bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Francis Drake: merchant, knight and pilgrim
Authors: Nievergelt Marco
Published: November 2008

Francis Drake's return from his circumnavigation in 1580 left surprisingly few marks in the writings of his contemporaries, but an early and generally overlooked religious allegory, the Wandering Knight (1581), contains a dedication to Drake. The dedication assimilates Drake to the questing knight who is the main character of the allegory, but also imagines him as the protagonist of a classical heroic epic and as a Christian pilgrim. However, for the translator of the work and the author of the preface, respectively a merchant and instrument‐maker, Drake's spiritual‐chivalric quest also becomes an emblem of a social climb. Drake's knighting by the Queen acts as a consecration of the aspirations of a newly emergent social group of merchant‐adventurers, and his voyage becomes a symbol for the possibilities for social, economic as well as spiritual transformation offered by the voyages of exploration. The richly significant interdependence of spiritual and socio‐economic factors constructed by the dedication anticipates later arguments advanced by the likes of Hakluyt and Purchas. Thus, the Wandering Knight becomes a revealing and important work not only for assessing contemporary popular reception of Drake's achievements, but may be seen as introducing a number of conceptions and images that were to shape England's later experience of exploration and colonization.
Trade Creation and Diversion Effects of Preferential Trade Associations on Agricultural and Food Trade
Authors: Lambert David , McKoy Shahera
Published: November 2008

Agricultural market distortions remain a major focus of contention in world trade negotiations. Estimates of the effects of liberalising current agricultural trade restrictions indicate an approximately $385 billion increase in global welfare, with the disproportionate share of the benefit being enjoyed by developing countries. In response to difficulties in adopting agricultural trade reforms, individual groups of countries have formed multiple bilateral and regional preferential trade agreements (PTA) to enhance trade among members. Few sectoral analyses exist of the effects on agricultural and food product trade of PTAs. This research uses a gravity model to isolate the effects of various PTAs on both intra‐ and extra‐bloc agricultural and food product trade for three time periods: 1995, 2000 and 2004. Findings strongly support PTA benefits in terms of increased intra‐bloc trade in both sectors. The findings also generally support trade creation in agricultural products. PTA membership was also associated with food trade creation in most cases, although diversion was observed for several associations composed primarily of developing countries.
Phosphatidylethanol Mediates its Effects on the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor via HDL Receptor in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Liisanantti Marja Katriina , Savolainen Markku Juhani
Published: November 2008

Background:  Previous epidemiological studies have shown that light to moderate alcohol consumption has protective effects against coronary heart disease but the mechanisms of the beneficial effect of alcohol are not known. Ethanol may increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration, augment the reverse cholesterol transport, or regulate growth factors or adhesion molecules. To study whether qualitative changes in HDL phospholipids mediate part of the beneficial effects of alcohol on atherosclerosis by HDL receptor, we investigated whether phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in HDL particles affects the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by a human scavenger receptor CD36 and LIMPII analog‐I (CLA‐1)‐mediated pathway.

Methods:  Human EA.hy 926 endothelial cells were incubated in the presence of native HDL or PEth‐HDL. VEGF concentration and CLA‐1 protein expression were measured. Human CLA‐1 receptor‐mediated mechanisms in endothelial cells were studied using CLA‐1 blocking antibody and protein kinase inhibitors.

Results:  Phosphatidylethanol‐containing HDL particles caused a 6‐fold increase in the expression of CLA‐1 in endothelial cells compared with the effect of native HDL. That emergent effect was mediated mainly through protein kinase C and p44/42 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways. PEth increased the secretion of VEGF and that increase could be abolished by a CLA‐1 blocking antibody.

Conclusions:  High density lipoprotein particles containing PEth bind to CLA‐1 receptor and thereby increase the secretion of VEGF from endothelial cells. Ethanol‐induced protective effects against coronary heart disease may be explained, at least partly, by the effects of PEth‐modified HDL particles on VEGF via CLA‐1‐mediated mechanisms in endothelial cells.
Drinking and Alcohol‐Related Harm Among New Zealand University Students: Findings From a National Web‐Based Survey
Authors: Kypri Kypros , Paschall Mallie J. , Langley John , Baxter Joanne , Cashell‐Smith Martine , Bourdeau Beth
Published: November 2008

Background:  Alcohol‐related harm is pervasive among college students in the United States of America and Canada, where a third to half of undergraduates binge drink at least fortnightly. There have been no national studies outside North America. We estimated the prevalence of binge drinking, related harms, and individual risk factors among undergraduates in New Zealand.

Methods:  A web survey was completed by 2,548 undergraduates (63% response) at 5 of New Zealand’s 8 universities. Drinking patterns and alcohol‐related problems in the preceding 4 weeks were measured. Drinking diaries for the preceding 7 days were completed. Multivariate analyses were used to identify individual risk factors.

