bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Aspects of Platelet Inhibitors and Thrombus Formation
Authors: Meadows Telly A. , Bhatt Deepak L.
Published: May 2007

The platelet, once thought to be solely involved in clot formation, is now known to be a key mediator in various others processes such as inflammation, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis. Supported by the wealth of evidence from clinical trials demonstrating their benefits in patient outcomes, antiplatelet agents have become paramount in the prevention and management of various diseases involving the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial systems. Despite being among the most widely used and studied classes of medical therapies, new discoveries regarding important clinical aspects and properties of these agents continue to be made. As our understanding of platelet biology expands, more effective and safer novel therapies continue to be developed. The use of more refined agents in conjunction with a better understanding of their effects will further the ability to provide more optimized care on an individual basis.
The Theatre of Krishen Jit: The Politics of Staging Difference in Multicultural Malaysia
Authors: Rajendran Charlene , Wee C.J.W.-L.
Published: May 2007

In a career spanning more than 40 years, playwright and director Krishen Jit, who passed away in April 2005, was the doyen of Malaysian theatre. Jit constantly reinvented himself. His shifting cultural position was part of an ongoing analysis of changing national sociopolitical moods and mores. A public intellectual, Jit was passionately engaged in a critique of cultural difference in relation to the staging of Malaysian identity.
Scène and Contemporaneity
Authors: Pouillaude Frédéric
Published: May 2007

This second installment of TDR's continuing series on choreography and philosophy addresses dance and temporality. Paula Caspão describes the economy of movement and language as a stuttering, relational, affective field. Frédéric Pouillaude argues that contemporaneity links dance and scène, which in French means both an abstract place for an event and, more concretely, the stage. In a dialogue, Danielle Goldman and Deborah Hay follow up on Goldman's considerations of how improvisation offers “escape routes”—for and from dance, theory, and time.
The Anatomy of Blasphemy: Passion and the Trial of Dorota Nieznalska
Authors: Romanska Magda
Published: May 2007

What is the relationship of an artwork to the sociopolitical context in which that work was created? James Westcott discusses how Thomas Hirschhorn in Superficial Engagement reproduces the violence of war propaganda. Magda Romanska analyzes the trial in Poland of Dorota Nieznalska, accused of “offending religious feelings” with her work Passion. Ilka Saal reports on the 15th International Istanbul Theater Festival where emerging artists break with both the state and aging Western notions of the avantgarde.
Springtime for Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang: City On Stage, City As Stage
Authors: Kim Suk-Young
Published: May 2007

On the stages of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, propaganda performances celebrate the regime of Kim Il-sung. On the streets of Pyongyang there are frequent patriotic parades and other displays glorifying the state leader. Author Kim explores the dynamics between Pyongyang on stage and Pyongyang as stage.
Letting It All Hang Out: Mardi Gras Performances Live and on Video
Authors: Mayer Vicki
Published: May 2007

Mayer examines Mardi Gras as a commodified spectacle of female nudity in live performance, softcore video, and tourism. Mardi Gras brings together entrepreneurs and consumers in ways that reveal gender, race, and class relations not only in today's U.S. but also in America's consumption of its global Others.
Testing the Internal Validity of the Inglehart Thesis by Means of a Latent Class Choice Model
Authors: Moors Guy
Published: May 2007

Inglehart's short postmaterialism index uses partial ranking of four items to classify respondents within three classes, i.e. a materialist, a postmaterialist and a mixed category. An appropriate technique for validating this index is a latent class choice model. Analysing data from the Eurobarometer surveys with this approach confirms the existence of a postmaterialist class. However, a materialist class cannot be identified irrevocably. Rather, an `authoritarian' or `conservative' latent class has to be distinguished from an `economic materialist' latent class. As such, there is empirical evidence for theoretical arguments that have been raised in the past, even within the restricted framework of the Inglehart thesis. Furthermore, I demonstrate that the cohort variable is unrelated to the `economic materialist' latent class, putting strain on adherents of the scarcity hypothesis. Education proves to be the key covariate of `economic' materialism, whereas cohort differences are pronounced in the case of `maintaining order in the nation'. Country differences also shift depending on the latent class model that is selected.
Individual and Community Processes of Social Closure
Authors: Thorlindsson Thorolfur , Bjarnason Thoroddur , Sigfusdottir Inga Dora
Published: May 2007

While the concept of social capital has rekindled interest in fundamental issues of social inquiry, concerns have been raised regarding its definition and application in increasingly diverse topics. We address these concerns by revisiting Coleman's and Bourdieu's original ideas of the role of family and school in adolescent outcomes. Multi-level modelling reveals that controlling for individual background, parental relations and adolescent activities, school levels of intergenerational closure and cultural activities are predictive of higher maths grades, while school levels of intergenerational closure, supervised activities and sports participation are predictive of less alcohol use. The results support the general thrust of social capital theory and suggest further theoretical elaborations.
The Unity of Luke—Acts in Recent Discussion
Authors: Bird Michael F.
Published: May 2007

