bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strain differences in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis function and adipogenic effects of corticosterone in rats
Authors: Marissal-Arvy Nathalie , Gaumont Alexandra , Langlois Allan , Dabertrand Fabrice , Bouchecareilh Marion , Tridon Claudine , Mormede Pierre
Published: November 2007

Our aim was to explore the nutritional consequences of functional variations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis in rats. We first aimed to compare the HPA axis activity and reactivity to stress between Fischer 344 (F344) and LOU/C (LOU) strains that differ in food behavior and metabolism. When compared with F344 rats, LOU rats showed lower corticosterone (Cort) levels across the circadian cycle and after restraint stress. Then, we compared the effects of adrenalectomized (ADX) and Cort substitution after ADX on food intake, body weight gain, body composition, and biochemical parameters related to metabolism and HPA axis function between 1) the F344 rat strain, a model of HPA axis hyperactivity and hyperreactivity to stress, and characterized by a large fat mass; 2) the LOU strain, shown to exhibit hypoactive/hyporeactive HPA axis, reduced fat mass, and resistance to diet-induced obesity; and 3) the Lewis (LEW) strain, a third condition of fat deposition (high) related to HPA axis function (low activity/reactivity). The F344 and LEW strains exhibited classical responses to ADX and Cort. On the contrary, LOU rats showed an apparent insensitivity to ADX. Despite the highest effects of Cort related to glucocorticoid receptor (on thymus weight, corticotropin-releasing factor, or corticosteroid-binding globulin), the LOU strain was insensitive to Cort effects on body weight, liver, and abdominal fat mass. These characteristics could be involved in the leanness, insensitivity to diet-induced obesity, and healthy aging in LOU. Our study shows the relevance of comparing the F344, LOU, and LEW strains to cover the complexity of interactions between metabolism and HPA axis function.
In Medias Res: Reading, Writing, and the Digital Artefact
Authors: Dobson Teresa M.
Published: November 2007

In information systems and end-user computer research, ‘using’ appears to encapsulate a range of activities, such as reading, writing, viewing and so on. And yet it is a grossly inadequate descriptor for any of these activities, failing to account for the fact that texts — digital or otherwise — are produced and engaged by humans for a variety of purposes, from study to recreation. The wide adoption of ‘use’ as a descriptor for engagement with hypermedia reflects the challenges inherent in understanding and facilitating interaction with complex multimedia artefacts. It also points to a potential problem with research in this area: do attempts to accommodate the complexity of the digital artefact by devising terms that synthesize the range of literacy processes involved in human—computer interaction deter us from attending to the distinctiveness of those processes? The author takes up this question by considering how notions of reading and writing have been construed in relation to digital media, and whether such notions are in fact useful in furthering understanding of digital literacy.
Critical Literacy Learning through Video Games: Adolescent Boys' Perspectives
Authors: Sanford Kathy , Madill Leanna
Published: November 2007

The rapidly growing phenomenon of video games, along with learning that takes place through video game play, have raised concerns about the negative impact such games are reputed to have on youth, particularly boys. However, there is a disconnect between the discourse that suggests that boys are failing in learning literacy skills, and the discourse that suggests that they are learning highly sophisticated literacy skills through engagement with video games. This article reports on a research project investigating the literacy skills boys are learning through video game play and explores whether these skills are actually beneficial and whether they aid learning or distract from more useful literacy learning and healthy pursuits.
Slippery Texts and Evolving Literacies
Authors: MacKey Margaret
Published: November 2007

The idea of ‘slippery texts' provides a useful descriptor for materials that mutate and evolve across different media. Eight adult gamers, encountering the slippery text American McGee's Alice, demonstrate a variety of ways in which players attempt to manage their attention as they encounter a new text with many resonances. The range of their start-up approaches provides insight into changing forms of literate behaviours. Players varied in the degree to which they emphasized focusing on the story or on the controls of the game in their initial approach to this text, but all made some use of the intertextual understanding they brought from other versions of Alice. A kind of good-enough gaming was sought, in order to make progress in the early stages of the game.
At the Edge of Reason: Teaching Language and Literacy in a Digital Age
Authors: Nahachewsky James
Published: November 2007

Canadian schools are witnessing widening gaps between traditional definitions of literacy, which include reading and writing, and contemporary literacy practices like interactive multimedia use and online communications. Language and literacy teachers are called upon daily to bridge these contradictions through the pedagogical and textual choices they make in their classrooms. This article reports work in a study funded by Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). This study comprised a qualitative inquiry into three teachers' experiences and textual stances of authority within the rapidly evolving environment of language arts classrooms. Situated understandings of the teachers' personal and professionally situated literacies complicated their daily pedagogical and textual choices. Theorized divisions between modernist literacy approaches and evolving postmodern practices emerged as a more complex set of discourses within the contact zone of contemporary language arts classrooms than originally anticipated, including a ‘horizontality’ to the classes' critical literacy practices. These findings have implications for the education of pre-service teachers, the development of literacy pedagogy, and the continuing debate as to what it means to be literate in today's information society.
Political Education in Croatian Secondary Schools: An Emergency Reaction to a Chaotic Context
Authors: Doolan Karin , Domazet Mladen
Published: November 2007

