bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum amyloid A inhibits apoptosis of human neutrophils via a P2X7-sensitive pathway independent of formyl peptide receptor-like 1
Authors: Christenson Karin , Björkman Lena , Tängemo Carolina , Bylund Johan
Published: October 2007

Neutrophil apoptosis is important for the termination of inflammatory reactions, in that it ensures placid clearance of these potently cytotoxic cells. Various proinflammatory cytokines delay neutrophil apoptosis, which may result in accumulation of these cells, sometimes accompanied by tissue destruction, potentially leading to various inflammatory disease states. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized frequently by elevated levels of the acute-phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA) in circulation and in tissues. SAA is emerging as a cytokine-like molecule with the ability to activate various proinflammatory processes, many of which involve signaling via the formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1). In this study, we show that SAA, purified from plasma from RA patients or in recombinant form, suppressed apoptosis of human neutrophils. Blocking FPRL1 did not lessen the antiapoptotic effects of SAA, implying the action of a receptor distinct from FPRL1. In contrast, antagonists of the nucleotide receptor P2X7 abrogated the antiapoptotic effect of SAA completely but did not block intracellular calcium transients evoked by SAA stimulation. Based on these results and also the finding that blocking P2X7 inhibited antiapoptotic actions of unrelated stimuli (LPS and GM-CSF), we propose that P2X7 is a general mediator of antiapoptotic signaling in neutrophils rather than a bona fide SAA receptor.
Mechanisms of Glucose-Induced Expression of Pancreatic-Derived Factor in Pancreatic β-Cells
Authors: Wang Oumei , Cai Kun , Pang Shanshan , Wang Ting , Qi Dongfei , Zhu Quanfeng , Ni Zimei , Le Yingying
Published: October 2007

Pancreatic-derived factor (PANDER) is a cytokine-like peptide highly expressed in pancreatic β-cells. PANDER was reported to promote apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells and secrete in response to glucose. Here we explored the effects of glucose on PANDER expression, and the underlying mechanisms in murine pancreatic β-cell line MIN6 and primary islets. Our results showed that glucose up-regulated PANDER mRNA and protein levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner in MIN6 cells and pancreatic islets. In cells expressing cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) dominant-negative construct, glucose failed to induce PANDER gene expression and promoter activation. Treatment of the cells with calcium chelator [EGTA, 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid tetra(acetoxymethyl)ester (BAPTA/AM)], the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel inhibitor (nifedipine), the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor (H89), the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (Go6976), or the MAPK kinase 1/2 inhibitor (PD98059), all significantly inhibited glucose-induced PANDER gene expression and promoter activation. Further studies showed that glucose induced CREB phosphorylation through Ca2+-PKA-ERK1/2 and Ca2+-PKC pathways. Thus, the Ca2+-PKA-ERK1/2-CREB and Ca2+-PKC-CREB signaling pathways are involved in glucose-induced PANDER gene expression. Wortmannin (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor), ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (nuclear factor-κB inhibitor and nonspecific antioxidant), and N-acetylcysteine (antioxidant) were also found to inhibit glucose-induced PANDER promoter activation and gene expression. Because there is no nuclear factor-κB binding site in the promoter region of PANDER gene, these results suggest that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and reactive oxygen species be involved in glucose-induced PANDER gene expression. In conclusion, glucose induces PANDER gene expression in pancreatic β-cells through multiple signaling pathways. Because PANDER is expressed by pancreatic β-cells and in response to glucose in a similar way to those of insulin, PANDER may be involved in glucose homeostasis.
Na+-Glucose Transporter-2 Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression in Kidney of Diabetic Rats Correlates with Glycemic Levels: Involvement of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-1α Expression and Activity
Authors: Freitas H. S. , Anhê G. F. , Melo K. F. S. , Okamoto M. M. , Oliveira-Souza M. , Bordin S. , Machado U. F.
Published: October 2007

Mutations in Na+-glucose transporters (SGLT)-2 and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1α genes have been related to renal glycosuria and maturity-onset diabetes of the young 3, respectively. However, the expression of these genes have not been investigated in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here in kidney of diabetic rats, we tested the hypotheses that SGLT2 mRNA expression is altered; HNF-1α is involved in this regulation; and glycemic homeostasis is a related mechanism. The in vivo binding of HNF-1α into the SGLT2 promoter region in renal cortex was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. SGLT2 and HNF-1α mRNA expression (by Northern and RT-PCR analysis) and HNF-1 binding activity of nuclear proteins (by EMSA) were investigated in diabetic rats and treated or not with insulin or phlorizin (an inhibitor of SGLT2). Results showed that diabetes increases SGLT2 and HNF-1α mRNA expression (∼50%) and binding of nuclear proteins to a HNF-1 consensus motif (∼100%). Six days of insulin or phlorizin treatment restores these parameters to nondiabetic-rat levels. Moreover, both treatments similarly reduced glycemia, despite the differences in plasma insulin and urinary glucose concentrations, highlighting the plasma glucose levels as involved in the observed modulations. This study shows that SGLT2 mRNA expression and HNF-1α expression and activity correlate positively in kidney of diabetic rats. It also shows that diabetes-induced changes are reversed by lowering glycemia, independently of insulinemia. Our demonstration that HNF-1α binds DNA that encodes SGLT2 supports the hypothesis that HNF-1α, as a modulator of SGLT2 expression, may be involved in diabetic kidney disease.
Ablation of Leptin Signaling Disrupts the Establishment, Development, and Maintenance of Endometriosis-Like Lesions in a Murine Model
Authors: Styer Aaron K. , Sullivan Brian T. , Puder Mark , Arsenault Danielle , Petrozza John C. , Serikawa Takehiro , Chang Sung , Hasan Tayyaba , Gonzalez Ruben R. , Rueda Bo R.
Published: October 2007

