bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dialogue 2008
Authors: Gone Joseph P.
Published: September 2008

Abstract
In the wake of European settler‐colonialism, the indigenous peoples of North America still contend with the social and psychological sequelae of cultural devastation, forced assimilation, social marginality, enduring discrimination, and material poverty within their respective nation‐states. In response to this contemporary legacy of conquest and colonization, a cottage industry devoted to the surveillance and management of the “mental health” problems of Native Americans proliferates in the United States and Canada without abatement. The attention of clinically concerned researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to an indigenous “patient” or “client” base, however, invites critical analysis of the cultural politics of mental health in these contexts. More specifically, the possibility that conventional clinical approaches harbor the ideological danger of implicit Western cultural proselytization has been underappreciated. In this special section of Ethos, three investigators engage the provocative cultural politics of mental health discourse and practice in three diverse Native American communities. Each provides a critical analysis of mental health discourse and practice in their respective research settings, collectively comprising an analytical and political subversion of the potentially totalizing effects of authorized, universalist mental health policy and practice. [mental health, American Indians, psychiatric anthropology, cross‐cultural counseling, postcolonialism]
Discourses of Stress, Social Inequities, and the Everyday Worlds of First Nations Women in a Remote Northern Canadian Community
Authors: Adelson Naomi
Published: September 2008

Allan Young's classic thesis on stress discourse underscores the way in which the biomedical discourse of “stress” reflects and legitimizes existing social inequities even as it removes the language of stress to the decontextualized domain of the clinic. In this article, I address the way in which the “stress discourse” of a group of young adult Cree women who live in a remote northern Canadian village reflects and reinscribes the social, cultural, and historical conditions of inequity as part and parcel of community life. This study, as a reflection on Young's thesis, reveals that sometimes one is bound to replicate inequities because it is necessary to do so. The women with whom I spoke are entangled in an historical and social reality that they are wholly aware of such that the paths of inequity that are expressed in a rationale of “stress” cannot readily be challenged or changed. [stress discourse, women, First Nations, Canada, social inequity]
Clinical Paradigm Clashes: Ethnocentric and Political Barriers to Native American Efforts at Self‐Healing
Authors: Calabrese Joseph D.
Published: September 2008

AbstractEuro‐American theories of psychotherapeutic intervention focus on therapist behavior or the therapeutic relationship, conceived in dyadic terms. The cultural prototype is individualistic and rationalistic: a one‐to‐one conversation in which the patient discloses and discusses innermost feelings in regular office visits. This may be appropriate for modern Euro‐Americans. However, anthropological research finds that in many traditional healing systems, intervention is communal, it utilizes dramatic ritual ordeals and altered states of consciousness rather than rational conversations, and the healer–patient relationship may be less central. This article argues that the latter approach is not ignorant of psychotherapeutic principles; it has its own (however opposed to Euro‐American assumptions they may be). Understanding this paradigm clash broadens our understanding of what psychotherapeutic intervention is. It also allows clinicians and policy makers to support traditional peoples in their own efforts at self‐healing. Examples will be drawn from the author's work on the healing ceremonies of the Native American Church among contemporary Navajos. [cultural psychiatry, psychotherapeutic intervention, clinical paradigm clash, healing, Native American Church]
The Use of Simulation in the Development of Individual Cognitive Expertise in Emergency Medicine
Authors: Bond William , Kuhn Gloria , Binstadt Emily , Quirk Mark , Wu Teresa , Tews Matthew , Dev Parvati , Ericsson K. Anders
Published: September 2008

This consensus group from the 2008 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, “The Science of Simulation in Healthcare: Defining and Developing Clinical Expertise,” held in Washington, DC, May 28, 2008, focused on the use of simulation for the development of individual expertise in emergency medicine (EM). Methodologically sound qualitative and quantitative research will be needed to illuminate, refine, and test hypotheses in this area. The discussion focused around six primary topics: the use of simulation to study the behavior of experts, improving the overall competence of clinicians in the shortest time possible, optimizing teaching strategies within the simulation environment, using simulation to diagnose and remediate performance problems, and transferring learning to the real‐world environment. Continued collaboration between academic communities that include medicine, cognitive psychology, and education will be required to answer these questions.
Antidepressant drugs and cardiovascular pathology: a clinical overview of effectiveness and safety
Authors: Taylor D.
Published: September 2008

Objective: To review data examining the relationships between depression, antidepressants and cardiovascular disease.

Method: Structured searches of PubMed, Medline and Embase conducted in March 2008.

Results: Depression and cardiovascular disease are closely associated clinical entities. Depression appears both to cause and worsen cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is in turn associated with a high incidence of depression. Depression is associated with increased mortality in cardiovascular disease, and after myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Many antidepressants have cardiotoxic properties. Tricyclic drugs are highly cardiotoxic in overdose and may induce cardiovascular disease and worsen outcome in established cardiovascular disease. Reboxetine, duloxetine and venlafaxine are known to increase blood pressure. Other antidepressants have neutral or beneficial effects in various cardiovascular disorders.