The article draws on an analysis exploring how the content and aims of secondary school political education have been framed in official Croatian policy documents following the country's war for independence, with particular focus on the underlying conception of citizenship promoted in such a post-conflict setting. The article also addresses how official textbooks for the secondary school subject of ‘politics and economics’ shape this conception of citizenship through their choice of topics. It is argued in the article that the case of Croatian political education illustrates how a social and historical tipping point can influence what counts as official political knowledge to be transmitted in schools, and thus exemplifies the transitional nature of such knowledge in emergency settings. This locates the issue of knowledge transmitted in Croatian secondary school political education in a broader theoretical discussion on how knowledge can be radically affected by ‘paradigm shifts’ in social and political circumstances, and raises the question of ways in which its arbitrariness can be minimised. To this end, special attention is given to the role of skills and values in political education.
Gangs, Soldiers and ‘Idle Girls’: Constructions of Youth and Development in World Bank Discourse
Authors: Luttrell-Rowland Mikaela
Published: November 2007

This article examines the World Bank's recent World Development Report on youth and development (2007) as an empirical example to explore the links between the employment of ‘group identity’ and the use of policy frameworks. Drawing on feminist theory to analyse the representations of young people put forward within the report, this article demonstrates how the report privileges economic indicators, elevates formal institutions, and obfuscates structural inequality and power. The article argues that the report's failure to indicate the partiality of its perspective on youth and development problematically narrows the policy options the World Bank is able to present.
Genome-Wide Scan for Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Multi-Ethnic Diabetic Populations
Authors: Schelling Jeffrey R. , Abboud Hanna E. , Nicholas Susanne B. , Pahl Madeleine V. , Sedor John R. , Adler Sharon G. , Arar Nedal H. , Bowden Donald W. , Elston Robert C. , Freedman Barry I. , Goddard Katrina A.B. , Guo Xiuqing , Hanson Robert L. , Ipp Eli , Iyengar Sudha K. , Jun Gyungah , Kao W.H. Linda , Kasinath Balakuntalam S. , Kimmel Paul L. , Klag Michael J. , Knowler William C. , Nelson Robert G. , Parekh Rulan S. , Quade Shannon R. , Rich Stephen S. , Saad Mohammed F. , Scavini Marina , Smith Michael W. , Taylor Kent , Winkler Cheryl A. , Zager Philip G. , Shah Vallabh O. ,   on behalf of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes Research Group
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE— Diabetic nephropathy, the most common cause of end-stage renal disease, aggregates in families and specific ethnic groups. Deconstructing diabetic nephropathy into intermediate, quantitative phenotypes may increase feasibility of detecting susceptibility loci by genetic screens. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which characterizes diabetic nephropathy, was employed as a quantitative trait in a preliminary whole-genome scan.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Estimated GFR (eGFR) was calculated for 882 diabetic sibpairs (mean age 57 years) of African-American (25.6% of total), American Indian (8.6%), European-American (14.2%), and Mexican-American (51.6%) descent enrolled in the initial phase of the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND). A whole-genome scan was performed using 404 microsatellite markers (average spacing 9 cM) and model-free linkage analysis.

RESULTS— For all ethnicities combined, strong evidence for linkage was observed on chromosomes 1q43 (P = 3.6 × 10−3), 7q36.1 (P = 2.1 × 10−4), 8q13.3 (P = 4.6 × 10−4), and 18q23.3 (P = 2.7 × 10−3). Mexican-American families, who comprised the major ethnic subpopulation in FIND, contributed to linkage on chromosomes 1q43, 2p13.3, 7q36.1, 8q13.3, and 18q23.3, whereas African-American and American-Indian families displayed linkage peaks on chromosomes 11p15.1 and 15q22.3, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS— We have demonstrated multiple chromosomal regions linked to eGFR in a multi-ethnic collection of families ascertained by a proband with diabetic nephropathy. Identification of genetic variants within these loci that are responsible for the linkage signals could lead to predictive tests or novel therapies for subsets of patients at risk for diabetic nephropathy.
Providing Long-Term Support for Lifestyle Changes: A Key to Success in Diabetes Prevention
Authors: Marrero David G. , Ackermann Ronald T.
Published: November 2007

