bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post‐hematopoietic stem cell transplant immunization practices in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium
Authors: Hudspeth Michelle P. , Hill Tamara N. , Lewis Jocelyn A. , Van Meter Emily , Ragucci Dominic
Published: February 2010

Background

A survey of National Marrow Donor Program transplant centers in 1995 demonstrated a wide range of immunization practices in post‐hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, which led to the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for vaccination after HSCT. We surveyed the principal investigators of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC) to identify immunization practice patterns after HSCT and assess compliance with the 2000 CDC guidelines.

Procedure

Approval was obtained from the Medical University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board. A 33 question survey using surveymonkey.com was distributed by email to principal investigators in the PBMTC.

Results

Forty‐one (40%) of the 102 pediatric HSCT centers participating in the PBMTC responded. Thirty of the responding centers completed the entire survey. For individual vaccines, compliance with the CDC guidelines ranged from 22% to 93%. Less than 20% of the centers reported schedules consistent with the 2000 CDC recommendations for both allogeneic and autologous HSCT recipients.

Conclusion

Despite the 2000 CDC guidelines, wide variation in post‐HSCT immunization practices still exists. Updated guidelines have been needed, particularly to address the use of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. In conjunction with multiple other groups, the CDC recently released new immunization guidelines in October 2009. Additional data are still needed to adequately address the utility of incorporating immunologic parameters with the timing of vaccination after HSCT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:970–975 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measuring psychological morbidity for diabetes commissioning
Authors: Ruddock S , Fosbury J , Smith A , Meadows K , Crown A
Published: February 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of psychological morbidity in the local secondary care population of people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes (T1DM or T2DM) in order to determine appropriate treatment provision.

Four hundred patients seen in diabetes outpatient clinics were sent a number of standardised and validated questionnaires designed to measure: diabetes related distress; anxiety and depression; disordered eating behaviours; and borderline personality disorder. A response rate of 52.7% was achieved, providing a total of 211 completed questionnaires (111 T1DM, 100 T2DM) for analysis.

This study has demonstrated a high prevalence of psychological morbidity in the local secondary care population of people with diabetes, with as many as half of those surveyed (52%) reporting some level of psychological disturbance. After controlling for age, gender and diabetes type, few differences in levels of psychological dysfunction were identified between the T1DM and T2DM cohorts. The exception to this was disinhibited eating behaviours: 22% of people with T2DM had severe levels of disinhibited eating, twice that recorded in the T1DM population. Overall, 36% (n=76) of study participants had moderate–severe levels of depression, anxiety or both, and 9.5% (16 of 168) had scores suggestive of borderline personality disorder. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.
Parents’ Education and Children's Achievement: The Role of Personality
Authors: Steinmayr Ricarda , Dinger Felix C. , Spinath Birgit
Published: February 2010

The reasons for the positive association between families’ background variables, such as parents’ education, and children's academic achievement have not fully been clarified yet. The present study investigates children's intelligence and personality as potential mediators. A sample of 580 German high school students (mean age: M = 17.0; SD = 0.7) indicated the highest education of their parents and completed measures assessing their own personality and intelligence. Children's academic achievement was operationalized by grade point average. Children's intelligence, openness to experience and, marginally, conscientiousness partially mediated the association between parents’ education and children's academic achievement. Even after controlling for children's intelligence, the mediating effects of those personality traits held. Results are discussed with regard to potential underlying processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Personal and systems‐level factors that limit and facilitate school psychologists' involvement in school‐based mental health services
Authors: Suldo Shannon M. , Friedrich Allison , Michalowski Jessica
Published: February 2010

The common path through which youth with mental health problems actually receive treatment is the education system. The current study used qualitative methodology to explore why school psychologists are not providing the level of mental health services that children need, leaders in the field call for, and practitioners desire. Thirty‐nine school psychologists participated in 11 focus groups; they responded to structured questions regarding the range of mental health services they currently provide, as well as the personal and systemic factors that facilitate and limit their provision of these mental health services. Analysis of themes that emerged across focus groups indicated that school psychologists provide a broad variety of mental health services with an emphasis on group and individual counseling as well as crisis intervention. The factors most often mentioned as prohibiting the delivery of such services included problems inherent to using schools as the site for service delivery, insufficient training, and a lack of support from department/district administration and school personnel. The enabling conditions that emerged most involved perceptions of ample support from administration and school personnel, sufficient integration into the school site, and particular personal characteristics, such as the desire to provide counseling and the ability to maintain personal boundaries. Implications for practitioners, administrators, and trainers are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Emotion‐regulation ability, burnout, and job satisfaction among British secondary‐school teachers
Authors: Brackett Marc A. , Palomera Raquel , Mojsa‐Kaja Justyna , Reyes Maria Regina , Salovey Peter
Published: February 2010

