bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential errors in conventional DOT measurement techniques in shake flasks and verification using a rotating flexitube optical sensor
Authors: Hansen Sven , Kensy Frank , Käser Andreas , Büchs Jochen
Published: May 2011

Background

Dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) is an important parameter for evaluating a bioprocess. Conventional means to measure DOT in shake flasks using fixed Clark-type electrodes immersed in the bulk liquid are problematic, because they inherently alter the hydrodynamics of the systems. Other approaches to measure DOT that apply fluorescing sensor spots fixed at the inside wall of a shake flask are also suboptimal. At low filling volumes for cultivating microorganisms with a high oxygen demand, the measured DOT signal may be erroneous. Here, the sensor spot is sometimes exposed to gas in the head space of the flask. Merely repositioning the sensor spot elsewhere in the flask does not address this problem, since there is no location in the shake flask that is always covered by the rotating bulk liquid. Thus, the aim of this prospective study is first, to verify the systemic error of Clark-type electrodes for measuring DOT in shake flasks. The second principle aim is to use the newly built "flexitube optical sensor" to verify potential errors in conventional optical DOT measurements based on fixed sensor spots.

Results

With the Clark-type electrode, the maximum oxygen transfer capacity in shake flasks rose compared to that of an analogous system without an electrode. This proves changed hydrodynamics in the system with the Clark-type electrode. Furthermore, regarding the sensor spot experiments under oxygen-limited conditions where the DOT value ought to approach zero, the acquired signals were clearly above zero. This implies that the sensor spot is influenced by oxygen present in the headspace and not only by oxygen in the bulk liquid.

Conclusions

The Clark-type electrode is unsuitable for measuring DOT. Moreover, the newly built rotating flexitube optical sensor is useful to verify potential errors of conventional optical DOT measurement techniques applying fixed sensor spots.
Effects of n-3 PUFAs on breast cancer cells through their incorporation in plasma membrane
Authors: Corsetto Paola A , Montorfano Gigliola , Zava Stefania , Jovenitti Ilaria E , Cremona Andrea , Berra Bruno , Rizzo Angela M
Published: May 2011

Background

PUFAs are important molecules for membrane order and function; they can modify inflammation-inducible cytokines production, eicosanoid production, plasma triacylglycerol synthesis and gene expression. Recent studies suggest that n-3 PUFAs can be cancer chemopreventive, chemosuppressive and auxiliary agents for cancer therapy. N-3 PUFAs could alter cancer growth influencing cell replication, cell cycle, and cell death. The question that remains to be answered is how n-3 PUFAs can affect so many physiological processes. We hypothesize that n-3 PUFAs alter membrane stability, modifying cellular signalling in breast cancer cells.

Methods

Two lines of human breast cancer cells characterized by different expression of ER and EGFR receptors were treated with AA, EPA or DHA. We have used the MTT viability test and expression of apoptotic markers to evaluate the effect of PUFAs on cancer growth. Phospholipids were analysed by HPLC/GC, to assess n-3 incorporation into the cell membrane.

Results

We have observed that EPA and DHA induce cell apoptosis, a reduction of cell viability and the expression of Bcl2 and procaspase-8. Moreover, DHA slightly reduces the concentration of EGFR but EPA has no effect. Both EPA and DHA reduce the activation of EGFR.

N-3 fatty acids are partially metabolized in both cell lines; AA is integrated without being further metabolized. We have analysed the fatty acid pattern in membrane phospholipids where they are incorporated with different degrees of specificity. N-3 PUFAs influence the n-6 content and vice versa.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that n-3 PUFA feeding might induce modifications of breast cancer membrane structure that increases the degree of fatty acid unsaturation. This paper underlines the importance of nutritional factors on health maintenance and on disease prevention.
Resveratrol prevents inflammation-dependent hepatic melanoma metastasis by inhibiting the secretion and effects of interleukin-18
Authors: Salado Clarisa , Olaso Elvira , Gallot Natalia , Valcarcel Maria , Egilegor Eider , Mendoza Lorea , Vidal-Vanaclocha Fernando
Published: May 2011

Background

Implantation and growth of metastatic cancer cells at distant organs is promoted by inflammation-dependent mechanisms. A hepatic melanoma metastasis model where a majority of metastases are generated via interleukin-18-dependent mechanisms was used to test whether anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol can interfere with mechanisms of metastasis.

Methods

Two experimental treatment schedules were used: 1) Mice received one daily oral dose of 1 mg/kg resveratrol after cancer cell injection and the metastasis number and volume were determined on day 12. 2) Mice received one daily oral dose of 1 mg/kg resveratrol along the 5 days prior to the injection of cancer cells and both interleukin-18 (IL-18) concentration in the hepatic blood and microvascular retention of luciferase-transfected B16M cells were determined on the 18th hour. In vitro, primary cultured hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells were treated with B16M-conditioned medium to mimic their in vivo activation by tumor-derived factors and the effect of resveratrol on IL-18 secretion, on vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression and on tumor cell adhesion were studied. The effect of resveratrol on melanoma cell activation by IL-18 was also studied.