In Brief

Increasing evidence demonstrates that type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented in people with elevated risk by modest changes in lifestyle. Research by the Indiana Diabetes Translation Research Center shows that the YMCA organization is a good community partner to implement diabetes prevention programs. YMCA staff trained to deliver a structured lifestyle intervention to prevent diabetes can achieve short-term weight-loss results comparable to those achieved during the Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial. This research demonstrates that primary prevention is feasible in community settings with a structured program targeting high-risk individuals.
Overview of Peer Support Models to Improve Diabetes Self-Management and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Heisler Michele
Published: November 2007

In Brief

This article provides a brief overview of different approaches to mobilize peer support for diabetes self-management support and evidence to date on the effectiveness of each of these models with an emphasis on research into ways to extend face-to-face programs using innovative technologies. It concludes with a discussion of directions for future research in this area.
Olfactory Dysfunction in Patients with Minamata Disease
Authors: Furuta Shigeru , Nishimoto Kengo , Egawa Masahiko , Ohyama Masaru , Moriyama Hiroyuki
Published: November 2007

We studied the olfactory functions of organic mercury poisoning (Minamata disease) by using both the smell identification test and the olfactory detection threshold test (with phenyl ethyl alcohol). The subjects were 19 patients with Minamata disease who were treated in Meisuien, Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan and include cases that developed the disease in utero. The mean age was 78.7 ± 14.3 years old. Both smell identification and olfactory detection tests in the majority of patients decreased significantly compared with those of healthy elder subjects. A few cases showed normal olfactory identification and detection functions. The olfactory identification function deceased with advancing age. Correlation existed between detection threshold and background factors such as age and duration after documented Minamata disease was found. No significant relationship was identified between olfactory function and the typical symptoms of Minamata disease.
Ciliary Ultrastructure and Mucociliary Transport in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Authors: Torkkeli Tommi , Rautiainen Markus , Nuutinen Juhani
Published: November 2007

The ciliary ultrastructure in transmission electron microscopy and nasal mucociliary transport rate (MTR) by a radioisotopic method were studied in 50 patients with longstanding upper respiratory tract infections. The clinical symptoms correlated well with MTR. The symptoms in patients with MTR 3 mm/min or better were mild, but the patients with poor MTR (less than 3 mm/min) suffered from recurrent or severe infections. The completely normal ultrastructural findings were found only in patients with MTR better than 3 mm/min. All the patients with poor MTR had pathological ciliary ultrastructure, with numerous tubular anomalies and disorientation of ciliary beat direction. The outer dynein arms were found to be short in 16% of cases with poor MTR.
Treatment Strategies Designed to Minimize Medical Complications of Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Fireman Philip
Published: November 2007

Perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis affect many million Americans and account for close to $2 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and pruritus are, at best, very annoying and may be quite debilitating in some patients, causing irritability, insomnia, and fatigue. Moreover, allergic rhinitis is often not self-limiting and can contribute to serious medical complications such as sinusitis and otitis. Aggressive medical management of allergic rhinitis is important in the therapy for chronic sinusitis and otitis media and may prevent progression to more serious disease. Accurate diagnosis and initiation of environmental control measures to reduce exposure to causative factors should accompany initiation of pharmacotherapy. Antihistamines form the cornerstone of pharmacologic therapy, and use of the newer nonsedating antihistamines such as loratadine, terfenadine, and astemizole is not associated with the sedation produced by the classic antihistamines. Both loratadine and terfenadine are available in combination with a decongestant. Topical intranasal corticosteroids are another important component of pharmacologic management of allergic rhinitis. Allergen immunotherapy (hyposensitization) is used in those patients not adequately managed with pharmacotherapy. The relative safety and convenient dosing schedule of the newer medications should be accompanied by enhanced patient compliance and, hence, better control of allergic symptoms, halting progression of allergic rhinitis to serious medical complications.
The Effects of a Practice Guideline on Endoscopic Sinus Surgery at an Academic Center
Authors: Stewart Michael G. , Hillman Edward J. , Donovan Donald T. , Tanli Sarper H.
Published: November 2007

Practice guidelines (PG) (or clinical pathways) are increasingly important tools for standardizing health care delivery, improving efficiency, monitoring quality, and controlling costs. Health services researchers divide the delivery of health care into three stages: structure, process, and outcome. PGs are a technique to standardize the process of health care delivery, which may result in improved clinical outcomes or may maintain clinical outcomes while increasing process efficiency and decreasing costs. We describe the development and implementation of a PG for endoscopic sinus surgery at an academic center, and report preliminary results on the effects of the PG on the health care process. The PG was developed using a multidisciplinary combination of consensus-building and evidence-based techniques. Initially, participation in the PG was voluntary and at the attending physician's discretion. One year after implementation of the PG, 41 patients had been enrolled by members of the medical school's full-time faculty. Process and short-term outcome variables on those patients were compared to a random sample of 50 patients treated by the same physicians, but not using the PG. There was no evidence of selection bias into the PG based on demographics, severity of sinusitis, or the presence of comorbid factors. There were no differences in time spent in the operating room, postanesthesia care unit, or day surgery observation unit, between patients using the PG and not using the PG. However, patients not using the PG had a significantly higher rate of unplanned admission. Patients using the PG had significantly lower median hospital costs and charges than did patients not using the PG. In addition, median hospital costs and charges decreased steadily for all patients (not just those using the PG), simultaneous with the development and implementation of the PG. There were no differences in short-term clinical outcomes between PG and non-PG patients. In summary, the development and implementation of a PG for endoscopic sinus surgery resulted in lower hospital costs and charges while maintaining acceptable short-term clinical outcomes. PGs have important implications for improving the efficiency of the health care process.
Allergic Mucin Sinusitis without Fungus
Authors: Ramadan Hassan H. , Quraishi Huma A.
Published: November 2007

Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is a distinct clinical pathologic entity that has been recognized for over a decade. The hallmark of this process is eosinophilic allergic mucin with fungal hyphae on histopathology. We have identified a subset of patients who present with a clinical picture similar to that of AFS patients in which fungus could not be demonstrated pathologically or on culture. We present four cases of allergic mucin sinusitis without fungus. A comparison of the clinical presentation of this group of patients with those with AFS will be discussed. Both groups had nasal polyposis and a history of multiple sinonasal procedures. By contrast, the patients with allergic mucin sinusitis were older than the AFS group. All of the patients with allergic mucin sinusitis also had asthma. Treatment was the same for both groups of patients.
Private Returns, Public Concerns
Authors: Mayer Jennifer
Published: November 2007

Governments worldwide face increasing challenges in funding highway infrastructure with public capital. To meet the funding gap, policy makers are turning to public-private concessions for selected projects. These agreements are typically complex, long-term arrangements that entail the private sector agreeing to construct or rehabilitate a public access facility in exchange for rights to future toll revenues or other payments. In exchange for assuming concession risks, the private sector expects a commensurate return. But public procurement officials face real challenges in determining a fair distribution of risks and rewards, as well as in handling the public's perception of such agreements. Placing strict limits on private-sector returns can undermine incentives for construction, financing, and operating efficiencies that are an integral part of the value that can be achieved through public-private concessions. Furthermore, any such limits may not even be effective unless all aspects of a concession that can generate profits, such as refinancing, are addressed and the methodology for the calculation of returns is carefully specified. This paper examines various approaches used by procurement officials to address real and perceived private-sector returns in highway concessions. While special focus is placed on revenue-sharing provisions, other concession features that affect returns are also discussed, including tender structure, bid selection, and negotiated contract terms and prohibitions. The analysis includes discussion of specific revenue-sharing provisions in two U.S. concessions and one Irish concession, as well as a general discussion of the approaches taken by several European governments to address returns in their concession programs.
Financing Transit-Oriented Development
Authors: Venner Marie , Ecola Liisa
Published: November 2007

Although the development and lending communities have become much more aware of transit-oriented development (TOD) in the past 5 years, the lending process remains highly institutionalized and compartmentalized. TOD developers still face significant challenges in obtaining financing and structuring deals. After a brief review of common sources and structures of financing, this paper details obstacles to financing that TOD developers face, starting with the increasingly high risk attached to construction lending and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's recent actions emphasizing increased bank oversight in this area. Complexity, design, and construction challenges, along with mixed-use and related lender concerns, compound the difficulties presented by the relative newness of the mixed-use, TOD product, as compared with the conventional real estate products that are more commonly underwritten and traded on the secondary market. This puts more pressure on TOD developers to present a solid equity position and prove that they have the know-how and wherewithal to carry a risky project through. Strategies to overcome these barriers to TOD financing include the structuring of uses to align with existing product categories, value engineering and the use of alternative building methods and materials, use of advanced information management systems, addition of large or experienced partners, and gain of higher-equity, patient investment. Finally, presenting the local and national market demand for TOD may help increase financiers' understanding of the unique benefits offered by TOD, and of its potential upside. Local governments can help by developing supportive plans and appropriate zoning, building public support, and streamlining the process to create a more predictable environment for developers and lenders.
Politics, Public Opinion, and Project Design in California Road Pricing
Authors: Smirti Megan , Evans Alexandra , Gougherty Michael , Morris Eric
Published: November 2007