Leptin, a 16-kDa cytokine, has been implicated in several reproductive processes and disorders. Notably, elevated leptin levels in the peritoneal fluid of women with mild endometriosis has been demonstrated, suggesting a role for this cytokine in the early stages of disease establishment. To gain insight into the functional significance of leptin during the initial requisite proliferative and neovascularization events involved in endometriosis, we investigated the effect of disruption of in vivo leptin signaling on the establishment and/or maintenance of an endometriosis-like lesion in a syngeneic immunocompetent mouse model of endometriosis. Findings of this study show that the disruption of leptin signaling by ip injection of the pegylated leptin peptide receptor antagonist (LPrA) impairs the establishment of endometriosis-like lesions (derived from uteri of C57BL/6 female siblings) and results in a reduction of viable organized glandular epithelium, vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression, and mitotic activity. LPrA treatment resulted in a significant reduction of microvascular density in endometriosis-like lesions after continuous and acute courses. Endometriosis-like lesions (derived from tissue with functional leptin receptor) of Leprdb hosts (nonfunctional leptin receptor) were phenotypically similar to those of LPrA-treated mice. Our results confirm that leptin signaling is a necessary component in lesion proliferation, early vascular recruitment, and maintenance of neoangiogenesis in a murine model of endometriosis.
Visual Recognition and Efficient Isolation of Apoptotic Cells with Fluorescent-Magnetic-Biotargeting Multifunctional Nanospheres
Authors: Song Er-Qun , Wang Guo-Ping , Xie Hai-Yan , Zhang Zhi-Ling , Hu Jun , Peng Jun , Wu Dao-Cheng , Shi Yun-Bo , Pang Dai-Wen
Published: October 2007

Background: Fluorescent-magnetic-biotargeting multifunctional nanospheres are likely to find important applications in bioanalysis, biomedicine, and clinical diagnosis. We have been developing such multifunctional nanospheres for biomedical applications.

Methods: We covalently coupled avidin onto the surfaces of fluorescent-magnetic bifunctional nanospheres to construct fluorescent-magnetic-biotargeting trifunctional nanospheres and analyzed the functionality and specificity of these trifunctional nanospheres for their ability to recognize and isolate apoptotic cells labeled with biotinylated annexin V, which recognizes phosphatidylserine exposed on the surfaces of apoptotic cells.

Results: The multifunctional nanospheres can be used in combination with propidium iodide staining of nuclear DNA to identify cells at different phases of the apoptotic process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that apoptotic cells induced by exposure to ultraviolet light can be isolated simply with a magnet from living cells at an efficiency of at least 80%; these cells can then be easily visualized with a fluorescence microscope.

Conclusions: Our results show that fluorescent-magnetic-biotargeting trifunctional nanospheres can be a powerful tool for rapidly recognizing, magnetically enriching and sorting, and simultaneously identifying different kinds of cells.
Reviews
Authors: Triggs Teal , Sless David
Published: October 2007

The Semantic Turn A New Foundation for Design, Klaus Krippendorff (2006) Boca Raton: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group ISSN 0-415-32220-0. www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

Visual
Communication: More than Meets the Eye, Harry Jamieson 2007 Bristol: Intellect Books, PO Box 862, Bristol, BS99 1DE, UK, ISBN 978-1-84150-141-7. www.intellectbooks.com
Master Integrated Reactor Vessel Surveillance Program
Authors: Hall J. Brian , Spond Dan F.
Published: October 2007

The B&W Owners Group Master Integrated Reactor Vessel Surveillance Program (MIRVP) was initiated in 1977 for the B&W 177 fuel assembly (FA) plants. Its purpose was to augment the existing reactor vessel surveillance programs and provide a basis for sharing information between plants. All of the early vintage B&W-manufactured reactor vessels were fabricated using the submerged arc welding process and particular consumables, which resulted in welds that are sensitive to fast-neutron exposures. The welds in these vintage B&W-manufactured reactor vessels are referred to as the Linde 80 class of materials. In 1988, the MIRVP was further modified to include a series of plants with the Westinghouse Nuclear Steam Supply System for which B&W manufactured the reactor vessels. These vessels have virtually identical welds as those used in the B&W 177 FA plants. The overall objective of the MIRVP is to provide the data necessary to ensure compliance with U.S. Federal Regulations. With the extension of operating licenses to 60 years for many of the member plants, the program was re-evaluated to ensure that data will be available for 60 and 80 years of operation. Projected reactor vessel fluence levels at 60 and 80 years were compared to available data and projected irradiations of the surveillance capsules that continue to be irradiated. This paper presents an overview of the MIRVP, data evaluation, results, and the withdrawal schedule adjustments. The program has adequate surveillance capsules to meet the irradiation needs of the participating plants for 80 years; however, the planned withdrawal schedule has been adjusted.
Pilot Study on Wind Uplift Resistance of Adhesive Applied Low Slope Roofing Systems
Authors: Baskaran Bas A. , Murty Bona , Tanaka Hiroshi
Published: October 2007

