bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orbitotemporal Neurofibromatosis: Case Report
Authors: Balasubramanyam Mahalakshmi , Cugati Goutham , Mukherjee Bipasha
Published: March 2012

Plexiform neurofibromas occur in about 60% of neurofibromatosis type 1(NF-1) patients and can lead to severe morbidity by disfigurement or compression of vital structures. Moreover, these tumors can undergo malignant transformation. Both focal and localized bone abnormalities are part of the phenotypic expression of NF-1. We report a rare case of severe cranioorbital plexiform neurofibromatosis in a young male and discuss the classification, clinical features, and various treatment options of orbit-temporal neurofibromatosis type 1.
Enabling Fast ASIP Design Space Exploration: An FPGA‐Based Runtime Reconfigurable Prototyper
Authors: Meloni Paolo , Pomata Sebastiano , Tuveri Giuseppe , Secchi Simone , Raffo Luigi , Lindwer Menno
Published: March 2012

Application Specific Instruction‐set Processors (ASIPs) expose to the designer a large number of degrees of freedom. Accurate and rapid simulation tools are needed to explore the design space. To this aim, FPGA‐based emulators have recently been proposed as an alternative to pure software cycle‐accurate simulator. However, the advantages of on‐hardware emulation are reduced by the overhead of the RTL synthesis process that needs to be run for each configuration to be emulated. The work presented in this paper aims at mitigating this overhead, exploiting a form of software‐driven platform runtime reconfiguration. We present a complete emulation toolchain that, given a set of candidate ASIP configurations, identifies and builds an overdimensioned architecture capable of being reconfigured via software at runtime, emulating all the design space points under evaluation. The approach has been validated against two different case studies, a filtering kernel and an M‐JPEG encoding kernel. Moreover, the presented emulation toolchain couples FPGA emulation with activity‐based physical modeling to extract area and power/energy consumption figures. We show how the adoption of the presented toolchain reduces significantly the design space exploration time, while introducing an overhead lower than 10% for the FPGA resources and lower than 0.5% in terms of operating frequency.
Tomato Quality during Short-Term Storage Assessed by Colour and Electronic Nose
Authors: Messina Valeria , Domínguez Pía Guadalupe , Sancho Ana Maria , Walsöe de Reca Noemi , Carrari Fernando , Grigioni Gabriela
Published: March 2012

An assay based on an electronic olfactory system was set to evaluate tomato fruits by sensing the aromatic volatiles during postharvest storage of 21 days at C in darkness. Olfactory system measurements were coupled with colour values. Odour profile and senescence parameters were carried out at 7-day intervals. Discriminant function analysis applied to electronic nose data showed three components, accounting for 99.2% of the total variance. In the present assay, separation among groups according to storage time (0, 7, and 14 days) was observed for wildtype. Overexpressed (Money Maker) lines/plants of tomato showed difference between odour profile for day 0 and day 21, even tough a no clear discrimination between 7 and 14 days was observed. Fruit lost weight almost linearly with shelf life () presenting an averaged loss of 21% () for over-expressed (Money Maker) lines/plants, 13% () for silenced (Money Maker), and 14% () for wild type during 21 days of storage. Colour values , , and data showed that colour properties changed during storage for all the lines considered. Correlations between odour profiles and colour parameter were obtained showing that the electronic nose is a useful technique for monitoring short-term storage of tomato.
Subharmonic Solutions of Nonautonomous Second Order Differential Equations with Singular Nonlinearities
Authors: Daoudi-Merzagui N. , Derrab F. , Boucherif A.
Published: March 2012

We discuss the existence of subharmonic solutions for nonautonomous second order differential equations with singular nonlinearities. Simple sufficient conditions are provided enable us to obtain infinitely many distinct subharmonic solutions. Our approach is based on a variational method, in particular the saddle point theorem.
2D+t Wavelet Domain Video Watermarking
Authors: Bhowmik Deepayan , Abhayaratne Charith
Published: March 2012

A novel watermarking framework for scalable coded video that improves the robustness against quality scalable compression is presented in this paper. Unlike the conventional spatial-domain (t + 2D) water-marking scheme where the motion compensated temporal filtering (MCTF) is performed on the spatial frame-wise video data to decompose the video, the proposed framework applies the MCTF in the wavelet domain (2D + t) to generate the coefficients to embed the watermark. Robustness performances against scalable content adaptation, such as Motion JPEG 2000, MC-EZBC, or H.264-SVC, are reviewed for various combinations of motion compensated 2D + t + 2D using the proposed framework. The MCTF is improved by modifying the update step to follow the motion trajectory in the hierarchical temporal decomposition by using direct motion vector fields in the update step and implied motion vectors in the prediction step. The results show smaller embedding distortion in terms of both peak signal to noise ratio and flickering metrics compared to frame-by-frame video watermarking while the robustness against scalable compression is improved by using 2D + t over the conventional t + 2D domain video watermarking, particularly for blind watermarking schemes where the motion is estimated from the watermarked video.
Genetic Variation in Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor Gamma, Soy, and Mammographic Density in Singapore Chinese Women
Authors: Lee Eunjung , Hsu Chris , Van den Berg David , Ursin Giske , Koh Woon-Puay , Yuan Jian-Min , Stram Daniel O. , Yu Mimi C. , Wu Anna H.
Published: March 2012