Results

Resveratrol remarkably inhibited hepatic retention and metastatic growth of melanoma cells by 50% and 75%, respectively. The mechanism involved IL-18 blockade at three levels: First, resveratrol prevented IL-18 augmentation in the blood of melanoma cell-infiltrated livers. Second, resveratrol inhibited IL-18-dependent expression of VCAM-1 by tumor-activated hepatic sinusoidal endothelium, preventing melanoma cell adhesion to the microvasculature. Third, resveratrol inhibited adhesion- and proliferation-stimulating effects of IL-18 on metastatic melanoma cells through hydrogen peroxide-dependent nuclear factor-kappaB translocation blockade on these cells.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate multiple sites for therapeutic intervention using resveratrol within the prometastatic microenvironment generated by tumor-induced hepatic IL-18, and suggest a remarkable effect of resveratrol in the prevention of inflammation-dependent melanoma metastasis in the liver.
Review of the 25th annual scientific meeting of the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer
Authors: Balwit James M , Kalinski Pawel , Sondak Vernon K , Coulie Pierre G , Jaffee Elizabeth M , Gajewski Thomas F , Marincola Francesco M
Published: May 2011

Led by key opinion leaders in the field, the 25th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc, recently renamed the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, SITC) provided a scientific platform for ~500 attendees to exchange cutting-edge information on basic, clinical, and translational research in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. The meeting included keynote addresses on checkpoint blockade in cancer therapy and recent advances in therapeutic vaccination against cancer induced by Human Papilloma Virus 16. Participants from 29 countries interacted through oral presentations, panel discussions, and posters on topics that included dendritic cells and cancer, targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy, innate/adaptive immune interplay in cancer, clinical trial endpoints, vaccine combinations, countering negative regulation, immune cell trafficking to tumor microenvironment, and adoptive T cell transfer. In addition to the 50 oral presentations and >180 posters on these topics, a new SITC/iSBTc initiative to create evidence-based Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines was announced. The SITC/iSBTc Biomarkers Taskforce announced the release of recommendations on immunotherapy biomarkers and a highly successful symposium on Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers that took place on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) immediately prior to the Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting, the NIH took the opportunity to publicly announce the award of the U01 grant that will fund the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN). In summary, the Annual Meeting gathered clinicians and scientists from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies from around the globe to interact and exchange important scientific advances related to tumor immunobiology and cancer immunotherapy.
On the relationship between the load and the variance of relative fitness
Authors: Shnol Emmanuil E , Ermakova Elena A , Kondrashov Alexey S
Published: May 2011

Background

Operation of natural selection can be characterized by a variety of quantities. Among them, variance of relative fitness V and load L are the most fundamental.

Results

Among all modes of selection that produce a particular value V of the variance of relative fitness, the minimal value L

min
of load L is produced by a mode under which fitness takes only two values, 0 and some positive value, and is equal to V/(1+V).

Conclusions

Although it is impossible to deduce the load from knowledge of the variance of relative fitness alone, it is possible to determine the minimal load consistent with a particular variance of relative fitness. The concept of minimal load consistent with a particular biological phenomenon may be applicable to studying several aspects of natural selection.

Reviewers

The manuscript was reviewed by Sergei Maslov, Alexander Gordon, and Eugene Koonin.
Does clinical equipoise apply to cluster randomized trials in health research?
Authors: Binik Ariella , Weijer Charles , McRae Andrew D , Grimshaw Jeremy M , Boruch Robert , Brehaut Jamie C , Donner Allan , Eccles Martin P , Saginur Raphael , Taljaard Monica , Zwarenstein Merrick
Published: May 2011

This article is part of a series of papers examining ethical issues in cluster randomized trials (CRTs) in health research. In the introductory paper in this series, Weijer and colleagues set out six areas of inquiry that must be addressed if the cluster trial is to be set on a firm ethical foundation. This paper addresses the third of the questions posed, namely, does clinical equipoise apply to CRTs in health research? The ethical principle of beneficence is the moral obligation not to harm needlessly and, when possible, to promote the welfare of research subjects. Two related ethical problems have been discussed in the CRT literature. First, are control groups that receive only usual care unduly disadvantaged? Second, when accumulating data suggests the superiority of one intervention in a trial, is there an ethical obligation to act?

