bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Sinkhole Field Experiment in the Eastern Alps
Authors: Steinacker R. , Whiteman C. D. , Dorninger M. , Pospichal B. , Eisenbach S. , Holzer A. M. , Weihs P. , Mursch-Radlgruber E. , Baumann K.
Published: May 2007

Because sinkholes are an excellent natural laboratory for studying processes leading to the formation, maintenance, and dissipation of temperature inversions, an extended set of meteorological field experiments was conducted in limestone sinkholes of various sizes and shapes in the eastern Alps during the period from 17 October 2001 through 4 June 2002. The experiments were conducted in an area surrounding the Gruenloch Sinkhole, which in earlier years had recorded the lowest surface minimum temperature in Central Europe, −52.6°C. A dense array of surface temperature sensors and three automatic weather stations were operated continuously during the experimental period, and special experiments enhanced with tethersondes and other equipment were conducted from 2 to 4 June 2002. An overview of the experiments is presented and first results are given.
An Unusual Case of Renal Artery Stent Restenosis
Authors: Waheed Adil , Rajachandran Manu , Altin Robert , Klym Kelly
Published: May 2007

The authors report a case of renal artery stent restenosis exacerbated by the likely displacement of multiple bare metal stents that had been contiguously deployed 3 months previously. The unusual features of this case are discussed along with putative mechanisms of stent displacement in visceral arteries. The restenotic disease was successfully treated with excimer laser atherectomy and cutting balloon atherotomy.
Symptomatic Relapse of Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococcal Tonsillopharyngitis in Children
Authors: Casey Janet R. , Pichichero Michael E.
Published: May 2007

The frequency of symptomatic relapses following various antibiotic treatments for group A β-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis was evaluated in 1080 pediatric patients. Within 5 days of completing therapy, the rank-order frequency of treatment failures was (1) penicillin, (2) amoxicillin, (3) first-generation cephalosporins, (4) β-lactamase stable cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate ( P = .005). Retreatment of symptomatic failures resulted in another symptomatic relapse more often with penicillin than with cephalosporins ( P = .02). Clinicians should be aware that the rate of symptomatic failures after antibiotic therapy for group A β-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis differs by drug and is not an uncommon event.
Treatment Options for Streptococcal Pharyngitis
Authors: Marcy S. Michael
Published: May 2007

Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus, the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis, is susceptible to treatment with penicillins, macrolides, or cephalosporins. Current treatment guidelines recommend narrow-spectrum penicillins as first-choice therapy. Macrolides (erythromycin) and first-generation oral cephalosporins are recommended as suitable alternative therapy for patients who are allergic to penicillin, the former for patients who do not exhibit immediate-type hypersensitivity to β-lactam drugs. These guidelines are somewhat outdated and may not adequately consider advantages offered by other agents. Amoxicillin offers better taste, an important consideration when dealing with pediatric patients. Azithromycin and clarithromycin are generally better-tolerated and preferred over erythromycin, and azithromycin offers a simpler and short-course regimen. Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus resistance to macrolides as a class is a growing problem that should temper their use. Most oral cephalosporins have superior bacteriologic eradication and clinical response compared with narrow-spectrum and broader-spectrum penicillins, and some later-generation cephalosporins are available in simpler once-daily or short-course (5-day) regimens.
Promoting discussions about cultural competence in an undergraduate health course
Authors: Brouse Corey H.
Published: May 2007

Objective The objective of this study was to determine how themes expressed in The Spirit Catches You and Then You Fall, influenced Health Promotion and Wellness students in terms of cultural competence in future practice.

Design This was a cross sectional, qualitative study.

Setting The setting for this study was Oswego, New York in the United States.

Method This study used qualitative methods to describe the ideas of 18 undergraduate students enrolled in Health Promotion Planning, a required class for health promotion majors. This report is based on their final reflection in which they were asked to write about the bearing this book will have on their future careers in health promotion. The results were determined using an inductive coding approach characteristic of Grounded Theory. The responses were read several times and main themes were extracted. They were then grouped according to themes and read again. At this point, specific quotations which illustrated each theme were extracted and recorded.

Results The four main themes identified were: (1) importance of knowing your audience, (2) accepting differences, (3) importance of communication in education, and (4) value of learning together. Each of these themes is discussed and direct quotations from the students are used to illustrate different points.

Conclusion Providing students with concrete examples of the importance of being culturally sensitive may assist them in reflecting on and appreciating different aspects of working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. The Spirit Catches You and Then You Fall, by Anne Fadiman, is an example of why health educators need to put cultural sensitivity into practice. Discussing this book with a group of undergraduate health promotion majors led the students to several insights concerning cultural sensitivity. This book may be a useful tool for introducing the concept of cultural competence to undergraduate students enrolled in a health promotion course.
Globalising the Local: A Genealogy of Sector Policing in South Africa
Authors: Dixon Bill
Published: May 2007