The topic of emotion regulation and its relationship with teacher effectiveness is beginning to garner attention by researchers. This study examined the relationship between emotion‐regulation ability (ERA), as assessed by the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), and both job satisfaction and burnout among secondary‐school teachers (N = 123). It also examined the mediating effects of affect and principal support on these outcomes. ERA was associated positively with positive affect, principal support, job satisfaction, and one component of burnout, personal accomplishment. Two path models demonstrated that both positive affect and principal support mediated independently the associations between ERA and both personal accomplishment and job satisfaction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Irritation Potential of Nonthermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma in the HET‐CAM
Authors: Bender Claudia , Matthes Rutger , Kindel Eckhard , Kramer Axel , Lademann Jürgen , Weltmann Klaus‐Dieter , Eisenbeiß Werner , Hübner Nils‐Olaf
Published: February 2010

To determine a reliable test and validate the use of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma on wounds, we selected the Hen's Egg Test–chorioallantoic membrane (HET‐CAM) as an alternative method to the Draize rabbit test to determine the irritation potential of plasma. Irritations of varying intensities provoked by using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and an HF Plasma Jet corresponded to treatment frequencies and exposure times. Pulsed plasma led to the mildest irritations. Depending on the intensity of the irritations, the effects were partially or completely reversible. In the latter case, it may be assumed that this plasma mode can be applied to living tissue without harm. To conclude, the HET‐CAM is suitable for screening plasma sources and parameters for the medical applications of plasma.

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An enriched structural kinase database to enable kinome‐wide structure‐based analyses and drug discovery
Authors: Brooijmans Natasja , Chang Yu‐Wei , Mobilio Dominick , Denny Rajiah A. , Humblet Christine
Published: February 2010

The development of a kinase structural database, the kinase knowledge base (KKB), is described. It covers all human kinase domain structures that have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank. All structures are renumbered using a common scheme, which enables efficient cross‐comparisons and multiple queries of interest to the kinase field. The common numbering scheme is also used to automatically annotate conserved residues and motifs, and conformationally classify the structures based on the DFG‐loop and Helix C. Analyses of residue conservation in the ATP binding site using the full human‐kinome–sequence alignment lead to the identification of a conserved hydrogen bond between the hinge region backbone and a glycine in the specificity surface. Furthermore, 90% of kinases are found to have at least one stabilizing interaction for the hinge region, which has not been described before.
Transforming growth factor β1 mediates apoptotic activity of angiotensin II type I receptor blocker on prostate epithelium in vitro
Authors: Zhao Yayuan , Peng Jing , Zheng Lanbin , Yu Wei , Jin Jie
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND

The significant association of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and hypertension indicates a common pathophysiological factor for both diseases. Hyperactivity of the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) has been reported in BPH. Angiotensin II type I (AT1) receptor is the principal mediator of the RAS, and the antagonist, AT1 receptor blocker (ARB), can induce apoptosis in prostate epithelium cells and increase transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) expression. We aimed to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of AT1 receptor in prostate epithelium cells and the role of TGF‐β1.

METHODS

Human prostate epithelium cell lines were treated with different concentrations of ARB (losartan) (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1,000 µM) for 24–72 hr. Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell proliferation assay. The location of AT1 receptor was shown by immunocytohistochemistry and immunocytofluorescence study. Analysis of apoptosis was by use of terminal transferase TdT‐mediated dUTP‐biotin end labeling (TUNEL) and caspase 3/7 activity assay. Mitochondrial outer‐membrane permeabilization was measured by JC‐1 staining. The level of TGF‐β1 was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis showed AT1 receptor expressed in epithelium cells. Compared to control cultures, cultures treated with losartan for 24–72 hr showed a dose‐dependent significant decrease in cell number, with apoptosis increased by 65.2%. Decreased cell number was reversed on treatment with anti‐TGF‐β1 antibody. TUNEL staining showed increased apoptosis in prostate epithelium cells exposed to losartan. Caspase 3/7 activation was increased and mitochondrial membrane potential was downregulated. Expression of TGF‐β1 in cells treated with losartan was higher than that in untreated cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The apoptotic effect of blockade of AT1 receptor on human prostatic epithelium cells may be mediated through an autocrine the production of TGF‐β1. Furthermore, this finding may have implications for medication options. Prostate 70: 899–905, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hidden structure in amorphous solids
Authors: Inam F. , Lewis James P. , Drabold D. A.
Published: February 2010

