bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rim 2/Hipa CACTA transposon display ; A new genetic marker technique in Oryza species
Authors: Kwon Soon-Jae , Park Kyong-Chul , Kim Jin-Hong , Lee Ju Kyong , Kim Nam-Soo
Published: March 2005

Background

Transposons constitute the major fractions of repetitive sequences in eukaryotes, and have been crucial in the shaping of current genomes. Transposons are generally divided into two classes according to the mechanism underlying their transposition: RNA intermediate class 1 and DNA intermediate class 2. CACTA is a class 2 transposon superfamily, which is found exclusively in plants. As some transposons, including the CACTA superfamily, are highly abundant in plant species, and their nucleotide sequences are highly conserved within a family, they can be utilized as genetic markers, using a slightly modified version of the conventional AFLP protocol. Rim2 /Hipa is a CACTA transposon family having 16 bp consensus TIR sequences to be present in high copy numbers in rice genome. This research was carried out in order to develop a Rim2/Hipa CACTA-AFLP or Rim2/Hipa CACTA-TD (transposon display, hereafter Rim2/Hipa-TD) protocol for the study of genetic markers in map construction and the study of genetic diversity in rice.

Results

Rim2/Hipa-TD generated ample polymorphic profiles among the different rice accessions, and the amplification profiles were highly reproducible between different thermocyclers and Taq polymerases. These amplification profiles allowed for clear distinction between two different ecotypes, Japonica and Indica, of Oryza sativa. In the analysis of RIL populations, the Rim2/Hipa-TD markers were found to be segregated largely in a dominant manner, although in a few cases, non-parental bands were observed in the segregating populations. Upon linkage analysis, the Rim2/Hipa-TD markers were found to be distributed in the regions proximal to the centromeres of the chromosomes. The distribution of the Rim2/Hipa CACTA elements was surveyed in 15 different Oryza species via Rim2/Hipa-TD. While Rim2/Hipa-TD yielded ample amplification profiles between 100 to 700 bp in the AA diploid Oryza species, other species having BB, CC, EE, BBCC and CCDD, profiles demonstrated that most of the amplified fragments were larger than 400 bp, and that our methods were insufficient to clearly distinguish between these fragments. However, the overall amplification profiles between species in the Oryza genus were fully distinct. Phenetic relationships among the AA diploid Oryza species, as evidenced by the Rim2/Hipa-TD markers, were matched with their geographical distributions.

Conclusion

The abundance of the Rim2/Hipa TIR sequences is very informative since the Rim2/Hipa-TD produced high polymorphic profiles with ample reproducibility within a species as well as between species in the Oryza genus. Therefore, Rim2/Hipa-TD markers can be useful in the development of high-density of genetic map around the centromeric regions. Rim2/Hipa-TD may also prove useful in evaluations of genetic variation and species relationships in the Oryza species.
Recognition and binding of mismatch repair proteins at an oncogenic hot spot
Authors: Edelbrock Michael , He Huiling , Schroering Allen , Fernstrom Martha , Bathala Sangeetha , Williams Kandace J
Published: March 2005

Background

The current investigation was undertaken to determine key steps differentiating G:T and G:A repair at the H-ras oncogenic hot spot within the nuclear environment because of the large difference in repair efficiency of these two mismatches.

Results

Electrophoretic mobility shift (gel shift) experiments demonstrate that DNA containing mismatched bases are recognized and bound equally efficiently by hMutSα in both MMR proficient and MMR deficient (hMLH1-/-) nuclear extracts. Competition experiments demonstrate that while hMutSα predictably binds the G:T mismatch to a much greater extent than G:A, hMutSα demonstrates a surprisingly equal ratio of competitive inhibition for both G:T and G:A mismatch binding reactions at the H-ras hot spot of mutation. Further, mismatch repair assays reveal almost 2-fold higher efficiency of overall G:A repair (5'-nick directed correct MMR to G:C and incorrect repair to T:A), as compared to G:T overall repair. Conversely, correct MMR of G:T → G:C is significantly higher (96%) than that of G:A → G:C (60%).

Conclusion

Combined, these results suggest that initiation of correct MMR requires the contribution of two separate steps; initial recognition by hMutSα followed by subsequent binding. The 'avidity' of the binding step determines the extent of MMR pathway activation, or the activation of a different cellular pathway. Thus, initial recognition by hMutSα in combination with subsequent decreased binding to the G:A mismatch (as compared to G:T) may contribute to the observed increased frequency of incorrect repair of G:A, resulting in the predominant GG C → GT C (Gly → Val) ras- activating mutation found in a high percentage of human tumors.
Personalized online information search and visualization
Authors: Chen Dongquan , Orthner Helmuth F , Sell Susan M
Published: March 2005

Background

The rapid growth of online publications such as the Medline and other sources raises the questions how to get the relevant information efficiently. It is important, for a bench scientist, e.g., to monitor related publications constantly. It is also important, for a clinician, e.g., to access the patient records anywhere and anytime. Although time-consuming, this kind of searching procedure is usually similar and simple. Likely, it involves a search engine and a visualization interface. Different words or combination reflects different research topics. The objective of this study is to automate this tedious procedure by recording those words/terms in a database and online sources, and use the information for an automated search and retrieval. The retrieved information will be available anytime and anywhere through a secure web server.

