bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Knowledge and Public Trust
Authors: Cunningham-Burley Sarah
Published: June 2006

As health care applications derived from human genetics research are likely to move increasingly from ‘clinic to community’, there is growing interest not just in how patients understand and take up health-related genetic information but also in the views of the wider population, as well as a range of professional groups. In this paper, issues relating public knowledge and public trust are raised and discussed in an attempt to move forward debates about public involvement in genomic research and the role of sociologists within interdisciplinary teams. As the field of public understanding of science has developed, we have seen a shift from a focus on the lack of scientific literacy as problem to a recognition of the range of different knowledges that people have and use as they confront science and technology in their everyday lives. As a mood for dialogue pervades many institutions in their relations with ‘publics’, attention must now be paid to the way in which knowledge and expertise is expressed, heard and acted upon in dialogic encounters. There is increasing concern about public trust in science and calls to increase public confidence, particularly through more open engagement with a range of publics. However, lack of trust or loss of confidence may be constructed as problems rather than reflecting empirical reality, where more complex relationships and attitudes prevail. Lack of trust is often privatized, deeply rooted in lived experience and routinely managed. Trust relations are generally characterized by ambivalence, uncertainty and risk, and are always provisional. Drawing on selected literature and empirical research to review and illustrate this field, this paper argues that scepticism or ambivalence on the part of publics are not necessarily problems to be overcome in the interest of scientific progress, but rather should be mobilized to enhance open and public debates about the nature and direction of genomics research, medicine, and the related social and ethical issues. Just as there can be no resolute expression of public knowledge or public opinion, it is unlikely that there is a resolute expression of public trust in genomics. However, ambivalence and scepticism can be harnessed as powerful resource for change, whether through the mobilization of public knowledges or the development of greater reflexivity within scientific institutions. This demands a sharing of power and greater public involvement in the early stages of policy formation and scientific and medical agenda setting.
Modulating the Progression in IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Chan James C.M. , Trachtman Howard
Published: June 2006

IgA nephropathy affects almost 1% of the population and yet the diagnosis is often missed. This significant kidney disease is often progressive with 25% of the patients going on to end-stage kidney disease over the course of 25 years. This minireview describes the clinical presentations in children and young adults. Therapeutic options are discussed including angiotensin-converting enzyme blockade, steroids, cytotoxics, tonsillectomy, fish oil, vitamin E, singly or in combination, in order to modulate the rate of progression.
Dementia Associates with Undermedication of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly
Authors: Löppönen Minna , Räihä Ismo , Isoaho Raimo , Vahlberg Tero , Puolijoki Hannu , Kivelä Sirkka-Liisa
Published: June 2006

Objective: To compare medication use in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease with and without dementia. Subjects: All inhabitants aged 75 and older in Lieto, Finland (n = 462, participation rate 82%). Measurements: Direct standardised assessments of dementia and cardiovascular diseases. Quantification of drug use by self-report and by prescription and drug container checks. Results: In multivariate analyses, the odds ratio for demented cardiovascular patients receiving any cardiovascular medication (use vs. non-use) was 0.31 (95% confidence interval 0.12–0.82). Compared to the non-demented, demented stroke patients were treated less often with antithrombotic agents (p = 0.041) and demented hypertensive patients less often with β-blockers (p = 0.045). Conclusion: Demented cardiovascular patients, even mildly to moderately demented, were prescribed fewer evidence-based cardiovascular medications than non-demented patients.
The Association between Depressive Mood and Cognitive Performance in an Elderly General Population – The MEMO Study
Authors: Baune Bernhard T. , Suslow Thomas , Engelien Almut , Arolt Volker , Berger Klaus
Published: June 2006

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of the severity of depressive symptoms on different domains of cognitive function in the elderly. In a population-based cross-sectional study, 385 participants aged 65–83 years were interviewed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and performed a standardized neuropsychological test assessing attention, memory, cognitive speed and motor function. Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed a significant effect of depressive symptoms on a single test (Stroop test 1) and two summary scores (memory and motor function). After full adjustment for education and Mini Mental State Examination, the memory score was partly attenuated. Stratified analysis showed that an increase in CES-D scores led to a larger decline of cognitive test results in participants with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, compared to those with a high degree of depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that depressive mood in older adults is primarily associated with decreased processing speed and motor functioning, but not executive control functions. According to our results depressive mood is not necessarily associated with memory deficits in older adults. Changes in depressive symptoms in milder forms of depressive mood are associated with a larger decline in cognitive function than in severer forms of depressive mood.
Novel Candidate Genes in Unstable Areas of Human Atherosclerotic Plaques
Authors: Papaspyridonos Marianna , Smith Alberto , Burnand Kevin G. , Taylor Peter , Padayachee Soundrie , Suckling Keith E. , James Christian H. , Greaves David R. , Patel Lisa
Published: June 2006

Objective—Comparison of gene expression in stable versus unstable atherosclerotic plaque may be confounded by interpatient variability. The aim of this study was to identify differences in gene expression between stable and unstable segments of plaque obtained from the same patient.