Conclusion: Sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, bupropion and mirtazapine appear to be safe to use after MI; the use of sertraline, and response to citalopram and mirtazapine may improve mortality. Paroxetine and citalopram appear to be safe to use in patients with established coronary artery disease. Limited data suggest that a variety of antidepressants are effective and safe to use after stroke.
Multiple viral respiratory pathogens in children with bronchiolitis
Authors: Stempel Hilary E , Martin Emily T , Kuypers Jane , Englund Janet A , Zerr Danielle M
Published: September 2008

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the frequency of viral pathogens and relative frequency of co‐infections in nasal specimens obtained from young children with bronchiolitis receiving care at a children's hospital.

Methods: We conducted a study of nasal wash specimens using real‐time PCR and fluorescent‐antibody assay results from children less than two with an ICD‐9‐CM code for bronchiolitis. All specimens were collected for clinical care at Children's Hospital in Seattle, WA, USA, during the respiratory season from October 2003 to April 2004.

Results: Viruses were detected in 168 (93%) of the 180 children with bronchiolitis. A single virus was identified in 127 (71%) children and multiple viruses in 41 (23%). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most common virus detected (77%), followed by adenovirus (15%), human metapneumovirus (11%), coronavirus (8%), parainfluenza (6%) and influenza (1%). Of the 139 samples with RSV detected, 34 (24%) were co‐infected with another viral pathogen.

Conclusion: Molecular diagnostic techniques identified a high frequency of viruses and viral co‐infections among children evaluated for bronchiolitis. Further study of the role of viral pathogens other than RSV and co‐infections with RSV in children with bronchiolitis appears warranted.
Molecular responses ofCampylobacter jejunito cadmium stress
Authors: Kaakoush Nadeem O. , Raftery Mark , Mendz George L.
Published: September 2008

Cadmium ions are a potent carcinogen in animals, and cadmium is a toxic metal of significant environmental importance for humans. Response curves were used to investigate the effects of cadmium chloride on the growth ofCamplyobacter jejuni.In vitro, the bacterium showed reduced growth in the presence of 0.1 mmcadmium chloride, and the metal ions were lethal at 1 mmconcentration. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with tandem mass spectrometry analysis enabled identification of 67 proteins differentially expressed in cells grown without and with 0.1 mmcadmium chloride. Cellular processes and pathways regulated under cadmium stress included fatty acid biosynthesis, protein biosynthesis, chemotaxis and mobility, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, protein modification, redox processes and the heat‐shock response. Disulfide reductases and their substrates play many roles in cellular processes, including protection against reactive oxygen species and detoxification of xenobiotics, such as cadmium. The effects of cadmium on thioredoxin reductase and disulfide reductases using glutathione as a substrate were studied in bacterial lysates by spectrophotometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. The presence of 0.1 mmcadmium ions modulated the activities of both enzymes. The interactions of cadmium ions with oxidized glutathione and reduced glutathione were investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The data suggested that, unlike other organisms,C. jejunidownregulates thioredoxin reductase and upregulates other disulfide reductases involved in metal detoxification in the presence of cadmium.
Disruption of the gene encoding 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ14‐reductase (Tm7sf2) in mice does not impair cholesterol biosynthesis
Authors: Bennati Anna M. , Schiavoni Gianluca , Franken Sebastian , Piobbico Danilo , Della Fazia Maria A. , Caruso Donatella , De Fabiani Emma , Benedetti Laura , Cusella De Angelis Maria G. , Gieselmann Volkmar , Servillo Giuseppe , Beccari Tommaso , Roberti Rita
Published: September 2008

Tm7sf2 gene encodes 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ14‐reductase (C14SR, DHCR14), an endoplasmic reticulum enzyme acting on Δ14‐unsaturated sterol intermediates during the conversion of lanosterol to cholesterol. The C‐terminal domain of lamin B receptor, a protein of the inner nuclear membrane mainly involved in heterochromatin organization, also possesses sterol Δ14‐reductase activity. The subcellular localization suggests a primary role of C14SR in cholesterol biosynthesis. To investigate the role of C14SR and lamin B receptor as 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ14‐reductases, Tm7sf2 knockout mice were generated and their biochemical characterization was performed. No Tm7sf2 mRNA was detected in the liver of knockout mice. Neither C14SR protein nor 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ14‐reductase activity were detectable in liver microsomes of Tm7sf2(−/−) mice, confirming the effectiveness of gene inactivation. C14SR protein and its enzymatic activity were about half of control levels in the liver of heterozygous mice. Normal cholesterol levels in liver membranes and in plasma indicated that, despite the lack of C14SR, Tm7sf2(−/−) mice are able to perform cholesterol biosynthesis. Lamin B receptor 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ14‐reductase activity determined in liver nuclei showed comparable values in wild‐type and knockout mice. These results suggest that lamin B receptor, although residing in nuclear membranes, may contribute to cholesterol biosynthesis in Tm7sf2(−/−) mice. Affymetrix microarray analysis of gene expression revealed that several genes involved in cell‐cycle progression are downregulated in the liver of Tm7sf2(−/−) mice, whereas genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism are upregulated.
Non‐enzymatic developmental functions of acetylcholinesterase – the question of redundancy
Authors: Johnson Glynis , Swart Chrisna , Moore Samuel W.
Published: September 2008