Results

We developed such a database that stored searching terms, journals and et al., and implement a piece of software for searching the medical subject heading-indexed sources such as the Medline and other online sources automatically. The returned information were stored locally, as is, on a server and visible through a Web-based interface. The search was performed daily or otherwise scheduled and the users logon to the website anytime without typing any words. The system has potentials to retrieve similarly from non-medical subject heading-indexed literature or a privileged information source such as a clinical information system. The issues such as security, presentation and visualization of the retrieved information were thus addressed. One of the presentation issues such as wireless access was also experimented. A user survey showed that the personalized online searches saved time and increased and relevancy. Handheld devices could also be used to access the stored information but less satisfactory.

Conclusion

The Web-searching software or similar system has potential to be an efficient tool for both bench scientists and clinicians for their daily information needs.
Is expanding Medicare coverage cost-effective?
Authors: Franks Peter , Muennig Peter , Gold Marthe
Published: March 2005

Background

Proposals to expand Medicare coverage tend to be expensive, but the value of services purchased is not known. This study evaluates the efficiency of the average private supplemental insurance plan for Medicare recipients.

Methods

Data from the National Health Interview Survey, the National Death Index, and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were analyzed to estimate the costs, changes in life expectancy, and health-related quality of life gains associated with providing private supplemental insurance coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. Model inputs included socio-demographic, health, and health behavior characteristics.

Parameter estimates from regression models were used to predict quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs associated with private supplemental insurance relative to Medicare only. Markov decision analysis modeling was then employed to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.

Results

Medicare supplemental insurance is associated with increased health care utilization, but the additional costs associated with this utilization are offset by gains in quality-adjusted life expectancy. The incremental cost-effectiveness of private supplemental insurance is approximately $24,000 per QALY gained relative to Medicare alone.

Conclusion

Supplemental insurance for Medicare beneficiaries is a good value, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio comparable to medical interventions commonly deemed worthwhile.
Fibrocytes are potent stimulators of anti-virus cytotoxic T cells
Authors: Balmelli Carole , Ruggli Nicolas , McCullough Kenneth , Summerfield Artur
Published: March 2005

Fibrocytes (Fb) are a population of circulating leukocytes reported to be capable of presenting antigen to CD4+ T lymphocytes. In contrast, no information is available about their capacity to stimulate CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. To this end, Fb were isolated from porcine blood to investigate their ability to stimulate CTL responses using a classical swine fever virus model. The isolated Fb (referred to as primary Fb) displayed the phenotype previously reported for mouse and human Fb, particularly in terms of the surface proteins necessary for antigen presentation, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) classes I and II, and CD80/86. These primary Fb endocytosed and degraded antigen efficiently. In absence of exogenous stimuli, endocytosis and MHC II expression were lost when the Fb were passaged and cultured. Treatment of such secondary Fb with interferon-γ (IFN-γ) restored the MHC II expression. The primary and secondary Fb were capable of stimulating antigen-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes relating to previous reports. In addition, an efficient stimulation of virus-specific CD8+CTL was measured in terms of CD8+ T cell proliferation, IFN-γ production, and cytotoxic activity. This was noted even at low Fb/T lymphocyte ratios, at which dendritic cells were less efficient. Although IFN-γ pretreatment of Fb was not necessary for this function, it could enhance the Fb activity. These results demonstrate that Fb are efficient, accessory cells for the presentation of viral antigen to specific CD8+ CTL.
The optimal design for a ground cooling tube in a hot, arid climate
Authors: Hanby VI , Loveday DL , Al-Ajmi F
Published: March 2005

In many hot, arid climates there is a high level of use of domestic air conditioning which can make heavy demands on local electricity generation. A passive strategy which could mitigate this demand is the deployment of ground cooling tubes in which external air is drawn into the building/plant via a tube buried below ground. Whilst this principle has been known of for a considerable time, and many example installations described, there has been no systematic investigation of the influence of the design parameters on the viability of the system. The paper describes a method for carrying out a systematic parametric optimization for a ground cooling tube by coupling a validated numerical model of the system with a constrained optimization method using an evolutionary strategy. Optimizations were based on a thermo-dynamic objective function (minimizing external energy consumption of the whole system) and an economic function (payback time for the tube). Whilst the results are specific to the hot, arid climate of the state of Kuwait, the methodology has universal applicability and illustrates the functional power of combining a performance model with an optimization method in producing optimized designs of energy systems.

Practical application: Building and plant simulation programs are becoming increasingly accepted as a design tool: for confirming the performance of a proposed design or for carrying out ‘what if?’ studies to evaluate the effects of varying design parameters or equipment selection. This paper illustrates that, provided the design problem can be modelled in all relevant aspects, linking the simulation program to a constrained optimization can provide significantly more decision support to the designer.
A prospective study on paediatric traffic injuries: health-related quality of life and post-traumatic stress
Authors: van der Sluis Corry K , Stewart Roy E , Groothoff Johan W , ten Duis Henk Jan , Eisma Willem H
Published: March 2005

Objectives: To examine children's reports of their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following paediatric traffic injury, to explore child and parental post-traumatic stress, and to identify children and parents with adverse outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study. Assessments: shortly after the injury, three months and six months post injury.