Growing numbers of decision makers are becoming more open to charging users of roads to fund transportation improvements, including transit alternatives. Despite significant progress, planners and policy makers still face many obstacles when considering road-pricing projects. This suggests that many of the factors that determine the success or failure of such proposed projects are not well understood and that proposed projects may include one or more aspects that prove to be deal breakers for key supporters. Four geographically diverse California road-pricing projects were selected for detailed case studies. Two projects that succeeded to implementation allow for an analysis of the critical political maneuvers made throughout the life of these priced facilities. One project that was ultimately halted in the later stages of planning and one planned but not yet implemented project are useful in evaluating what went wrong and what lessons can be drawn from these attempts to implement road pricing. The findings suggest that there are numerous ways to adjust pricing projects to gain public and political support. Generally, projects should try to provide more capacity, travel-time savings, and travel options, and avoid pricing facilities that have no free alternatives. Nevertheless, the manner in which projects are designated and revenues are used is highly context-specific, and some concessions in one area can improve acceptability in another. The future of road pricing is uncertain, and pricing projects should be considered only on a case-by-case basis, depending on local attitudes, the use of the revenue generated, and the specific facility in question.
Reaction to the Managed Lane Concept by Various Groups of Travelers
Authors: Burris Mark W. , Sadabadi Kaveh Farokhi , Mattingly Stephen P. , Mahlawat Maneesh , Li Jianling , Rasmidatta Isradatta , Saroosh Alireza
Published: November 2007

Increased traffic combined with a lack of financial resources to reduce the resulting congestion is pushing many state departments of transportation to examine alternative financing and congestion mitigation techniques. The use of managed lanes (MLs) is one measure that addresses both issues at the same time. MLs are defined in this context as priced lanes on a freeway that also has toll-free lanes. MLs may have a considerable advantage over traditional toll roads in that in many cases it is politically impossible to institute tolls on an existing toll-free highway. Understanding the public's reaction to MLs is critical for their successful implementation. This paper reports the results of a survey of more than 4,600 travelers regarding their feelings toward, and the potential use of, MLs. This research reveals strong interest in the ML concept among residents of metropolitan regions in Texas. The potential ML users indicated that travel time savings and increased travel time reliability were the strongest contributors to their opinions. Current carpoolers identified the ability to drive alone as being more important than the ability to carpool. This indicated that additional incentives may need to be provided to carpoolers to prevent some from converting to single-occupant vehicles or that current carpoolers appreciated the flexibility to gain the same advantages in terms of lane use on those days that they have to drive alone. Respondents who currently pay tolls were more likely to express interest in using MLs. This coincides with tolls being named as the least desirable aspect of MLs among those individuals who were not interested in using them.
Time Value of Goods Movement for Project Appraisal in South Korea
Authors: Choi Chang-Ho , Park Dongjoo , Najafi Fazil T. , Kim Jin-Lee
Published: November 2007

The value of time (VOT) estimated with the annual average wage of truck operators and the wage rate (WR) method is currently being applied in South Korea to evaluate the economic feasibility of new roadways. The WR method considers the wage of truck operators, but not the value of the goods being transported. Because there is an obvious difference between the wage of truck operators and the value of goods, the WR method may not properly reflect the VOT for truck travel. The main objectives of the research conducted for this paper were to estimate the VOT for truck travel, using the marginal rate of substitution (MRS) method, and to evaluate the applicability of this method in the economic feasibility study for a new roadway. The results show that the VOT for truck travel estimated using the MRS method with stated preference data is 60.5% higher than that calculated using the WR method. From the results of a recent economic feasibility study for three road types–private highway, expressway, and highway–the benefit-cost ratio calculated using the MRS method is shown to be about 41.3% greater than that obtained using the WR method. These findings suggest that the MRS method is more appropriate for estimating VOT when conducting economic feasibility studies to justify constructing new transportation infrastructure.
Procedure for Bridge Construction Cost Allocation Based on Game Theory
Authors: Lee Dongju , Garcia-Diaz Alberto
Published: November 2007

Traditional procedures for bridge construction cost allocation divide costs between vehicle classes on the basis of gross vehicle weight (traffic load) and ignore the effect of traffic capacity (traffic lane) requirements. This paper presents a new cost allocation method for bridge construction that integrates both traffic capacity and traffic load requirements. The proposed method is based on three allocation criteria known as Aumann-Shapley value, Shapley value, and incremental allocation. The first two criteria are game theory calculations defined as average marginal values associated with all possible ordered arrangements of a set of players. Depending on the criteria, players are defined as vehicle classes, 18-kip single-axle load applications, or traffic lanes. The incremental allocation method considers the vehicle classes in a specific order, usually on the basis of vehicle weight, and determines allocation costs as marginal costs after sequentially including individual vehicle classes and assessing total costs for bridges accommodating all vehicle classes included. An example is provided to illustrate the proposed procedure. For comparison purposes, cost allocations by other available methods are also provided for the example. This paper also provides an insight into the relationship between traffic capacity and bridge construction cost allocation.
Use of extensible internal device in the femur of young dogs
Authors: Justolin L. T. , Baptista P. P. R. , Yoname E. S. , Mamprim M. J. , Balieiro J. C. C. , Rahal S. C.
Published: November 2007