Despitein vitrodemonstrations of non‐enzymatic morphogenetic functions in acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the AChE knockout phenotype is milder than might be expected, casting doubt upon the relevance of such functionsin vivo. Functional redundancy is a possible explanation. Usingin vitrofindings that AChE is able to bind to laminin‐111, together with detailed information about the interaction sites, as well as an epitope analysis of adhesion‐inhibiting anti‐AChE mAbs, we have used molecular docking and bioinformatics techniques to explore this idea, investigating structurally similar molecules that have a comparable spatiotemporal expression pattern in the embryonic nervous system. On this basis, molecules with which AChE could be redundant are the syndecans, glypicans, perlecan, the receptor tyrosine kinase Mer, and the low‐density lipoprotein receptor. It is also highly likely that AChE may be redundant with the homologous neuroligins, although there is no evidence that the latter are expressed before synaptogenesis. AChE was observed to dock with Gas6, the ligand for Mer, as well as with apolipoprotein E3 (but not apolipoprotein E4), both at the same site as the laminin interaction. These findings suggest that AChE may show direct functional redundancy with one or more of these molecules; it is also possible that it may itself have a unique function in the stabilization of the basement membrane. As basement membrane molecules are characterized by multiple molecular interactions, each contributing cumulatively to the construction and stability of the network, this may account for AChE’s apparently promiscuous interactions, and also for the survival of the knockout.
Joining of ZrB2‐Based Ultra‐High‐Temperature Ceramic Composites to Cu–Clad–Molybdenum for Advanced Aerospace Applications
Authors: Singh Mrityunjay , Asthana Rajiv
Published: September 2008

Three hot‐pressed ZrB2‐based ultra‐high‐temperature ceramic composites (UHTCC), ZrB2–SiCp(ZS), ZrB2–SiCp–C (ZSC), and ZrB2–SCS9A (SiC fiber)–SiCp(ZSS), were joined to Cu–clad–Mo using AgCuTi brazes (TL∼1073–1173K) and Pd‐base brazes (TL∼1493–1513K). More extensive chemical interactions occurred in Pd‐base joints than in AgCuTi‐base joints. The Pd‐braze region displayed higher hardness in joints made using ZS than ZSS and ZSC. Residual stress calculations point toward negative strain energy up to ∼23% clad layer thickness because αCu–clad–Mo<αZS(α=coefficients of thermal expansion). Above this thickness, αCu–clad–Mo>αZS, strain energy is positive, and it increases with increasing thickness. Projected reductions in the thermal resistance highlight the benefits of joining the UHTCC to Cu–clad–Mo.
Plasma‐Sprayed YSZ/Ni–LSGM–LSCo Intermediate‐Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Lo Chih‐Hung , Tsai Chun‐Huang , Hwang Changsing
Published: September 2008

An intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cell based on YSZ/Ni anode, LSGM electrolyte, and lanthanum strontium cobaltite (LSCo) cathode coatings were sequentially deposited onto a porous Ni substrate by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The spray parameters for each coating are well selected. The sprayed YSZ/Ni anode having a novel nanostructure with advantageous triple phase boundaries after hydrogen reduction shows a good electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen oxidation reactions. Dense LSGM with a thickness of about 60 μm and a conductivity of about 0.053 S/cm at 800°C shows a good gas tightness and gives an open circuit voltage value >1 V. The sprayed LSCo cathode with a thickness of 10–20 μm and a porosity of about 25% keeps the right phase structure and good porous network microstructure for conducting electrons and negative oxygen ions after plasma spraying and heat treatment at about 1000°C for 1 h. A maximum output power density of the sprayed cell achieved 365 mW/cm2 at 800°C, 250 mW/cm2 at 750°C, and 180 mW/cm2 at 700°C. The results show that the use of APS cell allowed the reduction of the operating temperature to below 750°C.
THE EFFECT OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON HIRING EX‐OFFENDERS*
Authors: STOLL MICHAEL A. , BUSHWAY SHAWN D.
Published: September 2008

Research Summary

The rapid increase in the nation's incarceration rate over the past decade has raised questions about how to reintegrate a growing number of ex‐offenders successfully. Employment has been shown to be an important factor in reintegration, especially for men over the age of 27 years who characterize most individuals released from prison. This article explores this question using unique establishment‐level data collected in Los Angeles in 2001. On average, we replicate the now‐common finding that employer‐initiated criminal background checks are negatively related to the hiring of ex‐offenders. However, this negative effect is less than complete. The effect is strongly negative for those employers that are legally required to perform background checks, which is not surprising because these legal requirements to perform checks are paired with legal prohibitions against hiring ex‐offenders. However, some employers seem to perform checks to gain additional information about ex‐offenders (and thus hire more ex‐offenders than other employers), and checking seems to have no effect on hiring ex‐offenders for those employers not legally required to perform checks.