Methods and Results—Human carotid endarterectomy specimens were segmented and macroscopically classified using a morphological classification system. Two analytical methods, an intraplaque and an interplaque analysis, revealed 170 and 1916 differentially expressed genes, respectively using Affymetrix gene chip analysis. A total of 115 genes were identified from both analyses. The differential expression of 27 genes was also confirmed using quantitative-polymerase chain reaction on a larger panel of samples. Eighteen of these genes have not been associated previously with plaque instability, including the metalloproteinase, ADAMDEC1 (≈37-fold), retinoic acid receptor responder-1 (≈5-fold), and cysteine protease legumain (≈3-fold). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), cathepsin B, and a novel gene, legumain, a potential activator of MMPs and cathepsins, were also confirmed at the protein level.

Conclusions—The differential expression of 18 genes not previously associated with plaque rupture has been confirmed in stable and unstable regions of the same atherosclerotic plaque. These genes may represent novel targets for the treatment of unstable plaque or useful diagnostic markers of plaque instability.
Flow-Dependent Remodeling of Small Arteries in Mice Deficient for Tissue-Type Transglutaminase
Authors: Bakker Erik N.T.P. , Pistea Adrian , Spaan Jos A.E. , Rolf Titia , de Vries Carlie J. , van Rooijen Nico , Candi Eleonara , VanBavel Ed
Published: June 2006

Chronic changes in blood flow induce an adaptation of vascular caliber. Thus, arteries show inward remodeling after a reduction in blood flow. We hypothesized that this remodeling depends on the crosslinking enzyme tissue-type transglutaminase (tTG). Flow-dependent remodeling was studied in wild-type (WT) and tTG-null mice using a surgically imposed change in blood flow in small mesenteric arteries. WT mice showed inward remodeling after 2 days of low blood flow, which was absent in arteries from tTG-null mice. Yet, after continued low blood flow for 7 days, inward remodeling was similar in arteries from WT and tTG-null mice. Studying the alternative pathways of remodeling, we identified a relatively high expression of the plasma transglutaminase factor XIII in arteries of WT and tTG-null mice. In addition, vessels from both WT and tTG-null mice showed the presence of transglutaminase-specific crosslinks. An accumulation of adventitial monocytes/macrophages was found in vessels exposed to low blood flow in tTG-null mice. Because monocytes/macrophages may represent a source of factor XIII, tTG-null mice were treated with liposome-encapsulated clodronate. Elimination of monocytes/macrophages with liposome-encapsulated clodronate reduced both the expression of factor XIII and inward remodeling in tTG-null mice. In conclusion, tTG plays an important role in the inward remodeling of small arteries associated with decreased blood flow. Adventitial monocytes/macrophages are a source of factor XIII in tTG-null mice and contribute to an alternative, delayed mechanism of inward remodeling when tTG is absent.
Previous Use of Aspirin and Baseline Stroke Severity
Authors: Ricci Stefano , Lewis Steff , Sandercock Peter
Published: June 2006

Background and Purpose—

Some studies suggest that taking aspirin regularly at the time of the onset of stroke reduces stroke severity. Other studies suggest the converse (ie, that previous aspirin therapy is associated with greater stroke severity). We sought to examine this question among the patients enrolled in the International Stroke Trial (IST).

Methods—

Analysis of the associations of reported use of aspirin in the 3 days before randomization in IST with baseline stroke severity (as assessed by stroke clinical syndrome, predicted outcome at 6 months, and observed outcome at 6 months). We adjusted analyses for confounding factors.

Results—

We excluded those patients who were first scanned after trial entry and were found to have an intracerebral hemorrhage as the cause of the stroke leading to randomization. We performed analyses for all treatment groups combined. For the 17 850 patients with ischemic stroke, data at baseline and follow-up were available for 100% and 99%, respectively. Among these patients, 3820 (21.4%) reported previous aspirin use. Previous aspirin use appeared, in univariate analyses, to be associated with greater baseline stroke severity, more severe stroke syndrome, and, in control subjects, worse observed outcome at 6 months. However, after adjustment, these associations were no longer significant.

Conclusions—

In this large prospective and complete data set, we found no evidence of any association of previous aspirin use with baseline stroke severity. The analyses suggest that previously reported positive and negative associations may well have been attributable to the play of chance in small samples, confounding or other biases, rather than a biological effect of aspirin.
Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbations of a Two-Dimensional Quasigeostrophic Model
Authors: Mu Mu , Zhang Zhiyue
Published: June 2006

Conditional nonlinear optimal perturbations (CNOPs) of a two-dimensional quasigeostrophic model are obtained numerically. The CNOP is the initial perturbation whose nonlinear evolution attains the maximum value of the cost function, which is constructed according to the physical problems of interests with physical constraint conditions. The difference between the CNOP and a linear singular vector is compared. The results demonstrate that CNOPs catch the nonlinear effects of the model on the evolutions of the initial perturbations. These results suggest that CNOPs are applicable to the study of predictability and sensitivity analysis when nonlinearity is of importance.
Mechanical Properties and Crystallization Behavior of Polypropylene/Nano-SiO2 Composites
Authors: Huang Li , Zhan Renbo , Lu Yafei
Published: June 2006