A framework for analysing policy transfer developed by David Dolowitz and David Marsh has begun to attract the attention of criminologists interested in understanding how crime policies travel. This article uses this framework to assist in tracing the genealogy of a style of local, geographically responsible `sector' policing which is currently being implemented by the South African Police Service. After locating sector policing as a distinctive approach within the broader tradition of community policing, the article considers the origins and development of geographically responsible policing in Great Britain and the United States before focusing on its adoption and adaptation in post-apartheid South Africa. Answers to the seven questions suggested by Dolowitz and Marsh's framework are then sought in an effort to understand more fully the genealogy of sector policing in South Africa and the role of international policy transfer in it.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Tigecycline in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Van Wart S. A. , Cirincione B. B. , Ludwig E. A. , Meagher A. K. , Korth‐Bradley J. M. , Owen J. S.
Published: May 2007

Tigecycline, a novel glycylcycline, possesses broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. A structural population pharmacokinetic model for tigecycline was developed based on data pooled from 5 phase I studies. Intravenous tigecycline was administered as single (12.5–300 mg) or multiple (25–100 mg) doses every 12 hours for up to 10 days. Three‐compartment models with zero‐order input and first‐order elimination separately described the single‐ or multiple‐dose full‐profile data. Additional models were evaluated using a subset of the phase I data mimicking the phase II/III trial sparse‐sampling scheme and dosage. A 2‐compartment model best described the reduced phase I data following single or multiple doses and provided reliably accurate estimates of tigecycline AUC0–12. This modeling supported phase II/III population pharmacokinetic model development to further determine individual patient tigecycline exposures for safety and efficacy analyses.
Political Skill in Organizations
Authors: Ferris Gerald R. , Treadway Darren C. , Perrewé Pamela L. , Brouer Robyn L. , Douglas Ceasar , Lux Sean
Published: May 2007

Political skill is a construct that was introduced more than two decades ago as a necessary competency to possess to be effective in organizations. Unfortunately, despite appeals by organizational scientists to further develop this construct, it lay dormant until very recently. The present article defines and characterizes the construct domain of political skill and embeds it in a cognition—affect—behavior, multilevel, meta-theoretical framework that proposes how political skill operates to exercise effects on both self and others in organizations. Implications of this conceptualization are discussed, as are directions for future research and practical implications.
Constructing a Representation for an Ecology of Knowledge
Authors: Akera Atsushi
Published: May 2007

This paper examines the renewed relevance of the metaphor of `ecology of knowledge' in light of recent interests in the circulation of knowledge. As we move away from studying laboratories, institutions, and sociotechnical networks to the more loosely coordinated technical exchanges that have begun to seem as important to scientific knowledge production and engineering work, an ecological view of knowledge re-emerges as a powerful metaphor for our discipline. Earlier studies have demonstrated the value of using an ecological metaphor to attend to issues such as the contingency, indeterminacy, and heterogeneous complexity of knowledge production. This paper extends these insights by considering how metonymic relationships — part—whole relations — integral to the ecological metaphor, provide a broader picture of how we think about the linkages between knowledge and its various contexts. This paper advances a specific, layered representation for depicting an ecology of knowledge, and describes it in relation to the common representations associated with Latour and Callon's actor-network theory. The representation is also based on a phenomenological perspective and its emphasis on ordinary action. In this regard, this paper builds on earlier efforts to shift the dominant discourse in science and technology studies away from the language of causality and towards a more process-oriented understanding of technical and institutional change.
An indexing needle in an intelligence haystack
Authors: Brunt Rodney M.
Published: May 2007

Experiences in researching the documentation of the intelligence (codename Ultra) produced by breaking Enigma at Government Code & Cypher School, Bletchley Park, 1939—45, are described. The major problems are identified and shown to lie in the obscurity of the associated processes, disguised as they were within general bureaucratic arrangements. This resulted in invisibility in both National Archives documents and publications in the field of military intelligence. This invisibility, along with difficulties in locating surviving veterans capable of illuminating such historical material as there is, demands detective work, serendipity and luck in addition to the normal skills of historical method in telling the story.
Teaching for Global Literacy in Higher Education: How Prepared Are the Educators?
Authors: Schuerholz-Lehr Sabine
Published: May 2007

This article examines the relationship between faculty's professional and personal backgrounds and the extent to which they incorporate an approach to teaching for global awareness and intercultural sensitivity into their curriculum. Through an analysis of the pertinent literature, the study examines the relevant theoretical frameworks of personal practical knowledge and professional knowledge landscapes, as well as the evidence linking faculty's cultural competence and world-mindedness to classroom practice. The article concludes that a considerable number of empirical studies have been carried out that explore different aspects of faculty experiences, background, and disciplinary affiliation, and how such variables affect intercultural sensitivity, cultural competence, and world-mindedness among faculty. However, less conclusive evidence is available as to whether and how such traits in faculty translate into classroom practice. More studies, in particular classroom observations, need to be carried out to elucidate actual classroom practices.
Does Foreign Investment Harm the Air We Breathe and the Water We Drink? A Cross-National Study of Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Organic Water Pollution in Less-Developed Countries, 1975 to 2000
Authors: Jorgenson Andrew K.
Published: May 2007