A new generation of built-up roofs, known as Adhesive Applied Roofing Systems (AARS), is gaining popularity in North America for low slope application. AARS use no fasteners for components’ attachment and all components (e.g., insulation board, cover board, and membranes) are integrated by application of adhesives. Since there are no metal fasteners, AARS can offer advantages of reduction in moisture migration and thermal bridging. Moisture in the roof envelope can lead generally to material deterioration, structural integrity problems, and the growth of mould. Even though AARS are in commercial use, there is no existing test standard to quantify their wind uplift performance. A new project, “Development of Wind Uplift Standard for Adhesive Applied Low Slope Roofing Systems,” has been initiated in collaboration with industries, university, and the Canadian Government. The project has three major tasks: experimental investigation, formulation of a numerical model, and development of wind design guide and standard. Task 1 completes preliminary investigations by constructing eight mock-ups. All mock-ups had steel deck and polyisocyanurate insulation and varied in adhesives (type, quantity, and application method), cover boards, and membranes. Mock-ups were subjected to both static and dynamic wind loading conditions. Experimental data showed similarity in failure modes and variations in wind uplift ratings. Data show that among the mockups, the weakest link varied depending on the type of adhesives used and component arrangements. This paper presents and discusses the data from this ongoing experimental investigation.
Neonatal Jaundice
Authors: Wong Ronald J. , Stevenson David K. , Ahlfors Charles E. , Vreman Hendrik J.
Published: October 2007

Cleavage of the alpha-methene bridge of heme by membrane-bound heme oxygenase yields equimolar amounts of biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and reduced iron. Biliverdin is catalyzed by biliverdin reductase to bilirubin. The process occurs in all nucleated cells except mature anucleated red blood cells. Neonates in whom bilirubin production is increased tend to have higher bilirubin concentrations, and excessive bilirubin production or impairment of elimination causes dramatic deviations from the hour-specific nomogram that can be seen as “jumping” percentile tracks early in the postnatal period or later in the first week after birth. After formation, bilirubin diffuses into the circulation. In the absence of conjugates, the total bilirubin concentration in plasma is the sum of bilirubin bound to albumin plus a minimal amount of free bilirubin. Bilirubin is excreted more slowly in newborns than in adults. Although no clinical tests can measure bilirubin uptake and conjugation by the liver, an elevated hour-specific total bilirubin value when bilirubin production is normal or decreasing is a sign of impaired or abnormally delayed bilirubin excretion. The accuracy and precision of clinical laboratory total bilirubin measurements are a concern, and studies are underway to assess whether measurements of free bilirubin, the bilirubin-binding constant, the bilirubin:albumin ratio, or albumin binding capacity might improve the ability to identify infants at greater risk for bilirubin-induced neuroinjury rather than simply those at greater risk for having a higher bilirubin concentration.
Copper in Extremely Low-birthweight or Very Preterm Infants
Authors: Giles Ed , Doyle Lex W.
Published: October 2007

The increasing survival of extremely low-birthweight or very preterm infants increases the importance of understanding micronutrient needs. Most fetal accretion of copper occurs in the third trimester, when liver stores are laid down, putting very preterm babies at risk of clinical deficiency. Serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations seem to have no relationship to intake, and reference ranges are poor and of little value. Copper deficiency is a well-described condition characterized primarily by anemia, neutropenia, and osteoporosis. There is some guidance and recommendations for copper requirements in parenteral and enteral nutrition with either human or formula milk. There are no case reports of copper deficiency in babies of any gestation fed appropriate milk.
Permissive Hypercapnia in Neonates
Authors: Miller J. Davin , Carlo Waldemar A.
Published: October 2007

Permissive hypercapnia, involving the acceptance of higher values of arterial CO2 tension (Paco2) while using lower tidal volumes, may reduce the risk of lung injury. Animal models and in vitro experimental data suggest that hypercapnia may enhance host defense mechanisms in preterm lungs through anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating mechanisms. Retrospective studies in neonates have documented the association of higher Paco2 with less lung injury. Randomized clinical trials have shown a decreased need for assisted ventilation and a trend toward a lower incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death with permissive hypercapnia. Continued research is needed to determine the appropriate clinical application of permissive hypercapnia, the optimal level of hypercapnic acidosis, and the safety of the therapy in preterm infants.
Psychological factors considerably influence the results of 6-min walk test after coronary bypass surgery
Authors: Simon Attila , Tringer István , Berényi István , Veress Gábor
Published: October 2007