An extensible internal device (EID) was developed to preserve growth plate during the treatment of fracture complications or segmental bone loss from tumour resection in children. Since this type of extensible, transphyseal, internal fixation device has only been used in a few paediatric cases; the aim of this study was to evaluate an in vivo canine study, a surgical application of this device, and its interference with longitudinal growth of the non-fractured distal femur. Ten clinically healthy two- to three-month-old poodles weighing 1.5–2.3 kg were used. Following a medial approach to the right distal femur, one extremity of the EID, similar to a T-plate, was fixed in the femoral condyle with two cortical screws placed below the growth plate. The other extremity, consisting of an adaptable brim with two screw holes and a plate guide, was fixed in the third distal of the femoral diaphysis with two cortical screws. The EID was removed 180 days after application. All of the dogs demonstrated full weight-bearing after surgery. The values of thigh and stifle circumferences, and stifle joint motion range did not show any difference between operated and control hindlimbs. The plate slid in the device according to longitudinal bone growth, in all but one dog. In this dog, a 10.5% shortening of the femoral shaft was observed due to a lack of EID sliding. The other dogs had the same longitudinal lengths in both femurs. The EID permits longitudinal bone growth without blocking the distal femur growth plate if appropriately placed.
Hypobaric intrathecal anaesthesia for partial hemipelvectomy in a dog
Authors: Carobbi B. , Bacon N. J. , White R. A. S. , Novello L.
Published: November 2007

Objective: To report the intrathecal use of a hypobaric anaesthetic solution for partial hemipelvectomy in a nine-year-old, neutered female, Golden Retriever dog, weighing 34 kg. Methods: Under inhalational anaesthesia, with the dog lying in lateral recumbency and the surgical side uppermost, 1.9 ml of a hypobaric solution containing 3.42 mg of bupivacaine and 0.66 mg of morphine were administered in the subarachnoid space at L5–6 level 30 minutes before surgery. Following the intrathecal injection the dog was maintained for five minutes in a 10° head-down position, then for three minutes in a 10° head-up position. Results: Apart from a transient increase in heart and respiratory rates during resection of the sartorius muscle, which was treated with a plasma Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) of fentanyl, spinal anaesthesia provided cardiovascular stability and excellent relaxation of the surgical site. Neither motor blockade nor proprioceptive deficit were apparent in the contra-lateral hind limb at recovery, 200 minutes after injection. Postoperatively, rescue analgesia was not required in the 48 hours following surgery. Clinical significance: In dogs, the use of intrathecal hypobaric bupivacaine and morphine as a part of a balanced anaesthetic protocol should be considered during unilateral major orthopaedic surgeries of the pelvis and hind limb, as it allowed a reduction in the dose administered compared to isobaric solutions, providing selective spinal anaesthesia, excellent longlasting analgesia, and rapid recovery of ambulation.
Tibiotarsal arthroscopy
Authors: Beale B. , Miller J.
Published: November 2007

The objective of this retrospective article was to describe the use of, and to determine long-term outcome of, tibiotarsal arthroscopy in dogs. The medical records of 20 client-owned dogs with tibiotarsal joint disease with arthroscopic treatment were reviewed. Long-term follow-up evaluation of lameness, force plate gait analysis, and radiographs to assess progression of degenerative joint disease (DJD) were performed. Arthroscopy was utilized in the diagnosis of talar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), collateral ligament injury, septic arthritis, immune mediated arthritis, and a distal talar fragment. Sixteen joints with OCD treated resulted in 10/14 dogs with lameness after exercise only, progression of DJD in most cases, and chronic lameness when comparing operated to unoperated limbs with force plate evaluation at a mean follow-up of 35 months. Following treatment, three dogs with collateral ligament injury had reduced weight bearing on the operated limb, radiographic progression of DJD, and minimal lameness at a mean follow-up of 27 months. Tibiotarsal arthroscopy can be successfully used to help diagnose, and often to treat: OCD, collateral ligament injury, fractures, septic and non-septic arthritis in the dog. The minimally invasive nature of arthroscopy preserved joint stability while allowing complete examination of the articular cartilage. In most cases long term tibiotarsal DJD advancement was the rule.
Methods for Measuring CysteineS‐Conjugate β‐Lyase Activity
Authors: Lash Lawrence H.
Published: November 2007

The cysteine conjugate β‐lyase represents activities in cytoplasm and mitochondria catalyzed by at least eleven pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (PLP)‐dependent enzymes in various tissues. These enzymes mediate bioactivation of cysteineS‐conjugates of several haloalkanes and haloalkenes. The reaction occurs through either a direct β‐elimination or a transamination followed by a retro‐Michael rearrangement, resulting in the cleavage of a C–S bond. The resultant product is a reactive thiolate that rearranges to form thioacylating species. This unit presents several protocols for the assay of β‐lyase activity and includes measurements of product formation and substrate loss as well as fluorescent activity stains. Support protocols describe the synthesis and high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis of selected cysteineS‐conjugates. Because of the diversity of enzymes that can catalyze a β‐lyase reaction, each of the assays presented here may indicate only a portion of the potential β‐lyase activity in a given biological preparation.Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 34:6.13.1‐6.13.22. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Overview of Alternative Methodologies in Toxicology
Authors: Gribaldo Laura
Published: November 2007