This research investigates the extent to which the transnational organization of production in the context of foreign investment dependence affects the environment in less developed countries. Drawing from the theory of foreign investment dependence, the author tests two hypotheses: (a) Foreign investment dependence in the manufacturing sector is positively associated with carbon dioxide emissions in less developed countries, and (b) foreign investment dependence in the manufacturing sector is positively associated with the emission of organic water pollutants in less developed countries. Findings for the ordinary least squares fixed effects panel regression analyses confirm both hypotheses, providing support for the theory. Other results correspond with prior research in the political-economic and structural human ecology traditions.
Daylighting in atria: The effect of atrium geometry and reflectance distribution
Authors: Samant S. , Yang F.
Published: May 2007

The aim of this research was to examine the influence of atrium geometry and surface reflectance distributions on daylight factor (DF) at the base of the atrium. Ecotect and Radiance programmes were used to simulate square, four-sided, top-lit atria under overcast sky conditions. To achieve the variability in reflection distribution, surfaces were assigned alternating horizontal bands of white and black. For each of the experiments the widths of these bands were altered but the overall split between white and black bands was always maintained at 50% white and 50% black. Models were built for atriums with a well index of 0.5, 1 and 2. Results of the banded models were compared with models with a uniform reflectance of 0.43%; an average of the black and white bands to understand the influence of reflectance distribution patterns. It was concluded that the reflectance distributions had limited influence on daylight distribution on the atrium floor in the medium and shallow/wide atriums but had practically no effect in the tall atrium. The distribution of well reflectances had almost no influence on the average daylight factor (ADF) values in atria. Besides, the effect of reflectance distribution patterns on the DF reduced as the number of bands increased.
The Neolithic quarries of Mont Viso, Piedmont, Italy: initial radiocarbon dates
Authors: Pétrequin Pierre , Errera Michel , Pétrequin Anne-Marie , Allard Pierre
Published: May 2007

Two groups of quarries (Mont Viso and Mont Beigua, Italy) were the source of the Alpine axeheads that circulated throughout western Europe during the Neolithic. The quarries on Mont Viso (Oncino: Porco, Bulè and Milanese), discovered in 2003, have been radiocarbon-dated, and this has revealed that the exploitation of jadeites, omphacitites and eclogites at high altitude (2000–2400 m above sea level) seems to have reached its apogee in the centuries around 5000 BC. The products, in the form of small axe- and adze-heads, were distributed beyond the Alps from the beginning of the fifth millennium, a few being found as far away as the Paris Basin, 550 km from their source as the crow flies. However, it was not until the mid-fifth millennium BC that long axeheads from Mont Viso appeared in the hoards and monumental tombs of the Morbihan, 800 km from the quarries. Production continued until the beginning of the third millennium BC, but at this time the distribution of the products was less extensive, and the process of distribution operated in a different way: tools made from jadeite and eclogite are still found in the French Jura, but the extraction sites at the south-east foot of Mont Viso no longer seem to have been used. The variability in the geographical extent of the distribution at different times seems to be related to the social context of exploitation of the high-altitude quarries, which were only ever accessible for a few months each year.
BioPP: a tool for web-publication of biological networks
Authors: Viswanathan Ganesh A , Nudelman German , Patil Sonali , Sealfon Stuart C
Published: May 2007

Background

Cellular processes depend on the function of intracellular molecular networks. The curation of the literature relevant to specific biological pathways is important for many theoretical and experimental research teams and communities. No current tool supports web publication or hosting of user-developed large scale annotated pathway diagrams. Sharing via web publication is needed to allow real-time access to the current literature pathway knowledgebase, both privately within a research team or publicly among the outside research community. Web publication also facilitates team and/or community input into the curation process while allowing centralized control of the curation and validation process. We have developed new tool to address these needs. Biological Pathway Publisher (BioPP) is a software suite for converting CellDesigner Systems Biology Markup Language (CD-SBML) formatted pathways into a web viewable format. The BioPP suite is available for private use and for depositing knowledgebases into a newly created public repository.

Results

BioPP suite is a web-based application that allows pathway knowledgebases stored in CD-SBML to be web published with an easily navigated user interface. The BioPP suite consists of four interrelated elements: a pathway publisher, an upload web-interface, a pathway repository for user-deposited knowledgebases and a pathway navigator. Users have the option to convert their CD-SBML files to HTML for restricted use or to allow their knowledgebase to be web-accessible to the scientific community. All entities in all knowledgebases in the repository are linked to public database entries as well as to a newly created public wiki which provides a discussion forum.

Conclusion

BioPP tools and the public repository facilitate sharing of pathway knowledgebases and interactive curation for research teams and scientific communities. BioPP suite is accessible athttp://tsb.mssm.edu/pathwayPublisher/broadcast/
Cdkn1c (p57
Kip2
) is the major regulator of embryonic growth within its imprinted domain on mouse distal chromosome 7
Authors: Andrews Stuart C , Wood Michelle D , Tunster Simon J , Barton Sheila C , Surani M Azim , John Rosalind M
Published: May 2007

Background

Cdkn1c encodes an embryonic cyclin-dependant kinase inhibitor that acts to negatively regulate cell proliferation and, in some tissues, to actively direct differentiation. This gene, which is an imprinted gene expressed only from the maternal allele, lies within a complex region on mouse distal chromosome 7, called the IC2 domain, which contains several other imprinted genes. Studies on mouse embryos suggest a key role for genomic imprinting in regulating embryonic growth and this has led to the proposal that imprinting evolved as a consequence of the mismatched contribution of parental resources in mammals.