Background: PPARγ is a transcription factor important for adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation. Data from animal studies suggest that PPARγ may be involved in breast tumorigenesis, but results from epidemiologic studies on the association between PPARγ variation and breast cancer risk have been mixed. Recent data suggest that soy isoflavones can activate PPARγ. We investigated the interrelations of soy, PPARγ, and mammographic density, a biomarker of breast cancer risk in a cross-sectional study of 2,038 women who were members of the population-based Singapore Chinese Health Study Cohort.

Methods: We assessed mammographic density using a computer-assisted method. We used linear regression to examine the association between 26 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of PPARγ and their interaction with soy intake and mammographic density. To correct for multiple testing, we calculated P values adjusted for multiple correlated tests (PACT).

Results: Out of the 26 tested SNPs in the PPARγ, seven SNPs were individually shown to be statistically significantly associated with mammographic density (PACT = 0.008–0.049). A stepwise regression procedure identified that only rs880663 was independently associated with mammographic density which decreased by 1.89% per-minor allele (PACT = 0.008). This association was significantly stronger in high-soy consumers as mammographic density decreased by 3.97% per-minor allele of rs880663 in high-soy consumers (PACT = 0.006; P for interaction with lower soy intake = 0.017).

Conclusions: Our data support that PPARγ genetic variation may be important in determining mammographic density, particularly in high-soy consumers.

Impact: Our findings may help to identify molecular targets and lifestyle intervention for future prevention research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 635–44. ©2012 AACR.
The Associations of Advanced Glycation End Products and Its Soluble Receptor with Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Case–Control Study within the Prospective EPIC Cohort
Authors: Grote Verena A. , Nieters Alexandra , Kaaks Rudolf , Tjønneland Anne , Roswall Nina , Overvad Kim , Nielsen Michael R. Skjelbo , Clavel-Chapelon Françoise , Boutron-Ruault Marie Christine , Racine Antoine , Teucher Birgit , Lukanova Annekatrin , Boeing Heiner , Drogan Dagmar , Trichopoulou Antonia , Trichopoulos Dimitrios , Lagiou Pagona , Palli Domenico , Sieri Sabina , Tumino Rosario , Vineis Paolo , Mattiello Amalia , Argüelles Suárez Marcial Vicente , Duell Eric J. , Sánchez María-José , Dorronsoro Miren , Huerta Castaño José María , Barricarte Aurelio , Jeurnink Suzanne M. , Peeters Petra H.M. , Sund Malin , Ye Weimin , Regner Sara , Lindkvist Björn , Khaw Kay-Tee , Wareham Nick , Allen Naomi E. , Crowe Francesca L. , Fedirko Veronika , Jenab Mazda , Romaguera Dora , Siddiq Afshan , Bueno-de-Mesquita H. Bas , Rohrmann Sabine
Published: March 2012

Background: Advanced glycation end products (AGE) and their receptors (RAGE) have been implicated in cancer development through their proinflammatory capabilities. However, prospective data on their association with cancer of specific sites, including pancreatic cancer, are limited.

Methods: Prediagnostic blood levels of the AGE product Nϵ-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and the endogenous secreted receptor for AGE (esRAGE) were measured using ELISA in 454 patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer and individually matched controls within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Pancreatic cancer risk was estimated by calculating ORs with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: Elevated CML levels tended to be associated with a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk [OR = 0.57 (95% CI, 0.32–1.01) comparing highest with lowest quintile), whereas no association was observed for esRAGE (OR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.62–1.54). Adjustments for body mass index and smoking attenuated the inverse associations of CML with pancreatic cancer risk (OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.41–1.49). There was an inverse association between esRAGE and risk of pancreatic cancer for cases that were diagnosed within the first 2 years of follow-up [OR = 0.46 (95% CI, 0.22–0.96) for a doubling in concentration], whereas there was no association among those with a longer follow-up (OR = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.88–1.39; Pinteraction = 0.002).

Conclusions and Impact: Our results do not provide evidence for an association of higher CML or lower esRAGE levels with risk of pancreatic cancer. The role of AGE/RAGE in pancreatic cancer would benefit from further investigations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 619–28. ©2012 AACR.
Aromatic DNA Adducts and Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Case–Cohort Study within the EPIC–Spain
Authors: Agudo Antonio , Peluso Marco , Munnia Armelle , Luján-Barroso Leila , Sánchez María-José , Molina-Montes Esther , Sánchez-Cantalejo Emilio , Navarro Carmen , Tormo María-José , Chirlaque María-Dolores , Barricarte Aurelio , Ardanaz Eva , Amiano Pilar , Dorronsoro Miren , Quirós J. Ramón , Piro Sara , Bonet Catalina , Sala Núria , González Carlos A.
Published: March 2012

Background: Colorectal (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC) are associated with meat intake and tobacco smoke, maybe because of aromatic compounds occurring in tobacco smoking and formed during cooking meat. Activated metabolites of these compounds may bind to DNA forming bulky adducts.