Recent theoretical studies of amorphous silicon (a‐Si) [Pan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 206403 (2008)] have revealed subtle but significant structural correlations in network topology: the tendency for short (long) bonds to be spatially correlated with other short (long) bonds). These structures were linked to the electronic band tails in the optical gap. In this paper, we further examine these issues for a‐Si, and demonstrate that analogous correlations exist in amorphous SiO2, and in the organic molecule, β‐carotene. We conclude with a discussion of the origin of the effects and its possible generality.
Low temperature deposition of microcrystalline silicon germanium Si1‐xGex by RF‐PECVD
Authors: Fedala Abdelkrim , Simon Claude , Coulon Nathalie , Mohammed‐Brahim Tayeb , Abdeslam Mehena , Chami Ahmed‐Chafik
Published: February 2010

Highly crystallized Si1‐xGex films with x<0.2 are obtained at low temperature, 165 °C, using conventional capacitively coupled RF PECVD reactor. This result is obtained thanks to adding argon to the usual hydrogen, silane and germane gas mixture. Without argon, germanium has the effect to block the crystallization. Present crystallized SiGe films will be used as active layer of low temperature processed transistors on plastics to improve the field effect mobility. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication of nanogaps with modified morphology by potential‐controlled gold deposition
Authors: Yi Zhiwei , Banzet Marko , Offenhäusser Andreas , Mayer Dirk
Published: February 2010

Nanogaps consisting of facing nanoelectrodes are used to contact nanoscale objects between the nanoelectrodes and to measure charge transport properties through them. Here, nanogaps were fabricated by gold electrodeposition and the surface morphology was modified by the electrochemical potential, creating nanogaps with rounded surface at high overpotentials and needle‐like surface at low overpotentials. Quantized conductance was observed when the nanogap was narrowed until it was bridged by a few atoms. The needle‐like nanogaps showed a smaller contact area and better stability than the rounded nanogaps. The needle‐like nanogaps have the potential to electrically address an individual nanoscale object. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Metabolism of the major Echinacea alkylamideN‐isobutyldodeca‐2E,4E,8Z,10Z‐tetraenamide by human recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes and human liver microsomes
Authors: Toselli F. , Matthias A. , Bone K.M. , Gillam E.M.J. , Lehmann R.P.
Published: February 2010

Echinacea preparations are used for the treatment and prevention of upper respiratory tract infections. The phytochemicals believed responsible for the immunomodulatory properties are the alkylamides found in ethanolic extracts, with one of the most abundant being theN‐isobutyldodeca‐2E,4E,8Z,10Z‐tetraenamide (1). In this study, we evaluated the human cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of this alkylamide using recombinant P450s, human liver microsomes and pure synthetic compound. Epoxidation,N‐dealkylation and hydroxylation products were detected, with different relative amounts produced by recombinant P450s and microsomes. The major forms showing activity toward the metabolism of 1 were CYP1A1, CYP1A2 (both producing the same epoxide andN‐dealkylation product), CYP2A13 (producing two epoxides), and CYP2D6 (producing two epoxides and an hydroxylated metabolite). Several other forms showed less activity. In incubations with human liver microsomes and selective inhibitors, CYP2E1 was found to be principally responsible for producing the dominant, hydroxylation product, whereas CYP2C9 was the principal source of the epoxides and CYP1A2 was responsible for the dealkylation product. In summary, in this study the relative impacts of the main human xenobiotic‐metabolizing cytochrome P450s on the metabolism of a major Echinacea alkylamide have been established and the metabolites formed have been identified. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic study of stacked packaging units by operational modal analysis
Authors: Bernad Carlos , Laspalas Alberto , González David , Liarte Elías , Jiménez Miguel A.
Published: February 2010

Laboratory simulation of transport vibration has been the object of many studies in recent years due to the financial implications of potential customer claims in respect of damage caused during product distribution and the need for tools for packaging optimization. Most of these works concentrate on the special nature of transport vibrations and how to reproduce them: Power Spectral Density (PSD) profiles related to road and truck characteristics, the non‐stationary aspects of the environment, the non‐Gaussian characteristics of the recorded vibrations and the best procedures for meaningful laboratory testing.

In the present work, a different point of view is applied to the issue. The paper deals with the dynamics of different corrugated stacked packaging units by means of operational modal analysis and a 6 degrees of freedom multi‐axis shaker table.