Results:  A total of 81% of both women and men drank in the previous 4 weeks, 37% reported 1 or more binge episodes in the last week, 14% of women and 15% of men reported 2+ binge episodes in the last week, and 68% scored in the hazardous range (4+) on the AUDIT consumption subscale. A mean of 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4, 2.3) distinct alcohol‐related risk behaviors or harmful consequences were reported, e.g., 33% had a blackout, 6% had unprotected sex, and 5% said they were physically aggressive toward someone, in the preceding 4 weeks. Drink‐driving or being the passenger of a drink‐driver in the last 4 weeks was reported by 9% of women and 11% of men. Risk factors for frequent binge drinking included: lower age, earlier age of drinking onset, monthly or more frequent binge drinking in high school, and living in a residential hall or a shared house (relative to living with parents). These correlates were similar to those identified in U.S. and Canadian studies.

Conclusions:  Strategies are needed to reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and around university campuses in New Zealand. Given the high prevalence of binge drinking in high school and its strong association with later binge drinking, strategies aimed at youth drinking are also a priority. In universities, high‐risk drinkers should be identified and offered intervention early in their undergraduate careers.
A Within‐Group Design of Nontreatment Seeking 5‐HTTLPR Genotyped Alcohol‐Dependent Subjects Receiving Ondansetron and Sertraline
Authors: Kenna George A. , Zywiak William H. , McGeary John E. , Leggio Lorenzo , McGeary Chinatsu , Wang Shirley , Grenga Andrea , Swift Robert M.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Serotonergic mechanisms are associated with the development of alcohol dependence (AD), however, studies evaluating serotonergic medications have produced conflicting results. One hypothesis suggests that differential response may be due to a functional polymorphism of the 5‐HTTLPR promoter region of the serotonin re‐uptake transporter (5‐HTT). The L/L genotype is postulated to be associated with early onset alcoholism and the S/S or S/L genotypes associated with late onset alcoholism. The aim of this study was to match and mismatch L/L, S/S, or S/L genotypes with administration of ondansetron and sertraline.

Methods:  Fifteen nontreatment seeking alcohol‐dependent individuals were randomized to 1 of 2 counterbalanced arms to receive either 200 mg/d of sertraline or ondansetron 0.5 mg/d for 3 weeks followed by an alcohol self‐administration experiment (ASAE), then received placebo for 3 weeks followed by a second ASAE. Participants then received the alternate drug for 2 weeks followed by a third ASAE.

Results:  At the first ASAE compared to sertraline, ondansetron significantly improved drinking outcomes for the L/L genotype for the ASAE volume consumed (100% reduction based on between‐subjects comparison, t = 2.35), and for drinks per drinking day during the 7 days prior to the ASAE (79% reduction and t = 4.34). Compared with ondansetron for S/S or S/L genotypes, outcomes at ASAE 1 for sertraline and S/S or S/L genotypes are opposite than hypothesized. Overall, subjects reduced drinking across their participation in the trial, as there appears to be an order effect.

Conclusion:  This study suggests that ondansetron may reduce alcohol consumption in alcohol‐dependent individuals who have the L/L genotype as measured naturalistically and during the ASAE. By contrast there was no support that sertraline reduces alcohol use in individuals who have S/S or S/L genotypes. Evidence in the literature suggests that AD in some individuals may be influenced by a gene by socio‐environmental interaction making pharmacological treatment with serotonergic drugs complex. Research must consider that typologies may predict successful treatment of AD in future trials.
Drinking Patterns and Myocardial Infarction: A Linear Dose–Response Model
Authors: Russell Marcia , Chu Bong Chul , Banerjee Aniruddha , Fan Amy Z. , Trevisan Maurizio , Dorn Joan M. , Gruenewald Paul
Published: November 2008

Background:  The relation of alcohol intake to cardiovascular health is complex, involving both protective and harmful effects, depending on the amount and pattern of consumption. Interpretation of data available on the nature of these relations is limited by lack of well‐specified, mathematical models relating drinking patterns to alcohol‐related consequences. Here we present such a model and apply it to data on myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods:  The dose–response model derived assumes: (1) each instance of alcohol use has an effect that either increases or decreases the likelihood of an alcohol‐related consequence, and (2) greater quantities of alcohol consumed on any drinking day add linearly to these increases or decreases in risk. Risk was reduced algebraically to a function of drinking frequency and dosage (volume minus frequency, a measure of the extent to which drinkers have more than 1 drink on days when they drink). In addition to estimating the joint impact of frequency and dosage, the model provides a method for calculating the point at which risk related to alcohol consumption is equal to background risk from other causes. A bootstrapped logistic regression based on the dose–response model was conducted using data from a case‐control study to obtain the predicted probability of MI associated with current drinking patterns, controlling for covariates.

Results:  MI risk decreased with increasing frequency of drinking, but increased as drinking dosage increased. Rates of increasing MI risk associated with drinking dosage were twice as high among women as they were among men. Relative to controls, lower MI risk was associated with consuming < 4.55 drinks per drinking day for men (95% CI: 2.77 to 7.18) and < 3.08 drinks per drinking day for women (95% CI: 1.35 to 5.16), increasing after these cross‐over points were exceeded.

Conclusions:  Use of a well‐specified mathematical dose–response model provided precise estimates for the first time of how drinking frequency and dosage each contribute linearly to the overall impact of a given drinking pattern on MI risk in men and women.
Behavioral Consequences of Repeated Nicotine During Adolescence in Alcohol‐Preferring AA and Alcohol‐Avoiding ANA Rats
Authors: Kemppainen Heidi , Hyytiä Petri , Kiianmaa Kalervo
Published: November 2008

Background:  Epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to nicotine at adolescent age is associated with increased potential to use alcohol and that genetic predisposition may further increase the risk. The present study addressed adolescent vulnerability to repeated nicotine exposure and its influence on subsequent ethanol self‐administration by investigating interactions between nicotine‐induced behavioral sensitization and voluntary ethanol consumption in alcohol preferring AA (Alko Alcohol) and alcohol nonpreferring ANA (Alko Non‐Alcohol) rat lines selected for differential ethanol intake.