A hatperces járásteszt (6MWT) jól használható, nem költséges felmérő eszköz a cardiovascularis betegek aktuális fizikai teljesítőképességének jellemzésére akkor, amikor ergometriás vizsgálat nem kivitelezhető, mint pl. ACBG-műtét utáni 6 héten belül. Mivel a teszt a betegek kooperációját is igényli, így valószínűleg nemcsak testi, hanem lelki tényezők is befolyásolják az eredményt. Prospektív vizsgálatunkban 358 ACBG-műtét utáni II. fázisú intézeti rehabilitációs kezelésre érkező betegnél kerestünk kapcsolatot az érkezéskor és távozáskor végzett 6MWT során megtett távolság és a pszichológiai vizsgálat eredményei között (Kórházi szorongás- és depresszió-kérdőív – HADS-kérdőív szorongás és depressziós értékei, D-típusú személyiségteszt).Eredmények:A D-típusú személyiséggel bíró betegek (8,5%) jelentősen rövidebb távot tettek meg a kiindulási teszt során (255 ± 91 m vs 319 ± 106 m,p< 0,01) és távozás előtt is (361 ± 91 m vs 411 ± 106 m,p< 0,05), mint a nem D-típusú személyiségűek, míg a szívfrekvencia és Borg-skála értékei nem különböztek. A HADS szerint szorongó betegek (16,5%) az érkezési, majd távozási tesztnél is rövidebb távolságot tettek meg, mint a kóros szorongástól mentes betegek (274 ± 97 m vs 320 ± 106 m,p< 0,01, illetve 374 ± 110 m vs 413 ± 104 m,p< 0,05), a vizsgálatot a Borg-skála alapján nehezebbnek értékelték (12,5 ± 1,1 vs 11,9 ± 1,4,p< 0,05, illetve 11,7 ± 0,8 vs 11,3 ± 1,3,p< 0,05). A HADS-skála szerint depressziós betegek (14%) kisebb távolságot tettek meg, mint nem depressziós társaik mind érkezés után (267 ± 88 m vs 320 ± 107 m,p< 0,01), mind távozás előtt (347 ± 99 m vs 416 ± 104 m,p< 0,001) végzett vizsgálat során. Nem találtunk lényeges különbséget a pszichológiai eltéréssel bíró, illetve attól mentes betegek lényeges testi funkcióiban.Következtetés:Pszichológiai tényezők (D-típusú személyiség, szorongás, depresszió) jelentősen befolyásolják a 6MWT eredményeit ACBG-műtét utáni korai rehabilitáció során.
Identification of colorectal cancer, adenoma, and inflammatory bowel disease specific gene expression patterns using whole genomic oligonucleotide microarray system
Authors: Galamb Orsolya , Győrffy Balázs , Sipos Ferenc , Spisák Sándor , Németh Anna Mária , Miheller Pál , Dinya Elek , Molnár Béla , Tulassay Zsolt
Published: October 2007

A vastagbél-biopsziák nagy teljesítményű oligonukleotid microarray-vizsgálata segítségünkre lehet a helyi patofiziológiai eltérések megértésében, valamint elősegítheti a colorectalis adenomák, karcinómák és gyulladásos bélbetegségek funkcionális klasszifikációját.
Módszerek:
15 vastagbélrákos, 15 adenomás, 14 gyulladásos bélbetegségben szenvedő beteg biopsziás mintájából teljes ribonukleinsav izolálását, amplifikációját és biotinos jelölését végeztük. A teljes genomszintű génexpressziós mintázat meghatározása Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 microarray-ken történt. Két független normalizációs módszert követően a diagnosztikus génmintázat meghatározására „Prediction Analysis of Microarrays” módszert használtunk. Leave one-out lépésenkénti diszkriminanciaelemzést végeztünk. Az expressziós eredményeket valós idejű polimeráz láncreakcióval igazoltuk.
Eredmények:
Adenomában a „top” igazolt gének a következők voltak: CD44-antigén, met proto-onkogén, kemokin ligand-12, ADAM-szerű decizin-1 és az ATP-kötő kazetta-A8; vastagbélrákban a kollagén-IVα1, lipokalin-2, kalumenin, akvaporin-8; és gyulladásos bélbetegségben a lipokalin-2, ubikvitin D és az interferon indukálta transzmembrán-fehérje-2. A diszkriminanciaelemzéssel kapott elkülönítő gének expressziója alapján átlagosan 96,2%-os pontossággal csoportosíthatók a minták. A Taqman valós idejű polimeráz láncreakcióval vizsgált, 52 kiválasztott gén 94%-ának expressziós szintje szignifikánsan korrelált az Affymetrix microarray vizsgálatban kapott eredményekkel (
p
< 0,05).
Következtetések:
Biopsziás minták felhasználásával sikeresen végeztünk teljes genomszintű expressziós microarray-vizsgálatot, amely alkalmasnak bizonyult elkülönítő génmintázatok azonosítására. Eredményeink további elemzésekre felhasználható génexpressziós adattárat biztosítanak.
Age, Growth, and Reproduction of Greater Amberjack off the Southeastern U.S. Atlantic Coast
Authors: Harris Patrick J. , Wyanski David M. , White D. Byron , Mikell Paulette P. , Eyo Pamela B.
Published: October 2007

