bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fracture-Flow Relationships for A533B Pressure Vessel Steel
Authors: Krafft J. M. , Hettche L. R. , Sullivan A. M. , Loss F. J.
Published: August 2010

The large scatter emerging from KIc measurements for heavy walled pressure vessel steels is examined in view of new data for A533B. Extensive plastic flow data at −220 deg F and 80 deg F has revealed a marked, and apparently harmonic, flow strength variation repeated at strain rate intervals in ratio of about 20. The tension skewed path over these ridges is related to the KIc behavior, for which a corresponding variational pattern with loading rate K˙ is observed. The variational pattern, or rate spectrum effect, is large compared to the average speed sensitivity of KIc, suggesting that transition temperatures values could be measured at a more moderate, though rapid, loading rate to avoid the inertial ringing effects of impact.
Thermal Analysis of the Grinding Process
Authors: Des Ruisseaux N. R. , Zerkle R. D.
Published: August 2010

A theoretical thermal analysis of the grinding process is developed. The investigation considers temperature in the vicinity of chip formation and relates this temperature to the temperature experienced by the workpiece surface which remains after grinding. The relation is established by considering grinding geometry. The results indicate that temperatures predicted at the region of chip formation can be substantially greater than those which result on the surface of the remaining workpiece. Furthermore, the temperature in the workpiece at a distance of several ten-thousands below the surface are virtually unaffected by chip shear plane temperature.
The Use of Model Materials in Predicting Forming Loads in Metalworking
Authors: Altan T. , Henning H. J. , Sabroff A. M.
Published: August 2010

The laws of perfect and approximate similarities in metal forming indicate that perfect similarity in deforming two different materials is practically impossible to achieve. Approximate similarity, however, is easy to obtain and proves to be very useful in predicting forming loads in extrusion and forging processes. Analysis of friction in model experiments shows how interface friction can be taken into account in model studies. Backward and forward extrusion loads are predicted from plasticine model experiments, and the results are compared with data for various steels. Using published experimenal data, the load-displacement curve in a closed-die forging has been predicted by means of model theory. The agreement between predicted and actual loads is well within useful engineering accuracy.
EXISTENCE ANALYSIS OF STATIONARY SOLUTIONS FOR RTD-BASED CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: KE YUN-QUAN , MIAO CHUN-FANG
Published: August 2010

In this letter, we investigate the stationary solutions of multiple output levels RTD-based cellular neural networks (CNN) by using Chua's driving-point plot methods. Moreover, we present some sufficient conditions, that are concise and easy to be validated, to determine the existence of the stationary solutions. Finally, we give four illustrative examples to show the effectiveness of our results.
ALTERATIONS IN AUTOFLUORESCENCE SIGNAL FROM RAT SKIN EX VIVO UNDER OPTICAL IMMERSION CLEARING
Authors: MIGACHEVA E. V. , PRAVDIN A. B. , TUCHIN V. V.
Published: August 2010

For the first time, the changes in autofluorescence spectra of ex vivo rat skin have been experimentally investigated using the combination of fluorescence spectroscopy and optical immersion clearing. The glucose, glycerol and propylene glycol solutions were used as clearing agents. The optical clearing was performed from the dermal side of skin imitating the in vivo injection of clearing agent under the dermal layers. In this contribution, the common properties of autofluorescence variation during optical immersion clearing were determined. The tendency of autofluorescence signal to decrease with reduction of scattering in tissue was noticed and discussed in detail. However, the differences in the shape of spectral curves under application of different clearing agents showed that optical clearing affects the autofluorescence properties of tissue differently depending on the type of clearing liquid. The results obtained are useful for the understanding of tissue optical clearing mechanisms and for improving techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy.
ASSESSMENT OF OPTICAL CLEARING INDUCED IMPROVEMENT OF LASER SPECKLE CONTRAST IMAGING
Authors: WANG JING , ZHU DAN , CHEN MIN , LIU XIAOJING
Published: August 2010

Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) plays an important role in studying blood flow, but suffers from limited penetration depth of light in turbid tissue. The strong scattering of tissue obviously reduces the image contrast which decreases the sensitivity to flow velocity. Some image processing or optical clearing methods have been proposed to lessen the deficiency, but quantitative assessment of improvement is seldom given. In this study, LSCI was applied to monitor the blood flow through a capillary embedded within various tissue phantoms at depths of 0.25, 0.45, 0.65, 0.85 and 1.05 mm, and the flow velocity in capillary was controllable from 0 to 4 mm/s. Here, glycerol, a common optical clearing agent, was mixed with Intralipid at different volume ratio to make the reduced scattering coefficient of tissue phantom decrease from 13.00 to 0.50 cm-1. The quantitative analysis demonstrates that the optical clearing method can obviously enhance the image contrast, imaging depth, and sensitivity to blood flow velocity. Comparing the Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis methods and the optical clearing method, we find that for typical turbid tissue, the sensitivity to velocity estimated by the Laser Speckle Temporal Contrast Analysis (LSTCA) is twice of that by the Laser Speckle Spatial Contrast Analysis (LSSCA); while the sensitivity to velocity estimated by using the two analysis methods has a 10-fold increase, respectively, if addition of glycerol makes the reduced scattering coefficient of tissue phantom decrease by 30%. Combining the LSTCA and the optical clearing method, the sensitivity to flow velocity will be further enhanced.
The Influence of Algal Exudate on the Hygroscopicity of Sea Spray Particles
Authors: Wex H. , Fuentes E. , Tsagkogeorgas G. , Voigtländer J. , Clauss T. , Kiselev A. , Green D. H. , Coe H. , McFiggans G. , Stratmann F.
Published: August 2010