Methods:  Adolescent and adult rats received 10 injections of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg s.c.), given every second day from postnatal day (Pnd) 27 and 75, respectively. Nicotine‐induced (0.5 mg/kg) locomotor activity was measured acutely after the first injection, and after the repeated treatment with nicotine on Pnds 52 and 86 in the adolescent groups and on Pnd 99 in the adult groups. After this, acquisition of voluntary ethanol (10% v/v) consumption as well as nicotine‐induced (0.5 mg/kg) ethanol intake was measured in the AA rats.

Results:  Adolescent AA rats were more sensitive than adolescent ANA rats to the locomotor effects of nicotine. They were also stimulated more than adult AA rats, but such a difference was not found among ANA rats. Adolescent and adult rats did not differ in their susceptibility to nicotine‐induced behavioral sensitization. Genetic predisposition to ethanol self‐administration did not interact with development of behavioral sensitization in either adolescents or adults. Acquisition of ethanol intake was enhanced in the adolescent groups relative to the adult groups in a manner that was independent of the nicotine treatment. An increase in ethanol intake was found after challenging animals with nicotine, and this effect was enhanced in the nicotine‐treated adolescent group.

Conclusions:  These findings provide no or little support for the views that adolescent animals are more sensitive to the neurobehavioral effects of repeated exposure to nicotine and that exposure to nicotine in adolescence may contribute to enhanced vulnerability to ethanol abuse. Furthermore, genetic predisposition to high or low ethanol self‐administration does not seem to be a factor that influences individual vulnerability to the neurobehavioral effects of repeated administration of nicotine.
The Aggressive Behavior Scale: A New Scale to Measure Aggression Based on the Minimum Data Set
Authors: Perlman Christopher M. , Hirdes John P.
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVES: To examine the reliability and validity of the Aggressive Behavior Scale (ABS), derived from the Minimum Data Set (MDS 2.0).

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of MDS 2.0 and Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) data.

SETTING: Ontario nursing homes (NHs) and complex continuing care (CCC) hospitals and units.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fourteen patients of a CCC hospital, 652 residents of four NH facilities who adopted the MDS 2.0 before its mandatory implementation, 124,259 CCC patients assessed with the MDS 2.0 between July 1996 and October 2006.

MEASUREMENTS: In all samples, trained facility clinical staff completed the MDS 2.0 as part of normal clinical practice. The ABS is a 4‐item summary scale measuring verbal and physical abuse, socially inappropriate behavior, and resisting care. In the single CCC facility, clinical facility staff completed the CMAI during the same assessment period as the MDS 2.0.

RESULTS: Alphas for the ABS were between 0.79 and 0.93 for the three samples. A strong relationship was found between the ABS and the aggressive subscale of the CMAI (correlation coefficient=0.72, P<.001). Impairment in cognition was found to be related to higher ABS scores in all three samples. In CCC, individuals who had higher ABS scores also had a higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and greater frequency of daily restraint use (P<.001 for each dependent variable).

CONCLUSION: The ABS provides a useful measure of the severity of aggressive behavior that can be used for care planning, quality measurement, and research.
Decomposing changes in agricultural price gaps: an application to Russia
Authors: Liefert William M.
Published: November 2008

The article develops a method for decomposing changes in agricultural price gaps, defined as the difference between a commodity's domestic producer and border prices. We use OECD's procedure for decomposing changes in the market price support part of producer support estimates as the starting point for our decomposition method, and our method provides a basis for critiquing OECD's decomposition approach. The transmission of changes in border prices (world prices and the exchange rate) to domestic prices is a key element in the decomposition. The method is demonstrated using Russian agricultural price gaps. The results support the argument that for Russian agriculture during the transition period, the main cause of changes in price gaps has been incomplete transmission of changes in the exchange rate to domestic prices, and where the weak transmission results mainly not from policy intervention, but rather from deficient market conditions, in particular poor market infrastructure. The policy implication is that underdeveloped infrastructure has strongly limited the benefits to the Russian economy from agricultural trade liberalization.
A joint test of market power, menu costs, and currency invoicing
Authors: Gervais Jean‐Philippe , Larue Bruno
Published: November 2008