Results

In this study, we characterised the phenotype of mice carrying different copy number integrations of a bacterial artificial chromosome spanning Cdkn1c. Excess Cdkn1c resulted in embryonic growth retardation that was dosage-dependent and also responsive to the genetic background. Two-fold expression of Cdkn1c in a subset of tissues caused a 10–30% reduction in embryonic weight, embryonic lethality and was associated with a reduction in the expression of the potent, non-imprinted embryonic growth factor, Igf1. Conversely, loss of expression of Cdkn1c resulted in embryos that were 11% heavier with a two-fold increase in Igf1.

Conclusion

We have shown that embryonic growth in mice is exquisitely sensitive to the precise dosage of Cdkn1c. Cdkn1c is a maternally expressed gene and our findings support the prediction of the parental conflict hypothesis that that the paternal genome silences genes that have an inhibitory role in embryonic growth. Within the IC2 imprinted domain, Cdkn1c encodes the major regulator of embryonic growth and we propose that Cdkn1c was the focal point of the selective pressure for imprinting of this domain.
The possible role of cell cycle regulators in multistep process of HPV-associated cervical carcinoma
Authors: Bahnassy Abeer A , Zekri Abdel Rahman N , Saleh Maha , Lotayef Mohammad , Moneir Manar , Shawki Osama
Published: May 2007

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 are associated with cervical carcinogenesis through an interaction between HPV oncogenic proteins and cell cycle regulatory genes. However, the exact pathogenetic mechanisms are not determined yet.

Methods

We investigated 43 invasive squamous cell carcinoma (ISCC), 38 CIN III, 11 CINII and 18 CINI for cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK4, p53, mdm-2, p21

waf

, p27, p16

INK 4A
, Rb and Ki-67 aberrations using immunohistochemistry and molecular techniques. Twenty samples of normal cervical tissues (NCT) were taken as a control.

Results

There was a significant increase in the expression of Ki-67, cyclin E, CDK4, p16

INK 4A

, Rb (p= 0.003, 0.001, 0.001, 0.01) and a significant decrease in p27

KIP 1from NCT to ISCC (p = 0.003). Increased cyclin D1, p21

waf

, p53, mdm-2 expression, homozygous deletion (HZD) and promoter methylation (PM) of the Rb were detected in CINIII and ISCC only. On univariate analysis; tumor size, differentiation, lymph node status, FIGO stage, Ki- 67, cyclin D1, p53 and p27

KIP 1are significantly associated with reduced overall survival (OS) while on multivariate analysis; only FIGO stage, Ki-67, cyclin D1, p53 and p27

KIP 1were significant.

Conclusion

1) Aberrations involving p27

KIP 1, cyclin E, CDK4, p16

INK 4A
are considered early events in HPV 16 and 18-associated cervical carcinoma, whereas cyclin D1 and p53 pathway abnormalities are considered late events. 2) Immunohistochemical tests for p16

INK 4A

and cyclin E, could help in early diagnosis of cervical carcinoma. 3) Only FIGO stage p53, cyclin D1, p27

KIP 1and Ki-67 are independent prognostic factors that might help in predicting outcome of cervical cancer patients.
Adverse events among high-risk participants in a home-based walking study: a descriptive study
Authors: Goodrich David E , Larkin Angela R , Lowery Julie C , Holleman Robert G , Richardson Caroline R
Published: May 2007

Background

For high-risk individuals and their healthcare providers, finding the right balance between promoting physical activity and minimizing the risk of adverse events can be difficult. More information on the prevalence and influence of adverse events is needed to improve providers' ability to prescribe effective and safe exercise programs for their patients.

Methods

This study describes the type and severity of adverse events reported by participants with cardiovascular disease or at-risk for cardiovascular disease that occurred during an unsupervised, home-based walking study. This multi-site, randomized controlled trial tested the feasibility of a diet and lifestyle activity intervention over 1.5 years. At month 13, 274 eligible participants (male veterans) were recruited who were ambulatory, BMI > 28, and reporting one or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. All participants attended five, face-to-face dietitian-delivered counseling sessions during the six-month intervention. Participants were randomized to three study arms: 1) time-based walking goals, 2) simple pedometer-based walking goals, and 3) enhanced pedometer-based walking goals with Internet-mediated feedback. Two physicians verified adverse event symptom coding.

Results

Enrolled participants had an average of five medical comorbidities. During 1110 person months of observation, 87 of 274 participants reported 121 adverse events. One serious study-related adverse event (atrial fibrillation) was reported; the individual resumed study participation within three days. Non-serious, study related adverse events made up 12% of all symptoms – predominantly minor musculoskeletal events. Serious, non-study related adverse events represented 32% of all symptoms while non-serious, non-study related adverse events made up 56% of symptoms. Cardiovascular disease events represented over half of the non-study related adverse event symptoms followed by musculoskeletal complaints. Adverse events caused 50 temporary suspensions averaging 26 days in duration before physician medical clearance was obtained to resume walking.