We examined the effect of organic matter released by four different algal species on the hygroscopic growth and droplet activation behaviour of laboratory‐generated marine aerosol particles. Hygroscopic growth factors
and dry diameters for activation were reduced by less than 10%, compared to that of sodium chloride or of artificial seawater that was devoid of marine surfactants. Concentration‐dependent nonideal behaviour was observed for the artificial seawater. But within measurement uncertainty, the measured hygroscopic growth and droplet activation behaviour for the samples that
contained organic matter were consistent with a hygroscopicity parameter that was constant between the sub‐ and supersaturated measurement points. Also, the hygroscopic growth measured for hydrated particles after 3 and after 10 seconds was similar, which implies that in this time range no kinetic effects were detected.
A Comparative Analysis of Recent Identification Approaches for Discrete‐Event Systems
Authors: Estrada-Vargas Ana Paula , López-Mellado Ernesto , Lesage Jean-Jacques
Published: August 2010

Analogous to the identification of continuous dynamical systems, identification of discrete‐event systems (DESs) consists of determining the mathematical model that describes the behaviour of a given ill‐known or eventually unknown system from the observation of the evolution of its inputs and outputs. First, the paper overviews identification approaches of DES found in the literature, and then it provides a comparative analysis of three recent and innovative contributions.
Position-Based Aggregator Node Election in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Buttyán Levente , Schaffer Péter
Published: August 2010

We introduce PANEL a position-based aggregator node election protocol for wireless sensor networks. The novelty of PANEL with respect to other aggregator node election protocols is that it supports asynchronous sensor network applications where the sensor readings are fetched by the base stations after some delay. In particular, the motivation for the design of PANEL was to support reliable and persistent data storage applications, such as TinyPEDS; see the study by Girao et al. (2007). PANEL ensures load balancing, and it supports intra and intercluster routing allowing sensor-to-aggregator, aggregator-to-aggregator, base station-to-aggregator, and aggregator to-base station communications. We also compare PANEL with HEED; see the study by Younis and Fahmy (2004) in the simulation environment provided by TOSSIM, and show that, on one hand, PANEL creates more cohesive clusters than HEED, and, on the other hand, that PANEL is more energy efficient than HEED.
Distal Cervical Carotid Artery Dissection after Carotid Endarterectomy: A Complication of Indwelling Shunt
Authors: Tamaki Tomonori , Yoji Node , Saito Norihiro
Published: August 2010

The technical factors and surgical methods employed in carotid endarterectomy are controversial. In particular, whether or not to use an indwelling arterial shunt during carotid endarterectomy remains a source of conflict. We describe a rare case in which uncomplicated carotid endarterectomy was followed by distal internal carotid artery dissection and suggest that this devastating complication was due to intimal damage produced by the use of an indwelling arterial shunt.
Redox Imbalance in T Cell-Mediated Skin Diseases
Authors: Pastore Saveria , Korkina Liudmila
Published: August 2010

The skin is permanently exposed to physical, chemical, and biological aggression by the environment. In addition, acute and chronic inflammatory events taking place in the skin are accompanied by abnormal release of pro-oxidative mediators. In this paper, we will briefly overview the homeostatic systems active in the skin to maintain the redox balance and also to counteract abnormal oxidative stress. We will concentrate on the evidence that a local and/or systemic redox dysregulation accompanies the chronic inflammatory disorder events associated to psoriasis, contact dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis. We will also discuss the fact that several well-established treatments for the therapy of chronic inflammatory skin disorders are based on the application of strong physical or chemical oxidants onto the skin, indicating that, in selected conditions, a further increase of the oxidative imbalance may lead to a beneficial outcome.
Adaptive Radiation for Lung Cancer
Authors: Gomez Daniel R. , Chang Joe Y.
Published: August 2010

The challenges of lung cancer radiotherapy are intra/inter-fraction tumor/organ anatomy/motion changes and the need to spare surrounding critical structures. Evolving radiotherapy technologies, such as four-dimensional (4D) image-based motion management, daily on-board imaging and adaptive radiotherapy based on volumetric images over the course of radiotherapy, have enabled us to deliver higher dose to target while minimizing normal tissue toxicities. The image-guided radiotherapy adapted to changes of motion and anatomy has made the radiotherapy more precise and allowed ablative dose delivered to the target using novel treatment approaches such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and proton therapy in lung cancer, techniques used to be considered very sensitive to motion change. Future clinical trials using real time tracking and biological adaptive radiotherapy based on functional images are proposed.
Epigenetic Silencing of miR-137 Is an Early Event in Colorectal Carcinogenesis
Authors: Balaguer Francesc , Link Alexander , Lozano Juan Jose , Cuatrecasas Miriam , Nagasaka Takeshi , Boland C. Richard , Goel Ajay
Published: August 2010