This article investigates exchange rate pass‐through (ERPT) and currency invoicing decisions of Canadian pork exporters in the presence of menu costs. It is shown that when export prices are negotiated in the exporter's currency, menu costs cause threshold effects in the sense that there are bounds within (outside of) which price adjustments are not (are) observed. Conversely, the pass‐through is not interrupted by menu costs when export prices are denominated in the importer's currency. The empirical model focuses on pork meat exports from two Canadian provinces to the U.S. and Japan. Hansen's (2000) threshold estimation procedure is used to jointly test for currency invoicing and incomplete pass‐through in the presence of menu costs. Inference is conducted using the bootstrap with pre‐pivoting methods to deal with nuisance parameters. The existence of menu cost is supported by the data in three of the four cases. It also appears that Quebec pork exporters have some market power and invoice in Japanese yen their exports to Japan. Manitoba exporters also seem to follow the same invoicing strategy, but their ability to increase their profit margin in response to large enough own‐currency devaluations is questionable. Our currency invoicing results for sales to the U.S. are consistent with subsets of Canadian firms using either the Canadian or U.S. currency.
Rituximab to treat chronic lymphoproliferative disorder‐associated pure red cell aplasia
Authors: D’Arena Giovanni , Vigliotti Maria Luigia , Dell’Olio Matteo , Villa Maria Rosaria , Mantuano Saverio , Scalzulli Potito Rosario , La Sala Antonio , Abbadessa Antonio , Mastrullo Lucia , Cascavilla Nicola
Published: November 2008

We report four patients (mean age 65 yr; range 40–77 yr) affected by acquired pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) complicating chronic lymphoid disorders and treated with anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Three out of four patients were given packed red cell transfusion. Steroids and recombinant erythropoietin (r‐Epo) were also administered as first‐line therapy without response. After a mean time of 57 d (range 23–62 d) from PRCA diagnosis, all patients received rituximab at a dosage of 375 mg/m2/wk for four consecutive weeks. First injection side effects of rituximab were minimal. All patients showed an increase in hemoglobin levels in response to rituximab, in one patient just after the first dose, in another patient after the second and in two other patients after the third dose. Three patients (75%) were considered in complete remission (CR) and one patient (25%) in partial remission 4 wk after the last rituximab infusion, despite a CR was obtained later (16 wk following the beginning of the therapy). Finally, at the last follow‐up (mean 18.5 months, range 2–60 months), all patients were alive and in continue CR. Despite very limited in number, these results suggest that rituximab is very effective in the treatment of PRCA complicating B‐cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders.
Infectious Adenovirus Type 2 Transport Through Early but not Late Endosomes
Authors: Gastaldelli Michele , Imelli Nicola , Boucke Karin , Amstutz Beat , Meier Oliver , Greber Urs F.
Published: November 2008

Receptor‐mediated endocytosis is a major gate for pathogens into cells. In this study, we analyzed the trafficking of human adenovirus type 2 and 5 (Ad2/5) and the escape‐defective temperature‐sensitive Ad2‐ts1 mutant in epithelial cancer cells. Ad2/5 and Ad2‐ts1 uptake into endosomes containing transferrin, major histocompatibility antigen 1 and the Rab5 effector early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) involved dynamin, amphiphysin, clathrin and Eps15. Cointernalization experiments showed that most of the Ad2/5 and Ad2‐ts1 visited the same EEA1‐positive endosomes. In contrast to Ad2/5, Ad2‐ts1 required functional Rab5 for endocytosis and lysosomal transport and was sensitive to the phosphatidyl‐inositol‐3 (PI3)‐kinase inhibitor wortmannin or the ubiquitin‐binding protein Hrs for sorting from early to late endosomes. Endosomal escape of Ad2 was not affected by incubation at 19°C, which blocked membrane sorting in early endosomes and inhibited Ad2‐ts1 transport to lysosomes. Unlike Semliki Forest Virus (SFV), sorting of Ad2‐ts1 to late endosomes was independent of Rab7 and Ad2/5 infection independent of EEA1. The data indicate that Ad2/5 and Ad2‐ts1 use an invariant machinery for clathrin‐mediated uptake to early endosomes. We suggest that the infectious Ad2 particles are either directly released from early endosomes to the cytosol or sorted by a temperature‐insensitive and PI3‐kinase‐independent mechanism to an escape compartment different from late endosomes or lysosomes.
Short Elements with Charged Amino Acids Form Clusters to Sort Protachykinin into Large Dense‐Core Vesicles
Authors: Ma Guo‐Qiang , Wang Bin , Wang Hai‐Bo , Wang Qiong , Bao Lan
Published: November 2008

The sorting of neuropeptide tachykinins into large dense‐core vesicles (LDCVs) is a key step in their regulated secretion from neurons. However, the sorting mechanism for protachykinin has not yet to be clearly resolved. In this study, we report that the clustered short elements with charged amino acids regulate the efficiency of protachykinin sorting into LDCVs. A truncation experiment showed that the propeptide and the mature peptide‐containing sequence of protachykinin were sorted into LDCVs. These two regions exhibit a polarized distribution of charged amino acids. The LDCV localization of the propeptide was gradually decreased with an increasing number of neutral amino acids. Furthermore, the short element with four to five amino acids containing two charged residues was found to be a basic unit for LDCV sorting that enables regulated secretion. In the native propeptide sequence, these charged short elements were clustered to enhance the intermolecular aggregation by electrostatic interaction and produce a gradual and additive effect on LDCV sorting. The optimal conditions for intermolecular aggregation of protachykinin were at millimolar Ca2+ concentrations and pH 5.5–6.0. These results demonstrate that the charged short elements are clustered such that they serve as aggregative signals and regulate the efficiency of protachykinin sorting into LDCVs. These findings reveal a novel mechanism for the sorting of neuropeptides into a regulated secretory pathway.
LIN7 Mediates the Recruitment of IRSp53 to Tight Junctions
Authors: Massari Silvia , Perego Carla , Padovano Valeria , D’Amico Anna , Raimondi Andrea , Francolini Maura , Pietrini Grazia
Published: November 2008