This article surveys the debate about the unity of Luke—Acts in recent scholarship. The study concentrates on monographs and articles written after Mikael C. Parsons and Richard I. Pervo's volume Rethinking the Unity of Luke and Acts, and identifies the recent contribution that reception-history studies have brought to the debate. This is followed with a brief analysis of the flashpoints in the debate, and a discussion of what is at stake for Lukan studies.
Literary Unity and Reception History
Authors: Rowe C. Kavin
Published: May 2007

In the effort both to clarify and advance the present scholarly discussion, this article continues a conversation about (a) the reception history of Luke and Acts and (b) the hermeneutical implications that derive from such history . After a brief recapitulation of the status quaestionis, the article presses for a clear distinction between literary unity and reception history. It then moves to examine the cogency of the suppositions about the history of the Lukan writings prior to their reception in the second century (and beyond) and suggests a scenario that renders intelligible the later developments. Finally, the article concludes with some reflections about the pertinence of reception history to New Testament studies.
The Reception of Luke and Acts and the Unity of Luke—Acts
Authors: Gregory Andrew
Published: May 2007

This article argues that Irenaeus and the author of the Muratorian Fragment each read Luke and Acts as two elements of one literary whole, but that Irenaeus's understanding of what this literary unity entails appears to have been different from that of many modern scholarly readings of Luke—Acts. It also argues that there is reason to believe that Luke intended his two volumes to circulate together, and offers hermeneutical reflections on the fact that they have not always been read in this way. Two different approaches to the reception of Luke and Acts are identified and the merits of each are discussed.
Critiquing the Excess of Empire
Authors: Perry Peter S.
Published: May 2007

Despite their many differences, John the Seer of Patmos and Dio the rhetorphilosopher of Prusa share a basic critique of the Roman Empire. Limiting the comparison to Rev. 18 and Dio's twelfth Olympic Oration (with an important reference to Dio's thirteenth Oration), this essay concludes that John and Dio critique the violence, exploitation and luxury of Rome, grounding their analysis in divine sovereignty over earthly rulers. This common critique suggests that John's message may have been sympathetically heard by a wider audience than simply a few Christian communities, and that Revelation should be reevaluated in this light.
Violence and power
Authors: Breen Keith
Published: May 2007

In contrast to political realism's equation of the `political' with domination, Hannah Arendt understood the `political' as a relation of friendship utterly opposed to the use of violence. This article offers a critique of that understanding. It becomes clear that Arendt's challenge to realism, as exemplified by Max Weber, succeeds on account of a dubious redefinition of the `political' that is the reverse image of the one-sided vision of politics she had hoped to contest. Questioning this paradoxical turn leads to a critique of Arendt's separation of violence and power and, consequently, her attempt to insulate a politics of friendship from one of hostility and coercion. However, political realism is not thereby affirmed. What is required, instead, is a view of the `political' that accepts the interwoven-ness of violence and power but also emphasizes the normative ideals of moderation and care.
Where did Nazism come from? Tibet?
Authors: Thorup Mikkel , Lassen Frank Beck
Published: May 2007

The interview revolves around the idea that Al Qaeda is a distinctively modern phenomenon dependent upon modern and Western ideas of transformation of the human condition through mass violence. Meanwhile, the USA and Europe are deeply superstitious about their own unique position in the world. Professor John Gray outlines a clash of modernisms, the one not less ambitious or global in nature than the other. He applies an analysis of modernity upon present phenomena such as the war in Iraq, the failed EU constitution, the debate about Muslims and more broadly religion in secular societies, etc., and sketches an alternative path for the West than the present liberal revolutionary; a path informed by an awareness of limitations.
From pragmatism to perfectionism
Authors: Talisse Robert B.
Published: May 2007

In recent work, Cheryl Misak has developed a novel justification of deliberative democracy rooted in Peircean epistemology. In this article, the author expands Misak's arguments to show that not only does Peircean pragmatism provide a justification for deliberative democracy that is more compelling than the justifications offered by competing liberal and discursivist views, but also fixes a specific conception of deliberative politics that is perfectionist rather than neutralist. The article concludes with a discussion of whether the `epistemic perfectionism' implied by the pragmatist argument could be endorsed by liberal democrats.
Restrictive relative clauses in English and Korean learners' second language Chinese
Authors: Hu Xiaoling , Liu Chuanping
Published: May 2007