The greater amberjack Seriola dumerili is a pelagic, epibenthic species that is widely distributed in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Life history samples from a total of 2,729 greater amberjacks were collected between 2000 and 2004 by personnel of the Marine Resource Monitoring Assessment and Prediction program and National Marine Fisheries Service port agents from recreational fisherman and in commercial fish houses from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, to Key West, Florida. Ages were estimated using thin transverse otolith sections from 1,996 specimens; sex and reproductive state were assigned to 2,517 fish based on histological preparations of gonadal tissues. Ages of greater amberjacks sampled ranged from 1 to 13 years; these data were described with a von Bertalanffy growth equation fitted to all aged specimens: Lt = 1,241.5 × [1 − e−0.28(t+1.56)]. Sexual dimorphism was evident; females were larger at age than males. Size at 50% maturity was 644 mm fork length (FL) for males and 733 mm FL for females. Age at 50% maturity for females was 1.3 years. Estimates of potential annual fecundity ranged from 18,271,400 to 59,032,800 oocytes for 930‐1,296‐mm specimens and from 25,472,100 to 47,194,300 oocytes for ages 3‐7. Peak spawning occurred primarily off south Florida and the Florida Keys during April and May. Even though the extremely fast growth, early maturation, very high fecundity, and wide distribution of greater amberjacks suggest that the population would be difficult to overexploit, a recent stock assessment of the Gulf of Mexico population shows that the species is vulnerable to overexploitation and should managed more conservatively than the life history characteristics imply.
Recent Advances with Topotecan in the Treatment of Lung Cancer
Authors: O'Brien Mary , Eckardt John , Ramlau Rodryg
Published: October 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Describe phase I studies evaluating the pharmacokinetics and early safety data of single-agent oral topotecan.Discuss the results and implications of clinical trials evaluating oral topotecan for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Explain why topotecan is a good candidate for combination with other novel anticancer agents.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
Indications and Developments of Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery in the Treatment of Lung Cancer
Authors: Solli Piergiorgio , Spaggiari Lorenzo
Published: October 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the role of thoracoscopy in the evaluation of pulmonary nodules and pleural effusion.Describe the role of thoracoscopy in the staging of lung cancer.Discuss the role of thoracoscopy in surgical resection of early-stage lung cancer.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
Retinoblastoma: Review of Current Management
Authors: Chintagumpala Murali , Chevez-Barrios Patricia , Paysse Evelyn A. , Plon Sharon E. , Hurwitz Richard
Published: October 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of children with retinoblastoma.Identify the patient factors that need to be considered when choosing the most appropriate initial and subsequent treatment for a child with retinoblastoma.Describe the role of genetics in the follow-up of retinoblastoma patients.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
FDA Approval Summary: Vorinostat for Treatment of Advanced Primary Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Mann Bhupinder S. , Johnson John R. , Cohen Martin H. , Justice Robert , Pazdur Richard
Published: October 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Add vorinostat to the armamentarium of drugs for CTCL.Identify the mechanism of action of vorinostat.Identify goals of therapy of CTCL.Identify active CTCL therapies.Identify CTCL response criteria.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
A Randomized, Open-Label, Multicenter Trial of Immediate Versus Delayed Intervention with Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia
Authors: Charu Veena , Saidman Bruce , Ben-Jacob Ali , Justice Glen R. , Maniam Ajit S. , Tomita Dianne , Rossi Greg , Rearden Timothy , Glaspy John
Published: October 2007

The optimal hemoglobin concentration at which to initiate erythropoietic therapy for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) is not well defined. This randomized, open-label, multicenter study evaluated the ability of darbepoetin alfa (300 μg every 3 weeks) to maintain hemoglobin levels ≥10g/dl in patients with CIA (hemoglobin ≥10.5 g/dl and ≤12.0 g/dl) randomized 1:1 to an immediate-intervention group (received darbepoetin alfa immediately) or observation group (received darbepoetin alfa if hemoglobin fell to <10 g/dl). In 201 evaluable patients, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the Kaplan–Meier proportion of patients with a hemoglobin decrease to <10g/dl during weeks 1–13 (test period) (primary endpoint): 29% for immediate-intervention patients versus 65% for observation patients. Sixty-four patients in the observation group received darbepoetin alfa (delayed-intervention subgroup). The Kaplan–Meier proportion of patients who received transfusions was lower in the immediate-intervention group than in the delayed-intervention subgroup (14% versus 31% for the test period; 17% versus 36% over the whole study). The target hemoglobin level (≥11 g/dl) was achieved by a higher percentage of patients (crude percentage) in less time in the immediate-intervention group (94% in 2 weeks) than in the delayed-intervention subgroup (73% in 6 weeks); hemoglobin endpoints for the delayed-intervention subgroup were calculated from recalibrated study week 1 (the date patients first received darbepoetin alfa). For both groups, a higher mean change in hemoglobin from baseline led to a greater improvement in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue scores. In conclusion, immediate intervention resulted in a significantly lower proportion of patients who experienced a decline in hemoglobin, lower requirement for transfusions, and greater proportion of patients achieving and maintaining the target hemoglobin level.
Phase Out Persistent, Bioaccumulative or Highly Toxic Chemicals
Authors: Easthope Tracey , Valeriano Laurie
Published: October 2007