Methods: Forty-eight subjects diagnosed of GC and 154 of CRC during a 7-year follow-up period in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Spain cohort were compared with a sample of 296 subjects using a case–cohort approach. Aromatic adducts to DNA from leukocytes collected at recruitment were measured by means of the 32P-postlabeling technique. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusted by relevant confounders were estimated by a modified version of Cox regression.

Results: Using the log2-transformed adduct concentration, we observed a RR = 1.57 (CI: 1.25–1.97) for CRC, which means a 57% increased risk associated with doubling the level of adducts, and 47% (RR = 1.47, CI: 1.07–2.00) increase in risk of GC. The association was more marked for colon than for rectal tumors.

Conclusions: The level of aromatic adducts in the DNA is independently associated with an increased risk of gastric and CRCs. This effect could be due to aromatic compounds present in tobacco smoke or formed in meat, but they could be also due to genotoxic compounds from other sources.

Impact: Sources of aromatic compounds should be taken into account, in addition to known risk factors, in the research and prevention of tumors of the stomach, colon, and rectum. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 685–92. ©2012 AACR.
Bigger, Better, Sooner–Scaling Up for Success
Authors: Thun Michael J. , Hoover Robert N. , Hunter David J.
Published: March 2012

Over the last twenty years, the field of epidemiology has seen a rapidly increasing interest in, and need for, addressing low-level risks, interactions as well as main effects, and simultaneous assessment of vast numbers of biomarkers. Multiple examples over this time have shown the necessity for very large, high-quality individual studies (e.g., biobanks) or consortia of studies for these efforts to be successful. The need for this will continue to increase in the foreseeable future. It will also be important to analyze and publish aggregated data much earlier in the discovery process than typical for past efforts. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 571–5. ©2012 AACR.
The Communist Culture Industry: The Music Business in 1980s Poland
Authors: Patton Raymond
Published: March 2012

In the midst of authoritarian rule by the Communist Party, Poland saw rock music reach astounding popularity in the 1980s. This article uses the production of rock music in the People’s Republic of Poland as a lens to examine the tangled web of culture, economics, and politics that comprised the dynamic last decade of communist rule in Eastern Europe. It discusses how rock emerged amidst the contradictory forces at work in 1980s Poland – reform versus retrenchment, ideology versus practical necessity, and the need for change versus the inertia of the immense bureaucracy. Looking at how a production-centered approach applies to a socialist economy facilitates a consideration of what socialism was and precisely how it differed from contemporary capitalist systems, as well as to reflect on how socialist states differed from each other. Finally, this examination of the culture industry in 1980s Poland suggests a richer approach to analysis of popular culture in a socialist context. Cultural production in socialist Eastern Europe was engaged in a complex interplay with politics, but also with economics and industry conditions.
Commemorating ‘Heroes of a Special Kind’: Deserter Monuments in Germany
Authors: Welch Steven R.
Published: March 2012

Germany is one of the very few countries in the world with deserter monuments. Sparked by the Filbinger affair of 1978 and the protests of the German peace movement against NATO rearmament in the 1980s, a deserter monument movement emerged in numerous German cities, and by 2010 some 25 deserter monuments had been established across the country. These monuments fall into two main categories: those which specifically commemorate German soldiers who deserted from the Wehrmacht in the Second World War and those which are dedicated to honouring desertion as a matter of principle. Both types of monument qualify as a form of counter-monument, seeking to provoke reflection about traditional soldierly values and to challenge existing war memorials. The deserter monument movement and the monuments which it has spawned have played a significant role in shifting public perceptions about deserters from the Wehrmacht – leading to legal rehabilitation of the deserters in May 2002 – and have also contributed to the broader public debate about the role of the Wehrmacht in Hitler’s ‘war of annihilation’. The monuments occupy an important place in the evolving ‘memory culture’ ( Erinnerungskultur) of contemporary Germany, representing one example of continuing German attempts to rewrite the public narrative of German war experience.
Stabilization of all-pole unstable delay systems by fractional-order [PI] and [PD] controllers
Authors: Kheirizad Iraj , Jalali Ali Akbar , Khandani Khosro
Published: March 2012

The stabilization of all-pole unstable systems with time delay by fractional-order controllers is investigated in this paper. Sufficient conditions for stabilizability by fractional-order [PD]/[PI] controllers are determined. To derive the conditions for stability, an analysis based on Nyquist stability criterion is adopted and the upper bound for the time delay is determined. Furthermore, this paper provides the stabilizing range of the controller parameters. Theoretical proofs in company with illustrative examples are also provided.
Hiring Help for the Home
Authors: Kornrich Sabino
Published: March 2012