Policy Implications

One public policy initiative that has received considerable attention is to deny employers access to criminal history record information, which includes movements to “ban the box” that inquires about criminal history information on job applications. The assumption underlying this movement is that knowledge of ex‐offender status leads directly to a refusal to hire. The results of this analysis show that policy initiatives aimed at restricting background checks, particularly for those firms not legally required to perform checks, may not have the desired consequences of increasing ex‐offender employment. This result is consistent with an alternative view that some employers care about the characteristics of the criminal history record and use information about criminal history in a more nuanced, nondiscrete way.
CRACKS IN THE PENAL HARM MOVEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM THE FIELD*
Authors: LISTWAN SHELLEY JOHNSON , JONSON CHERYL LERO , CULLEN FRANCIS T. , LATESSA EDWARD J.
Published: September 2008

Research Summary

For more than three decades, the penal harm movement, which involves “get tough” ideology and policies, has held sway over U.S. corrections. Scholars have justifiably detailed and decried this movement, but in so doing, they have also inadvertently contributed to the view that a punitive worldview is hegemonic. In contrast, we detail four major “cracks” in the penal harm movement's dominance: the persistence of rehabilitative public attitudes, the emergence of second thoughts about the wisdom of harsh sanctions, the implementation of progressive programs, and the increasing legitimacy of the principles of effective intervention for guiding correctional practices.

Policy Implications

Taken together, these “cracks” comprise evidence that ideological space and political will exist to fight the penal harm movement and to map out a more efficacious and progressive response to crime. Because of the persistence of social welfare sentiments and growing challenges to the legitimacy of “get tough” policies, the potential to continue, if not expand, this countermovement is present. Taking advantage of this opportunity, however, will require forfeiting the belief that there is no escape from a punitive future and undertaking systematic efforts to devise correctional strategies that are based on solid science, improve offenders' lives, and protect public safety.
Sex Modulates Intestinal Transformation by the Tumor‐Suppressor GCC
Authors: Li Peng , Schulz Stephanie , Pitari Giovanni M. , Waldman Scott A.
Published: September 2008

Background and Aims: Ovarian hormones oppose colorectal cancer, although mechanisms remain undefined. Similarly, the most commonly lost gene products in intestinal neoplasia include guanylin and uroguanylin, paracrine hormones for guanylyl cyclase C (GCC), which recently emerged as a tumor suppressor. However, the molecular intersection between intestinal paracrine and systemic sex hormones opposing intestinal neoplasia has not been explored.

Methods: Intestinal tumorigenesis was quantified in wild type (Gcc+/+) and GCC‐deficient (Gcc−/−) mice carrying mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) (ApcMin/+) or exposed to the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). Proliferation of epithelial cells was examined employing cell cycle markers.

Results: Deletion of Gcc increased tumor multiplicity and growth in colons and small intestines, respectively, of ApcMin/+ mice. While changes in multiplicity and growth increased tumor burden, females exhibited approximately 60% (p= 0.040) of the burden in males. Similarly, female Gcc−/− mice treated with AOM exhibited approximately 40% (p= 0.048) of the burden in males. Moreover, Gcc deletion promoted epithelial cell proliferation, quantified by increases in β‐catenin, cMyc, cyclin D1, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), in males but not females.

Conclusion: There is a previously unappreciated interaction between sex and GCC signaling restricting crypt cell proliferation. Thus, the invariable loss of guanylin and uroguanylin resulting in tumorigenesis is mitigated in females by hormonal components of the ovarian axis. In the context of the universal overexpression of GCC by tumors, these observations highlight the combination of GCC paracrine and ovarian hormones for targeted prevention and therapy of colorectal cancer.
BMP‐2 and FGF‐2 Synergistically Facilitate Adoption of a Cardiac Phenotype in Somatic Bone Marrow c‐kit+/Sca‐1+ Stem Cells
Authors: DeGeorge, Jr. Brent R. , Rosenberg Marc , Eckstein Volker , Gao Erhe , Herzog Nicole , Katus Hugo A. , Koch Walter J. , Frey Norbert , Most Patrick
Published: September 2008

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) and fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2)— paracrine factors implicated in both cardiac embryogenesis and cardiac repair following myocardial infarction (MI)—on murine bone marrow stem cell (mBMSC) differentiation in an ex vivo cardiac microenvironment. For this purpose, green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing hematopoietic lineage negative (lin‐) c‐kit ligand (c‐kit) and stem cell antigen‐1 (Sca‐1) positive (GFP‐lin‐/c‐kit+/sca+) mBMSC were co‐cultured with neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NVCMs). GFP+ mBMSC significantly induced the expression of BMP‐2 and FGF‐2 in NVCMs, and approximately 4% GFP+ mBMSCs could be recovered from the co‐culture at day 10. The addition of BMP‐2 in concert with FGF‐2 significantly enhanced the amount of integrated GFP+ mBMSCs by 5‐fold (∼20%), whereas the addition of anti‐BMP‐2 and/or anti‐FGF‐2 antibodies completely abolished this effect. An analysis of calcium cycling revealed robust calcium transients in GFP+ mBMSCs treated with BMP‐2/FGF‐2 compared to untreated co‐cultures. BMP‐2 and FGF‐2 addition led to a significant induction of early (NK2 transcription factor related, locus 5; Nkx2.5, GATA binding protein 4; GATA‐4) and late (myosin light chain kinase [MLC‐2v], connexin 43 [Cx43]) cardiac marker mRNA expression in mBMSCs following co‐culture. In addition, re‐cultured fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS)‐purified BMP‐2/FGF‐2‐treated mBMSCs revealed robust calcium transients in response to electrical field stimulation which were inhibited by the L‐type calcium channel (LTCC) inhibitor, nifedipine, and displayed caffeine‐sensitive intracellular calcium stores. In summary, our results show that mBMSCs can adopt a functional cardiac phenotype through treatment with factors essential to embryonic cardiogenesis that are induced after cardiac ischemia. This study provides the first evidence that mBMSCs with long‐term self‐renewal potential possess the capability to serve as a functional cardiomyocyte precursor through the appropriate paracrine input and cross‐talk within an appropriate cardiac microenvironment.
Overexpression of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 in Tumor Epithelial Cells Correlates with Colorectal Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Zuzga David S. , Gibbons Ahmara Vivian , Li Peng , Lubbe Wilhelm Johannes , Chervoneva Inna , Pitari Giovanni Mario
Published: September 2008

