bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐level gentamicin‐resistant and vancomycin‐resistantEnterococcus faeciumisolated from a wound in a dog
Authors: Abbott Y. , Kirby B. M. , Karczmarczyk M. , Markey B. K. , Leonard F. C. , Fitzgerald S.
Published: November 2008

This report describes the first clinical case, in Europe, of a high‐level gentamicin‐resistant and vancomycin‐resistantEnterococcus faeciuminfection in a dog. The aim of this report is to alert the veterinary profession to high‐level gentamicin‐resistant and vancomycin‐resistantEnterococcus faeciumin companion animal patients. Multi‐drug resistant strains of this pathogen are the cause of considerable problems in human hospitals and for community healthcare professionals worldwide. The potential for a similar impact within veterinary medicine is discussed.
Ketone measurements using dipstick methodology in cats with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zeugswetter F. , Pagitz M.
Published: November 2008

Objectives:To compare the results of urine and plasma ketone dip test in a group of diabetic cats with possible ketosis or ketoacidosis, using laboratory plasma β‐hydroxybutyrate measurements as the gold standard.

Methods:According to clinical examinations, plasma β‐hydroxybutyrate measurements and venous blood gas analysis, 54 cats with diabetes mellitus were classified as non‐ketotic (n=3), ketotic (n=40) or ketoacidotic (n=11). Plasma and urine acetoacetate concentrations were determined using urine reagent strips.

Results:Although there was a significant positive correlation between blood and urine ketone measurements (r=0·695, P<0·001), the results differed significantly (Z=−3·494, P<0·001). Using the differential positive rates, the best cut‐off value to detect cats with ketoacidosis was 1·5 mmol/l for urine and 4 mmol/l for plasma. The sensitivity/specificity was 82/95 per cent for urine and 100/88 per cent for plasma, respectively.

ClinicalSignificance:The urine and plasma ketone dip tests have a different diagnostic accuracy, and results have to be interpreted differently. Because of its high sensitivity, the plasma ketone dip test performs better than the urine ketone dip test to identify cats with impending or established ketoacidosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis: incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle in a German shepherd dog
Authors: Gabriel P. , Pfeil A. , Ludewig E. , Böttcher P. , Oechtering G.
Published: November 2008

Clinical signs, radiological, arthroscopic findings and magnetic resonance imaging features of a male German shepherd dog with incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle are described. The dog showed recurrent left forelimb lameness and pain on elbow palpation. In routine radiographs, the lesion was obscured. In oblique radiographs, a radiolucent line was detected, and magnetic resonance imaging clearly demonstrated a defect in the humeral condyle. However, arthroscopy showed no changes or discontinuity of the humeral cartilage. Incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle may be underrepresented in conventional, routine studies because if there is concurrent additional elbow pathology (for example fragmented coronoid process), treatment may lead to clinical improvement and further diagnostic techniques may not be performed. The benefit of magnetic resonance imaging in this case is demonstrated.
Does pethidine affect the cardiovascular and sedative effects of dexmedetomidine in dogs?
Authors: Grint N. J. , Burford J. , Dugdale A. H. A.
Published: November 2008

Objectives: To investigate pethidine’s effects on sedation and cardiovascular variables in dogs premedicated with dexmedetomidine.

Methods: Sixty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I dogs were presented for routine neutering. Heart rate was measured at admission. Dogs were randomly assigned to one of the five groups to decide premedication; group D5+P (dexmedetomidine 5 μg/kg plus pethidine 5 mg/kg), D10+P (dexmedetomidine 10 μg/kg plus pethidine 5 mg/kg) with three control groups, D5 (dexmedetomidine 5 μg/kg), D10 (dexmedetomidine 10 μg/kg) or P (pethidine 5 mg/kg). Heart rate was measured at 3, 5, 10 and 20 minutes after preanaesthetic medication. Simple descriptive scores for sedation were assigned after 20 minutes. Anaesthesia was induced using propofol and maintained using isoflurane in oxygen. Heart rate was recorded throughout anaesthesia.

Results: Sedation scores after preanaesthetic medication were significantly higher (P<0·001) in groups D5+P and D10+P compared with the other three groups. D5+P and D10+P groups tended to have lower heart rates in dogs at all time points after premedication compared with groups containing only pethidine or dexmedetomidine at the relevant dose.

Clinical Significance: Greater sedation is achieved using combinations of dexmedetomidine and pethidine compared with each drug alone. Pethidine does not attenuate the alpha‐2 adrenergic‐induced bradycardia.
Effect of sampling method and incubation temperature on fungal culture in canine sinonasal aspergillosis
Authors: Billen F. , Clercx C. , Le Garérrès A. , Massart L. , Mignon B. , Peeters D.
Published: November 2008

Objectives:To evaluate the most appropriate sampling procedure and the effect of incubation temperature on fungal culture in the diagnosis of canine sinonasal aspergillosis (SNA).