The division between home and market has long been a key dimension of family life and shifts across the home/market boundary are important for both gender inequality and the family. Two shifts across this boundary occurred in the twentieth century: women’s movement into paid labor and a decline in household labor. One stylized conception suggests that as women moved into paid labor, they used their new resources to purchase replacements. This article takes up this question, asking whether women’s movement into market labor led to the commodification of the home. It does so by combining evidence from primary and secondary sources about women’s reliance on services to offer a picture of how services have been used. The article argues that household labor is infused with emotional and relational content which has made it difficult to replace.
Impact of polyelectrolytes and their corresponding multilayers to human primary endothelial cells
Authors: Nolte Andrea , Hossfeld Susanne , Schroeppel Birgit , Mueller Anne , Stoll Dieter , Walker Tobias , Wendel Hans Peter , Krastev Rumen
Published: March 2012

The layer-by-layer technique, which allows simple preparation of polyelectrolyte multilayers, came into the focus of research for development of functionalized medical devices. Numerous literature exist that concentrate on the film build-up and the behaviour of cells on polyelectrolyte multilayers. However, in case of very soft polyelectrolyte multilayers, studies of the cell behaviour on these films are sometimes misleading with regard to clinical applications because cells do not die due to cytotoxicity but due to apoptosis by missing cell adhesion. It turns out that the adhesion in vitro, and thus, the viability of cells on polyelectrolyte multilayers is mostly influenced by their mechanical properties. In order to decide, which polyelectrolyte multilayers are suitable for implants, we take this problem into account by putting the substrates with soft films on top of pre-cultured human primary endothelial cells (‘reverse assay’). Hence, the present work aims giving a more complete and reliable study of typical polyelectrolyte multilayers with regard to clinical applications.

In particular, coatings consisting of hyaluronic acid and chitosan as natural polymers and sulfonated polystyrene and polyallylamine hydrochlorite as synthetic polymers were studied. The adsorption of polyelectrolytes was characterized by physico-chemical methods which show regular buildup. Biological examination of the native or modified polyelectrolyte multilayers was based on their effect to cell adhesion and morphology of endothelial cells by viability assays, immunostaining and scanning electron microscopy.

Using the standard method, which is typically applied in literature – seeding cells on top of films – shows that the best adhesion and thus, viability can be achieved using sulfonated polystyrene/polyallylamine hydrochlorite. However, putting the films on top of endothelial cells reveals that hyaluronic acid/chitosan may also be suitable for clinical applications: This result is especially remarkable, since hyaluronic acid and chitosan mediate per se no cytotoxic effects, whereas the individual polyelectrolytes, sulfonated polystyrene and polyallylamine hydrochlorite, and their complexes show slight cytotoxicity.
Intrametropolitan Opportunity Structure and the Self-Employment of Asian and Latino Immigrants
Authors: Liu Cathy Yang
Published: March 2012

Using 2000 Census microdata for the Atlanta metropolitan area as a case study, this research investigates the effect of intrametropolitan opportunity structure and local area context, especially spatial structure, urban employment pattern, social environment, and ethnic concentration, on Asian and Latino immigrants’ incidence of self-employment. These two groups grew rapidly both in the total labor force and among the self-employed in Atlanta. It is found that living in central city and inner-ring suburbs depresses Latino immigrants’ entrepreneurial activities. The growth of trade jobs and concentration of immigrants in a local area both give rise to immigrant entrepreneurship. Results suggest that traditional theories such as disadvantage theory need to be reassessed in the context of new immigrant gateways, while the ethnic enclave hypothesis is still validated. Potential policies to promote immigrant entrepreneurship are also discussed.
Tribological performances on porous polyphenylene sulfide self-lubricating composites with super wear resistance
Authors: Wang Huaiyuan , Wang Guiying , Zhang Shuai , Yang Shuhui , Zhu Yanji
Published: March 2012

The porous polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) self-lubricating composites with sweating effect were designed and fabricated, and the friction and wear behavior were evaluated. Results indicated that, porous PPS self-lubricating composite modified by 1 wt.% zeolite and impregnated with lithium-base grease in the pores showed the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate, which were recorded as 0.024 and 1.79 × 10−16 m3/Nm, respectively. Compared with pure PPS under dry condition, the friction coefficient reduced by 90% and wear resistance increased by 4.67 × 104 times. The wear resistant enhanced by 3.61 times than that of PPS/30 wt.% NaCl composites, so it showed synergistic effect on improving wear resistance. By means of scanning electron microscope, it was found that the pores of porous PPS composites with 1 wt.% zeolite were uniformly distributed and grease were well embedded in these orderly pores of PPS composites. Under the effect of load and temperature, grease squeezed from micropores and nanopores can provide the excellent lubrication effect, which are the main reason for the outstanding self-lubricating and wear resistance of PPS porous composites.
Influences of tool rotational speed on tensile properties of friction stir welded AZ61A magnesium alloy
Authors: Rose A Razal , Manisekar K , Balasubramania V
Published: March 2012

This paper investigates the influence of the rotational speed of the tool used in the friction stir welding of an AZ61A magnesium alloy. Five different rotational speeds were used to fabricate joints between plates of the alloy. The tensile properties of the joints were evaluated and correlated with the microstructure observed in the stir zone. The formation of very fine grains in the stir zone is observed to create superior tensile properties for these joints.
Lessons from an investigation of seclusion at an older adolescent inpatient unit
Authors: Swadi Harith , Bobier Candace
Published: March 2012

Objective: To determine the rate, indications and process for using seclusion for patients undergoing treatment at an older adolescent inpatient unit.