In individually randomized trials involving patients, similar questions are addressed by the concept of clinical equipoise, that is, the ethical requirement that, at the start of a trial, there be a state of honest, professional disagreement in the community of expert practitioners as to the preferred treatment. Since CRTs may not involve physician-researchers and patient-subjects, the applicability of clinical equipoise to CRTs is uncertain. Here we argue that clinical equipoise may be usefully grounded in a trust relationship between the state and research subjects, and, as a result, clinical equipoise is applicable to CRTs. Clinical equipoise is used to argue that control groups receiving only usual care are not disadvantaged so long as the evidence supporting the experimental and control interventions is such that experts would disagree as to which is preferred. Further, while data accumulating during the course of a CRT may favor one intervention over another, clinical equipoise supports continuing the trial until the results are likely to be broadly convincing, often coinciding with the planned completion of the trial. Finally, clinical equipoise provides research ethics committees with formal and procedural guidelines that form an important part of the assessment of the benefits and harms of CRTs in health research.
Intussusception of the small bowel secondary to malignant metastases in two 80-year-old people: a case series
Authors: Spiridis Charalambos , Kambaroudis Apostolos , Ntinas Achilleas , Papadopoulos Savvas , Papanicolaou Athanasios , Gerasimidis Thomas
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Small bowel intussusception is rare in adults and accounts for one percent of all bowel obstructions. Malignancy is the etiologic agent in approximately 50 percent of all cases.

Case presentation

Our first patient was an 80-year-old Caucasian woman with signs and symptoms of intermittent bowel obstruction for the last 12 months. Pre-operative investigation by abdominal computed tomography scanning revealed an obstruction at the ileocecal valve. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an ileocecal intussusception. She underwent an enterectomy. Histological examination showed metastatic breast cancer (lobular carcinoma). Our patient had previously undergone a mastectomy due to carcinoma three years earlier.

Our second patient was an 80-year-old Caucasian man with signs and symptoms of acute bowel obstruction. Pre-operative investigation by abdominal computed tomography scanning showed an intussusception in the proximal part of the small bowel. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a jejunojejunal intussusception. He underwent an enterectomy. Histological examination showed metastatic melanoma. Our patient had a prior history of a primary cutaneous melanoma which was excised two years ago.

Conclusion

Pre-operative determination of the etiologic agent of intussusception in the small bowel in adults is difficult. Although a computed tomography scan is very helpful, the diagnosis of intussusception is made by exploratory laparotomy and histological examination defines the etiologic agent. A prior malignancy in the patient's history must be taken under consideration as a possible cause of intussusception.
Magnitude of risks and benefits of the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer patients: Meta-regression analysis of randomized trials
Authors: Cuppone Federica , Bria Emilio , Vaccaro Vanja , Puglisi Fabio , Fabi Alessandra , Sperduti Isabella , Carlini Paolo , Milella Michele , Nisticò Cecilia , Russillo Michelangelo , Papaldo Paola , Ferretti Gianluigi , Aapro Matti , Giannarelli Diana , Cognetti Francesco
Published: May 2011

Background

Although the addition of bevacizumab significantly improves the efficacy of chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer, regulatory concerns still exist with regard to the magnitude of the benefits and the overall safety profile.

Methods

A literature-based meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of benefit and safety of adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer patients was conducted. Meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were also performed to identify additional predictors of outcome and to assess the influence of trial design.

Results

Five trials (3,841 patients) were gathered. A significant interaction according to treatment line was found for progression-free survival (PFS, p = 0.027); PFS was significantly improved for 1st line (Hazard Ratio, HR 0.68, p < 0.0001), with a 1-yr absolute difference (AD) of 8.4% (number needed to treat, NNT 12). A non-significant trend was found in overall survival (OS), and in PFS for 2nd line. Responses were improved with the addition of bevacizumab, without interaction between 1st line (Relative Risk, RR 1.46, p < 0.0001) and 2nd line (RR 1.58, p = 0.05). The most important toxicity was hypertension, accounting for a significant AD of 4.5% against bevacizumab (number needed to harm, NNH 22). Other significant, although less clinically meaningful, adverse events were proteinuria, neurotoxicity, febrile neutropenia, and bleeding. At the meta-regression analysis for 1st-line, more than 3 metastatic sites (p = 0.032), no adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.00013), negative hormonal receptor status (p = 0.009), and prior anthracyclines-exposure (p = 0.019), did significantly affect PFS.

Conclusions

Although with heterogeneity, the addition of bevacizumab to 1st-line chemotherapy significantly improves PFS, and overall activity. Hypertension should be weighted with the overall benefit on the individual basis.
Frequent coexistence of anti-topoisomerase I and anti-U1RNP autoantibodies in African American patients associated with mild skin involvement: a retrospective clinical study
Authors: Satoh Minoru , Krzyszczak Malgorzata E , Li Yi , Ceribelli Angela , Ross Steven J , Chan Edward KL , Segal Mark S , Bubb Michael R , Sobel Eric S , Reeves Westley H
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The presence of anti-topoisomerase I (topo I) antibodies is a classic scleroderma (SSc) marker presumably associated with a unique clinical subset. Here the clinical association of anti-topo I was reevaluated in unselected patients seen in a rheumatology clinic setting.

Methods

Sera from the initial visit in a cohort of unselected rheumatology clinic patients (n = 1,966, including 434 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 119 SSc, 85 polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM)) were screened by radioimmunoprecipitation. Anti-topo I-positive sera were also tested with immunofluorescence and RNA immunoprecipitation.