Setting: Department of Traumatology, University Hospital.

Subjects: Fifty-one young traffic injury victims aged 8-15 years.

Main measures: TNO-AZL Children's Quality of Life questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale.

Results: Short-term adverse changes in the child's HRQoL were observed for the child's motor functioning and autonomy. At three months, 12% of the children and 16% of the parents reported serious post-traumatic stress symptoms. Increased stress at three months, or across follow-up, was observed among hospitalized children, children with head injuries, and children injured in a motor vehicle accident. Parental stress was related to low socioeconomic status and the seriousness of the child's injury and accident (hospitalization, head injury, serious injury, motor vehicle involved, others injured).

Conclusions: The children reported only temporary effects in their motor functioning and autonomy. Post-traumatic stress symptoms following paediatric traffic injury were not only experienced by the children, but also by their parents.
Social class and access to specialist palliative care services
Authors: Kessler David , Peters Tim J , Lee Liz , Parr Susie
Published: March 2005

Objective: To determine any social class differences in place of death of cancer patients in South Bristol; to explore the experience of carers; and to identify inequalities in access to palliative care.

Design: Two-part study: (1) A cross-sectional survey of all 960 cancer deaths in South Bristol between September 1999 and December 2002. (2) A qualitative in-depth interview study of 18 carers of patients who died of cancer during the same period in South Bristol. Fourteen of those who died were from social class IIIM (manual), IV and V (i.e. lower social classes).

Main outcomes: Place of death of patients according to social class and geographical distance from the hospice. Carers' accounts of the way in which illness and death were conducted, and their response to the management of death and dying.

Results: The cross sectional survey showed that patients from social class V were less likely to die in the hospice. This finding was independent of geographical proximity. In the qualitative study, no class specific beliefs about death and dying were identified. Attitudes to the way dying should be conducted were common across the classes. Families expected to be present and centre stage at the time of death and for it to be conducted in a dignified and personal manner. Health care staff in all settings supported them in this aim. No one in this study died without a family member present. Some elderly carers were less open than younger carers in the way they talked about death and did not wish to be present at the death. Some carers from social class IV and V were less active in seeking information or asking for hospice admission than carers from other classes. Unrealistic expectations about the availability of hospice beds were common to all carers. Anxiety was common among carers. It was reduced by the provision of reliable and consistent healthcare support, by information provided in a timely and sensitive way, and by open and shared decision making between carer and patient. Most important in reducing anxiety was the support of a second carer who lived locally and was reliable. Carers from social classes IIIM (manual), IV and V were more likely to have this kind of support than carers from social classes I, II and IIIN (non-manual).

Conclusion: Although cancer patients from social class V were less likely than others to die in the hospice, social inequality in access to or utilisation of healthcare in terminal illness was not prominent in carers' accounts. When it did arise, it was associated with passivity in seeking information and support on the part of some carers from social classes IV and V. Carers from social classes IIIM-V received more regular and reliable support from their families than those from social classes I-IIIN.
Metal mixture inhalation (Cd-Pb) and its effects on the bronchiolar epithelium. An ultrastructural approach
Authors: Fortoul Teresa I , Ávila-Costa Maria-Rosa , Espejel-Maya Guadalupe , Mussali-Galante Patricia , del Carmen Ávila-Casado Maria , Hernández-Serrato Maria Isidra , Saldivar-Osorio Liliana
Published: March 2005

The current study explores the effects of the inhalation of lead (Pb), Cd and its mixture (Pb-Cd) in a mice model, analysing metal concentrations in the lung, and the morphological modifications in the bronchiolar epithelium identified by scanning electron microscopy after eight weeks of inhalation. Our results indicate that metal concentrations in lung were higher compared to controls; however, Pb concentrations drastically decrease in the mixture. This reduction was also observed in the inhalation chamber. The main changes observed in the bronchiole were mostly in the mixture. The modifications were mainly given by Cd alone and in the mixture, with a decreased number of nonciliated bronchiolar cells and an increased number of bundles of dividing cells. The additive effect of Pb-Cd is suggested, as the extensive damage observed was more evident when mice were exposed to the mixture, and the results endured more research in the area of inhaled mixtures.
Reconstructing fire regimes with charcoal from small-hollow sediments: a calibration with tree-ring records of fire
Authors: Higuera Philip E. , Sprugel Douglas G. , Brubaker Linda B.
Published: March 2005