Methods:Sixteen dogs with SNA and 20 dogs with non‐fungal nasal disease entered a prospective study. Nasal secretions and mucosal biopsies were collected in all dogs. Fungal plaques were also sampled in dogs with SNA. Each specimen was taken in duplicate from each dog and incubated at room temperature and 37°C.

Results:In dogs with SNA, nasal secretions, mucosal biopsies and fungal plaques yielded fungal growth at room temperature in one, one and seven dogs, respectively, whereas fungal growth was obtained at 37°C in three, 12 and 14 dogs, respectively. No specimen collected from any dog with non‐fungal nasal disease yielded fungal growth at room temperature or at 37°C.

ClinicalSignificance:The diagnosis of canine SNA is more likely to be confirmed following culture of mucosal biopsies or fungal plaques than nasal secretions sampled blindly with swabs. Incubating cultures at 37°C is more likely to provide a diagnostic outcome than when samples are cultured at room temperature. Fungal culture of nasal specimens has good specificity for the diagnosis of SNA in dogs.
Impacts of Food and Energy Price Hikes and Proposed Coping Strategies
Authors: Zhu Ling
Published: November 2008

Based on sample survey data for the years 2006 and 2007, we find that inflation of food and energy prices in China is moving at a slower pace than in the international market; however, the livelihood of low income groups has been significantly impacted. Urban sample households in low income groups have been shifting from consumption of high value food to lower value substitutes; and all of the rural sample households are reducing their total consumption expenditure in real terms. The Engel's coefficient of the rural household enlarged while their proportion of spending on clothing and energy declined. Farmers' households are moving toward more imbalanced diets, and the nutritional status of the poor is apparently deteriorating. The emergency‐response measures that the government should implement include stopping subsidies to biofuel producers, who use foodstuffs as inputs, and providing food aid to the poor. The mid‐term strategies should include anti‐monopoly tactics, improving the market environment for the right competition, and eliminating price distortion. Midterm and long‐term socioeconomic policy reform must be undertaken to adjust the social structure, to correct the mechanism of factor price formation, and to transform the pattern of economic growth.
China's Construction Land Expansion and Economic Growth: A Capital‐output Ratio Based Analysis
Authors: Li Huizhong , Yin Feng , Li Jialun
Published: November 2008

Since 2003, the Chinese Government has been using land policy as an important macroeconomic policy. The present paper analyzes the impact of the expansion of construction land on economic growth in terms of the capital‐output ratio. Using provincial panel data for China from 1999 to 2005, we conclude that the excess expansion of China's construction land led to an increase in the capital‐output ratio. Therefore, expanding construction land has made little contribution to economic growth. This paper argues that contractionary land policy does not deter high economic growth, and is a necessary condition for a sustainable economic growth.
China's Stock Market: Inefficiencies and Institutional Implications
Authors: Li Guoping
Published: November 2008

The dramatic movements of China's stock market in the past two and a half years have renewed debate among academics over the efficiency of China's stock market. The present paper tests the efficiency of China's stock market. The realization of efficient markets requires the effective operation of a complete set of macro and micro mechanisms. However, such mechanisms are not only incomplete in China's stock market, but are also ineffective because of the prevalence of institutional deficiencies.
Financial Development, Economic Growth and Adaptive Efficiency: A Comparison between China and Pakistan
Authors: Ma Ying , Jalil Abdul
Published: November 2008

The strong economic growth in China is difficult to reconcile with its inefficient financial system. The puzzle of China's financial development and growth can be explained through a dynamic criterion of adaptive efficiency, rather than through allocative efficiency. Using the framework of an autoregressive distributed lag model, the present paper tests the hypothesis that the GDP growth rate is dependent on financial development along with other variables in China and Pakistan. The hypothesis cannot be rejected in both cases. However, the results show that economic growth has a negative relationship with credit to the private sector in China. We conclude that financial development is a source of China's high growth rate and that the banking system is still under an evolutionary process, involving the pursuit of social objectives instead of the sole objective of profit maximization. Our results provide some implications for other developing countries like Pakistan.
Colonialism, Landscape and the Subterranean
Authors: Scott Heidi V.
Published: November 2008

Recent geographical contributions to post‐colonial studies have paid relatively little attention to subterranean spaces as arenas of modern European imperial and colonial expansion and instead have concentrated almost exclusively on examining ‘surface’ landscapes and practices. This article argues that greater critical attention deserves to be paid by geographers to the ‘colonial underground’, not only because mining played a central role in many imperial ventures since the 16th century, but also because closer scrutiny of the vertical dimension can provide new insights into the nature of colonial relations and into the ways in which colonial landscapes were inhabited and given meaning. Drawing on recent literature as well as on documentation from early colonial Peru, the article shows that colonial European engagements with the underground were more varied than most work in human geography suggests and, moreover, that the subterranean cannot exclusively be regarded as a space of colonial domination and exploitation.
An Observational History of Small‐Scale Katabatic Winds in Mid‐Latitudes
Authors: Poulos Greg , Zhong Shiyuan (Sharon)
Published: November 2008