Results

Twenty-five (15 Caucasian, eight African American, two Latin) anti-topo I positive patients were identified, and all except one met the ACR SSc criteria. Coexistence of other SSc autoantibodies was not observed, except for anti-U1RNP in six cases. When anti-topo I alone versus anti-topo I + U1RNP groups were compared, African American (21% vs. 67%), overlap with SLE (0 vs. 50%; P = 0.009) or PM/DM (0 vs. 33%; P = 0.05) or elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) (P = 0.07) were more common in the latter group. In comparison of anti-topo I-positive Caucasians versus African Americans, the latter more frequently had anti-U1RNP (13% vs. 50%), mild/no skin changes (14% vs. 63%; P = 0.03) and overlap with SLE (0 vs. 38%; P = 0.03) and PM/DM (0 vs. 25%; P = 0.05).

Conclusions

Anti-topo I detected by immunoprecipitation in unselected rheumatology patients is highly specific for SSc. Anti-topo I coexisting with anti-U1RNP in African American patients is associated with a subset of SLE overlapping with SSc and PM/DM but without apparent sclerodermatous changes.
Treatment effects of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin in patients with severe sepsis: a historical control study
Authors: Yamakawa Kazuma , Fujimi Satoshi , Mohri Tomoyoshi , Matsuda Hiroki , Nakamori Yasushi , Hirose Tomoya , Tasaki Osamu , Ogura Hiroshi , Kuwagata Yasuyuki , Hamasaki Toshimitsu , Shimazu Takeshi
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Cross-talk between the coagulation system and inflammatory reactions during sepsis causes organ damage followed by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome or even death. Therefore, anticoagulant therapies have been expected to be beneficial in the treatment of severe sepsis. Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM) binds to thrombin to inactivate coagulation, and the thrombin-rhTM complex activates protein C to produce activated protein C. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of rhTM for treating patients with sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

Methods

This study comprised 65 patients with sepsis-induced DIC who required ventilatory management. All patients fulfilled the criteria of severe sepsis and the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria for overt DIC. The initial 45 patients were treated without rhTM (control group), and the following 20 consecutive patients were treated with rhTM (0.06 mg/kg/day) for six days (rhTM group). The primary outcome measure was 28-day mortality. Stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess which independent variables were associated with mortality. Comparisons of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on sequential days between the two groups were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results

Cox regression analysis showed 28-day mortality to be significantly lower in the rhTM group than in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.303; 95% confidence interval, 0.106 to 0.871; P = 0.027). SOFA score in the rhTM group decreased significantly in comparison with that in the control group (P = 0.028). In the post hoc test, SOFA score decreased rapidly in the rhTM group compared with that in the control group on day 1 (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We found that rhTM administration may improve organ dysfunction in patients with sepsis-induced DIC. Further clinical investigations are necessary to evaluate the effect of rhTM on the pathophysiology of sepsis-induced DIC.
TNF blockade abrogates the induction of T cell-dependent humoral responses in an allotransplantation model
Authors: FrancoSalinas Gabriela , Mai Hoa-Le , Jovanovic Voja , Moizant Frédérique , Vanhove Bernard , Boeffard Francoise , Usal Claire , Tak Paul P , Soulillou Jean-Paul , Baeten Dominique , Brouard Sophie
Published: May 2011

TNF blockade modulates many aspects of the immune response and is commonly used in a wide array of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. As anti-TNF induces anti-dsDNA IgM antibodies but not other antinuclear reactivities in human arthritis, we investigated here the effect of TNF blockade on the induction of TD humoral responses using cardiac allograft and xenograft models. A single injection of an anti-rat TNF antibody in LEW.1A recipients grafted with congenic LEW.1W hearts almost completely abrogated the induction of IgM and IgG alloantibodies. This was associated with decreased Ig deposition and leukocyte infiltration in the graft at Day 5. TNF blockade did not affect germinal-center formation in the spleen or expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines, costimulatory and regulatory molecules, and TLRs in spleen and graft of the recipient animals. Clinically, the abrogation of the induction of the alloantibodies was associated with a marked prolongation of graft survival. In contrast, anti-TNF did not alter acute xenograft rejection mediated by TI antibodies in a hamster-to-rat model. Taken together, these data indicate that TNF blockade abrogates the induction of TD humoral responses and accordingly, may have a beneficial effect in antibody-mediated inflammatory pathologies.
Gabor deconvolution: Estimating reflectivity by nonstationary deconvolution of seismic data
Authors: Margrave Gary F. , Lamoureux Michael P. , Henley David C.
Published: May 2011