Interpretations of charcoal records from small hollows lack a strong theoretical and empirical foundation, and thus their potential for providing useful fire-history records is unclear. To evaluate this potential, we examined charcoal records in 210Pb-dated cores from 12 small hollows and looked for evidence of 20 local fires reconstructed with tree-ring records from the surrounding forest. Using all charcoal > 0.15 mm wide we established an optimum threshold that identified charcoal peaks corresponding to known fires while minimizing charcoal peaks identified that were not associated with known fires (i.e., false positives). This threshold detected four of four high-severity fires, five of 10 moderate-severity fires, and three of six low-severity fires. Analysis of larger charcoal alone (> 0.50 mm wide) yielded nearly identical temporal patterns and detection rates, but four false positives were identified, twice as many as identified using all charcoal >0.15 mm wide. Charcoal peak magnitude was highly variable within severity classes: although half of the low-and moderate-severity fires left no detectable peaks, others left peaks larger than some high-severity fires. Our results suggest that fire detection depends strongly on fire severity and that fine-scale spatial patterns of lower-severity burns play an important role in determining the charcoal signature of these events. High detection rates for high-severity fires and low false-positive rates indicate that charcoal records from small hollows will be most useful in systems where fires are large, severe and infrequent.
Holocene palaeoecology along the Blekinge coast, SE Sweden, and implications for climate and sea-level changes
Authors: Yu Shi-Yong , Berglund Bjorn E. , Sandgren Per , Fritz Sherilyn C.
Published: March 2005

To investigate the Holocene vegetation history and shoreline displacement along the southeastern Swedish coast, two radiocarbon dated pollen, macrofossil and mineral magnetic sequences were studied in the western Blekinge coast: Hunnemara Lake and Smygen Bay. Both pollen records show mosaic vegetation with grasslands, heaths and woodlands prior to 11 300 cal. BP. Pinus-dominated mixed forest was initially established by 11 000 cal. BP. By 10 000 cal. BP, mixed forest with higher species diversity was fully established. Expansion of broad-leaved trees began at about 8600 cal. BP, indicating the onset of the mid-Holocene thermal maximum in Scandinavia. Following the Ulmus decline-5800 cal. BP, the regional forest became much more open due to increased human disturbance. Both basins were isolated during the period of I1 300-11 000 cal. BP, and subsequently in contact with the Ancylus Lake between 10 700 and 9800 cal. BR Low abundance of brackish-water diatoms at Smygen suggests that this basin was connected with the Baltic Sea between 9800 and 8600 cal. BP, corresponding to the Early Littorina Sea phase. Hunnemara was isolated during this period. The two basins were in turn flooded at 8600 and 8300 cal. BP, as a result of global sea-level rise. A sedimentary hiatus (8300-7500 cal. BP) was present at Hunnemara, probably caused by a rapid sea-level rise related to global meltwater pulse 3. Aquatic macrofossil and mineral magnetic proxies reveal several minor transgressions at both sites, probably regulated by centennial-scale variations in regional storminess. Hunnemara was isolated from the Baltic Basin by 3100 cal. BP, concurrent with a lowering of the sea level at Smygen.
Jökulhlaups at Tulsequah Glacier, northwestern British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Geertsema Marten , Clague John J.
Published: March 2005

Jokulhlaups from lakes dammed by Tulsequah Glacier in northwestern British Columbia have occurred regularly since the early twentieth century. The floods commenced after decades of downwasting and retreat of the glacier from its Holocene maximum position, which it achieved in the nineteenth century. Hydrometric data and other records are used to reconstruct the times and peak discharges of floods from two glacier-dammed lakes. Tulsequah Lake formed in the early 1900s when a tributary glacier separated from Tulsequah Glacier, creating an ice-free embayment between the two. The lake grew rapidly in surface area and volume in the first half of the twentieth century, but later, with continued glacier retreat, it decreased in size. The first jokulhlaups from Tulsequah Lake were the largest. Peak and total discharges decreased as the lake became smaller. Today, Tulsequah Lake is small, and it will disappear completely if Tulsequah Glacier retreats any further. A second lake (Lake No Lake), however, has formed and grown in size as Tulsequah Lake has diminished. Lake No Lake developed from a subglacial water body in a tributary valley, 7 km upglacier from Tulsequah Lake. Like Tulsequah Lake, Lake No Lake rapidly grew in area and volume during its youth, and in the 1 970s it began to generate its own jokulhlaups. Lake No Lake appears to be following the same evolutionary path as Tulsequah Lake-its volume is now decreasing due to downwasting of Tulsequah Glacier, and its jokulhlaups are beginning to diminish. As Tulsequah Glacier continues to shrink in response to climatic warming, additional glacier-dammed lakes may form, renewing the cycle of outburst flood activity. Such behaviour can be expected in other high mountains because most alpine glaciers are retreating in response to global warming.
Mechanisms of action of mycophenolate mofetil
Authors: Allison AC
Published: March 2005