The results show the already known non‐linear behaviour of the paperboard containers and the natural frequencies and modes likely to appear in the packaging. The relevance of bending‐like modes in relation to laboratory testing is discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A computational approach to stability of polytopic families of quasi‐polynomials with single delay
Authors: Tuzcu İlhan
Published: February 2010

This paper addresses stability of families of linear, time‐invariant systems with single time delay. The families are generated by system parameters uncertain within known intervals, and appearing linearly (affinely) in the systems' characteristic functions, which are quasi‐polynomials. First, easily implementable conditions for delay‐independent stability for such families are given. Later, for families that fail to be stable independently of delay, a computationally tractable method is presented to compute all possible time‐delay intervals for which the families are stable. The method is based on the edge theorem and provides the complete stability picture of a given family. Numerical examples illustrate the application of the method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deterministic random walks on regular trees
Authors: Cooper Joshua , Doerr Benjamin , Friedrich Tobias , Spencer Joel
Published: February 2010

Jim Propp's rotor–router model is a deterministic analog of a random walk on a graph. Instead of distributing chips randomly, each vertex serves its neighbors in a fixed order.

Cooper and Spencer (Comb Probab Comput 15 (2006) 815–822) show a remarkable similarity of both models. If an (almost) arbitrary population of chips is placed on the vertices of a grid ℤd and does a simultaneous walk in the Propp model, then at all times and on each vertex, the number of chips on this vertex deviates from the expected number the random walk would have gotten there by at most a constant. This constant is independent of the starting configuration and the order in which each vertex serves its neighbors.

This result raises the question if all graphs do have this property. With quite some effort, we are now able to answer this question negatively. For the graph being an infinite k‐ary tree (k ≥ 3), we show that for any deviation D there is an initial configuration of chips such that after running the Propp model for a certain time there is a vertex with at least D more chips than expected in the random walk model. However, to achieve a deviation of D it is necessary that at least exp(Ω(D2)) vertices contribute by being occupied by a number of chips not divisible by k at a certain time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2010
The CLEHES‐MOOD: An enactive technology towards effective and collaborative action
Authors: García De La Cerda Osvaldo , Laulié Cerda Lyonel
Published: February 2010

The present paper shows the creation of an enactive technology of self‐observation that facilitates the search of effective and collaborative action strategies for any observer that belongs to an organization or human activity system, with the experience of the user as the cornerstone of design. The technology is based in the observation of moods using the ontological tool CLEHES© for opening different distinctions, re‐configures microidentities and enhance awareness. For that, the technology was proved in a sample of executives and administrative personnel whom described their own experiences and learnings by the use of the CLEHES‐MOOD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A four‐dimensional view of IT business value
Authors: Cao Guangming
Published: February 2010

Research on IT business value has recognized that organizational factors play critical roles in affecting how IT impacts on firm performance. However, there is neither a coherent way of specifying organizational factors nor a consensus on the relationship between IT and organizational factors within the research domain. This paper reviews IT business value literature and classifies organizational factors identified in the literature into four categories, based on a four‐dimensional view of organizations. A main finding is that pairwise relationships between IT and one single organizational factor have often been the basis for understanding IT business value, while the notion of how IT business value is affected by the interaction between IT and key organizational factors simultaneously is yet to be fully understood and empirically examined. As a result, this paper proposes a holistic approach to understanding IT business value and presents a discussion about future IT business research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differentiation and Characterization of Metabolically Functioning Hepatocytes from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Duan Yuyou , Ma Xiaochui , Zou Wei , Wang Charles , Bahbahan Iman Saramipoor , Ahuja Tijess P. , Tolstikov Vladimir , Zern Mark A.
Published: February 2010

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may provide a cell source for functional hepatocytes for clinical applications and drug development. Initially, the hESC population was enriched to be more than 85% definitive endoderm (DE) as assessed by the expression of CXCR4, SOX17, and FOXA2. We then successfully converted DE into hepatic progenitors with 93% of the cells being positive for α-feto protein within 9 days. The percentage of albumin positive cells gradually increased to 90% at days 20-22 after differentiation. Moreover, our hESC-derived hepatocytes (hEH) developed a complete biotransformation system including phase I and II metabolizing enyzmes and phase III transporters. Nuclear receptors, which are critical in regulating the expression of metabolizing enzymes, were also expressed by our hEH. Using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology, we identified seven metabolic pathways of the drug bufuralol including four newly-reported ones in our hEH, which are the same as those in freshly isolated human primary hepatocytes (hPH). In addition, the results of the metabolism of four drugs indicate that our hEH have the capacity to metabolize these drugs at levels that are comparable to hPH. In conclusion, we have generated a relatively homogenous population of hepatocytes from hESCs, which appear to have complete metabolic function that is comparable to primary liver cells. These results represent a significant step towards the efficient differentiation of mature hepatocytes for cell-based therapeutics as well as for pharmacology and toxicology studies.
Hypoxia Influences the Vascular Expansion and Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cell Cultures Through the Temporal Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors in an ARNT-Dependent Manner
Authors: Han Yu , Kuang Shu-Zhen , Gomer Alla , Ramirez-Bergeron Diana L.
Published: February 2010