This study investigates the second language (L2) acquisition of restrictive relative clauses (RRCs) in Chinese by two groups of learners speaking typologically different first languages (L1s): English and Korean. English RRCs, unlike those of Chinese, are head-initial whereas Korean RRCs, like those of Chinese, are head-final. The difference could be predicted to hinder English learners' acquisition of L2 RRCs but facilitate it for Korean learners. This prediction was not confirmed in this study, in fact the reverse was observed, and our data show contrasting patterns of acquisition between the two groups of learners. The English learners distinguished between target-like RRCs and non-target-like RRCs earlier than the Korean learners. A corresponding difference was observed for acquisition of resumptive pronouns. It is argued that where the L1 and the L2 share salient properties (such as head direction) restructuring of less salient features encoded in functional categories takes longer and may be persistently problematic. We suggest that the fact that Korean is more similar to Chinese (perhaps superficially, same head direction) leads learners not to restructure quickly, while the surface dissimilarity of English and Chinese gives rise to rapid restructuring in L2 grammars of learners.
Variability in second language article production: beyond the representational deficit vs. processing constraints debate
Authors: Trenkic Danijela
Published: May 2007

This article addresses the debate on the causes of variability in production of second language functional morphology. It reports a study on article production by first language (L1) Serbian / second language (L2) English learners and compares their behaviour to that of a Turkish learner of English, reported in Goad and White (2004). In particular, it focuses on the tendency of these learners to omit articles more in adjectivally pre-modified (Art + Adj + N) than in non-modified contexts (Art + N). The asymmetry is found in both spoken and written production. The article argues that the pattern of results is not consistent with models assuming target-like syntax: the Missing Surface Inflection Hypothesis cannot predict the asymmetry at all, and the Prosodic Transfer Hypothesis cannot extend its explanatory power to spoken production of L1 Serbian/L2 English learners, or to written production in general. An alternative account, with broader empirical coverage, is proposed, on which L2 learners whose L1s do not grammaticalize definiteness misanalyse English articles as nominal modifiers, and treat them in production as such. The model goes beyond the representational deficit vs. processing constraints debate, in that it suggests that variability is caused by processing limitations, but precisely because the production of misanalysed elements cannot be (directly) syntactically motivated, and has to rely on general cognition instead.
Miniature Lives, Intrusion and Innocence: Women Filming Children
Authors: Wilson Emma
Published: May 2007

An examination of Lucile Hadzihalilovic's film of 2004, Innocence, this article argues that childhood, child experience and its representation, offer prescient and urgent material for thinking about the public and the private, raising issues about identity and newness/the newborn, about influence and intrusion, about intimacy and enclosure, about growth and metamorphosis. The malleable, mutating substance of children's bodies, of their environs and of their imaginings, is seen to offer new insights into the relation between private and public and new reflections on that relation as fluid and overlapping. Examining childhood offers evidence about identification and enculturation, the construction and production of social identity, and the position of the self within a community. Engagement with the work of Jean-Luc Nancy allows questions about intrusion and étrangeté to be pursued in material and political terms.
Disease-related stress in parents of children who are overweight: relations with parental anxiety and childhood psychosocial functioning
Authors: Ohleyer Vanessa , Freddo Marianna , Bagner Daniel M. , Simons Laura E. , Geffken Gary R. , Silverstein Janet H. , Storch Eric A.
Published: May 2007

The psychometric properties of the Pediatric Inventory for Parents, a measure of chronic disease-related parental stress, were examined in a sample of 72 children and adolescents who are overweight. The correlations between disease-related parental stress and general parenting stress, parental and child anxiety and children's behavioral and psychological maladjustment were examined. The results demonstrated excellent internal consistency and modest correlations with a measure of general parenting stress. Significant and positive relations of medium to large effect sizes between disease-related parenting stress and internalizing and externalizing maladjustment were found. Internalizing and externalizing behavior moderated the relations between disease-related parenting stress and parental distress. Recommendations for use of the Pediatric Inventory for Parents in clinical settings and future research directions are discussed.
Parents with chronic pain: are children equally affected by fathers as mothers in pain? A pilot study
Authors: Evans Subhadra , Keenan Thomas R.
Published: May 2007

This study compared the psychological and physical functioning of 12 children in each of three groups: mothers with chronic pain, fathers with chronic pain and a control, pain-free parents. Parents completed a number of questionnaires including the RAND-36 Health Status Inventory, a child health scale and the Child Behavior Checklist. Children completed the Revised Child Manifest Anxiety Scale and a scale measuring pain and sickness behaviour. Children of mothers with chronic pain reported the most physical and psychological problems, followed by children of fathers with chronic pain and children from the control group. Pain reports between children and parents with chronic pain were significantly correlated, suggesting support for a familial pain model. Social learning may explain the concordance between parent and child health in families experiencing parental chronic pain.
Home dressing removal following hypospadias repair
Authors: Gormley Alison , Fishwick Janet , Whitnall Beverley
Published: May 2007

Hypospadias is a common congenital abnormality that is increasing in incidence. There are many articles describing different surgical techniques and the merits of different dressings following hypospadias surgery. This article describes postoperative nursing management in collaboration with each family following surgery. Listening to the wishes of parents identified ways in which improvements could be made to the patient journey. The involvement of parents in decision-making has been at the heart of developments in the care of boys who have hypospadias repair. A review of nursing care in combination with partnerships with paediatric community nursing teams has enabled the additional benefit of developing a home dressing removal service following hypospadias repair.
Survival Analysis and European Union Decision-making
Authors: Golub Jonathan
Published: May 2007