Chemicals such as lindane, lead compounds, and some brominated flame retardants and organophosphate pesticides are examples of persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or highly toxic chemicals that continue to be used in commerce, although strong evidence exists that they pose threats to human and ecosystem health. These and other chemicals, by virtue of their characteristics, are very difficult to manage without unacceptable threats to workers, the environment, or ecosystems. Chemicals that cannot be safely managed should be prioritized for phase out. A transparent process to further identify and prioritize the list of chemicals for phase out is needed. With few exceptions, the U.S. government lacks the authority or an efficient policy instrument to prevent these high-priority chemicals from being used in products and processes or released to the environment. It also has been very difficult for state and local governments to restrict these chemicals. Policy instruments to efficiently and effectively phase out problematic chemicals are needed at all levels of government.
Thermodynamic assessment of the Al–Li system
Authors: Hallstedt Bengt , Kim Olga
Published: October 2007

In the present work a Calphad type thermodynamic assessment of the Al – Li system is presented. The system is dominated by the central AlLi phase, which has an ordered bcc (B32) structure. fcc Al dissolves considerable amounts of Li. If the fcc solid solution is quenched from high temperature, coherent metastable AlLi precipitates with an ordered fcc (L1) structure can form. There are two nearly stoichiometric phases; AlLi and AlLi. The disordered fcc phase and the ordered AlLi phase as well as the disordered bcc phase (Li) and the ordered AlLi phase are described by four-sublattice models. There is a fairly complete set of experimental data available for this system, and most of them are satisfactorily described by the currently optimised parameters.
Thermodynamic modeling of the B2O3–SiO2 and B2O3–Al2O3 systems
Authors: Decterov Sergei A. , Swamy Varghese , Jung In-Ho
Published: October 2007

A complete literature review, critical evaluation, and thermodynamic modeling of the phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties of all oxide phases in the binary systems B2O3 – SiO2 and B2O3 – Al2O3 have been performed. The molten oxide is described by the Modified Quasichemical Model. Discrepancies in the available experimental data have been resolved and an optimized set of self-consistent thermodynamic functions of all phases has been obtained. This thermodynamic database can be used with the FactSageTM thermodynamic computing system to calculate all thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria from 25 °C to above the liquidus temperatures at 1 atm of total pressure and over the entire composition range.
Thermodynamic treatment of uranium dioxide based nuclear fuel
Authors: Thompson W. T. , Lewis B. J. , Corcoran E. C. , Kaye M. H. , White S. J. , Akbari F. , He Z. , Verrall R. , Higgs J. D. , Thompson D. M. , Besmann T. M. , Vogel S. C.
Published: October 2007

Many projects involving nuclear fuel rest on a quantitative understanding of the co-existing phases at various stages of burnup. Since the fission products have considerably different abilities to chemically associate with oxygen, and the metal-to-oxygen molar ratio is necessarily increasing, the chemical potential of oxygen is a function of burnup. Concurrently, well-recognized small fractions of new phases such as inert gas, noble metals, zirconates, etc. also develop. To further complicate matters, the dominant UO2 fuel phase may be non-stoichiometric and most of the minor phases themselves have a variable composition dependent on temperature and possible contact with the coolant in the event of a sheathing breach.

A thermodynamic database has been in development to predict the phases in partially burned CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear fuel containing the major fission products. The building blocks are the standard Gibbs energies of formation of the many possible compounds expressed as a function of temperature. To these data are added mixing terms associated with the appearance of the component species in particular phases. In operational terms, the treatment rests on the ability to minimize the Gibbs energy in a multicomponent system using the algorithms developed by Eriksson. The treatment, considered applicable in the range 300 to 2000 °C, is capable of handling non-stoichiometry in the UO2 fluorite phase, dilute solution behaviour of significant solute oxides, noble metal inclusions, a second metal solid solution U(Pd – Rh – Ru)3, zirconate, molybdate, and uranate solutions as well as other minor solid phases, and volatile gaseous species. The paper highlights the current capability of an ongoing project.
Introduction
Authors: Kaneff Deema , King Alexander D.
Published: October 2007

'Culture' has become a powerful political symbol and economic resource in the information age, where the development of the service economy (including tourism) provides new opportunities to marginal groups and new challenges to dominant ones. In this introduction the authors explore a number of themes that are developed further in the following articles: the way in which 'culture' is produced, possessed and often transformed into a commodity for the market; the role of such reified culture in relations of power and inequality; the ownership of culture as a tool of identity and nation building. While to date such an interest has been largely limited to indigenous populations, here the discussion is taken a step further by focusing on the relevancy of owning culture in the Eurasian context. This allows us to expand our understanding of cultural property: as a tool available to any group seeking confirmation of an identity perceived to be under threat or as an instrument in the negotiation of a group's position vis-à-vis wider power structures.
Cosmopolitanism and kosmopolitizm in the political life of Soviet citizens
Authors: Humphrey Caroline
Published: October 2007