Adaptive responses to low oxygen (O2) tension (hypoxia) are mediated by the heterodimeric transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). When stabilized by hypoxia, bHLH-PAS α- and β- (HIF-1β or ARNT) HIF complex regulate the expression of multiple genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). To investigate the mechanism(s) through which hypoxia contributes to blood vessel development, we used embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation cultures that develop into embryoid bodies (EBs) mimicking early embryonic development. Significantly, low O2 levels promote vascular development and maturation in wild-type (WT) ESC cultures measured by an increase in the numbers of CD31+ endothelial cells (ECs) and sprouting angiogenic EBs, but refractory in Arnt−/− and Vegf−/− ESC cultures. Thus, we propose that hypoxia promotes the production of ECs and contributes to the development and maturation of vessels. Our findings further demonstrate that hypoxia alters the temporal expression of VEGF receptors Flk-1 (VEGFR-2) and the membrane and soluble forms of the antagonistic receptor Flt-1 (VEGFR-1). Moreover, these receptors are distinctly expressed in differentiating Arnt−/− and Vegf−/− EBs. These results support existing models in which VEGF signaling is tightly regulated during specific biologic events, but also provide important novel evidence that, in response to physiologic hypoxia, HIF mediates a distinct stoichiometric pattern of VEGF receptors throughout EB differentiation analogous to the formation of vascular networks during embryogenesis.
Isolation of a Highly Myogenic CD34-Negative Subset of Human Skeletal Muscle Cells Free of Adipogenic Potential
Authors: Pisani Didier F. , Dechesne Claude A. , Sacconi Sabrina , Delplace Severine , Belmonte Nathalie , Cochet Olivia , Clement Noémie , Wdziekonski Brigitte , Villageois Albert P. , Butori Catherine , Bagnis Claude , Di Santo James P. , Kurzenne Jean-Yves , Desnuelle Claude , Dani Christian
Published: February 2010

The differentiation of multipotent cells into undesirable lineages is a significant risk factor when performing cell therapy. In muscular diseases, myofiber loss can be associated with progressive fat accumulation that is one of the primary factors leading to decline of muscular strength. Therefore, to avoid any contribution of injected multipotent cells to fat deposition, we have searched for a highly myogenic but nonadipogenic muscle-derived cell population. We show that the myogenic marker CD56, which is the gold standard for myoblast-based therapy, was unable to separate muscle cells into myogenic and adipogenic fractions. Conversely, using the stem cell marker CD34, we were able to sort two distinct populations, CD34+ and CD34−, which have been thoroughly characterized in vitro and in vivo using an immunodeficient Rag2−/−γc−/− mouse model of muscle regeneration with or without adipose deposition. Our results demonstrate that both populations have equivalent capacities for in vitro amplification. The CD34+ cells and CD34− cells exhibit equivalent myogenic potential, but only the CD34− population fails to differentiate into adipocytes in vitro and in vivo after transplantation into regenerative fat muscle. These data indicate that the muscle-derived cells constitute a heterogeneous population of cells with various differentiation potentials. The simple CD34 sorting allows isolation of myogenic cells with no adipogenic potential and therefore could be of high interest for cell therapy when fat is accumulated in diseased muscle.
An efficient anycast scheme for discoveringkservices in cluster‐based mobilead hocnetworks
Authors: Dow C. R. , Lin P. J. , Chen S. C. , Hwang S. F.
Published: February 2010

Anycast is a one‐to‐any bidirectional transmission scheme that can be used to provide various service‐oriented applications. However, traditional anycast cannot support some distributed applications that need to locate multiple servers such as network time protocols and threshold cryptography. Although there are some extended anycast schemes that can support the discovery ofkservices, they may cause high control overhead, low satisfaction ratio, or high searching latency when there are more service requesters and providers. The main reasons for these shortcomings are unknown service information and limited hierarchical structure. This work proposes an efficient anycast scheme, called AnyKast, for discoveringkservices in cluster‐based mobilead hocnetworks. In the AnyKast scheme, an anycast tree based on the clustering and virtual backbone is established to reduce unnecessary message transmission. In the anycast tree, anycast clusterheads disseminate their information to certain specific nodes that take the service information and perform the service selection task instead of blindly searching. Furthermore, to decrease the cost of service information collection and maintenance, scope flooding is used to limit the information transmission, and information piggybacking and periodical inquiry mechanism are used to increase the service information accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that our scheme can effectively discover services, reduce request and reply message control overhead, and lower the searching latency. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
APOBEC‐1‐mediated RNA editing
Authors: Blanc Valerie , Davidson Nicholas O.
Published: February 2010