Colorectal cancer mortality largely reflects metastasis, the spread of the disease to distant organs. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9) is a key regulator of metastasis and a target for anticancer strategies in colon cancer. Here, the overexpression of MMP‐9 in pure tumor epithelial, but nor stromal, cell populations was associated with metastatic progression of colorectal cancer, as defined by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and confirmed by immunostaining. Thus, cancer cell MMP‐9 represents a novel, selective prognostic and predictive factor that may be exploited for more effective disease stage stratification and therapeutic regimen selection in patients with colorectal cancer.
Strategies for Therapeutic Repair: The “R3” Regenerative Medicine Paradigm
Authors: Nelson Timothy J. , Behfar Atta , Terzic Andre
Published: September 2008

Beyond the palliative reach of today, medical therapies of tomorrow aim to treat the root cause of chronic degenerative diseases. Therapeutic repair encompasses the converging triad of rejuvenation, regeneration or replacement strategies that rely on self‐healing processes, stem cell regeneration, and/or organ transplantation. Natural healing or rejuvenation exemplify inherent, baseline repair secured by tissue self‐renewal and de novo cell biogenesis, particularly effective in organs with a high endogenous reparative capacity. Transplant medicine exploits the replacement strategy as a valuable option to recycle used parts and restore failing organ function by means of exogenous substitutes—it is, however, limited by donor shortage. Stem cell‐based regeneration offers the next frontier of medical therapy through delivery of essentially unlimited pools of autologous or allogeneic, naive or modified, progenitor cells to achieve structural and functional repair. Translation into clinical applications requires the establishment of a regenerative medicine community of practice capable to bridge discovery with personalized treatment solutions. Indeed, this multidisciplinary specialized workforce will be capable to integrate the new science of embryology, immunology, and stem cell biology into bioinformatics and network medicine platforms, ensuring implementation of therapeutic repair strategies into individualized disease management algorithms.
Colorectal Cancer Is a Paracrine Deficiency Syndrome Amenable to Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy
Authors: Li Peng , Lin Jieru E. , Snook Adam E. , Gibbons Ahmara V. , Zuzga David S. , Schulz Stephanie , Pitari Giovanni M. , Waldman Scott A.
Published: September 2008

The most commonly lost gene products in colorectal carcinogenesis include the paracrine hormones guanylin and uroguanylin, the endogenous ligands for guanylyl cyclase C (GCC), the intestinal receptor for diarrheagenic bacterial enterotoxins. Recently, GCC‐cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) signaling has emerged as a principal regulator of proliferation, genetic integrity, and metabolic programming in normal human enterocytes and colon cancer cells. Elimination of GCC in mice produced hyperplasia of the proliferating compartment associated with increases in the rapidly cycling progenitor cells and reprogrammed enterocyte metabolism, with a shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. In addition, in the colons of mice carrying mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli geneApc(ApcMin/+) or exposed to the carcinogen azoxymethane, elimination of GCC increased tumor initiation and promotion by disrupting genomic integrity and releasing cell cycle restriction. These previously unrecognized roles for GCC as a fundamental regulator of intestinal homeostasis and as an intestinal tumor suppressor suggest that receptor dysregulation reflecting paracrine hormone insuffciency is a key event during the initial stages of colorectal tumorigenesis. Together with the uniform overexpression of GCC in human tumors, these novel roles for GCC underscore the potential of oral replacement with GCC ligands for a targeted prevention and therapy of colorectal cancer.
Erythrophagocytic low‐grade extranodal T‐cell lymphoma in a cat
Authors: Carter J. E. , Tarigo J. L. , Vernau W. , Cecere T. E. , Hovis R. L. , Suter S. E.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: A 13‐year‐old male castrated domestic shorthair cat was presented to the referring veterinarian with a 2‐month history of weight loss and lethargy. Splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, nonregenerative anemia, neutropenia, and hyperbilirubinemia were noted. Results of testing for feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Mycoplasma sp. were negative. On cytologic examination of aspirates from the enlarged spleen and liver, a population of erythrophagocytic round cells was observed. Splenectomy and a liver biopsy were done which revealed a population of CD3+/CD79a– erythrophagocytic mononuclear round cells localized in the hepatic and splenic sinusoids. T‐cell PARR (PCR for antigen receptor gene rearrangements) analysis of bone marrow and spleen demonstrated a single band indicative of a clonal proliferation of T cells. Based on the marked splenomegaly, sinusoidal infiltration, lack of lymphadenopathy, and results of cytology, PARR, and immunophenotyping, a diagnosis of low‐grade extranodal T‐cell lymphoma was made. The cat was treated with chlorambucil and prednisolone; clinical and laboratory abnormalities resolved and the cat has remained clinically normal for 2.5 years. To our knowledge, this report documents the first case of an erythrophagocytic T‐cell lymphoma in a cat. The clinicopathologic findings were suggestive of hepatosplenic T‐cell lymphoma, a neoplasm described previously only in humans and dogs.
Use of refractometry for determination of psittacine plasma protein concentration
Authors: Cray Carolyn , Rodriguez Marilyn , Arheart Kristopher L.
Published: September 2008