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF, CellCept®) is a prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA), an inhibitor of inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase. MPA depletes guanosine nucleotides preferentially in T and B lymphocytes and inhibits their proliferation, thereby suppressing cell-mediated immune responses and antibody formation. MPA also inhibits the glycosylation and expression of adhesion molecules, and the recruitment of lymphocytes and monocytes into sites of inflammation. MPA depletes tetrahydrobiopterin and decreases the production of nitric oxide by inducible NO synthase without affecting the activity of constitutive NO synthases. Activated macrophages produce NO and superoxide, which combine to generate tissue-damaging peroxynitrite. By these two mechanisms MMF exerts anti-inflammatory activity. Unlike calcineurin inhibitors, MMF is not nephrotoxic and does not induce the production of TGF΢, which is fibrogenic. MMF does not increase blood pressure, cholesterol levels or triglyceride levels in recipients. MMF reduces acute and chronic rejection in allograft recipients and is efficacious in some nephropathies. Evidence is accumulating that MMF may have clinical utility in some autoimmune disorders.
Mycophenolate mofetil in animal models of autoimmune disease
Authors: Zandman-Goddard G , Shoenfeld Y
Published: March 2005

Mycofenolate mofetil (MMF-Cellcept) is an immunomodulatory drug utilized extensively in transplant medicine. The efficacy of regimes including Cellcept in preventing allograft rejection, and in the treatment of rejection, is now firmly established. The immunosuppressive actions of this drug enabled the investigation for the beneficial effects in autoimmune diseases. We review the evidence for the contribution of MMF in autoimmunity in animal models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mercury induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis, diabetes mellitus, experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis, and experimental allergic encephalitis. MMF has an influence on the T and B cell pathways. It is immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory.
Maintenance Therapies for Proliferative Lupus Nephritis: Mycophenolate Mofetil, Azathioprine and Intravenous Cyclophosphamide
Authors: Contreras G , Tozman E , Nahar Nilay , Metz David
Published: March 2005

For the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis, long-term cyclophosphamide (CY) regimens are efficacious, however, at the expense of substantial toxicity. In the last decade, sequential regimens of short-term CY induction followed by either mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or azathioprine (AZA) maintenance have shown to be efficacious and safe reducing the long-term exposure to CY. In a maintenance study including predominantly Hispanics and African-Americans, the patients who received MMF and AZA maintenance had a higher cumulative probability of remaining free of the composite of death or chronic renal failure (CRF) compared to quarterly intravenous CY (IVCY) maintenance (89% in MMF, 80%, in AZA and 45% in IVCY). Likewise, MMF and AZA maintenance were associated with significantly lower incidence of severe infections (2% in each MMF or AZA, and 25% in IVCY), sustained amenorrhea (6% in MMF, 8% in AZA, and 32% in IVCY), and hospitalizations (one hospital-days per patient-year in each MMF or AZA, and 10 in IVCY). In a European induction study including predominantly Caucasians, patients who received any of two sequential regimens, low dose versus high dose IVCY induction both followed by AZA maintenance, had a high cumulative probability of remaining free of treatment failure (84% in low dose IVCY and 80% in high dose IVCY; treatment failure defined as a composite of free of corticosteroid resistant flare, nephrotic syndrome, doubling creatinine, and persistent elevated creatinine). Low dose IVCY and high dose IVCY induction were associated with low incidence of sustained amenorrhea (4% in each group) and severe infections (11% in low dose and 22% in high dose IVCY induction). Of interest, most of the severe infection episodes occurred while patients were receiving IVCY induction. Finally an Asian study demonstrated that patients with proliferative lupus nephritis could be effectively treated with short-term oral CY induction followed by AZA maintenance. The cumulative probability of complete remission was 76%. The relapse rate was only 11%. The incidence of permanent amenorrhea and infection were 8% and 33%, respectively. None of the Asian patients had an increase in serum creatinine level to double the baseline value. Maintenance therapies with MMF or AZA following short-term CY induction in a sequential regimen are efficacious and safe for the treatment of high-risk patients with proliferative lupus nephritis.
Mycophenolate mofetil in nonlupus glomerulonephropathy
Authors: Karim MY , Abbs IC
Published: March 2005

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) initially found widespread use in the immunoprophylaxis of rejection in organ transplantation. It has subsequently been used in lupus glomerulonephritis, where early studies have shown it to be effective in induction and maintenance therapy. The randomized studies have mostly studied small groups of patients and their conclusions do need to be confirmed in larger studies. MMF has also been used in small numbers of patients in a variety of nonlupus glomerulopathies, which have different underlying immunopathology as well as clinical course, including IgA nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, hepatitis-C-associated glomerulonephritis and even Goodpasture's syndrome. In this article, we discuss its use in such nonlupus glomerular diseases.
MMF and eye disease
Authors: Zierhut M , Stübiger N , Siepmann K , Deuter CME
Published: March 2005

Immunosuppressive treatment has shown to be effective in various ocular inflammatory disorders. Factors limiting their use are the individual response and the rate of side effects. This report summarizes our knowledge about the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in the treatment of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP), uveitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC), prevention of graft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and scleritis. Controlled studies have been performed for prevention of graft rejection after PK, showing MMF as effective in the prevention of graft rejection as cyclosporine A. In experimental uveitis, MMF has been demonstrated to be highly effective in prevention of retinal destruction. A number of studies have now shown that MMF also seems effective in uveitis. There are also studies with smaller patient groups which point out the effectiveness of MMF in OCP, AKC, and scleritis. In most of the studies, the spectrum of side effects was small, compared to other immunosuppressives.
Management of rib and sternal fractures
Authors: Howell NJ , Ranasinghe AM , Graham TR
Published: March 2005