We have extended the method of stationary spiking deconvolution of seismic data to the context of nonstationary signals in which the nonstationarity is due to attenuation processes. As in the stationary case, we have assumed a statistically white reflectivity and a minimum-phase source and attenuation process. This extension is based on a nonstationary convolutional model, which we have developed and related to the stationary convolutional model. To facilitate our method, we have devised a simple numerical approach to calculate the discrete Gabor transform, or complex-valued time-frequency decomposition, of any signal. Although the Fourier transform renders stationary convolution into exact, multiplicative factors, the Gabor transform, or windowed Fourier transform, induces only an approximate factorization of the nonstationary convolutional model. This factorization serves as a guide to develop a smoothing process that, when applied to the Gabor transform of the nonstationary seismic trace, estimates the magnitude of the time-frequency attenuation function and the source wavelet. By assuming that both are minimum-phase processes, their phases can be determined. Gabor deconvolution is accomplished by spectral division in the time-frequency domain. The complex-valued Gabor transform of the seismic trace is divided by the complex-valued estimates of attenuation and source wavelet to estimate the Gabor transform of the reflectivity. An inverse Gabor transform recovers the time-domain reflectivity. The technique has applications to synthetic data and real data.
Narrative Humor (I): Enter Perspective
Authors: Vandaele Jeroen
Published: May 2011

What is narrative humor? With this question in mind, my essay (in two parts) reviews several studies of narrative and humor. Part 1 discusses Edmond Wright (2005), who argues that both humor and narrative crucially require audiences or readers to switch between “intentional perspectives”: between the intentions, goals, beliefs, motivations, emotions, and so forth of different agents or participants. Although an important idea, it does not explain the difference between humor and narrative or the composite concept of narrative humor. My essay shares Wright's intentionalist thrust but points out differences between humor and narrative. While narrative has minimally two layers of intentionality (oriented to the action and to its presentation), humor need not have them. While humor always requires agents to perceive incongruity and induces (or confirms) feelings of superiority in them, narrative is not defined by incongruity and superiority (although it can create those effects). An intentionalist description of narrative humor—the composite concept— now emerges: humor is narrative when it creates and/or exploits incongruity and superiority relations between the participants (“agents”) of narrative texts: author, narrator, reader, spectator, character. Thus to explain narrative humor is to show how narrative enables its participants (“agents”) to produce humor. I analyze some types of narrative humor: “metanarrative humor,” “comic narrative suspense,” and “comic narrative surprise.” Some analysts add “comic character” and “comic action logic” as forms of narrative humor. This is wrong, because narrative is not just story (actions, characters) but discourse (narration) about story, although it is true (and relevant) that narrators can back- or foreground themselves and their characters. The narrator's degree of fore- or backgrounding (i.e., of perceptibility) may influence the type of humor perceived in narrative (e.g., narratorial sarcasm or irony, dramatic irony). Finally, I point out that the notion of narrative perspective complicates Wright's (or any other) definition of comic narrative in terms of “pleasure” or “happy ending.” Part 2 of this essay will argue that such intentionalist analysis is more basic than the psychoanalytic concepts that Alenka Zupančič (2008) brings to bear on comedy. Also, the intentionalist framework will be contrasted there with Salvatore Attardo's (2001) and Isabel Ermida's (2008) less intentionalist (“script-based”) views on narrative humor.
Frontal Cortical Connectivity and Lateralisation of Joint Attention Experience Using near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Chaudhary Ujwal , Zhu Banghe , Godavarty Anuradha
Published: May 2011

Autism is a socio-communication brain development disorder. It is marked by degeneration in the ability to respond to joint attention skill tasks, from as early as 12 to 18 months of age. This trait is used to distinguish autistic from typically developing populations. In this study, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used for the first time to study brain connectivity and lateralisation in response to joint attention experience in normal adults. The pre- and anterior frontal regions of the brain were non-invasively imaged using a frequency-domains based NIR system. The imaging studies were performed on 11 normal right-handed adults and optical measurements were acquired in response to joint-attention based video clips. Functional connectivity analysis was performed using intensity and relative phase shift data of the frequency-domain optical signals. Functional connectivity was computed using zero-order correlations and the cortical lateralisation analyses was also performed. Strong functional connectivity (in terms of HbO (oxy-haemoglobin), HbT (total haemoglobin) and relative phase shift data) in the pre-frontal cortex, was observed, irrespective of the stimuli (joint-attention (J), non-joint attention (NJ), and baseline rest (R); J, NJ or R). However, in the anterior frontal cortex, although the connectivity (based on HbO and HbT) demonstrated a strong correlation between the left and right regions, the connectivity (based on relative phase shift data) demonstrated a weaker correlation. The cortical lateralisation study demonstrated a right pre-frontal dominance during NJ and R stimuli, and not so in the J stimulus. The lateralisation study complemented the connectivity study by revealing that, although both the volume and pathlengths of the left and right pre-frontal cortex are similar, the dominance can vary with respect to stimuli. The high temporal resolution of NIR spectroscopy enabled study of the neural pathway associated with the socio-communicative skills, and hence the results have potential to elucidate the neural pathways associated with autism. Future NIR studies on autistic and typically developing children in response to the socio-communicative tasks (e.g. joint attention experience), may have a significant impact in early stage diagnostic intervention of autism in much younger children (< three years of age).
Virtual Standard Slope and Bias Calibration Transfer of Partial Least Squares Jet Fuel Property Models to Multiple near Infrared Spectroscopy Instruments
Authors: Cooper John B. , Larkin Christopher M. , Abdelkader Mohamed F.
Published: May 2011