Katabatic winds have been the subject of investigation since about the 1840s. These winds, which flow down the topographic gradient as a result of surface cooling, provide a major transport and dispersion mechanism in mountainous regions and affect the energy exchange between the earth's surface and the atmosphere. Various theories of their structure, evolution, and fundamental dynamics have been proposed. Initial interest in katabatic winds, which was prompted by field observations, has been followed by a long history of observational studies. This article reviews observational work undertaken on small‐scale katabatic winds in mid‐latitudes, with an emphasis on the historical background, and recent work on the causes of their variation.
Web Mapping 2.0: The Neogeography of the GeoWeb
Authors: Haklay Muki , Singleton Alex , Parker Chris
Published: November 2008

The landscape of Internet mapping technologies has changed dramatically since 2005. New techniques are being used and new terms have been invented and entered the lexicon such as: mash‐ups, crowdsourcing, neogeography and geostack. A whole range of websites and communities from the commercial Google Maps to the grassroots OpenStreetMap, and applications such as Platial, also have emerged. In their totality, these new applications represent a step change in the evolution of the area of Internet geographic applications (which some have termed the GeoWeb). The nature of this change warrants an explanation and an overview, as it has implications both for geographers and the public notion of Geography. This article provides a critical review of this newly emerging landscape, starting with an introduction to the concepts, technologies and structures that have emerged over the short period of intense innovation. It introduces the non‐technical reader to them, suggests reasons for the neologism, explains the terminology, and provides a perspective on the current trends. Case studies are used to demonstrate this Web Mapping 2.0 era, and differentiate it from the previous generation of Internet mapping. Finally, the implications of these new techniques and the challenges they pose to geographic information science, geography and society at large are considered.
Critical Geographies of Racial and Spatial Control
Authors: Chari Sharad
Published: November 2008

This article works through a set of studies that link racial and spatial control in explaining mutations of state‐sanctioned and extralegal racism in concrete geographical conjunctures in the contemporary world. Critical human geography is particularly well poised to contributing to a broader debate about how to research racial formations beyond ideology, through materiality, embodiment and spatiality. Barbed wire, concentration camps, prison booms, aerial bombing, and the War on Terror are examples of material and geographical formations that must be explained beyond attention to social construction. Indeed, these technologies of power demonstrate the strength of state‐sanctioned racism in our time, and the importance for critical scholarship to write with various forms of suffering in the ruins of contemporary racism, if we are to be able to understand new forms of anti‐racism in the making.
From Ethical Consumerism to Political Consumption
Authors: Clarke Nick
Published: November 2008

This article reviews some of the recent literature in geography and related disciplines on ethical consumerism and political consumption. Many geographers began their engagement with questions of ethics, politics, consumption and consumerism inspired by critical theory, commodity chain analysis and a sense that geographical knowledge might have a central role to play in progressive social change. Since these early engagements, it has been established that consumption practices are rarely the practices of rational, autonomous, self‐identified consumers, and so‐called ethical consumption practices are rarely detached from organisations and their political activity. Over time, therefore, some researchers have gradually shifted their focus from consumer identities and knowledge to consumption practices, social networks, material infrastructures and organisations of various kinds. This shift in focus has implications – both for the field of political consumption and for how the discipline of geography relates to this field.
It's so Easy Being Green: Overuse, Underexposure, and the Marine Environmentalist Consensus
Authors: Steinberg Philip E.
Published: November 2008

This article seeks to understand the rise of marine environmentalism, which extends beyond the groups usually associated with the conservation of species and ecosystems to include commercial interests, military strategists, and neoliberal policymakers. It is proposed that this apparent marine environmentalist consensus has its roots in two aspects of our relationship with the sea. On the one hand, there is an increasing sense that the ocean is being ‘overused’, as marine resources are extracted at ever greater rates and as the ocean becomes increasingly important to contemporary economies. On the other hand, the ocean is suffering from ‘underexposure’, as fewer individuals’ livelihoods involve material interaction with the sea. By adopting a specifically geographical lens that is attuned to the multifaceted nature of the ocean as a space, this article suggests that the confluence of these two factors – overuse and underexposure – informs our present perceptions of and policies toward the marine environment and proposes alternative perspectives for understanding and intervening in the world ocean.
Educating Professionals and Professional Education in a Geographical Context
Authors: Faulconbridge James R. , Hall Sarah
Published: November 2008