In this study, we examined the role of the L27 [(LIN2‐LIN7) domain] and PDZ domain (domain previously found in PSD95‐DlgA‐ZO‐1) for protein–protein interaction of the scaffold protein LIN7 in tight junction (TJ) assembly in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and found that the stable expression of a LIN7 mutant lacking the L27 domain (ΔL27 mutant) acts as a dominant interfering protein by inhibiting TJ localization of endogenous LIN7. The loss of LIN7 did not alter the localization of the PALS1 (protein associated with LIN7) partner of the L27 domain but prevented TJ localization of the insulin receptor substrate p53 (IRSp53), a partner of the PDZ domain of LIN7. The function of both L27 and PDZ domains of LIN7 in IRSp53 localization to TJs has been further demonstrated by reducing the expression of LIN7 (LIN7 small hairpin RNA experiments) and by expression of IRSp53 deleted of its motif for PDZ interaction (IRSp53Δ5) or fused to the L27 domain of LIN7 (L27‐IRSp53Δ5). Cell lines with decreased localization of LIN7 and IRSp53 to TJs showed defects during assembly of TJs and cyst polarization and failed to activate Rac1, a member of the Rho guanosine triphosphatases family crucially involved in actin organization and orientation of apicobasal polarity. These data therefore indicate that LIN7–IRSp53 association plays a role during assembly of functional TJs and surface polarization in epithelial cells.
Vesicle Motion and Fusion are Altered in Chromaffin Cells with Increased SNARE Cluster Dynamics
Authors: López Inmaculada , Ortiz Jose A. , Villanueva José , Torres Vanesa , Torregrosa‐Hetland Cristina J. , Del Mar Francés Maria , Viniegra Salvador , Gutiérrez Luis M.
Published: November 2008

The expression of SNAP‐25 fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been instrumental in demonstrating SNARE role in exocytosis. The wild‐type GFP–SNAP‐25 and a Δ9 form, product of botulinum neurotoxin A activity, the main ingredient in the BOTOX preparation, were employed here to study SNARE implication in vesicle mobility and fusion in cultured bovine chromaffin cells, a neuroendocrine exocytotic model. Using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy, we have identified membrane microdomains of 500–600 nm diameter that contain both SNAP‐25 and syntaxin‐1 and associate with synaptobrevin‐2. Interestingly, while the SNAP‐25 Δ9 formed similar clusters, they displayed increased mobility both laterally and in the axis perpendicular to the plasmalemma, and this correlates with the enhanced dynamics of associated chromaffin granules. SNARE cluster‐enhanced motion is reversed by elevation of the intracellular calcium level. Furthermore, single vesicle fusion was unlikely in the highly mobile vesicles present in the cells expressing SNAP‐25 Δ9, which, in addition, displayed in average slower fusion kinetics. Consequently, SNARE cluster dynamics is a new aspect to consider when determining the factors contributing to the mobility of the vesicles in close vicinity to the plasma membrane and also the probability of exocytosis of this granule population.
Ascending thrombophlebitis after foam sclerotherapy as first symptom of breast cancer
Authors: Kobus Stephan , Reich‐Schupke Stefanie , Pindur Lukas , Altmeyer Peter , Stucker Markus
Published: November 2008

Malignancy increases the risk of thromboembolic events. Vascular events such as venous thromboses can even precede the diagnosis of cancer. A 48‐year‐old woman presented with an extensive thrombophlebitis of the left small saphenous vein and a perforating vein of the right leg after foam sclerotherapy with Aethoxysklerol® foam 0.5% for small varicose veins of both lower legs. A few days later an unknown advanced breast cancer was diagnosed. This case shows that not only venous thromboses but also thrombophlebitis can be a warning sign for malignancy.
Perifollicular protrusions – mid‐dermal elastolysis
Authors: Volz Andreas , Pfister‐Wartha Andrea , Bruckner‐Tuderman Leena , Braun‐Falco Markus
Published: November 2008

Mid‐dermal elastolysis is a rare peculiar entity clinically characterized by fine wrinkles and perifollicular protrusions that give the skin an aged or peau d'orange appearance. The histopathologic correlate is a bandlike loss of elastic tissue within the mid‐dermis.We present a typical case with prominent perifollicular protrusions.
New Journeys through Old Voyages: Literary Approaches to Richard Hakluyt and Early Modern Travel Writing
Authors: MacCrossan Colm
Published: November 2008

This essay provides newcomers with a path into the study of early modern English travel writing by reviewing the most important scholarship on this material, both before and since the recognition of its value to literary scholars beyond what Willy Maley has recently called the ‘rather limiting notion of “background” and “source” material’ (489). It introduces the texts of the genre's most influential figure in this period, Richard Hakluyt (c.1552–1616), and discusses how recent literary and interdisciplinary scholarship has placed new emphasis on the depth and complexity of Hakluyt's best‐known travel book, The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation (1589; 1598–1600). This shift that has caused much of the conventional wisdom surrounding this text to be reconsidered, and opened the way for new and sustained critical readings. Reflecting the fact that research into early modern travel literature is developing quite rapidly, this article contains up‐to‐date references (including to forthcoming scholarship from a number of the world's leading Hakluyt specialists), which even readers who are already familiar with this field may find useful.
Sentimental Visions of Empire in Eighteenth‐Century Studies
Authors: Festa Lynn
Published: November 2008