Practitioners as well as scholars of European integration have for decades debated why it takes so long for the European Union (EU) to adopt legislation and how to improve decision-making efficiency. Four studies have investigated decision-making speed using survival analysis, a particularly appropriate quantitative technique. In this paper I show that all four studies suffer from serious methodological problems that render their conclusions unreliable. I then outline where work in this area should focus, and take an initial step in this direction by fitting a methodologically more appropriate survival model to my 2002 EU decision-making data set (Golub, 2002). Substantively, the results indicate that throughout the EU's history, for the most important types of legislation, qualified majority voting (QMV) and EU enlargement have increased decision-making speed, whereas empowerment of the European Parliament and extreme preference heterogeneity amongst decision-makers have decreased it. Theoretically, formal approaches — spatial models and especially coalition theory — do a better job of explaining these results than do perspectives that privilege informal norms.
The Composition of the College of Commissioners
Authors: Döring Holger
Published: May 2007

Recent theoretical studies question the view that the European Commission is a preference outlier. This paper addresses this question by discussing the composition of the European College of Commissioners and by focusing on the appointment process. The analysis is based on a data set that contains biographical information for all Commissioners since 1958. The analysis highlights the importance of Commissioners' party affiliation and their previous political positions. Multivariate regression analysis shows that smaller member states have tended to send more high-ranking politicians to the College of Commissioners than have larger member states. However, party affiliation has not become more important as an appointment criterion. What has changed with time has been not the party link but the calibre of positions held by Commissioners before they are appointed to the College.
The Power of the Presidency in EU Council Decision-making
Authors: Schalk Jelmer , Torenvlied René , Weesie Jeroen , Stokman Frans
Published: May 2007

Research on the presidency of the EU shows mixed results. Although most scholars agree that the EU presidency is not able to advance its domestic interests in the European forum, Tallberg (2006) provides evidence for presidency effects. In the present paper, we empirically estimate presidency-based power in the Council of the European Union on the DEU data — a large-scale data set containing EU policy issues from various policy areas. We show that holding the presidency does significantly and positively contribute to the bargaining power of member states, but only in the final stages of decision-making.
Explaining Opposition to Turkish Membership of the EU
Authors: McLaren Lauren M.
Published: May 2007

This article examines EU citizen attitudes to Turkey's bid to join the EU. The key theoretical constructs investigated to explain opposition to Turkey's EU membership are related to rational economic self-interest and group-level interests and concerns. The findings indicate that the former are irrelevant for distinguishing between opponents and supporters of Turkey's candidacy, while the latter do provide fairly powerful explanations for opposition to Turkish EU membership. However, because these factors do not completely explain overall levels of hostility to Turkey's candidacy, context is also introduced, particularly the threatening context provided by Turkish migration. The findings indicate that migration from Turkey to some of the EU member states has combined with feelings of group protectiveness to produce widespread animosity to Turkey's entry into the EU.
Teaching Literature in Open and Distance Learning
Authors: Natsina Anastasia
Published: May 2007

The teaching of literature is inextr icably connected with face-to-face initiation into the enjoyment of and cr itical thinking about literar y texts. In this respect, the increasingly g rowing sector of Open and Distance Lear ning in higher education poses a significant challenge for literar y studies, no less so as it addresses an emergent student body compr ised mostly of mature students with significantly divergent backg rounds and expectations. The article traces the different answers provided to these challenges by nine European ODL universities. By discussing their objectives and methods along the axes of cur r iculum design, educational mater ial and educational procedures, this comparative survey attempts to describe an emergent profile of literar y studies as well as help promote dialogue about the practice of literar y instruction in higher education. The survey is based on the outcomes of a two-and-a-half-year research prog ramme undertaken by the research team `OpenLit', operating under the auspices of the School of Humanities at the Hellenic Open University.
Tradition, Discipline, Literary History
Authors: Kargiotis Dimitrios
Published: May 2007

In its attempt to respond to changing historical realities the university has undergone significant transformations, most of which, however, have focused on teaching material, tools, methods or practices adapted to the new demands. Taking as a case study the literary disciplines, this article focuses on the theoretical, mostly implicit, presuppositions that often underlie attempts at institutional innovations. To put the educational process at the center of attention has often meant that a certain view of the epistemic object itself has been largely presupposed; this article attempts to unearth an unquestioned essentialism of the object, by showing how this has, to an extent, been constituted against a certain relativism of the processes that create it. Indeed, the educational setting and its space carry a set of implications for the object of study — that is, literature — that should not remain unaddressed.
Decolonizing the (Distance) Curriculum
Authors: Walder Dennis
Published: May 2007