Economic geography has a well‐established tradition of studying a range of professional service firms (PSFs), including law, advertising, architecture, accountancy, management consultancy and banking. Within this literature, considerable attention has been paid to the role of highly skilled professionals who use their expertise to deliver bespoke, knowledge‐rich products to a range of corporate clients. However, comparatively, little attention has been paid to the role of professional education, offered by institutions such as law schools, university business schools and professional associations in preparing future employees for their careers in PSFs. This forms part of a broader silence within economic geography on the role of different forms of education in the legitimisation and emergence of powerful professional industries and practices. In this article, we begin to address this lacuna by showing how geographers’ understanding of professional industries and firms can be enhanced by integrating studies from the sociology of the professions, research into the so‐called ‘knowledge‐based economy’ more generally and studies of the spatial heterogeneity of professional practice that all focus specifically on the socialising and legitimating influence of educational institutions and practices. Two arguments run throughout the article. First, we identify the different roles played by professional education in relation to the production of professionals and the regulation of PSFs. We argue that the way the activities of PSFs have been limited by the regulation of education to date has been understudied, something that has continued as forms of transnational regulation emerge that create new questions about the geographies of the professions. Second, we consider how the relationship between professional education and PSFs varies both geographically and between different professions. We show that coupling an understanding of these geographies to debates about the varieties of capitalism offers a fruitful way to better understand the forms of continuity and change in national institutions and capitalisms. Combined, we suggest that economic geography can learn a lot about the spatial peculiarities of different professions from studies of professional education, something that is in need of significant empirically grounded research.
The Future of Geomorphology
Authors: Slaymaker Olav
Published: November 2008

This article describes a personal perception of a promising way forward for the discipline of geomorphology. Four challenges and potential solutions are identified. First, the intellectual rationale and philosophical basis of geomorphology could benefit by exploring the framework of critical realism, a framework which recognizes that human experience is as real as the existence of elementary particles. Second, greater effort should perhaps be given to defining the ‘natural kinds’ which are the objects of geomorphological study. Third, the balance between geomorphological geohistory and process geomorphology requires constant attention. And fourth, the increasingly anthropogenic nature of landscape requires that geomorphologists reinforce their commitment to environmental conservation and social justice. The net effect of these trends might well increase informed geomorphological commentary on ethical implications of global landform and landscape changes.
Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Vegetation
Authors: Im Jungho , Jensen John R.
Published: November 2008

Hyperspectral analysis of vegetation involves obtaining spectral reflectance measurements in hundreds of bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. These measurements may be obtained using hand‐held spectroradiometers or hyperspectral remote sensing instruments placed onboard aircraft or satellites. Hyperspectral remote sensing provides valuable information about vegetation type, leaf area index, biomass, chlorophyll, and leaf nutrient concentration which are used to understand ecosystem functions, vegetation growth, and nutrient cycling. This article first reviews hyperspectral remote sensing and then describes current modeling and classification techniques used to estimate and predict vegetation type and biophysical characteristics.
A Place and Space for a Critical Geography of Precarity?
Authors: Waite Louise
Published: November 2008

This article explores growing interest in the term ‘precarity’ within the social sciences and asks whether there is a place for a ‘critical geography of precarity’ amid this emerging field. Referring to life worlds characterised by uncertainty and insecurity, the term precarity is double‐edged as it implies both a condition and a possible rallying point for resistance. Such areas should be of concern and interest to human geography yet engagement with the concept in the discipline thus far has not been widespread. This article covers four key aims. First, it reviews where the concept of precarity has made an appearance in work by geographers and in allied disciplines and relates this to the more sustained usage in European social science. Second, an attempt is made to clarify the meaning of the term and elucidate more precisely what it refers to. Third, the term precarity is explored alongside related concepts of risk and vulnerability and questions are asked about the conceptual distinctiveness of the term precarity. Finally, an argument is made for a potential critical geography of precarity through looking at the situation of migrant labourers working in low‐paid sectors of the UK economy; individuals who may find themselves at the forefront of precariousness due to their labour conditions.
Dealing with Landscape Heterogeneity in Watershed Hydrology: A Review of Recent Progress toward New Hydrological Theory
Authors: Troch Peter A. , Carrillo Gustavo A. , Heidbüchel Ingo , Rajagopal Seshadri , Switanek Matt , Volkmann Till H. M. , Yaeger Mary
Published: November 2008