Conclusion

Men at high risk for adverse cardiovascular events can safely be advised to start a progressive walking program. Results suggest that minor to serious medical problems unrelated to exercise are a major barrier to walking adherence. Helping individuals with chronic illness return to physical activity quickly but safely after an adverse event is an important component of any physical activity intervention targeting this population.
Impact of long-term treatment of onchocerciasis with ivermectin in Ecuador: potential for elimination of infection
Authors: Vieira Juan Carlos , Cooper Philip J , Lovato Raquel , Mancero Tamara , Rivera Jorge , Proaño Roberto , López Andrea A , Guderian Ronald H , Guzmán José Rumbea
Published: May 2007

Background

Onchocerciasis is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, hence elimination of the infection is an important health priority. Community-based treatment programs with ivermectin form the basis of control programs for the disease in Latin America. The long-term administration of ivermectin could eliminate Onchocerca volvulus infection from endemic areas in Latin America.

Methods

A strategy of annual to twice-annual treatments with ivermectin has been used for onchocerciasis in endemic communities in Ecuador for up to 14 years. The impact of ivermectin treatment on ocular morbidity, and O. volvulus infection and transmission was monitored in seven sentinel communities.

Results

Over the period 1990–2003, high rates of treatment coverage of the eligible population were maintained in endemic communities (mean 85.2% per treatment round). Ivermectin reduced the prevalence of anterior segment disease of the eye to 0% in sentinel communities and had a major impact on the prevalence and transmission of infection, with possible elimination of infection in some foci.

Conclusion

The distribution of ivermectin in endemic communities in Ecuador might have eliminated ocular morbidity and significant progress has been made towards elimination of the infection. A strategy of more frequent treatments with ivermectin may be required in communities where the infection persists to achieve the objective of elimination of the infection from Ecuador. The elimination of the infection from an endemic country in Latin America would be a major public health achievement and could stimulate the implementation of elimination strategies in other endemic countries.
Induction of serum IL-18 withPropionibacterium acnesand lipopolysaccharide in phagocytic macrophage-inactivated mice
Authors: Nishioka Takashi , Kuroishi Toshinobu , Sugawara Yumiko , Yu Zhiqian , Sasano Takashi , Endo Yasuo , Sugawara Shunji
Published: May 2007

IL-18, an important regulator of immune responses, is expressed in activated macrophages and also in nonimmune cells, such as keratinocytes and epithelial cells. Increased levels of serum IL-18 are reported in patients with a wide variety of diseases, but it is unclear which type of cell is the major source of serum IL-18. Here, we showed that the administration of liposomes encapsulating clodronate (Clo-lip) in mice selectively depleted F4/80+ phagocytic macrophages in the liver and spleen. Serum levels of mature IL-18 with 18 kDa were increased markedly in mice treated with Propionibacterium acnes and LPS, whereas administration of Clo-lip and gadolinium chloride, another widely used macrophage inactivator, showed no obvious effect on serum IL-18 levels, which were marginal in the liver, lung, and spleen and more pronounced in the intestines, especially in the duodenum. Treatment with P. acnes alone induced IL-18 more than twofold in each organ, and P. acnes and LPS induced a marked increase in IL-18 levels in the liver and spleen but decreased in the intestines. The administration of Clo-lip showed only a marginal effect on the IL-18 levels in these organs. Furthermore, serum levels of liver enzymes and TNF-α and liver injury (necrotic change and granuloma formation) induced by P. acnes and LPS were reduced moderately by Clo-lip. These results suggest that phagocytic macrophages do not actively contribute to the induction of serum IL-18 and liver injury in mice treated with P. acnes and LPS.
TheDrosophilahomolog of the putative phosphatidylserine receptor functions to inhibit apoptosis
Authors: Krieser Ronald J. , Moore Finola E. , Dresnek Douglas , Pellock Brett J. , Patel Reena , Huang Albert , Brachmann Carrie , White Kristin
Published: May 2007

Exposure of phosphatidylserine is a conserved feature of apoptotic cells and is thought to act as a signal for engulfment of the cell corpse. A putative receptor for phosphatidylserine (PSR) was previously identified in mammalian systems. This receptor is proposed to function in engulfment of apoptotic cells, although gene ablation of PSR has resulted in a variety of phenotypes. We examined the role of the predicted Drosophila homolog of PSR (dPSR) in apoptotic cell engulfment and found no obvious role for dPSR in apoptotic cell engulfment by phagocytes in the embryo. In addition, dPSR is localized to the nucleus, inconsistent with a role in apoptotic cell recognition. However, we were surprised to find that overexpression of dPSR protects from apoptosis, while loss of dPSR enhances apoptosis in the developing eye. The increased apoptosis is mediated by the head involution defective (Wrinkled) gene product. In addition, our data suggest that dPSR acts through the c-Jun-NH2 terminal kinase pathway to alter the sensitivity to cell death.
Transitin, a nestin-like intermediate filament protein, mediates cortical localization and the lateral transport of Numb in mitotic avian neuroepithelial cells
Authors: Wakamatsu Yoshio , Nakamura Noriko , Lee Ju-Ahng , Cole Gregory J. , Osumi Noriko
Published: May 2007