In this study, polypropylene (PP)/nano-silica (nano-SiO2) composites were prepared by a melt blending process. Here, a novel surface treatment method which uses combined dispersant and a coupling agent is developed to treat the nano-SiO2 which is uniformly dispersed into the PP matrix. To treat the surface of nano-SiO2, the optimal content of the dispersant (SDBS) is 2.0% and the optimal amount of the coupling agent (KH-550) is 1.5%. The mechanism and synergistic effect of the combined dispersant and coupling agent are discussed based on their chemical structures. The fractography of PP/nano-SiO2 composites after notched impact testing observed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) proves the uniform dispersion of nano-SiO2 in the PP phase. The mechanical testing results show that after surface treatment, both the tensile and notched impact strength of nanocomposites enhance markedly. The tensile strength reaches its maximum with the 4.0% of nano-SiO2 and the notched impact toughness achieves its maximum with the 5.0% of nano-SiO2. The crystallization behavior characterized by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the crystalline structure observed by the polarizing microscope (PM) indicated that nano-SiO2 has a nucleation role in the crystallization of PP which results in a higher crystallization temperature, a higher degree of crystallinity, and a smaller size of spherulites.
Customer-driven Collaborative Product Assembler for Internet-based Commerce
Authors: Chan Stephen C. F. , Soo Sophia M. K. , Yu K. M.
Published: June 2006

In this study, a real-time collaborative 3D assembling system (Co-assembler) has been described that allows casual customers to interactively and virtually configure the 3D products over the Internet. It provides a framework for a web-based 3D assembly system that uses a customizable product model to significantly simplify the configuration and the assembly process, and a customer-driven recommendation helper to assist the customers make their design decisions. Two assembly-specific data formats - Assembly ML and Parametric Product ML are developed for archival and data transfer. The system aims to capture the customers’ needs and convert them into technical specifications, indirectly helping to promote e-commerce for manufacturing enterprises.
Geometrically Nonlinear Analysis of Smart Thin and Sandwich Plates
Authors: Kulkarni Sudhakar A. , Bajoria Kamal M.
Published: June 2006

This article presents the large deformation analysis of piezolaminated smart structures. The degenerate shell element is formulated using total Lagrangian and von Karman hypotheses. Higher-order shear deformation theory is used in the formulation. The finite element equations are derived using energy principles. The electromechanical coupling linear constitutive model given by Tierstien is used in the formulation. The nonlinear equilibrium equations are solved using the Newton–Raphson iterative technique. Numerical studies on the thin and sandwich plates are presented using different boundary and loading conditions. The comparison between the first-order shear deformation theory (FOST) and higher-order shear deformation theory (HOST) has shown that for sandwich plates the HOST model predicts a better response.
Modal Frequencies of Circular Sandwich Panels
Authors: Zhou Daowu , Stronge W. J.
Published: June 2006

Axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric modes of vibration of circular sandwich panels are investigated by applying first-order shear theory (Mindlin-Reissner Plate). Solutions are obtained for boundary conditions with free, simply supported, and clamped edges. Numerical finite element method (FEM) simulation using ABAQUS is applied to validate the analytical modeling. Both analytical and numerical calculations are compared with experimental measurements of the first few modes of vibration; the frequency differences are less than 4%.
MCALIGN2: Faster, accurate global pairwise alignment of non-coding DNA sequences based on explicit models of indel evolution
Authors: Wang Jun , Keightley Peter D , Johnson Toby
Published: June 2006

Background

Non-coding DNA sequences comprise a very large proportion of the total genomic content of mammals, most other vertebrates, many invertebrates, and most plants. Unraveling the functional significance of non-coding DNA depends on how well we are able to align non-coding DNA sequences. However, the alignment of non-coding DNA sequences is more difficult than aligning protein-coding sequences.

Results

Here we present an improved pair-hidden-Markov-Model (pair HMM) based method for performing global pairwise alignment of non-coding DNA sequences. The method uses an explicit model of indel length frequency distribution which can be specified, and allows any time reversible model of nucleotide substitution. The method uses a deterministic global optimiser to find the alignment with the highest posterior probability. We test MCALIGN2 in simulations, and compare it to a previous Monte Carlo based method (MCALIGN), to the pair HMM method of Knudsen and Miyamoto, and to a heuristic method (AVID) that performed very well in a previous simulation study. We show that the pair HMM methods have excellent performance for all combinations of parameter values we have considered. MCALIGN2 is up to ten times faster than MCALIGN. MCALIGN2 is more accurate in resolving indels given an accurate explicit model than heuristic methods, but is computationally slower.