Global downregulation of microRNAs (miRNA) is a common feature in colorectal cancer (CRC). Whereas CpG island hypermethylation constitutes a mechanism for miRNA silencing, this field largely remains unexplored. Herein, we describe the epigenetic regulation of miR-137 and its contribution to colorectal carcinogenesis. We determined the methylation status of miR-137 CpG island in a panel of six CRC cell lines and 409 colorectal tissues [21 normal colonic mucosa from healthy individuals (N-N), 160 primary CRC tissues and their corresponding normal mucosa (N-C), and 68 adenomas]. TaqMan reverse transcription-PCR and in situ hybridization were used to analyze miR-137 expression. In vitro functional analysis of miR-137 was performed. Gene targets of miR-137 were identified using a combination of bioinformatic and transcriptomic approaches. We experimentally validated the miRNA:mRNA interactions. Methylation of the miR-137 CpG island was a cancer-specific event and was frequently observed in CRC cell lines (100%), adenomas (82.3%), and CRC (81.4%), but not in N-C (14.4%; P < 0.0001 for CRC) and N-N (4.7%; P < 0.0001 for CRC). Expression of miR-137 was restricted to the colonocytes in normal mucosa and inversely correlated with the level of methylation. Transfection of miR-137 precursor in CRC cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Gene expression profiling after miR-137 transfection discovered novel potential mRNA targets. We validated the interaction between miR-137 and LSD-1. Our data indicate that miR-137 acts as a tumor suppressor in the colon and is frequently silenced by promoter hypermethylation. Methylation silencing of miR-137 in colorectal adenomas suggests it to be an early event, which has prognostic and therapeutic implications. Cancer Res; 70(16); 6609–18. ©2010 AACR.
CD73: A Novel Target for Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Zhang Bin
Published: August 2010

The promise of cancer immunotherapy has not been translated into clinical successes, in large part because of tumor-associated immune suppression that blocks effective antitumor immunity. Recent findings show a tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanism, whereby tumor-derived CD73 functions as an ecto-enzyme to produce extracellular adenosine, which promotes tumor growth by limiting antitumor T-cell immunity via adenosine receptor signaling. Results with small molecule inhibitors, or monoclonal antibodies targeting CD73 in murine tumor models, suggest that targeted CD73 therapy is an important alternative and realistic approach to effective control of tumor growth. In particular, it helps T-cell–based therapy by enhancing the adaptive immune response machinery, which may increase the function of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, and subsequently lead to improved survival in cancer patients. Cancer Res; 70(16); 6407–11. ©2010 AACR.
Combination Therapy of Bortezomib with Novel Targeted Agents: An Emerging Treatment Strategy
Authors: Wright John J.
Published: August 2010

Clinical trials evaluating combinations of targeted agents with bortezomib, the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor, have been initiated, with the objective of enhancing its single agent activity in hematologic malignancies (myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma), as well as expanding its efficacy in solid tumors. In most cases, preclinical studies have provided a supportive rationale for designing these doublet combination studies. Novel, small molecule–targeted agents being investigated with bortezomib in clinical trials include protein deacetylase inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, farnesyltransferase inhibitors, heat-shock protein 90 inhibitors, pan-Bcl-2 family inhibitors, and other classes of targeted inhibitors. Preliminary clinical data, available from a number of ongoing trials, suggest that most of these combinations are well tolerated and some have promising clinical efficacy that will require subsequent confirmation. Translational studies, conducted as part of the trials, may provide important insights into the putative mechanism of action delineated by preclinical studies of the combinations. The emergence of novel proteasome inhibitors may also expand the opportunities for optimizing these combination therapies. There is potential for an increasingly broad clinical trials program to investigate this therapeutic approach in a range of tumor types, as well as to consider additional agents in sequence or in combination. Clin Cancer Res; 16(16); 4094–104. ©2010 AACR.
Accumulation of Foxp3+ T Regulatory Cells in Draining Lymph Nodes Correlates with Disease Progression and Immune Suppression in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Deng Liufu , Zhang Haizeng , Luan Yan , Zhang Jianfeng , Xing Qiao , Dong Shuxiao , Wu Xiaoran , Liu Mingyue , Wang Shengdian
Published: August 2010

Purpose: To assess the relation of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) with tumor progression and immune suppression in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Experimental Design: Flow cytometry was used to analyze the densities of Tregs in lymphocytes of TDLNs, peripheral blood, and tumors from 34 patients with CRC. The frequency of Tregs was compared and evaluated for the association with disease stage. The effect of Tregs on the function of CD8+ T cells was investigated by IFN-γ production.

Results: The density of Foxp3+ Tregs in TDLNs was dramatically higher than that in peripheral blood lymphocytes, but significantly lower than that in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Importantly, the frequency of Foxp3+ Tregs in TDLNs, rather than that in tumors and peripheral blood, was positively correlated with disease stage. In addition, the functions of CD8+ T cells were impaired in TDLNs compared with peripheral blood lymphocytes and were restored after Treg depletion.