In vitro toxicology generally refers to the study of toxicological phenomena in non‐whole‐animal models. This broader connotation includes studies utilizing isolated organs, tissue slices, explants cultures, and isolated primary cells, as well as cell lines and subcellular fractions (e.g., microsomes). These model systems have made major contributions to toxicological sciences, particularly in our understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity, xenobiotic metabolism, and species differences in expressions of toxicity. This unit reviews the use of in vitro models and their value in toxicology testing. Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 34:20.1.1‐20.1.6. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Overview of Solid Phase Synthesis of “Difficult Peptide” Sequences
Authors: Tickler Anna K. , Wade John D.
Published: November 2007

Solid‐phase peptide synthesis has contributed immeasurably to the understanding of the chemistry and biology of peptides by enabling their ready preparation in small quantities up to the ton scale. The advantages of the technology, including its simplicity, ease of operation, and general efficiency have far outweighed its limitations. However, despite the general effectiveness of the solid phase synthesis methodology, some peptides are resistant to efficient assembly and are known as “difficult peptides.” Such sequences can present serious challenges to the peptide researcher and have been the subject of considerable investigation. This phenomenon is described together with modern approaches designed to minimize or overcome this hitherto long‐standing and vexing problem. Curr. Protoc. Protein Sci. 50:18.8.1‐18.8.6. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sources of Human and Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Authors: Horwitz Mitchell E.
Published: November 2007

This unit describes various sites from which human and murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) can be collected, including bone marrow, peripheral blood, and, in the case of human HSC, umbilical cord blood. Guidelines related to each of the cell harvesting procedures are described, and a discussion of the expected populations of cells harvested from these various sites is included. Cell products can be composed of a combination of true HSC, lineage‐committed hematopoietic progenitor cells, and terminally differentiated fully mature cells. While use of steady‐state peripheral blood as a source of HSC is the most convenient approach, yields of these cells are very low. However, mobilization methods that stimulate movement of stem cells out of the bone marrow into peripheral blood significantly increase HSC yields. Use of G‐CSF has been accepted as the standard method for stem cell mobilization. The unit describes a variety of investigational cytokines and chemokines that have been shown to mobilize human stem including interleukin 3, 11, and 8, flt‐3 ligand, and stem cell factor. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 79:22A.2.1‐22A.2.6. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Deforming Nanocrystalline Metals: New Insights, New Puzzles
Authors: Weissmüller Jörg , Markmann Jürgen
Published: November 2007

Recent experiments have brought new insights into the mechanisms which govern the plasticity of nanocrystalline metals. In particular, new opportunities have arisen from the finding that bulk nanocrystalline samples with extremely small grain size, prepared by the inert gas condensation technique, can be deformed to large true strain. The findings elucidate the roles of creep, partial dislocation activity along with its consequences, faulting and twinning, as well as grain boundary sliding and grain rotation. However, they also rise intriguing new questions, specifically with respect to the mechanisms of dislocation nucleation at grain boundaries, and with respect to slip system selection and alignment in twinned grains. An emerging insight is that there is not ‘the’ deformation mechanism at small grain size; instead, deformation mechanism maps in, for instance, the parameter space spanned by the strain rate and the grain size, are more appropriate representations of the various processes that control the materials behavior.
Nanotechnology: An Approach to Mimic Natural Architectures and Concepts
Authors: Gröning Pierangelo
Published: November 2007

With the invention of the Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) in 1981 by G. Binnig and H. Rohrer, the gate to the nanoworld was pushed open. The prospect to control matter and units on molecular and atomic level, inspired many scientists to think about new technological approaches—nanotechnology in the sense of Richard Phillips Feynman became reality. Thus, nanotechnology is not only the next step of the miniaturisation following microtechnology—nanotechnology is an approach to investigate natural architectures and to mimic them for technological problems. In the present article we try to show that nanotechnology is an evolutionary process of our technological society with the potential to solve everyday problems with revolutionary concepts and devices.
Isolation of Amniotic Epithelial Stem Cells
Authors: Miki Toshio , Marongiu Fabio , Ellis Ewa , C. Strom Stephen
Published: November 2007

Many of the cell types that can be isolated from placental tissues retain phenotypic plasticity that make them an interesting source for regenerative medicine. Several procedures for the isolation of stem cells from different parts of the placenta have been reported. This unit describes a detailed and simple protocol for the selective isolation of amniotic epithelial cells from human term placenta without disturbing the mesenchymal layer. We also introduce a simple density separation technique for the enrichment of the population for SSEA‐4 positive cells. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 3:1E.3.1‐1E.3.9. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Isolation and Assessment of Long‐Term Reconstituting Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Adult Mouse Bone Marrow
Authors: Kent David , Dykstra Brad , Eaves Connie
Published: November 2007