Conclusion

MCALIGN2 produces better quality alignments by explicitly using biological knowledge about the indel length distribution and time reversible models of nucleotide substitution. As a result, it can outperform other available sequence alignment methods for the cases we have considered to align non-coding DNA sequences.
Patterns of inflammation and the use of reversibility testing in smokers with airway complaints
Authors: Chavannes Niels H , Vernooy Juanita HJ , Schermer Tjard RJ , Jacobs Jan A , Dentener Mieke A , van Weel Chris , van Schayck Onno CP , Wouters Emiel FM
Published: June 2006

Background

Although both smoking and respiratory complaints are very common, tools to improve diagnostic accuracy are scarce in primary care. This study aimed to reveal what inflammatory patterns prevail in clinically established diagnosis groups, and what factors are associated with eosinophilia.

Method

Induced sputum and blood plasma of 59 primary care patients with COPD (n = 17), asthma (n = 11), chronic bronchitis (CB, n = 14) and smokers with no respiratory complaints ('healthy smokers', n = 17) were collected, as well as lung function, smoking history and clinical work-up. Patterns of inflammatory markers per clinical diagnosis and factors associated with eosinophilia were analyzed by multiple regression analyses, the differences expressed in odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Multivariately, COPD was significantly associated with raised plasma-LBP (OR 1.2 [1.04–1.37]) and sTNF-R55 in sputum (OR 1.01 [1.001–1.01]), while HS expressed significantly lowered plasma-LBP (OR 0.8 [0.72–0.95]). Asthma was characterized by higher sputum eosinophilic counts (OR 1.3 [1.05–1.54]), while CB showed a significantly higher proportion of sputum lymphocytic counts (OR 1.5 [1.12–1.9]). Sputum eosinophilia was significantly associated with reversibility after adjusting for smoking, lung function, age, gender and allergy.

Conclusion

Patterns of inflammatory markers in a panel of blood plasma and sputum cells and mediators were discernable in clinical diagnosis groups of respiratory disease. COPD and so-called healthy smokers showed consistent opposite associations with plasma LBP, while chronic bronchitics showed relatively predominant lymphocytic inflammation compared to other diagnosis groups. Only sputum eosinophilia remained significantly associated with reversibility across the spectrum of respiratory disease in smokers with airway complaints.
Gene expression in cortex and hippocampus during acute pneumococcal meningitis
Authors: Coimbra Roney S , Voisin Veronique , de Saizieu Antoine B , Lindberg Raija LP , Wittwer Matthias , Leppert David , Leib Stephen L
Published: June 2006

Background

Pneumococcal meningitis is associated with high mortality (~30%) and morbidity. Up to 50% of survivors are affected by neurological sequelae due to a wide spectrum of brain injury mainly affecting the cortex and hippocampus. Despite this significant disease burden, the genetic program that regulates the host response leading to brain damage as a consequence of bacterial meningitis is largely unknown.

We used an infant rat model of pneumococcal meningitis to assess gene expression profiles in cortex and hippocampus at 22 and 44 hours after infection and in controls at 22 h after mock-infection with saline. To analyze the biological significance of the data generated by Affymetrix DNA microarrays, a bioinformatics pipeline was used combining (i) a literature-profiling algorithm to cluster genes based on the vocabulary of abstracts indexed in MEDLINE (NCBI) and (ii) the self-organizing map (SOM), a clustering technique based on covariance in gene expression kinetics.

Results

Among 598 genes differentially regulated (change factor ≥ 1.5; p ≤ 0.05), 77% were automatically assigned to one of 11 functional groups with 94% accuracy. SOM disclosed six patterns of expression kinetics. Genes associated with growth control/neuroplasticity, signal transduction, cell death/survival, cytoskeleton, and immunity were generally upregulated. In contrast, genes related to neurotransmission and lipid metabolism were transiently downregulated on the whole. The majority of the genes associated with ionic homeostasis, neurotransmission, signal transduction and lipid metabolism were differentially regulated specifically in the hippocampus. Of the cell death/survival genes found to be continuously upregulated only in hippocampus, the majority are pro-apoptotic, while those continuously upregulated only in cortex are anti-apoptotic.

Conclusion

Temporal and spatial analysis of gene expression in experimental pneumococcal meningitis identified potential targets for therapy.
Comparison of Venae Sectio vs. modified Seldinger Technique for Totally Implantable Access Ports; Portas-trial [ISRCTN:52368201]
Authors: Knebel P , Fröhlich B , Knaebel H-P , Kienle P , Luntz S , Buchler MW , Seiler CM
Published: June 2006

Background

The insertion of a Totally Implantable Access Port (TIAP) is a routinely employed technique in patients who need a safe and permanent venous access. The number of TIAP implantations is increasing constantly mainly due to advanced treatment options for malignant diseases. Therefore it is important to identify the implantation technique which has the optimal benefit/risk ratio for the patient.

Study design

A single-centre, randomized, controlled superiority trial to compare two different TIAP implantation techniques. Sample size: 160 patients will be included and randomized intra-operatively. Eligibility criteria: Age equal or older than 18 years, patients scheduled for primary elective implantation of a TIAP in local anaesthesia and a signed informed consent. Primary endpoint: Primary success rate of the randomized technique. Intervention: Venae Sectio in combination with the Seldinger Technique (guide wire and a peel away sheath) will be used to place a TIAP. Reference treatment: Conventional Venae Sectio will be used with a direct insertion of the TIAP without guide wire or peel away sheath. Duration of study: Approximately 20 months.