Neuroepithelium is an apicobasally polarized tissue that contains neural stem cells and gives rise to neurons and glial cells of the central nervous system. The cleavage orientation of neural stem cells is thought to be important for asymmetric segregation of fate-determinants, such as Numb. Here,we show that an intermediate filament protein, transitin, colocalizes with Numb in the cell cortex of mitotic neuroepithelial cells, and that transitin anchors Numb via a physical interaction. Detailed immunohistological and time-lapse analyses reveal that basal Numb-transitin complexes shift laterally during mitosis, allowing asymmetric segregation of Numb-transitin to one of the daughter cells, even when the cell cleavage plane is perpendicular to the ventricular surface. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of the transitin gene reveals its involvement in neurogenesis. These results indicate that transitin has important roles in determining the intracellular localization of Numb, which regulates neurogenesis in the developing nervous system of avian embryos.
Identifying Common Genetic Variants by High-Resolution Melting
Authors: Vandersteen Joshua G , Bayrak-Toydemir Pinar , Palais Robert A , Wittwer Carl T
Published: May 2007

Background: Heteroduplex scanning techniques usually detect all heterozygotes, including common variants not of clinical interest.

Methods: We conducted high-resolution melting analysis on the 24 exons of the ACVRL1 and ENG genes implicated in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). DNA in samples from 13 controls and 19 patients was PCR amplified in the presence of LCGreen® I, and all 768 exons melted in an HR-1® instrument. We used 10 wild-type controls to identify common variants, and the remaining samples were blinded, amplified, and analyzed by melting curve normalization and overlay. Unlabeled probes characterized the sequence of common variants.

Results: Eleven common variants were associated with 8 of the 24 HHT exons, and 96% of normal samples contained at least 1 variant. As a result, the positive predictive value (PPV) of a heterozygous exon was low (31%), even in a population of predominantly HHT patients. However, all common variants produced unique amplicon melting curves that, when considered and eliminated, resulted in a PPV of 100%. In our blinded study, 3 of 19 heterozygous disease-causing variants were missed; however, 2 were clerical errors, and the remaining false negative would have been identified by difference analysis.

Conclusions: High-resolution melting analysis is a highly accurate heteroduplex scanning technique. With many exons, however, use of single-sample instruments may lead to clerical errors, and routine use of difference analysis is recommended. Common variants can be identified by their melting curve profiles and genotyped with unlabeled probes, greatly reducing the false-positive results common with scanning techniques.
A Systematic Review of Early Prognostic Factors for Return to Work After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Nightingale Elizabeth J. , Soo Cheryl A. , Tate Robyn L.
Published: May 2007

This article presents a systematic review identifying variables and their prognostic value for return to work (RTW) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). RTW has been identified as being a key goal following TBI, with estimates ranging from 10% to 70%. Prediction of postinjury employment is important for planning rehabilitation and structuring individualised vocational services. Studies examining prognostic factors were identified by searching four electronic databases, until June 2006. Searches yielded 1948 studies of which 55 met inclusion criteria and were subsequently rated for methodological quality. Mean methodological score for included studies was 3.9/6 (SD0.9, range 1–6). Analysis focused on a subset of 27 studies which provided sampling from all three domains of preinjury, injury and early postinjury variables. Few studies considered preinjury variables, apart from simple demographics. Only five studies considered preinjury employment, which was a significant predictor in each case. Severity of injury variables were invariably examined, but were significant predictors in only 8/27 studies (30%). For early postinjury variables, 14/27 studies entered cognitive variables with 12/14 (86%) identifying them as significant predictors; 3/27 studies examined neurophysical variables, with 2/3 (67%) studies finding them significant; and 12/27 studies examined multidimensional/participation variables which were statistically significant individual predictors in 8/12 (67%) cases. The results are discussed in the context of methodological issues encountered during the course of the review that require addressing in future studies.
The Neurological Bases of Emotional Dys-Regulation Arising From Brain Injury in Childhood: A ‘When and Where’ Heuristic
Authors: Tonks James , Williams W. Huw , Frampton Ian , Yates Philip , Slater Alan
Published: May 2007

Lasting emotional and social communication deficits are common among children who have suffered brain injury. Concerns have been raised that current assessment and treatment methods are inadequate in addressing the needs of such children in rehabilitation. We advocate that a proportion of reported deficits occur as a result of compromise to emotion processing systems in the brain. In this article we review adult brain injury research, which indicates that dissociable subsystems are involved in distinguishing the nuances of emotional expression. Findings previously reported in the literature have been integrated into a dissociable heuristic framework, which offers a novel representation of subcomponents of the emotion processing system. In considering the development of the subcomponents of emotion processing, evidence indicates that intrinsic arousal systems are operational from birth, systems associated with sensory/spatial skills that are essential in reading emotional expression develop rapidly from birth, and systems utilised in executive system synthesis become increasingly sophisticated with development, stemming across childhood and into adulthood. In conclusion, it is proposed that the heuristic is a useful tool on which assessment measures may be based when considering the primary effects of brain injury in children.
Multiple Sclerosis-Related Dementia: Relatively Rare and Often Misunderstood
Authors: Longley Wendy Ann
Published: May 2007