Postcolonial theory remains part of the challenge of literary theory to curriculum development. As the author's personal history suggests, it is more than simply another way of reading and interpretation, but enables an engagement with, a bearing witness to, the gross inequalities of the world today. Drama is a good example, evidenced by the production and impact of South African Athol Fugard's work — introduced as a set text for the first time in an Open University course, while becoming part of the author's published research. The positive response to Fugard made possible the inclusion of substantial new areas of literature in a modern literature course coinciding with the global changes of the late I980s, in turn aiding the inclusion of postcolonial writings and theory in the departmental curriculum and raising awareness of issues outside the students' immediate experience. The texts studied demand an understanding beyond merely formal or `close' critical readings, and it is teachers' responsibility to be alive to the claims of contemporary history and politics.
Teaching Literature Online to Arab Students
Authors: Heble Ayesha
Published: May 2007

This article presents an experiment in teaching literature at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. As I was required to teach two sections of the same course, `Introduction to Drama', I decided to teach one section entirely face-to-face and to supplement my classroom teaching in the other section with online elements. While online teaching did not have a significant effect on the student's final exam results, it certainly seems to have helped them overcome some of the more intangible cultural restrictions that they function within and to have allowed them to engage in an active and uninhibited exchange of opinions and ideas across genders.
Recruitment Strategies and Costs for a Community-Based Physical Activity Program
Authors: Peck Lara E. , Sharpe Patricia A. , Burroughs Ericka L. , Granner Michelle L.
Published: May 2007

A community-based participatory research project using social marketing strategies was implemented to promote physical activity among women aged 35 to 54 who were insufficiently active or completely inactive. A variety of media were used to disseminate messages about how to enroll in Step Up. Step Out! This article describes the effectiveness and cost of the recruitment strategies and lessons learned in recruiting the women. Of the total inquiries (n = 691), 430 women were eligible and enrolled in the program. Based on data from questionnaires, the most effective method of recruiting women into Step Up. Step Out! was word of mouth (36%). Newspaper ads accounted for 29% of the women's responses. The least effective method was billboards. Mass media was not as effective in recruiting women for the program as interpersonal efforts such as word of mouth. Interpersonal efforts are a valuable and possibly underrated recruitment and promotion tool.
Translating Efficacious Behavioral Principles for Diabetes Prevention Into Practice
Authors: Smith-Ray Renae L. , Almeida Fabio A. , Bajaj Jennifer , Foland Sally , Gilson Michele , Heikkinen Susan , Seagle Helen , Estabrooks Paul A.
Published: May 2007

This case study describes the process of translating efficacy-based Diabetes Prevention Program principles into a practical format for delivery within a managed care organization. Using Rogers' innovation-decision process model, the authors tracked the adoption, implementation, and short-term effectiveness of a clinical program. Effectiveness was documented using a pre-post design to detect changes in physical activity and dietary habits. Participants (N = 298) were Kaiser Permanente of Colorado patients enrolled in diabetes-prevention classes. Changes were analyzed using paired-samples t tests and one-way analysis of variance. Participants significantly increased reported minutes of moderate (p < .001, μ = 84.52, CI: 58.44-110.61) and vigorous (t = 2.220, p = .028, μ = 19.05, CI: 2.10-36.00) physical activity and their daily servings of fruits and vegetables (p < .001, μ = 0.20, CI: 0.13-0.27). By identifying the underlying strategies that led to efficacy, professionals can implement sound diabetes-prevention programs that fit within their context.
Distinct patterns of mutations occurring in de novo AML versus AML arising in the setting of severe congenital neutropenia
Authors: Link Daniel C. , Kunter Ghada , Kasai Yumi , Zhao Yu , Miner Tracie , McLellan Michael D. , Ries Rhonda E. , Kapur Deepak , Nagarajan Rakesh , Dale David C. , Bolyard Audrey Anna , Boxer Laurence A. , Welte Karl , Zeidler Cornelia , Donadieu Jean , Bellanné-Chantelot Christine , Vardiman James W. , Caligiuri Michael A. , Bloomfield Clara D. , DiPersio John F. , Tomasson Michael H. , Graubert Timothy A. , Westervelt Peter , Watson Mark , Shannon William , Baty Jack , Mardis Elaine R. , Wilson Richard K. , Ley Timothy J.
Published: May 2007

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is an inborn disorder of granulopoiesis. Like most other bone marrow failure syndromes, it is associated with a marked propensity to transform into a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute leukemia, with a cumulative rate of transformation to MDS/leukemia that exceeds 20%. The genetic (and/or epigenetic) changes that contribute to malignant transformation in SCN are largely unknown. In this study, we performed mutational profiling of 14 genes previously implicated in leukemogenesis using 14 MDS/leukemia samples from patients with SCN. We used high-throughput exon-based resequencing of whole-genome–amplified genomic DNA with a semiautomated method to detect mutations. The sensitivity and specificity of the sequencing pipeline was validated by determining the frequency of mutations in these 14 genes using 188 de novo AML samples. As expected, mutations of tyrosine kinase genes (FLT3, KIT, and JAK2) were common in de novo AML, with a cumulative frequency of 30%. In contrast, no mutations in these genes were detected in the SCN samples; instead, mutations of CSF3R, encoding the G-CSF receptor, were common. These data support the hypothesis that mutations of CSF3R may provide the “activated tyrosine kinase signal” that is thought to be important for leukemogenesis.
Reconstruction of human protein interolog network using evolutionary conserved network
Authors: Huang Tao-Wei , Lin Chung-Yen , Kao Cheng-Yan
Published: May 2007