Organisation/Responsibility

The trial will be conducted in compliance with the protocol and in accordance with the moral, ethical, and scientific principles governing clinical research as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (1989) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). The trial will also be carried out in keeping with local and regulatory requirements. The Klinisches Studienzentrum Chirurgie (KSC) – Centre of Clinical Trials in Surgery at the Department of Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg is responsible for planning and conduction of the trial. Documentation of patient's data will be accomplished via electronical Case Report Files (eCRF) with MACRO®-Software by the KSC. Randomization, data management, monitoring and biometry are provided by the independent Koordinierungszentrum für Klinische Studien (KKS) – Coordination Centre for Clinical Trails at the University of Heidelberg.
Use of vacuum assisted closure therapy in the palliation of a malignant wound
Authors: Ford-Dunn Suzanne
Published: June 2006

Vaccum assisted closure (VAC) therapy is a novel method of wound healing using topical negative pressure across the wound bed and containing all exudate within a sealed system. We report the use of VAC therapy to control pain and exudate of a malignant wound.
Predictors associated with the place of death in a country with increasing hospital deaths
Authors: Yun Young Ho , Lim Min Kyoung , Choi Kui-Son , Rhee Young Sun
Published: June 2006

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of type of illness, socio-demographic factors, and area of residence to the place of death in a country with increasing hospital deaths. Design: Descriptive study of hospital deaths using a 10-year death registration database from the Korean National Statistical Office. Setting and participants: Through the National Vital Statistics System, 2 402 259 deaths were registered in Korea from 1992 to 2001. Measurement and main results: There was a significant trend toward an increase in the proportion of hospital deaths, from 16.6% in 1992 to 39.9% in 2001. The proportion of deaths at home decreased over that period, from 72.9 to 49.2%. The risk of hospital death versus home death was lower for those aged 75 years and over (adjusted odds ratio: 0.212; 95% confidence interval: 0.210-0.214) compared with those B / 55 years, and for people who were highly educated (2.04; 2.02-2.06), had white-collar jobs (1.55; 1.54-1.57), and resided in areas with more available hospital beds (2.46; 2.42-2.51). Compared with other causes of death, the risk of dying in hospital was higher for patients with ischaemic heart disease (1.83; 1.79-1.86), cancer (1.25; 1.23-1.26) and chronic lower respiratory disease (1.21; 1.18-1.23). Conclusions: Trends in place of death are influenced by available hospital beds, socio-demographic factors and the nature of the terminal disease, in a country with increasing hospital deaths. These associations should be viewed within the context of culture and local health care systems.
Boundaries of the nation in the space of the urban: landscape and social memory in Istanbul
Authors: Mills Amy
Published: June 2006

Kuzguncuk, Istanbul, is known for its small-scale neighbourhood landscape and its close social ties, as well as its multiethnic history. The Armenian church and the mosque in Kuzguncuk have become symbolic ‘evidence’, in popular culture, of past multiethnic harmony. A Muslim elite is restoring Kuzguncuk's historic houses and its neighbourhood culture. The production of Kuzguncuk's landscape is sustained by two interrelated nostalgic narratives: a narrative of multicultural tolerance; and the narrative of the neighbourhood, the mahalle, as the urban space of belonging and familiarity. However, the ‘lie of the land’ is that this landscape obscures a contentious and traumatic minority history, and gentrification is creating new social divides. Kuzguncuk's minorities are gone. The traumas they experienced during mid-century Turkification, as well as the current divisions of class and origin in Kuzguncuk, are denied in the popular narrative. This denial attempts to hide tension embedded in the national narrative of belonging. This study of the power dynamics shaping Kuzguncuk's landscape examines the terms of belonging, of being a ‘Turk’, in Turkey, a debate which both redraws and contests the boundaries of the nation in the space of the urban.
Shopping to save: green consumerism and the struggle for northern Maine
Authors: Harrison Blake
Published: June 2006

Between 2001 and 2003, Roxanne Quimby-then the sole owner of a natural personal-care products company named Burt' Bees-invested millions of dollars of her company' profits in tens of thousands of acres of forestland in northern Maine. Her intention was to donate that land to the United States government on behalf of a controversial national park proposed for the region-the Maine Woods National Park. Quimby' actions set off sharp debates between policy makers, environmentalists and residents of northern Maine. As this article suggests, those debates were informed in part by their association with green consumerism. When consumers purchase ‘environmentally friendly’ products like those made by Burt' Bees, they typically envision their actions as having positive consequences for places associated directly with the production and consumption of that product. In this case, however, profits from a green consumer product were reinvested outside its immediate commodity chain, thereby implicating green-consumer decisions in a politics of identity and landscape control beyond that product' lifecycle. This paper explores that process, suggesting that even the most well-intended consumer choices can carry social and environmental consequences into new and perhaps unexpected terrain. When we shop to save, we can never be quite certain of what it is that we are saving.
Locally Recurrent, Previously Irradiated Head and Neck Cancer: Concurrent Re-Irradiation and Chemotherapy, or Chemotherapy Alone?
Authors: Wong Stuart J. , Machtay Mitchell , Li Yi
Published: June 2006