Conclusions: Foxp3+ Tregs in TDLNs are more correlated with disease progression and potentially influence CD8+ T-cell functions. This study suggests that the frequency of Tregs in TDLNs may provide a valuable prognostic tool in the treatment of CRC. Clin Cancer Res; 16(16); 4105–12. ©2010 AACR.
Overexpression of GRIM-19 in Cancer Cells Suppresses STAT3-Mediated Signal Transduction and Cancer Growth
Authors: Okamoto Takashi , Inozume Takashi , Mitsui Hiroshi , Kanzaki Mirei , Harada Kazutoshi , Shibagaki Naotaka , Shimada Shinji
Published: August 2010

Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is common in many human and murine cancer cells, and its activation leads to cellular transformation. STAT3 pathway inhibitors have been reported to suppress cancer growth. To investigate the antitumor effects of inhibiting the STAT3-mediated signaling cascade in the cancer microenvironment, using a molecular-targeting approach, we focused on the gene associated with retinoid-IFN-induced mortality 19 (GRIM-19). GRIM-19 has been reported to interact physically with STAT3 and inhibit STAT3-dependent signal transduction. We used the nona-arginine (R9)-protein transduction domain (R9-PTD) as a protein carrier to induce high levels of GRIM-19 expression in vitro and in vivo. We generated an R9-PTD–containing GRIM-19 fusion protein (rR9-GRIM19) and successfully induced overexpression in the cytoplasm of cancer cells. Analysis of the expression of downstream molecules of STAT3 confirmed that in vitro rR9-GRIM19 treatment of constitutively activated STAT3 (STAT3c) cancer cells significantly reduced STAT3-dependent transcription. Moreover, intratumoral injections of rR9-GRIM19 in STAT3c cancer-bearing mice significantly suppressed tumor growth. These results suggest that intratumoral injections of rR9-GRIM19 have potential as a novel anticancer therapy in STAT3c cancer due to their ability to inhibit STAT3-mediated signal transduction without major systemic side effects. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2333–43. ©2010 AACR.
Targeted Inhibition of Src Kinase Signaling Attenuates Pancreatic Tumorigenesis
Authors: Nagaraj Nagathihalli S. , Smith J. Joshua , Revetta Frank , Washington M. Kay , Merchant Nipun B.
Published: August 2010

Elevated Src expression correlates with malignant potential and metastatic disease in many tumors including pancreatic cancer. We sought to characterize the molecular effects of Src kinase inhibition with dasatinib (BMS-354825), a novel, multitargeted kinase inhibitor that targets Src family kinases in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). We identified sensitive and resistant PDA cell lines to dasatinib treatment and tested the molecular effects of Src inhibition in vitro and in vivo. We show for the first time that cellular localization of Src expression affects survival in patients with PDA. Pancreatic tumors with increased membranous expression of Src resulted in decreased survival compared with tumors that had increased cytoplasmic Src expression. Src kinase inhibition with dasatinib markedly inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle progression and anchorage-independent growth, and stimulates apoptosis. This was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of Src, focal adhesion kinase, paxillin, AKT, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), extracellular signal–regulated kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), as well as decreased cyclin D1 expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, small interfering RNA to Src results in a significant decrease in cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Dasatinib treatment also inhibits in vivo pancreatic tumor growth. Mechanisms of resistance to Src inhibition seem to be related to a lack of inhibition of STAT3 and MAPK signaling. These results establish a mechanistic rationale for Src inhibition with dasatinib as a therapeutic target in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and identify potential biomarkers of resistance to Src inhibition. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2322–32. ©2010 AACR.
Galectin-3 Promotes Chronic Activation of K-Ras and Differentiation Block in Malignant Thyroid Carcinomas
Authors: Levy Ran , Grafi-Cohen Meital , Kraiem Zaki , Kloog Yoel
Published: August 2010

Anaplastic thyroid carcinomas are deadly tumors that are highly invasive, particularly into the bones. Although oncogenic Ras can transform thyroid cells into a severely malignant phenotype, thyroid carcinomas do not usually harbor ras gene mutations. Therefore, it is not known whether chronically active Ras contributes to thyroid carcinoma cell proliferation, although galectin-3 (Gal-3), which is strongly expressed in thyroid carcinomas but not in benign tumors or normal glands, is known to act as a K-Ras chaperone that stabilizes and drives K-Ras.GTP nanoclustering and signal robustness. Here, we examined the possibility that thyroid carcinomas expressing high levels of Gal-3 exhibit chronically active K-Ras. Using cell lines representing three types of malignant thyroid tumors—papillary, follicular, and anaplastic—we investigated the possible correlation between Gal-3 expression and active Ras content, and then examined the therapeutic potential of the Ras inhibitor S-trans, trans-farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS; Salirasib) for thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid carcinoma cells strongly expressing Gal-3 showed high levels of K-Ras.GTP expression, and K-Ras.GTP transmitted strong signals to extracellular signal-regulated kinase. FTS disrupted interactions between Gal-3 and K.Ras, strongly reduced K-Ras.GTP and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression, and enhanced the expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21 as well as of the thyroid transcription factor 1, which is involved in thyroid cell differentiation. FTS also inhibited anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in nude mice. We conclude that wild-type K-Ras.GTP in association with Gal-3 contributes to thyroid carcinoma malignancy and that Ras inhibition might be a useful treatment strategy against these deadly tumors. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2208–19. ©2010 AACR.
Sorafenib Activates CD95 and Promotes Autophagy and Cell Death via Src Family Kinases in Gastrointestinal Tumor Cells
Authors: Park Margaret A. , Reinehr Roland , Häussinger Dieter , Voelkel-Johnson Christina , Ogretmen Besim , Yacoub Adly , Grant Steven , Dent Paul
Published: August 2010