Predictions of hydrologic system response to natural and anthropogenic forcing are highly uncertain due to the heterogeneity of the land surface and subsurface. Landscape heterogeneity results in spatiotemporal variability of hydrological states and fluxes, scale‐dependent flow and transport properties, and incomplete process understanding. Recent community activities, such as Prediction in Ungauged Basins of International Association of Hydrological Sciences, have recognized the impasse current catchment hydrology is facing and have called for a focused research agenda toward new hydrological theory at the watershed scale. This new hydrological theory should recognize the dominant control of landscape heterogeneity on hydrological processes, should explore novel ways to account for its effect at the watershed scale, and should build on an interdisciplinary understanding of how feedback mechanisms between hydrology, biogeochemistry, pedology, geomorphology, and ecology affect catchment evolution and functioning.
Effect of Antioxidant Application Methods on the Color, Lipid Oxidation, and Volatiles of Irradiated Ground Beef
Authors: Ismail H.A. , Lee E.J. , Ko K.Y. , Paik H.D. , Ahn D.U.
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACT:  Four antioxidant treatments (none, 0.05% ascorbic acid, 0.01%α‐tocopherol + 0.01% sesamol, and 0.05% ascorbic acid + 0.01%α‐tocopherol + 0.01% sesamol) were applied to ground beef using either mixing or spraying method. The meat samples were placed on Styrofoam trays, irradiated at 0 or 2.5 kGy, and then stored for 7 d at 4 °C. Color, lipid oxidation, volatiles, oxidation‐reduction potential (ORP), and carbon monoxide (CO) production were determined at 0, 3, and 7 d of storage. Irradiation increased lipid oxidation of ground beef with control and ascorbic acid treatments after 3 d of storage. α‐Tocopherol + sesamol and ascorbic acid +α‐tocopherol + sesamol treatments were effective in slowing down lipid oxidation in ground beef during storage regardless of application methods, but mixing was better than the spraying method. Irradiation lowered L*‐value and a*‐value of ground beef. Storage had no effect on lightness but redness decreased with storage. Ascorbic acid was the most effective in maintaining redness of ground beef followed by ascorbic acid +α‐tocopherol + sesamol. Irradiation and storage reduced the b*‐value of ground beef. Irradiation lowered ORP of ground beef regardless of antioxidants application methods, but ORP was lower in beef with mixing than spraying method. Beef sprayed with antioxidants produced more hydrocarbons and alcohols than the mixing application, but ascorbic acid +α‐tocopherol + sesamol treatment was effective in reducing the amount of volatiles produced by irradiation. Therefore, mixing was better than the spraying method in preventing lipid oxidation and maintaining color of irradiated ground beef.
Food Safety Knowledge of Cheese Consumers
Authors: Planzer Jr. S.B. , Da Cruz A.G. , Sant´ana A.S. , Silva R. , Moura M.R.L. , De Carvalho L.M.J.
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACT:  The aim of this study was to evaluate habits and practices of cheese consumers toward their level of knowledge of food safety. A total of 1000 people were interviewed in several cities of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five hundred thirty‐eight (53.8%) people consume cheese daily, while 318 (31.8%) and 144 (14.4%) consume cheese weekly and monthly, respectively. Five hundred twenty‐two (52%) people reported its usage as an ingredient used in the preparation of other dishes, while 320 (32%) of the interviewed people consume cheese directly as a part of the diet. Typical Brazilian cheeses such as “Minas Frescal” and “Prato” cheese are preferred by 528 (52.8%) of the consumers. Of the total consumers, 764 (76.4%) purchase cheese from supermarkets, while 236 (23.6%) from open‐air markets. Inspected cheese is purchased by 350 (35%) consumers, while 650 (65%) buy it without knowing if they were submitted to previous fiscalization. Four hundred thirty (43%) consumers do not know any disease transmitted by cheese that has not been inspected. Overall, educational campaigns must be developed by the Sanitary Surveillance and the Health Agencies to improve the knowledge of the consumer about food safety of cheeses.
Effect of Surface Roughness on Retention and Removal ofEscherichia coliO157:H7 on Surfaces of Selected Fruits
Authors: Wang H. , Feng H. , Liang W. , Luo Y. , Malyarchuk V.
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACT: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of surface roughness on the attachment and removal ofEscherichia coliO157:H7 on selected fruit and metal surfaces. A new method to determine surface roughness was developed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). A series of 2‐D layered images were taken by CLSM optical slicing of the surfaces of Golden Delicious apples, navel oranges, avocadoes, and cantaloupes. The average roughness (Ra) of the fruit surfaces was assessed by reconstructing a series of 2‐D images into 3‐D images. A cocktail of 5E. coliO157:H7 strains were spot inoculated onto fruit skin surfaces with differentRa. The fruits were then treated with acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), peroxyacetic acid (POAA), and sterilized deionized water. Aluminum stubs with differentRavalues as a model system were also spot inoculated withE. coliO157:H7 and subjected to a sonication treatment. Test results indicated that there was a positive linear correlation betweenRaand adhesion rate ofE. coliO157:H7, and a negative correlation betweenRaand the efficacy of inactivation by AEW and POAA, respectively, on fruit surfaces. A linear increase of residual bacteria population with increased surface roughness of aluminum stubs was also observed. The relationship between surface roughness and surface hydrophobicity was negative linear for the aluminum stubs, but was quadratic for the 4 fruits. The environmental scanning electron microscopy images showed that bacteria tended to attach to or be entrapped in the grooves or cavities of fruits, which provided protection to the cells against washing treatments.
Functional Expression of the Signaling Complex Sensory Rhodopsin II/Transducer II from Halobacterium salinarum in Escherichia coli†
Authors: Kim Young‐Jun , Chizhov Igor , Engelhard Martin
Published: November 2008

Sensory rhodopsin II, a photoreceptor from Halobacterium salinarum (HsSRII), in complex with its cognate transducer protein (HsHtrII) triggers the photophobic response via a cytoplasmic two‐component signaling cascade. HsHtrII possess in addition to the HsSRII binding and the cytoplasmic domains an extracellular serine‐receptor domain. Here we describe the properties of HsSRII and HsHtrII and those of various shortened transducer analogs, heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. HsSRII displays the photocycle typical of archaeal photosensors with prolonged kinetics. Using an isothermal titration calorimetric analysis for this complex a dissociation constant of 1.1 μm was obtained similar to that of the corresponding transducer/receptor pair from Natronobacterium pharaonis. A shortened transducer lacking the extracellular and cytoplasmic domain is also sufficient to bind the receptor with a slightly lower affinity. The dissociation constant of serine binding to the extracellular domain was determined to be about 5 μm. This result is in line with the proposal that the extracellular domain indeed is a serine receptor.
Effective Depletion of Regulatory T Cells Allows the Recruitment of Mesothelin‐Specific CD8+ T Cells to the Antitumor Immune Response Against a Mesothelin‐Expressing Mouse Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Leao Ihid C. , Ganesan Priya , Armstrong Todd D. , Jaffee Elizabeth M.
Published: November 2008