Background

The recent increase in the use of high-throughput two-hybrid analysis has generated large quantities of data on protein interactions. Specifically, the availability of information about experimental protein-protein interactions and other protein features on the Internet enables human protein-protein interactions to be computationally predicted from co-evolution events (interolog). This study also considers other protein interaction features, including sub-cellular localization, tissue-specificity, the cell-cycle stage and domain-domain combination. Computational methods need to be developed to integrate these heterogeneous biological data to facilitate the maximum accuracy of the human protein interaction prediction.

Results

This study proposes a relative conservation score by finding maximal quasi-cliques in protein interaction networks, and considering other interaction features to formulate a scoring method. The scoring method can be adopted to discover which protein pairs are the most likely to interact among multiple protein pairs. The predicted human protein-protein interactions associated with confidence scores are derived from six eukaryotic organisms – rat, mouse, fly, worm, thale cress and baker's yeast.

Conclusion

Evaluation results of the proposed method using functional keyword and Gene Ontology (GO) annotations indicate that some confidence is justified in the accuracy of the predicted interactions. Comparisons among existing methods also reveal that the proposed method predicts human protein-protein interactions more accurately than other interolog-based methods.
Exploring cellular memory molecules marking competent and active transcriptions
Authors: Xin Li , Zhou Guo-Ling , Song Wei , Wu Xue-Song , Wei Gong-Hong , Hao De-Long , Lv Xiang , Liu De-Pei , Liang Chih-Chuan
Published: May 2007

Background

Development in higher eukaryotes involves programmed gene expression. Cell type-specific gene expression is established during this process and is inherited in succeeding cell cycles. Higher eukaryotes have evolved elegant mechanisms by which committed gene-expression states are transmitted through numerous cell divisions. Previous studies have shown that both DNase I-sensitive sites and the basal transcription factor TFIID remain on silenced mitotic chromosomes, suggesting that certain trans-factors might act as bookmarks, maintaining the information and transmitting it to the next generation.

Results

We used the mouse globin gene clusters as a model system to examine the retention of active information on M-phase chromosomes and its contribution to the persistence of transcriptional competence of these gene clusters in murine erythroleukemia cells. In cells arrested in mitosis, the erythroid-specific activator NF-E2p45 remained associated with its binding sites on the globin gene loci, while the other major erythroid factor, GATA-1, was removed from chromosome. Moreover, despite mitotic chromatin condensation, the distant regulatory regions and promoters of transcriptionally competent globin gene loci are marked by a preserved histone code consisting in active histone modifications such as H3 acetylation, H3-K4 dimethylation and K79 dimethylation. Further analysis showed that other active genes are also locally marked by the preserved active histone code throughout mitotic inactivation of transcription.

Conclusion

Our results imply that certain kinds of specific protein factors and active histone modifications function as cellular memory markers for both competent and active genes during mitosis, and serve as a reactivated core for the resumption of transcription when the cells exit mitosis.
Mistletoe lectin is not the only cytotoxic component in fermented preparations of Viscum album from white fir (Abies pectinata)
Authors: Eggenschwiler Jenny , von Balthazar Leopold , Stritt Bianca , Pruntsch Doreen , Ramos Mac , Urech Konrad , Rist Lukas , Simões-Wüst A Paula , Viviani Angelika
Published: May 2007

Background

Preparations of mistletoe (Viscum album) are the form of cancer treatment that is most frequently used in the complementary medicine. Previous work has shown that these preparations are able to exert cytotoxic effects on carcinoma cells, the extent of which might be influenced by the host tree species and by the content of mistletoe lectin.

Methods

Using colorimetric assays, we have now compared the cytotoxic effects of Viscum album preparations (VAPs) obtained from mistletoe growing on oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea, VAP-Qu), apple tree (Malus domestica,, VAP-M), pine (Pinus sylvestris, VAP-P) or white fir (Abies pectinata, VAP-A), on the in vitro growth of breast and bladder carcinoma cell lines. While MFM-223, KPL-1, MCF-7 and HCC-1937 were the breast carcinoma cell lines chosen, the panel of tested bladder carcinoma cells comprised the T-24, TCC-SUP, UM-UC-3 and J-82 cell lines.