The majority of thoracic injuries encountered in the UK are secondary to blunt trauma following motor vehicle accidents. Rib fractures account for more than half of these injuries. Sternal fractures, although less common, have an increased incidence following the implementation of seat belt legislation. Both rib and sternal fractures may compromise ventilation by a variety of mechanisms. Pain leads to a reduction in lung expansion and sputum retention. Fractured ribs may cause penetrating injury resulting in a haemopneumothorax. There may also be asso ciated pulmonary contusion and flail chest, which further compromises ventilation. Sternal and rib fractures are managed by a number of specialties including accident and emergency staff, cardiothoracic and trauma surgeons, as well as anaesthetists and intensivists. The management of rib and sternal fractures principally consists of the identification and treatment of associated injuries, appropriate respiratory care and symptomatic relief. This article reviews the literature on the investigations and management of the patient with rib and sternal fractures.
Dynamic analysis and structural design of links in an air circuit breaker to enhance fatigue life
Authors: Park S H , Ahn K Y , Lee B Y
Published: March 2005

A systematic method as applied to an air circuit breaker (ACB) system is proposed to analyse the links of the spring-actuated linkage under repetitive impact loading. A fatigue life equation applicable to the links is presented on the basis of the fatigue test. The result obtained from the multi-body dynamic analysis is compared with that from the experiment. For the explicit finite element analysis of the links, the impact loading obtained from the dynamic analysis of the ACB system is used as the initial conditions. To enhance the fatigue life of a weak link, two modified designs are proposed and their maximum stresses are reduced very much compared with that of the original design. Considering a safety margin, one modified design satisfies the required specification of the fatigue life. The proposed approach in this work can be efficiently used in designing stable and reliable links of the ACB and in analysing a similar spring-actuated linkage system.
Modelling of evaporation and condensation pressure drop in microfin tubes
Authors: Chamra L M , Mago P J , Tan M-O , Kung C-C
Published: March 2005

A semi-empirical model to predict the pressure drop of pure refrigerants and refrigerant mixtures in microfin tubes for both condensation and evaporation is presented. The new pressure-drop model is based on an existing smooth-tube correlation. The model was validated using experimental data compiled from published literature and this showed that the model is capable of predicting pressure drops for different refrigerants and refrigerant mixtures within 10–25 per cent mean absolute deviation. This model can be employed in micro-fin tubes with fin heights from 0.1 to 0.38 mm, helix angles from 0 to 30°, and mass flux ranges up to 600 kg/m2 s.
Effect of gravity and angular velocity on an automatic ball balancer
Authors: Chung J
Published: March 2005

The effects of gravity and an angular velocity profile on the performance of an automatic ball balancer (ABB) are studied in this paper. In order to investigate these effects, a physical model of a Jeffcott rotor with an ABB is adopted in this study, in which gravity as well as the angular acceleration is considered. With the polar coordinates, the non-linear equations of motion are derived by using Lagrange's equation. These equations include gravity, the angular acceleration, and the angular jerk. Based on the equations derived, time responses are computed by using the generalized α method. The effects of gravity on the balancing performance are analysed. For various angular velocity profiles, the ABB performance is also evaluated. The analysis of results shows that the balancing of the rotor with an ABB can be achieved regardless of gravity. It is also shown that a smooth velocity profile results in less vibration compared with a non-smooth velocity profile.
Microstrain fields for cortical bone in uniaxial tension: Optical analysis method
Authors: Kim D G , Brunski J B , Nicolella D P
Published: March 2005

This study employed an optical strain measurement method, called microdisplacements by machine vision photogrammetry (DISMAP), to measure both the global and local strain fields in microtensile specimens of cortical bone subjected to controlled uniaxial tension. The variation of local maximum principal strains was measured within the gauge region of samples as a function of applied tensile stress during testing. High gradients of local strain appeared around microstructural features in stressed bone even while the global strain for the entire gauge region showed a strong linear correlation with increasing tensile stress (r2 = 0.98, p < 0.0001). The highest local strain around micro-structural features in bone was 11.5-79.5 times higher than the global strain.
Analysis of the contact interactions between fingertips and objects with different surface curvatures
Authors: Wu J Z , Dong R G
Published: March 2005

Previous experimental observations indicated that the contact interactions between finger and tool handle interfere with the grasp stability, affecting the comfort and manipulations of handheld tools. From a biomechanical point of view, the curvature of the contact surface should affect the contact pressure and contact area, and thereby the comfort and manipulations of hand tools. The current authors analysed, via a finite element model, the contact interactions between fingertips and objects with different curvatures. The effects of the curvature on the contact stiffness, fingertip deformations, contact pressure distributions, and stress/strain distributions within the soft tissues were analysed. The simulation results indicated that the curvature of the contact interface influences the contact characteristics significantly. For a given contact force, the contact area and the contact stiffness increase but the contact pressure and the fingertip deformation decrease with the decrease of the contact surface curvature. The present simulation results will be useful for ergonomic designers in their aim to improve the design of tool handles.
Status of external firing of biomass in gas turbines
Authors: Bram S , De Ruyck J , Novak-Zdravkovic A
Published: March 2005