Sorafenib and vorinostat interact in a synergistic fashion to kill carcinoma cells by activating CD95; the present studies have determined how sorafenib and vorinostat individually contribute to CD95 activation. Sorafenib (3–6 μmol/L) promoted a dose-dependent increase in Src Y416, ERBB1 Y845 and CD95 Y232/Y291 phosphorylation, and Src Y527 dephosphorylation. Low levels of sorafenib-induced (3 μmol/L) CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation did not promote surface localization whereas sorafenib (6 μmol/L), or sorafenib (3 μmol/L) and vorinostat (500 nmol/L) treatment promoted higher levels of CD95 phosphorylation which correlated with DISC formation, receptor surface localization, and autophagy. CD95 (Y232F, Y291F) was not tyrosine phosphorylated and was unable to localize plasma membrane or induce autophagy. Knockdown/knockout of Src family kinases abolished sorafenib-induced CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation, DISC formation, and the induction of cell death and autophagy. Knockdown of platelet-ived growth factor receptor-β enhanced Src Y416 and CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation, which correlated with elevated CD95 plasma membrane levels and autophagy, and with a reduced ability of sorafenib to promote CD95 membrane localization. Vorinostat increased reactive oxygen species levels, and in a delayed NFκB-dependent fashion, those of FAS ligand and CD95. Neutralization of FAS-L did not alter the initial rapid drug-induced activation of CD95; however, neutralization of FAS-L reduced sorafenib + vorinostat toxicity by ∼50%. Thus, sorafenib contributes to CD95 activation by promoting receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, whereas vorinostat contributes to CD95 activation via the initial facilitation of reactive oxygen species generation and subsequently of FAS-L expression. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2220–31. ©2010 AACR.
Effect of Huprine X on β-Amyloid, Synaptophysin and α7 Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in the Brain of 3xTg-AD and APPswe Transgenic Mice
Authors: Hedberg Monika M. , Clos M. Victoria , Ratia Miriam , Gonzalez Daniel , Unger Lithner Christina , Camps Pelayo , Muñoz-Torrero Diego , Badia Albert , Giménez-Llort Lydia , Nordberg Agneta
Published: August 2010

Background: Several studies implicate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), raising the question of whether inhibitors of AChE also might act in a disease-modifying manner. Huprine X (HX), a reversible AChE inhibitor hybrid of tacrine and huperzine A, has shown to affect the amyloidogenic process in vitro. In this study, the aim was to investigate whether HX could affect the AD-related neuropathology in vivoin two mouse models. Methods:Tg2576 (K670M/N671L) (APPswe) and 3xTg-AD (K670M/N671L, PS1M146V, tauP301L) mice were treated with HX (0.12 µmol/kg, i.p., 21 days) or saline at 6–7 months. Human β-amyloid (Aβ) was measured by ELISA, synaptophysin by Western blot and α7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were analyzed by [125I]α-bungarotoxin autoradiography. Results: Treatment with HX reduced insoluble Aβ1–40 (about 40%) in the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD mice, while showing no effect in APPswe mice. Additionally, HX markedly increased cortical synaptophysin levels (about 140%) and decreased (about 30%) the levels of α7 nAChRs in the caudate nucleus of 3xTg-AD mice, while increasing (about 10%) hippocampal α7 nAChRs in APPswe mice. Conclusion: The two mouse models react differently to HX treatment, possibly due to their differences in brain neuropathology. The modulation of Aβ and synaptophysin by HX in 3xTg-AD mice might be due to its suggested interaction with the peripheral anionic site on AChE, and/or via cholinergic mechanisms involving activation of cholinergic receptors. Our results provide further evidence that drugs targeting AChE affect some of the fundamental processes that contribute to neurodegeneration, but whether HX might act in a disease-modifying manner in AD patients remains to be proven.
Increased ACE and Decreased ACE2 Expression in Kidneys from Patients with IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Mizuiri Sonoo , Hemmi Hiromichi , Arita Michitsune , Aoki Toshiyuki , Ohashi Yasushi , Miyagi Moriatsu , Sakai Ken , Shibuya Kazutoshi , Hase Hiroki , Aikawa Atsushi
Published: August 2010