Method: Data were gathered prospectively and retrospectively as part of a quality assurance initiative at the Christchurch Youth Inpatient Unit (YIU); paper, electronic and legal documentation were examined.

Results: During the time period of the investigation, approximately 13% of individuals admitted to the unit were secluded. Psychosis, involuntary admission and Maori ethnicity were significantly associated with the use of seclusion with aggression being the most documented indication. The vast majority of seclusions occurred within the first seven days of admission and over half utilized pro re nata medication prior to seclusion.

Conclusions: Opportunities exist for intensifying and focusing efforts to minimize the use of seclusion and restraint, particularly during the first week of hospitalization.
Fatigue life testing of swaged pneumatic artificial muscles as actuators for aerospace applications
Authors: Woods Benjamin KS , Gentry Michael F , Kothera Curt S , Wereley Norman M
Published: March 2012

Pneumatic artificial muscles are a class of pneumatically driven actuators that are remarkable for their simplicity, lightweight, and excellent performance. These actuators are essentially a tubular bladder surrounded by a braided sleeve and sealed at both ends. Pressurization of the actuators generates contraction and tensile forces. Pneumatic artificial muscles have traditionally been used for robotics applications, but there has been recent interest in adapting them to a variety of aerospace actuation applications where their large stroke and force, which are realized at minimal weight penalty, create potential performance improvements over traditional technologies. However, an impediment to wide-spread acceptance of pneumatic artificial muscles is the relatively short fatigue lives of the actuators reported in the literature (typically, less than 18,000 actuation cycles before damage occurs). The purpose of this study is to develop a new construction method designed to greatly increase the number of fatigue cycles before damage occurs. The fabrication methodology employs a swaging process to provide smooth and distributed clamping of the bladder and braided sleeve components onto the end fittings. This approach minimizes stress concentrations and provides high mechanical strength, which can be experimentally validated via testing for the ultimate tensile failure load. Finite element analysis was used to refine the design of the swaged end fittings before extensive fatigue testing began. Long-term fatigue testing of the actuators under realistic operating conditions showed a substantial increase in actuator life, from a maximum of less than 18,000 cycles in previous research studies to more than 120,000,000 cycles in this study.
The essential transformation: How Masters students make sense and learn through transformative change
Authors: Conklin James , Kyle Terry , Robertson Colin
Published: March 2012

This article considers how the Human Systems Intervention Masters program at Concordia University in Montreal encourages and manages a transformation in the way students think about and act in the social world. The article explains the transformation in terms of a shift from a positivist/rational to a constructivist/narrative view of social phenomena, and how specific elements of the curriculum provoke the shift toward a more reflexive and participative way of working. The article also discusses the disconfirmation and uncertainty that can accompany the transformation, describes the structures and processes used to construct a container that provides psychological safety and emotional support for students, and considers ways in which the program might be improved.
The effect of bilingualism on creativity: Developmental and educational perspectives
Authors: Leikin Mark
Published: March 2012

This study is aimed at examining the possible effect of bilingualism on creativity in nonmathematical and mathematical problem solving among very young bilingual and monolingual preschoolers. An additional factor that has been considered in this study is the form of bilingual education. Accordingly, three groups of children (mean age = 45.4 months at the beginning of the study) participated in this study: (a) 13 bilingual children from a bilingual (Hebrew–Russian) kindergarten, (b) 10 bilingual children from a monolingual (Hebrew) kindergarten, and (c) 14 monolingual children (Hebrew) from a monolingual kindergarten. All children performed the Picture Multiple Solution task on general creativity and the Creating Equal Number task on mathematical creativity. The results reveal that both early bilingualism and some form of bilingual education seem to influence the children’s general and mathematical creativity. Moreover, differences between bilingual children from the bilingual kindergarten and monolingual children were more prominent (in favor of the bilinguals). In addition, the findings confirm the hypothesis concerning the differences between two types of creative ability in the context of bilingual and monolingual development.
Multiculturalism and its discontents: Left, Right and liberal
Authors: Kundnani Arun
Published: March 2012

Attacks on multiculturalism from across the political spectrum reduce the complex history of settlement and interaction in the UK to a simple narrative of excessive British tolerance and increasingly disruptive immigrant communities. The liberal version of this ‘integrationist’ discourse emphasizes the Enlightenment values associated with secularism, individualism, gender equality, sexual freedom and freedom of expression as markers of civilizational superiority. Various efforts are made to ‘civilize’ Muslims in particular into adopting these values. What emerges is, in effect, a liberal form of anti-Muslim racism which, paradoxically, takes liberalism into an illiberal embrace of conservative themes. With the racialization of ‘Muslimness’, the conservative cultural racism that was dominant in the 1980s has been revamped and reshaped, and the language of ‘values’ rather than ethnicity has become central.
Minimum ship size for seakeeping
Authors: Sarıöz Ebru
Published: March 2012