Patients with locally recurrent head and neck cancer previously treated with radiation have a poor prognosis. Administration of a second course of radiation to tissues within a previous radiation portal, has been traditionally considered unsafe. Survival rates of highly selected patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and re-irradiation may be as high as 25% at 2 years—exceeding the outcome of matched historical controls treated with chemotherapy alone (10%). However, many questions exist regarding the use of re-irradiation. Uncertainty exists over the criteria for selecting patients who are most appropriate for treatment with re-irradiation. Even greater concern exists regarding toxicity and functional sequelae associated with the use of re-irradiation. Whether the benefits of re-irradiation on locoregional disease control and survival outweigh its potentially severe and life-threatening adverse effects is not clear. In this review, we will discuss re-irradiation and other treatment options for squamous cell carcinoma patients with previously irradiated, locoregional recurrent or second primary tumors in the head and neck, and describe a recently initiated randomized trial comparing chemotherapy plus re-irradiation with chemotherapy.
Clinical Implications of Human Papillomavirus in Head and Neck Cancers
Authors: Fakhry Carole , Gillison Maura L.
Published: June 2006

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is now recognized to play a role in the pathogenesis of a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), particularly those that arise from the lingual and palatine tonsils within the oropharynx. High-risk HPV16 is identified in the overwhelming majority of HPV-positive tumors, which have molecular-genetic alterations indicative of viral oncogene function. Measures of HPV exposure, including sexual behaviors, seropositivity to HPV16, and oral, high-risk HPV infection, are associated with increased risk for oropharyngeal cancer. HPV infection may be altering the demographics of HNSCC patients, as these patients tend to be younger, nonsmokers, and nondrinkers. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that a diagnosis of HPV-positive HNSCC has significant prognostic implications; these patients have at least half the risk of death from HNSCC when compared with the HPV-negative patient. The HPV etiology of these tumors may have future clinical implications for the diagnosis, therapy, screening, and prevention of HNSCC.
Strategic Planning of BMW’s Global Production Network
Authors: Fleischmann Bernhard , Ferber Sonja , Henrich Peter
Published: June 2006

We developed a strategic-planning model to optimize BMW’s allocation of various products to global production sites over a 12-year planning horizon. It includes the supply of materials as well as the distribution of finished cars to the global markets. It determines the investments needed in the three production departments, body assembly, paint shop, and final assembly, for every site and the financial impact on cash flows. The model has improved the transparency and flexibility of BMW’s strategic-planning process.
Managing Short Life-Cycle Technology Products for Agere Systems
Authors: Wu S. David , Aytac Berrin , Berger Rosemary T. , Armbruster Chris A.
Published: June 2006

Over the past decade, the high-tech industry has been rapidly innovating technology and introducing new products. Firms have moved from vertically integrated operations to horizontally integrated operations that include contract manufacturers. In September 2002, Agere Systems recognized that it needed new tools for managing the capacity in its increasingly complex, global supply chain. Agere and the Center for Value Chain Research at Lehigh University formed a team to develop new methods for characterizing the demands for short life-cycle technology products. The team developed a leading-indicator engine that identifies products that provide advanced warning of demand changes for a group of products. For a data set including 3,500 semiconductor products, the analysis identified leading indicators that predicted the demand pattern of the product group one to seven months ahead of time with correlation values ranging from 0.51 to 0.95. The leading-indicator concept provides a new perspective on demand forecasting and can be extended to other corporate planning functions, such as financial forecasting and inventory forecasting.
Nanoparticles and plasmas
Authors: Girshick Steven L. , Warthesen Sarah J.
Published: June 2006

Nanoparticles can form via chemical nucleation from gas-phase species during plasma processing of silicon films. Nanoparticle-plasma interactions are studied by simulating finite-rate charging and transport of particle nuclei in a low-pressure processing plasma. Results show little change in electron temperature and concentration during the early stages of particle nucleation. However, the ion density profile changes drastically as ions accumulate near the reactor center. Increased ion concentration corresponds to the growing concentration of negatively charged particles, which are shown to have the highest production rate in the reactor center where they are trapped. A significant number of neutral particles are deposited on reactor walls or onto a deposition substrate by diffusion. Positively charged particles impact the substrate at low concentrations but with high energies, which may affect film morphology during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
Swift chemical sputtering of covalently bonded materials
Authors: Nordlund K. , Salonen E. , Krasheninnikov A. V. , Keinonen J.
Published: June 2006