MS-related dementia is an under-recognised and misunderstood aspect of MS. It is relatively rare, occurring in approximately 10% of people with MS, while cognitive impairment in general occurs in 43% or more of people with MS. MS-related dementia is hard to detect on the basis of short social interactions or clinical interviews alone. There are very few clinically relevant scientific articles on this topic to help guide the management and support of people with MS-related dementia. This article was written in a preliminary attempt to address this problem: to describe the clinical presentation and characteristics of MS-related dementia, to alert health professionals to the sensitivities surrounding the use of dementia terminology within the MS community, and to outline the limited nature of the information, advice and support resources currently available in Australia for these middle-aged people with dementia.
About approximation of 3-D random fields and statistical simulation
Authors: Vyzhva Zoya O.
Published: May 2007

The estimator of the mean-square approximation of 3-D homogeneous and isotropic random field is investigated. The problem of statistical simulation of realizations of random fields in threedimensional space is considered. The algorithm for the receiving of this realization has been formulated, which has been constructed on the base the mean-square approximation of random fields estimator. It has been constructed the statistical model for the Gaussian random fields in three-dimensional space, which has been given by its statistical characteristics.
Skewed distributions generated by the uniform kernel
Authors: Nadarajah Saralees
Published: May 2007

Following the recent paper by A. K. Gupta
Houston Stewart Chamberlain und Leo Spitzer – ein Linguist wehrt sich / Houston Stewart Chamberlain and Leo Spitzer – a linguist defends himself
Authors: Lobenstein-Reichmann Anja
Published: May 2007

In the year 1918, Leo Spitzer presented a lecture in the Viennese Urania, a lecture he also published during that same year, entitled: “Anti-Chamberlain”, or, more precisely: “Anti-Chamberlain: Reflections by a linguist on Houston Stewart Chamberlain's ‘War Essays’ and a general linguistic assessment by Dr. Leo Spitzer”. It is well know that Chamberlain was the prophet of racial anti-Semitism during the waning years of the 19
„Diskurslinguistik“ – Anmaßung oder disziplinäre Bündelung? Tagungsbericht: Symposion „Diskurslinguistik. Methoden – Gegenstände – Grenzen“ (1.–3. September 2004, Kassel) / Discourse Linguistics – Hubris or grouping neighboring disciplines?
Authors: Busch Albert
Published: May 2007

Brauchen wir oder haben wir sogar bereits eine Diskurslinguistik? Dieser Frage ging das Symposion „Diskurslinguistik. Methoden – Gegenstände – Grenzen“ nach, zu dem sich vom 1.–3. September etwa 45 Vertreterinnen und Vertreter verschiedener Fächer (hauptsächlich aber Germanisten) zusammengefunden haben. Initiiert und organisiert worden ist es von
www-Ressourcen zum Bereich Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache / www-Resources in German as a Foreign / Second Language
Authors: Özdil Erkan
Published: May 2007

Der vorliegende Artikel soll eine Orientierungshilfe geben, einen Überblick über einschlägige Eingangsportale verschaffen sowie eine Auswahl besonders nützlicher Einzelangebote vorstellen. Dabei können lediglich diejenigen Webangebote berücksichtigt werden, die sich insgesamt thematisch auf Deutsch als Fremdsprache (DaF) und Deutsch als Zweitsprache (DaZ) spezialisieren; solitäre Inhalte wie vereinzelte Publikationen, die in einem thematisch anders angesiedelten Rahmen zur Verfügung gestellt werden, mussten aus Platzgründen unberücksichtigt bleiben.
NP031112, a Thiadiazolidinone Compound, Prevents Inflammation and Neurodegeneration under Excitotoxic Conditions: Potential Therapeutic Role in Brain Disorders
Authors: Luna-Medina Rosario , Cortes-Canteli Marta , Sanchez-Galiano Susana , Morales-Garcia Jose A. , Martinez Ana , Santos Angel , Perez-Castillo Ana
Published: May 2007

Inflammation and neurodegeneration coexist in many acute damage and chronic CNS disorders (e.g., stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease). A well characterized animal model of brain damage involves administration of kainic acid, which causes limbic seizure activity and subsequent neuronal death, especially in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells and interneurons in the hilus of the hippocampus. Our previous work demonstrated a potent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect of two thiadiazolidinones compounds, NP00111 (2,4-dibenzyl-[1,2,4]thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione) and NP01138 (2-ethyl-4-phenyl-[1,2,4]thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione), in primary cultures of cortical neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. Here, we show that injection of NP031112, a more potent thiadiazolidinone derivative, into the rat hippocampus dramatically reduces kainic acid-induced inflammation, as measured by edema formation using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and glial activation and has a neuroprotective effect in the damaged areas of the hippocampus. Last, NP031112-induced neuroprotection, bothin vitroandin vivo, was substantially attenuated by cotreatment with GW9662 (2-chloro-5-nitrobenzanilide), a known antagonist of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, suggesting that the effects of NP031112 can be mediated through activation of this receptor. As such, these findings identify NP031112 as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
Disambiguation of Overlapping Experiences by Neurons in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex
Authors: Lipton Paul A. , White John A. , Eichenbaum Howard
Published: May 2007