This paper describes a computational procedure to determine the minimum ship size to achieve the required seakeeping performance for a given design speed in a specified sea state. The procedure contains four basic elements: a procedure for representing alternative hull form designs with various sizes, a procedure for predicting the seakeeping performance of a given design, a non-linear direct search procedure and a user interface to provide the objectives and the constraints of the problem. The seakeeping performance of the ship in a specified sea area is expressed as a function of the ship size. A non-linear optimization problem is then formulated and solved by using non-linear direct search techniques. The objective is to find the minimum ship size satisfying given seakeeping criteria for a given design speed in a specified sea state. A typical example of determining the minimum dimensions for a patrol boat design is presented. The resultant design is shown to be the smallest vessel that could operate without violating the given set of seakeeping criteria.
Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Petersen Jens A. , Spiess Martina , Curt Armin , Dietz Volker , Schubert Martin ,   EM-SCI Study Group
Published: March 2012

Background. The description of the natural course of recovery from a spinal cord injury (SCI) with spontaneous improvement of neurological, neurophysiological, and functional measures is an important prerequisite in appraising effects of upcoming interventional therapies. Objective. To describe the spontaneous evolution of motor-evoked potentials of the anterior tibial muscle (TA-MEP) and their relation to outcomes of lower extremity motor scores (LEMS) and walking function in patients recovering from an acute SCI. Methods. TA-MEPs were assessed in 255 SCI subjects within 5 time intervals throughout the first year after SCI with combined neurological and functional measures. Tibial nerve conduction studies were performed to screen for peripheral nerve damage. Results. TA-MEP allowed stratification of SCI according to lesion severity and outcome. As MEP amplitudes increased over 12 months after SCI, this was paralleled by a significant improvement of LEMS and walking function. TA-MEP latencies remained usually stable. Conclusion. Clinical outcome and walking function after SCI can be predicted independent of clinical measures by assessment of TA-MEP reflecting corticospinal tract integrity.
Multimodal Imaging and Detection Strategy With 124 I-Labeled Chimeric Monoclonal Antibody cG250 for Accurate Localization and Confirmation of Extent of Disease During Laparoscopic and Open Surgical Resection of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Povoski Stephen P. , Hall Nathan C. , Murrey Douglas A. , Sharp David S. , Hitchcock Charles L. , Mojzisik Cathy M. , Bahnson Eamonn E. , Knopp Michael V. , Martin Edward W. , Bahnson Robert R.
Published: March 2012

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 85% to 90% of all primary kidney malignancies, with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) constituting approximately 70% to 85% of all RCCs. This study describes an innovative multimodal imaging and detection strategy that uses 124I-labeled chimeric monoclonal antibody G250 (124I-cG250) for accurate preoperative and intraoperative localization and confirmation of extent of disease for both laparoscopic and open surgical resection of ccRCC. Two cases presented herein highlight how this technology can potentially guide complete surgical resection and confirm complete removal of all diseased tissues. This innovative 124I-cG250 (ie, 124I-girentuximab) multimodal imaging and detection approach, which would be clinically very useful to urologic surgeons, urologic medical oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, radiologists, and pathologists who are involved in the care of ccRCC patients, holds great potential for improving the diagnostic accuracy, operative planning and approach, verification of disease resection, and monitoring for evidence of disease recurrence in ccRCC patients.
‘I Don’t Have to Be Like My Principal’: Learning to Lead in the Post-compulsory Sector
Authors: Mackay Fiona
Published: March 2012

This article explores the ways in which senior leaders in the learning and skills sector understand learning leadership and the influence on shaping their practice through the lens of senior leaders participating in a leadership programme. The article examines the extent to which personal theories of leadership are formed from our earliest experiences and how these inform current practice. The article suggests that leadership practice is shaped by not simply the practices seen and learnt at work, nor through replicating behaviours from those who we admire or detest, but within a complex dynamic of personal, contextual and socially defined influences.
America’s ‘engagement’ delusion
Authors: Comor Edward , Bean Hamilton
Published: March 2012

The Obama administration has embraced ‘engagement’ as the dominant concept informing US public diplomacy. Despite its emphasis on facilitating dialogue with and among Muslims overseas, this article demonstrates that, in practice, engagement aims to leverage social media and related technologies to persuade skeptical audiences to empathize with American policies. Indeed, its primary means of implementation – participatory interactions with foreign publics – is inherently duplicitous. Through the authors’ description of how engagement is rooted in long-standing public relations and corporate marketing discourses, and in light of the historical and structural foundations of anti-Americanism, this contemporary public diplomacy strategy is shown to be both contradictory and, ultimately, delusional. As an alternative, the authors argue that an ethical public diplomacy should be pursued, i.e., a public diplomacy that embraces genuine (rather than contrived) dialogue. Although this approach is difficult to achieve (primarily because it implies a direct challenge to entrenched US foreign policy norms), it constitutes a mode of public diplomacy that better reflects the idealized principles of American democracy.
A broadcast system in whose interest? Tracing the origins of broadcast localism in Canadian and Australian television policy, 1950–1963
Authors: Ali Christopher
Published: March 2012