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 forms angiotensin-1–7 which may protect kidney in a counterregulatory manner to angiotensin II. Recent studies revealed increased ACE and decreased ACE2 expression in kidneys of patients with diabetic nephropathy. However, these changes may not be specific for diabetic nephropathy. We studied ACE and ACE2 expression in patients with IgA nephropathy. Methods: Renal ACE and ACE2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 30 patients with IgA nephropathy and 21 healthy controls. Correlation between ACE and ACE2 expression and levels of various biochemical parameters was also assessed. Gene expression was also assessed in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and membranous nephropathy (MN) as disease controls. Results: Reduced ACE2 expression (p < 0.01) and increased ACE expression in glomeruli (p < 0.001), and reduced ACE2 expression in tubulointerstitium (p < 0.001) were observed in patients with IgA nephropathy compared to healthy controls, although the changes in ACE2 mRNA were not statistically significant. Reduced renal ACE2 expression was also found in MN but not in MCNS. Correlation between renal ACE and ACE2 expression and proteinuria was not observed in IgA nephropathy. Conclusion: IgA nephropathy is associated with increased ACE and decreased ACE2 expression in kidneys, as in diabetic nephropathy.
Planning Ideology and Geographic Thought in the Early Twentieth Century: Charles Whitnall’s Progressive Era Park Designs for Socialist Milwaukee
Authors: Platt Lorne A.
Published: August 2010

As Milwaukee’s chief park planner in the early to mid-twentieth century, Charles Whitnall responded to the various underlying ideologies of the period within which he worked. His preference for parks was a political and physical response to and remedy for the industrialized and heavily congested city he called home. By examining the Progressive Era discourse associated with planning, this article situates Whitnall’s work within the political, aesthetic, and environmental contexts of geographic thought that influenced his plans for Milwaukee. In promoting a physical awareness associated with the natural features of the region and responding to the sociopolitical framework of contemporaries such as Ebenezer Howard, Whitnall incorporated a sense of compassion within his planning. He responded to the preexisting beer gardens of Pabst and Schlitz, as well as Olmsted-designed park spaces, by advocating for decentralization as part of a broader socialist agenda that had swept through Milwaukee during the early 1900s.
A novel low-altitude reconnaissance strategy for smart UAVs: active perception and chaotic navigation
Authors: Xiaolei Yu  , Hongmin Yu
Published: August 2010

In this article, an innovative approach is proposed for multi-sensory integration applied in autonomous navigation for smart low-altitude reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The new UAV navigation technique exploits the use of a pan—tilt-based visual sensing system, which is able to implement the strategy of active perception, increasing the richness of the information acquired from the environments. In addition, based on the information theory, a significant optimality criterion, so-called observation entropy, is represented to determine which set of landmarks should be adopted as the optimal set of information source. Moreover, a chaotic reaction system, inspired by the olfactory bulb neural activity observed in rabbits subject to external stimuli, is considered to build the perception-motion dynamics loop. The loop can be used to adaptively guide the UAV actions not only when it perceives a set of landmarks, but also when the UAV is in environments without enough landmarks. Finally, the simulations and computed results show that the introduced autonomous navigation strategy has very low error rates of the path estimation supported by enough landmarks and active perceptual actions. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the chaotic evolution-based strategy is provided with robustness, which can guarantee the continuous navigation for the UAV in the complex environments without enough landmarks.
Mass-Mediated Expertise as Informal Policy Advice
Authors: Petersen Imme , Heinrichs Harald , Peters Hans Peter
Published: August 2010

Scientific policy advice is usually perceived as a formalized advisory process within political institutions. Politics has benefited from this arrangement because the science-based rationalization of policy has contributed to its legitimacy. However, in Western democratic societies, scientific expertise that is routinely mobilized to legitimate political positions has increasingly lost its power due to controversial expertise in the public sphere in particular within the mass media. As a consequence of the medialization of science, political decision makers are increasingly confronted with mass-mediated expertise. Empirical results of a qualitative survey among decision makers in the German political and administrative system, presented in this article, support the hypothesis that mass-mediated expertise has a significant impact on policy processes. Five functions of media coverage on science-based issues for policy making were identified. Mass-mediated expertise has therefore altered the established relations between scientific policy advisors and political decision makers and can be seen as informal policy advice complementing institutionalized advisory arrangements.
Technology and Transparency as Realist Narrative
Authors: Harris Chad Vincent
Published: August 2010

Since the early 1990s, high-resolution satellite imagery and imagery data, made by a vast system of architectures that were formally developed and monopolized by the U.S. military—industrial command economy, have become more widely available to the civilian public through a combination of declassified data sets, commercial satellite operators and imagery vendors, and value-added resellers of imagery data. In the various discourses surrounding imagery and the systems that collect, interpret, and construct them, this wider availability is associated with an increasing ‘‘global transparency.’’ This article suggests that, specific to fields like nuclear non-proliferation, these techno-discursive discourses have a common narrative theme associated with mechanically augmented visual systems, that of the transparent window on the world. First, the author considers an epistemological problem of satellite imagery that has been contemplated for both the map and the photographic image, which is, does the image/map constitute a window or a text? Next, through a historical comparison between map making, photography, and satellite imagery interpretation, the author briefly explores different articulations of transparency, with a contemporary focus on the use of satellite imagery in the discourses surrounding nuclear non-proliferation. Finally, the author suggests that the discourses of satellite imagery, which include practices and what these practices are imagined to produce, are a crucial site where sociotechnical articulations of a modernist, positivist, or realist narrative are played out. These narratives account for the relation between subjective experience and the external ‘‘real’’ world and are associated with various and often contradictory concepts of transparency.
War of the Whales: Post-Sovereign Science and Agonistic Cosmopolitics in Japanese-Global Whaling Assemblages
Authors: Blok Anders
Published: August 2010