Vaccine‐induced CD8+ T‐cell responses can eradicate developing tumors in vivo in mouse models. Translating these successes into approved treatments for cancer patients has been challenging, since many of these models lack expression of clinically proven/relevant tumor antigens. We have shown that mesothelin is a clinically relevant CD8+ T‐cell target in human pancreas cancer, which is also highly conserved among species. Here, we utilize the murine mesothelin‐expressing pancreatic tumor model (Panc02) to identify the immune‐relevant mesothelin‐derived peptides and study interventions that enhance the antitumor response. We first screened overlapping peptides of the entire murine mesothelin protein to identify two new CD8+ mesothelin‐restricted epitopes. These peptides were then evaluated for recognition by vaccine‐induced T cells from mice treated with vaccine in sequence with low‐dose cyclophosphamide (CY) and an anti‐CD25 IL‐2Rα monoclonal antibody (PC61). These treatments are both known to deplete subpopulations of T regulatory cells (Tregs). Our findings demonstrate that combined Treg‐depleting therapies synergize to enhance vaccine efficacy. Furthermore, our data supports mesothelin as a relevant antigen in murine and clinical models and the use of Panc02 as a clinically relevant murine model of pancreatic cancer for evaluating antigen‐targeted immunotherapies in immune‐tolerant hosts.
The insulin‐like growth factor‐I receptor inhibitor picropodophyllin causes tumor regression and attenuates mechanisms involved in invasion of uveal melanoma cells
Authors: Girnita Ada , All‐Ericsson Charlotta , Economou Mario A. , Åström Kristina , Axelson Magnus , Seregard Stefan , Larsson Olle , Girnita Leonard
Published: November 2008

Purpose:  Uveal melanoma has a high mortality rate due to a high incidence of metastasis (up to 50%) which preferentially occurs in the liver. Conventional chemotherapy being the only therapeutic option today against metastatic uveal melanoma, has not proved to be effective. Therefore, new molecular targets important for malignant phenotype of uveal melanoma have to be found to design efficient pharmacologic agents.

Experimental Design:  We previously reported data indicating that the insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor (IGF‐IR) is a metastasis predictor as well as a therapeutic target for uveal melanoma. In the present study, we made use of the cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP), which is an inhibitor of the IGF‐IR.

Result:  We showed that PPP efficiently block growth and viability of uveal melanoma cells in cultures and causes tumor regression in xenografted mice. In addition, treatment with PPP inhibited several mechanism involved in metastasis, including tumor cells adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins, activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2, and cell migration as well as invasion through basement membranes and endothelial cell layer. Furthermore, PPP significantly delayed established of uveal melanoma tumor and drastically reduced the indence of liver metastasis in mice.

Conclusions:  Our data suggest that IGR‐IR is crucial for growth and survival as well as invasion and metastasis of uveal melanoma cells. Targeting this receptor may therefore comprise a strategy to treat ongoing disease (today incurable) as well as a strategy to prevent development of metastases in patients with primary disease.
Inhibition of VEGF secretion and experimental choroidal neovascularization by picropodophyllin (PPP), an inhibitor of the insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor
Authors: Economou Mario A. , Wu Jiangmei , Vasilcanu Daiana , Rosengren Linda , All‐Ericsson Charlotta , Van Der Ploeg Ingeborg , Menu Eline , Girnita Leonard , Axelson Magnus , Larsson Olle , Seregard Stefan , Kvanta Anders
Published: November 2008

Introduction:  Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a debilitating complication of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and a leading cause of vision loss. Along with other angiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐1) and its receptor, IGF‐1R, have been implicated in CNV.

Purpose:  We have previously shown that the cyclolignan picropodophyllin (PPP) efficiently blocks the insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor (IGF‐1R) activity and causes cell death in uveal melanoma cell lines and in an in‐vivo model. In this study we investigated the effect of PPP on VEGF expression both in vitro and in vivo and whether this effect has anti‐angiogenic consequences in a murine CNV model.

Materials and Methods:  C57BL/6J mice with laser‐induced CNVs were treated with PPP. Effects on CNV area were assayed by image analysis. VEGF levels in choroids and retinal pigment epithelial cells (APRE‐19) were measured by Western blot or ELISA. Transcriptional activation of the VEGF promoter was determined by luciferase reporter gene assay.