Suspensions of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells with long‐term repopulating activity can now be routinely isolated from adult mouse bone marrow at purities of 30%. A robust method for obtaining these cells in a single step using multiparameter cell sorting to isolate the CD45midlin−Rho−SP subset is described here, together with a detailed protocol for assessing their regenerative activity in mice transplanted with single cells. These procedures provide unprecedented power and precision for characterizing the molecular and biological properties of cells with hematopoietic stem cell activity at the single cell level. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 3:2A.4.1‐2A.4.23. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Artificial Defect Engineering in Three‐Dimensional Colloidal Photonic Crystals
Authors: Yan Q. , Wang L. , Zhao X. S.
Published: November 2007

Artificial defect engineering in 3D colloidal photonic crystals is of paramount importance in terms of device applications. Over the past few years, we have carried out a great deal of research on introducing artificial defects, including point, line, and planar defects, in 3D colloidal photonic crystals by using “bottom‐up” self‐assembly in combination with “top‐down” micromachining techniques. In this Feature Article, we summarize our research results regarding the engineering of artificial defects in self‐assembled 3D photonic crystals, along with other important research breakthroughs in the literature. The significant advancements in the engineering of defects as reviewed here together with the encouraging reports on the fabrication of perfect colloidal crystals without unwanted defects will collectively lead to technological applications of self‐assembled 3D photonic crystals in the near future.
InGaP@ZnS‐Enriched Chitosan Nanoparticles: A Versatile Fluorescent Probe for Deep‐Tissue Imaging
Authors: Sandros M. G. , Behrendt M. , Maysinger D. , Tabrizian M.
Published: November 2007

InGaP QDs overcoated with several monolayers of ZnS are covalently bound to chitosan to address the challenges of developing highly biologically stable and fluorescent nanoparticle probes for deep‐tissue imaging. Transmission electron microscopy images reveal that the average diameter of these luminescent nanoparticles is approximately 29 nm, and they contain multiple InGaP@ZnS QDs that have an average diameter between 4 and 5 nm. These new InGaP@ZnS–chitosan nanoparticles emit near the near IR region at 670 nm and are able to penetrate three times deeper into tissue (e.g., even through a mouse skull) while revealing a higher uptake efficiency into PC12 cells with a robust signal. Additionally, a cell viability assay demonstrates that these new fluorescent nanoparticles have good biocompatibility and stability with PC12 cells and neural cells. As a result, these near‐IR‐emitting nanoparticles can be used for real‐time and deep‐tissue examination of diverse specimens, such as lymphatic organs, kidneys, hearts, and brains, while leaving the tissue intact.
Flocculation analysis and control system by laser diffractometry at industrial scale
Authors: Bizi Mohamed , Gaboriau Hervé
Published: November 2007

The flocculant injection control system efficiency was evaluated on‐site in an aggregate quarry, by means of laser diffraction and analysis of the size and texture of flocs. The configuration of the feed tank and the laser particle size measurement cell installed at the facility (280,000 t/year of aggregates) allowed characterization of flocs with particle size between 4.2 and 3473 μm under hydrodynamic conditions that were highly favorable for the examination of large and very fragile flocs. Two days of analysis of the floc formation process along the path followed by the slurry showed that flocculation was optimal during standard operation of the facility when the flow rate of waste fines and concentrations of solids were close to those used to calibrate the flocculant injection control system. Conversely, when the concentration of solids in the flocculator feed slurry dropped by 57.3%, the flocculant dosing fluctuated during stabilization of the mechanism, the kinetics of flocculation slowed, the mean size of flocs arriving at the settling tank dropped by 69%, and the mode of smaller flocs shifted from 77.8 to 10.4 μm in relation to normal operation. On‐site analyses confirmed that the measurements made with laser diffraction (using a methodology developed in the laboratory) allow determination of the effects of conditioning on the characteristics of flocs in terms of particle size, porosity, density, and volume fraction in the slurry. Evolution of these characteristics according to the local parameters of conditioning (mean detention time, mean slurry velocity, and mean velocity gradient) provides a significant part of basic information necessary to a diagnosis of the operation of an industrial circuit of flocculation. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
A hitchhiker's guide to the older literature of descriptive teratology
Authors: Beckwith J. Bruce
Published: November 2007

Though relatively neglected in the age of molecular biology, the older literature of teratology includes superb illustrations and descriptions of malformations, and other information of permanent value to science and medicine. Accessing that literature can be challenging, as most is in works that are rare, published in languages other than English, and not available in digital form. This article describes some valuable sources of information concerning the antiquarian literature of descriptive teratology. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.