This survey of recent critical work on the role played by the sentimental in eighteenth‐century representations of empire is organized around four central issues. The first addresses the double‐edged use of sentimental writing as a form of ideological mystification – the palliating representation of scenes of colonial violence and imperial exploitation as moments of benevolence or sentimental exchange – and as a form of critique – as a means of representing the causes and consequences of remote actions as an incitement to proper action. The second takes up the way sentimentality is entwined with questions of commerce as a means of thinking about relations across the vast distances of empire, focusing in particular on the way sentimental tropes enabled thinking about the emergence of the global. The third turns to the utility of sentimental language for forging bonds of sympathetic identification with broader communities of nation and of empire, with particular attention to the way the extension of sympathy to another imperils the sanctity of the feeling self, while the final section addresses the way sentimental tropes police the circulation of sympathetic feeling as the means of monitoring the very boundaries of the human in the context of eighteenth‐century empire. Throughout I stress the need for more comparative work on the role played by the sentimental not only within different domains of imperial activity but also across periods, disciplines, and national discourses. The essay includes an extensive bibliography of recent studies of eighteenth‐century sentimentality in relation to empire.
Political Theology and Shakespeare Studies
Authors: Rust Jennifer R.
Published: November 2008

The current focus on political theology in Shakespeare studies is largely devoted to tracing how Shakespeare's dramas illuminate the structural link between religious and political forms in both early modernity and modern liberal democracy. Critics concerned with addressing Shakespeare's engagement with political theology are also interested in how Shakespeare's portrayal of sovereign bodies in crisis constitute an early representation of ‘biopolitics’. These critics draw on theorists ranging from Carl Schmitt to Giorgio Agamben to inform their analyses of the way Shakespeare dramatizes sovereignty in a ‘state of emergency’ in his histories and tragedies. Plays such as Richard II, Coriolanus, and Hamlet have drawn particular attention insofar as they vividly interrogate the nature of the sovereign exception and decision highlighted by theorists of political theology. While this line of criticism adds a new theoretical dimension to Shakespeare studies, it also offers the potential for remapping our understanding of the religious and political history of early modern England in its attention to the deforming pressure of religious schism on traditional structures of sovereignty.
A novel inhibitor of indole‐3‐glycerol phosphate synthase with activity against multidrug‐resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Shen Hongbo , Wang Feifei , Zhang Ying , Huang Qiang , Xu Shengfeng , Hu Hairong , Yue Jun , Wang Honghai
Published: November 2008

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The increasing emergence and spread of drug‐resistant TB poses a significant threat to disease control and calls for the urgent development of new drugs. The tryptophan biosynthetic pathway plays an important role in the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thus, indole‐3‐glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS), as an essential enzyme in this pathway, might be a potential target for anti‐TB drug design. In this study, we deduced the structure of IGPS of M. tuberculosis H37Rv by using homology modeling. On the basis of this deduced IGPS structure, screening was performed in a search for novel inhibitors, using the Maybridge database containing the structures of 60 000 compounds. ATB107 was identified as a potential binding molecule; it was tested, and shown to have antimycobacterial activity in vitro not only against the laboratory strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv, but also against clinical isolates of multidrug‐resistant TB strains. Most MDR‐TB strains tested were susceptible to 1 μg·mL−1 ATB107. ATB107 had little toxicity against THP‐1 macrophage cells, which are human monocytic leukemia cells. ATB107, which bound tightly to IGPS in vitro, was found to be a potent competitive inhibitor of the substrate 1‐(o‐carboxyphenylamino)‐1‐deoxyribulose‐5′‐phosphate, as shown by an increased Km value in the presence of ATB107. The results of site‐directed mutagenesis studies indicate that ATB107 might inhibit IGPS activity by reducing the binding affinity for substrate of residues Glu168 and Asn189. These results suggest that ATB107 is a novel potent inhibitor of IGPS, and that IGPS might be a potential target for the development of new anti‐TB drugs. Further evaluation of ATB107 in animal studies is warranted.
OUT FRONT AND STRONG: LOCAL WOMEN OF THE TENNESSEE COMMITTEE ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Authors: Wilkerson Jessica
Published: November 2008

This article explores the history of the Tennessee Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (TNCOSH) as it formed in East Tennessee in 1979, specifically addressing how local women contributed to the organization at the grassroots. Based largely on oral history research, the article lays out the early goals of TNCOSH as a democratic, alternative labor organization and addresses how the organization's structure affected the roles of rank‐and‐file women who participated in it. Ultimately, the bottom‐up structure of TNCOSH made it possible for women to participate in various roles, including leadership positions that have often been closed to women in traditional trade unions.
Nitric Oxide Potentiates Oligosaccharide‐induced Artemisinin Production in Artemisia annua Hairy Roots
Authors: Zheng Li‐Ping , Guo Yu‐Ting , Wang Jian‐Wen , Tan Ren‐Xiang
Published: November 2008