Results:  Mice treated with PPP, administered intraperitoneally or orally, showed 22–32% (p = 0.002) decrease in CNV area. Furthermore, VEGF levels in the choroids were significantly reduced. In cultured APRE‐19 cells, IGF‐1 was shown to increase VEGF secretion. This increase was completely blocked by PPP. We could confirm that PPP reduced the level of transcriptional activity of VEGF promoter.

Conclusions:  PPP reduces IGF‐1 dependent VEGF expression and CNV in vivo. Accordingly, IGF‐1R inhibitors may be useful tools in the therapy of conditions associated with CNV including neovascular AMD.
BLOOD BORNE VIRUS—INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO EVALUATE, PREVENT CROSS‐TRANSMISSION IN DIALYSIS UNITS
Authors: Chow Josephine , Miguel Susana San
Published: November 2008

Large public health interventions to control infectious disease outbreaks are common, but rigorous evaluation to improve the quality and effectiveness of these is rarely undertaken. This project aimed to prevent blood borne virus (BBV) cross‐transmission in dialysis units. Following an incident concerning the diagnosis of acute Hepatitis B in a haemodialysis patient, possibly from healthcare associated acquisition, a multifaceted and multidisciplinary investigation was conducted involving consumers, health professionals and administrations. The results of this investigation were then used to produce practical operational guidelines for planning and future interventions. To date, there has been no incidence reported of any cross‐transmission of BBV amongst our dialysis population. The actions implemented can be utilised by other departments in preventing other bacterial or viral outbreaks.
RAISING AWARENESS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AMONG SOUTH ASIANS AND PRIMARY CARE: THE ABLE PROJECT
Authors: Jain Neerja , Farooqi Azhar , Feehally John
Published: November 2008

Established renal failure as a complication of diabetes is 10 times greater in South Asians than in Caucasians. The objectives were: (1) to develop methods to increase community awareness and (2) to support general practices to improve chronic kidney disease (CKD) detection and management. The methods included:

Action research approach.

Public health education programme.

Audit in control and intervention practices.

Post‐intervention focus group study determining changes in knowledge.

Evaluation and dissemination in community and primary care.

Results: An evaluation of innovative resources and the peer educator model demonstrated a positive feedback, increased knowledge and evidence of positive lifestyle change. Intervention with the practices has demonstrated the need to improve some aspects of CKD management.

Conclusion: This unique initiative has helped to identify practical strategies to address CKD awareness in these communities. However, the successful elements need to become part of mainstream National Health Service, and not just delivered by short‐term projects.
ATHEROMATOUS RENOVASCULAR DISEASE: OVERVIEW AND CHALLENGES
Authors: Chrysochou Constantina , Kalra Philip A.
Published: November 2008

Atheromatous renovascular disease (ARVD) is a common and challenging disease. It is increasingly associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), hypertension and cardiovascular burden. Controversy exists regarding the safest investigative methods as well as optimum treatment of this condition. In this review, we provide an overview of ARVD and discuss the challenges still remaining.
Expression of apoptosis‐related protein Bcl‐2 correlates with breast carcinomas of luminal or basal‐like subtype
Authors: Ribeiro‐Silva Alfredo , Zucoloto Sérgio
Published: November 2008

Background and aim: The expression of pro‐apoptotic protein Bax and the anti‐apoptotic proteins Bcl‐2, Bag‐1, caspase‐8 survivin according to the molecular profile of breast cancer is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the immunohistochemical expression and significance of these proteins in carcinomas of the basal‐like, luminal and ERBB2+ subtypes. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining with cytokeratin 5, cytokeratins 8/18, estrogen receptor, HER2, Bax, caspase‐8, Bcl‐2, BAG‐1, and survivin was performed in 116 paraffin sections of invasive primary breast carcinomas. Results: The basal‐like (CK5+ER‐), luminal (CK8/18+ER+) and ERBB2+ (HER2+) subtypes corresponded to 19, 49 and 24% of carcinomas, respectively. The basal‐like subtype correlated with high tumor grade; the luminal subtype correlated with age, tumor size and low tumor grade; and the HER2+ subtype correlated with nodal status and staging. Positive immunostaining for Bax, caspase‐8, Bcl‐2, BAG‐1 and survivin was noted in 82%, 50%, 43%, 52%, and 68% of the tumors, respectively. Bcl‐2 correlated positively with carcinomas of luminal subtype and negatively with carcinomas of basal‐like subtype. The other markers did not correlate with any of the molecular profiles analyzed. Conclusions: Considering that Bcl‐2 has an anti‐apoptotic effect, our findings suggest that pro‐apoptotic stimuli may be predominant in breast carcinomas with a basal‐like phenotype.
Juvenile Pancreatic Atrophy in Greyhounds: 12 Cases (1995–2000)
Authors: Brenner K. , Harkin K.R. , Andrews G.A. , Kennedy G.
Published: November 2008

Background:This study describes compound failure of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas in Greyhounds, a condition that has not been reported in the veterinary literature.

Objective:To describe the clinical and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds with juvenile pancreatic atrophy.