Results

Each of the VAPs inhibited cell growth, but the extent of this inhibition differed with the preparation and with the cell line. The concentrations of VAP-Qu, VAP-M and VAP-A which led to a 50 % reduction of cell growth (IC50) varied between 0.6 and 0.03 mg/ml. Higher concentrations of VAP-P were required to obtain a comparable effect. Purified mistletoe lectin I (MLI) led to an inhibition of breast carcinoma cell growth at concentrations lower than those of VAPs, but the sensitivity towards purified MLI did not parallel that towards VAPs. Bladder carcinoma cells were in most cases more sensitive to VAPs treatment than breast carcinoma cells. The total mistletoe lectin content was very high in VAP-Qu (54 ng/mg extract), intermediate in VAP-M (25 ng/mg extract), and very low in VAP-P (1.3 ng/mg extract) and in VAP-A (1 ng/mg extract). As to be expected from the low content of mistletoe lectin, VAP-P led to relatively weak cytotoxic effects. Most remarkably, however, the lectin-poor VAP-A revealed a cytotoxic effect comparable to, or even stronger than, that of the lectin-rich VAP-Qu, on all tested bladder and breast carcinoma cell lines.

Conclusion

The results suggest the existence of cytotoxic components other than mistletoe lectin in VAP-A and reveal an unexpected potential of this preparation for the treatment of breast and bladder cancer.
Laparoscopic resection of a torted ovarian dermoid cyst
Authors: Williams Katie M , Bain Charles J , Kelly Michael D
Published: May 2007

Torsion or rupture of an ovarian cyst may present as an acute abdomen. A case is presented where the diagnosis was made at laparoscopy and laparoscopic resection was done. Controlled aspiration of the cyst contents allowed the cyst to be easily removed from the abdomen.
Prediction of death and prolonged mechanical ventilation in acute lung injury
Authors: Gajic Ognjen , Afessa Bekele , Thompson B Taylor , Frutos-Vivar Fernando , Malinchoc Michael , Rubenfeld Gordon D , Esteban André , Anzueto Antonio , Hubmayr Rolf D ,   the Second International Study of Mechanical Ventilation and ARDS-net Investigators
Published: May 2007

Introduction

Prediction of death and prolonged mechanical ventilation is important in terms of projecting resource utilization and in establishing protocols for clinical studies of acute lung injury (ALI). We aimed to identify risk factors for a combined end-point of death and/or prolonged ventilator dependence and developed an ALI-specific prediction model.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of three multicenter clinical studies, we identified predictors of death or ventilator dependence from variables prospectively recorded during the first three days of mechanical ventilation. After the prediction model was derived in an international cohort of patients with ALI, it was validated in two independent samples of patients enrolled in a clinical trial involving 17 academic centers and a North American population-based cohort.

Results

A combined end-point of death and/or ventilator dependence at 14 days or later occurred in 68% of patients in the international cohort, 60% of patients in the clinical trial, and 59% of patients in the population-based cohort. In the derivation cohort, a model based on age, oxygenation index on day 3, and cardiovascular failure on day 3 predicted death and/or ventilator dependence. The prediction model performed better in the clinical trial validation cohort (area under the receiver operating curve 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.84) than in the population-based validation cohort (0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 0.76).

Conclusion

A model based on age and cardiopulmonary function three days after the intubation is able to predict, moderately well, a combined end-point of death and/or prolonged mechanical ventilation in patients with ALI.
Mass Spectral Determination of Fasting Tear Glucose Concentrations in Nondiabetic Volunteers
Authors: Baca Justin T , Taormina Christopher R , Feingold Eleanor , Finegold David N , Grabowski Joseph J , Asher Sanford A
Published: May 2007

Background: There is considerable disagreement regarding the concentration of glucose in tears and its relationship to the concentration in blood. Improved sampling and analysis methods may resolve these discrepancies and possibly provide a basis for in situ tear glucose sensors.

Methods: We used liquid chromatography (LC) with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to determine glucose in 1-μL tear fluid samples obtained from 25 fasting study participants. Tear fluid was collected with microcapillaries and a slitlamp microscope.

Results: The median (range) of fasting tear glucose concentrations was 28 (7–161) μmol/L or 0.50 (0.13–2.90) mg/dL. The SD of tear glucose measurements for individuals varied linearly with the mean tear glucose concentration and was approximately half of the mean. We found no significant difference in tear glucose concentrations between contact lens users and nonusers (P = 0.715). We observed significant correlations between fasting blood and tear glucose concentrations (R = 0.50, P = 0.01).

Conclusions: Our tear fluid collection and analysis method enables reliable measurement of equilibrium, fasting tear glucose concentrations. These concentrations are lower than those previously reported for nondiabetic persons. Larger population studies are required to determine correlations between blood and tear glucose concentrations and to determine the utility of contact lens–based sensors for the monitoring of diabetes. Our methods are applicable for study of other tear fluid analytes and may prove useful for monitoring other disease states.
6-Thioguanine Nucleotide–Adapted Azathioprine Therapy Does Not Lead to Higher Remission Rates Than Standard Therapy in Chronic Active Crohn Disease: Results from a Randomized, Controlled, Open Trial
Authors: Reinshagen Max , Schütz Ekkehard , Armstrong Victor W , Behrens Christoph , von Tirpitz Christian , Stallmach Andreas , Herfarth Hans , Stein Jürgen , Bias Peter , Adler Guido , Shipkova Maria , Kruis Wolfgang , Oellerich Michael , von Ahsen Nicolas
Published: May 2007

Background: A prospective randomized trial in patients with Crohn disease studied whether 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) concentration–adapted azathioprine (AZA) therapy is clinically superior to a standard dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day AZA.