Dry biomass can be used as a fuel for gas turbines in different ways: it can be gasified or pyrolysed for internal combustion or it can be used as an external heat source. This heat source can be used to replace the combustor, to preheat the ccombustion air, or eventually to feed a primary reformer to yield hydrogen for the gas turbine. The present paper discusses the use of biomass as on external heat source from both a technical and an economic point of view. Past, present, and future projects are discussed. Possibilities range from cogeneration with microturbines where the biomass can cover a major part of the primary energy, to combined cycle plants where biomass can replace a small percentage of the natural gas. A microturbine EFGT project under construction is disclosed.
A parametric study of filtration through a ceramic candle filter
Authors: Al-Hajeri M H , Aroussl A , Simmons K , Pickering S J
Published: March 2005

Ceramic candle filters have been developed for cleaning high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) gas streams. They meet environmental and economical considerations in combined cycle power plant, where gas turbine blades can be protected from the erosion resulting from the use of HTHP exhaust from the fluidized bed. Ceramic candle filters are the most promising hot gas filtration technology and have demonstrated high collection efficiencies at high-temperature high-pressure conditions. This paper reports a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation of a candle filter in cross-flow arrangement. The aim is to increase understanding of the deposition process and the factors that affect the build-up of the filter cake. A parametric investigation is undertaken, with particular emphasis on the effects of the ratio of the approach cross-flow velocity to filter face velocity on the deposition pattern as a function of the particle size (1–300 μm). Velocity fields and particle tracks are presented, in addition to the radius of convergence which is a parameter that characterizes the deposition process for each flow regime. Furthermore, a method has been developed for predicting filter cake growth using CFD and particle deposits distributed around the filter element surface uniformly for particle sizes below 50 μm. The paper contains a potential flow solution for the flow around a single porous filter element in cross-flow.
A C-terminal fragment of an intron-encoded maturase is sufficient for promoting group I intron splicing
Authors: DOWNING MAUREEN E. , BRADY KRISTINA L. , CAPRARA MARK G.
Published: March 2005

Group I introns often encode proteins that catalyze site-specific DNA hydrolysis. Some of these proteins have acquired the ability to promote splicing of their cognate intron, but whether these two activities reside in different regions of the protein remains obscure. A crystal structure of I-AniI, a dual function intron-encoded protein, has shown that the protein has two pseudo-symmetric domains of equal size. Each domain contacts its DNA substrate on either side of two cleavage sites. As a first step to identify the RNA binding surface, the N- and C-terminal domains of I-AniI were separately expressed and tested for promoting the splicing of the mitochondrial (mt) COB pre-RNA. The N-terminal protein showed no splicing activation or RNA binding, suggesting that this domain plays a minimal role in activity or is improperly folded. Remarkably, the 16-kDa C-terminal half facilitates intron splicing with a rate similar to that of the full-length protein. Both the C-terminal fragment and full-length proteins bind tightly to the COB intron. RNase footprinting shows that the C-terminal and full-length proteins bind to the same regions and induce the same conformational changes in the COB intron. Together, these results show that the C-terminal fragment of I-AniI is necessary and sufficient for maturase activity and suggests that I-AniI acquired splicing function by utilizing a relatively small protein surface that likely represents a novel RNA binding motif. This fragment of I-AniI represents the smallest group I intron splicing cofactor described to date.
Binding specificity and mRNA targets of a C. elegans PUF protein, FBF-1
Authors: BERNSTEIN DAVID , HOOK BRAD , HAJARNAVIS ASHWIN , OPPERMAN LAURA , WICKENS MARVIN
Published: March 2005

Sequence-specific RNA–protein interactions underlie regulation of many mRNAs. Here we analyze the RNA sequence specificity of Caenorhabditis elegans FBF-1, a founding member of the PUF protein family. Like other PUF proteins, FBF-1 binds to the 3′ UTR of target mRNAs and decreases expression of those target genes. Here, we show that FBF-1 and its close relative, FBF-2, bind with similar affinity to multiple RNA sites. We use mutagenesis and in vivo selection experiments to identify nucleotides that are essential for FBF-1 binding. The binding elements comprise a “core” central region and flanking sequences. The core region is similar but distinct from the binding sites of other PUF proteins. We combine the identification of binding elements with informatics to predict new FBF-1 binding sites in a C. elegans 3′ UTR database. These data identify a set of new candidate mRNA targets of FBF-1 and FBF-2.
Yeast poly(A)-binding protein Pab1 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and functions in mRNA export
Authors: BRUNE CHRISTIANE , MUNCHEL SARAH E. , FISCHER NICOLE , PODTELEJNIKOV ALEXANDRE V. , WEIS KARSTEN
Published: March 2005