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated both poor and good correlation of total protein concentrations in various avian species using refractometry and biuret methodologies.

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to compare these 2 techniques of total protein determination using plasma samples from several psittacine species and to determine the effect of cholesterol and other solutes on refractometry results.

Methods: Total protein concentration in heparinized plasma samples without visible lipemia was analyzed by refractometry and an automated biuret method on a dry reagent analyzer (Ortho 250). Cholesterol, glucose, and uric acid concentrations were measured using the same analyzer. Results were compared using Deming regression analysis, Bland–Altman bias plots, and Spearman's rank correlation.

Results: Correlation coefficients (r) for total protein results by refractometry and biuret methods were 0.49 in African grey parrots (n=28), 0.77 in Amazon parrots (20), 0.57 in cockatiels (20), 0.73 in cockatoos (36), 0.86 in conures (20), and 0.93 in macaws (38) (P≤.01). Cholesterol concentration, but not glucose or uric acid concentrations, was significantly correlated with total protein concentration obtained by refractometry in Amazon parrots, conures, and macaws (n=25 each, P<.05), and trended towards significance in African grey parrots and cockatoos (P=.06).

Conclusions: Refractometry can be used to accurately measure total protein concentration in nonlipemic plasma samples from some psittacine species. Method and species‐specific reference intervals should be used in the interpretation of total protein values.
HIGH-ORDER CORRELATION FUNCTIONS OF BINARY MULTI-STEP MARKOV CHAINS
Authors: APOSTOLOV S. S. , MAYZELIS Z. A. , USATENKO O. V. , YAMPOL'SKII V. A.
Published: September 2008

Two approaches to studying the correlation functions of the binary Markov sequences are considered. The first of them is based on the study of probability of occurring different "words" in the sequence. The other one uses recurrence relations for correlation functions. These methods are applied for two important particular classes of the Markov chains. These classes include the Markov chains with permutative conditional probability functions and the additive Markov chains with the small memory functions. The exciting property of the self-similarity (discovered in Phys. Rev. Lett.90, 110601 (2003) for the additive Markov chain with the step-wise memory function) is proved to be the intrinsic property of any permutative Markov chain. Applicability of the correlation functions of the additive Markov chains with the small memory functions to calculating the thermodynamic characteristics of the classical Ising spin chain with long-range interaction is discussed.
PHOTOPYROELECTRIC MONITORING OF OLIVE'S RIPENING CONDITIONS AND OLIVE OIL QUALITY USING PULSED WIDEBAND IR THERMAL SOURCE
Authors: ABU-TAHA M. I. , SARAHNEH Y. , SALEH A. M.
Published: September 2008

The present study is based on band absorption of radiation from pulsed wideband infrared (IR) thermal source (PWBS) in conjunction with polyvinylidene fluoride film (PVDF). It is the first time to be employed to monitor the ripening state of olive fruit. Olive's characteristics vary at different stages of ripening, and hence, cultivation of olives at the right time is important in ensuring the best oil quality and maximizes the harvest yield. The photopyroelectric (PPE) signal resulting from absorption of wideband infrared (IR) radiation by fresh olive juice indicates the ripening stage of olives, i.e., allows an estimate of the suitable harvest time. The technique was found to be very useful in discriminating between olive oil samples according to geographical region, shelf life, some storage conditions, and deliberate adulteration. Our results for monitoring oil accumulation in olives during the ripening season agree well with the complicated analytical studies carried out by other researchers.
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF HIGH FIELD ELECTRON TRANSPORT PROPERTIES IN WURTZITE PHASE GaN FOR DEVICE MODELING
Authors: BINESH A. R. , ARABSHAHI H. , EBRAHIMI G. R. , REZAEE ROKN-ABADI M.
Published: September 2008

An ensemble Monte Carlo simulation has been used to model bulk electron transport at room and higher temperatures as a function of high electric fields. Electronic states within the conduction band valleys at the Γ1, U, M, Γ3 and K are represented by non-parabolic ellipsoidal valleys centred on important symmetry points of the Brillouin zone. The simulation shows that intervalley electron transfer plays a dominant role in GaN in high electric fields leading to a strongly inverted electron distribution and to a large negative differential conductance. Our simulation results have also shown that the electron velocity in GaN is less sensitive to temperature than in other III-V semiconductors like GaAs . So GaN devices are expected to be more tolerant to self-heating and high ambient temperature device modeling. Our steady state velocity-field characteristics are in fair agreement with other recent calculations.
QUANTUM ANALYSIS OF OSCILLATORY PROCESSES IN FRACTAL MEDIA
Authors: GARASCHENKO F. G. , KRUCHININ D. S. , NOVIKOV V. E.
Published: September 2008