RNA editing defines a molecular process by which a nucleotide sequence is modified in the RNA transcript and results in an amino acid change in the recoded message from that specified in the gene. We will restrict our attention to the type of RNA editing peculiar to mammals, i.e., nuclear C to U RNA editing. This category of RNA editing contrasts with RNA modifications described in plants, i.e., organellar RNA editing (reviewed in Ref 1). Mammalian RNA editing is genetically and biochemically classified into two groups, namely insertion‐deletional and substitutional.2 Substitutional RNA editing is exclusive to mammals, again with two types reported, namely adenosine to inosine and cytosine to uracil (C to U).3, 4 This review will examine mammalian C to U RNA editing of apolipoproteinB (apoB) RNA and the role of the catalytic deaminase Apobec‐1.5, 6 We will speculate on the functions of Apobec‐1 beyond C to U RNA editing as implied from its ability to bind AU‐rich RNAs and discuss evidence that dysregulation of Apobec‐1 expression might be associated with carcinogenesis through aberrant RNA editing or altered RNA stability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Regulatory Biology
Simultaneous/Incidental Cholecystectomy During Gastric/Esophageal Resection: Systematic Analysis of Risks and Benefits
Authors: Gillen Sonja , Michalski Christoph W. , Schuster Tibor , Feith Marcus , Friess Helmut , Kleeff Jörg
Published: February 2010

Background

After esophageal/gastric resection with resulting truncal vagotomy, the incidence of gallstone formation seems to increase. The clinical relevance of gallstones and the role of simultaneous/incidental cholecystectomy in this setting are controversially discussed.

Methods

Systematic analysis has been performed for retrospective/prospective studies on the incidence/symptoms of gallstone formation after esophageal/gastric resection. Pooled estimates of the incidence of cholecystectomies were calculated by random effect models. Risk analyses of simultaneous, acute postoperative cholecystectomy and long‐term cholecystectomy were performed.

Results

Sixteen studies on gallstone formation after upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery (3,735 patients) reported increased incidences of 5–60% with a pooled estimate of 17.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 14.1–21.2%; inconsistency statistic (I2) = 86%) compared with 4–12% in the control population. In 113 of 3,011 patients (12 studies), late cholecystectomies were performed for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis, corresponding to an estimated overall proportion of 4.7% (95% CI, 2.1–8.2%; I2 = 92%). In 1.2% (95% CI, >0–3.7%; I2 = 93%) of patients undergoing upper GI surgery, a cholecystectomy was performed because of acute postoperative biliary problems (4 studies, 8,748 patients). Simultaneous cholecystectomy had a higher morbidity of 0.95% (95% CI, 0.54–1.49%; I2 = 28%) compared with the calculated additional morbidity of early and late cholecystectomy of 0.45%.

Conclusions

Approximately 6% of patients undergoing upper GI surgery are expected to require cholecystectomy during follow‐up. Because late cholecystectomies can be performed safely and because the additional calculated morbidity for these operations is lower than the morbidity for simultaneous cholecystectomy, it cannot generally be recommended to remove a normal acalculous gallbladder during upper GI surgery.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895
Authors: Paine S. C. M.
Published: February 2010

The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 is a seminal event in world history, yet it has been virtually ignored in Western literature. In the East, the focus of Chinese foreign policy has been to undo its results whereas the focus of Japanese foreign policy has been to confirm them. Japan supplanted China as the dominant regional power, disrupting the traditional power balance and fracturing the previous international harmony within the Confucian world, leaving enduring territorial and political fault lines that have embroiled China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Taiwan ever since. The book examines the war through the eyes of the journalists who filed reports from China, Japan, Russia, Europe, and the United States showing how the war changed outside perceptions of the relative power of China and Japan and the consequences of these changed perceptions, namely, the scramble for concessions in China and Japan's emergence as a great power.
Principles of Statistical Techniques
Authors: Moore P. G.
Published: February 2010

This is a straightforward and practical introduction to statistics for students without any advanced knowledge of mathematics who need to use statistical techniques. The author provides a wide selection of effective tools of the trade so that the reader can tackle a whole variety of concrete situations. No attempt is made to give a comprehensive account of the subject. Enough technique is explained so that the reader can appreciate when there is a need to turn to more advanced material elsewhere. The basic mathematics required is at the level of senior secondary school education, although even less is necessary for the earlier chapters of the book.
Matrices of Sign-Solvable Linear Systems
Authors: Brualdi Richard A. , Shader Bryan L.
Published: February 2010