In the rethinking of cosmopolitanism that has been under way in anthropology the emphasis in the European tradition of thought, pertaining to humanity in general and universal values, has been replaced by focus on specific and new cosmopolitan peoples and sites. Cosmopolitanism ceases to be only a political idea, or an ideal, and is conceptualized also in terms of practice or process. A vocabulary of 'rooted cosmopolitanism', 'vernacular cosmopolitanism' and 'actually existing cosmopolitanisms' has emerged from the characteristically anthropological acknowledgment of diversity and inevitable attachments to place. This article accepts such an approach, but argues that it has neglected the presence and intense salience of the ideas of cosmopolitanism held by nation states. Such ideologies, especially those promulgated by authoritarian states, penetrate deep into the lives and thoughts of citizens. The article draws attention to the binary and contradictory character of nation state discourse on cosmopolitanism, and to the way this creates structures of affect and desire. The Soviet concept of kosmopolitizm is analyzed. It is contextualized historically in relation to the state discourse on mobility and the practice of socialist internationalism. The article argues that although the Stalinist version of kosmopolitizm became a poisonous and anti-Semitic accusation, indeed an instrument of repression, it could not control the desire created by its own negativity. Indeed, it played a creative and integral part in the emergence of a distinctive everyday cosmopolitanism among Soviet people.
Keeping the recipe
Authors: Eriksen Thomas Hylland
Published: October 2007

Enlisting culture in the service of commercial or political interests inevitably leads to a simplification and standardization of form. This article addresses the tensions between these standardizing processes and discourses of cultural authenticity, raising questions concerning copyright to cultural products and, more widely, the economics of cultural tradition. Empirically, the article is a study of the Norwegian bunad, a folk dress which exists in numerous regional varieties and carries a profound symbolic significance as a marker of regional and national identity. However, the authenticity of particular bunads or other folk costumes is often hotly contested. At the same time, entrepreneurs have begun to produce bunads in low-cost countries, thereby violating a principle considered by many as sacred, that bunads should be sewn by local women. The article reveals what is at stake for the various actors involved, and suggests some comparisons.
Place and resistance
Authors: Volčič Zala
Published: October 2007

This article, based on ethnographic research in Serbia, analyzes the topics of identity, memory and urban resistance in Serbia through an analysis of forty interviews with young Serbian intellectuals aged 23 to 35. I focus on the themes that recur in my informants' discourses on (national) spaces of belonging of the 1990s. My concern here is with making links between questions of memory, identity, belonging, resistance and space.
Driven women
Authors: Keough Leyla J.
Published: October 2007

This article focuses on the skill and fortitude of Gagauz Moldovans who migrate to Istanbul to work as domestic laborers. I consider how these 'driven' women negotiate their subject positions as mothers and wives, educated workers, migrants and paid domestic laborers, Turkish-speaking Christians and former Soviets. While their understandings reproduce certain power relations in Turkey and Moldova, their journeys also constitute a route for empowerment. Their situation is presented in the context of a 'discourse of sexual threat' that circulates about them in Turkey. I examine how this discourse and the women's understandings of their own subjectivities work to open or close off, contribute to or limit, the subject positions, the goals and desires, and the potential agency of Gagauz and Turkish individuals. By considering these issues in this way, I argue that this case study may challenge traditional academic conceptualizations of migration in Europe, female subjects and power relations.
Development of the supralaryngeal vocal tract in Japanese macaques: Implications for the evolution of the descent of the larynx
Authors: Nishimura Takeshi , Oishi Takao , Suzuki Juri , Matsuda Keiji , Takahashi Toshimitsu
Published: October 2007

The configuration of the supralaryngeal vocal tract depends on the nonuniform growth of the oral and pharyngeal portion. The human pharynx develops to form a unique configuration, with the epiglottis losing contact with the velum. This configuration develops from the great descent of the larynx relative to the palate, which is accomplished through both the descent of the laryngeal skeleton relative to the hyoid and the descent of the hyoid relative to the palate. Chimpanzees show both processes of laryngeal descent, as in humans, but the evolutionary path before the divergence of the human and chimpanzee lineages is unclear. The development of laryngeal descent in six living Japanese macaque monkeys, Macaca fuscata, was examined monthly during the first three years of life using magnetic resonance imaging, to delineate the present or absence of these two processes and their contributions to the development of the pharyngeal topology. The macaque shows descent of the hyoid relative to the palate, but lacks the descent of the laryngeal skeleton relative to the hyoid and that of the EG from the VL. We argue that the former descent is simply a morphological consequence of mandibular growth and that the latter pair of descents arose in a common ancestor of extant hominoids. Thus, the evolutionary path of the great descent of the larynx is likely to be explained by a model comprising multiple and mosaic evolutionary pathways, wherein these developmental phenomena may have contributed secondarily to the faculty of speech in the human lineage. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Of stones and monkeys: Testing ecological constraints on stone handling, a behavioral tradition in Japanese macaques
Authors: Leca Jean‐Baptiste , Gunst Noëlle , Huffman Michael A.
Published: October 2007

