to receive effective treatment for them and avert juvenile justice involvement.
Gastric Involvement of Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type: A Report of 3 Cases With Literature Review
Authors: Zhang Ying-Chun , Sha Zhao  , Yu Jian-Bo , Lei Shi  , He Miao-Xia , Zhang Hong-Ying , Liu Wei-Ping
Published: May 2008

Gastric involvement of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type is extremely rare, and its clinicopathologic features are also poorly understood. Until now, only 4 cases have been reported in literature. In this article, 3 cases of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type are reported. In this current series, one patient (case 2) was admitted to emergency due to life-threatened hemorrhage of the upper-digestive tract and the volume of blood loss was about 2000 mL. For case 3, the sample was a small piece of gastroendoscopy biopsy tissue. It is a challenge for pathologist to make the diagnosis for this special type of tumor. In all, 2 of 3 cases had a relevant history of midfacial extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type before. The other patient died of tumor 2 months later with no history of the tumor when she was alive. Literature review was carried out; The cases reported in this article are documented and compared with the 4 previously reported cases of tumor.
Pharmacoeconomic Concepts in Antiplatelet Therapy: Understanding Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Using Clopidogrel as an Example
Authors: Weintraub William S.
Published: May 2008

The rising cost of drug therapy has been accompanied by demands from payers for pharmacoeconomic studies to assess the value for money of new treatments.There are 5 types of such analyses: cost analysis (evaluates only costs); cost minimization (compares costs of treatments with identical outcomes); cost-effectiveness (evaluates the cost of treatment in relation to clinical benefit to derive a cost per outcome); cost utility (evaluates cost of treatment in relation to survival adjusted for quality of life,) and cost benefit (evaluates all clinical outcomes, such as prolonged life, in monetary terms). The most commonly used are cost-effectiveness and cost utility. The aim of this article is to provide the nonexpert reader with a basic understanding of these analyses, using pharmacoeconomic evaluations of clopidogrel for acute coronary syndromes as examples. Greater clinician understanding of pharmacoeconomic principles (and pitfalls) will enhance input of the physicians into the decision-making process to maximize the benefit of limited health care resources.
Ischemic Postconditioning's Benefit on Reperfusion Ventricular Arrhythmias Is Maintained in the Senescent Heart
Authors: Dow Joan , Bhandari Anil , Kloner Robert A.
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this study is to determine if postconditioning's beneficial effect on ventricular arrhythmias is maintained in elderly hearts. In elderly populations, the cardioprotective effects of ischemic preconditioning are lost. Previously, the authors observed that ischemic postconditioning markedly reduced reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias in adult rats. Whether this benefit is maintained in senescent hearts is unknown. Here, the authors study young adult rats compared with senescent animals. They chose 24-month-old Fischer female rats as these rats are approaching the end of their normal life span. Unlike some studies that suggest that the benefits of preconditioning and postconditioning are lost in the elderly, their data show that antiarrhythmic protection conferred by postconditioning is present in both the young and old rats.
Phase 1 study of the oral isotype specific histone deacetylase inhibitor MGCD0103 in leukemia
Authors: Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Assouline Sarit , Cortes Jorge , Estrov Zeev , Kantarjian Hagop , Yang Hui , Newsome Willie M. , Miller Wilson H. , Rousseau Caroline , Kalita Ann , Bonfils Claire , Dubay Marja , Patterson Tracy-Ann , Li Zuomei , Besterman Jeffrey M. , Reid Gregory , Laille Eric , Martell Robert E. , Minden Mark
Published: May 2008

MGCD0103 is an isotype-selective inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs) targeted to isoforms 1, 2, 3, and 11. In a phase 1 study in patients with leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), MGCD0103 was administered orally 3 times weekly without interruption. Twenty-nine patients with a median age of 62 years (range, 32-84 years) were enrolled at planned dose levels (20, 40, and 80 mg/m2). The majority of patients (76%) had acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In all, 24 (83%) of 29 patients had received 1 or more prior chemotherapies (range, 0-5), and 18 (62%) of 29 patients had abnormal cytogenetics. The maximum tolerated dose was determined to be 60 mg/m2, with dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea observed at higher doses. Three patients achieved a complete bone marrow response (blasts ≤ 5%). Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated absorption of MGCD0103 within 1 hour and an elimination half-life in plasma of 9 (± 2) hours. Exposure to MGCD0103 was proportional to dose up to 60 mg/m2. Analysis of peripheral white cells demonstrated induction of histone acetylation and dose-dependent inhibition of HDAC enzyme activity. In summary, MGCD0103 was safe and had antileukemia activity that was mechanism based in patients with advanced leukemia.
B-lineage commitment prior to surface expression of B220 and CD19 on hematopoietic progenitor cells
Authors: Mansson Robert , Zandi Sasan , Anderson Kristina , Martensson Inga-Lill , Jacobsen Sten Eirik W. , Bryder David , Sigvardsson Mikael
Published: May 2008

Commitment of hematopoietic progenitor cells to B-lymphoid cell fate has been suggested to coincide with the development of PAX5-expressing B220+CD19+ pro–B cells. We have used a transgenic reporter mouse, expressing human CD25 under the control of the B-lineage–restricted Igll1 (λ5) promoter to investigate the lineage potential of early progenitor cells in the bone marrow. This strategy allowed us to identify a reporter expressing LIN−B220−CD19−CD127+FLT3+SCA1lowKITlow population that displays a lack of myeloid and a 90% reduction in in vitro T-cell potential compared with its reporter-negative counterpart. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that these lineage-restricted cells express B-lineage–associated genes to levels comparable with that observed in pro–B cells. These data suggest that B-lineage commitment can occur before the expression of B220 and CD19.
Survival after T cell–depleted haploidentical stem cell transplantation is improved using the mother as donor
Authors: Stern Martin , Ruggeri Loredana , Mancusi Antonella , Bernardo Maria Ester , de Angelis Claudia , Bucher Christoph , Locatelli Franco , Aversa Franco , Velardi Andrea
Published: May 2008