On the basis of quantum analysis, we consider the mathematical models applied to the processes of transfer and oscillations in fractal media. It is shown that the equation of oscillations in fractal media with the use of Jackson q-derivatives is similar to that of the oscillatory process in a homogeneous medium with damping. The connection between the similarity parameter of a fractal medium and the equivalent damping is determined. A generalization of the Ohm law for fractal media is obtained.
NONLINEAR OPTICAL PARAMETERS OF MAGNETOACTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR-PLASMAS
Authors: SINGH M. , JOSEPH D. , DUHAN S.
Published: September 2008

The nonlinear optical parameters (absorption coefficient and refractive index) of semiconductor-plasmas subjected to a transverse magnetic field have been investigated analytically. By employing the coupled-mode scheme, an expression of third-order optical susceptibility and resultant nonlinear absorption and refractive index of the medium are obtained. The analysis has been applied to both cases, viz., centrosymmetric (β = 0) and noncentrosymmetric (β ≠ 0) in the presence of magnetic field. The numerical estimates are made for InSb crystal at liquid nitrogen temperature duly irradiated by a 10-nanosecond pulsed 10.6 μm CO 2 laser. The influence of doping concentration and magnetic field on both the nonlinear absorption and refractive index has been explored, and the results are found to be well in agreement with theory and experiment. Analysis further establishes that absorption coefficient and refractive index can be controlled with precision in semiconductors by the proper selection of doping concentration and an external magnetic field, and hence these media may be used for fabrication of fast cubic nonlinear optical devices under off-resonant transition regime.
HEAT CONDUCTION IN HOMOGENEOUS AND HETEROGENEOUS BILLIARD SYSTEMS
Authors: MAO JUN-WEN , LI YOU-QUAN , DENG LING-YUN
Published: September 2008

We investigate the heat conduction in a modified Lorentz gas with freely rotating disks periodically placed along one-dimensional channel. The heat conductivity is dependent on the moment of inertia η of the disks, with a power-law decay when η > 1. By plotting the Poincaré surface of the section, we observe a contraction of phase space over the range of η > 1, which is sensitive to the initial condition. We find that the power-law decay of the heat conductivity is relevant to the mixing phase space. As a possible application, we model the heterostructure by connecting the segments of different η, and predict the analytical results of the temperature profiles and the heat conductivity, which are in good agreement with the numerical ones.
RENORMALIZATION OF ATOMISTIC GROWTH MODELS
Authors: HASELWANDTER CHRISTOPH A. , VVEDENSKY DIMITRI D.
Published: September 2008

We review a general procedure for the multiscale analysis of atomistic lattice models of fluctuating interfaces driven by the deposition of new material. Beginning with a lattice Langevin formulation of site fluctuations, stochastic differential equations are derived by regularizing the lattice transition rules. Subsequent coarse graining is accomplished by applying the renormalization group, which yields trajectories from initial conditions determined by the regularized atomistic models. These trajectories correspond to hierarchies of continuum equations that describe the original lattice models over expanding length and time scales as the extent of coarse graining increases. This provides a systematic method for the derivation of continuum equations from the transition rules of lattice models appropriate for any length and time scales, and thereby establishes a quantitative link between atomistic transition rules and the collective behavior of the system. The results obtained with this method are confirmed by all available kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and, in some cases, have provided new interpretations of previous experimental observations. In this review, we first discuss the elements of our multiscale method in general terms, and then illustrate their implementation for specific growth models.
TIME-DEPENDENT CURRENT-DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY FOR THE FRICTION OF IONS IN AN INTERACTING ELECTRON GAS
Authors: NAZAROV V. U. , PITARKE J. M. , TAKADA Y. , VIGNALE G. , CHANG Y.-C.
Published: September 2008

Due to the strongly nonlocal nature of fxc(r,r',ω), the scalar exchange and correlation (xc) kernel of the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), the formula for Q the friction coefficient of an interacting electron gas (EG) for ions tends to give too large a value of Q for heavy ions in the medium- and low-density EG, if we adopt the local-density approximation (LDA) to fxc(r, r', ω), even though the formula itself is formally exact. We have rectified this unfavorable feature by reformulating the formula for Q in terms of the tensorialxc kernel of the time-dependent current-density functional theory, to which the LDA can be applied without intrinsic difficulty. Our numerical results find themselves in considerably better agreement with the experimental stopping power of Al and Au for slow ions than those previously obtained within the LDA to the TDDFT.
FORCED COATING OF POLYPROPYLENE FIBERS WITH NON-WETTING FLUIDS: THE SCALING OF THE FILM THICKNESS
Authors: SHIM E. , PARK JUNG OK , SRINIVASARAO MOHAN
Published: September 2008