The sign-solvability of a linear system implies that the signs of the entries of the solution are determined solely on the basis of the signs of the coefficients of the system. That it might be worthwhile and possible to investigate such linear systems was recognised by Samuelson in his classic book Foundations of Economic Analysis. Sign-solvability is part of a larger study which seeks to understand the special circumstances under which an algebraic, analytic or geometric property of a matrix can be determined from the combinatorial arrangement of the positive, negative and zero elements of the matrix. The large and diffuse body of literature connected with sign-solvability is presented as a coherent whole for the first time in this book, displaying it as a beautiful interplay between combinatorics and linear algebra. One of the features of this book is that algorithms that are implicit in many of the proofs have been explicitly described and their complexity has been commented on.
The New World of Mr Tompkins
Authors: Gamow George , Edwards Michael
Published: February 2010

Mr Tompkins is back! The mild-mannered bank clerk with the short attention span and vivid imagination has inspired, charmed and informed young and old alike since the publication of the hugely successful Mr Tompkins in Paperback (by George Gamow) in 1965. In this 1999 book, he returns in a new set of adventures exploring the extreme edges of the universe - the smallest, the largest, the fastest, the farthest. Through his experiences and his dreams, you are there at Mr Tompkins' shoulder watching and taking part in the merry dance of cosmic mysteries: Einstein's relativity, bizarre effects near light-speed, the birth and death of the universe, black holes, quarks, space warps and antimatter, the fuzzy world of the quantum, and that ultimate cosmic mystery of all … love. This text is revised, updated and expanded by best-selling popular-science author Russell Stannard (who wrote the much-acclaimed Uncle Albert series of books for children).
Human Rights and International Relations
Authors: Vincent R. J.
Published: February 2010

This book is about the impact of human rights on the relations among states. It seeks to bring together in one place an account of the theory of human rights (what they are; where they come from; whether they are universal); a discussion of the part they play in contemporary international politics (including East-West and North-South relations); and a view of what ought to be done about them - especially by the western powers. The central policy recommendation made by Dr Vincent is that, as a project for international society, provision for subsistence rights has a strong claim to priority over other human rights. Dr Vincent's conclusion about the place of human rights in contemporary international society neither simply endorses the notion of the advance of cosmopolitan values on the society of states, nor rests on an observation of the continuing strength of state sovereignty. He shows how the grip of the sovereign state might in fact be tightened by its successful co-option of the international doctrine of human rights.
Knowledge and Persuasion in Economics
Authors: McCloskey Deirdre N.
Published: February 2010

Is economics a science? Deidre McCloskey says 'Yes, but'. Yes, economics measures and predicts, but - like other sciences - it uses literary methods too. Economists use stories as geologists do, and metaphors as physicists do. The result is that the sciences, economics among them, must be read as 'rhetoric', in the sense of writing with intent. McCloskey's books, The Rhetoric of Economics(1985) and If You're So Smart(1990), have been widely discussed. In Knowledge and Persuasion in Economics he converses with his critics, suggesting that they too can gain from knowing their rhetoric. The humanistic and mathematical approaches to economics, says McCloskey, fit together in a new 'interpretive' economics. Along the way he places economics within the sciences, examines the role of mathematics in the field, replies to critics from the left, right and centre, and shows how economics can again take a leading place in the conversation of humankind.
Hodge Theory and Complex Algebraic Geometry II
Authors: Voisin Claire
Published: February 2010

The 2003 second volume of this account of Kaehlerian geometry and Hodge theory starts with the topology of families of algebraic varieties. Proofs of the Lefschetz theorem on hyperplane sections, the Picard–Lefschetz study of Lefschetz pencils, and Deligne theorems on the degeneration of the Leray spectral sequence and the global invariant cycles follow. The main results of the second part are the generalized Noether–Lefschetz theorems, the generic triviality of the Abel–Jacobi maps, and most importantly Nori's connectivity theorem, which generalizes the above. The last part of the book is devoted to the relationships between Hodge theory and algebraic cycles. The book concludes with the example of cycles on abelian varieties, where some results of Bloch and Beauville, for example, are expounded. The text is complemented by exercises giving useful results in complex algebraic geometry. It will be welcomed by researchers in both algebraic and differential geometry.
Logit Models from Economics and Other Fields
Authors: Cramer J. S.
Published: February 2010

Logistic models are widely used in economics and other disciplines and are easily available as part of many statistical software packages. This text for graduates, practitioners and researchers in economics, medicine and statistics, which was originally published in 2003, explains the theory underlying logit analysis and gives a thorough explanation of the technique of estimation. The author has provided many empirical applications as illustrations and worked examples. A large data set - drawn from Dutch car ownership statistics - is provided online for readers to practise the techniques they have learned. Several varieties of logit model have been developed independently in various branches of biology, medicine and other disciplines. This book takes its inspiration from logit analysis as it is practised in economics, but it also pays due attention to developments in these other fields.
Multidimensional Real Analysis I
Authors: Duistermaat J. J. , Kolk J. A. C.
Published: February 2010