Methods: After 2 weeks of standard therapy, patients (n = 71) were randomized into standard (n = 32) or adapted-dose (n = 25) groups; 14 patients dropped out before randomization. In the adapted group, the AZA dose was adjusted to maintain 6-TGN concentrations between 250 and 400 pmol/8 × 108 erythrocytes (Ery). Response criteria were the number of patients in remission after 16 weeks without steroids (primary) and remission after 24 weeks, frequency of side effects, and quality of life (secondary).

Results: After 16 weeks, 14 of 32 (43.8%) patients in the standard group vs 11 of 25 (44%) in the adapted group were in remission without steroids (intent-to-treat analysis). After 24 weeks, 43.8% vs 40% were in remission. No significant differences were found concerning quality of life, disease activity, 6-TGN concentrations, AZA dose, or dropouts due to side effects. Sixty-six patients had a wild-type thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) genotype, with TPMT activities of 8 to 20 nmol/(mL Ery × h). Five patients (dropouts after randomization) were heterozygous, with TPMT activities <8 nmol/(mL Ery × h). 6-Methyl mercaptopurine (6-MMP) concentrations >5700 pmol/8 × 108 Ery were not associated with hepatotoxicity.

Conclusion: Standard and adapted dosing with the provided dosing scheme led to identical 6-TGN concentrations and remission rates. Adapted dosing had no apparent clinical benefit for patients with TPMT activity between 8 and 20 nmol/(mL Ery × h). Additionally, 6-MMP monitoring had no predictive value for hepatotoxicity.
New Moisture Sensor with Microstripline for High Moist Leaves in Green Tea Production (Neuer Feuchtesensor mit Mikrostreifenleitung für hochfeuchte Blätter in der Produktion von grünem Tee)
Authors: Okamura Seichi , Tsukamoto Nobuhito
Published: May 2007

This paper describes a new sensor for the production of green tea. It can measure the moisture content as high as 160 to 300% on dry basis by use of microwave at 3GHz. The wave traveling down along a microstripline detects the information on the moisture contents of the green tea leaves overlaid on the microstripline. The moisture content of the leaves is calculated from two signals of the ratio of attenuation and phase shift of the waves traveling over the microstripline. The error of the measurement was about 3% of the readings.
The Samson phase, β-Mg2Al3, revisited
Authors: Steurer Walter
Published: May 2007

Co-Authors: Michael Feuerbacher, Carsten Thomas, Julien P. A. Makongo, Stefan Hoffmann, Wilder Carrillo-Cabrera, Raul Cardoso, Yuri Grin, Guido Kreiner, Jean-Marc Joubert, Thomas Schenk, Joseph Gastaldi, Henri Nguyen-Thi, Nathalie Mangelinck-Noël, Bernard Billia, Patricia Donnadieu, Aleksandra Czyrska-Filemonowicz, Anna Zielinska-Lipiec, Beata Dubiel, Thomas Weber, Philippe Schaub, Günter Krauss, Volker Gramlich, Jeppe Christensen, Sven Lidin, Daniel Fredrickson, Marek Mihalkovic, Wieslawa Sikora, Janusz Malinowski, Stefan Brühne, Thomas Proffen, Wolf Assmus, Marc de Boissieu, Francoise Bley, Jean-Luis Chemin, Jürgen Schreuer

Abstract. The Al−Mg phase diagram has been reinvestigated in the vicinity of the stability range of the Samson phase, β-Mg2Al3 (cF1168). For the composition Mg 38.5 Al 61.5, this cubic phase, space group Fd-3m (no 227), a = 28.242(1) Å, V = 22526(2) Å3, undergoes at 214 °C a first-order phase transition to rhombohedral β′-Mg2Al3(hR293), a = 19.968(1) Å, c = 48.9114(8) Å, V = 16889(2) Å3, (i.e. 22519 Å3 for the equivalent cubic unit cell) space group R3m (no 160), a subgroup of index four of Fd-3m. The structure of the β-phase has been redetermined at ambient temperature as well as in situ at 400 °C. It essentially agrees with Samson's model, even in most of the many partially occupied and split positions. The structure of β′-Mg2Al3is closely related to that of the β-phase. Its atomic sites can be derived from those of the β-phase by group-theoretical considerations. The main difference between the two structures is that all atomic sites are fully occupied in case of the β′-phase. The reciprocal space, Bragg as well as diffuse scattering, has been explored as function of temperature and the β- to β′-phase transition was studied in detail. The microstructures of both phases have been analyzed by electron microscopy and X-ray topography showing them highly defective. Finally, the thermal expansion coefficients and elastic parameters have been determined. Their values are somewhere in between those of Al and Mg.