The television systems of Canada and Australia are often assumed to be similar if not synonymous. Both are dominated by American imports; rely on a networking of stations; and trace their media systems to a combination of American and British influence. Moreover, in the past decade, both have implemented tremendous changes to their broadcast policies, particularly with regard to local television. Yet despite these similarities, scholars have never critically reflected on the evolution of these countries’ local television policies. As such, this article concentrates on how Canada and Australia have historically framed, defined, and implemented the concept of localism in broadcast policy. Through an analysis of policy documents from 1950 to 1963, the argument is made that when compared with Australia, localism was not an immediate priority, but rather a taken-for-granted assumption by Canadian policy-makers. Thus, the nationalism debate in Canadian television was fought at the expense of the local.
Regulation of murine normal and stress-induced erythropoiesis by Desert Hedgehog
Authors: Lau Ching-in , Outram Susan V. , Ignacio Saldaña José , Furmanski Anna L. , Dessens Johannes T. , Crompton Tessa
Published: March 2012

The function of Hedgehog signaling in hematopoiesis is controversial, with different experimental systems giving opposing results. Here we examined the role of Desert Hedgehog (Dhh) in the regulation of murine erythropoiesis. Dhh is one of 3 mammalian Hedgehog family proteins. Dhh is essential for testis development and Schwann cell function. We show, by analysis of Dhh-deficient mice, that Dhh negatively regulates multiple stages of erythrocyte differentiation. In Dhh-deficient bone marrow, the common myeloid progenitor (CMP) population was increased, but differentiation from CMP to granulocyte/macrophage progenitor was decreased, and the mature granulocyte population was decreased, compared with wild-type (WT). In contrast, differentiation from CMP to megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitor was increased, and the megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitor population was increased. In addition, we found that erythroblast populations were Dhh-responsive in vitro and ex vivo and that Dhh negatively regulated erythroblast differentiation. In Dhh-deficient spleen and bone marrow, BFU-Es and erythroblast populations were increased compared with WT. During recovery of hematopoiesis after irradiation, and under conditions of stress-induced erythropoiesis, erythrocyte differentiation was accelerated in both spleen and bone marrow of Dhh-deficient mice compared with WT.
The tumor suppressor p15Ink4b regulates the differentiation and maturation of conventional dendritic cells
Authors: Fares Joanna , Koller Richard , Humeniuk Rita , Wolff Linda , Bies Juraj
Published: March 2012

The tumor suppressor p15Ink4b is frequently inactivated by methylation in acute myeloid leukemia and premalignant myeloid disorders. Dendritic cells (DCs) as potent APCs play critical regulatory roles in antileukemic immune responses. In the present study, we investigated whether p15Ink4b can function as modulator of DC development. The expression of p15Ink4b is induced strongly during differentiation and activation of DCs, and its loss resulted in significant quantitative and qualitative impairments of conventional DC (cDC) development. Accordingly, ex vivo–generated BM-derived DCs from p15Ink4b-knockout mice express significantly decreased levels of the antigen-presenting (MHC II) and costimulatory (CD80 and CD86) molecules and have impaired immunostimulatory functions, such as antigen uptake and T-cell stimulation. Reexpression of p15Ink4b in progenitors restored these defects, and confirmed a positive role for p15Ink4b during cDC differentiation and maturation. Furthermore, we have shown herein that p15Ink4b expression increases phosphorylation of Erk1/Erk2 kinases, which leads to an elevated activity of the PU.1 transcription factor. In conclusion, our results establish p15Ink4b as an important modulator of cDC development and implicate a novel function for this tumor suppressor in the regulation of adaptive immune responses.
Asexual reproduction induces a rapid and permanent loss of sexual reproduction capacity in the rice fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae: results of in vitroexperimental evolution assays
Authors: Saleh Dounia , Milazzo Joëlle , Adreit Henri , Tharreau Didier , Fournier Elisabeth
Published: March 2012

Background

Sexual reproduction is common in eukaryotic microorganisms, with few species reproducing exclusively asexually. However, in some organisms, such as fungi, asexual reproduction alternates with episodic sexual reproduction events. Fungi are thus appropriate organisms for studies of the reasons for the selection of sexuality or clonality and of the mechanisms underlying this selection. Magnaporthe oryzae, an Ascomycete causing blast disease on rice, reproduces mostly asexually in natura. Sexual reproduction is possible in vitro and requires (i) two strains of opposite mating types including (ii) at least one female-fertile strain (i.e. a strain able to produce perithecia, the female organs in which meiosis occurs). Female-fertile strains are found only in limited areas of Asia, in which evidence for contemporary recombination has recently been obtained. We induced the forced evolution of four Chinese female-fertile strains in vitro by the weekly transfer of asexual spores (conidia) between Petri dishes. We aimed to determine whether female fertility was rapidly lost in the absence of sexual reproduction and whether this loss was controlled genetically or epigenetically.