The film thickness of free-meniscus coating of a polymeric fiber with a non-wetting fluid was investigated. A polypropylene monofilament fiber was coated with various glycerol/water mixtures. With a small capillary number (Ca), a detectable liquid film did not form on the fiber due to the non-wettability of the fiber-liquid system. Above a certain threshold velocity, liquid was forced to wet the fiber by hydrodynamic forces, thus forming a film. However, the film thickness in this region is lower than Landau–Levich–Derjaguin (LLD) theoretical value for the wetting system. At a moderate velocity range, the film thickness increases to a value predicted either by the LLD law or White–Tallmadge (WT) model, depending on the velocity, mimicking that of the wetting system. At a higher Ca, the film thickness increases much more rapidly, deviating from any predictions, due to the inertial effect.
ESR AND RAMAN STUDIES OF CHEMICAL BATH DEPOSITED CdS : Ni FILMS
Authors: INTATHA U. , EITSSAYEAM S. , PENGPAT K. , UDOMKAN N. , LIMSUWAN P. , TUNKASIRI T.
Published: September 2008

The CdS : Ni films were fabricated on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition method (CBD), where Ni concentrations are 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and electron spin resonance (ESR) were employed to study the film structures. The XRD patterns revealed the presence of cubic CdS and trace of NiS . The Raman spectra were observed at 300 and 600 cm-1, corresponding to the first and second orders of the longitudinal optical phonon modes. Both results confirm that slightly lower order of crystallinity of CdS : Ni was found at the higher concentration of Ni . The ESR spectra showed the presence of F-type defects in CdS : Ni films. The band gaps of the samples were found to increase with the increase of Ni concentration.
GENERALIZED SYNCHRONIZATION OF DIFFERENT DIMENSIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN SECURE COMMUNICATION
Authors: WANG XINGYUAN , ZHAO QUN , WANG MINGJUN , YANG YUHONG
Published: September 2008

This paper analyzes the generalized synchronization of chaotic neural networks and proposes an approach based on the Lyapunov stability theory. This approach realizes the generalized synchronization between two different dimensional neural networks. Numerical simulation examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. By the chaos-masking method, the simulation experiment about generalized synchronization of different dimensional neural networks in secure communication has verified the validity of the approach.
CALCULATED STRUCTURAL AND ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF M2InC(M=Sc, Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta)
Authors: BOUHEMADOU A.
Published: September 2008

Using ab initio calculations, we have studied the structural and elastic properties of M 2 InC , with M = Sc , Ti , V , Zr , Nb , Hf and Ta . Geometrical optimization of the unit cell is in agreement with the available experimental data. We have observed a quadratic dependence of the lattice parameters versus the applied pressure. The elastic constants are calculated using the static finite strain technique. We derived the bulk and shear moduli, Young's moduli and Poisson's ratio for ideal polycrystalline M 2 InC aggregates. We estimated the Debye temperature of M 2 InC from the average sound velocity. This is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the elastic properties of Sc 2 InC , Ti 2 InC , V 2 InC , Zr 2 InC , Nb 2 InC , Hf 2 InC and Ta 2 InC compounds, and it still awaits experimental confirmation.
THE ANT, THE GRASSHOPPER OR SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT: AN EXPLORATION OF CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Authors: GRINDE JOHN , KHARE ANSHUMAN
Published: September 2008

Living within the limits imposed by a finite earth may be the predominant challenge of the 21st century; however there is no agreement on what this means economically or politically. Continually increasing population and per capita consumption within a finite environment is a biologic impossibility. Today many of nature's resources are being harvested at rates where growth is uneconomic and damaging to future production.

This paper explores linkages between economics, society and nature as complex adaptive systems in a world of uncertainty. To understand that these self organising systems exist in equilibrium, dependent on feedback loops, is to understand that as humanity destroys system equilibrium we push the entire system to the edge of criticality and perhaps chaos. Consequences of criticality and chaos theory are now thought to follow power laws; wherein the size of any single system disruption is impossible to predict, especially when inter-relationships with other systems are not understood. Understanding the biosphere from a holistic perspective is critical when considering priorities and making wise choices.

Thoughts of some environmental thinkers are reviewed for a perspective on the meaning of true sustainability, where it may lead and how we must redesign human systems to adapt to a sustainable world. The authors believe holism exists; that similarities with other fields of study exist in the environmental issues of today; and, that ideas and solutions may be also found in unexpected places. Although no recommendations are made it is hoped that interest is stimulated in answering the question when are we going to act collectively to address some of the present day myriad issues.
GIS AS A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SITING WATER HARVESTING PONDS IN THE BASALT AQUIFER/NE JORDAN
Authors: AL-ADAMAT RIDA
Published: September 2008

Water harvesting is a must and not an option for Jordan in the near future. The available water resources are limited and barely satisfy the current growing demands. In the basalt aquifer/NE of Jordan, there is a possibility to construct water harvesting ponds to assist the livestock owners in villages and towns in watering their livestock which will ease the pressure on the existing water resources. This research was based on the use of GIS techniques to select the optimum sites for water harvesting ponds within the basalt aquifer. Buffering, Union and arithmetic operations in GIS were all used in analysing the data based on different socio-economic and physical criteria. The outcomes of the GIS analysis resulted in selecting 72 suitable sites within the study area. These sites could be used as a guideline to the decision makers in Jordan when they decided to establish a water harvesting pond in the area. This will save time and money which could be directed to the construction of the actual water harvesting ponds.