Pab1 is the major poly(A)-binding protein in yeast. It is a multifunctional protein that mediates many cellular functions associated with the 3′-poly(A)-tail of messenger RNAs. Here, we characterize Pab1 as an export cargo of the protein export factor Xpo1/Crm1. Pab1 is a major Xpo1/Crm1-interacting protein in yeast extracts and binds directly to Xpo1/Crm1 in a RanGTP-dependent manner. Pab1 shuttles rapidly between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and partially accumulates in the nucleus when the function of Xpo1/Crm1 is inhibited. However, Pab1 can also be exported by an alternative pathway, which is dependent on the MEX67-mRNA export pathway. Import of Pab1 is mediated by the import receptor Kap108/Sxm1 through a nuclear localization signal in its fourth RNA-binding domain. Interestingly, inhibition of Pab1’s nuclear import causes a kinetic delay in the export of mRNA. Furthermore, the inviability of a pab1 deletion strain is suppressed by a mutation in the 5′–3′ exoribonuclease RRP6, a component of the nuclear exosome. Therefore, nuclear Pab1 may be required for efficient mRNA export and may function in the quality control of mRNA in the nucleus.
Introduction: Expanding the Discourse on "Race"
Authors: Harrison Faye V.
Published: March 2005

In response to Mukhopadhyay and Moses's call for biological and cultural anthropologists to reestablish a dialogue on race, anthropologists from the four major subfields join colleagues from two allied disciplines to address the possible ways in which the anthropological discourse on race can become more holistic and amenable to the urgent needs and interests of the public. This essay offers an overview of the current resurgence of race‐focused scholarship in anthropology, as well as a framework for an intertextual reading of the articles featured in this theme forum. Anthropologists' current conversation on race and racism is built on a rich legacy, elements of which are still being uncovered in gender‐ and racecognizant explorations of the discipline's past Despite the considerable hiatus since the last major juncture of race‐centered debate and research, that legacy has recently inspired a promising upsurge of critical analysis which, if mobilized effectively, may contribute to the subversion of the often subtle cultural and structural logics of contemporary racism, as well as clear the ground for a new culture for multiracial democracy. Toward this end, anthropologists and others interested in using anthropological tools must cultivate more richly nuanced analyses and intervention strategies informed by insights emerging from the cross‐fertilization of ideas from the various subfields along with such fields as human genetics and ethnic studies. Anthropology's unique role in interrogating, theorizing, and potentially disrupting the dynamics of racism may be dependent on understanding the conceptual and methodological significance of strategic intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary interfaces.
The Challenge of Race to American Historical Archaeology
Authors: Orser Charles E.
Published: March 2005

Historical archaeologists should be leaders in examining the archaeological dimensions of race and racism in the United States. With few exceptions, though, this has not been the case, as most archaeologists have conflated race and ethnicity. American historical archaeologists have a great opportunity to provide new insights to the anthropological investigation of race and racism if they choose to take this course of action,
Cheyenne Dog Soldiers: A Ledgerbook History of Coups and Combat
Authors: Hansen Emma I.
Published: March 2005

Cheyenne Dog Soldiers:. Ledgerbook History of Coups and Combat. Jean Afton. David Fridtjof Halaas. and Andrew E. Masich. with Richard N. Ellis. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1997.400 pp.
Bioarchaeology of Native American Adaptation in the Spanish Borderlands
Authors: Walker Phillip
Published: March 2005

Bioarchaeology of Native American Adaptation in the Spanish Borderlands. Brenda J. Baker and Lisa Kealhofer, eds. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996.232 pp.
Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power
Authors: Cobb Charles R.
Published: March 2005

Cahokia and the Archaeology of Power. Thomas E. Emerson. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1997.318 pp.
Life in the Pueblo: Understanding the Past through Archaeology
Authors: Cameron Catherine M.
Published: March 2005

Life in the Pueblo: Understanding the Past through Archaeology. Kathryn Kamp. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1998.224pp.
Time, Process and Structured Transformation in Archaeology
Authors: Kohler Timothy A.
Published: March 2005

Time, Process and Structured Transformation in Archaeology. Sander E. van der Leeuw and James McGlade. eds. New York: Routledge, 1997.484pp.
L' Art des Cavernes en Pays‐Basque: Les Grottes d'Ekain et Altxerri; Journey through the Ice Age; L'Art des Origines au Yemen
Authors: Tattersall Ian
Published: March 2005

L' Art des Cavernes en Pays‐Basque: Les Grottes d'Ekain et Altxerri. Jesus Altuna. Paris: Seuil Publishers, 1996.200 pp.

Journey through the Ice Age. Paul G. Bahn and Jean Vertut. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.240 pp.

L'Art des Origines au Yemen. Michel‐Alain Garcia and Madiha Rachad. Paris: Seuil Publishers, 1997.99 pp.
Huxley: From Devil's Disciple to Evolution's High Priest
Authors: Spencer Frank
Published: March 2005

Huxley: From Devil's Disciple to Evolution's High Priest. Adrian Desmond. Reading. MA: Addison‐Wesley. 1997.820 pp.
The Anthropology of Modern Human Teeth: Dental Morphology and Its Variation in Recent Human Populations
Authors: Mayhall John T.
Published: March 2005

The Anthropology of Modern Human Teeth: Dental Morphology and Its Variation in Recent Human Populations. G. Richard Scott and Christy G. Turner 11. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997.382 pp.