Results

All the strains became female-sterile after 10 to 19 rounds of selection under asexual conditions. As no single-spore isolation was carried out, the observed decrease in the production of perithecia reflected the emergence and the invasion of female-sterile mutants. The female-sterile phenotype segregated in the offspring of crosses between female-sterile evolved strains and female-fertile wild-type strains. This segregation was maintained in the second generation in backcrosses. Female-sterile evolved strains were subjected to several stresses, but none induced the restoration of female fertility. This loss of fertility was therefore probably due to genetic rather than epigenetic mechanisms. In competition experiments, female-sterile mutants produced similar numbers of viable conidia to wild-type strains, but released them more efficiently. This advantage may account for the invasion of our populations by female-sterile mutants.

Conclusions

We show for the first time that, in the absence of sexual reproduction, female-sterile mutants of M. oryzae rice strains can arise and increase in abundance in asexual generations. This change in phenotype was frequent and probably caused by mutation. These results suggest that female fertility may have been lost rapidly during the dispersion of the fungus from Asia to the rest of the world.
Functional effects of the TMEM43 Ser358Leu mutation in the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Authors: Rajkumar Revathi , Sembrat John C , McDonough Barbara , Seidman Christine E , Ahmad Ferhaan
Published: March 2012

Background

The Ser358Leu mutation in TMEM43, encoding an inner nuclear membrane protein, has been implicated in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). The pathogenetic mechanisms of this mutation are poorly understood.

Methods

To determine the frequency of TMEM43 mutations as a cause of ARVC, we screened 11 ARVC families for mutations in TMEM43 and five desmosomal genes previously implicated in the disease. Functional studies were performed in COS-7 cells transfected with wildtype, mutant, and 1:2 wildtype:mutant TMEM43 to determine the effect of the Ser358Leu mutation on the stability and cellular localization of TMEM43 and other nuclear envelope and desmosomal proteins, assessed by solubility assays and immunofluorescence imaging. mRNA expression was assessed of genes potentially affected by dysfunction of the nuclear lamina.

Results

Three novel mutations in previously documented desmosomal genes, but no mutations in TMEM43, were identified. COS-7 cells transfected with mutant TMEM43 exhibited no change in desmosomal stability. Stability and nuclear membrane localization of mutant TMEM43 and of lamin B and emerin were normal. Mutant TMEM43 did not alter the expression of genes located on chromosome 13, previously implicated in nuclear envelope protein mutations leading to skeletal muscular dystrophies.

Conclusions

Mutant TMEM43 exhibits normal cellular localization and does not disrupt integrity and localization of other nuclear envelope and desmosomal proteins. The pathogenetic role of TMEM43 mutations in ARVC remains uncertain.
Response gene to complement-32 enhances metastatic phenotype by mediating transforming growth factor beta-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC-3
Authors: Zhu Liang , Qin Hua , Li Pei-Yuan , Xu Sheng-Nan , Pang Hui-Fang , Zhao Hui-Zhen , Li De-Min , Zhao Qiu
Published: March 2012

Background

Response gene to complement-32 (RGC-32) is comprehensively expressed in many kinds of tissues and has been reported to be expressed abnormally in different kinds of human tumors. However, the role of RGC-32 in cancer remains controversial and no reports have described the effect of RGC-32 in pancreatic cancer. The present study investigated the expression of RGC-32 in pancreatic cancer tissues and explored the role of RGC-32 in transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC-3.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining of RGC-32 and E-cadherin was performed on specimens from 42 patients with pancreatic cancer, 12 with chronic pancreatitis and 8 with normal pancreas. To evaluate the role of RGC-32 in TGF-β-induced EMT in pancreatic cancer cells, BxPC-3 cells were treated with TGF-β1, and RGC-32 siRNA silencing and gene overexpression were performed as well. The mRNA expression and protein expression of RGC-32 and EMT markers such E-cadherin and vimentin were determined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot respectively. Finally, migration ability of BxPC-3 cells treated with TGF-β and RGC-32 siRNA transfection was examined by transwell cell migration assay.

Results

We found stronger expression of RGC-32 and higher abnormal expression rate of E-cadherin in pancreatic cancer tissues than those in chronic pancreatitis tissues and normal pancreatic tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both RGC-32 positive expression and E-cadherin abnormal expression in pancreatic cancer were correlated with lymph node metastasis and TNM staging. In addition, a significant and positive correlation was found between positive expression of RGC-32 and abnormal expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, in vitro, we found sustained TGF-β stimuli induced EMT and up-regulated RGC-32 expression in BxPC-3 cells. By means of siRNA silencing and gene overexpression, we further demonstrated that RGC-32 mediated TGF-β-induced EMT and migration in BxPC-3 cells.

Conclusions

The results above indicated that RGC-32 might be a novel metastasis promoting gene in pancreatic cancer and it enhances metastatic phenotype by mediating TGF-β-induced EMT in human pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC-3.