A novel calibration transfer (standardisation) method was used to transfer partial least squares (PLS) models correlating jet fuel properties with their near infrared spectra. The modelled jet fuel properties included: API gravity; %aromatics; cetane index; density; distillation temperatures for 10%, 20%, 50% and 90% recovered volume; flashpoint; %hydrogen content; %saturates; and viscosity. The transfer method involved the use of 12 neat solvents to generate virtual standards which resembled the training set spectra used to generate the PLS models. Virtual standards created from solvents acquired on the master calibration instrument and secondary slave instruments were predicted using the master-generated PLS models. The master and slave virtual predictions were then regressed to provide a simple slope and bias correction for the slave instruments. The virtual standard slope and bias correction performed as well as or better than piece-wise direct standardisation for nine of the 13 fuel parameters while eliminating the need to maintain either the master instrument or complex fuel standards.
A Review of near Infrared Spectroscopy in Muscle Food Analysis: 2005–2010
Authors: Weeranantanaphan Jittima , Downey Gerard , Allen Paul , Sun Da-Wen
Published: May 2011

Muscle foods (meat and fish) are very important from the perspective of human nutrition and economic activity, both nationally and internationally. At a research and development level, major efforts continue to be focussed on improving the quantity and quality of raw and processed muscle food types available on the market and also to monitor their compliance with compositional, safety and, increasingly, provenance issues. Publications dealing with the development of near infrared (NIR) applications for the analysis of muscle foods (meat and fish) over the period 2005–2010 have been assembled and reviewed. Well-described advantages of NIR spectroscopy suit the food processing industry in terms of operating speed and possible implementation of in-line, on-line or at-line process monitoring; it also has the ability to meet consumer expectations in terms of product quality and safety assurance. These advantages allow food processors to easily monitor and manipulate processing conditions to avoid the production and release of defective products, thereby guaranteeing product quality and enhancing the possibility of repeat purchasing by customers. For public regulatory organisations which have responsibilities to both food producers and consumers, NIR technology may be able to contribute efficiently to these aims. Interrogation of NIR datasets by increasingly powerful and sophisticated chemometric techniques continues to improve calibration robustness and accuracy while the appearance of extensive suites of algorithms in commercially-available software packages helps in their deployment. The aim of this review is to provide an update on work in these areas which has been published in the period from 2005 to 2010. While targeted chiefly at researchers active in the field, it should also be of relevance to technical personnel in the meat and fish industries and to regulatory personnel.
Murder-suicide in the province of Milan, Italy: criminological analysis of cases 1990–2009
Authors: Merzagora Isabella , Travaini Guido , Battistini Alessio , Pleuteri Lorenza
Published: May 2011

Murder-suicide is a relatively rare event, and familicide is rarer still. However, it is certainly not unknown, and has been described in the scientific literature from both a socio-criminological and pathological–forensic perspective since the last century. In a civilized urban area such as Milan and province, where there is a general reduction in the homicide rate, homicide-suicide occurs almost exclusively within the family, and has specific features that differentiate it from other types of homicide, whether connected with general criminality or organized crime. This article analyses the quantitative and qualitative features of cases of homicide-suicide occurring in Milan and province between 1990 and 2009 (20 years), considering temporal aspects and the development of the events, the weapons used, and the epidemiological and psychopathological features of the perpetrators and their victims.
Pattern of chest injuries in road traffic incident victims: a six-year retrospective study
Authors: Kumar A G Vijay , Honnungar Ravindra S , Kumar T S Ajay , Hallikeri Vinay R
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The young are the most common victims of trauma and trauma is the leading cause of death in the first four decades of life. Injury accounts for more than 50% of deaths in children and is the third leading cause of death after cancer and atherosclerosis in all age groups. Thoracic trauma is one of the leading causes of death in all age groups and accounts for 25–50% of all traumatic injuries in the world.

Material and methods

In this retrospective study, fatal cases of thoracic trauma autopsied during the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2009 were analysed at the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, JN Medical College, Belgaum, Karnataka.

Results and discussion

In the present study, 67.8% of victims were 40 years old or younger. Women were less involved than men, with a ratio of 1:2.2.

Conclusion

Further establishment of ‘hi-tech trauma centres’ at each district level is the present need.
Role of the greater sciatic notch of the hip bone in sexual dimorphism: a morphometric study of the North Indian population
Authors: Kalsey G , Singla R K , Sachdeva K
Published: May 2011

The distinctive morphology and sexual dimorphism of the human hip bone makes it of interest from the anatomical, anthropological and forensic points of view. The shape of the greater sciatic notch has attracted great attention in the past. In the current investigation, an attempt has been made to find the baseline data of various parameters pertaining to the greater sciatic notch of 100 hip bones of known sex (male:female = 80:20) and side (right:left = 50:50), obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India, during the period 2007–2009. Seven parameters of the notch, viz. width, depth, posterior segment width, total angle, posterior segment angle, index I and index II of the greater sciatic notch were studied. The results thus obtained were compiled, tabulated, statistically analysed and were compared with the accessible literature.