We hypothesized that transplacental leukocyte trafficking during pregnancy, which induces long-term, stable, reciprocal microchimerism in mother and child, might influence outcome of patients with acute leukemia given parental donor haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We analyzed the outcome of 118 patients who received transplants for acute leukemia in 2 centers. Patients received highly T cell–depleted haploidentical grafts after myelo-ablative conditioning. Five-year event-free survival was better in patients who received transplants from the mother than from the father (50.6% ± 7.6% vs 11.1% ± 4.2%; P < .001). Better survival was the result of both reduced incidence of relapse and transplantation-related mortality. The protective effect was seen in both female and male recipients, in both lymphoid and myeloid diseases; it was more evident in patients receiving transplants in remission than in chemotherapy-resistant relapse. Incidences of rejection and acute graft-versus-host disease were not significantly influenced. Multivariate analysis confirmed donor sex in parental donor transplantation as an independent prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio, father vs mother = 2.36; P = .003). In contrast, in a control cohort of patients who received transplants from haploidentical siblings, donor sex had no influence on outcome. Although obtained in a retrospective analysis, these data suggest that the mother of the patient should be preferred as donor for haploidentical HSCT.
Mammalian target of rapamycin and glycogen synthase kinase 3 differentially regulate lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin-12 production in dendritic cells
Authors: Ohtani Masashi , Nagai Shigenori , Kondo Shuhei , Mizuno Shinta , Nakamura Kozue , Tanabe Masanobu , Takeuchi Tsutomu , Matsuda Satoshi , Koyasu Shigeo
Published: May 2008

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) negatively regulates Toll-like receptor (TLR)–mediated interleukin-12 (IL-12) expression in dendritic cells (DCs). We show here that 2 signaling pathways downstream of PI3K, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), differentially regulate the expression of IL-12 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–stimulated DCs. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, enhanced IL-12 production in LPS-stimulated DCs, whereas the activation of mTOR by lentivirus-mediated transduction of a constitutively active form of Rheb suppressed the production of IL-12. The inhibition of protein secretion or deletion of IL-10 cancelled the effect of rapamycin, indicating that mTOR regulates IL-12 expression through an autocrine action of IL-10. In contrast, GSK3 positively regulates IL-12 production through an IL-10–independent pathway. Rapamycin-treated DCs enhanced Th1 induction in vitro compared with untreated DCs. LiCl, an inhibitor of GSK3, suppressed a Th1 response on Leishmania major infection in vivo. These results suggest that mTOR and GSK3 pathways regulate the Th1/Th2 balance though the regulation of IL-12 expression in DCs. The signaling pathway downstream of PI3K would be a good target to modulate the Th1/Th2 balance in immune responses in vivo.
Extensive contacts between ADAMTS13 exosites and von Willebrand factor domain A2 contribute to substrate specificity
Authors: Gao Weiqiang , Anderson Patricia J. , Sadler J. Evan
Published: May 2008

The metalloprotease ADAMTS13 efficiently cleaves only the Tyr1605-Met1606 bond in the central A2 domain of multimeric von Willebrand factor (VWF), even though VWF constitutes only 0.02% of plasma proteins. This remarkable specificity depends in part on binding of the noncatalytic ADAMTS13 spacer domain to the C-terminal α-helix of VWF domain A2. By kinetic analysis of recombinant ADAMTS13 constructs, we show that the first thrombospondin-1, Cys-rich, and spacer domains of ADAMTS13 interact with segments of VWF domain A2 between Gln1624 and Arg1668, and together these exosite interactions increase the rate of substrate cleavage by at least approximately 300-fold. Internal deletion of Gln1624-Arg1641 minimally affected the rate of cleavage, indicating that ADAMTS13 does not require a specific distance between the scissile bond and auxiliary substrate binding sites. Smaller deletions of the P2-P9 or the P4′-P18′ residues on either side of the Tyr1605-Met1606 bond abolished cleavage, indicating that the metalloprotease domain interacts with additional residues flanking the cleavage site. Thus, specific recognition of VWF depends on cooperative, modular contacts between several ADAMTS13 domains and discrete segments of VWF domain A2.
Mapping gene expression quantitative trait loci by singular value decomposition and independent component analysis
Authors: Biswas Shameek , Storey John D , Akey Joshua M
Published: May 2008

Background

The combination of gene expression profiling with linkage analysis has become a powerful paradigm for mapping gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). To date, most studies have searched for eQTL by analyzing gene expression traits one at a time. As thousands of expression traits are typically analyzed, this can reduce power because of the need to correct for the number of hypothesis tests performed. In addition, gene expression traits exhibit a complex correlation structure, which is ignored when analyzing traits individually.

Results

To address these issues, we applied two different multivariate dimension reduction techniques, the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to gene expression traits derived from a cross between two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both methods decompose the data into a set of meta-traits, which are linear combinations of all the expression traits. The meta-traits were enriched for several Gene Ontology categories including metabolic pathways, stress response, RNA processing, ion transport, retro-transposition and telomeric maintenance. Genome-wide linkage analysis was performed on the top 20 meta-traits from both techniques. In total, 21 eQTL were found, of which 11 are novel. Interestingly, both cis and trans-linkages to the meta-traits were observed.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that dimension reduction methods are a useful and complementary approach for probing the genetic architecture of gene expression variation.