Part one of the authors' comprehensive and innovative work on multidimensional real analysis. This book is based on extensive teaching experience at Utrecht University and gives a thorough account of differential analysis in multidimensional Euclidean space. It is an ideal preparation for students who wish to go on to more advanced study. The notation is carefully organized and all proofs are clean, complete and rigorous. The authors have taken care to pay proper attention to all aspects of the theory. In many respects this book presents an original treatment of the subject and it contains many results and exercises that cannot be found elsewhere. The numerous exercises illustrate a variety of applications in mathematics and physics. This combined with the exhaustive and transparent treatment of subject matter make the book ideal as either the text for a course, a source of problems for a seminar or for self study.
Riemannian Geometry
Authors: Chavel Isaac
Published: February 2010

This book provides an introduction to Riemannian geometry, the geometry of curved spaces, for use in a graduate course. Requiring only an understanding of differentiable manifolds, the author covers the introductory ideas of Riemannian geometry followed by a selection of more specialized topics. Also featured are Notes and Exercises for each chapter, to develop and enrich the reader's appreciation of the subject. This second edition, first published in 2006, has a clearer treatment of many topics than the first edition, with new proofs of some theorems and a new chapter on the Riemannian geometry of surfaces. The main themes here are the effect of the curvature on the usual notions of classical Euclidean geometry, and the new notions and ideas motivated by curvature itself. Completely new themes created by curvature include the classical Rauch comparison theorem and its consequences in geometry and topology, and the interaction of microscopic behavior of the geometry with the macroscopic structure of the space.
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 50
Authors: Sutcliffe W. Dean
Published: February 2010

The Op. 50 string quartets contain some of the purest writing Haydn ever accomplished. In this first full account of these six quartets Dean Sutcliffe evaluates the Op. 50 in relation to Haydn's more frequently performed quartets and considers their relevance to the composer's wider output. A lucid and accessible discussion of the music emphasises the unity of each quartet: not only motivic unity, but unity also of texture, articulation, harmony and syntax. Each quartet is described in detail. The informative background provided by Dr Sutcliffe includes a brief history of the string quartet, and an assessment of Haydn's earlier works in this genre and of his role at Esterhaza. The description of the composition and publication of the Op. 50 quartets is based on the evidence of Haydn's surviving letters and the recently discovered autograph copies of Nos. 3 to 6 - a discovery which is vividly documented here for the first time.
An Introduction to Metal Matrix Composites
Authors: Clyne T. W. , Withers P. J.
Published: February 2010

Metal matrix composites constitute a new class of materials, now starting to make a major industrial impact in fields as diverse as aerospace, automotives and electronics. This book gives a comprehensive, integrated coverage of these materials, including the background to analytical-, experimental-, production and application-oriented aspects. Clear pictorial descriptions are given of the basic principles governing various properties and characteristics; these encompass mechanical, thermal, electrical, environmental and wear behaviour. Coverage also extends to material processing and component fabrication aspects and to a survey of commercial usage. This book is aimed primarily at scientists, engineers, production managers and all those involved in research on new materials in general, and metal matrix composites in particular, but may also be suitable for use as a text in beginning graduate and advanced undergraduate courses.
Methods of Algebraic Geometry
Authors: Hodge W. V. D. , Pedoe D.
Published: February 2010

This work provides a lucid and rigorous account of the foundations of modern algebraic geometry. The authors have confined themselves to fundamental concepts and geometrical methods, and do not give detailed developments of geometrical properties but geometrical meaning has been emphasised throughout. Volume 2 gives an account of the principal methods used in developing a theory of algebraic varieties in spaces of n dimensions. Applications of these methods are also given to some of the more important varieties which occur in projective geometry. The ground field is without characteristic. Since geometry over any field without characteristic conforms to the general pattern of geometry over the field of complex numbers, a sound algebraic basis for classical geometry is provided. The other two volumes of Hodge and Pedoe's classic work are also available. Together, these books give an insight into algebraic geometry that is unique and unsurpassed.
The Political Morality of Liberal Democracy
Authors: Perry Michael J.
Published: February 2010

In this important new work in political and constitutional theory, Michael J. Perry elaborates and defends an account of the political morality of liberal democracy: the moral convictions and commitments that in a liberal democracy should govern decisions about what laws to enact and what policies to pursue. The fundamental questions addressed in this book concern (1) the grounding, (2) the content, (3) the implications for one or another moral controversy and (4) the judicial enforcement of the political morality of liberal democracy. The particular issues discussed include whether government may ban pre-viability abortion, whether government may refuse to extend the benefit of law to same-sex couples and what role religion should play in the politics and law of a liberal democracy.