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the generation of nitric oxide (NO) in Artemisia annua roots induced by an oligosaccharide elicitor (OE) from Fusarium oxysporum mycelium and the potentiation role of NO in the elicitation of artemisinin accumulation. The OE (0.3 mg total sugar/mL) induced a rapid production of NO in cultures, which exhibited a biphasic time course, reaching the first plateau within 1.5 h and the second within 8 h of OE treatment. Artemisinin content in 20‐day‐old hairy roots was increased from 0.7 mg/g dry wt to 1.3 mg/g dry wt by using the OE treatment for 4 d. In the absence of OE, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) at 10, 50 μM and 100 μM enhanced the growth of hairy roots, but had no effect on artemisinin synthesis. The combination of SNP with OE increased artemisinin content from 1.2 mg/g dry wt to 2.2 mg/g dry wt, whereas the maximum production of artemisinin in cultures was 28.5 mg/L, a twofold increase over the OE treatment alone. The effects of SNP on the OE‐induced artemisinin were suppressed strongly by the NO scavenger 2‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide (cPTIO). The results suggest that NO can strongly potentiate elicitor‐induced artemisinin synthesis in A. annua hairy roots.
Stress Responsive Zinc‐finger Protein Gene of Populus euphratica in Tobacco Enhances Salt Tolerance
Authors: Wang Jun‐Ying , Xia Xin‐Li , Wang Jun‐Ping , Yin Wei‐Lun
Published: November 2008

The Populus euphratica stress responsive zinc‐finger protein gene PSTZ, which encodes a protein including typical Cys2/His2 zinc finger structure, was isolated by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction from P. euphratica. Northern hybridization revealed that its expression was induced under drought and salt stress conditions. To examine its function, cDNA of the PSTZ gene, driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, was cloned into a plant expression vector pBin438 and introduced into tobacco plants. Transgenic tobacco showed an enhanced salt tolerance, suggesting that PSTZ may play a role in plant responsiveness to salt stress.
Molecular Evidence for the Hybrid Origin of Bauhinia blakeana (Caesalpinioideae)
Authors: Mak Chun Yin , Cheung Ka Shing , Yip Pui Ying , Kwan Hoi Shan
Published: November 2008

Bauhinia blakeana Dunn is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region emblem and a popular horticultural species in many Asian countries. It was first described as a new species from Hong Kong almost a century ago. This plant is sterile and has long been considered a hybrid, possibly from two related species, B. purpurea and B. variegata. However, not much evidence based on molecular methods was available to support this hypothesis. In this study, sequences of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), rbcL and atpB‐rbcL intergenic spacer for five Bauhinia species and two varieties of one of the species were determined and compared. There were two types of ITS1 sequences in B. blakeana, one indistinguishable from that of B. purpurea and the other one identical to that of B. variegata. This confirmed that B. blakeana was a hybrid of these two species. Chloroplast atpB‐rbcL intergenic spacer sequence of B. blakeana was identical to that of B. purpurea, indicating that B. purpurea was the female parent. The hybridization event seemed to occur only recently and was a rare incident. Its occurrence was likely facilitated by interspecific pollen competition. It appeared that human efforts played a crucial role in the preservation and ubiquity of B. blakeana.
New Species of the Isolated Psaroniaceous Rachis from the Early Permian in China
Authors: Xiang Ning , Ma Shi‐Min , Tian Bao‐Lin , Wang Shi‐Jun , Zhang Ming‐Shan
Published: November 2008

A new kind of marattialean raches are reported from the coal balls in Coal Seam No.7 in the upper part of the Taiyuan Formation (early Early Permian) from Taiyuan, Shanxi, China and are assigned to the genus Stipitopteris Grand'Eury (Psaroniaceae). The present specimens are different from all six reported species of the genus, and are therefore proposed as a new species: Stipitopteris shanxiensis. The raches of the new species are generally dorsi‐ventrally flattened. The main raches usually exhibit scales of different forms on their surface. Beneath the epidermis is a zone of parenchymatous cells, some of which contain tannin‐like contents. Inside this is a zone of small sclerenchymatous cells. Inward are the ground tissue and vascular bundles. The vascular bundles are continuous and are in two circles: the outer circle assumes a transversely elliptical shape with the gap and pinna trace, and the inner circle assumes a shallow C‐shape with inrolled ends. The ground tissue located at the inner side of the vascular bundle is composed of thicker‐walled parenchymatous cells. The cells of the ground tissue are vertically elongated in longitudinal sections. Subordered raches are smaller and have simpler structures than the main raches. The parenchyma zone beneath the epidermis is thinner, usually one to two cells wide and the sclerenchyma zone is usually absent. The scales are poorly developed and there is only one C‐shaped vascular bundle. The new species is comparable to the crosiers of Psaroniaceae of the Euramerican Flora in some aspects, for example, it has a dorsi‐ventrally flattened rachis and scales on the surface of the rachis. However, the other features and the preservative conditions of the present specimens indicate that they are not crosiers, but fully developed or mature raches. The new species is the first well‐studied anatomically‐preserved rachis of Psaroniaceae from the Cathaysian Flora and bears significance not only in understanding the anatomy and taxonomy of Psaroniaceae in the Cathaysian Flora, but also in the relationship between the Euramerican Flora and the Cathaysian Flora.
Hydrogen Peroxide in Plants: a Versatile Molecule of the Reactive Oxygen Species Network
Authors: Quan Li‐Juan , Zhang Bo , Shi Wei‐Wei , Li Hong‐Yu
Published: November 2008