Hippocampal neuronal activity distinguishes separate events that share common elements. Here, we examined whether the capacity to disambiguate overlapping experiences is an exclusive feature of hippocampal processing or whether information processing one stage earlier in the hippocampal system also disambiguates common elements of distinct experiences. We compared the spatial firing patterns of neurons in the dorsocaudal medial entorhinal cortex (dcMEC) and hippocampal CA1 neurons in animals continuously alternating left-turn and right-turn routes through a T-maze. Neurons in the dcMEC more strongly distinguished left-turn from right-turn trials compared with CA1 neurons, whereas CA1 neurons more selectivity encoded places traversed within each route. These results indicate that dcMEC spatial firing patterns are experience dependent and reflect the mnemonic demands of a spatial memory task. Furthermore, the results suggest that neuronal populations in the dcMEC and CA1 differentially emphasize complementary aspects of spatial memory representations.
Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 in Amyloid β Peptide-Induced Cerebral Endothelial Cell Apoptosis
Authors: Hsu Ming-Jen , Hsu Chung Y. , Chen Bing-Chang , Chen Mei-Chieh , Ou George , Lin Chien-Huang
Published: May 2007

A pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in senile plaques. Aβ has also been implicated in vascular degeneration in cerebral amyloid angiopathy because of its cytotoxic effects on non-neuronal cells, including cerebral endothelial cells (CECs). We explore the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) in Aβ-induced death in primary cultures of murine CECs. Aβ induced ASK1 dephosphorylation, which could be prevented by selective inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) but not PP2B. ASK1 dephosphorylation resulted in its dissociation from 14-3-3. ASK1, released from 14-3-3 inhibition, activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), leading to p53 phosphorylation. p53, a proapoptotic transcription factor, in turn transactivated the expression of Bax, a proapoptotic protein. Transfection with various dominant-negative mutants (DNs), including ASK1 DN and p38MAPK DN, suppressed Aβ-induced p38MAPK activation, p53 phosphorylation, and Bax upregulation and partially prevented CEC death. Bax knockdown using abaxsmall interfering RNA strategy also reduced Bax expression and subsequent CEC death. These results suggest that Aβ activates the ASK1–p38MAPK–p53–Bax cascade to cause CEC death in a PP2A-dependent manner.
Cholinergic Modulation of Spindle Bursts in the Neonatal Rat Visual CortexIn Vivo
Authors: Hanganu Ileana L. , Staiger Jochen F. , Ben-Ari Yehezkel , Khazipov Rustem
Published: May 2007

Acetylcholine (ACh) is known to shape the adult neocortical activity related to behavioral states and processing of sensory information. However, the impact of cholinergic input on the neonatal neuronal activity remains widely unknown. Early during development, the principal activity pattern in the primary visual (V1) cortex is the intermittent self-organized spindle burst oscillation that can be driven by the retinal waves. Here, we assessed the relationship between this early activity pattern and the cholinergic drive by either blocking or augmenting the cholinergic input and investigating the resultant effects on the activity of the rat visual cortex during the first postnatal weekin vivo. Blockade of the muscarinic receptors by intracerebroventricular, intracortical, or supracortical atropine application decreased the occurrence of V1 spindle bursts by 50%, both the retina-independent and the optic nerve-mediated spindle bursts being affected. In contrast, blockade of acetylcholine esterase with physostigmine augmented the occurrence, amplitude, and duration of V1 spindle bursts. Whereas direct stimulation of the cholinergic basal forebrain nuclei increased the occurrence probability of V1 spindle bursts, their chronic immunotoxic lesion using 192 IgG-saporin decreased the occurrence of neonatal V1 oscillatory activity by 87%. Thus, the cholinergic input facilitates the neonatal V1 spindle bursts and may prime the developing cortex to operate specifically on relevant early (retinal waves) and later (visual input) stimuli.
Dynamically Reconfigurable Computing for Wireless Communication Systems (Dynamisch rekonfigurierbares Rechnen für Mobilfunksysteme)
Authors: Hinkelmann Heiko , Zipf Peter , Glesner Manfred , Pionteck Thilo
Published: May 2007

In this paper we will demonstrate that dynamically reconfigurable computing is the key technology to enable small and energy-efficient hardware platforms for wireless communication systems, which provide the flexibility needed for keeping up with evolving standards and protocols. Two application-specific dynamically reconfigurable systems for WLANs and wireless sensor networks will be presented. The first architecture clearly shows that highly dynamic reconfiguration approaches can provide flexible and high-performance hardware platforms that are smaller than standard ASIC solutions. The second architecture serves as a case study for the design of energy-efficient dynamically reconfigurable computing systems.