Japanese macaques are known to manipulate stones by displaying various seemingly functionless behavioral patterns, including carrying a stone, rubbing two stones together, or gathering several stones into a pile. This form of solitary object play called stone handling (SH) is a behavioral tradition in Japanese macaques, showing striking intertroop differences in frequency and form. Here, we evaluated two ecologically based hypotheses invoked to account for these differences. We hypothesized that the occurrence and form of SH would be affected by stone availability and the degree of terrestriality. We used standardized sampling methods to assess differences in SH and terrestriality among four captive and six free‐ranging troops of Japanese macaques, and determine site‐specific stone availability. Although we demonstrated that SH is almost exclusively a terrestrial activity, our comparative analyses showed that the number of stones readily available and the relative amount of time spent on the ground by the macaques were not associated with the intertroop differences in the occurrence of SH. Failure to accept the terrestriality and stone availability hypotheses suggests that the performance of SH and the motivation to engage in this activity are both more diverse and more complex than the direct links to time spent on the ground or the number of stones locally available. Other environmental influences and sociodemographic factors should be jointly considered to identify the sources of variation in SH, as a beginning to better understand the constraints on the appearance and subsequent diffusion of stone‐use traditions in nonhuman primates. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thermooxidative ageing of polyoxymethylene, part 1: Chemical aspects
Authors: Fayolle B. , Verdu J. , Bastard M. , Piccoz D.
Published: October 2007

The thermal oxidation of unstabilised POM homopolymer has been studied at 90, 110, and 130°C under various oxygen pressures ranging from 0 to 2.0 MPa by gravimetry and IR spectrometry. This latter reveals essentially the formation of formate (F) groups and alcohols in smaller quantities. The formate growth and mass loss rates increase pseudo hyperbolically with oxygen pressure, the asymptotic level being reached at pressures up to 0.5 MPa. These results lead to propose a mechanistic scheme of radical chain oxidation in which depolymerization is initiated by hydroperoxide unimolecular decomposition, one formate and one chain scission being formed per decomposition event whereas the kinetic chain length of the depolymerization zip is of the order of 100. A kinetic model derived from the mechanistic scheme, taking into account substrate consumption, simulates correctly the shape of kinetic curves and the effect of temperature and oxygen pressure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of functional group of ferrocene redox substance on the transport properties of newly designed ion exchange membrane prepared from polymer gel
Authors: EL Sayed A. Mounir , Yamasaki Shinya , Yamauchi Akira
Published: October 2007

A different newly designed cationic exchange polymer membrane and anionic exchange polymer membrane were introduced, and also the transport properties of these polymeric membranes were investigated in this study. The transport properties of these polymer membranes in contact with ferrocene redox derivatives were estimated by using electrochemical techniques such as cyclicvoltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and chronoamperometry techniques, respectively. The used ferrocene redox substances, which have different functional groups, were (Ferrocenylmethyl) trimethylamonium iodide, FcMA, Ferrocenedimethanol, FcDM, and Ferrocene carboxylic acid, FcCA. It indicated that the performance of a membrane depended on the content of polymer gel, anionic exchange polymer site (20 wt % and 50 wt %) or cationic polymer exchange site (20 wt % and 50 wt %), and the efficiency of the functional groups of cationic and anionic exchange polymer site as well. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of the chain‐transfer‐agent content on the emulsion polymerization process and adhesive properties of poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) latexes
Authors: Shen Hanzi , Zhang Jiyang , Liu Shuangjin , Liu Guodong , Zhang Liqun , Qu Xiongwei
Published: October 2007

The preparation of a series of poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) latexes with different contents of chain‐transfer agent are reported, and investigations into the adhesive properties of the latexes were made. The latexes were prepared at a solid content of 50 wt % by a two‐stage sequential emulsion polymerization with the monomers n‐butyl acrylate (BA) and acrylic acid (AA). This process consisted of a batch seed stage (BA), which gave a particle diameter of 112 nm, which was then grown by the semicontinuous addition of monomers to a final diameter of 303 nm. Dynamic light scattering was used to monitor the particle diameters and showed that the particles grew without significant secondary nucleation occurring. The molecular parameters were characterized by gel permeation chromatography and dynamic mechanical analysis. The adhesive properties measured were loop tack force, peel strength and shear resistance according to Fédération Internationale des Fabricants et Transformateurs d'Adhésifs et Thermocollants sur Papiers et Autres Supports (FINAT) test methods. The relationship between pressure‐sensitive properties and molecular parameters, such as gel content and molecular weight, was evaluated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
A viscometric study for adsorption of bovine serum albumin onto the inner surface of glass capillary
Authors: Li Yi , Cai Zhengchun , Zhong Wenxing , Cheng Rongshi
Published: October 2007

Viscosities of aqueous solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at different temperatures were carefully measured in a common glass capillary Ubbelohde viscometer in the concentration range from dilute down to extremely dilute concentration regions. The adsorption effect occurred in viscosity measurements were theoretically analyzed and discussed. The theory based on the Langmuir isotherms could adequately describe the existing data. The influence of temperature on the adsorption of BSA solution was discussed and a simple adsorption model was proposed. The conformational change of BSA macromolecules happened both in the bulk solution and on the inner surface of glass capillary. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
The mediating effect of information availability between organization design variables and environmental practices in the Canadian hotel industry
Authors: Sharma Sanjay
Published: October 2007

This study examines whether providing employees with information about environmental impacts, industry practices, technologies, regulations and benchmarking of environmental practices mediates the influence of organization design variables on environmental impact reduction. The study finds that both organization design variables (discretionary slack, coordination mechanisms and performance evaluation) and information availability have a direct influence on environmental impact reduction practices in the Canadian hotel industry. However, information availability partially mediates the influence of organization design variables, indicating that effecting changes in organization design alone may be less effective in generating proactive environmental practices without providing employees with information and benchmarking of industry environmental practices. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.