Numerous experiments have shown that low-energy H ions and neutrals can erode amorphous carbon at ion energies of 1-10 eV, where physical sputtering is impossible, but at erosion rates which are clearly higher than those caused by thermal ions. In this paper, we will first review our computer simulation work providing an atom-level mechanism for how this erosion occurs, and then present some new results for H and He bombardment of tungsten carbide and amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H), which indicate the mechanism can be of importance in a wide range of covalently bonded materials. We also discuss how the presented mechanism relates to previously described abstraction and etching mechanisms.
Presence of Cell-Free Fetal DNA in Plasma of Women with Ectopic Pregnancies,
Authors: Lázár Levente , Nagy Bálint , Bán Zoltán , Nagy Gyula R , Papp Zoltán
Published: June 2006

Background: The quantity of cell-free fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women changes during pregnancy and seems to be different in normal and pathologic pregnancies. We investigated the possible diagnostic applications of the detection and measurement of cell-free fetal DNA by comparing quantities found in women with ectopic (EP) or intrauterine (IUP) pregnancies.

Methods: We collected blood samples from 58 women who had positive pregnancy tests and specific complaints and sonographic findings suggestive of EP and from 45 women with confirmed IUP. We performed quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene to detect and measure the amount of cell-free fetal DNA. The diagnosis of EP was confirmed by histologic examination.

Results: SRY was detected in 15 EP and 14 IUP cases. The mean (SD) amount of cell-free fetal DNA was significantly higher (P <0.005) in women with EP [565 (136) genome-equivalents (GE)/mL] than in women with IUP [72 (19) GE/mL] at the same gestational age.

Conclusions: Our results confirm that cell-free fetal DNA is present in plasma of women with EP. The finding of higher amounts of cell-free fetal DNA in EP cases than in IUP cases suggests that this method might be useful for early diagnosis of EP.
Model System for Phenotypic Characterization of Sequence Variations in the LDL Receptor Gene
Authors: Ranheim Trine , Kulseth Mari Ann , Berge Knut Erik , Leren Trond Paul
Published: June 2006

Background: Sequence variations in the LDL receptor (LDLR) gene cause defects of LDLR protein production and function through different molecular mechanisms. Here we describe a cell model system for the phenotypic characterization of sequence variations in the LDLR gene. Well-known sequence variations belonging to LDLR classes 2 to 5 (p.G565V, p.I161D, p.Y828C, and p.V429M) were studied in CHO and HepG2 cells.

Methods: Expression of LDLR protein on the cell surface was detected by use of fluorescence-conjugated antibodies against the LDLR and the LDLR activity was measured by incubating the cells with fluorescently labeled and radiolabeled LDL. The intracellular locations of the LDLR mutants and wild-type were also investigated.

Results: The class 2A p.G565V sequence variant exhibited an intracellular distribution of LDLR with no active receptors on the cell surface. Both the class 3 p.I161D and class 4 p.Y828C sequence variants gave surface staining but had a reduced ability to bind or internalize LDL, respectively. By determining the intracellular locations of the receptors we were able to visualize the accumulation of the class 5 p.V429M sequence variant in endosomes by means of a specific marker, as well as confirming that the class 4 p.Y828C variant was not localized in clathrin-coated pits. Flow cytometry allowed us quantitatively to determine the amount and activity of receptors. To confirm the results of binding and cell association of fluorescently labeled LDL analyzed by flow cytometry, assays using 125I-labeled LDL were performed. In addition to a useful and valid alternative to radiolabeled LDL, the unique properties of fluorescently labeled LDL allowed a variety of detection technologies to be used.

Conclusions: This new approach enables phenotypic characterization of sequence variations in the LDLR gene. The assays developed may be valuable for confirming the pathogenicity of novel missense sequence variations found throughout the LDLR gene.
Dichtkunst und Knoblauch
Authors: Ritoók Zsigmond
Published: June 2006

Heracleodorus, a
critic known from Philodemus’ On Poems, Book I thought that, that poet
could be considered a great one who is able to write a fine poem even on
garlic. Horace did this in Epode 3, parodizing by this the extreme formalists
like Heracleodorus.
The Latin Supine and the Sanskrit Infinitive; Priscian
Authors: Töttössy Csaba
Published: June 2006

The detailed treatment of the Latin supine has been neglected both in
scholarly literature and in language teaching, even though it is a very ancient
form that has survived in an interesting way and was used even in late Latin.
The fact that the Latin supine has a parallel in Sanskrit deserves attention.
In this study I demonstrate that Priscian projected the Latin usage of his own
time back to classical Latin, which fact was nevertheless not detrimental to
his credibility.
Aristotle on Sentence Types and Forms of Speech
Authors: Bolonyai Gábor
Published: June 2006

According to Hermeneutics ch. 4, the analysis of non-assertive
sentences such as wishes, commands, etc. belongs to rhetoric or poetics. They
are, however, examined neither in the Rhetoric, nor in the Poetics,
where in ch. 20 their treatment is explicitly excluded from the art of poetry
and referred to that of delivery or performance. In this paper an explanation
is given for this discrepancy, based on an interpretation of Aristotle's
rejection of Protagoras' criticism of Homer.
Eucharistic Prayers and their Background in the Apocryphal Acts
Authors: Bolyki János
Published: June 2006