Animals:Ten Greyhounds presented for necropsy examination and 2 sibling Greyhounds presented for clinical evaluation before necropsy, all with a history of small‐bowel diarrhea.

Procedures:Retrospective study of laboratory and pathologic findings in 12 Greyhounds, including serum trypsin‐like immunoreactivity assays, oral glucose tolerance testing, and serum anti‐insulin antibody concentrations.

Results:Gross pancreatic atrophy was found in all 12 dogs. Histopathologic lesions were found in both the endocrine and exocrine pancreas and included acinar cell apoptosis, zymogen granule loss, cytoplasmic clearing or vacuolar change, lobular atrophy, islet loss, and lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytic pancreatitis. Antemortem test results on the 2 Greyhound puppies indicated concurrent exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:Compound failure of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas is rarely reported in dogs and neither disease is well recognized in the Greyhound. This condition is of potential economic importance to the Greyhound racing industry.
Russia's Strategic Dilemmas in Asia
Authors: Blank Stephen
Published: November 2008

Russia sees itself and wants to be seen as a great Asian power playing a major role in East Asian security. The main and perhaps only instrument for this is its energy resources which it hopes to convert into a means for economic and infrastructural development as well as defense reconstruction in the Far East. However, it is not keeping pace either in energy shipments to Asia or in internal reconstruction and is failing to redress its strategic economic problems. Neither is it fully able to cope with the challenges of hostility to America and the problems posed by Korean proliferation and a rising China's economic and military capabilities. Although it may be flush with energy money today, these shortcomings and intractable problems do not augur well for Russia realizing its ambitions.
China's Quest for Energy Resources on Global Markets*
Authors: Konan Denise Eby , Zhang Jian
Published: November 2008

Economic prosperity in China is accompanied by a growing demand for energy. Heavily reliant on coal and petroleum, continued growth in Chinese energy use will rapidly increase global greenhouse gas emissions at a time when reductions are believed to be urgently needed to stabilize global climate change. By 2050 China will consume an estimated 17 percent of global energy demand. Chinese energy demand impacts global energy security as China's foreign policy agenda involves strategic partnerships with key energy suppliers.
Development of Metal Embedded Microsensors by Diffusion Bonding and Testing in Milling Process
Authors: Cheng Xudong , Li Xiaochun
Published: November 2008

This paper presents a new method to embed microthin film sensors into metallic structures by diffusion bonding. The experiments were carried out using AISI 304 stainless steel substrates with a bonding temperature of 800°C and a pressure of 4 MPa, which the developed thin film system was able to sustain. The success of embedding was validated by sensor functionality tests and metallurgical characterization. This sensor embedding method can be extended to other engineering metallic materials. To demonstrate the applications of the embedded microsensors, a PdCr thin film strain gauge array that is suitable for in situ measuring of temperatures and strains in manufacturing processes was designed and fabricated for testing in the vertical end milling process. Time- and spatial-resolved signals were obtained during the milling process. The signals were decomposed to a static part, which apparently resulted from temperature changes, and the dynamic part, which resulted from dynamic strains induced by material removal during cutting. The milling tests demonstrated the ability of using this method to measure real-time temperatures and strains within the workpiece, which will be very valuable to the fundamental understanding of various manufacturing processes. It can also be used for bench marking numerical modeling and simulations.
A Singular Value Decomposition Approach to Similarity Evaluation Between Servo Loops of CNC Machine Tools
Authors: Xu Zhixiang , Green Tim
Published: November 2008

In most cases, the servo loops of computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools consist of position controllers, drivers, power transmissions, and tables. In the process of diagnosis, adjustment, and calibration of CNC machine tools, it is crucial to make servo loops’ performances as similar as possible, and ideally identical. This work is motivated by establishing a measure to evaluate the similarities between all coordinated axes. Based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) of time series, this contribution addresses an innovative approach to set up a similarity measure for evaluating the performances of CNC machines. A circular interpolation is carried out to sample the displacements of two involved axes into two independent time series. Then a special matrix called attractor is constructed from the time series and SVD algorithm is adopted to process attractors. As a result, a series of singular values is produced. From these values, the singular value ratio spectrum is formed and the similarity ratio, which numerically represents the similarity between the coordinated axes, is proposed. According to the similarity ratio, the similarity of the two series is compared. Finally, the approach has been validated by experimental measurements. The similarity measure presented in this paper provides an overall index on evaluating the mismatch between coordinated axes of CNC machine tools.
A simple experiment on slow light in ruby
Authors: Cerdán Luis , Weigand Rosa , Guerra Pérez José Manuel , Crespo Helder
Published: November 2008

We describe a simple, reliable, and inexpensive experiment for teaching the basic features of slow light propagation using a solid saturable absorber at room temperature. The experiment is accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. We provide an explanation and analysis based on the coherent population oscillations model, which describes the propagation of light across a ruby crystal.
Forensic Physics 101: Falls from a height
Authors: Cross Rod
Published: November 2008

The physics of falling from a height, a topic that could be included in a course on forensic physics or in an undergraduate class as an example of Newton’s laws, is applied to a common forensic problem.