Plants often face the challenge of severe environmental conditions, which include various biotic and abiotic stresses that exert adverse effects on plant growth and development. During evolution, plants have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms to adapt to various environmental stressors. One of the consequences of stress is an increase in the cellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are subsequently converted to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Even under normal conditions, higher plants produce ROS during metabolic processes. Excess concentrations of ROS result in oxidative damage to or the apoptotic death of cells. Development of an antioxidant defense system in plants protects them against oxidative stress damage. These ROS and, more particularly, H2O2, play versatile roles in normal plant physiological processes and in resistance to stresses. Recently, H2O2 has been regarded as a signaling molecule and regulator of the expression of some genes in cells. This review describes various aspects of H2O2 function, generation and scavenging, gene regulation and cross‐links with other physiological molecules during plant growth, development and resistance responses.
Selenium‐induced Changes in Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes and Content of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spirulina platensis
Authors: Chen Tian‐Feng , Zheng Wen‐Jie , Wong Yum‐Shing , Yang Fang
Published: November 2008

Spirulina platensis exposed to various selenium (Se) concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40, 80, 150, 175, 200, 250 mg/L) accumulated high amounts of Se in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Under low Se concentrations (≤150 mg/L), Se induced increases in biomass concentration, content of photosynthetic pigments, and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and Gua‐dep peroxidases (POD), which indicates that antioxidant enzymes play an important role in protecting cells from Se stress. Higher Se concentrations (≥ 175 mg/L) led to higher Se accumulation and increases in activities of GPX, SOD, CAT and POD, but also induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) coupled with potassium leakage and decreases in biomass concentration and contents of photosynthetic pigment. The results indicate that increases in activities of the antioxidant enzymes were not sufficient to protect cell membranes against Se stress. Time‐dependent variations in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, contents of chlorophyll a and carotenoid and the LPO level were also investigated under representative Se concentrations of 40 and 200 mg/L. Opposite variation trends between SOD‐CAT activities, and GPX‐POD‐APX activities were observed during the growth cycles. The results showed that the prevention of damage to cell membranes of S. platensis cells could be achieved by cooperative effects of SOD‐CAT and GPX‐POD‐APX enzymes. This study concludes that S. platensis possessed tolerance to Se and could protect itself from phytotoxicity induced by Se by altering various metabolic processes.
In vitro comparison of different reciprocating systems used during endodontic retreatment
Authors: Zanettini Paulo Roberto , Barletta Fernando Branco , De Mello Rahde Nicole
Published: November 2008

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of two reciprocating systems for the removal of root‐filling material during endodontic retreatment. One hundred extracted mandibular premolars were prepared and root‐filled with gutta‐percha and sealer. Root fillings were removed with K‐files according to the following techniques: Group A – hand instrumentation; Group B – Endo‐Gripper system driven by compressed air; Group C – INTRAmatic 29CH + INTRA‐LUX 3LD driven by compressed air; Group D – Endo‐Gripper system driven by electric engine; Group E – INTRAmatic 29CH + INTRA‐LUX 3LD driven by electric engine. The amount of filling debris on root canal walls was assessed radiographically and analysed using Auto CAD 2000 software. One‐way anova and Duncan’s test revealed statistically significant differences only in the middle third (P = 0.01); the best results being reached in group D. The apical third displayed the greatest amount of filling material debris, regardless of the technique used.
Mandibular molar with five root canals
Authors: Barletta Fernando Branco , Dotto Sidney Ricardo , Reis Magda de Sousa , Ferreira Ronise , Travassos Rosana Maria Coelho
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the importance of knowledge of the internal anatomy of root canals for the success of endodontic treatment. Lack of knowledge of anatomic variations and their characteristics in different teeth has been pointed out as one of the main causes of endodontic therapy failure. In this report, the authors describe the endodontic treatment of a mandibular first molar with five root canals, evaluate the rate of occurrence of this number of canals, and discuss the importance of their identification and treatment.
Second mesiobuccal canal detection in maxillary first molars using microscopy and ultrasonics
Authors: Alaçam Tayfun , Tinaz Ali Cemal , Genç Özgür , Kayaoglu Guven
Published: November 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of operating microscope in combination with ultrasonics increased the rate of second mesiobuccal (MB2) canal detection in permanent maxillary first molar teeth. A hundred extracted human maxillary first molars were assessed. After location of the main canals, the MB2 canal was sought in all teeth first without microscopy, then with the aid of the operating microscope and finally with the combined use of the operating microscope and ultrasonics. With these techniques, the MB2 canal was detected in 62%, 67% and 74% of the teeth, respectively. The combination of the operating microscope and ultrasonics detected significantly more MB2 canals than when no microscopy was utilized (P < 0.05). Sectioning of the roots disclosed the presence of the MB2 canal in 82% of the teeth. Twenty‐nine per cent of the teeth had a separate MB2 canal orifice and separate apical foramina. The results of this study suggested that the combined use of the operating microscope and ultrasonics increased the detection of MB2 canals in maxillary first permanent molars.