In the following study we intend to give an overall description of the
Eucharistic prayers of the Apocryphal Acts that had been missing from
the contemporary literature up till today. First we will consider the
Eucharistic character of the so called “Hymn of the Dancing Christ” in AJ
ch. 94-96, which has been a debated question. After a detailed analysis a
synthesis is to be given, of the six or seven prayers, with the help of
narrative, religious-historical and philological approaches. It is also intended
to examine docetic and gnostic influences in them. Then we will cast a glance
at the complexity of the trajectories (or trends of thought) of the tradition
of Eucharistical rites. It also seems necessary to compare them with the
Eucharistic prayers of the ancient church (Didaché, Justinos Martyr). Of course
we could not omit a theological interpretation of their main concepts.
Sir Henry Maine et le droit comparé
Authors: Hamza Gábor
Published: June 2006

In the introductory
part of his study the author deals with the main features of the comparative
law related research during the first decades of the 19th century. He analyzes
the various trends, the representatives of which deal with comparative law related
research in this period. France can in particular be viewed as center of
comparative law related research during the first half of the 19th century. The
birth of comparative law in England is strongly linked with the Ancient Law
of Sir Henry Sumner Maine published in 1861. Maine is the first in England to
be endowed “ad personam” with the Chair of Comparative Law in Oxford in order
to teach legal history and comparative law. It is undoubtedly the Roman law
that stood in the focus of interest of Maine serving as basis to carry out
comparative legal studies. That approach is in particular manifested in Ancient
Law as Maine attributes paradigmatic significance to the various
institutions of Roman law. The author of the paper draws in particular a
comparison between Maine and Bachofen as far as their approach relating to the
basis of comparison is concerned. The special role that Roman law, i.e. Civil
law, played in the development of English law during the centuries is also
underlined in this study. In the last part of his paper the author emphasizes
the contemporary significance of Ancient Law for the comparative law
related research.
Effects of Gelant Composition and Pressure Gradients of Water and Oil on Disproportionate Permeability Reduction of Sandpacks Treated With Polyacrylamide-Chromium Acetate Gels
Authors: Nguyen T. Q. , Green D. W. , Willhite G. P. , McCool C. S.
Published: June 2006

For some polymer gels applied in reservoirs to control water flow, a favorable disproportionate permeability reduction (DPR) occurs in which permeability to water is reduced to a much greater extent than it is to oil. Permeability reduction in sandpacks by partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-chromium acetate gels was studied as a function of gel composition and the pressure gradients imposed on the gels. For the range of parameters studied, increased gel composition increased the factors by which the permeabilities to water and oil were reduced. Increased gel composition also increased selectivity, a measure of the water-permeability reduction with respect to oil-permeability reduction. Applied pressure gradients during steady-state flows had little effect on oil permeability and a moderate effect on water permeability. Material balances on phases and components in the sandpacks provided insights into mechanisms responsible for the development of flow channels through gelled sandpacks and mechanisms contributing to favorable DPR. Increased pressure gradient during channel development decreased the selectivity of the treatment.
Diagnosis of bovine neosporosis: Recent advances and perspectives
Authors: Ortega-Mora Luis , Fernández-García Aurora , Gómez-Bautista Mercedes
Published: June 2006

Neospora caninum is considered a major cause of abortion in cattle. Appropriate techniques for diagnosis of bovine neosporosis, both in vivo and in aborted foetuses, have been developed in the last ten years and some of them are commercially available. For diagnosis in live animals, detection of antibodies in serum or milk has been shown to be the best option both at the herd and the individual level. These techniques are excellent tools to examine N. caninum-associated abortion problems and to adopt some basic herd-control measures. Concerning foetal diagnosis, detection of compatible lesions by histological examination and parasites by PCR in brain (as well as heart and liver) are the best choices. Diagnostic criteria to distinguish foetal infection and Neospora-associated abortion are based not only on the demonstration of the parasite in the foetus but also on the extent and severity of the lesions in the foetus, foetal age and the assessment of neosporosis at the herd level. In the near future, new tools to diagnose infection should help to detect animals with parasite reactivation by testing the immune response to stage-specific antigens and lead to the development of molecular typing methods to characterise different parasite isolates. Finally, uniform diagnostic procedures need to be established between laboratories and countries in order to standardise result interpretation. The role of National or Regional Reference Laboratories is essential in countries or regions where control programmes for the disease are being developed.
Three new species of the feather mite genus Pteroherpus Gaud, 1981 (Astigmata, Pteronyssidae) from the bulbuls (Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae) in Africa
Authors: Mironov Sergey , Wauthy Georges
Published: June 2006

Three new species of the feather mite genus Pteroherpus Gaud, 1981 are described from the bulbuls (Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae) in Africa: Pteroherpus nicator sp. nov. from Nicator gularis Hartlaub et Finsch, 1870, P. pyrrhuri sp. nov. from Pyrrhurus scandens (Swainson, 1837), and P. trinoton sp. nov. from Phyllastrephus terrestris Swainson, 1837.