This article examines some of the difficulties of universalistic science in situations of deep conflict over global nature, using empirical material pertaining to ongoing controversies in the context of Japanese whaling practices. Within global-scale whaling assemblages since the 1970s, science has become a ‘‘post-sovereign’’ authority, unable to impose any stable definition of nature on all actors. Instead, across spaces of deep antagonistic differences, anti- and pro-whalers now ontologically enact a multiplicity of mutually irreconcilable versions of whales. Empirically, the article attempts to map out a ‘‘cosmogram’’ of Japanese pro-whaling enactments of abundant and ‘‘killable’’ whales. Following the political ecology of Bruno Latour, the global-scale situation is conceptualized as one of cosmopolitics, the politics of forging a common world across divergences in nature-cultures. Pointing to tensions inherent in this concept, the article ends by suggesting a move toward ‘‘agonistic cosmopolitics,’’ in clarifying the constructive potentials of a Latourian anti-essentialist political ecology.
Wonderful Webcams: About Active Gazes and Invisible Technologies
Authors: Pols Jeannette
Published: August 2010

How do technologies such as webcams influence health care and what concepts may describe this? This article explores the literature and analyses what people looking through webcams do within a particular health care practice in the Netherlands, that is, within the rehabilitation of people suffering from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma. Several ways to describe the activities webcams support and perform are identified. The webcam is (1) concentrating the activities of its users, by making them focus on the task at hand and (2) magnifies the characteristics of the already existing relationships between webcam users by imposing a relational distance that fits best with intimate contacts. (3) Although webcams shift notions of space and distance, their working appears to be related, to a great extent, to their location.
Geoengineering, Ocean Fertilization, and the Problem of Permissible Pollution
Authors: Hale Benjamin , Dilling Lisa
Published: August 2010

Many geoengineering projects have been proposed to address climate change, including both solar radiation management and carbon removal techniques. Some of these methods would introduce additional compounds into the atmosphere or the ocean. This poses a difficult conundrum: Is it permissible to remediate one pollutant by introducing a second pollutant into a system that has already been damaged, threatened, or altered? We frame this conundrum as the ‘‘Problem of Permissible Pollution.’’ In this paper, we explore this problem by taking up ocean fertilization and advancing an argument that rests on three moral claims. We first observe that pollution is, in many respects, a context-dependent matter. This observation leads us to argue for a ‘‘justifiability criterion.’’ Second, we suggest that remediating actions must take into account the antecedent conditions that have given rise to their consideration. We call this second observation the ‘‘antecedent conditions criterion.’’ Finally, we observe that ocean fertilization, and other related geoengineering technologies, propose not strictly to clean up carbon emissions, but actually to move the universe to some future, unknown state. Given the introduced criteria, we impose a ‘‘future-state constraint’’. We conclude that ocean fertilization is not an acceptable solution for mitigating climate change. In attempting to shift the universe to a future state (a) geoengineering sidelines consideration of the antecedent conditions that have given rise to it —conditions, we note, that in many cases involve unjustified carbon emissions —and (b) it must appeal to an impossibly large set of affected parties.
From Brittle Bones to Standard Deviations: The Historical Development of Osteoporosis in the Late Twentieth Century
Authors: Santora Lidia , Skolbekken John-Arne
Published: August 2010

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, osteoporosis is described as a major public health problem of pandemic proportions, affecting millions of people, and women in particular, around the globe. This situation is frequently described as a result of an aging population, but it is also a consequence of a substantial transformation of the medical understanding and definition of osteoporosis in the latter half of the twentieth century. In this article, the authors trace the transformation of a biologically based understanding of the condition involving a few patients, to the current statistically based definition of osteoporosis from which only a few remain untouched. At the center of this development is the measurement of bone mineral density through densitometrics, combining the use of imaging techniques and statistical epidemiology.
Paradise Lost? ‘‘Science’’ and ‘‘the Public’’ after Asilomar
Authors: Gisler Priska , Kurath Monika
Published: August 2010

Scientists continually face public concerns over the potential risks of biotechnology. This article reflects on the 1970s when leading molecular biologists established a moratorium, and initiated the second international Asilomar conference, on recombinant DNA (rDNA) molecules. Since then, this event has been widely perceived as an important historical moment when scientific actors took into account public concerns. Yet, by focusing on the history of the Public Understanding of Science (PUS) discourse, we gain new insight into how ‘‘science’’ and the ‘‘public’’ have in the meantime been framed in political discourses as homogeneous but antagonistic concepts. This sheds new light on the ways scientific, political, and administrative actors in biotechnology perceive the events, which occurred in the 1970s. Through interviews, we found that, with the Asilomar II conference serving as a quasi role model, the quest to reconcile ‘‘science’’ and the ‘‘public’’ is being traced back to a moment in history when such divisions had yet to be considered. This leads us to ask whether the politics of PUS contributed as much to the production of these two entities as it is claimed to have done in bridging the differences between them.
Smoking Identities and Behavior: Evidence of Discrepancies, Issues for Measurement and Intervention
Authors: Ridner S. Lee , Walker Kandi L. , Hart Joy L. , Myers John A.
Published: August 2010