Out of all the parameters studied, width of the notch, posterior segment width, total angle, posterior segment angle and index II of notch were found to be significantly greater in women as compared with men. Thus the greater sciatic notch can serve as a reliable sex indicator even when the complete hip bone has not been well preserved.
Advance directives in therapeutic intervention: a review of the Italian bioethical and juridical debate
Authors: Turillazzi Emanuela , Fineschi Vittorio
Published: May 2011

The authors present a review of the Italian bioethical and juridical debate about advance directives. The relevant points of difference between desistence from therapy and euthanasia and of the definition of the concept of therapy are also examined. The Italian Senate has passed a bill in which the value of advance health-care directives is affirmed. However, it is also affirmed that in conditions of emergency or when the subject's life is at immediate risk, the advance health-care directives should not be applied and artificial nutrition and hydration cannot be included in advance directives. In fact, these practices are thought to be of vital support and physiologically aimed at alleviating suffering until the end of life. Therefore, they cannot be the object of advance health-care directives. It is the authors' view that it is not at all desirable to trust legislative choices about a subject which continually varies in relation to scientific and clinical knowledge, options and alternatives. The physician is rather asked for a behaviour inspired by the value of the dignity and autonomy of the persons involved, by the respect of wishes previously expressed or, in any case, objectively proved.
Cataract as the root cause of fatal road traffic accidents in pedestrians
Authors: Honnungar Ravindra S , Manipady Shahnavaz , Bastia Binaya Kumar
Published: May 2011

Senile cataract is an important cause of preventable blindness, affecting 12–15 million people worldwide. In India, approximately 3.8 million people become blind from cataract each year. Moreover, in India, senile cataract develops at a relatively younger age than that seen in developed countries. However, during routine postmortem examination, search for cataract is often ignored, although it could be a major factor responsible for many road traffic accidents. This paper reports two cases of road traffic accident, where the judgement of the court exonerated the accused drivers based on the findings of eye examination during autopsy. Routine examination of the eye for cataract is recommended in every person involved in a road traffic accident irrespective of whether he is a victim or an accused.
Aluminium phosphide (tank pill) poisoning in the Transkei region of South Africa: a case report
Authors: Meel B L
Published: May 2011

About half a million people die each year as a result of various kinds of poisoning. The incidence of pesticide poisoning, which is high in developing countries, has doubled over the past 10 years. Aluminium phosphide is a deadly fumigant pesticide. A 21-year-old man committed suicide by ingesting aluminium phosphide, which he had available in his home. He had been charged with rape, and was to appear in court. Soon after ingestion, he told his grandmother about the suicide attempt. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was dead within an hour of arriving. The mechanism of action, symptoms and signs will be discussed in this report. The purpose of this case report is to highlight the problem of aluminium phosphide poisoning in the Transkei region of South Africa.
Causes of laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone fractures found at postmortem
Authors: Dunsby Ann-Marie , Davison Andrew M
Published: May 2011

The principal aims of this retrospective study were to assess the prevalence and causes of laryngo-hyoid fractures found in coroners’ adult postmortem examinations over a five-year period. In 78 of 1930 cases (4%), there was a fracture of the larynx (thyroid or cricoid cartilage) or hyoid bone. The thyroid cartilage alone was fractured in 38 cases; the hyoid bone alone was fractured in 19 cases; the larynx and hyoid bone were both fractured in 21 cases, including one which involved the cricoid cartilage. There was no evidence of surface injury to the neck in 14.1% of cases. The majority (44/78; 56.4%) involved classical manual or ligature ‘pressure to the neck’, i.e. hanging (32) or strangulation (12) but a significant minority (35.9%) involved other circumstances: road/rail traffic collision (12; 15.4%); falls (6; 7.7%); assaults involving blunt force trauma to the head and neck (4; 5.1%); incised wounds (3; 3.8%); gunshot wounds (2; 2.6%); and explosion (1; 1.3%). The circumstances of death and cause of fracture(s) were ‘unascertained’ in four cases (5.1%). Postmortem artefact accounted for two cases (2.6%).
What do newly appointed health staff know about the Mental Capacity Act (2005)?
Authors: Willner Paul , Bridle Jennifer , Dymond Simon , Lewis Glenda
Published: May 2011

Objectives

The study aimed to assess the extent of knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) (2005) among new recruits to a National Health Service (NHS) Trust.

Design

Respondents were assessed before and after a brief training experience.

Setting

Data were collected while respondents attended their mandatory Trust induction training.

Main outcome measure

Assessment was by means of a 16-item true–false questionnaire.