Although researchers and health care practitioners tend to use standard categories to classify smokers and nonsmokers, recent research suggests that individual smokers may use a variety of self-definitions regarding their smoking behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine smoking identity and smoking behavior among college students, specifically, the relationship between self-identifying as a smoker, nonsmoker, occasional smoker, or social smoker and number of days smoked in the past month. Data were obtained during a campuswide health assessment of randomly selected full-time students ( N = 741). Results indicate discrepancy between smoking identity and cigarette use. Twenty percent of students who smoked in the past 30 days self-identified as nonsmokers. Such discrepancies have implications for data collection in research as well as on questionnaires and in health care interviews. Failure to understand actual smoking behavior may increase the risk that individuals will not receive effective smoking prevention and cessation interventions.
Analysis of Weight Control in Korean Adolescents Using the Transtheoretical Model
Authors: Chae Sun-Mi , Kwon Insook , Kim Chun-Ja , Jang Jaecheol
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify the stages of change, the processes of change, and the decisional balance for weight control, self-efficacy, and other weight control—related variables and to determine the significant factors explaining movements between the stages of change in Korean adolescents. A total of 475 adolescents completed questionnaires and anthropometric measures. The majority of the adolescents were in the precontemplation (42.1%) and contemplation (43.0%) stages. The benefits of weight control (pros), desire for weight change, perceived body shape, and past experience with weight control increased the odds ratio of movement from precontemplation to contemplation. Stimulus control, self-reevaluation, regular exercise, and past experience of weight control significantly influenced the movement to action and maintenance from contemplation. The study results suggest that weight control programs should emphasize significant factors to help adolescents move through the stages of change.
Sudden Death in a Dog After Doxorubicin Chemotherapy
Authors: Banco B. , Grieco V. , Servida F. , Giudice C.
Published: August 2010

A case is reported of fatal cardiomyopathy in an 8-year-old female German Shepherd after standard chemotherapy with doxorubicin for splenic hemangiosarcoma. The main gross lesion was a moderate bilateral cardiac ventricular dilation with diffusely pale myocardium. Histological analysis revealed severe multifocal vacuolar degeneration of cardiomyocytes, myocytolysis, myofibril loss, myocardial fibrosis, and edema. Myocardial fiber vacuolization and myocytolysis were highly suggestive of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity.
Dynamic analysis of shafts of composite materials
Authors: Alwan V. , Gupta Ankit , Sekhar AS , Velmurugan R.
Published: August 2010

The objective of this study is to analyze the dynamic behavior of composite shafts with particular interest on estimation of damping. The composite shafts have been chosen as potential candidates for the replacement of conventional metallic shafts in many applications. This study analyzed the dynamic behavior of different materials such as glass/epoxy, carbon/epoxy, and boron/epoxy at different speeds. Detailed dynamic studies on the effect of different materials, stacking sequences on the unbalance responses, and eigenfrequencies are required, particularly with respect to the damping present in the composite material. Different methodologies such as logarithmic decay curve, half-power method, and hysteresis loop method using force sensors have been used for determining the damping of the composite shafts. Composite tube-shafts and solid shafts have been modeled and analyzed using ANSYS. A parametric study has been carried out to analyze the effect of stacking sequence on eigenfrequencies of composite tube-shafts. This study aims to have a comprehensive view of numerical and experimental analyses of composite shafts for eigenvalues, damping estimation, and unbalance response. Eigenfrequencies of composite tube-shafts and solid shafts were estimated through modal testing and are compared with analytical and FEM results. In this study, torsional vibration analysis for composite solid shafts has also been carried out using the rotational laser vibrometer.
Impact behavior of short and continuous fiber-reinforced polyester composites
Authors: Wong KJ , Nirmal Umar , Lim BK
Published: August 2010

In this study, the impact strengths of E-glass, coir, oil palm as well as E-glass/coir and E-glass/oil palm hybrid polyester composites were studied. All types of composites were reinforced with fiber volume fractions of 30%, 40%, and 50% and fiber lengths 3, 7, and 10 mm. Composite laminates reinforced with longitudinal and transverse coir fiber mats were also studied. The number of fiber mats varied from 1, 2, 3, and 4 layers for non-spaced fiber mats and 2, 3, and 4 layers for 1.5 mm spaced fiber mats. Besides, coir—polyester composite with addition of sand filler was studied as well, with 40%, 50%, and 60% of volume fractions and fiber lengths of 3, 7, and 10 mm. Results show that impact strength improves with fiber content and fiber length. In addition, longitudinal fiber mats always exhibit better impact toughness compared to transverse fiber mats. Impact strength is improved with the number of fiber layers but worsened by the fiber spacing. As for coir/polyester concrete, low fiber content and fiber length improve the impact strength. The fractured surfaces were inspected under scanning electron microscope to investigate the fracture mechanisms in each type of composites.