Results

While respondents' knowledge appeared reasonably good for some important features of the MCA, these results may have been exaggerated by a strong tendency to respond ‘true’, which persisted despite instructions intended to counteract it. Some significant areas of ignorance were also identified. Scores showed a small but significant improvement when participants were reassessed following a 10-minute talk on the MCA; the improvements were specific to certain items that were included in the training presentation. There were no significant differences in performance between non-clinical staff, naïve clinicians and clinicians who reported having previously received training on the MCA.

Conclusions

Knowledge of the MCA among newly appointed NHS staff is patchy, with some strengths but also significant weaknesses. The results demonstrate a benefit of the brief training experience, but also question how much information is retained by participants in MCA training.
Is acute alveolar dilation an indicator of strangulation homicide?
Authors: Klysner Anne , Lynnerup Niels , Hougen Hans Petter
Published: May 2011

Some cases of suspected homicidal strangulation are difficult to diagnose if the classical injuries of strangulation are few or lacking. The main purpose of this study was to determine if abnormal distension of alveolar airspaces is present in strangulation deaths and whether or not it can be used to support this diagnosis. Another purpose was to see how often the gross examination of the lungs was in agreement with the microscopic examination. The material comprised 33 victims of homicidal strangulation above the age of 15 years, autopsied at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen between 1998 and 2007. The results were compared with a control group of the same size, matched for gender and age, all of whom died naturally of cerebral or other neurological causes. The autopsy reports provided the results of the gross examination of the lungs. Regular haematoxylin–eosin stained sections were made from the histological specimens. The microscopic examination was performed by computerized image analysis using stereological methods in an attempt to objectify the observations. The results showed an almost complete concordance between the findings of the gross and the microscopic examination. Stereologically the study showed that the alveoli in the strangulation cases were twice the size of those in the control group which was highly statistically significant concluding that abnormal distension of alveolar airspaces.
Aarskog syndrome: from prenatal features towards postnataldiagnosis
Authors: Witters Ingrid , Peeters Hilde , Willekes Christine , Coumans Audrey , Sieprath Peter , Boshoff Derize , Fryns Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2011

Aarskog syndrome (faciogenital dysplasia, facio-digito-genital syndrome, Aarskog–Scott syndrome, OMIM 305400) is a rare, clinically and genetically heterogeneous X-linked recessive condition characterized by facial dysmorphic features, short stature, brachydactyly and genital anomalies. The prenatal diagnosis of Aarskog syndrome has only been made in the third trimester in high-risk families. This case describes a pregnancy with facial dysmorphism from 12 weeks gestation and associated growth restriction from the second trimester, postnatally diagnosed as the Aarskog syndrome. It shows the value of three-dimensional ultrasound in the evaluation of facial dysmorphism.
Arctic Environment by the Middle of This Century
Authors: Mörner Nils-Axel
Published: May 2011

At around 2040–2050 we will be in a new major Solar Minimum. It is to be expected that we will then have a new “Little Ice Age” over the Arctic and NW Europe. The past Solar Minima were linked to a general speeding-up of the Earth's rate of rotation. This affected the surface currents and southward penetration of Arctic water in the North Atlantic causing “Little Ice Ages” over northwestern Europe and the Arctic.
The Value of Social Dynamics in Online Product Ratings Forums
Authors: Moe Wendy W. , Trusov Michael
Published: May 2011

Research has shown that consumer online product ratings reflect both the customers' experience with the product and the influence of others' ratings. In this article, the authors measure the impact of social dynamics in the ratings environment on both subsequent rating behavior and product sales. First, they model the arrival of product ratings and separate the effects of social influences from the underlying (or baseline) ratings behavior. Second, the authors model product sales as a function of posted product ratings while decomposing ratings into a baseline rating, the contribution of social influence, and idiosyncratic error. This enables them to quantify the sales impact of observed social dynamics. The authors consider both the direct effects on sales and the indirect effects that result from the influence of dynamics on future ratings (and thus future sales). The results show that although ratings behavior is significantly influenced by previously posted ratings and can directly improve sales, the effects are relatively short lived once indirect effects are considered.
How Well Does Advertising Work? Generalizations from Meta-Analysis of Brand Advertising Elasticities
Authors: Sethuraman Raj , Tellis Gerard J. , Briesch Richard A.
Published: May 2011

The authors conduct a meta-analysis of 751 short-term and 402 long-term direct-to-consumer brand advertising elasticities estimated in 56 studies published between 1960 and 2008. The study finds several new empirical generalizations about advertising elasticity. The most important are as follows: the average short-term advertising elasticity is .12, which is substantially lower than the prior meta-analytic mean of .22; there has been a decline in the advertising elasticity over time; and advertising elasticity is higher (1) for durable goods than nondurable goods, (2) in the early stage than the mature stage of the life cycle, (3) for yearly data than quarterly data, and (4) when advertising is measured in gross rating points than monetary terms. The mean long-term advertising elasticity is .24, which is much lower than the implied mean in the prior meta-analysis (.41). many of the results for short-term elasticity hold for long-term elasticity, with some notable exceptions. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.